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.

On the Hunt for 2269 Columbia Ave. - My Dad's Birthplace

Note:  Double-click on all pictures to enlarge.

Five Jones Siblings

A few days ago, my cousin, Tony Scardina, emailed this picture to me.  Several of us debated the possible location, but leave it to my brother, Tim, to recognize that it was Columbia Ave.  That led me to do some immediate research.

We had always known that my father lived on Columbia Ave. at the time of his birth in 1920.  The family rented space from my grandfather's Uncle Tom and Aunt Ella in a two-family home.  My Dad used to talk about how horses hauled milk trucks past their home in those "old" days.  They were forced to move to Eastern Ave. when the city decided to turn Columbia Ave. into Columbia Parkway -- a main east/west thoroughfare that followed the north bank of the Ohio River.

Instantly the picture took on more meaning, because to my knowledge, it is the only picture that any of us has that shows their initial home.  A little research was in order.  I looked at the 1920 Census where Tom, Ella, Fred, Norine, Edith, Charley and Bob were listed.  My Dad would be born later that year.  The address was 2269 Columbia Ave.  The next trip was to the Main Library to check the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for 1904-1930.  I was told by the librarian that as changes to the maps took place over the 26-year period, they would "cover up" the previous version.  Here is the segment from the map. (I highlighted the area that had been their property and labeled it with the 2269 address).  I then drove to Collins Ave. and the current Columbia Parkway to see if the property was accessible.

Next I contacted my partners-in-crime, my brother Tim and his wife, Dusty.  Tim and Dusty kindly accommodated me (aka the "Crip") as we climbed through the honeysuckle, bamboo and other brush that has taken over the hillside.  It was worth it.

We first came across what appeared to be an old wall or part of an old foundation.  Tim found an easier access route by going up to Columbia Parkway from the opposite side and crossing this four-lane, highly-traveled road.  He was able to capture pictures of what would have been the view of the Ohio River from their home and the hillside that was directly across the road.  The hillside has a substantial retaining wall designed to prevent mudslides, which are so common on this parkway.

Records from the Cincinnati Historical Society, state that these homes were purchased when the Parkway began construction in 1929.  Mom's notes say that the home they built down the hill at 2424 Eastern Ave. was purchased just as the Stock Market crashed in 1929.  They paid $5500  for the house and sold it in 1966 for $7500.  The homes on Columbia Ave. did not have indoor plumbing, so their new home must have felt like a palace.

View of the Ohio River from Columbia Ave. location

Dusty and Tim

From this spot we walked down to Gladstone to try to search out the foundation of the home where Pop had grown up.  Three houses in a row had been torn down and we were unsure which one of the three had been the location of the house.

Tim on Collins Ave.

No trip would be complete without taking a picture of the 90 degree turn on Collins Ave. underneath the railroad tracks.  Because the road is so narrow there, Dad would always beep his horn as a warning to oncoming cars.

It's hard to believe that starting with Alexander and Elizabeth Jones, four generations of our Jones family lived within a few blocks of the beautiful Ohio River.  It really is true that a river runs through us.

Note:  I followed up this post with a visit to the Cincinnati Historical Society to see if they had any newspaper articles or old photographs in their files.  You can see what I was able to get from them by clicking on this link.