Posted January 15, 200619 yr As I walk about OTR and Cincy I love to find any remnant of the past (outside of entire buildings, which I also love). We typically clean the slate whenever there is new construction or rehab, but sometimes they miss something. Not all of this stuff is really that old, but to me, it's neat. Here are a few examples. Some of these most folks will recognize, but maybe not all. I hope if you know of other such 'hidden history' you will share, I'd love to find it. Let's start with an easy one, near 9th & Vine.. Here's another "gimme", but bet there are folks that pass this everyday and don't know it (this became Lincoln National) Before the nation's 1st professional fire fighters were organized the city had many private companies. If you had their "mark" on your building they would fight the fire, if not...... :-( Alleys are great places to see "hidden history", this is behind a building on near 7th and Vine (I don't think it's that old really) I wonder how many know that some of the old street pavers were not brick, but were wooden. Here are some that survived in an alley off Main St. this place on Vine is now a mini-market In the lower West End, this place probably used to hop.. "Free McCracken" Some folks may remember Rev. McCracken, famous local activist of the 70s, 80s and 90s. He was in jail... a lot Not too much German language signs that I can find, this is probably the biggest. These guys were mutually insured! The only other German language sign I have found. I think it's great that it has been painted around, I assume it means "Apothecary" You could go down the alley by the Bayhorse Inn and get 1 or 2 rooms! (cheap as I understand) The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad had a VERY long freight warehouse, there were several dozen loading bays, here's #24 I think this is the funniest.. Well this one too... As you leave Lady Blue Pizza at 12th & Walnut, look down, you'll see this joint has been a joint, for a long time I have stood on this porch found on the back of Wielert's Beer Garden 1400 block of Vine. I love this place (it's now a church) because it's where Boss Cox ran the city, where 1500 people hung out for beer and food, where the Cincininnati Symphony can trace it's roots. Very difficult to see, but do you notice the Star of David in the woodwork? Please tell me if you know of any other such "hidden history", I'd love to photograph it.
January 15, 200619 yr "Hidden history" like that is always fun to see. My favorites are the painted signs on the buildings, especially the really faded ones that you can walk by a million times before realizing that they're there.
January 15, 200619 yr Interesting. I've worked in factories where they overlaid the concrete floors with a wear layer of brick-sized wood blocks treated in an asphalt-like material, but I never realized that they used them on streets, too. In factory floors they were protected from weather and didn't need expansion room, so they were laid fairly tightly. If they got soaked for a prolonged period, though, they'd pop up like a wood-plank floor. Another seldom-heard-of street paving material is bituminous brick or block. I think it was made from the tarry byproducts of coal burning, especially in power plants and the plants that produced city gas from coal before pipelines supplied natural gas. Several years ago a sewer excavation in a downtown Fort Wayne street unearthed a layer of them. They were a little smaller than paving bricks, black and very dense and heavy.
January 15, 200619 yr That first picture is of my dad's business. Obviously, my last name is Meckstroth and one of the bros. is my dad. Kinda funny to see that. I used to work there during my summer vacations in high school.
January 15, 200619 yr Hey, that's great! I hope business is good. What do you know about the building, it's history or the Cincinnati Free Presse? Any interesting historical 'artifacts' in there?
January 15, 200619 yr This is on the north side Hoffner just west of Hamilton in Northside. I never even noticed the sign up at the top til I saw it in an old illustration & realized it was still there. Wonder how many people have lived there not realizing it was a funeral parlor. :-) The second pic is a CG image I made trying to recreate the bldg. It shows the sign clearly.
January 16, 200619 yr I don't have a photo, but I found a building with a sign reading "City Stables" recently. Quimbob, can you explain in more detail how you made that second picture? I like it!
January 16, 200619 yr Hey, that's great! I hope business is good. What do you know about the building, it's history or the Cincinnati Free Presse? Any interesting historical 'artifacts' in there? Yea, but let me talk to my grandpa cuz he'd know more. Then I will post what he told me. Give me a day.
January 17, 200619 yr ^---- 11th street near Saratoga in Newport on a brick building painted red with windows covered in aluminum. If I remember correctly there's also a city barn, complete with horse head, on Vine Street near the zoo.
