Clintonville Book, Author at Clintonville History

All about the barn

I love the story of the concrete block building near Brighton and Milton just south of West North Broadway. Miles Elmers owned AGI, a business that he situated in this concrete barn during the 1930s. Elmers contracted with Monsanto to test and package a low-sudsing detergent. When Monsanto decided to discontinue the product, Elmers purchased all rights to it, renamed, repackaged and remarketed it…and “All” detergent was born.

There are rumors that the building was once a candy factory, that the owners gave out candy from this location, but I was unable to confirm this. It is presently a private residence.

When the Elmers family owned All, they had to travel to the various plants around the country, and so they worked with the Flexible Bus Company to customize a bus to make their travels more comfortable. People along the way asked them where they got the bus/RV, and asked them to replicate it. The result was a new business for the Elmers family: Custom Coach.

Clintonville Book2008-09-26T09:13:01+00:00September 26, 2008|Categories: 1900-1940, Businesses, Houses|0 Comments

Will you swim in pure water?

I love this ad for Olympic Beach in 1939. “Of interest to the ‘bathers’ of Northern Columbus is the care and precaution the management of the Olympic Pool is taking so that our families may swim in perfectly safe water, free from impurities and its dangers…“ Shortly after the pool was built, the Olympic Amusement Corporation, headed by Orr Zimmerman, assumed ownership of the pool. For many years the O.S.U. swimming and diving teams practiced there and many contestants for the summer Olympics came from all over the United States to train at the pool. Several national championships have been held there. Early on, only male lifeguards worked at the pool.

Here, someone does a kamikaze dive off the tallest tower. (Photos courtesy of the Zimmerman family)

Clintonville Book2008-09-26T09:12:51+00:00September 26, 2008|Categories: 1900-1940, Parks & Recreation|1 Comment

Clintonville Woman’s Club

On February 4, 1939, six Clintonville ladies met at the house of Mrs. Frank Hiatt to discuss the need for a cultural, charitable, and civic group in Clintonville. The women were Mrs. Walter H. Ives, Mrs. Herman O. Williams, Mrs. Frank Hiatt, Mrs. Russell Kennett, Mrs. Harry Mesloh, and Mrs. Rand P. Hollenback. Each woman made a list of representatives of all the local organizations and churches, and recruited them. The result was a list of 40 charter members. Their objective was “to encourage wholesome community life, to promote acquaintance among women of varied interests; and to secure cooperation in social, educational, civic, and welfare work in Clintonville.” They met in small groups, rotating the meetings between member’s houses. They also had 18 special interest groups. The annual dues were $3, $1 of which was set aside to build a club house. They achieved that goal through the generosity of the Kiwanis Club, which in 1951 gave the women’s club land on which to build at 3951 North High Street. Ground was broken in 1964, and in 1965 the building was dedicated. The club is still vibrant and the clubhouse can be rented special events. (Photo courtesy of the Kerchner family)

Clintonville Book2008-09-26T09:11:06+00:00September 26, 2008|Categories: 1900-1940, Organizations, People|2 Comments

First Free Methodist Church

One of the oldest churches associated with Clintonville is surely the First Free Methodist Church, named so because they did not believe in charging members for pews. The church is over 100 years old (started 1906) and in the 1920s was located at 57 Weber Road. In recent times the church changed its name to Church of Living Hope and is presently located at 4147 Westerville Road.

Clintonville Book2008-09-26T09:10:01+00:00September 26, 2008|Categories: 1900-1940, Churches|0 Comments

Hansen Bakery

During the course of researching my book, I encountered what surely must have been one of the earliest chain bakeries in Columbus. Hansen’s Bakery Company outlets were located at 3358 Indianola, 1404 Cleveland Avenue, 3135 North High Street, 3387 North High Street, and 3514 North High Street, in the 1920s. Peter A. Hansen lived at 207 West North Broadway from 1923 to 1957. I was unable to unearth additional information about this bakery.

Clintonville Book2008-09-26T09:09:42+00:00September 26, 2008|Categories: 1900-1940, Businesses|0 Comments

Bolon Diaries

The diaries of M. Gladys Bolon Cooper written from age 40, in 1939, until her death in 1989, are held by Ohio State University archives and have been transcribed and posted to the web. The writer was a Clintonville resident.

Clintonville Book2008-09-26T09:08:57+00:00September 26, 2008|Categories: 1900-1940, People|0 Comments

Tulane

This is a view of brick-paved Tulane Road looking east, in 1937. The street was sparsely developed at the time. Note the Olentangy Park roller coaster ride in the background. (Photo courtesy of Galen Gonser)

Clintonville Book2008-09-26T09:07:18+00:00September 26, 2008|Categories: 1900-1940|1 Comment

Indian Springs Golf Course Trophy

As the author of a book on the History of Clintonville, I often get fun calls from people who own a tiny bit of Clintonville history and want a bit more. This morning was one of those days. Ian Crowe called me from Utah. He’d purchased a trophy at a local estate sale, and was wondering where the trophy was from and who won it.

The trophy was for an Indian Springs Golf Club, in 1931. Could it be Clintonville’s own Indian Springs Golf Club?

Apparently Ian had called quite a few golf clubs by the same name, until he found my web site.

I referred the question to Scott Caputo at the Columbus Metropolitan Library. His research can be found here. He learned that the golf course did exist in 1931–Indian Springs Golf Club was listed in the telephone directory as early as 1929, and had been issued a building permit for a new clubhouse in 1931. He learned that there was a Norman I. Blanchard living on 385 Wyandotte, just 3-1/2 miles from the course. According to census records, Norman would have been about 23 or 24 at the time of the tournament.

So, the trophy is extremely likely to have come from the Clintonville golf course.

When I exclaimed that the trophy was really a martini shaker, I was informed that this was a very common form of golf trophy back then.

Great job, Scott!

Clintonville Book2026-02-24T19:17:59+00:00September 26, 2008|Categories: 1900-1940, 1940-present, Libraries, Parks & Recreation, People|0 Comments

Indian Springs Golf Course

In a previous post, I mentioned getting a call about a golf trophy for Indian Springs Golf Club.

That same day, I happened upon this history of Indian Springs Golf Course, from The Booster, Friday, December 1, 1939, page 9-B.

In a nutshell:
–The land was originally part of the Dyer estate;
–Golf Course was laid out with 152 acres in 1926;
–Ground was leased by Herb Bash (who, I should add, later opened a driving range called Bash Golf on Dodridge–which he later sold to Chem Abstracts–and then opened a driving range in Dublin on Riverside Road);
–In 1938 the golf club became Overbrook Country Club;
–The first clubhouse was on North High at Cooke Road
–By 1939 the club was open year-round, catering to parties and dances.

Clintonville Book2026-02-24T19:19:02+00:00September 26, 2008|Categories: 1900-1940, 1940-present, Parks & Recreation|4 Comments

Indian Springs Golf Club

The 46-acre Indian Springs Golf Course extended east of High Street to Indianola, north of East Cooke Rd and south of Schreyer. It opened as a 18-hole course in 1931 and closed circa 1947 as a 9-hole course. The Indian Springs Village subdivision was built in this location around 1947. (Photo courtesy of Columbus Metropolitan Libraries)

Clintonville Book2008-09-26T09:06:09+00:00September 26, 2008|Categories: 1900-1940, Parks & Recreation|7 Comments

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