Tropicana Record Bar (3361 N High)
On November 10, 1945, Lloyd Hinton–the owner of Clintonville Electric–opened the Tropicana Record Bar at 3361 North High. It was described as having “a continental atmosphere… with four recording rooms each complete with custom-built high-fidelity sound equipment.” Another description called it a “tropical motif with cabana style wall settings and palm trees completing an atmospheric layout” with 5 listening rooms. The store sold records and record players, and hosted music celebrities for signings and photo ops.
Unfortunately in September 1953, a raging fire destroyed the Tropicana Record Bar and the restaurant next door. It began in the basement and became an intense fire, “felling” 15 firemen (all of whom survived). Lloyd Hinton owned the record business and said his loss was estimated to be $5000 (several thousand records). The owner of the buildings (Sam Spandos and his brother) stated the property was almost a total loss.
In March 1954, Hinton announced the opening of a new sales room for Clintonville Electric Appliances at 3361-3363, taking over the spaces after the fire destroyed the businesses at those addresses.
(Images courtesy of the Columbus Dispatch, accessed via the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s NewsBank database. Specific citations can be found by clicking through each link.)
Clintonville Electric
In my previous post, I described the progressive “takeover” of the addresses 3361 North High through 3367 North High, by the business Clintonville Electric [Appliance] Store. Lloyd Beaman Hinton owned that business.
From the library:
Lloyd Beaman Hinton (6/3/1904 – 4/18/1994) is said to have founded Clintonville Electric Company in 1939. Hinton was an appliance salesman in Springfield, Ohio before moving to Columbus and becoming manager of Clintonville Electric at 3367 North High. He ran and expanded the business for 20 years until his stepson, Phillip William Karshner (6/1/1934 – 7/9/2022) took over. Karshner retired in 2004 and sold the business to Paul Holmes, Scott Jester and Tom Cover. The store moved to 2136 Bethel Road the same year and was closed in 2008 due to bankruptcy.
Some very nice photos can be found on the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s web site here. You’ll see photos of the founder Lloyd Hinton, and employees, as well as some terrific pix of the interiors and exteriors of the business.
In 1945, Lloyd Hinton lived at 35 West North Broadway (but it seems he was renting that home) and later at 541 Walhalla (and eventually on Teteridge.)
(Link courtesy of The Columbus Metropolitan Library, Local History & Genealogy Dept.)
3361-3367 N High
This is a terrific picture of the 3361-3379 block of North High Street. To the left (south), at 3361 N High, is the Tropicana Record Bar. Next to that at 3363 N High is the Clinton Inn Restaurant. 3365 N High was occupied by J. L Oelgoetz Plumber; 3367 N High by Clintonville Electric. Then there are 2 more addresses (hidden behind the streetcar) to the south of the Clinton Theatre; one was a real estate broker and the other a beauty shop during this era. The Tropicana Record Bar opened in 1948, as a branch of Clintonville Electric. It burned down in 1953, along with the Clinton Inn Restaurant next door. So, the photo was taken between 1948 and 1953.
Real estate-wise, 3361-3367 N High are part of the “Chesnut Addition” (platted in 1895); the theatre at 3379 N High is part of the “John R Dunlap North Broadway Extension.” The first building shows up at 3361 N High in 1920 according to the 1920 Baist Real Estate Atlas for Columbus, but no buildings at 3363 or 3365 do. I cannot determine exactly when the other buildings were put there but they are there by 1936.
There were originally 2 additional addresses immediately north of the Brighton Rd intersection, at 3355 and at 3357 North High. I think this was a bungalow house based on a glimpse of the edifice in a very old photo.
The ownership of the lots and businesses at 3361-3379 is complex. My short version is that as early as 1933, Frances Webb leased a building at 3361 N High to Sam Spandos (aka Spiros Spantithos). (I’ve written about Sam elsewhere.) Sam got a beer license for the place in April, 1933. In 1934, Sam, age 48, pleaded guilty to selling beer after 1:00 a.m., and he had some skirmishes with the law over dancing on Sunday, so that might give you some flavor of the 24-hour nightclub. In 1934 his restaurant was called the Oakland Park Restaurant. In 1935 Sam “took over the adjoining storeroom.” Upon Frances Webb’s death in ~1936, Sam purchased or inherited the property. (The value of the property went up in 1936, so I assume Sam improved the lot.) From 1936-42 the business at 3361 and 3363 N High was called the Sam Spandos restaurant; in 1944-45 the addresses were called Lee’s Restaurant; in 1946, 3361 N High was taken over by Clintonville Electric Appliance Store, and 3365 N High continued as a restaurant. By 1954, both addresses became Clintonville Electric.
3365 N High was occupied by J.L Oelgoetz Plumbers from 1924 to at least 1956; by 1967 it was Clintonville Electric.
3367 N High was M. Cupp & Sons Hardware from 1924-1929, and Metzger Electric Shop from 1929-1939. After that, it became Clintonville Electric.
I’ll write more about these businesses in subsequent posts.
(Loraine Wilmers, from the Local History & Genealogy desk of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, gave me considerable assistance with the research about this span of addresses.)
Duffy’s Tavern
Wow, what a picture of the northeast corner of Dodridge and N High, where CVS Drugstore is today! This photo of 2674 North High was taken in 1959. Duffy’s Tavern had several owners over the years; in 1959 it was owned by Robert J Fadley and in 1947 it was owned by V. G. Hillon. In 1937 it was called Barney’s Grill. I believe it was a restaurant going back to at least 1924, as I found several “waitresses needed” ads in the Columbus Dispatch for the “Crouse American Restaurant” at 2674 North High, in 1924.
When Duffy’s Tavern was sold in 1959, it became a Coin-O-Wash.
I did find some classified ads in the Columbus Dispatch for horses from Kellar stables at this address as well between 1905 and 1911, so the stables probably occupied both east corners of Dodridge and North High.
(Photo courtesy of the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s MLS real estate collection.)
Oakland Park & N High, 1922
I’ve previously mentioned Forest Ira Blanchard’s wonderful master’s thesis, which is a treasure trove of photos of Columbus in 1922. It contains this old photo of Clintonville at the intersection of Oakland Park and North High in 1922. The house on the left, west, side of North High Street is still with us! Here’s that same intersection today.
Here’s Blanchard’s accompanying text:
Beyond Hudson Street to Arcadia Avenue, High Street is about solidly lined with small, but unattractive store rooms, this being the business section of the old, formerly outlying, hamlet of North Columbus. Here, at the corner of Arcadia and High is located the car barn and the end of the High Street car lines. Until recently, from this corner, through Clintonville, the Clintonville line and the Columbus, Delaware and Marion Interurban cars furnished the transportation service; now, the former line has been superseded by an extension of the Summit Street line. At the center of the former suburban village of Clintonville , where Clinton Heights Avenue joins High Street a small retail center has grown up, which is extending northward on High Street , a short distance . At the end of the Clintonville car service another little business center is coming into existence, incidentally the cross street here, Oakland Park Avenue , is a through one into the country to the east . This point not only ends the city car service out North High Street , but the retail stores as well , which is instructive as to the influence of such transport service upon the location of retail stores.
Such residences as are yet found along the High Street electric lines are not as good, on the whole, as those back of them away from the noise of the cars .
Alex Campbell has kindly provided a bit of background information on the transportation systems mentioned in Blanchard’s document:
When the line north of Arcadia was trackage for the CD&M, up to about 1922, it was single track from Arcadia to Tulane Rd than double track to Kenworth Ave. From Kenworth Ave north, it returned to single track with four passing sidings located between Kenworth Ave and Worthington. Between Tulane and Kenworth, the double track was in the center of High St. separated from the paved road. I’m not sure what you call that – a boulevard?? (I suspect you know all this. I just wanted to be on the same page.)
This drawing of the 1925 CRP&L Co. trackage by BJ Kern is what I am using to back up what I’m describing.
In Blanchard’s photo, the end of the double track is visible, which indicates that we are either at the north or south end of the double track. If it were the south end, you would expect to see more trees and maybe even Olentangy Park in the distance – it’s not the south end. That leaves the north end of the double-track.
Oakland Park tees into High Street from the east. The fancy and inviting brick columns suggest the developers have been busy. Kenworth would come from the west, slightly south of Oakland Park, if it even gets as far as High Street. In either case, it isn’t visible.
Blanchard refers to this photo location as “the end of the old Clintonville car line.” I think he is referring to the predecessor of the CD&M, the Columbus, Clintonville & Worthington Street Railway. The double track section must have been built by the predecessor, not the CD&M. The CC&W was itself the joining of two traction lines, and this is where the two joined.
Thank you Alex!
[Courtesy of Forest Ira Blanchard, An Introduction to the Economic and Social Geography of Columbus, Ohio. Thesis (M.A.), Ohio State University, 1922, page 38. Blanchard lived from 1886 to 1963.]How Clintonville Electric Has Changed!
The buildings along North High Street between Brighton and West North Broadway have engendered a lot of interest in recent years…and again recently as the final Clintonville Electric building is slated to come down. Joe Smith created a terrific animated GIF of photos showing how the span of buildings along 3361-3379 North High Street has changed. Click on the image above to watch. Thank you Joe!
[Recent photos courtesy of Google Street View; pre-1980 photos are from the Columbus Metropolitan Library. Animation and all the labor involved are courtesy of Joe Smith.]3141 Silver Drive Looking North
This is a nice photo from a 1922 Ohio State University masters thesis by Forest Ira Blanchard. I believe, based on the metadata, that it was taken at 3141 Silver Drive and the panorama photo is captioned, “Possible industrial sites along C.A. and C.-looking north” [i.e. the Cleveland, Akron & Columbus Railway]. The houses that you see to the left (west) of the railway tracks may well be East North Broadway.
There is a white pole near the tracks on the right side. That would be the whistle sign letting the engineer know it’s time to start his whistling for the crossing ahead.
Blanchard, inspired by the Chicago School of Sociology, sought to study the racial and ethnic composition of the city of Columbus, with a particular focus on the role of transportation (railroads, roads) in shaping the urban landscape.
[Courtesy of Forest Ira Blanchard, An Introduction to the Economic and Social Geography of Columbus, Ohio. Thesis (M.A.), Ohio State University, 1922; digital version from City of Columbus Historic Map Collection.]Clintonville Electric Building, 3363 N High
I’m delighted, and also sad, to learn that the derelict building that once housed Clintonville Electric is now in receivership. Why sad? The business most recently in that location was beloved by Clintonville residents; virtually everyone bought their appliances there. The original business owners were good citizens of their community. All that changed when the business changed hands and in 2004 left Clintonville (and subsequently went bankrupt, cheating half-dozen of its customers). Rumor has it that the property owners–who owned the properties from at least 1936 to the present day– simply declined to either sell or to fix up the buildings, yet kept the city from condemning it. I’ve heard that this building’s roof had a hole in it, and the water coming in caused the ground-level floor to collapse into the basement.
The family that owned the Clintonville Electric building owned a handful of other buildings that are so neglected that they affect the neighborhoods in which they are situated. The following Clintonville buildings have been put into receivership:
- 3361-3363 North High Street, Columbus, Ohio, Parcel No. 010-010845-00, shown above, which also includes
- 18 West Brighton;
- 4469 Rosemary Parkway, Columbus, Ohio, Parcel No. 010-086671-00–a lovely house that has also been allowed to go down hill;
- 4994 A North High Street;
These following buildings have also been put into receivership. I know nothing about their condition and some have business occupants unrelated to the landlords.
- 1101 Folkestone Road, Columbus, Ohio, Parcel No. 010-129831-00;
- 4480 Kenny Road, Columbus, Ohio, Parcel No. 010-136767-00;
- 4450-4454 Kenny Road, Columbus, Ohio, Parcel No. 010-129882-00;
- 4460 Kenny Road, Columbus, Ohio, Parcel No. 010-013993-00;
- 5701-5707 Maple Canyon Drive, Columbus, Ohio, Parcel No. 010-115253-00
Some legal documents about the case can be found on the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. Two are linked here and here.
I’ll write about the businesses that occupied this space, in upcoming months.
Bill Good, 1946 – 2025
I was very sorry to recently learn of the death (in February 2025) of Bill Good, former owner of the Southwick-Good & Fortkamp Funeral Chapel. This funeral home, at 3100 N High, was located at the site of Clintonville’s Clinton Chapel, which later became the home of Mathias Armbruster, became a funeral home in 1938, and is currently a day care center.
I met Bill when I was working on my Clintonville and Beechwold book. He was a devoted caretaker of the building in which his funeral practice was located, knowledgeable about its architecture and history, and respectful of the entire property. He even made sure that expert wall builders were called in the rebuild the property’s perimeter wall, at considerable expense. He was always willing to share his knowledge, and was patient even as he had to explain to me what an “adze cut” is. He had civic pride and was pleased that the building served as a polling place each election day. More personally, he graciously advised me in planning for the funeral of my mother-in-law. I am grateful. I remember Bill fondly and extend my condolences to his wife and family.
Brick by Brick
Katie Knostman has shared some photos of the old pavers on Olentangy Blvd at Rustic Place (near the driveway for 4783 Olentangy Blvd), exposed during the recent construction that the residents of Old Beechwold have been enduring.
On close inspection, two of the bricks say Hocking Dunn Patent):
And on the topic of bricks: Here is a photo of a brick that Clintonville Historical Society has in its archive.
CHS actually has 2 bricks. According to Mary Rodgers: “These are the actual pavers from the street [near American Vitrified Products, which was located on the former site of North High School at Arcadia and Calumet]. The official name of the brick is covered in mortar. You can see the diamonds. Those keep the horses from slipping when the bricks are wet. We might try to remove the mortar from one. It is interesting. They are porous–lighter than I thought…I have seen some articles that are associated with the early use of site. William Wassell seems like an interesting character. They made pipe and bricks. Supposedly, this is one of their bricks. In the late 1800s, they made a fountain for the fairgrounds-all out of pipe. I would love to find a photo of that!” Here’s an article about the fountain.
And finally, a house on East North Broadway has many bricks lining the driveway. These may have come from that roadbed.
Flower Power
These lovely pictures are of the Albrecht Floral Shop at 2703 River (or Olentangy) Road–the intersection of Dodridge and Olentangy River Road, looking north.
According to librarian Cindy at the Columbus Metropolitan Library, the flower shop went through several hands in the 1930s.