January 18, 200619 yr Hey Ink - I like those old faded building signs too. There are tons of 'em downtown Cincy and OTR of course, often they are painted over each other. Here's some more Hidden (on not so Hidden) History. Columbia Iron Works - corner of Vine & Liberty Cameo in west end town house front Buried in the OTR! Remember the folks buried in the OTR? Abigail LIVES! Remember the Mastodons in front of the old Museum of Natural History? THEY LIVE! Gambrines Stock Co. Stables (stables for beer wagon horses) Reading and Sycamore I love this little girl... Old sandlot frame, on E.Clifton, up from Ohio on the left Newsted Loring Andrews - 4th St. Times Star Newspaper Boys - this way No more shipping/receiving at the back of McAlpins Hops in the architecture! mmmmm Beer Convent of the Good Shepherd - Mt. Adams All that is left of the Convent of the Good Shepherd :( The Dixie Terminal Paris & Berlin.... in Cincinnati?? Powder & Shot.... in Cincinnati?? HEMPSEED...... in Cincinnati?? :-o (what would Simon Leis have to say?) Speaking of the good Sheriff.. Martin was a marble tradesman This (very strong) gnome - can't spell Cincinati (oops) There used to be lots of bands, and places to perform. :cry: If you see more hidden history, won't you share? I'd love to find it too. THANKS
January 19, 200619 yr Kickass thread. Just fantastic. Let's keep it going! The building on E. Thirteenth with the Sibcy Cline sign has been on sale FOREVER. I hope someone snags it, because it's a prime candidate for the wrecking ball. I wonder what the history is of this one in Clifton:
January 21, 200619 yr grasscat - cool pic. I like old hotels, never heard of the Marburg tho. Here are a few more hidden gems of the Queen City and OTR another one of the 'back porch' of the old Weilert's Beer Garden closer, and from the side "3 room outfits" available here Philco Ford TVs ! (we used to have one when I was a kid) all the modern conveniences always 13,650 gallons of No. 2 oil in the basement of the Netherland Hilton MR. MALLORY, REBUILD THE MT. ADAMS INCLINE!! the original "who dey" (Hudy) no funny business at the Guillford school - a door for each don't ask me why, but if you look behind the Marines monument in Lytle Park there is a Trilobite fountain ??? What did the Schwartz brothers do at their point? can you tell now? how 'bout now? what a funny slogan from the 7th Seal Cafe.. look for hidden history and share it!
January 24, 200619 yr I just stumbled across this site, and I'm in love. It's fueiling a Cincinnati renaissance for me. So here are a few of my pics (sorry if the quality isn't as good as it could be): This is in the courtyard behind inktank and urban eden Also in the courtyard. What's up with the handpainted "R" by the window? And does anyone know what the significance of the stars are? Or are they purely decorative? I've seen them all over the place. Some more of Cincinnati's german heritage, corner of Liberty and Sycamore (home of the Know Theatre Tribe). It reads "Deutsch evangelisch reformierte, Salem's Kirche, a.d. 1867" keep the hidden history coming!
January 24, 200619 yr And does anyone know what the significance of the stars are? Or are they purely decorative? I've seen them all over the place. Some are for decoration, and some are for mounting the brick with the rim joists which support the floors. If you go in alleys and behind buildings, sometimes you might just see a bolt with a big plain rusty washer. I really like when they paint the stars or diamonds a contrasting color from the rest of the wall.
January 24, 200619 yr In some cities like Gettysburg they indicate homes that existed during the Civil War. Regarding the trilobite fountain, this whole area is comprised of Ordovician limestone, and during the Ordovician period, trilobites where everywhere. Not as common as brachiopods or chrinoids, but more common here than in most places. I found one once when fossil hunting with a friend at a roadcut along 125 in Georgetown - that was extremely cool... http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/geosurvey/geo_fact/geo_f05.htm http://home.cinci.rr.com/billheim/ I don't know why they decided that would be an appropriate place to commemorate our most famous fossils, but it is our most famous fossil!
