Hamilton's north side consists of three main neighborhoods, The Northend, The Dayton Lane Historic District (featured in Gallery 3), and Fordson Heights, although the term Northend could describe all three.

 

The Northend is separated from the German Village and Downtown by an industrial corridor which follows rail lines through the oldest parts of town. Heaton Street, the main thouroughfare bisecting the neighborhood, seems to carry on the flavor of the German Village with small, dense brick homes. The blocks to the north of the Dayton Lane area carry on Victorian and other elaborate details, but in a much more modest sense. Infact, two blocks of Seventh Street which would be definition lie in The Northend, are technically in The Dayton Historic District Boundaries, and carry on the same streetscaping. This has always been one of my favorite neighborhoods, but I'm not positive why.

 

Fordson Heights, an extension of The Northend, is separated by Greenwood and St. Stevens Cemeteries (featured in Gallery 11). The oldest section was begun in 1919 by the Detroit-Hamilton Land Company as the Ford Motor Company built nearby in The Northend. Today, the neighborhood is still well kept and family-oriented.

 

From Jim Blout:

Hamilton's Ford Plant opened in April 1920 to build gas-powered Fordson tractors, which sold for about $700. Tractor work stopped six months later (October 1920) and the plant was retooled to produce wheels for the popular Model T, turning out more than 12 million wheels in the next six years. In 1927, the Hamilton plant began making wheels for the Model A, producing more than 22 million wheels in 10 years. In the late 1930s it manufactured a variety of auto parts, employing 1,500 people on three shifts in the midst of the Depression. During World War II (1941-1945) the plant made parts of bombers. Ford began closing the factory at the north end of North Fifth Street in April 1950 and sold it in February 1951 to the Bendix Aviation Corp. Later it was operated by Ward Manufacturing Company, which produced camping trailers, and Chem-Dyne Corp. Chem-Dyne was a chemical waste transfer, storage and disposal company which began operations in Hamilton in 1975 and six years later was placed on the national priority list for the federal government's Superfund. Congress created a $1.6 billion Superfund in 1980 to finance the cleanup of the nation's worst hazardous waste sites. A state court in 1980 appointed a receiver to oversee removal of hazardous materials from the property. During the 1980s, state and federal agencies contracted for disposal of the solid and liquid wastes stored there and removal of contaminated soil. EPA in 1982 arranged for 112 companies which had sent their waste to Chem-Dyne to contribute $2.4 million toward the cleanup.

 

Hare's Pharmacy still operates at the corner of Seventh and Heaton, where a small business district served the neighborhood

 

Booth's Stone House is a landmark in The Northend, numerous historic photos capture activity there

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of my favorite homes in all of Hamilton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I just love it

 

The city closed this and another similar older station on East Avenue in the 70's and constructed a modern station on Erie Hwy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

While the west side of the neighborhood is bordered by industry, only one property still exists within the residential area, an old ice cream maker

 

Only 5 feet from a residence

 

 

Joe Nuxhall grew up on Heaton Street and played ball as a kid in a park just past Ford Boulevard, which was renamed for him

 

Today, the park is used for adult softball, attracting teams from Hamilton, Warren, and Preble Counties

 

The Northend Pool, with industry and the Hamilton Municipal Power Plant brewing in the distance

 

 

 

 

 

Moving on to Fordson Heights...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hamilton Core Galleries

 

Hamilton! - Gallery 1 - Downtown

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=10975.0

 

Hamilton! - Gallery 2 – Main Street Business District

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=5108.0

 

Hamilton! - Gallery 3 - Dayton Lane Historic District

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=5269.0

 

Hamilton! - Gallery 4 - Rossville Historic District

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=5417.0

 

Hamilton! - Gallery 5 - Glorious Old Industry

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=6730.0

 

Hamilton! - Gallery 6 - German Village Historic District

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=6958.0

 

Hamilton! - Gallery 7 - Historic Highland Park

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=7208.0

 

Hamilton! - Gallery 8 - Southeast Neighborhood

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=7309.0

 

Hamilton! - Gallery 9 - Prospect Hill and Grandview

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=8025.0

 

Hamilton! - Gallery 10 - Forest Hills and Oak Park

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=8107.0

 

Hamilton! - Gallery 11 - Greenwood Cemetery and St. Stephen's Cemetery

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=8438.0

 

Hamilton! - Gallery 12 - Lindenwald

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=9336.0

 

Hamilton! - Gallery 13 - Hyde Park and Verlyn Place

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=8424.0

 

Hamilton! - Gallery 14 – Historic Images of City Life and Atmospheres

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=8668.0

 

Hamilton! - Gallery 15 – Art Deco etc.

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=8830.0

 

Hamilton! - Gallery 16 - The Gardens of Rossville

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=9262.0

 

Hamilton! - Gallery 17 - The Northend and Fordson Heights

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=9501.0

 

Hamilton! - Gallery 18 - The East Avenue Ghetto and Jefferson

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=10146.0

 

Hamilton! - Gallery 19 - Butler County Soldiers, Sailors, and Pioneers Monument

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=10205.0

Wonderful historic homes and buildings!

 

The Fordson tractor had a large influence in mechanizing American agriculture. The Fordson and the International 8-16 were among the first mass-produced tractors to use compact, comparatively high-speed lightweight engines in machines affordable for midwestern farmers with modest-sized farms. Prior to World War I, most successful, reliable steam traction engines and internal-combustion tractors were large, heavy (5-10 ton)  machines that cost thousands of dollars and were affordable only for large-scale farmers in the plains states or for groups of midwestern farmers who shared use during harvest season.

 

I've driven one of these; it was a beast compared with later machines but a huge improvement over what was available before. The starter is the crank on the front end, and the pistons are BIG. I could start one easily when I was twenty, but I'm not so sure I'd enjoy it now.

 

1920 Fordson equipped with a hay mower:

(Photo linked from Don Clough's web site)

 

This is the house I grew up in.  It has seen better days (as my brothers could care less about the yard)!

 

Fordson Heights was and generally still is a great neighborhood.  A big park behind all those houses on Derexa Drive and all the public schools kids could walk to Grant Elementary.  It is still holding on to its hard working, middle class standards.

 

Here's a picture from the Cummins file at the Lane Public Library of Fordson Heights:

 

Thanks for the tour.

 

And Rob:  I've never seen a Fordson Tractor!  Cool.

^Great photo, I've seen it before, but forgotten about it. I noticed some unique home styles in Fordson Heights, particularity those with the steep front gables. I haven't seen those in any Hamilton neighborhood. I wonder if that little building still exists.

 

The city paved all the streets in Fordson Heights last summer, and since then I think I've seen the neighborhood cleaned up significantly, not that it ever was in bad shape. The city's master plan calls for converting Neal Avenue, a two lane boulevard with a wide, tree-lined median, into a four lane thoroughfare from the regional highway to NW Washington Boulevard, crossing the Great Miami River. I'm not sure if this will help or hurt the neighborhood, which is now decently secluded and quiet.

Very interesting thread.  Thanks.

Wow I remember those neighborhoods when they used to be built with sidewalks and trees!  Fordson Heights even had a few examples of sidewalks not only leading to door to main sidewalk but from door to street! :-o :-o

 

I'd watch out for crime and blight to follow these devil sidewalks used for this thing called 'walking'

 

Good Pics! :-D