Cindy found a parcel sheet for what she believes is the property in question. The parcel sheet shows the greenhouse listed as well as a brick building.
There is an ad for Flora Louise Hess, Florist in a 1925 Columbus Women’s Club cookbook that features an illustration of the building matching these photos.
Flora Hess sold the property to the state in 1932. She lived in a house close by at 2637 Olentangy River Road, however. In 1968 Johnny Jones wrote an article about an antique sale at the Hess homestead.
Across the street from the flower shop is a gas station. The Moosehead Filling Station and Moosehead Tavern was across the street at 2696 Olentangy Road as early as 1937. It advertised selling H-C gas; H-C was the first high-octane gasoline. In 1926, Sinclair leapt ahead of most of its competitors with H-C, the industry’s original high-octane premium gasoline for motorcars. The 72-octane auto fuel, developed at its Houston refinery, was better than anything then marketed (Lindbergh’s flight to Paris the following year was on 73-octane gasoline). H-C stood for “Houston Concentrate,” though some advertising men called it “High Compression.”
The Moosewood Tavern was apparently a trouble spot; this Columbus Dispatch newspaper article documents one incident of rowdiness.
[Photos courtesy of the Franklin County Engineers. Articles are from the Columbus Dispatch. Research on these photos and news items mostly came from Cindy at the Columbus Metropolitan Library Local History & Genealogy Desk; thank you Cindy! ]Buy a Steak…or a Steer! Smith’s Deli
Eric Hartzell has been helping Jack Smith–of Smith’s Deli fame at 3737 N. High Street–rewire parts of the deli, and with some repairs. Along the way, Eric has found some fabulous pictures related to the deli.
First, the deli when it was a meat and frozen food center, and–get this–candle store! Eric estimates this picture is from around the mid-1960s.
Here’s another picture courtesy of The Clintonville Spotlight October 01, 2020.
Eric writes, “The first picture above seems to be from late 1960s judging by the cars on the side lot….maybe 1968…or it could be early 70’s. But it is different from the pic in that ad or menu…It is 1961-62 because of the car out front. But the sign on the top of the building is much bigger and goes from end to end on the building….and has the added candle and candy shop on the right end. Since they didn’t discontinue the meat part till 1982…..hard to completely say.”
In the early 1940s the site was Beem Motors, a Packard dealership; this ad is from a 1941 telephone book. There was an auto service station & filling station next door at 3729 N High Street at least as early as 1941 (but not before 1932). As Eric writes, “…[The car dealership] is the reason the 1920’s style garage/gas station is right next to it. There is even a garage door still inside Smith’s Deli right behind the pizza ovens. It was never removed, and infrastructure was just built around it.” By 1943, 3737 N High Street was a grocery, and by 1951 it had become Clintonville Lockers Frozen Food Lockers owned by Guy B. Harris. Jack Smith’s dad purchased the business in 1961.
Here’s a link to an aerial photo of that location from an unknown year. You can see the auto service center to the south of Smith’s.
And about Smith’s arch and counter, Eric writes: “When I asked Jack if I could rewire the arch for safety sake..(it was still with the original 1907 wiring) I started to also do the research on it. All he could tell me was that it came from a Chillicothe drug store, named A.B. Howson’s Pharmacy in the famous Carisle Building. Didn’t take long to find a picture of it inside that drug store with the help of the historical society down there. Was like finding buried treasure, there it was from a picture taken in 1909. It was built in 1907. Now [the arch] has 100% LED lights….even used the new LED Edison style lamps that really gave it that old time look. The drug store closed in 1967….or was it 1969….anyway, that was when his father purchased it and moved it to the current store, marble and all. More about the drugstore, including the names of the boys staffing the counter here.
Thanks for sharing, Eric!
[Images courtesy of Eric and his original sources, and to Dave Wenger at Northend Wrench for the aerial photo.]James (Jerry) Welsh, Dairyman
Here’s a very sad story about one of our Clintonville residents from former times. James Welsh, commonly called Jerry, was a dairyman along High Street. His farm burned on January 27, 1897, and Jerry was himself badly burned in the fire. Jerry survived the fire, however, and he eventually died on Sept 5, 1905 at the age of 72 or 73 of dropsy (edema, or heart failure). He was originally from Ireland, was a Civil War veteran, and is buried in Mount Calvary Cemetery.
There’s no record of his having owned a farm on High Street or in Clinton Township, so perhaps he leased the farm land. When he died, Jerry lived at 34 Richards Road with his wife Bridget; I presume he lived close to his dairy farm. The couple also lived with a lad named Fay Osborn; Osborn is likely the 14-year old boy who was also at the scene of the 1897 fire and who was credited with saving the 20 cows.
Cows Saved With Difficulty From the Flames–Loss $900.The big dairy barn of Jerry Welsh on High street above Clintonville was totally destroyed by fire Tuesday afternoon, together with a stock of fodder. In the barn at the time the blaze was discovered were about 2[0] cows and some horses. All the animals were finally removed though Welsh and his neighbors had a lively time of it taking the frantic beasts from the fiery furnace.
Luckily there was little, if any, wind and the other outbuildings and the house were saved.
There was no means of fighting the fire, and all that could be done was to run to the neighbors’ for buckets of water to pour upon the house. About [6]00 tons of millet was burned. The loss on the property will be about $900.
Was Fire at Jerry Welch’s
Dairy BarnMr. Welch Himself Badly Burned And Narrowly Escaped Death
There came near being a tragedy at the fire above Clintonville Tuesday afternoon.
It will be remembered that Jerry Welch’s big dairy barn was totally destroyed, as stated in The Dispatch at the time.
It seems that Welch, who is quite an old man, was in the barn when the fire broke out, but became so excited that had it not been for the efforts of a 14-year-old boy who was in an adjoining field gathering fodder, over 20 cows would have been burned. The lad released the maddened animals just as the roof of the structure fell in.
All this time Welch was working heroically at the other end of the barn endeavoring to save the horses. In some way he slipped and fell right into the awful furnace. He was dragged therefrom by a neighbor who had hastened to the scene. Welch’s hair was singed, his hand and face badly scorched, and he would have burned to death had not the neighbor pulled him out and extinguished the fire by rolling the victim in the snow.
Cindy at the Columbus Metropolitan Library shared most of the above details about Mr. Welsh with us. She writes: “I was able to find a little more information about Jerry Welsh. First, I believe the name was actually Welsh, not Welch [as in the 2nd article above]…I am attaching Mr. Welsh’s obituary. I was able to find him on the 1900 census with his wife, and it looks like he was a veteran of the Civil War because I found a grave registration card that matches up with his grave information in Mount Calvary Cemetery. Unfortunately, I was not able to find that he owned any property in Clinton Township. I checked maps, including a 1895 plat map that has landowners names on it. I also checked deed indexes on the recorder’s site for that time frame for both grantors and grantees and still did not find anything. It is possible he was renting the land that the barn was on.”
I do love our Columbus Metropolitan Library System and especially appreciate the Local History and Genealogy staff. THANK YOU CINDY!
The Art of Fred M. Ervin
Amy Ervin Smithson shared this wonderful web site that shows the range of signage created by sign vendor Fred M. Ervin Sign Service, 2447 Middlesex Rd, Upper Arlington OH.
Pierce Cleaners, Ford, & DQ
Pierce Cleaners was technically in Worthington, but here’s a great photo of its sign back in the day. This neon sign is by Fred Ervin–same company that created the Jerry’s/Sisters/Tee-Jaye’s sign at Morse and N High, and created around the same time.
If you click on that photo of Pierce Cleaners to enlarge it, you may also notice the Ford dealership just north, on the east side of North High. Another of Fred Ervin’s signs! His signs are everywhere. On the left, the older Ford sign; on the right, a newer version.
And while we’re pretending to be in Worthington, here’s an old photo of the Dairy Queen sign on North High Street just south of the Orange Johnson House Museum (which is itself worth a visit).
The First Post Office
If you have not yet joined the Clintonville Historical Society, well, you ought to! Mary Rodgers sends out an interesting monthly newsletter that is chock-a-block full of good articles. In the October 2017 issue, she penned an article about Clintonville’s first post office.
Celebrating 170 years: The first Post Office
by Mary Rodgers
October 2017
We celebrate Clintonville’s birthday on September 13, 1847. That is the day that a post office opened using the name “Clintonville”. We know that the small town between Columbus and Worthington existed prior to the date but because the town was never formally platted, we do not have an alternative formal start date. On September 13, 1847, James Ferguson was appointed postmaster at the Clintonville Post Office. It was the practice at the time to locate the post office in a business operated by the postmaster. The names of the offices were determined by the postmaster and were usually associated with the area that they were located, the postmaster’s name or the postmaster’s business. In 1933, The Booster printed a photo of the post office. That photo is of a rug store! Mr. Ferguson was a blacksmith. Maybe he had a side operation?
Or, maybe this photo captured the building where Clintonville’s second postmaster set up operation? Harmon “Hammer” Houck was Clintonville’s second postmaster. He reigned from November of 1852 to April of 1854. The 1850 census lists him as a peddler. That might be consistent with a rag rug dealer.
James Ferguson reclaimed the position of postmaster in April of 1854. He and family originated in Lancaster Co. Pennsylvania. He was the son of John and Susanah (Hood) Ferguson. James was married to Hannah Murray around 1824. The Fergusons, at least three generations, came to Ohio in 1843. They arrived by wagon (note: Lancaster County, Pa is the birthplace of the Conestoga wagon!). Based on area maps, James purchased his Clintonville property from Alanson Bull. A question would be: How did Ferguson become aware of Bull’s interest in building a town? Did Bull run advertisements in Eastern newspapers of the time? That is a question for another day.
According to the 1850 Census, James Ferguson owned 5 acres of land, a home, two milk cows, a beef cow, five pigs, and 100 bushels of corn. His livestock was valued a $98, his machinery at $41 and his overall estate at $950. His estate was higher in value then his neighbors with more land. Perhaps that is an indication of its geographical position “in town”? Hannah Murray Ferguson, James’s wife, was a Quaker. Quakers were known to be involved in the Underground Railroad and the Fergusons are a part of the Clintonville Underground Railroad story. The Ferguson sons Joseph, John and Samuel all served in the Civil War. His son Joseph died in action in Perryville, KY. According to K. Haefner, 3rd great granddaughter of Hannah and James Ferguson, when sons John and Samuel returned from the war, the family moved to Findlay, OH. It would seem that John and Samuel met a number of men from Hancock County while serving. Those men told stories of the land and those tales impressed these young men. In Findlay, Samuel and John pursed wagon making. The shop they opened remained in operation beyond 1911.
Wilke’s Quality Market (3131 North High)
Last month I mentioned the new Clintonville store, Re-Wash, owned by Samantha White. While Sam was renovating the space, she uncovered this wonderful sign from a previous era. It was on the wall–undoubtedly the exterior wall–of 3131 North High (now “Lucky 13 Salon”). In 1926, 3131 North High Street was occupied by Wilke’s Quality Market.
Here’s an ad from the Columbus Evening Dispatch on April 22, 1926. The Wilke family business–which eventually became Ohio Packing Company–lasted for some 107 years in Columbus. (The Wilke’s Quality Market in Clintonville seems to have been one of the Wilke family’s more minor locations.) The business was established in 1907 by Fritz Wilke as a neighborhood butcher shop in Columbus, eventually focusing on meat cutting and packing. Different aspects of the business were run by various family members–finally by 3rd and 4th generations of the family. Ohio Packing Company closed in April, 2014. You can read a little history of that business here.
In case you are wondering: that other Clintonville market mentioned in the Shredded Wheat ad, Quality Market at 3496 North High Street, was located where Seitan’s Realm is today.
And about that Dispatch ad: Yes, I would LOVE to see them making Shredded Wheat, back in the day; wouldn’t you? You can read more about Henry Perky, the inventor of Shredded Wheat, Triscuits, and the machine that made them, here.
[The ad was provided to me by Loraine of the Columbus Metropolitan Library–Local History and Genealogy Desk; it’s from the Columbus Dispatch published as Columbus Evening Dispatch, April 22, 1926, p14.]3133 North High Street (Re-Wash)
There’s a new kid in town! Re-Wash Refillery has opened in the space formerly occupied by Nancy’s Restaurant at 3133 North High Street. Owner Samantha White has done a stunning job of making “adaptive reuse” of the space and we trust this business will become as much of a Clintonville icon as her predecessor was.
I looked at the history of 3133 North High Street. Here’s what I found.
- Prior to 1929, nothing was listed at that address.
- From 1929 to about 1932, 3133 N High was the Clinton Barber Shop, also variously listed as Clinton Beauty Shop, and F S & GD Port Beauty Shop. Floyd Port Sr and his wife were the managers.
Note: for several years, Hansen’s Bakery—a minor Columbus chain of bakeries—was located next door at 3135 N High, where J. Thomas Davis Guitar Maker is currently located.. It must have been nice to have those bakery smells!
- From 1933-1938, 3133-3135 N High was the Great A & P Tea Company, grocer. (The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, better known as A&P, was an American chain of grocery stores that operated from 1859 to 2015.) Note the combined address; they took over 3133 as well as Hansen’s Bakery next door. This is a picture of the store’s exterior, from an August 11, 1933 Dispatch page.
There is a Columbus Dispatch Aug 11 1933 newspaper ad for A&P’s opening day at this location. “One package of delicious Sparkle Gelatin Dessert with each 50¢ purchase of groceries or meats on opening days.” Yum Yum!
- From 1939 through 1947, 3133 N High was the Chas Lee Laundry. I found some Dispatch mentions of a Chan Lee Laundry; this may be the same but I am not sure.
- In October 1948 through 1949, 3133 N High was the Warner Appliance Sales and Service Co. An article about the store’s opening from the October 22, 1948 Dispatch is attached.
- 1950—the space was vacant.
- 1951-1955, 3133 N High was the Showboat Inn Restaurant, Gus Deonesos was listed as the manager. (From his obituary: “Gus P. Deonesos, 94, passed away on April 16, 2014. Gus was a United States Army and World War II veteran. He owned 2 restaurants in Columbus, OH before moving to St. Petersburg, FL in 1958.” His family were Greek and he belonged to the Greek Orthodox Church when he lived in Columbus.)
