John S.

Hi All, (blushing) wow! thanks everyone for the kind comments! BTW, I'm a native born Midwesterner (eastern rural Kansas) so there's no love lost between me and the big ole' Lone Star State. In fact, I hope to be moved out-of-state before "Dubya" is out of office and comes back to the Dallas-Ft. Worth area to permanently roost. Worth considering is that Obama is a Chicagoan and City dweller-assuming he is elected, I think his administration will be kindly disposed towards the inner-cities. Assuming further that Edwards is his eventual VP, I expect a vigorous anti-poverty program to help the inner-city poor which will help positively transform a lot of currently hopeless inner-city neighborhoods. While I oppose the "Urban Renewal" wholesale neighborhood demolition policies of past administrations, more enlightened rehabilitation incentives programs geared towards older housing stock as well as new compatible infill housing could help turn a lot of older city neighborhoods into magnets for new growth and prosperity. Someone with political pull needs to be working to lay the groundwork for such programs right now, if they haven't done so already. While I still think Mr. Paul had the best program, realistically, Obama is the likely next president. For older cities with higher rates of poverty and large minority populations, that could potentially be the best thing that has happened in a long time. Thanks again for the kind words-I hope to vote with my feet in the near future. John S.

Jonmoxon wrote: "Regarding the future of cities in the wake of energy scarcity, he believes the large "metroplexes" (Atlanta, Phoenix, houston, Dallas, Vegas, for example) will take the hardest hit. For most of you on this thread, I probably don't have to explain why. He does hold out hope for America's smaller cities and towns, especially those along navigable waterways/bodies of water (he specifically mentions current Great Lake port towns that are underutilized). "Our largest cities will get smaller, but will redensify around their urban cores and waterfronts." I agree with this totally. I feel that going forward, our section of the nation(the Great Lakes region), along with the Pacific NW are in the best shape to come out of the coming energy crisis. We are blessed with access to waterways and rail, a temperate climate, abundant freshwater (I can't emphasize this enough) a large, diverse, and still productive agricultural sector, along with a skilled workforce that still knows how to make and build things. In this regard I am optimistic, though cautiously so." Greetings from a fellow Ron Paulite, This is an interesting discussion thread even though it is somewhat obscure as to how it exactly pertains to Urban Ohio. I have some friendly connections to Ohio (a long-time close friend in Lakewood; a couple of other good friends relocating now from Indianapolis to Cincinatti) and when my home in Fort Worth (about as inner-city as one can get-our home is within walking distance of the County Courthouse) sells, my sights are pointed towards Ohio and Cincinnati in particular. I've always been a bit of a futurologist or some might call it a visionary. In 1989 my wife and I bought a neglected Victorian era home in a gang-ridden downtown neighborhood. I saw the potential here and a Ft. Worth Star-Telegram article in 1991 highlighted my vision for the neighborhood. Fast forward to the present and my neighborhood is now being rapidly gentrified with high-rise condo towers featuring million-dollar plus units. Not exactly my original vision-of a restored historic district in a quiet setting of distinguished old homes. Therefore we are now selling (likely to a developer) and taking our vision for neighborhood improvement with us to a place where it could happen. Contrary to popular opinion, the so-called "Sunbelt" is not where it's at these days. As has been pointed out here, the vast sprawl of Sunbelt cities was based on inexpensive oil, long commutes, and an adequate supply of fresh water. Houston and it's countless 'burbs are spread out over 500 square miles! As has been pointed out in previous postings, water is a very precious commodity and "artificial" cities like Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Phoenix have a very finite water supply with demand quickly out-pacing supply. Texas Oil baron T. Boone Pickens is quoted as saying that past wars were fought over oil but future wars would be fought over fresh water. The upper Midwest, which includes Ohio, is of course, water-rich, a natural asset of incalculable value. On a side note: read today that market-savvy Mr. Pickens just ordered $2 billion dollars worth of wind generators from General Electric. If that is not conclusive proof of continued high oil and energy prices, then I don't know what is. I predict the net population drain in the upper Midwest, mainly brought on by the decline in manufacturing, will sharply reverse course within a few years. If climate futurologists are correct and rising sea levels are possible in the next few decades due to global warming, we will have a large displaced population of people from coastal areas which will have to seek new homes. I predict many will find their way to the Midwest. The U.S. Southwest is now experiencing a population explosion of another kind: immigrants. (both legal and illegal) Many are from Latin American countries and Mexico, This large, rapidly growing population is changing the demographics and culture of the southwestern United States. Latino advocacy groups often refer to it as the "Browning" of the Southwest. While assimilation and integration of these new immigrants is slowly on-going, some (primarily Causcasian) alarmists are quietly pulling up stakes and relocating to areas where the "old" American culture still holds sway-for many its the traditional American Midwestern Heartland. Midwestern housing is still relatively affordable and the Midwest still has some of the best and most fertile croplands in the U.S.. all of these are potentially big pluses in a future plagued by shortages of every kind. Sustainability is the key word for the future and again, the Midwest has the resources for sustainability in the long term. Of course, the doomsayers are quick to caution us with tales of the unknown, such as nuclear holocausts, rogue asteriods wiping out the planet, and violent, destructive storms becoming common .(which actually seems to be happening to a certain extent) Regardless, if you add up the factors, the Midwest, inlcuding Ohio, are in a good position for the future-the old, low-tech, low energy demand resources which gave rapid growth to the Midwest in the 19th Century are still available today while petroleum and abundant water may soon not be. Only time will tell how accurate future predictions are but the Midwest appears to have a lot going for it. John S.

