Mid Century Montgomery Road (Blue Ash, Madeira: loan, buying, high school)

[Gerri Ann]

Originally Posted by goyguy

I have painful memories of Silverton...b/c my orthodontists' office was in a '70s "contemporary" building on the east side of Montgomery Rd not far north of Plainfield.
Speaking of dance studios, WASP east-siders (is that redundant?) learned their foxtrots and cha-cha's from Dorothy Potts for years n' years. She had her own instruction/performance space on Ohio Ave (Silverton, not Clifton) and took her show on the road to Wyoming among other places.
The first Baskin-Robbins ice cream parlor I remember in Cincinnati was in a small older strip mall on the west side of Montgomery Rd as you headed into Kenwood.
P-Ridge Chili is still there, still open until 4 in the morning!

Was your orthodontist at 7777 Montgomery Road?? Cause that was where mine was - cannot remember his name but he later moved north on Montgomery near Moeller, retired and turned it over to his younger partner. The partner's son is now an orthodontist too!

[goyguy]

Dr's Hissett and Fry were at 7740 (?) Montgomery, on the east side of the street. The playground of the Silverton elementary school was right-angled to the back of the building. But it may be the same practice, since Hissett did retire and turn over the practice to Dr Fry, who went by the first name Chalk.
I remember another business that was more towards, and perhaps within, Pleasant Ridge. Untold numbers of directionless Cincinnati teenagers (mostly girls) must've learned their first cosmetology lessons at the Larry Moore "Université" of Beauty Design. WSAI advertised them endlessly, along with other long-gone businesses that targeted their audience such as Bick's Driving School.

[Gerri Ann]

Originally Posted by goyguy

Dr's Hissett and Fry were at 7740 (?) Montgomery, on the east side of the street. The playground of the Silverton elementary school was right-angled to the back of the building. But it may be the same practice, since Hissett did retire and turn over the practice to Dr Fry, who went by the first name Chalk.
I remember another business that was more towards, and perhaps within, Pleasant Ridge. Untold numbers of directionless Cincinnati teenagers (mostly girls) must've learned their first cosmetology lessons at the Larry Moore "Université" of Beauty Design. WSAI advertised them endlessly, along with other long-gone businesses that targeted their audience such as Bick's Driving School.

I went to Logeman and Lang and Dave Lang is the doc who moved closer to Moeller. Chalk Fry was my step-father's dentist!! I remember well Larry Moore, Bick's and WSAI - long before FM radio!

[kjbrill]

The bank on Montgomery near Plainfield was the Silverton Bank. They eventually opened a branch on Kenwood just south of Montgomery. Near the bank was the Blick & Blick dry clearners/tailor shop. My brother and I are both large 6'-4", 250 lbs. Our parents used to take us to Blick & Blick to have suits made, they wore like iron. The original Marathon Inn was nearby in a narrow store.

At the corner of Montgomery and Section was the Silverton Five & Dime. When it closed, I believe this to be the space taken over by Junior Achievement for awhile. I believe later the Marathon Inn relocated to part of this space to enlarge. I also remember when the Marathon had a carryout only nearby, I believe on the northwest corner of Section and Montgomery.

Grafton's originated in 1930 and managed to survive for quite a long time, closing just a few years ago. I had relatives who moved out of state and when they would visit Grafton's was near the top of their must visit list.

[Gerri Ann]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

The bank on Montgomery near Plainfield was the Silverton Bank. They eventually opened a branch on Kenwood just south of Montgomery. Near the bank was the Blick & Blick dry clearners/tailor shop. My brother and I are both large 6'-4", 250 lbs. Our parents used to take us to Blick & Blick to have suits made, they wore like iron. The original Marathon Inn was nearby in a narrow store.

At the corner of Montgomery and Section was the Silverton Five & Dime. When it closed, I believe this to be the space taken over by Junior Achievement for awhile. I believe later the Marathon Inn relocated to part of this space to enlarge. I also remember when the Marathon had a carryout only nearby, I believe on the northwest corner of Section and Montgomery.