- 1956, it became Ron and Jerry’s Restaurant, Ron Kulwein, manager
- 1957 -1958, the space was Miller’s Restaurant, Walter G & Rosemary Miller, managers.
- 1959-1967, it was Fields Restaurant. Lawrence M. Fields and his wife Minnie lived at 53 Tibet. (Lawrence was listed as the owner from 1959 – 1961; from 1964 Mrs. Minnie Fields was the owner—so Lawrence had probably passed away between 1961 and 1964.)
- 1968 it became Nancy’s Restaurant. It was initially owned by Nancy Kemmerling, until 1971. By 1972, Cindy Moore was listed as the owner of Nancy’s Restaurant (so the sale occurred around 1971). Cindy’s father, Lawrence E. King Sr., was listed as a partner in the restaurant in his 1976 obituary. Cindy lived at 128 Crestview. I didn’t check when she changed her name from Moore to King (she was a widow) but it was after 1976. Cindy closed the restaurant briefly in 2009, then her niece Sheila Davis Hahn reopened it. Sheila died in 2012, and her husband took it over. From a 2006 interview with Cindy: “…I didn’t want to buy a new sign, so I bought Nancy’s name for $100, giving me the rights for 100 years. People call me Nancy all the time. It’s kind of funny.” A Dispatch article about Cindy with photograph is attached, along with another article that includes Cindy’s recipe for her famous meatloaf.
The Hollenback family—the people who started the Booster, lived across the street, and their press office was there as well. So here and here are some pictures taken by the Hollenbacks, of the area, taken from across the street, way before 3133 North High Street was built. See also pages 14, 15, 16, 52 in my book.
Gulf Station
This gas and service station was located at the northeast corner of North High Street and Indian Springs Drive. The old building was renovated to transform it into a Fusian Restaurant. (Thanks to Bob O’Shaughnessy, who informed me that this is Fusion’s preferred method of developing new restaurants.) Can anyone out there name the men?
Note the “two laugh-crammed pictures” at the movie theater in the background.
[Image courtesy of the Hollenback Collection of the Clintonville Historical Society.]Remembering the Rosemary Neighborhood by Knopf & Near
David Penniman, a resident of the Rosemary neighborhood, sleuthed out a copy of a document penned in 1984-88 by Richard C Knopf and Miriam F Near. The document, entitled Reminiscences: Not Memoirs, is a free-wheeling remembrance of growing up in the neighborhood around Henderson and Rosemary Parkway in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. Dave’s copy came from Ann and Keith Bossard of Dominion Blvd; Dave then digitized the 97 page book and shared it with us. Thanks, Dave!
Both Richard and Miriam are deceased; their obituaries are linked below.
Richard C Knopf, 1/4/1925 – 7/17/2002
Miriam Fowle Near, 6/28/1924 – 12/10/2009
I’m so appreciative of people who preserve local history, as Richard and Miriam, and Dave, have done.
[Digital version of the Knopf and Near typescript courtesy of David Penniman. Knopf obituary came courtesy of the Ashtabula Public Library System based on a search and tip from Nick Taggart, retired librarian par excellence at the Columbus Metropolitan Library.]Tee-Jaye’s Famous Sign
There’s been lots of news lately about the departure of Tee-Jaye’s Country Place Restaurant from the north east corner of North High and Morse Roads–and with that, much discussion of the neon sign on that corner. (I’m writing this in April 2021.)
Since 1960, the 4910 North High Street address has been a Jerry’s, then a Sisters’, then Tee-Jaye’s.
Mary Rodgers found this wonderful ad for the opening of Jerry’s in the Columbus Dispatch, Sept 12, 1961. The original neon sign was designed by Fred M. Ervin (Fred I and Fred II), of Fred M. Ervin Sign Service, 2447 Middlesex Rd, Upper Arlington. That company was later operated by Fred M. Ervin III until his death in 2006 as FM Ervin Sign and Lighting.
(As an aside, I love the “Cigarettes and Music Systems provided by Charies” in that ad.)
When Sisters took over the site and sign in 1986, the building was redesigned by architect Jerry Shremshock. The company modified the sign somewhat; Jim Baxter, of the DaNite Sign Company updated the sign.
[Research courtesy of Mary Rodgers, Jim Garrison; Source material from the Columbus Dispatch.]Kelley Buick
This is a very nice picture of Kelley Buick at 3415 North High Street (corner of North High and North Broadway Streets, where Kroger’s parking lot is today). Kelley Buick was at that location from 1936/37 until 1949, after which it became Bob Daniel Buick. (Before 1936/37 it was a Chevy dealership.)
Bob is Identified
Last November, I posted a photo of a drugstore that carried a sign, “Bob is Home”. The photo spurred Clintonville Historical Society president Mary Rodgers to do some sleuthing. Here’s what she learned:
[Image is from The Booster, and courtesy of the Hollenback Collection at the Clintonville Historical Society. Mary’s article was published in the May 2020 CHS Newsletter.]We have a photo in the Clintonville Historical Society’s archive that shows a storefront door with a sign that reads: “Closed Today –Bob is home after 5 years and 21 days in the Army for prescriptions call LA.5462 or LA. 9170”. I thought I might try to find out more about veteran “Bob”. From the sign, I know his name is Bob and that is most likely short for Robert. I know he served for 5 years and 21 days in the Army. I know this photo appeared in the Booster, a local newspaper founded in 1933 (post WWI-pre WWII). I went to Ancestry.com and searched for first name “Robert”, lived in Clinton Twp., Franklin County, OH with military service from 1941-1945 (i.e. WWII). The sign also told me that someone close to Bob owned a pharmacy (“for prescriptions call…”). I added pharmacy to my search. The top search results included Robert Ranck. Could this be the right solider? I went to the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s research site and pulled up the Columbus Dispatch newspaper. I typed in “Bob Ranck”. I found a newspaper article from November 14, 1945 that read as follows: “Druggists Back From Service Are Honored–Seven druggists and the son of another druggist who recently returned from the service were honored by the Servall Druggists Alliance at a dinner-dance at the Beechwold Tavern . Sgt. Bob Ranck, son of Paul Ranck, Oakland Park Av and High St. came home after five years in the service and his father promptly closed his store for the day…”.
Mystery solved! Jesse Paul Ranck owned the Oakland Park Pharmacy–where Shim’s is today. The Ranck family lived at 234 Erie Road. Mr. Ranck was very involved in the Clintonville community. He loved nature and was an avid hunter and fisherman. In 1959, the Columbus Dispatch reported that then retired Pharmacist Ranck continued to visit the shop at Oakland Park and High. On one particular day, May 8, 1959, he told the story of a mother raccoon who had brought her babies down the chimney of his home. He was worried that the kits would become too heavy for her to remove. His son, Bob Ranck, returned from the war and attended The Ohio State University. He graduated from the School of Dentistry. For many years, his dental practice was above the Oakland Park Pharmacy. According to his 2012 obituary, he ultimately received the military rank of Captain and was awarded the Bronze Star for his heroic service to our country.
Big Tom’s Drive In @ 4850 N. High
Wendy Bayer found these great photos and generously shared them with us. The photos show Big Tom’s Restaurant (or Big Tom’s Drive-In Restaurant), which occupied the southeast corner of North High and East Jeffrey from 1956 – 1959. Big Tom’s was owned by Thos H Fetty, who lived with his wife Ella M. at 353 Clinton St.
Here is Big Tom and his wife Ella’s marriage certificate:
Tom Fetty died in 1995.
Here’s some history on the location, based on the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s collection of business directories:
- –In 1950 the address did not exist.
- –From 1953 until 1956 it was Hi-Jeffrey Sandwich Shop, owned by Pete Freemas. (In April 1954 it was called Hi-Jeffrey Sandwich Shop, presumably for its corner location. By June 1954 it was also called Pete’s Drive-In. Pete passed away from a heart attack in April 1955; here’s his obituary.)
- –From 1956 to 1959 it was Big Tom’s Restaurant. There’s an April 1959 Dispatch article about an attack on “the diner’s operator Donald Acree.”
- –In August 1957, January 1958, and July 1959, there were attempts by “owner Elizabeth F. Baker” to sell or auction the restaurant including furnishings and equipment. I’m not sure whether Elizabeth F. Baker had been Pete Freemas’s wife Betty, or whether she had some other connection to the property.
- –By 1960 it had become Chicken Delight Restaurant, owned by Richard A. Potts (& Forrest W. Womeldorff). It was still Chicken Delight in 1961, but I was unable to check additional years.
- –By 1966 it had become a Kut n’ Kurl Beauty Salon.
According to Wendy, Frank B. and Ola Faye Hyatt owned the parcel for a short time; they are buried in Walnut Grove Cemetery. Orr Zimmerman of Olympic Pool fame also owned the parcel… Some neighborhood folks say that it was called “Corky’s” at one time and that the “owner lived down on W. Jeffrey”; I didn’t find record of that. Someone else thought it became Ricardi’s Italian Restaurant, but my research says that Ricardi’s had an address of 4874 North High, just north of this.
Wendy Bayer found the photos on the MLS Real Estate Cards collection that Carriage Trade Realty and the Columbus Metropolitan library uploaded. Nick Taggart of the Columbus Metropolitan Library Local History and Genealogy Desk furnished the Dispatch articles.
[Images courtesy of Wendy Bayer, the Columbus Metropolitan Library, Nick Taggart at the Columbus Metropolitan Library, and The Columbus Dispatch.]Close Cover Before Striking
Wendy Bayer came across a matchbook for the Beechwold BBQ at 4848 N. High. Notice the address?
Beechwold Barbecue, owned by Anthony Delewese, was located at 4848 North High from the day it opened, March 27, 1926, until an overheated furnace caused a fire during the last week of January, 1934.
Four months after the fire (May 29, 1934), Mr Delewese reopened his restaurant as Beechwold Tavern, at 4784 North High, where Mozart’s is today. (He sold it to Henri Boyd in 1938, who in turn renamed it the Beechwold Restaurant.)
Mr. Delewese–assuming I have the right “Anthony Delewese”–died September 13, 1975.
Just to finish off the “fire” theme:
Oh and remember when we abbreviated Ohio as just “O.”? State abbreviations were standardized to 2 characters in 1963, to make room for zipcodes, as most addressing equipment at the time could accommodate only 23 characters (including spaces) in the bottom line of the address.
[Matchbook image courtesy of Wendy Bayer. Dispatch clippings researched by Nick Taggart, librarian par excellence of the Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Local History and Genealogy Desk. ]Gus Grener’s
Gus Grener’s was located at 2189 North High Street (near the corner of North High and Norwich). According to the 1949 city directory, Augustus F. Grener sold “GE refrigerators, Bendix home laundry washers, radios, Sohio products, Willard batteries, and Goodyear tires.” What a marketing concept!
Soda Fountain Kids
Some things never change–including people occupying tables without ordering any food or drinks!
John’s Drive In
John’s Drive In was located at 3336 Indianola, where Burger King is today. John’s was not listed in the 1950 city directory, but was listed in the 1953 and 1955 directories. By 1956 it had become Beverlee Drive In.
Almost as noteworthy is the telephone booth in front of the restaurant–another relic of the past.
[Image courtesy of the Hollenback Collection at the Clintonville Historical Society.]Bob is Home
A nice homage to a veteran. I do not know who Bob is, but he certainly did his part. Thanks, Bob–and thanks to all the other vets out there.
Ghosts of Clintonville–Ghostbusted by Google Earth
There are several old residential buildings that have disappeared over the last 12 years–I wish we had photos of them.
The old Hollenback home and The Booster building, located at California and North High Streets. I remember this building setting back over a slight rise from North high Street. This is a Google Earth image from 2004 of the roofs of these buildings.
A large Victorian house demolished to make way for the commercial building presently occupied by Lavash Restaurant. This is the Google image from 2004 of the rooftop.
Another big old residential building, this one located on Weber, one building east from North High Street on the north side of Weber. (Another Google image from 2004.) I’m not sure but believe this building was built for and owned by a member of the Armbruster family, whose patriarch lived in what became Southwick-Good-Fortkamp funeral home. You will find lots of additional information about Mathias Armbruster on my web site.
Old Piatt Mill
This lovely mill was located on the river, just north of the present Dodridge Street bridge. There is another photo of this, in my book.
The original dam and mill were constructed by David Beers in 1810. Beers owned the land on which the mill was located. Darius Wilcox built a sawmill adjacent to the flour mill. The mills later came to be owned by the John James Piatt family. The buildings burned down on June 13, 1902. The area just to the east and north is where Olentangy Amusement Park was located.
[Image courtesy of Galen Gonser]American Vitrified Products
American Vitrified Products (formerly American Sewer Pipe) was located at 100 East Arcadia Avenue, at what we still tend to call the “Old North High School”. Here is an old advertisement for it, showing one style of tile made there.
In addition you can find some additional ads of the brickyard, and maps, at the web site of the Coalition United for Glen Echo.
West Orchard Lane and North High Street
A lovely picture of the street at the intersection of West Orchard Lane and North High Street, looking north by northwest, on January 14, 1947. A Sinclair Station was located at the location of the current Donato’s Pizza, and Moore’s Auto Parts was where Momentum Natural Health Store is today. Gray’s Cut Rate Drug Store was next to Moore’s.
Smith’s Skating Rink
This is not Clintonville! But it is close enough that folks in the Clintonville neighborhood would surely have frequented it.
George W. Smith, a well-known Columbus dancing instructor, built Smith’s Iuka Dance Gardens around 1903. Two seasons later, Smith and his wife opened Smith’s Skating Rink, a roller skating rink.
Both establishments were located at 2150 North Fourth Street in Columbus, Ohio, until they closed in 1971.
