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Voting
According to a transcript of a WBNS-Radio broadcast salute to Clintonville on May 27, 1959 and reprinted in The Clintonville Historical Society’s January 2009 issue of its newsletter, Clintonville Heritage, Clintonville’s first voting booth was located at the corner of Weber and High, and on Election Day, the Ladies Aid Societies would work all day, serving hot dinners to the farmers who came to vote.
On Como
Como has a venerable history. The house of one of the Bull family members was located on Como; the oldest house in Clintonville is reputed to be there; Howard Westervelt (founder of North Broadway Methodist Church) lived there.
This charming house is located at 57 West Como and was built around 1903. The picture was taken sometime before 1926. (Photo courtesy of Verna Rogers)
“It’s Great Fun”
The river was a favorite skating spot in the early part of the century. Children also sledded on East North Broadway, and on “Mooney hill” at 259 Walhalla Road. In the summertime, there was a swimming hole colloquially called Bare-ass Beach in what is now Whetstone Park plus a legendary skinny-dipping spot in the river at the “Holt farm” near the C.D.& M. Interurban line’s Stop 18 around Lincoln and High. (Photo courtesy of Amy Westervelt)
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)
Mathias Armbruster
Mathias Armbruster was born in Wurtenburg Germany in 1839 and came to the U.S.A. in 1858. He operated Armbruster Scenic Studios in Columbus—he painted scenic theatrical stage sets. Armbruster purchased the area around what is now known as Walhalla Ravine, and converted Clinton Chapel at 3100 North High Street into his private residence. His son Albert’s house was just north of Mathias’ home, where the parking lot for Southwick-Good-Fortkamp funeral home now is. Mathias eventually sold most of the acreage to a real estate developer, and helped name the streets after his beloved Wagner Ring Operas.
Mathias died in Columbus in 1920. Here he is shown looking west from the cupola on his roof. (Photo courtesy of Leeann Faust)
In the center, a view of High Street taken from Armbruster’s cupola; Olentangy Park is in the background. (Photo courtesy of Leeann Faust)
The photo on the right shows Albert Armbruster’s house. (Photo courtesy of Leeann Faust)
