Mid-century Reading Road (Cincinnati, Washington, Avon: residential, rating, park)

[Ron Hildebrand]

Originally Posted by shermank

...My next job, btw, was at WSAI Boss Radio 1360 where I was Mike Sherman the Night Creature.
Sherm

Sherm, I remember you from the WSAI Top 40 survey sheets! I think you were on a bit late for me (I would have been in 7th or 8th grade at the time), but I also remember Dusty's name, Paul Purton (I think that's how he spelled it) and Gene Austin.

When we ended up in the San Francisco area a few years later, there was Gene, but this time under what I think was his real name, Gene Nelson. There was a Dusty Rhodes a few years later on KSAN in SF, but this Dusty was a lady.

Sure glad to have run across your post, Sherm!

Ron H

[phil.centers]

Speaking of railroad tracks, in the 60s and early 70s behind the Twin Drive-In, right at the NW corner of Ross Ave. (Tennessee Ave. becomes Ross when it passes under the Norwood Lateral) and Rhode Island Ave. (I believe it's Rhode Island on the Bond Hill or west side of the street, and Section Ave. on the Norwood or east side of the street), you could look down from the street at that corner onto some tracks. These tracks entered a tunnel that ran south from that point under Ross Ave. and ran for a long ways underground. We followed it with flashlights a while but never to its end. This tunnel, we heard from asking around, was part of a Cincinnati subway system that was built but never completed. Other sections of the underground system were also visible in that time (don't know if they still are), for instance, you could see an entrance near St. Bernard on the right (east) side of I-75 while heading south, as I recall. Eventually they filled the area on the NW corner of Ross and Rhode Island in all the way up to street level, such that you would never know that beneath the surface is the entrance to the abandoned Cincinnati subway system.

[MiddleCincinnati]

Originally Posted by phil.centers

Speaking of railroad tracks, in the 60s and early 70s behind the Twin Drive-In, right at the NW corner of Ross Ave. (Tennessee Ave. becomes Ross when it passes under the Norwood Lateral) and Rhode Island Ave. (I believe it's Rhode Island on the Bond Hill or west side of the street, and Section Ave. on the Norwood or east side of the street), you could look down from the street at that corner onto some tracks. These tracks entered a tunnel that ran south from that point under Ross Ave. and ran for a long ways underground.

Funny - we lived a few blocks from there, in Bond Hill, and that corner is quite familiar. Any memories of a tunnel have faded, though. You guys were pretty bold to follow those tracks - did you realize they were out of use?

for instance, you could see an entrance near St. Bernard on the right (east) side of I-75 while heading south, as I recall.

There were also a pair of tunnel entrances visible on the right from the north-bound lanes, not too far north of downtown.

[$honey]

Would the tunnels have been part of the subway that never was? There was a station in Norwood under the Zumbiel plant. The plant was razed a few years ago, so I would think the remains of the subway were eliminated. No tracks were ever laid and the route never ran contiguously from downtown to out reaching destinations. The contruction was done at different points but never connected.

I can't remember what I had for breakfast. How can you remember the 60's and 70's.

[LylaL]

The principal was Miss Tucker when I was there in 62-63. Mrs Tavlin for second grade, Mrs Cone for third.

Originally Posted by lectrikeye

I went to Swifton grades 1-3. Kindergarten was at Bond hill. My mother saved most of my old school pictures and I am looking at my 2nd grade class photo. The teacher according to my mother was Ms. Tavlin. I forgot about her but if I remember correctly 1st grade was Ms Neely, and 3rd grade was Ms Bernstein. I can still name 15 of the 24 students in the photo. I can not remember the name of the principal but I remember the old mimiograph machine (before xerox copiers) with the stinky ink in the principal's outer office.

[MiddleCincinnati]

Originally Posted by LylaL

The principal was Miss Tucker when I was there in 62-63. Mrs Tavlin for second grade, Mrs Cone for third.

Second that. Pretty sure Miss Tucker [Sue?] was there during 61-62 year, as well.

I had Mrs. McGuire for first grade. The only other teachers whose names I can recall were Bremer, for kindergarten and Meadows, for second grade.

[jkgibb1]

Yes, Susan Tucker was the principal at Swifton Primary. I remember that she was very kind and knew all of the students. I recall her as having a rather long face and being tall.

I had Mrs. Tavlin for third grade the first year the school opened.

[phil.centers]

Funny story about Mrs. Tucker. I went to Swifton Primary School from 1964 to 1967. In second grade I was permitted by my parents to walk home from school alone, which seemed at the time to be a long way for a kid my age. In order to maintain the privilege, I was under strict orders from my parents to walk straight down Rhode Island Ave. until I came to our street, Andina Ave., and then to walk straight down my street to our home at 1819.

One day I figured I had the routine down pretty well, and decided to vary it just a bit. So I cut down Garden Lane, one block before Andina, intending to cut over to Andina at Hermit Ave. About half a block down Garden Lane Mrs. Tucker pulled over in her car and motioned for me to get in. She drove me the rest of the way to my house, rang our front door bell with me at her side, and delivered me to my mom, explaining what had happened. I got a spanking from my mom, and sure didn't dare to deviate from directions again while in Swifton Primary!

[Gibaschitz]

The first post was a lengthy recollection about mid-century Reading Road businesses. One was the Twin Drive-In Theater just north of the Norwood Lateral. (You could see the movies while driving past on the Lateral.) The Twin went downhill quickly and closed in the 1970’s. The final bill featured cinematic masterpieces “Blacula” and “I Dismember Momma” on its twin screens. (Ahh, decisions, decisions! Which one to watch?)

[mike1003]

After a funeral last week, we went to my cousin's home. Took Ronald Reagan to Reading Road then south to Roselawn. When leaving my cousin's, we continued south into Bond Hill.

OMG, this is where I spent (or misspent) my childhood and teens through College in the 60s and starting a family in the early 70s.

I could hardly recognize anything. It was as if you picked me up and placed me in another city. Reading Road is a mess. Parts of RR look like a war zone

Time Marches on. I guess all I have is this nostalgic thread and my memories