George Willard Smith is interred in Greenlawn Abbey, and here is an excerpt about George and his wife Adele Green Smith from the Abbey’s web site:
[Image courtesy of Galen Gonser}Abbey resident George Willard Smith was known as the “King of the Outdoor Amusements” in the early days of the 20th century. He certainly didn’t start out that way. He was born on Christmas day, in 1860, in Syracuse, New York. His parents, John and Fannie Smith, were hard working blue collar kind of people. The family would make their way to Columbus in 1872 and John would find a job as a salesman. (The directories of the time list him as a “peddler”.) A few years later around 1875, George would join in with his father to help with rent and bills and they both would be carriage trimmers by the late 1870’s. Carriage trimmers were responsible for upholstering the seats, floors and roofs of buggies, and the Columbus Buggy Company was a large manufacturer in the city, employing well over 1,000 people by 1880. Work was so efficient, that they finished a buggy every 8 minutes on average. John would pass away in early 1882 at the age of 50, and which must’ve struck a chord in 22 year old George, with him not wanting to die young laboring away like his father did. It’s clear that George had another plan in mind. In those days it was very common to learn dance instruction by reading a book, as private lessons were expensive. Society minded people were getting waltz lessons and trying to be more genteel. George never spoke of any dance schools he attended, so the likely explanation as to how he learned and then taught dancing lessons was he got one of these books as well. (“The Universal Dancing Master,” written by Lucien Carpenter, was popular book published in the same year of John Smith’s death.) Although he was listed as still being a carriage trimmer until 1893, George started a “Home Academy of Dance” in 1894, giving himself the title of professor and calling himself a dancing master.
It’s not known how long Smith was courting Adele Green, daughter of William J. Green, a local Columbus physician. It’s possible that Adele, born in Knox county in 1880, was a student of George’s and he took a shine to her. George was 40 in 1900, Adele was 20, and they both shared an interest in dancing. It could also be that her father was a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks, just like George was, and they were introduced to each other through that. Smith wasn’t an old man by any means, and even though it may look a little odd today, marrying a man many years older than her was a normal thing for a woman to do then. The age difference didn’t seem to matter to them much and they were married in 1902.
Smith actually had an article in the Columbus Dispatch claiming that he taught 26,000 people how to dance, and that he was going to officially retire from teaching his home dancing classes. He would still own them for several years, but would employ instructors. His big break was that he was able to lease some land from the Neil family in the area of Iuka Ravine where Northwood and 4th is today for a dance pavilion. A few years later, in 1905, there would also be a roller skating rink on the same property, which George named “Smith’s Iuka Park Gardens.” Roller skating competitions would be held in the rink, where the best skaters in the state would compete to see who could skate the fastest laps.1909 was the biggest year for such a competition.
George had enough money by this time to own and operate the B. F. Keith Theater on Gay Street, a vaudeville theater. His in laws lived in an apartment on the floors above the theater itself, and that’s also where Smith had his office…
As the teens waned and the 20’s came roaring, George and Adele would do less with the theater work and spend more time on their more profitable dance hall and skating rink ventures. Iuka Park Gardens became an institution for the community, even employing boys as young as 12 years old to help lace up the skate to the shoes of the patrons. Several people would meet their sweethearts for the first time at the rink, get their first kisses, and engagements there over the years. The Smith’s employees loved them and some would stay employed by them for decades. George’s brother in law Ivan would help run the business in 1938, and George would pass away in 1948. Adele would continue Iuka Park Gardens until her death in 1965, and it would remain open until Ivan had to close the business in 1971. The land was sold, the dance hall and rinks bulldozed, and the Iuka Park Commons apartments are there to this day. The Smiths had no children.
Elford Company Develops Beechwold
Elford Inc., a commercial construction company located near Grandview on Dublin Road, celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2010.
To mark the occasion, the company published a 70-page hardcover book detailing Elford’s history, from its founding by Edward “Pop” Elford in 1910 to today. It’s available as a PDF here. The book chronicles the company’s history decade by decade, focusing on the marquee projects of each decade.
From a Clintonville and Beechwold perspective, the following are standouts:
Presbyterian Synod
From 1956 until 1975, the United Presbyterian Synod owned the building at 3040 North High Street, at the corner of Weber and North High Street. The building later served as the Capital Care Center, an adult health services clinic that provided, among many other health services, abortions, and as a consequence the building became known for the demonstrations held weekly at that corner for almost 20 years. The building has since been torn down, but this is a picture of the empty lot in 2007.
And here is a Google Earth image of the old building’s rooftop in 2004.
More Zinn Memorabilia
Some cool memorabilia from the Zinn Lumber Yard, courtesy of John Clark (great grandson of J. Harvey Zinn).
Ghosts of Ads Past (3230-32 N. High)
When I first moved to Clintonville, there was a prominent vintage-looking advertisement painted on the south side of the brick wall at 3230 North High Street. (Today, this faces the parking lot for the Clintonville Resource Center’s North High Street location.) Today the paint has mostly been removed, and I don’t have a picture of the billboard back then. The attached picture is from Google Street View in 2011.
I thought I remembered the billboard as being for “Clintonvilla Pizza,” and containing an ad for a cola drink with a tag line such as “Relieves Fatigue”–something that hearkens back to the days when soda drinks contained some invigorating pharmaceutical ingredient such as coca (or maybe just caffeine). Actually, that’s the real reason that the ad stuck with me. But truly, today I can no longer remember it.
Here is the history of that business:
—1956-1970: that address, or 3232 North High Street, was occupied by Pizza Villa Restaurant. Pizza Villa was owned by Fred DiPietro and Rose Bucci (both Clintonville residents in 1970). You can find an online obituary for Fred R. DiPietro (born April 25 1934, died Jan 17, 2007 at age 72), “owner of Pizza Villa in Delaware and Columbus OH”) here.
I found a Rose C. Bucci (born 11 Jul 1932, died 14 Sep 1994, lived initially in Columbus but died in a nursing home in Delaware County) who had been a manager of an eating establishment, but really, I’m just fishing and have no idea if this Rose was one of the owners.
Fred DiPietro may have gotten divorced in 1974. Regardless:
—1971-1973: Nothing was listed for that address.
—1974-1981: 3230 North High became PJ Villa Restaurant. It was PJ Villa until 1981.
—1984-86: it was Jim’s Pizza. After 1989, it was no longer a pizza establishment.
Does anyone remember the exact wording of the sign, or have any pictures of the billboard?
J. Harvey Zinn & Family
J. Harvey Zinn, owner of the Zinn lumber yard, lived in Clintonville and was a civic leader and philanthropist. Mr. Zinn was reported to be an ardent fisherman who followed his favorite sport in practically every part of Canada, as well as in Florida waters. His attractive estate “Edgewater,” was located at 285 Kenworth on the Olentangy River just north of West North Broadway. This estate still exists in Clintonville.
J. Harvey Zinn died in 1957.
Attached are some obituaries from The Columbus Dispatch and elsewhere.
The Zinns were very active in the North M. E. Church. Though the church is not, technically, in Clintonville, I’ve also posted some information about the church.
[Photos and clippings courtesy of John Clark]Zinn Lumber Company: Perfection Millwork
When I was working on my book, several old-timers remembered the Zinn Lumber Company at the corner of North High and Hudson. At last we have photos! Lauren Clark who is married to John Clark, the great grandson of J. Harvey Zinn, shared some of John’s family photos of the Zinn Lumber Company as well as other items related to J. Harvey Zinn. These show the lumber yard after it was rebuilt in 1926. I’ve tried to arrange the photos in geographic order from the Zinn Lumber Company’s showroom on North High Street, moving eastward along East Hudson Street to East Avenue. [Vintage photos courtesy of John Clark.]
Some additional background information on the yard and the Zinn’s can be found here.
And here are some pix of that intersection today, taken by Terry Miller. Note the North M.E. Church in the background; it was damaged in the Zinn Lumber Yard fire of November 14, 1925, and then had its own fire in 1929.
Fire at Zinn Lumber Yard
I’ve previously reported that the Zinn Lumber Yard, located at 19 East Hudson Street, burned down.
It burned down on November 8, 1925, and the fire destroyed the planning mill, storeroom and lumber supply. The fire also damaged several nearby homes and church. The lumber yard was rebuilt in the same location however, and Scott Caputo at the Local History and Genealogy Department of the Columbus Metropolitan Library was kind enough to send me several article about the business. The cause of the fire was not known. [Courtesy of Scott Caputo, Local History and Genealogy Department, Columbus Metropolitan Library]
The photo above shows the “new” showroom [Courtesy of John Clark, by way of his wife Lauren Clark].
Elephants Lumbering Along N. High St.!
Several weeks ago I wrote about the ghost signage underneath the former Crestview Market’s facade (at the corner of Crestview and North High Streets, 2950 North High Street). From 1926 to 1945, the building held automobile-related businesses–but after that it was, from 1946-1967, the building served as the Elephant Lumber Store.
The lumber yard’s signage is now exposed:
ELEPHANT LUMBER STORE R[] Paint-Hardware-Tools-Wallboard-Roofing-Insulation.
One passer-by wondered whether it was named that because of the proximity to the Olentangy Park which had closed 10 years before. I have no idea but loved seeing the vestiges of the Elephant Lumber Store anyway.
J. Harvey Zinn & his “Innocent Lamb” Lillian
The Zinn Lumberyard is always interesting; many people I met while researching my book remember it, yet I have never seen pictures of it. James Wells, long-time resident of the Olde North Columbus community has an abiding interest in it and has shared a couple items about the Zinns.
The first is a business card for Mr. Zinn when he ran for the school board in 1921. We’re not sure if he won or not, but it would be interesting to find those records. Don’t you love the directive, “Investigation of my Personal and Business Record Invited.”
The second is Mr. Zinn’s daughter Lillian’s graduation photo from North High school in 1920. She was described as an “innocent lamb in a cruel world.”
You’ll find more information on the Zinns here.
By the way, James says he is “always interested in anything to do with J.H. Zinn and would appreciate any info about him and his family (or related subjects like his lumberyard, the North United Methodist church, where the family members were life-long attendees) or the Herron/Thornton families who lived across Tompkins street from the Zinn’s.
[Thanks for sharing these images, James!]Grateful for Gatto’s
Very nice article about Columbus Pizza, including a shout-out to Gatto’s Pizza, in the March 15, 2017 issue of 614 Columbus Magazine. The article is by J.R. McMillan.
2950 North High, formerly Crestview Market
Crestview Market, the Asian/International grocery store that was for many years located at the corner of Crestview and North High Street, recently closed and the building’s owners, Gahanna-based craft brewer Kindred Beer, is looking for a lessee. As part of the building’s renovation, workers removed some of the facade, and I was surprised to see that it used to be an auto dealership.
The picture below is the Crestview Market as it appeared in August 2007 (courtesy of Google Streetview), before the building was painted blue.
Nick Taggart of the Local History and Genealogy Department of the Columbus Metropolitan Library sent me the following information:
The history of the building at the corner of Crestview and North High looks to be quite varied. It has a history of auto sales businesses, under various names for various years. The earliest year I could find it in the Columbus City Directories was 1926 and at that time, the address was listed as 2952-2954. Here are the listings for the auto related businesses:
1926 – Tetlow Motor Sales Co.
1927 – Lindimore Motor Sales Co.
1928 – Hi-Crestview Garage
1929 – Vacant
1930 – VanHorns Motor Sales
1931 – Allen K Bentine auto pntr
1933 – Rufus B. Hay auto repr and Perl Mitchell auto repr
1936 – Orsborn Motors Inc. (the address was 2952-2958 and yes, it was “Orsborn” not “Osborn)
1937 – Same listing but it was spelled “Osborn)
1938 – Orsborn-Baynes Inc. auto (yes, it returned to the “Orsborn” spelling)
1939 – Vacant
1940 – Curtis B. Brown auto repair and Harley J. Arnold auto bodies (the address was just 2952)
1941 through 1945 – Curtis B. Brown auto repairThe auto-related businesses appear to have ceased at this point.
1946 through 1967 – Elephant Lumber Stores
1970 – Six different businesses are listed at this address and for the first time, it shows the 2950 addressI only spot-checked years after this; here is what I found:
1975 – Psychic Science Institute Science of Mind Center
First Church of Religious Science
1978 – Call Dean Inc. int. design school
Psychic Science Institute
1985 – Grid Publishing
1986 – Grid Publishing
1989 – Crestview Market (the first year I find it listed in the City Directory at this address)By the way, I found an article from a March 1, 1989 NeighborNews (accessible through the electronic edition of the Columbus Dispatch database in the Library’s Reference databases), that mentions Crestview Market’s move to the 2950 location. It reads: “Crestview Market relocated to a larger store in January, just a few blocks from its original location. Mei-Yu Yang Ting, who owns the store with her husband, Jui-I Ting, said the new location, at 2950 N. High St., is 1 1/2 times larger than the original at Crestview Road and Calumet Street.”
A big thanks to Nick and to the Columbus Metropolitan Library!
[Update: see also my subsequent post showing the Elephant Lumber Yard signage, on the side of this building.We All Love Weiland’s Market
…and so we were delighted to see Weiland’s Market featured in Edible Columbus, Winter 2016, pp 58-61. Weiland’s Market, with its multiple generations of owners John Williams, Jennifer Williams and Scott Bowman, and its staff, have been exemplary and generous citizens of Clintonville and the community, and fed us all to-boot. [Booster ad courtesy of Jennifer Williams. Article courtesy of Edible Columbus with apologies in advance for not linking directly to their web site.]
Moseying with Rick Pfeiffer through Clintonville
Columbus City Attorney Rick Pfeiffer, who grew up in Clintonville, does a wonderful job giving an informal tour of the Clintonville community. (He has done this for the other neighborhoods of Columbus as well!) Thanks Rick! and we wish you well in your 2017 retirement.
Part One: https://bit.ly/CMosey1
Part Two: https://bit.ly/CMosey2
Two Theatres
Nice images of Indianola Theatre and Clinton Theatre. The Indianola Theatre (now called Studio 35) was an independent theatre from the get-go; it opened at 3055 Indianola Avenue on February 17, 1938.
The Neth Clinton Theatre opened January 1, 1925 at 3379 North High Street.
Clinton House
The Clinton House was located at 3236 North High Street in 1939, a building that now hosts a furniture refinishing business. In my book I show yet another generation of owners of this diminutive building.
Bob Meyer’s Standard Oil Station
I realize these are low-quality photos, but they are, alas, the only photos that I have of this topic. Bob Meyer’s Standard Oil Station was located on the southeast corner of Morse Road and North High Street. It closed in 1984 after doing business more than 48 years. The photo above was taken in December, 1944, and the one below was taken in 1984 upon Bob’s retirement. Click through that 1984 image for the article about the station’s closing. [Photos courtesy of the Clintonville Historical Society]
The Leggs
This is a reprint of an article by Mary Rodgers, originally appearing in the newsletter of The Clintonville Historical Society.