KJP replied: "In metro areas where home prices are falling, they're falling more steeply in suburbs than in central areas. In metro areas with strong inner city neighborhoods -- like Portland -- prices of centrally located homes continue to rise while the region's prices fall." KJP, While this may be true, it is not the whole story. Suburban housing respresented the most hyper-inflated portion of the housing boom market. Financing gimmicks abounded to get people who really couldn't afford the mortgages, into the newly-built homes. Existing older home sales (i.e., in more centralized urban areas) have been more stable because fewer creative mortgaging schemes were applied to this segment of the housing market. A traditional lending rule-of-thumb is that one's monthly mortage, taxes, and insurance, should not exceed 33% of a homeowner's disposable income. A lot of mortgage companies "fudged" the figures creatively to put people into mortgages. Some home builders even offered 1-2-3 "buydown" mortgages in which the builder paid part of the monthly mortgage payment for the first 3 years post-closing to help the borrowers "qualify" for a larger mortgage. As said, the most speculative and creative segment of the sub-prime mortgage mess was often in newly built suburban areas. In more urban areas, there have also been plenty of foreclosures, in particular from borrowers/investors who bought speculative properties to later "flip" for a profit. Property appraisers have especially been in the hot seat lately because many capitulated to lenders and realtors who dictated to them how much a given property should appraise for. With all of the malfeasance that was going on in the lending-real estate industry, I personally feel the spike in gas prices has had a marginal impact on the market downturn. For certain, $4+ a gallon gas is not going to help the market to recover anytime soon, in the suburbs especially, but the whole credit crunch and mortgage mess would have likely happened even if gas prices had remained stable. John S.

