Mid-century Reading Road (Cincinnati, Hamilton: how much, closing, maintenance)

[Heaveno]

I knew the smorgasboard name had the word farm in it, but I just remember the big wheel that sat out in the front and hours of sitting there and eating with my other four siblings. The days when big families wre the norm. When someone mentioned the Smorgasteria on a previous post I knew something was missing in the name. I remember the drug store too, but I do not know remember the steak place. What year did they close? My sister's probably remember those other stores in Bond Hill being that they both attended and graduated from Woodward and many of their friends lived in Bond Hill. The donut truck is unique. I never saw it, but I am certain someone else will remember.

[unctheel]

I don't recall the donut truck, but I do remember Mr. Softee and the popsicle truck. We also had an "egg lady" who delivered eggs to our house on Laidlaw (fresh from the farm). Anyone else have her deliver eggs? The best part about the WC on Reading & California was waiting for the Cinti Enquirer to be delivered at night, around 11-11:30 pm. My parents would walk up there and sit with coffee until the paper came. Sometimes we got lucky and they would spring for a couple of White Castles. When I went to Bond Hill School, we were not allowed to go out for lunch: only home, or the lunch room. Once my friends and I snuck down to Paddock Rd to a shop that sold little conies; but unfortunately someone tattled. I think Ms. Dennick lit into us about that.

What fun times.

[MiddleCincinnati]

Originally Posted by unctheel

I don't recall the donut truck, but I do remember Mr. Softee and the popsicle truck. We also had an "egg lady" who delivered eggs to our house on Laidlaw (fresh from the farm). Anyone else have her deliver eggs?

We had Mr. Softee over on Catalina, maybe once or twice a week during
the summer. There was a milkman, probably from Cedar Hill Farms.
My grandparents, on Berkeley, had eggs delivered, but I'm pretty sure
their delivery person was a man.

As for elementary school, I'm pretty sure that Swifton Primary was
closed campus, as well. Unlike BH Elementary, though, there was not
really anywhere close by to have lunch. One nice thing about lunches
at Swifton was the popcorn machine, usually operated by students.
Last time I drove through that stretch of Rhode Island, incidentally,
Swifton Primary had been shuttered.

[jkgibb1]

I think French Bauer was the dairy who delivered in the Bond Hill area. That seems so quaint as I write this--writing a dairy order on a slip of paper and putting it inside an empty milk bottle on the back porch! The occasional treat would be when my mom ordered chocolate milk or buttermilk!

[jkgibb1]

Haha...if Miss Dennick got after you about sneaking off at lunch, I'll be you never, EVER even ENTERTAINED the thought of doing it again!

I went to Swifton Primary for third grade only--the first year it was in operation. I do remember the popcorn machine. I also remember how you could walk through one classroom to get to another--there was a narrow inside corridor--and all of the classes opened up onto that interior playground. We were not allowed to leave the building during the day. Rhode Island was a busy street and there was no place to go, as unctheel said.

[MiddleCincinnati]

Originally Posted by jkgibb1

I also remember how you could walk through one classroom to get to another--there was a narrow inside corridor--and all of the classes opened up onto that interior playground.

I had forgotten about the inside corridor, jkgibb1, but do remember
that two opposing classroom wings opened onto the playground. Do
you remember telephone extensions on the wall, allowing teachers
to contact the main office?

[MiddleCincinnati]

Originally Posted by jkgibb1

I think French Bauer was the dairy who delivered in the Bond Hill area.

I think you are right about French Bauer, jkgibb1. Cedar Hill Farms was
a dairy, but French Bauer sounds more familiar.

I'm also inclined to agree with you about the identity of the doughnut
shop on Reading, across and south from Sugar 'n Spice. I had
originally given it as Daisy Doughnuts, but Dunkin' seems more
likely now. In the 1970's the store was replaced by a drive-through
beverage vendor - kind of like a pony keg for people really in a
hurry.

Daisy Doughnuts had branches around town, including Winton at
Galbraith and Galbraith at Plainfield. They changed the name from
Daisy to Daily early in the 1960's. In the mid-70's they opened an
all-night eatery on Springfield Pike, near the Goodwill store. That
store served coffee in huge cups, which they called "grumpy cups".
They must have have closed that location some time around 1980
and the chain itself seems to be defunct now.

I always liked their doughnuts better than competitors Dunkin' or
Busken Bakery. The doughnuts just seemed to be fresher, not
overly sweet, and without the oily aftertaste of cheaper kinds.
They did a very good job with "Virginia reels", a type of cruller
with cross-cut ruts resembling a tractor wheel.

[jkgibb1]

Originally Posted by MiddleCincinnati

I had forgotten about the inside corridor, jkgibb1, but do remember
that two opposing classroom wings opened onto the playground. Do
you remember telephone extensions on the wall, allowing teachers
to contact the main office?

I don't recall the telephones, but I remember that each classroom had its own small bathroom. These were right off the inside corridor I had mentioned. It sure was convenient and we did not have to constantly bother the teacher for a restroom pass.

[franke01]

Has anyone mentioned that there was a Public Library branch (small, 1 room as I remember) in the "shopping center" at the corner of Section and Reading? Also, the dry cleaner on (or near) the corner of Reading and Galbraith (the one with the rocket) featured "one hour Martinizing" and there was a Tresler Comet station on Galbraith just West of Reading.

And didn't Porfidio's Wishing Well (on the South East corner of Reading and Galbraith) used to have signs on the building such as "Lousy Service" "Lazy Waitresses" etc. in the 50's?

[MiddleCincinnati]

Originally Posted by franke01

Has anyone mentioned that there was a Public Library branch (small, 1 room as I remember) in the "shopping center" at the corner of Section and Reading?

It was overlooked. The small Roselawn branch of the library
later moved to the Valley Shopping Center, into much larger digs.

and there was a Tresler Comet station on Galbraith just West of Reading.

T.C. stations - long gone now. According to a blurb on the internet,
the Cincinnati company was absorbed into the SuperAmerica
brand. All I can remember just west of Reading was a typewriter
store, with machines in the display window clearly visible from the
road. This would have been by the corner with Chaucer. On what side
of Galbraith was the T.C. station?

And didn't Porfidio's Wishing Well (on the South East corner of Reading and Galbraith) used to have signs on the building such as "Lousy Service" "Lazy Waitresses" etc. in the 50's?

The building was sort of pale green. It seemed like there was a kind
of recessed area in the wall at eye-level, maybe behind glass. Could
this have been where the signs were?