« Return to Clintonville History home page »

‘Eras’ Category

Algy Strayer McBride, 1932-2015

Sunday, August 23rd, 2015

There is no doubt that my book Clintonville & Beechwold, and this ClintonvilleHistory.com web site, would not exist if it had not been for the support and encouragement of Algy McBride.

I first met Algy in 2007, when I thought I “might” write a history of Clintonville. He was the long-standing president of the Clintonville Historical Society at the time, and enthusiastic about getting the book written. We were strangers, but he opened his house and the wealth of his library and history collection to me. He was an indefatigable source of information about people I should call and stories I should look into.

Algy was intellectually rich and curious, and so active and involved…with the local genealogical society, with the local senior center, with civil war discussion groups, even with the annual Clintonville Fourth of July flag raising ceremony. It takes my breath away even now, thinking back on Algy, his support of his community, his support of me.

Algy’s obituary can be found here
and Southwick-Good’s video tribute can be found here

Algy, we’ll all miss you.

Notable Clintonvillites

Saturday, August 15th, 2015

I enjoy the attached article by Don Hollenback originally published in a 1997 Booster. It enumerates some of the residents who made their mark on the community–Doc Rymer, Bill Taylor, Cookie Stevens, Ted Barclay and many others who formed Clintonville Boy Association, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops, and more.

Stop 18

Wednesday, July 15th, 2015

Stop 18In my book, I have a wonderful photo of the inside of Stop 18, an interurban stop containing a mom-and-pop grocery store. Located at approximately 5534 North High Street, it reopened in 1934 as the Stop 18 Inn, owned by Jacque Criticos. The tavern continued to operate until it was sold to Hudson Oil in 1968.

According to the Dispatch‘s Johnny Jones, canoeists from the Olentangy Canoe Club (presumably the one located in Olentangy Park) used to row their canoes from their clubhouse up the river to Stop 18. That location on the river also served as a popular skinny-dipping location.

Three fun articles are attached:

An announcement of its opening, in the Columbus Star June 10 1934, p.28
An article about its closing in the Columbus Dispatch January 28, 1968, p.21a
An article about its naming and history
in the Columbus Dispatch, January 29, 1968 p.3b

Have a Bash

Monday, June 15th, 2015

From Unforgettable Columbus, volume 2: “Although Herb Bash is not considered a pro, he did give lessons and was considered a pretty fair golfer. [Early on, he leased Indian Springs Golf Course.] In 1948 he opened a unique golfing complex on W. Dodridge St. between Olentangy River and the Olentangy River Rd. These 60 acres consisted of an 18-hole golf course and a large driving range. He sold the land in 1962 to Chemical Abstracts and moved his entire operation to just beyond Rte 161 on Dublin Road…The driving range on Dodridge was a place where many a Columbus duffer sharpened his game. Bash died in 1979 at the age of 86.”

According to Bill Case’s web site, “former South High coach Herb Bash … made his living in the golf industry. Herb and his wife owned the Berwick Golf Course, a public facility located on the city’s southeast side. Herb helped grow the game at Berwick by conducting numerous golf clinics for the city’s youths. Shortly after joining The Elks’ in 1928, Bash, in partnership with Bugs Raymond, opened another golf course- Indian Springs, opposite Henderson Road on the east side of High Street. Herb later added the “Bash Driving Range” in Dublin to his collection of entrepreneurial golf activities. Like many of his compatriots at Elks’-Wyandot, Herb Bash could golf his ball. Prior to joining The Elks’, he won Dublin Road’s club championship. Herb was also a mainstay of the 1932 Wyandot golf team which won the inter-club championship.” [Image courtesy of Bill Case.]

Olentangy Park Redux

Friday, May 15th, 2015

I never tire of seeing old images of Clinton- ville. Collector Galen Gonser shared these 1920 images with us. Admittedly they are taken with a simple box camera, but still, what’s not to like? (Photos courtesy of Galen Gonser.)

The first image below is Chute the Chutes at Olentangy Park.


We don’t know who these gentlemen are.


These images are taken looking north from Dodridge Bridge up the Olentangy River toward Olentangy Park–the second of the pair is a close-up.



For additional photos, search “Olentangy Park” on this web site.

Finding Nelson Evans (blog)

Tuesday, April 14th, 2015

Clintonville resident Tom Thacker has been researching former Clintonville resident Nelson Evans, who lived at the end of East North Broadway near the railroad tracks between 1891 and 1910. The Evans family evenutally moved to Hollywood, and Mr. Evans became a notable photographer. Check out Tom’s blog detailing his search for Mr. Evans here.

Maple Syruping in Clintonville

Sunday, March 15th, 2015

maple-syrupingI can’t help loving this photo! Bob Fowle, left; Bob Scott, second from left; and Richard Knopf, third from right, around a kettle of sap in the old Clintonville neighborhood. (Photo courtesy of William Dunning)

92 Walhalla

Sunday, February 15th, 2015

After reading the entry on this web site about 100 Walhalla, Sarah Ellis contacted me with some information about her own house, 92 Walhalla. She shared the following:

An interesting article from the OSU website, and
An article that appeared in the This Week newspaper in 2009 when 92 Walhalla was on the homes tour.

Thanks Sarah!

Bill Case’s New Book about the Wyandot Golf Club

Thursday, January 15th, 2015

William R. Case has published a book about the Elks / Wyandot Golf Course. The book’s title is Golf in Columbus at Wyandot Country Club. As of this posting, The Book Loft in German Village (Columbus, OH) or Barnes and Noble at Easton Town Center have it in stock. If, like me, you are a prolific library user, you can also locate the book in a library near you here.

Bill has collected lots of great photos and researched this golf course (now the location of the Ohio State School for the Blind and the Ohio School for the Deaf) extensively. You will enjoy his book! [Images courtesy of Bill Case]

Clintonville Looking West at Pacemont and North High

Monday, December 1st, 2014

Looking west from Pacemont and North High in 1904, in the direction where Riverside Hospital is now located. The dairy shown in my book is to the left of this camera angle. [Photo by Clinton Hollenback]