KJP Wrote: (regarding post peak oil predictions) Financial institutions -- Banks and lenders would begin failing and the housing market would tank. I specifically recall the mortgage industry as being declared as particularly vulnerable, given all the questionable loans that were doled out in recent years at variable interest rates. Interest rates would rise and homes would be foreclosed en masse (yes, they actually predicted that because many people who took on loans could barely afford paying them, let alone the higher prices of gas, food and clothing (did I mention polyester and other clothing materials are made from petroleum). The prognosticators actually predicted that the suburbs, especially the post-1980 exurbs, would become largely vacant. KJP, The mortgage lending crisis was largely created by the lenders themselves. They made tons of money by bundling sub-prime mortgage loans and reselling them in the secondary markets (as mortgage-backed securities) At the time, these activities didn't seem nearly as risky as they do now in hindsight. The U.S. in the early 2000's was experiencing a national housing "boom" causing demand to soar while home prices and values were increasing at double-digit yearly rates in some hot markets. Everyone knew this kind of balloon expansion couldn't go on forever, but so many people were making so much money that no one really cared about the obvious risks. Financing wizards worked overtime to come up with a slew of new exotic loan "products", such as Alt-A loans, which require no income verification. "Teaser" adjustable rate mortgages-with ultra low initial interest rates-allowed people who couldn't qualify income-wise for a fixed rate mortagage to get into a new home-the expectation was time was on everyone's side and all of the potential problems would take care of themselves. Despite the obvious risks, mortgage loan insiders pointed out the steady appreciation in property values which, if continued, would reduce the level of risk to the lenders. In other words, if someone got in over their heads, they could put the property back on the market, quickly cash out, and pay off the lender. It was a giant house of cards/dominoes and all that was needed was a slight shift downward in demand (which happened in over-built areas) to nudge the snowball rolling downhill. Billions upon billions of dollar losses later, the cold, sobering reality has hit home. Of course, rising unemployment, rising gas and food prices, (as well as many other less visible increases) have really put a squeeze on the housing markets. A bargain mentality has taken hold of would-be home buyers as they wait on the sidelines until the market hits bottom, thus supressing demand even further. Borrowers who run into financial trouble now owe more on their mortgage than their home is worth in today's market. The lenders have had to adjust their balance sheets and tighten up their lending guidlines but otherwise, it's business as usual. On a side note about supply and demand: suppose a new, abundant, ultra cheap, energy source was rushed to the markets. The demand and the price of Oil would plummet and gas prices might soon go back to 1960's levels. (adjusted for inflation) As for the outlying suburbs, they are the most vulnerable to high energy prices because of the commuter phenomenon. Urban dwellers benefit the most in today's situation because of inexpensive mass transit and shorter commuter distances. The far-flung suburbs could not exist if it had not been for the automobile. Before the automobile, communities were densely built because most people walked to work, school, shopping, or took a horse or buggy/wagon to reach the same. Only with the coming of short rail commuter lines-the interurbans- to early suburban areas, (which were still densely built in comparison with today's sprawling suburbs) did communities grow out of their dense urban cores. With alternative energy sources now ramping up in response to demand, doubtful the horse-drawn 19th century urban model will ever re-appear, but continued high energy costs will surely put a brake on run-away suburban sprawl for the foreseeable future. John S.

