2269 Columbia Ave. - Part II

Yesterday I visited the Cincinnati Historical Society at the Museum Center to see what information their files might contain on the conversion of Columbia Ave. to Columbia Parkway in about 1930.  If you missed the earlier post, let me explain that this was the site of my father's first home.  The house was purchased through eminent domain, and the family relocated to 2424 Eastern Ave.

My Dad's home would have been located on the cleared area on the left.

Luckily for me, they did have a picture in their files that showed what Columbia Parkway looked like in its early days.  This picture was taken from Collins Ave. facing left.  You can see on the left where the houses had been cleared away.  On the right you can see the substantial retaining wall that was built to prevent mudslides from the hills above -- an occurrence that seems to happen every few years even today.

They also had two other pictures in their possession that were of interest to me.

This one shows what Columbia Ave. looked like facing east from Stites before the road was improved.  You can see how primitive the road looks.  It is unpaved and has no curbs.  This location was a couple of miles east of where my father lived in what is called the Columbia-Tusculum area.

Once the parkway was in place there was a lot of public sentiment favoring the destruction of the remaining homes in order to allow commuters to have a view of the Ohio River.  I can tell you that it is magnificent.  Over the years access to Columbia Parkway has become increasingly limited.  Given the amount of traffic that this road handles now, it would not be a suitable place for any home.  The Cincinnati Times-Star had an article on January 22, 1933 promoting the destruction of the homes pictured below.

I have to admit that this parkway is one of the jewels in the crown of the Queen City and one that was definitely necessary if we were to grow and expand from the central core. The parkway has special meaning for me and my family as we look over that magnificent Ohio River view and feel at home.