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

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

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

Two articles are often mentioned as sources for information about Mathias Armbruster. I thought I’d archive them here.

Leeann Faust wrote this wonderful article about her great grandfather Mathias Armbruster. It was originally published in the Polar Bear ROARS Alumni Association (=North High School) newsletter.

Karl Pauly wrote this column way-back-when, about Walhalla ravine–which Armbruster was instrumental in designing, or at the very least, naming. (First article of Leeann Faust; second article courtesy of the Clintonville Historical Society)

Rand Hollenback in 1904, at age 4, at the Hollenback’s 3134 North High Street address. Rand grew up to found the Clintonville Booster, and to become a major force in the community. Note the street car lines in the background.

This is what the Hollenback homsestead at 3134 North High Street looked like, looking east/southeast.

The Olentangy Park Canoe Club, ca. 1906. I’m told that at one time, Clintonville had at least 4 canoe clubs.

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.

First graders at the Clinton Township School on Clinton Heights Avenue (also called the “1904 Building”). Presumably Rand Hollenback is somewhere in this photograph. As of this web posting, the building is still there, though its fate is uncertain.

Bill Case has done a wonderful job of researching and writing the history of Donald Ross’ design of the Elks/Wyandot County Club. Check out his web site here. It’s a work in progress so check Bill’s site frequently.

The first picture (to the left) is, of course, Donald Ross. In the left-hand image below, Harold J. Kaufman, John W. Kaufman, Arthur Shannon, Donald Ross, and J.V. Taylor peruse a topo map. The right-hand image below is the 5th hole–308 yards–par 4. See Bill’s web site for the history and for more image gems.

(Images courtesy of Bill Case and Betty Huber)

The zoo in Beechwold may have been one of the earliest sites of the Columbus Clippers!

According to Joe Santry, Historian at The Columbus Clippers, “In 1895 the Columbus Statesmen opened the season playing at The Zoo Baseball Grounds. The grounds were owned by the Zoological Garden company. Could this be the old zoo grounds in Clintonville? …The team played at the Zoo Grounds for a couple of months before moving to Recreation Park in German Village…

“In 1895, according to the local papers, Columbus played at ‘the Zoo Grounds’ (May 21), ‘Zoo Baseball Park’ (May 4), ‘Zoo Park’ (May 5). There are stories about temporary grandstands, then a ‘new grandstand’ (May 12).

“By June 1, however, the OSJ reports that the club now ‘holds the lease on the Schiller street grounds’ and the club ‘will play the last game on the Zoo grounds this afternoon and the work of removing the grandstand, bleachers, and fences to Recreation Park’ will follow.

“The problem is how inconsistently the papers reported the games that season. The more I research this the more I think the Zoo Grounds park was in or near some type of amphitheatre on the zoo grounds. The park had other smaller attractions prior to 1905.”

Scott Caputo, librarian at the Columbus Metropolitan Library, found this article in the 8-8-1904 Ohio State Journal. It mentions a drill field and a ball game used by several masonic groups at the Zoo. This, shortly before it closed down.

Also linked here is a image/map of the old zoo, courtesy of Mary Rodgers of the Clintonville Historical Society.