January 25, 200619 yr welcome diamondzzzzz, I'm pretty new to Urbanohio also, it has also 'enabled' my interest in Cincy and OTR especially. These folks are probably tired of seeing my pics already. You will find that nearly all the OTR churches have some German on them somewhere, some of the church denominations are unusual to say the least. Thanks for your pics, that 'entrance' sign is especially cool! Here is one I caught today. It is also German, it says "Gott Segne Das Ehrbare Handwerk", or, "God Bless the Honorable Craft" Hey Riverviewer, I'm an old fossil hound from way back too. I have a few pounds of bryzoa I can sell you for a buck! That's why that trilobite caught my eye. Maybe we can start a new thread ;)
April 21, 200619 yr a few 'newly found' hidden historicals - and then some REALLY hidden ones... but first probably known to some, but just noticed this the other day in the west end... more "hidden history" of Cincy's jewish heritage not so hidden, but the shoe caught my eye! maybe someone from the brewery district can tell me, but I have walked by this building a few times and never noticed the "Red Top" until now.. was it just revealed? and now some TRULY hidden history... over the last many weeks they have been cutting trenches all over Over The Rhine to insert gas (?) pipes Although I look like a whack-job, I look into some of these trenches to observe the layering - asphalt, bricks, stone, dirt... Then I saw this and the back-hoe dude said what was obvious - sections of the old street car rails had to be pulled out Then today as I walked by 12th&Vine I noticed what I at first thought was severed phone lines but quickly realized it was one of many rows of timbers. these fellows theorized it was for the 'rail road' tracks, but did the old street cars have wooden ties like this? I didn't think so, but what could these be?... KEEP LOOKING (and digging) FOR HIDDEN HISTORY
February 2, 200817 yr What a great thread! I've had so much fun reading it. Not sure if anyone is interested in resuming it, but I have a few pictures I wanted to share. The Clyffside Brewery on McMicken: hops shovel, sifter, and barrel ends. Christian Moerlein stable (down Henry Street, just past Dunlap) Sign on Vine Street sidewalk in OTR - Long-gone flower shop?
February 2, 200817 yr Awesome! I'd love to see some pics of the old distilleries during the prohibition days. This town was a safe-haven for gangsters. George Remus had a bunch of distilleries here (I think one is on Queen City Ave.). He went to jail, when he got out, he shot his wife in Eden Park, pleaded insanity, got sent to a mental institution and got out like six months later because he proved he was sane again. Crazy.
February 2, 200817 yr How did I miss this thread last year? Fantastic! Some of the stone carvings are beautiful and surprising. Cincinnati is lucky to have so many hidden gems, and it is a good reminder of the hard working people who built the city. Try and find anything like that in Sprawlsville USA--you still have to go back to the center city to find the good stuff. The wooden ties are probably as you said streetcar ties. When they relayed the lines here, they first put in wooden sleepers, put on the rails, and paved over with asphalt. The wooden pavers are something. I wonder how they escaped modernization after all these years?
February 2, 200817 yr ... The wooden ties are probably as you said streetcar ties. When they relayed the lines here, they first put in wooden sleepers, put on the rails, and paved over with asphalt ... Yes. In some cities where tracks were paved over and forgotten after the streetcar systems were shutdown, you can see a washboard pattern in the street surface as the wood ties break down.
February 4, 200817 yr Here are a few more pictures showing Cincinnati's hidden history in Over-the-Rhine. This is a picture of the top of the former office of the Christian Moerlein Brewery at 2019 Elm Street (built in 1878, expanded in 1904). The word "office" is easy to spot; the word "Moerlein" is barely visible below. This next two shots show Stonewall Street, right next to Clyffside Brewery off McMicken. Prior to the anti-German hysteria of 1918, this street was called Hamburg, as the sign indicates. It is the only street I have seen in Cincinnati that has such a sign. Finally, here is a shot taken at the corner of Republic and Fifteenth. The original name of Republic Street - Bremen - can still be seen engraved in the building. This is the only place in Cincinnati where I have seen the original German name of a street that was renamed in 1918 because of the anti-German histeria.
February 4, 200817 yr Awesome. "You don't just walk into a bar and mix it up by calling a girl fat" - buildingcincinnati speaking about new forumers
February 4, 200817 yr Anybody have a picture of the old Belmont Cafe painted sign that was visible from Central Pky and Race when facing north? It was lost when that small group of buildings on the corner were razed for the New SCPA. Also, another old time gem I have always loved were the "Casse Frocht" signs that were made of inlaid tiles as one walked into the entrance. It could possibly also be in stained glass above the entrance maybe? I really can't remeber. I assume that these were apparently old dress shops. There are two that I know of. One is on Pike street in Covington, and now houses the bar/nightclub Clique. The other is on Main Street in OTR at one of the clubs on the east side of the street. Any pictures??? Are there more than these two??
