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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].
Legg Family
Here are two wonderful pictures of the Legg family. Emma Legg married James Harvey Zinn, born 1 October 1871 Ohio, in 1895. J. Harvey Zinn was the President of the Zinn Lumber Company located at Hudson and North High Streets. Emma and James lived at 285 Kenworth, located on the Olentangy River just north of West North Broadway. (Their house still exists in Clintonville.) [Photos courtesy of John Clark. Thanks also to his wife Lauren for sending them to me.]
For more information on the Leggs see here;
For more information on the Zinns see here;
and/or listen to Robert Ohaver’s oral history.
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.
128 Crestview
Isn’t it wonderful when you discover that your old house holds a treasure trove of old artifacts from previous owners!? Matt Earley recently found some very old documents in his attic from the original residents of his home at 128 Crestview Rd.
Probably the most interesting thing is this handwritten will directive from the original owner of the home, J.W. Montague. It was written in pencil, and found under a vent pipe in the attic of the house.
The Earleys also found several items from the family who rented the home during the 1930s and early 1940s, the H. R. Townsend Family. The home was a rental during this time period. Matt has spoken with a member of the family of he Townsend family, and she said that the Townsends lived in the home during the school year, but then moved back to a farm they owned near Hamilton, Ohio during the summer months. The gentleman, Horace Raymond (H.R.) Townsend, had been principal of the Hamilton High School until he assumed the full-time position of commissioner of the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA, which is currently located in Clintonville at 4080 Roselea Place, Columbus, OH 43214). He was the first commissioner of the organization, and held that post from 1925 until his death in 1944.
H.R.’s initials written on the inside of one of the attic walls:
Here is a 1939 Newspaper blurb about an event H.R. Townsend and his wife were hosting at 128 Crestview (“Entertain College Club”, 3rd column).
And, here is a 1936 article about their daughter Esther and her activities (“The Daily Grist”, Column 2).
Here are some Hamilton High School yearbook pages from 1925, the last year Townsend was principal:
And a spread of the dedication to H.R. in the yearbook, along with his photo:
This was a photograph randomly inserted into one of the pages of the aforementioned yearbook. The Earleys are not sure who it is, but have confirmed that it is not Mrs. Townsend:
A children’s poetry book found in the attic:
The Earleys found some of their daughters’ (Elizabeth’s and possibly Esther’s) schoolwork in their attic as well, and you can see those here. (I sure hope no one finds my school work 75 years later!)
Matt has done extensive research on the history of the home and its owners, and has spoken with most of the previous owners or their extended families. He is still looking for any photographs of the home from before the 1980s (about the oldest he has been given to date). The King family (of Nancy King fame) was the longest resident of the home, but Matt has not yet obtained any photos of the home from when they lived in it (1957-1979). If anyone happens to stumble upon anything older than that around 1985 at some point, Matt would be very interested in seeing it.
Remembering Algy McBride
Algy McBride, who died in 2015, was a long-time president of the Clintonville Historical Society. His dedication was felt throughout Clintonville and the Franklin County community. At his funeral, his family shared this article which I thought I’d re-share with you. [Article courtesy of the McBride family and reprinted from SeniorSource Winter 01/02.]