A brief history of Charles T and Sadie M. Legg–long time Clintonville residents–based on The Booster news article dated February 12, 1937, with additions
Charlie Legg was born on the Legg farm on April 23, 1871. This farm, a dairy, was located North of Clintonville. The lane leading to the Legg homestead would have been near where Webster Park Avenue is today.
Charlie’s mother was Orell E. Webster, daughter of Amazon Webster and a direct descendant of Noah Webster of American Dictionary fame. His father was Lewis Legg, believed to be the son (or grandson) of Elijah Legg, a revolutionary war soldier from Massachusetts who settled in Ohio in 1815.
In 1937, Charlie reported that when his grandfather, Amazon Webster, moved to Clinton Township, Indians lived in the section now known as Indian Springs. Those Indians raised cranberries. Amazon told his grandchildren that the Indians would walk to Chillicothe to sell their berries.
Charlie’s grandmother was Mary Pinney of Worthington. She was the daughter of Levi Pinney and Charlotte Beach. Levi and Charlotte were the first couple to be married in Worthington, Ohio. That was 1839.
Sadie Mitchell was born on January 27, 1874 in Circleville. Her father was a builder. She became Charlie’s blushing bride on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1892. When she heard of the upcoming wedding, Sadie’s grandmother exclaimed, “Oh that name!” Sadie’s response was that it was no worse than the last four letters of her present name!
The Leggs were married by Rev. Louis Postle and their first home was behind Dr. Burbacher’s Offices, which were located on the Southeast corner of Oakland Park and High. The Mennonite Church stands here today. It was reported that after a year, in 1894, they moved to into a building that had been a church at the Northeast corner of Walhalla and High street (Clinton Chapel–now Southwick-Good and Fortkamp Funeral Home). They started a dairy farm. After a year, they moved to property located west of the Olentangy River near what is now Lane Avenue. Here they set up a “business” farm including the sale of corn to the Sells Circus. Today, if you are driving north on Kenny Road from Lane Avenue, you will see a road called Legg.
When Charlie’s father could no longer care for his farm, Sadie and Charlie combined their operation with his and moved to the North Clintonville homestead. In 1907, the Leggs sold the farm to developers Thompson, Johnson and Thompson. The neighborhood called the Webster Park Addition was platted. The Leggs built and sold three homes in this development. Orell Webster Legg, Charlie’s mother, retain the portion of the farm closest to the river. In 1909, a portion of her property was set aside for a bird sanctuary. We call this area the Delta.
According to the 1914 records, 346 families, a population of 1,190, represented Clintonville. The Clinton League Memory Book reports:
In 1913, a new two story brick building was erected on the corner of Dunedin Road and High Street. It was haled with delight by residents of the neighborhood for at this place Mr. Legg opened a grocery store and Mrs. Legg had a department for notions-live-savers they were where you lived five miles from town. There were two business rooms in this building so the post-office was moved to the one adjoining the store. It remained there until 1917 when rural mail delivery was established.” Today, this building houses Shim’s tailor and Melissa’s Incredible Edibles.
On July 4, 1916, Sadie’s dry goods business moved to 3339 North High. That building was built in 1910 by J. C. Loren. The Booster reported him as a well known contractor at the time. He may have built some of the early homes on East North Broadway. In fact, the home that was located at 615 East North Broadway, the carriage house for that home still stands and is know the Fisher home, was referred to as the Loren home in the Clinton Memory Book. We know that the developer of North Broadway, James M. Loren, never lived on North Broadway, so perhaps 615 was J. C. Loren’s home. Before Sadie, the 3339 North High building was occupied by Swope’s Grocery and Bilikam’s Grocery. Bilikam’s later moved to North Columbus. In 1918, the Leggs bought the building and Sadie operated her dry goods store at the site until February of 1937. Later in life, Sadie lived in the apartment above the store.
Mr. Legg, after selling his grocery, was a city salesman for the E. E. Shedd Mercantile Company and then worked for the L. E. and C. W. Medick Co., Ford Dealers in the Clintonville community. In fact, at her retirement in 1939, Sadie said that to get full enjoyment from her upcoming vacation, she would need a new V8 Model Ford. Charlie commented that he wouldn’t be receiving a commission on the upcoming sale.
The Leggs told The Booster that they recalled when a saloon existed at what would now be the southwest corner of Orchard Lane and High Street (the Kroger parking lot). The story is that while there were a dozen saloons in North Columbus, there were none in Clintonville. Then a man was elected mayor of Columbus who closed the saloons on Sunday. This drove the liquor dealers to move outside the city. In those days there was a “one-mile limit” law which meant that city police could arrest people within one mile of the city limits. So the new saloons were set up, including the one here. The local place did a “land-office business. ” The mayor found out however that the Clintonville saloon was a few feet inside the one mile limit. (The city limit at the time was Mock Rd–now Arcadia Ave.) So, on a Sunday morning he sent the “Black Maria,” as it was called in those days, to get the drunkards and the proprietor. A new mayor reopened the City saloons on Sunday and the Clintonville establishment failed.
When interviewed by The Booster in 1937, the Leggs recalled the tollgate that used to block High Street just north of Arcadia. The gate had a 3 cent per rig fee. They also recalled when “…there was no such a thing in those days as cross streets coming into High Street, except North Broadway. So the cars stopped at numbered stops…a pleasant memory when one thinks again of Stop 6 (now Pacemont–once known as Jason Avenue); Stop 7, (now Como); Stop 8 (North Broadway); Stop 9 Clintonville (Oakland Park). And then the stops were farther apart, and little used until one reached Cooke’s Corners (Cooke Road).”
Charlie and Sadie are buried in Walnut Grove cemetery on the south side of Worthington. Charlie passed in October of 1946 and Sadie in November of 1957.
Side note: One of Charlie’s sisters, Emma, married James Harvey Zinn, born 1 October 1871 Ohio, in 1895. J. Harvey Zinn was the President of the J. H. Zinn Lumber Company of Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Zinn was reported to be an ardent fisherman who followed his favorite sport in practically every part of Canada, as well as in Florida waters. His attractive estate “Edgewater,” was located on the Olentangy River just north of West North Broadway. This estate still exists in Clintonville; for more information listen to Robert Ohaver’s oral history.
[Article courtesy of Mary Rodgers and the Clintonville Historical Society]The Mysterious Grace Backenstoe
There is a new gastropub at Graceland Shopping Center, cutely named Pat and Gracie’s. The tavern is named after the early 20th century gambler who owned the land upon which Graceland Shopping Center was built: Pat Murnan and his wife Grace Backenstoe. The restaurant owners are on a quest to find an image of Grace Backenstoe. (They already have pictures of Pat.) Does anyone out there have one? Let me know and I’ll post it here as well as forward it to the restaurateurs. And thanks!
[Update: my update on this topic at here.]
Newspaper Boys
Bob Henry (North High School Class of 1957) was kind enough to share this photograph of himself in the days when he was a Columbus Dispatch carrier.
The Dispatch sub-station he was posted from was located in the alley behind the Clinton Theater on High Street. This picture was taken circa 1950 and shows a bunch of Dispatch carriers in front of the station. Earl McBlain, shown in the doorway, was the station manager. From Bob:
[Photo courtesy of Bob Henry]In those days, the carriers, ages 10 to 15, would ride their bikes to the station after school, where Earl would count out our papers to us. The station had a bench along the walls, which we used to fold and bag our papers. In the center of the room was a pot-belly stove that burned yesterdays papers to keep us warm in the winter. Once we had bagged our papers, we rode to our routes throughout Clintonville. Mine was on West Dunedin, along Olentangy Blvd, Winthrop and Weston Place, about 70 houses. Carrying papers took a couple of hours each day, including Sat and Sun morning; on Thurs, and Fri nights we collected money from each house on the route, which required another couple of hours. I believe the cost was 40 cents per week for a seven-day subscription. The Weds Star cost another 15 cents. When my mom learned I was carrying the Star, which was a risqué paper in those days, she called Earl to complain, but he could not do anything about it.
On Saturdays before noon we had to go to the station to pay our paper bill of about $20 and kept the rest, about $8.
Bower & Co. General Store & Family
Jim Drake recently contributed these wonderful photos and family histories of the Bower (Weber) family.
Eda Weber Bower and her spouse, Henry G. Bower owned and operated the Bower & Company General Store at 2643 North High St. The photo to the left shows the store’s delivery wagon and, at the right of the image, a section of the Bower family home at 26 East Duncan Street.
This photo is the 1901 wedding portrait of Eda Weber (1869-1951), of the historic Frederick Weber family, and Henry Bower (1856-1935). They were married on January 1, 1901.
This photo was taken of the Bowers in 1934. In addition to his civic activities, Henry Bower was a founder and principal stockholder in the Northern Savings Bank (which eventually became part of the Huntington Bank system).
John J. Bower, one of Henry Bower’s brothers, was initially a partner in the general store, but eventually opened a hardware store on the southeast corner of Duncan and High streets. The Bower brothers are shown in this photo (left to right): Ernest E. Bower, Henry G. Bower, Owen Bower (son of Ernest E.), John J. Bower, his son Everett Bower, and Charles Bower.
Although Henry Bower had hoped to have at least one son to inherit the general store, he fathered five daughters instead. After his first daughter, Anna, was born, he pre-selected a male name for each successive child, but in every instance he had to opt for a female form of the name.
Consequently, “Albert Bower” became “Alice Bower,” “George” became “Georgia” Bower, “Henry” became “Henrietta,” and “Wilbur” became “Wilda” Bower. 
In this 1960 snapshot, the five daughters are arranged in their birth order from left to right: Anna Bower Mylander, Alice Bower Jesson, Georgia Bower O’Brien, Henrietta Bower Kuntz, and Wilda Bower Drake.
Of the five Bower daughters, Alice (Mrs. Frederick) Jesson had a long and successful career as Director of Restaurants and Cafeterias of the F. & R. Lazarus Company.
(Photos and write-up courtesy of Jim Drake) Note: there is one more image of the Bowers’ cart here.
Notable Clintonvillites
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
In 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
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.]
Beechwold Theatre
This is an ad that just happens to show the signage of the old Beechwold Theatre at 4250 N. High (aka Camelot North and Drexel North, and currently an athletic club).
The theatre was built by the F & Y Building Service (aka F & Y Construction Company). Mark Fontana informs me that the “Y” in this name is Yassenoff, and the first manager of the Beechwold Theatre was Milton Yassenoff, adopted son of Leo Yassenoff.
If anyone out there is aware of the whereabouts of blueprints, construction photos and high-res b/w photos of the finished theater, please let us know! The ad was shared with me by Mark Fontana, former manager of the Drexel North (aka Camelot North and Beechwold Theater) Mark is a collector. In another place on this web site I link to his web site.
Sewer pipe factory, and The Mystery of the Pond
John Krygier found a few maps that he was kind enough to share with us: 3 Sanborn maps of the sewer pipe factory (and later, brick yard) formerly occupying the area where old North High currently sits at 100 Arcadia. Interestingly, the ravine behind the factory was apparently dammed, making a significant (and the only?) pond in Clintonville (not sure if the one in Whetstone counts). John requests that if anyone knows of any other sources documenting this pond, to let him know. You can do that by commenting on this post and I will send it along to John.
John also found a map showing the rail grade that connected the sewer pipe factory to the main RR line to the east. The interurban (Columbus, Marion and Delaware) used part of that spur (north of Glen Echo Park) as a bypass.
This Worthington Bypass went from Indianola Ave, east along the top of Glen Echo, then north up what is now the alley along the RR track, then curved west at North Broadway over to and running parallel along Indianola. This curve is preserved in some of the lots around Oakland Park–in particular, the odd orientation of the IndiaOak Tavern is the result of it being built on a curved parcel, part of the old RR right of way. A map of current parcels (with the approximate route of the RR grade) is also attached.
There are 7 photos of this Worthington bypass around the time it was built, showing the eastern end of C-ville at the time, at this web site.
Thanks, John!
(Photos courtesy of John Krygier)
Clintonville Community Market
It’s always fun to research the history of your home or building, using the Franklin County Auditor’s web site to look at the “transfer history” aka assessment history. John Krygier recently shared the history of the building occupied by the Clintonville Community Market and you’ll find it here. (Courtesy John Krygier)
Weisheimer Mill
Another great image of Weisheimer Mill! The verso of this photograph says, “Looking east across the Olentangy River at the Weisheimer Mill N. of Henderson Rd Columbus, Ohio. House and shed are still there at end of Weisheimer Road. (Photo courtesy of Galen Gonser)
David Beers
David Beers was another early pioneer with an exciting life story of having been captured and released by the Native Americans. Beers came to Ohio in 1802. Descendents of David Beers still live in the area to the present day. (Photo courtesy of Terry Miller)
Beers had a log house near the intersection of Dodridge and North High Street. The cabin still exists but has been moved to Norwich Avenue. This photo appeared in the December 29, 1904 Dispatch, on the house’s centennial. The people included friends, relatives, and associates of the cabin’s next owner, Conn Baker, and they were reminiscing with him about early Columbus and marking the 100th anniversary of the cabin after the its move and reassembly to E. Norwich.
The Beers family operated a mill which existed until the early twentieth century. For many years the father of the well-known poet John James Piatt operated it. The future poet spent his boyhood days playing about the mill, and some say that the impressions made by its surroundings found expression in his work. The mill was considered to be one of the most picturesque spots in Ohio. Built around 1810, the mill burned in 1902.
There are still vestiges of the mill (foundation stones) below North Street, at the river.
The reason for this gathering is unknown, but it includes several Beers descendants (and likely many who are not related) and was taken about 1905, probably at Olentangy Park. (Photos courtesy of Marty Cottrill)
Whip family
One of the oldest families in Clintonville is the Whipp Family (sometimes spelled Whip). They owned a farm, and a couple of stands along High Street that had big large orange signs advertising a refreshing drink consisting of freshly squeezed orange juice. The Whipps may have been the first owners of the mill located just north of Henderson Road and the Olentangy River. Here is a picture of the Whipp family circa 1889: George, Oscar, Everett, Laura, Cora, and Mabel. (Photo courtesy of Sue Gallogly)
The Whips lived at 73 East Weisheimer.
Bottled water back then?