February 4, 200817 yr This next two shots show Stonewall Street, right next to Clyffside Brewery off McMicken. Prior to the anti-German hysteria of 1918, this street was called Hamburg, as the sign indicates. It is the only street I have seen in Cincinnati that has such a sign. Signs showing the former German names were placed on each of the dozen or so streets to be renamed. This was 20 or so years ago (hard to remember, the signs may have been erected for the Cincinnati bicentennial). The last time I was in Lower Price Hill the sign was still standing at Gest Street & Woodrow (named for a person who was rather prominent in 1918!).
February 4, 200817 yr Anybody have a picture of the old Belmont Cafe painted sign that was visible from Central Pky and Race when facing north? It was lost when that small group of buildings on the corner were razed for the New SCPA. I took a couple of shots of the Belmont Cafe sign when I found out the building was going to be torn down.
February 4, 200817 yr Signs showing the former German names were placed on each of the dozen or so streets to be renamed. This was 20 or so years ago (hard to remember, the signs may have been erected for the Cincinnati bicentennial). The last time I was in Lower Price Hill the sign was still standing at Gest Street & Woodrow (named for a person who was rather prominent in 1918!). I wonder how many of those signs are still standing. I didn't see one on Republic, but there is a large history marker at Findlay Market that lists many of the streets that were renamed. Here is the list of renamed streets that I know of: German Street to English Street, Bismark Street to Montreal Street, Berlin Street to Woodrow Street, Bremen Street to Republic Street, Brunswick Street to Edgecliff Point, Frankfort Street to Connecticut Avenue, Hamburg Street to Stonewall Street, Hanover Street to Yukon Street, Hapsburg Street to Merrimac Street, Schumann Street to Meredith Street, Vienna Street to Panama Street, and Humboldt Street to Taft Road.
February 16, 200817 yr Here is another example of hidden history. Earlier in the 20th century (not sure what the exact date is), streets east of Main Street in OTR had names instead of numbers. This is one of a few places I have found where the original name still shows, engraved in a building: 12th Street used to be Abigail Street. This name change is not related to other name changes during the anti-German histeria of 1918.
February 16, 200817 yr This is the only place in Cincinnati where I have seen the original German name of a street that was renamed in 1918 because of the anti-German histeria This may not have been renamed because of anti-German histeria but look at the corner of Frintz and E. Clifton at 72 E Clifton. Ingraved in the building is Buckeye Street, the original name of E. Clifton. I wonder how many know that some of the old street pavers were not brick, but were wooden There is nothing visable there now but Antique street off of Mulberry was a paver design that was suposed to be representative of the "old style" way of pavestone, hense the name Antique Street. If anyone knows how to post them on here, I have some pics of Mulberry in 1927 with the names written under the houses of the people who lived there at the time. It was primarily Italian, not German.
February 16, 200817 yr I don't know if it was on here yet, but the Fountain Square Lofts buildings have revealed a hidden sign from the past. If anyone has a camera and is in the neighborhood, grab a shot!
February 17, 200817 yr Yes, I noticed that too. By the way, this building has become very nice-looking since the awful fire escape and awning were removed. Funny how a few easy fixes can transform a building. I am a bit obsessed about hidden Cincinnati stuff, so obviously I have a picture of this sign :wink:. The quality of the shot is not that great, but you can see most of the hidden sign on this picture. The full text is "Dunlap Clothes Shop" and "Hart Schaffner & Marx Clothes". It almost seems like those were two separate signs used at different points in time. Does anyone know something about the store(s)?
February 17, 200817 yr This is a great thread. I had only noticed a couple of these things during my wandering aroun town.
February 20, 200817 yr This is a picture of St. Mary Baptist Church on 13th and Spring Streets in Over-the-Rhine. The church was originally a bathhouse. Notice the 2 separate entrances? One was for men and the other for women. Until the 20th century, outdoor privies were common in OTR. Also common were public baths, such as this bathhouse.
February 20, 200817 yr ^There should be another one of these old bathhouses on Sycamore across from Orchard Street, right near Nicola's.
February 22, 200817 yr Here are pictures of two other signs put up by the German-American Citizens League of Greater Cincinnati in 1995. This sign is at the corner of English and State streets in the West End, underneath the Waldvogel Viaduct. English Street was called German Street until 1918. This sign is on Woodrow in the West End, which used to be Berlin Street. These streets are very quiet these days, and you really have to try hard to find the signs!