Hi, Your viewpoints reflect those of many others across the country in these days of economic and political uncertainty. However, the answers, like many things in life, depend on factors we cannot see clearly right now but which surely will be crystal clear to us in another few years. Many take it as a given that the Petroleum Age has peaked and that prices for petroleum based products (Gasoline, Diesel, plastics, chemicals) can only continue to rise. While that is the conventional wisdom, Oil prices have historically spiked in the past, only to later rapidly drop again at some point. Can that happen again? Maybe. Doubtful we will ever see $1 a gallon gasoline again but just a couple of years ago giant SUV's were the kings of the American road and no self-respecting middle or upper-class family could be without one. (or 2 or 3) And this is long after the so called "energy crisis" of the 1970's. Only time will tell if this meteoric rise in Petroluem prices is permanent or just a spike to be followed by a downturn. Given that energy costs have risen so dramatically, the incentive to come up with new alternative technologies has never been greater. Bright minds in the U.S. invented the atom bomb and put a man on the moon-it is a nation of innovators and creative thinkers. You can almost bet that somewhere in some sterile corporate lab or maybe even in a tinkerer's dusty garage someone or a team of someones is working towards making the next major alternative energy breakthrough. The financial rewards for finding and bringing an affordable and sustainable alternative (to Petroleum) energy to the market are almost beyond comprehension. I'm a bit of an optimist, so I think the spike in Petroleum energy prices is just the kick in the behind we frankly needed to motivate us into finding a long-term solution. Potentially even seawater could be an almost limitless supply of energy if we could discover an inexpensive way to extract hydrogen from it. Having said all of that, the reality is that our country (the U.S.) as well as some others, are in a real pickle right now. I agree that the sky-high energy costs, sub-prime credit mess, housing/real estate crisis and political uncertainty may mark this period in U.S. history as a watershed moment. I 100% agree with you that the economic justification for living in far-flung suburbs is quickly fading in this current harsh economic environment. The back-to-the-cities movement, which is an anti-sprawl sub-set within the "Green" movement, was alive and well even before the current energy crisis. Four dollars a gallon (or higher) gasoline only provides more momentum to bring people back into the urban centers where more jobs, resources, and services exist. We must not forget that only a few generations ago Americans were a nation of family-owned farms with only a small percentage living in urban centers. The Industrial Revolution, which was fueled with cheap energy, helped transform us into a nation of city-dwellers but the connection with rural living was maintained with the concept of suburbs and continued cheap energy costs. We are now living in a time of increasing global scarcity, not only of energy resources, but of many vital raw materials such as iron, copper, aluminum, manganese, and more. Recycling is mandatory to conserve resources and help keep up with global demand. On a personal level, I cringe every time I see a re-habable house or commercial building carelessly demolished and not a single material resource is even salvaged or recycled. This means that all of the energy and resources that originally went into obtaining the materials and then building the structure are now wasted, hastily taken in a large dump truck to add more wastes to our rapidly filling landfills. I've read sources that claim up to 25% of all materials in landfills come from structural demolitions. While it's true that not 100% of every demolition is salvagable or recylable, a surprisingly large amount of it is. Plumbing provides recyclable copper, brass, and lead. Electrical wiring the same. Window glass can be recycled, wood structural members can be salvaged and reused. The nails used to put a house together can be reclaimed as scrap iron. Non-salvagable wood products can be turned into mulch, or reprocesssed into building materials (MDF board) or even burned for fuel. Bricks, especially the old bricks laid with soft lime mortar, can be readily reused. Asphalt roofing can be reprocessed into new asphalt roofing and by-products. I believe even sheetrock can be reprocessed in some usable way. I know a lot of folks would be quick to pounce on this approach as costing way too much as it would involve a lot of manual labor, sorting, and takes a lot of time. So what? Is a quick and cheap demolition of a structure via a backhoe or bulldozer without saving or recycling anything really a GOOD thing!? In an era of increasing scarcit and environmental consciousness, the senseless waste of resources is the one thing we cannot afford to continue doing. I'd like to see municipalities increase the costs of permits for non-recycling demolitions (unless there's an actual threat to public health because of toxic materials) to where recycling, or even better, rehabilitation, is the economically preferred alternative. Since I presume you are from Cincy, your City is a textbook case where wide-spread rehabilitation of deteriorated urban and near-urban housing stock makes perfect sense. While some locals would argue new is always better, there's a great deal of appreciation by locals and outsiders (myself) for the historic buildings and homes that make Cincinatti so unique and livable. Tearing down these structures which collectively make up your city's character makes no sense in today's reality. You invited viewpoint/opinion input, so that's my 2 cents worth... I look forward to reading other views and thank you for starting this thread. John S.

How sad...to see a real life visualization of Chrissie Hynde's (and The Pretenders) 1983 song, MY CITY WAS GONE. If anyone has heard the song (now being used as an intro by talk show host Rush Limbaugh) it laments the destruction of Ohio's scenic places. According to Wikkipedia, Hynde was originally from Akron, Ohio, She attended Firestone High School (what a name coincidence!) and then Kent State University at the time of the Kent State shootings in 1970. An absolute total waste of a classic building... it would take millions to construct the same today and now just adds tons more fodder to the local landfill. How about environmentally sensitive "recycling" of reusable materials- or is "green" still somewhat of an alien concept in this part of the Midwest? John S.