Pearl Fisher lived at 129 West Pacemont for nearly 70 years until her death in 1970 at age 82. [The house has since been torn down.] She moved there as a young girl, when Pacemont (then called Jason Avenue), was a gravel road with houses far apart and the mailman traveled his route in a buggy. There was a spring on the West Pacemont farm which her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Fisher, owned. They sold this spring water in bottles to residents all over Clintonville, delivering it by horse-drawn wagon. They stored the bottles in a little shed attached to the house. –from The Booster, January 4, 1978.
The Jones’ of North Columbus
C. F. Jones Grocer used to be located at 2581 North High Street, where Schreiner’s Hardware Store is now. This image was taken around 1904 inside of the Jones Grocery Store. Shown are sons Charles and Clarence with their father Frank Jones.
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This image of their delivery wagon dates from 1909. Charles Jones is besides the wagon and the young man holding the horse is unknown. They are standing in front of their store.
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This photo of the C. F. Jones Grocer Co. was taken around 1916. Shown are Charles, Clarence, and their father Frank Jones.
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This is a picture of the C. Frank Jones family in their home at 2665 Adams Avenue, Columbus, circa 1900. Bertha May Jones Aurand (1889-1934), Charles M. Jones (1895-1956), C. Frank Jones (1861-1937), Clarence A. Jones (1891-1950), Miriam Tozer Jones (1869-1941), Gladys A. Jones Reiger (1899-1930). (Photos courtesy of Frank Jones.)
J. T. Herrick Saloon
Ed Herrick’s saloon, at 2568 North High Street in 1900. (Photo courtesy of Frank Jones.)
Kellar Barns & Livery Stable
Kellar Barns & Livery Stable, rear of 2650 North High Street, in 1900. (Photocopy courtesy of Frank Jones.)
Let’s Go Krogering!
The second business north from the northwest corner of Hudson and North High Street, at 2579 North High Street, was Kroger’s. Look at the books lining the north side of the store! Frank Jones was the butcher and manager of the store. (Photo courtesy of Frank Jones.)
Longview Barber Shop
In 1918, after serving in WWI, Tom Pletcher came to Columbus hoping to find a job as a barber. Jimmy Kinnaird, a pharmacist at the corner of Brighton and North High Street, rented Pletcher a store room at the rear of the pharmacy. Pletcher ran the barbershop on Brighton (above) from 1919, and in 1921 moved to larger space at 3311 North High Street. After becoming ill, he sold the business in 1943 to a long-time employee named Bill Morgan. The barber shop moved again, in 1980 to 3325 North High Street. (Photo courtesy of the Clintonville Historical Society)
In 1945 Pletcher recovered and purchased a red brick building at the southeast corner of Beechwold and High, and opened another barber shop. Pletcher died in 1963, and that barbering business was subsequently sold.
Overcrowding–always
We tend to think of the use of prefabricated buildings for temporary quarters a new idea, but it seems to be as old as our township schools. I have found pictures of old World War I military barracks, and also portable voting booths, used for schools all over Clintonville. Our Lady of Peace used both types of buildings. Glenmont Elementary School began life as a cluster of portable schools. Clinton Elementary School handled overcrowding with temporary buildings. Shown here are some portable voting booths at the old tile factory along Arcadia (where North High School presently stands). (Photo courtesy of Wallie Palmer)
Duncan & High
Northwest corner of Duncan and High Street, 1921. (Photocopy courtesy of Frank Jones.)
Virginia Walcutt Gay
I tell the story of Virginia Walcutt Gay in my book, Clintonville and Beechwold. She was born May 9, 1831, and passed away on May 8, 1914. Mrs. Gay was a member of a Columbus pioneer family–daughter of John Macey and Muriel Brodrick Walcutt–and a sister of General C. C. Walcutt, once Columbus mayor. Her husband, Harvey D. Gay, died in 1878. This is Virginia’s private mausoleum at Greenlawn cemetery, section 32, lot no. 35.
Orphanage at 218 Jason Avenue / 56 West Pacemont
Back in 1910, this address served as a home for children.
First of all, in case you are wondering, there is currently no 218 Jason Avenue or 218 W. Pacemont. Pacemont Avenue was originally called Jason Avenue. The area where the orphanage stands was outside of the Columbus City limits in 1910 & 1920, during many of the years when it operated as an orphanage. When the western end of Jason/Pacemont was added as the “the Aldrich’s Riverside addition,” the house numbers were adjusted to compensate for all the new lots. The current address is 56 West Pacemont.
The boarding house/orphanage/nursery was run by Judiah & Mary Ella Throps (sometimes spelled Throp or Throop). Judiah was born in 1844, served in the Civil War, and died in 1913. (His occupation was listed as “Painter” and also, in 1910, as “Nursery.” Mary Ella was born in 1865, and died in 1933. (Her occupation was listed as “Housekeeper” and occasionally “Nurse”.) Both are buried in Union Cemetery.
According to the 1910 Census, the Throps had one 7 year old son living with them (son Ernest Throps). Mary was at the time 45 years old. They also had 12 young boarders living with them, all under the age of 6 and many just babies.
By the 1920 Census, Judiah had passed away. The 1920 census states that Mary (by this time, age 55) had 3 children living with in her household: Earnest Throps (age 16); William Throps (age 9), Mabel Leonard (a servant, age 29) and Glendus Leonard (age 5, listed as a boarder). (I can’t help wondering whether there were additional boarders, not listed by the census taker.)
By the 1930 Census, Mary was 64. By this time she had quite a few extra living companions: William Throps (son, age 19), Richard Throps (adopted son, age 4), Helen Gatewood (servant, age 22), Jeanne Paden (8), Oswin Poletzie (7), Shirley Poletzie (3), Elva Waton (18), Marie Obrien (6), Charles Jordan (6), Mick Tudor (3), Virginia Adkins (2), and Algie Donaldson (2).
This research was conducted by Scott Caputo of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, Main branch, Geneaology, History, & Travel Desk. We are so glad he discovered this history. Scott had a library client who knew that their grandmother had a child out of wedlock in 1910. The grandmother had put the infant in an “orphanage” located at 218 Jason Avenue, where he died shortly afterward. The infant was Harry White and is included in the 1910 census in a list of around a dozen “boarders” at this address. All are under 5 years old.
Here’s a directory of the source material used for the above information, and also linked to above:
Sanborn Maps
Censuses
Business Directories
Death and Civil War Records
Bower & Company General Store
In 1914 the Bower & Company General Store was located at 2643 North High Street. (This address is currently a liquor store.) This is their delivery wagon around 1914. Standing on the wagon is Ott Helf, a friend of Charles Jones, standing next to the wagon. (Photo courtesy of Frank Jones.)
3070 N High Street
Here is an amazing photograph of High Street, given to me by Stu Koblentz, who found this image in an old student thesis by Forest Ira Blanchard. The photo looks north, taken around 3070 North High. On the right (east) side of High Street I believe is the house of Mathias Armbruster, which later became the Southwick Good Fortkamp Funeral Chapel at 3100 North High Street at Weber and High. I’m told that some gravestones from the old burial ground are visible on the right. Check my book, Clintonville and Beechwold, for a better photo of this house. You can click on the image to see it in more detail.
[Citation: Blanchard, Forest Ira. 1922. An introduction to the economic and social geography of Columbus, Ohio. Thesis (M.A.)–Ohio State University, 1922. On January 16, I replaced the grainy version of this image on this web site with a higher quality photo after Joe Smith alerted me to its existence.]Chesnut House
And another amazing old photo of North High Street from Stu Koblentz. This photo also looks north, and was taken just south of the intersection of High and North Broadway. The house on the west (left) behind the little shack (marked “ice”) is the Chesnut house (aka Chestnut house), described in this web site’s “Water for Cookies” entry and also found in my book. The school on the east (right) side of High Street is the old Clinton Township school building, a picture of which is also in my book. You can click on the image to see it in more detail.
Stu’s theory about the Chesnut house is as follows:
The image shows the Chesnut house, facing North High Street, about where it currently stands. The facade that faces Wall Street today is the facade facing High Street. This is verifiable in the chimney placements.
So I went through Joe Testa’s web site and I think I know what happened to the house.
As far as I can tell the house stood approximately at 3327-29 North High Street. In the 1910s, when the house (which appears to have been built in the 1860s or 70s) is pictured, the house had been moved on a pivot to its current location, with its northeast corner remaining close to its original placement. This would account for the front lot build out, the twist in the alley and the sudden reemergence of Wall Street as well as the placement of the house in the picture, and the current location of the house.
What is interesting to me is why did they go to all that trouble, when its fairly common in urban settings to build a street facade onto a house and call it a commercial building. I think that part of the reason is that the house sat further back from High Street, making it too far away to convert to a commercial space commonly found in that era.
Update 2025-08-25 by Shirley–Another possible reason for reorienting this house might be found here.
Pure Oil at Hudson & Indianola
This diminutive Pure Oil gas station was located at the corner of Hudson and Indianola. It had an outdoor lift instead of service bays. The pump globes say Purol and Detonox, indicating the photograph is from the 1920s. Service bays were added to the station later in the decade. Union 76 purchased Pure Oil in 1965, and completely refashioned the station.
Bartlett’s Garage
Tom Bartlett was a leading Clintonville businessman. His garage at Kelso and High existed for many years. (Photo courtesy of the Clintonville Historical Society)
Crestview Foodtown
In my book I wrote about Crestview Foodtown, presently the Clintonville Community Market. The building has had many lives: at one time it was a Red & White (market), a Piggly Wiggly, and a Kroger’s. At one time there was a barber shop downstairs; and in the late 1920s the corner was a drugstore.
Patterson House
Novak Funeral Home is today a handsome presence along High Street. The house was built in 1927 by a man named B. F. Patterson, who also built two other near-identical houses on East Dominion for his children—one of brick, and the other a frame colonial house. (Florence Patterson Ruine lived at 27 E Dominion, a Dutch Colonial.) The house’s architect was V.S. Julian. Patterson was politically active and at one time ran for mayor of Columbus. The house was at one time surrounded by a wrought-iron fence. In 1953 the building became Beechwold Nursing Home, an enterprise which was closed in 1980. The building sat empty for 7 years. Novak purchased it and rehabbed the building, an effort requiring 13 months and who-knows-how-much money.
Gordon Brevoort’s Clintonville
In another post, I mentioned that Gordon Brevoort had given a presentation to the Clintonville Historical Society on the history of Clintonville. He also made a map of the community as he remembers it in the 1930s.
You’ll find other information on this web site about the Brevoorts by clicking here.
(Map courtesy of Gordon Brevoort and the Clintonville Historical Society)
Standard Oil Station is Outstanding!
This cute gas station was located at the northern end of the Olentangy Village shopping area in 1939. Today, it is Oldskool restaurant. Is today’s restaurant the same (original) building? I think so. (Photo courtesy of Melissa Goodrich)
Gratziano’s
Joe Gratziano owned this market on the corner of North Broadway and High Street. It was a one-story brick building. Until quite recently, this building was still there but covered up. Note the house to the south of Gratziano’s, which exists today. Clinton Theatre had not yet been built.
Gratziano—or his descendants—eventually moved the market farther south on North High Street. One of the residents on West Como told me that the Gratziano family also operated a market in a building along what is now an alley between Como and Lakeview, north of Milton.
A & P
There were A&P’s located at several locations in Clintonville. An A&P used to be located where Blockbuster at Hudson and High Street is today. The Great American Tea Company began in the mid-1800s selling tea, coffee and spices at value prices in New York City. In 1870 the company was renamed the Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, in honor of the first transcontinental railroad and hopes of expanding across the continent. It was the first national supermarket chain in the United States; by 1930 it had 16,000 stores. The company pioneered “frequent customer” programs; one of its most popular programs was plaid stamps. I remember saving up stamps and pasting them into coupon books to redeem them for things like Lazy Susans. In 1980 the company underwent a restructuring and the Tengelmann Group owns controlling interest.
Bank
The Citizen’s Trust & Savings Bank, Clintonville Branch, was located in 1926 at 3296 North High Street. Left to right are Fred Horch, manager; Earl Buchler, manager, Steelton Office; Karl Kegelmeyer, manager produce exchange office; and Hershel Hill, assistant. It later became the Ohio National Bank, then Banc Ohio National Bank.
Zinn’s Lumber Yard
In 1892 at the age of 21, Mr. J. Harvey Zinn opened the lumber company at 19 East Hudson Street in partnership with Mr. S. M. Coe. Four years later he bought out Mr. Coe’s interest and built up the largest lumber yard in the city, both from the standpoint of size and from the amount of business done per year. This is a picture of Zinn’s Lumber Yard and workers. In November 1924 the Zinn Lumber Company caught fire and burned to a loss of $141,000. It was the largest fire in the city for that year. In 1931 Zinn was made vice-president of the Northern Savings Bank located at 2619 North High Street, and soon was promoted to President. Zinn divided his time between the two businesses.
As Bob Ohaver’s oral history explains, Zinn owned land along the Olentangy River from North Broadway to Kenworth Road, and in 1926 he built a residence at 285 Kenworth Road.
Zinn was one of the 4 people who cut the ribbon when the North Broadway bridge was dedicated in 1939.
J. F. Oelgoetz Company
J. F. Oelgoetz Company specialized in heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and plumbing. It was established in Clintonville in 1915. In 1939, Oelgoetz Company was located at 3365 North High Street
Agricultural Laboratory Inc
In my book and on this web page I wrote about Agricultural Laboratory Inc, located at 3415 Milton Avenue.
Here’s an ad for it showing the types of products it produced in 1939. [Advertisement from a 1939 North High Memory Book.]
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.
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.
Beechwold BBQ
Beechwold Barbecue, 4784 North High Street. “The home of choice barbecue & toasted sandwiches, special Italian Spaghetti dinner. After the theatre or after a dance, drive out to the most popular barbecue in Columbus. Auto parking space. Come hear the wonderful Violano Virtuoso.” [Photo from a 1939 North High Memory Book advertisement]
Jimmie’s
Oh how hard I searched for a good photo for my book of Jimmie’s Drug Store, a legendary community landmark! I located this one after my book had been published. Jimmy D. Kinnaird lived at 63 East Longview from 1920 on, and in 1924 he founded Jimmie’s Drug Store at 3347 North High Street on the corner of Brighton and North High. He sold pharmacal goods, cosmetics, newspapers and magazines, candy, school supplies, toys, and had a lending library. Perhaps most memorably, Jimmie’s also had a soda fountain This photo was taken in 1939.