February 25, 200817 yr Here is a picture of Sherith Israel Temple, located downtown on Ruth Lyons Lane (alley near Nicholson's between Vine and Walnut). The building is from 1860 and is believed to be the oldest existing synagogue west of the Alleghenies. I had no idea it even existed, as it's completely hidden from the main streets. The building was nearly demolished in the late 90's, but it was eventually redevelopped by Middle Earth Developers in 2003, and is now part of the Gibson Building condos.
March 4, 200817 yr I wrote an article about Cincinnati's hidden history for the Pulse. The story is on their website (http://www.pulsedt.com/blogs/default.asp?Display=1689) and should be published tomorrow in the paper. Cincinnati's hidden history By: pulseOn: 03/04/2008 11:55:33In: Newspaper ArticlesComments: 0 By Jerome Strauss While Cincinnatians are familiar with our city's German heritage, many may not realize that some of it was altered following the anti-German hysteria that followed World War I. Street names, seemingly innocuous labels bestowed upon our paths by the people who traversed them, were changed to reflect the shifting perspective on our melting pot culture. Still, a historical marker outside of Findlay Market lists a dozen of the streets former monikers, which were changed in 1918. For instance, German Street became English Street, Berlin Street was changed to Woodrow Street, and Bremen Street was re-baptized Republic Street. These ghosts from Cincinnati's past are preserved and visible to those who know where to find them. At the northeast corner of Republic and 15th streets in Over-the-Rhine, the old "Bremen St." name is carved in the faade of a building. To my knowledge, this is the only place in the city where the original German name of one of the renamed streets has survived until today. There are a few other reminders of Cincinnati's German past, with former street names scattered around the city. Indeed, according to the book "German Cincinnati," the city placed informational signs in 1995 because of a request from the German-American Citizens League of Greater Cincinnati. Those signs, situated on the very streets whose names were changed, show the originals and explain that the streets were "renamed April 9, 1918, because of anti-German hysteria during WWI." During my various explorations of the city, I have found three such signs, all of them on streets that are not commonly traveled these days: English Street and Woodrow Street in the West End (formerly German and Berlin streets), and Stonewall Street in Over-the-Rhine (formerly Hamburg Street). While those signs are difficult to find and are likely unknown to most, they remind us of a piece of Cincinnati's heritage that should not be forgotten. Other streets had their names changed for different reasons. Main Street used to mark the separation between east and west in the city. Cross streets west of Main in Over-the-Rhine had numbers; those east of Main had names, according to the book "Cincinnati Observed." To simplify the system, in 1897 the city decided to continue the numbers east of Main, and Abigail, Woodward and Webster became 12th, 13th and 14th streets, respectively. Once again, however, one of those names found a way to survive until today. Take a look at the northeast corner of Main and 12th or at the northwest corner of Spring and 12th and you will see "Abigail S." carved into the stone. According to "Cincinnati Observed," that street was named after Abigail Cutter Woodward, the wife of William Woodward who donated land for the creation of Woodward High School, now the site of the School for the Creative and Performing Arts. The stories behind those street names are only one facet of Cincinnati's hidden history. Many others are yours to discover. If you are interested in finding out more, "The Bicentennial Guide to Greater Cincinnati" and "Cincinnati Observed" are very good resources it is by reading through their pages that I found many of the sites described in this article. Another great way of exploring our city's history is to take one of the Architreks tours offered by the Cincinnati Preservation Association. Information about the tours is available at www.cincinnati-walks.org. Happy discoveries! Jerome Strauss is a downtown resident and a fan of Cincinnati's history and architecture. He is a volunteer for Architreks and gives walking architecture tours of downtown and Over-the-Rhine.
March 7, 200817 yr Here is a recent picture of the Wielert Buidling on 1408 Vine Street (OTRfan posted some shots already when he started this thread - see page 1). "HW" on the facade stands for "Heinrich Wielert", a German immigrant who owned the place. The following text is paraphrased from the book "Cincinnati Observed". "A large saloon occupied Wielert's first floor and George Cox held court at a round table permanently reserved for him. Behind was a garden, covered but open at the sides, lined with busts of Goethe and Schiller, Beethoven and Schubert, Mozart and Mendelssohn. Concerts were given by the Michael Brand's orchestra, a picked group of forty to fifty musicians that in 1895 became the nucleus of the Cincinnati Symphony." I read on a different thread that 3CDC purchased the building last month and I can't wait to see what they turn it into.
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