Great photos! These images are like a looking glass into the past. In more "progressive" areas, the brick streets have long been paved over, the storefronts cladded with aluminum and many unique old buildings torn down to make way for fast-food joints or discount drug stores. I know you can also find some of these modern intrusions in and around Marietta, but your careful choice of subjects provides the flavor of the past. While a lot of industry has permanently left the area, if the locals are smart, they will play up their historic architectural treasures for growing the new "green" industry of heritage tourism. Many Americans living in bigger cities (like my neighborhood of Dallas-Ft. Worth, TX) have only seen this kind of streetscape in old movies and vintage photos-to find such a slice of pure Americana still in existence would be a pleasant surprise for many. (and well worth a visit) John S.

About 6 years ago, I travelled along the Ohio River from East Liverpool down to Marietta and saw some of the most scenic terrain I found anywhere in Ohio. (wonder if this could be traveled on a bike?) The area is chocked full of historic architecture (as your wonderful photos attest) and has many nearly-forgotten picturesque old places to explore. It's interesting to note the use of many different kinds of bricks and tiles in these buildings. As most of you know, the area around East Liverpool was the pottery center of the United States in the latter half of the 19th century. The variety of ceramic products created during that era are almost limitless. The abundance of inexpensive coal, fine clays, and skilled craftsmen (and women) made that industry possible back then. Nice to see some of that legacy surviving to this day. Thanks! John S.

Great photos! Shawnee, in remote Perry County and in the middle of Wayne National Forest, (Ohio's only national forest) is my favorite Ohio community that I've never visited. Founded in the early 1870's and quickly growing and prosperous, Shawnee appears to have had the proverbial economic rug (coal mining and clay production) suddenly pulled out from under it, causing it to be frozen in time. It was too remote and too small for the national fast food chains or generic national retailers to invade the town in recent years so essentially, it remains a frayed but intact 19th century village. The greatest enemy of Shawnee has been benign neglect and there's ample proof there to show what happens when maintenance gets deferred for too long. As a restorer-preservation contractor, it pains me to look at these once graceful local storefronts with their characteristic second story ornate balconies supported by ornamental brackets/corbels, now on the verge (or past the point) of collapse. With the loss of each structure, the town has less to offer the appreciative visitor. I know the Tecumseh Theater received some emergency grant money to repair the roof but that is woefully short of what is needed to save many other fine old structures remaining in town. Where's John D. Rockefeller Jr. (who saved Colonial Williamsburg) when you need him? I'm hoping to make a personal visit to Shawnee before the town disappears entirely. Thanks for the photos. John S.

Inkaelin, Although I'm a newcomer and an outsider, (from the Texas D/FW area) the quality and variety of historic architecture found in Cincinnati never ceases to amaze me. This photo set just proves how diverse the local streetscape is. I was especially intrigued with the photo of Ray's Restaurant. Surely this is an adaptive reuse of a building built originally for another purpose-maybe an Eagles (Franternal Order of Eagles) lodge with the two large Eagles perched above the entries? Or some former type of religious institution? In any event, its a really unique architectural touch for a common neighborhood eatery. You know, you should work for the State dept. of Tourism... with your small town photo collections and eclectic city photos, you show some of the best and most interesting sights/sites Ohio has to offer. I now realize how woefully inadequate my brief visit to Ohio was several years ago. Thank you very much for sharing. John S. Fort Worth, TX

Nice photos as always, Ink. Mount Vernon appears to have saved much of its early architecture and there are examples there from the early 1800's Federal Style to the 1950's. The little white frame "Gothic" storefront, if original, is a rare treat. The gable brace with scroll-sawn ornament closely resembles one featured in a planbook by A.J. Bicknell in the 1870's. There are some nice mansard-roofed Second Empires as well. I'll have to put Mt. Vernon on my intinerary for a future visit. Thanks for the visual treat. John S.

Jeffrey, Newbie here. Just wanted to tell you I appreciate the work you've put into researching and establishing the locations related to the life of Paul Dunbar and his family. Too bad much of the timeline reconstruction was hypothetical as Sanborn/old City maps are never a good substitute for extant buildings. Far too many municipalities, in hindsight, have expressed regret after losing significant structures. Perhaps with more in-depth studies of this type, fewer important historical resources will be lost in the future. John S.