Merrick Funeral Home
Merrick Funeral Home was located at 3099 North High Street, approximately across the street from Clinton Chapel a.k.a. the Armbruster home. I believe you can see this fine building in other images of that section of North High Street on this web site.
Buy ‘em by the Sack
The Clintonville White Castle, 1941. Note the tracks in the middle of North High Street, and also the buildings to the north and northwest of the 5-cent hamburger joint! Sadly, the Clintonville White Castle closed on Christmas Eve this past December 2010.
Here is one of the many newspaper articles announcing the closure.
On Top of the World…or at least Arcadia (Street)
I previously stated that I was unsure where this photos was taken. A reader named James wrote in that it’s “the view from atop the school, facing South East. You can see the edge of the football field along the fence line in the middle left of the pic. The white house in the middle right is still there, at the corner of Adams and Arcadia. That large apt building on the other corner is still there, too.” Thanks, James! The photo was in one of the North High School Memory Books (their yearbook).
[From a North High School Memory Book]
Robert Ohaver (1937-2009)
Robert Ohaver (b. 1920) lived most of his life in Clintonville and on West North Broadway. He had many stories of old Clintonville to share with us. On September 12, 2003, several community members (Ann and Alan Woods, Barbara Hotchkiss, Nancy Kuhel) interviewed him and preserved the conversation on tape. Now you, too, can listen to Mr. Ohaver’s oral history.
Sadly, Bob Ohaver passed away on June 11, 2009. You can find his obituary here. There is another small entry about his aunt on this web site here.
Bob mother was Laura Ohaver and his father was Walter Harvey Ohaver. Bob also had an older brother named Jack Ohaver who lived in Clintonville at 116 E. Dunedin with his wife Clara Ohaver. Clara passed away May 24, 1993, and Jack passed away on June 14, 2000. Jack and Clara had two daughters. Sue Bowman was born May 8, 1940; she passed away January 4, 2000. Sandra Urban born July 30, 1945. [This family information came to me from Jack’s granddaughter and Sandy’s daughter, Lisa Adkins. Thanks, Lisa!]
Each file is about 30 minutes long.
Contents
Track 1.
Brief Ohaver biography; origins of his family moving to West North Broadway; his World War II years; Clinton Theatre; businesses and homes at the interesection of North Broadway and North High Streets; drugstores and candy stores in Clintonville; the house behind 3391 North High Street; Dispatch carrier’s substation; Olentangy Park; the streetcar storage barn at Arcadia.
Track 2.
Olentangy Park cont’d; street fair at North Broadway and High to celebrate Clinton Theatre, the opening of Clinton School pedestrain subway, and the paving of North High Street after a new sewer line had been installed; the Olentangy River; 3 canoe clubs; development of West North Broadway (“the Broadway Extension”) and the Scott farm; development of the area along the adjoining river bank; the Herron [spelling uncertain]/Zinn home at 285 West Kenworth; Bill Moose AKA “Indian Bill”; Chief Leatherlips.
Note: the “Dr. John Scott” is William H. Scott, president of OSU 1883-1895. See my book, page 17, for a photo of his house.
Track 3.
Chief Leatherlips cont’d; house at 273 Erie Road and excavation of nearby gravel pit; the Fuller farm/Whetstone Park; rambling through the woods; Indian Springs golf course; Bill Moose AKA “Indian Bill”; Olentangy Park; North Columbus including the Ramlow Building; Picadilly Theatre; streetcars and interurbans.
Track 4.
Southwick funeral home; Joy Hunt home; Graceland Shopper’s Mart and Patrick Murnan; Clinton Theatre; the Great Depression; Ohaver family; Brighton Road development; Ohaver’s WWII and postwar years.
Track 5.
Ohaver’s return to Columbus from California in 1962; bombing of the Clinton Theatre in the 1930s.
Hudson & High 1930
Some lovely pictures of the northwest corner of Hudson and North High, in 1930. This corner looks about the same today! (Photos courtesy of Frank Jones.)
McDowell’s Garage
McDowell’s Garage at 2650 North High Street. (Photocopy courtesy of Frank Jones.)
Jones Upholstery Store
The North Columbus Kroger location at 2579 North High Street became Jone’s Upholstery business. Charles M. Jones moved here in 1943 while his son W. Frank Jones was overseas serving in WWII. When Frank came home in 1946, he worked as a partner with his father until his father’s death. (Charles and Frank are the son and grandson of C. F. Jones.) This photograph was taken in 1945.
Frank continued the business until 1977 when Neocacia Masonic Lodge (which occupied the 2nd story of the building) sold the building. This photo was taken in 1951.
In 1947, here are: Jenny Mocabee, Charles M. Jones, Frank Jones, Ray Bennett, Dick Schaeffer, Bob Hill.
66 East Duncan Street, a house owned by Frank Jones, owner of Jones Upholstery. This house has since been torn down. (Photos courtesy of Frank Jones.)
Weisheimer Mill
A wonderful picture of the Weisheimer Mill including the Jacob Weisheimer home (which still exists) and other buildings at the mill complex. The photographer would be looking north up Starrett Road to Weisheimer Road. You can click on this image to see the distant details. I show some other images of the mill and Weisheimer homes on pages 21-22 of my book. (Photo courtesy of the Columbus Metropolitan Library.)
Union Cemetery
A view of Union Cemetery from Olentangy River Road, in the late 1930s. (Photo courtesy of the Franklin County Engineers)
Downtown Clintonville 1945
This is another view of downtown Clintonville at High Street and Oakland Park Avenue, showing Miller’s Market, Alber’s supermarket, and Oakland Park Pharmacy. The pharmacy had a soda fountain and was undoubtedly a favorite ice cream stop during hot summer evenings. (Photo courtesy of Leeann Faust)
Hudson & High
This is a view of North High Street looking northwest from Hudson Street during the mid-1940s. The picture shows Hudson-High Pharmacy, Kroger, Minnie Metzgers Grill, and Neoacacia Hall (a Masonic lodge). The tallest building, the Ramlow Building, was built in the late 1800s by Catherine (Seeger) Volk Ramlow. (Photo courtesy of Columbus Metropolitan Libraries)
Kerchner Garage
In 1948, the garage on the northeast corner of Glenmont and High that had been used as a World War II Civilian Defense Center was purchased by Joseph Kerchner. His brother George soon joined him. The brothers ran the Sohio Kerchner Brothers garage and filling station from until 1950. (Photo courtesy of the Kerchner family)
Ken Hauer Photography
In the late 1940s, photographer Ken Hauer’s studio was located at 4139 North High Street, where a pet grooming studio is now. Hauer took quite a few photographs of the community, including catholic churches and schools. (Photo courtesy of Marge Hauer)
Accident at Overbrook and High Summit and Maynard, 1948
Revised post!
These two photographs were found among the papers of Kenneth Hauer, a local photographer who had a studio on North High Street. The photos were taken in 1948 at the intersections of Summit and Maynard.
The first photo is taken from the west side of the accident, looking toward the businesses on the northeast corner of the intersection of Summit and Maynard. The building’s address is 2336 Summit Street.
The second photo is taken from in front of that business building, looking west/northwest.
Now to be clear, in my original post I got it all wrong! Larry L Lower was instrumental in discovering the location of Kenneth Hauer’s accident pictures. (Previously, I’d placed the accident at 4139-4147 North High–though admittedly the buildings there today have significant differences from the old photos–because I couldn’t find any other location and Kenneth Hauer’s studio was at 4139 North High.)
I do not how many hours Larry worked on this but he deserves some sort of prize! He said,
The storefront property in your photo matches an existing building on the northeast corner of Summit and Maynard. Across the street on the northwest corner are two buildings that match the two buildings in your second photo.
The storefront photo shows First National Cleaners in the far left store front. The 1947 Polk city directory showed a business of the same name in the same position of the building at Summit and Maynard, which is 2340 Summit.
Summit and Maynard are one-way in 2012. They were two-way in 1948. That would explain the direction of all of the automobiles in your photos.
Larry undoubtedly got it right; both the building and the houses across from this building match the photos that Kenneth Hauer took exactly. Thanks, Larry! (Note: you can compare the 1948 pictures with the intersection today using Google’s Street View.)
Other readers: Charles (Coryn), Nina, Bob, Terry (Seidel), and Genie (Hoster) also contributed critiques and/or theories of how to solve the puzzle. Without doubt my original post, wrong as it was, garnered more comments than any other post on my web site.
You can click on the photos to see them in more detail. (Photos courtesy of Marge Hauer.)
Original post:
These two photographs were found among the papers of Kenneth Hauer, a local photographer who had a studio on High Street. The photos were taken in 1948 at the intersections of Westwood and Overbrook and North High Street. I have compared the photos with the same location today, and remain puzzled (Note: you can do this online using Google’s Street View.
The first photo is taken from the east side of the accident, looking toward the businesses on the southwest corner of the intersection of Westwood and North High Street.
The second photo is taken from in front of that business building, looking east/southeast. I’m amazed at the houses that are shown on the east side of High Street. Today, these houses are no longer there—and the land where the houses sat does not exist anymore, either. Today, the land falls away steeply into Overbrook Road and Ravine.
Could the land have changed this much?
Another snippet: I’m told that there used to be a “party house”—i.e. a building that could be rented for parties–just south of this location.
You can click on the photos to see them in more detail. (Photos courtesy of Marge Hauer.)
Ackerman Floral
I cannot resist including this photograph of the Gus Ackerman Floral Company, even though it is most definitely NOT in Clintonville. It was located at 1794 Olentangy Road on the east side of Olentangy River Road, near Kinnear. (Photo courtesy of the Franklin County Engineers)
Indianola Business Corridor
Joe Motil has shared the following memories of Clintonville with us:
I haven’t noticed any historical information on the Indianola Business Corridor so I thought I would give you my recollections of what I remember. Located at the south east corner of Oakland Park & Indianola was a Sinclair gas station. The family which operated it lived just east of the Wonder Bread store and their last name was Cotter. South of the gas station was Broady’s Drug Store (I am not sure if the spelling is correct). I believe Mr. Broady lived on East North Broadway between Indianola and the railroad tracks. It was pretty much your typical drug store during the 50’s and 60’s. There was a soda fountain, pharmacy, comic books, etc. As kids we would scour the bushes and roadways for pop bottles and cash in on deposit money and buy candy and pop from the drug store. There was also a phone booth nearby that had a missing coin box cover that you could jingle your finger inside of to get the coins to come out of. Hey, we were just kids. We would then head to the comic book section of the store, grab something to read, sit on the floor and eat our candy and drink our pop. Mr. Broady never had a problem with this. I believe there was also a dry cleaning store named Nash Cleaners that was south of the drug store. I know there was another store in that strip but I can’t remember the name. Where the Burger King now stands was the Beverly (hamburger restaurant Big Boy). These were somewhat popular in Columbus during this time.
Across from the Sinclair gas station at the south west corner was a Shell gas station. It later became a little Greek restaurant. I am sure you have heard of the lumber yard that was located at the north east corner of Oakland Park and the railroad tracks. We used to take our red wagons there and load them up with scrap lumber that was placed in a big bin and use the wood to make tree forts. A Lawson’s convenience store was located next to the current United Dairy Farmers. My father used to buy milk and bread there on occasion especially when the bread was on sale for a dime a loaf. And I am pretty certain that there was a gas station on every corner of the intersection of Oakland Park and Indianola around the late or middle 60’s. And the A & P grocery store was just east of the India Oak (car wash).
Joe Motil
Metzger’s Grill
Metzger’s Grill was located at 2571 North High Street. The photos were taken in 1948. Employees (left to right) were Thurm Buckholtz, Bob Grady, ?, Min Metzger, Charley Redd, Jim Walker, ?, ?, Erma Young, Ruth Thomas, Opal Holly.
Some customers at the grill, front to back: #8 Ruth Thomas, #10 Eddie Thomas, #12 Thurm Buckholtz, #13 Doc Sly. Behind the bar: Charley Redd, Harvey Edgar, Jim Walker, Min Metzger.
Here’s a picture of Harvey Edgar, ?, Ma Berwill, ?, Min Metzger, Jim Walker. (Photos courtesy of Frank Jones.)
Nicodemus’s Feats of Clay
Here’s a very nice Columbus Dispatch article about Chester Nicodemus.
Chester Nicodemus’s Price List
Chester Nicodemus is a favorite Clintonville person of mine, in part because he lived on my street. I was delighted when Joe Motil shared an old 1978 Nicodemus Pottery price list with me. The pottery was dear, even back then! (Document courtesy of Joe Motil)
D. H. Bradley, Veterinarian
Jan Bradley Zenisek shared these two family pictures with me. Her father, Dr. D. H. Bradley, operated his veterinary clinic on the ground floor of the home originally built by Henry Cooke and shown in my book and here. The Bradley family lived upstairs.
The photo on the left shows Jan’s mother, Ellen May Bradley, with Jan in 1941.
The picture on the right shows Jan’s father (Dr. Bradley) holding Jan’s cousin Neal Cooper, and Jan’s grandfather George Cooper with Jan, outside the clinic/house in 1943. (Photos courtesy of Jan Bradley Zenisek.)
The house was later destroyed to make way for a car dealership. Jan salvaged the lovely arched windows and they now adorn her Riverlea home.
Beverlee Drive-in
Many North High grads recall the Isaly’s ice cream plant that was located at 2800 North High Street until the early 1950s. In 1956 the building served as corporate headquarters for Beverlee Drive In but was torn down by the Schottenstein Company around 1966 to make way for a strip mall. This is an advertising picture when the building was occupied by Beverlee.
Drexel Theater
Mark Fontana is a former manager of the Beechwold Drexel North Theater, and he has started a Facebook page devoted to preserving the history of this theater. Also known as Beechwold Theater or Camelot North, it was located at 4250 North High Street and the building currently hosts the Columbus Sports Connection. When the building was a theater, it also served as temporary worship space for several churches in the area while the churches were being enlarged or rebuilt. Check out Mark’s web site!
Walkers Bait Store
Sorry for the bad image—it’s taken from a photocopy. Walker’s Bait Store was located on the east side of High Street between Arcadia and Dodridge during the 1950s. (Photocopy courtesy of Frank Jones.)
Street Scene
This photo was probably taken along Olentangy River Road. Note the smudge pots, which were used before the advent of electrical blinking warning signs. I assume this picture was taken around 1953. (Photo courtesy of Franklin County Engineers)
ABC Motor Court
…was located at 5050 North High Street, across from Graceland where Noodles and Company/Petmart now is. (Photo courtesy of Melissa Goodrich)
Adeline’s ribbon cutting ceremony
This was probably a ribbon cutting ceremony. It took place at Graceland Shopping Mall in the early 1950s. (Photo courtesy of Casto Corporation)
For additional pictures of Graceland’s early days, check out George Campbell’s online collection of vintage pictures.
Beechwold Hardware
Forrest Smith began Beechwold Hardware in 1944 and 9 years later his son Jack joined him in the business. This photograph shows Forrest Smith and his son Jack around 1960. Jack’s son-in-law now owns the business, but Jack works at the store regularly when he’s not out playing golf. Beechwold Hardware may be the longest-running family-owned business in Clintonville. (Photo courtesy of Jack Smith)
Maiden of the Roses Theme Song
From 1954 or 1955 until 1974, North Columbus Civitan (along with Columbus Parks & Recreation) sponsored a Maiden of Roses Festival at the Rose Garden. While rummaging through Civitan’s archive for the festival, I came across a written composition of music, clearly intended to be played at the festival and perhaps at the award event. I don’t know who composed it (does the sheet say, “Al Waslon”?). My musician friend and technical advisor Mark Bendig played and recorded the tune for me and now you, too, can listen to it. Click the play button below to stop/play the music. (Access to Civitan’s archive courtesy of Glenn Williams, music courtesy of Mark Bendig.)
Capital City Lumber
During the course of my book, I tried valiantly to get a picture of the Capital City Lumber Company, which used to exist on Indianola where Marzetti’s now stands. Does anyone out there have one?
Boulevard Gardens
Clintonville residents have always actively gardened. Two views of Boulevard Gardens on Olentangy River Road (or at least I assume this photograph of the Garden Centre on Olentangy Road in 1963 is Boulevard Gardens
(Left photo courtesy of the Franklin County Engineers; right photo courtesy of the Koch family)
Boulevard Gardens closed down, during the winter of 2008/09. Click on the image to the right for the history of the business from the Columbus Dispatch.
Riverside Hospital
Riverside Methodist Hospital is today a fixture in Clintonville residents’ lives. Prior to 1961, however, it was known as the White Cross Hospital and was located near Goodale Park in Victorian Village. And before that, it was known as Protestant Hospital. Riverside’s first patients were transferred from White Cross Hospital on April 10, 1961. An addition was added in 1970 and an additional expansion began in December, 1990. (Photo courtesy of Melissa Goodrich)
Clintonville Auto Repair
In 1962, Walt Stein leased the Sohio filling station at the Northeast corner of Dunedin and North High Street and named his business Clintonville Sohio (shown here). In 1968 the name was changed to Clintonville Servicenter. The business grew, and in 1970 Stein moved the business to 585 Oakland Park Avenue and changed the name to Clintonville Automotive Repair Service (CARS). In 1982 the adjacent ARCO gas station at 3378 Indianola Ave. was purchased as an annex. (Photo courtesy of Ron Stein)
Golden Bull
A great picture of the Golden Bull Restaurant (originally called Beechwold Tavern or Beechwold BBQ) shortly before the Lindquists converted the building, in 1969. It was located at 4784 North High Street
(Photo courtesy of Donna and Nils Lindquist.)
For a companion picture of the building when the Lindquists were moving out, see this post.
Lindy Productions
In 1989/90, Lindy Productions moved out of the building at 4784 North High Street and The Reserve prepared to move into the building. Nils Lindquist (owner of Lindy Productions) took this photo at the time. (Photo courtesy of Donna and Nils Lindquist.)
For a companion picture of the building when Lindy’s moved in, see this post.
In memorium: Nils Lindquist
Nils I. “Lindy” Lindquist, the owner of Lindy Productions which was in the old Beechwold Tavern building (most recently Cord Camera, at 4784 North High Street), passed away in October. This is another sad loss for the community. Our condolances to his wife Donna and his family. Lindy’s obituary, from the Columbus Dispatch, follows.
LINDQUIST Nils I. “Lindy” Lindquist, age 87, of Columbus, passed away Saturday, October 23, 2010. Lindy was born in Sweden and came to America at the age of six where he lived with his family in Carmel, NY. He was a graduate of Horace Mann School for boys in NYC where he earned his nickname “Lindy”. He joined the Navy and became a Seabee in 1943, the first year the Navel Construction Battalions were established. After WWII, the Navy sent him to Missouri University and Cornell for their NROTC Officers Training Program. He later received a BA from Bowling Green State University, attended the School of Modern Photography in NYC, and received a MA from The Ohio State University. He worked as a photographer for the Columbus Dispatch and worked in the PR department for Nationwide before starting Lindy Productions, Inc in 1966. He then operated three companies: Lindy Productions (a film production company), Ohio Newsfilm (a TV news reporting service) and Magnetic Studios (a sound recording company). Lindy was a writer, photographer, pilot, amateur radio operator, and a film producer; he worked in 34 countries and spoke three languages. He was an honorary lifetime member of the Golden Retriever Club of Columbus, Ohio. His detailed memoirs of the 87th Naval Construction Battalion are now a part of the American Folklife Center in the Library of Congress. Lindy is survived by his wife of 61 years, Donna; daughter, Karen Lindquist Elliott; granddaughters, Colleen Ann McClung, Ph.D., her husband, John Francis Enwright III, Ph.D., and Megan Kathleen McClung, LEED AP; great grandchildren, Evan Michael and Annika Erin Enwright. In keeping with the wishes of the family there will be no visitation. Arrangements by RUTHERFORD-CORBIN FUNERAL HOME, 515 High St., Worthington, OH 43085.
Kroger
Kroger has had a long presence in Clintonville. In addition to the “drive-in” store described in my book, Kroger built a store at 3559 High Street. From there they moved near Arcadia and High (above). Then, in 1984, Kroger demolished a former Bob Daniels Buick dealership on the northwest corner of North Broadway and High, changed the configuration of Wall Alley, Hennipen Avenue, and Kenworth, and built a Kroger Super Store. (Photo courtesy of Kroger)
Huntington Bank
Huntington was a 105 year-old company when it opened its Clintonville office at 3350 Indianola Avenue in 1971. To clear the site for construction of the new building, Huntington demolished 1-2 buildings (shown above). There were “balloons for the kiddies, shopping bags for mother and cigars for the men” at the grand opening on March 18, 1971. (Photo courtesy of Huntington Bank)
Palmer Miller Nelson Insurance Company
The Kirkpatrick Insurance Company began in 1855 in Adams County, Ohio, moved to downtown Columbus in 1920, and moved to Clintonville in 1954. They remodeled this brick duplex residence at 3215 High Street. In 1973 they demolished the duplex to the north, and expanded the first building. Eventually the name was changed to reflect ownership by Zeke Palmer, his son Daniel, Steven Miller, and Ronald Nelson. It’s one of the oldest independent insurance agencies in Ohio. (Photo courtesy of Palmer Miller Nelson Insurance Company)
Clintonville Pharmacy
Clintonville Pharmacy at the corner of Dunedin and High was co-owned by pharmacists Charles McCarthy and Gordon Knight, who each also owned McCarthy and Knight’s Pharmacies, respectively. In keeping with the post-World War trend, none of these three pharmacies contained soda fountains, though they had them in an earlier era (when the drugstores were known as Rank’s, at Oakland Park and High, which later became McCarthy’s; as Hooper’s, at the corner of Dunedin and High; and as Cole’s, at Sheffield and High). The co-owned Clintonville Pharmacy closed in the 1980s. (Photo courtesy of Kroger)
Beechwold Pharmacy
I received a request for additional photos of Beechwold Pharmacy, before the building became a flower shop. Beechwold Pharmacy was located at 4622 North High Street, owned by Arden and Pat Englebach, and had the last soda fountain in Columbus. [Photos courtesy of Arden and Pat Engelbach]
“Private Fun by the Hour”
Okay, who here remembers the Sunbubble–and is willing to admit it? In 1986 it was located at 4495 North High Street, cost $6 an hour, and offered “a private chance to slip into a hot tub, watch some M-TV or a movie, listen to your favorite radio station or cassette tape and have a good time.” Sunbubble was eventually demolished to make way for the Unitarian Church’s expansion and the overhaul of that section of High Street. And note: this photo shows two models in a promotional photo for the hot-tub facility.
David Schreiner Dies
David H. Schreiner, age 92, died Thursday Feb 19, 2010. From the Columbus Dispatch Obituary:
“Founder and owner of Schreiner Plumbing And Hardware Co. in 1946. Veteran, U.S. Army Air Corps, WW II. Member of North High School Alumni and OSU Alumni, where he was the first “Script Ohio” snare drummer for the OSU Marching Band; member, Aladdin Shrine, Drum & Bugle Corp, Royal Order of Jesters Court 8; El Hajj; Kachina Club; Ambassadors Club; Last Man’s Club; Scioto Boat Club. Member, Northwest United Methodist Church.
“Survived by devoted wife of 61 years, Ruth; children, John “Jack” (Gloria) Schreiner, Daniel “Dan” (Glenda) Schreiner of AZ, and Nancy Schreiner; grandchildren, Debi (Jim) Lewis, Cathi (Jeff) Hill, Ben (Lara) Schreiner of GA, Tyson (Laura) Schreiner of WI, Andrew (Britta) Schreiner of NJ; great-grandchildren, Noah and Ethan Schreiner of GA and Ian Schreiner of WI; nieces and nephews.”
Skyline Mural
This 9 foot by 15 foot Columbus Skyline Mural is all that’s left of the Savings of America National Savings and Loan that was located from 1987 to 1992 at Graceland Shopping Center. The mural was created for the bank by renowned tile artist Marlo Bartels in the mid-1980s. The Casto Corporation donated it to Clinton Elementary School; it adorned the Gail Paris Discovery Garden for awhile and was moved into the cafeteria after the school’s 2011-2012 renovation. (Photo courtesy of Terry Miller)
Northend Wrench
An aerial photo of North High Street. On the top center of the photograph is Northend Wrench before that business moved to Indianola.
(Photo courtesy of David M. Wenger)
Clintonville Federal Savings
Clintonville Federal Savings was located just north of the Northmoor Fire Station until the bank was demolished to make way for the fire station’s expansion. Note the Northmoor addition pillars marking the entry into that housing development, which was opened in 1921. (Photo courtesy of Melissa Goodrich)
Carving out a Niche
I wish I could have included these pictures of Jerry Devine’s chainsaw sculptures at Como Mower in my book because they are so Clintonville. Unfortunately I had too many pictures and too little space and so I used date (1970s) as a cut-off criteria. Weiland’s has a sculpture as does someone who lives in the vicinity of Northmoor. Note also, in the photograph, the old Darts USA store, which no longer exists. (Photo courtesy of Jerry Devine)
Schreiner’s Hardware
When David H. Schreiner returned from flying planes in World War II, he had his mind set on opening a hardware store. He convinced his father, master plumber Henry J. Schreiner Sr., to join him, and together they opened the Schreiner Plumbing and Hardware Company in 1946 at 2585 North High Street. After serving Clintonville and North Columbus for 52 years, Dave retired in 1998. These photos were taken in 1998. (The exterior photo shows not only the hardware store but also Artist’s Workshop Art Supply Store, a favorite place for supplies among art students around town.) (Photo courtesy of Ruth and David Schreiner)
Clintonville’s Historic Inventories
Historic Inventories are brief “snapshot” assessments of buildings to determine whether the buildings are of historic interest. Just 1 or 2 pages in length, an inventory is intended to provide a brief description of the location, background, and architecture of a building, site, structure, or object of architectural or historical significance.
The inventories have been written by students or by dedicated residents such as those in the Old Beechwold area, under the auspices of the Ohio Historical Society Historic Preservation Office. (The Beechwold residents did an especially terrific job of inventorying their neighborhood.) For more information about Ohio Historic Inventory Program, click here.
I’ve made a map of the places in Clintonville that have been inventoried; click on the thumbnail to the right to see it.
Linked below, in PDF format, are the historic-inventories for buildings in Clintonville as of July 2008.
Old Beechwold:
Old Beechwold Historic District Nomination
4765 North High, aka “the Gatekeeper’s House,” and also this version
4475 North High
44 West Jeffrey Place
177 West Jeffrey Place
30 West Beechwold
62 West Beechwold
80 West Beechwold
100 West Beechwold, and also this version
150 West Beechwold
209 West Beechwold
4783 Olentangy Blvd
4793 Olentangy Blvd
4805 Olentangy Blvd
4817 Olentangy Blvd and also this version
4820 Olentangy Blvd
4827 Olentangy Blvd
4831 Olentangy Blvd
4837 Olentangy Blvd
4935 Olentangy Blvd
23 West Riverview Park
75 West Riverview Park
81 West Riverview Park
121 Riverview Park
197 Riverview Park
157 Rustic Bridge
222 Rustic Bridge
4787 Rustic Bridge
4795 Rustic Bridge
4857 Rustic Bridge
4866 Rustic Bridge
4876 Rustic Bridge
4 West Royal Forest
52 West Royal Forest
91 West Royal Forest
115 West Royal Forest
128 West Royal Forest
201 West Royal Forest
North Broadway:
65 East North Broadway
77 East North Broadway
150 East North Broadway
155 East North Broadway
162 East North Broadway
177 East North Broadway
456 East North Broadway
489 East North Broadway
Elsewhere in Clintonville:
3119 North High
3377-3381 North High (Clinton Theatre)
3783 North High
3535 North High
149 East Kelso
45 East Crestview
238 Crestview
129-131 West Weber
259 Walhalla
334 Walhalla
224 East California
91 West Longview
191 West Delphi
314 West Kanawha
163 Kenworth
203 Kenworth
265 Kenworth
285 Kenworth
289 Kenworth
629a Oakland Park
645 Oakland Park
189 Northmoor
3624 Weston Place
214 Arden (a Lustron home)
100 Webster Park
213 Webster Park
7 West Henderson (Maple Grove Church)
45 Weisheimer
239 Weisheimer
286 Weisheimer
And (technically) just south of Clintonville:
100 Arcadia (Old North High School)
Glen Echo United Presbyterian Church
290 Cliffside Dr
17 West Dodridge
44 West Dodridge and 44 West Dodridge
96-98 East Dodridge