Grafton's originated in 1930 and managed to survive for quite a long time, closing just a few years ago. I had relatives who moved out of state and when they would visit Grafton's was near the top of their must visit list.

Our family loved Grafton's and the Three Boots Lounge - very cozy and intimate! Had great chopped chicken livers and used to love the Peppercorn Steak! Can't believe I remember that after so many years. Must be the holidays, but really miss these old places. And Grafton's was one of the few restaurants that my Mom would feel was "almost" as good as the Well

[motorman]

Actually I believe that there were two movie-theaters in 1950's Pleasant Ridge. One was located on Montgomery Rd. just about where the Nurre Funeral Home is, but was vacated by the time my family moved to Kennedy Heights in 1955. (I never went there and don't remember it.) However, the other theater was the MONTE VISTA on Montgomery & Woodmont, a theater many of us youngsters went to. Sometime in the 60's or 70's it was turned into a short-lived adult theater, then torn down. Now a Walgreens is there.

[kjbrill]

It is easy to become disoriented relative to North/South/East/West when it comes to Montgomery Rd. or in older times the 3-C (Cincinnati, Columbus, Cleveland) Highway, as it sort of meanders from Cincinnati in a Northeast fashion.

As others have commented, I always considered the intersection of Montgomery and Plainfield to be the center of Silverton. Just to the North of what we always called The Y (intersection of Plainfield and Blue Ash roads) as you get nearer to Deer Park, there are a series of cross streets, many of which were cut off by the railroad which ran parallel to Blue Ash. The second one north of The Y is Superior Ave. The first one is Webster where Barresi's Italian restaurant is located. When I was a kid, on the north side of Webster was a lumber and coal yard, and on the south a small mon-&-pop store with an adjacent pony-keg where Barresi's now is. The lumber and coal yard was turned into an A&P supermarket, but I don't know what is there now.

I have a very treasured photograph taken from the back porch of my maternal grand-mothers house on Superior when she was first married and everything surrounding was bare ground. You literally could see all the way to Montgomery Rd since there was nothing in the way. The streets were actually dirt and gravel. The house had a cistern to supply water and the facilities were an outhouse out back. Of course this changed as the area evolved.

My memories of Silverton are:

The bank, which my parents patronized until it was bought out.
The original Marathon Inn (Great Doubledeckers plus Cincinnati style chili since they were Greek). Grafton's, how many of you remember Grafton's was originally the Hop Off Inn specializing in BBQ since the owner was from Louisiana? Over the years as the next generation joined the business they evolved into one of the finest casual dining establishments in the area. I do miss them.
And then there is Perkins of the Pancake House fame. Yes the original Perkins Pancake House was in Silverton. But what few remember is Perkins Bakery in Silverton was a standby for years prior, and one of the best bakeries in the Cincinnati area.
Meier's Wine Cellars. But I should leave this for my Aunt, who was infamous for her exploits in their onsite pub during her youth.

[Little Leonard Sister]

Hello, lived on Montgomery Rd in 1965-1970. There was a dentist office in a little strip center. I had two dentists, not sure which one was there. The guy I had gave me braces (in high school) and had to have them done again later. He might've been Dr Heiler...very into race horses. For some reason he never noticed I was missing a tooth.
Another dentist was a lady who had a broken leg from skiing..very nice. .Westendorf's grocery store was on the corner. I'll check with my older siblings to find out what else was there. There was a gas station on that corner. Esthers candies near Silverton. Funeral parlor nearby.
My house was the big white one that burned down cause my brothers decided to burn the old Christmas tree in the fireplace. The three alarm took that beautiful old house out. It's now lots of condos...sooooo sad. But we move on. Love it if anyone has any pics of the old Montgomery Rd.. The Osterbrock's (nice family lived on the corner. My brother Jerry (Leonard) aggravated the neighbor on other side...the Rieglers..loud parties, etc.. Take care, Mari Anne E-mail address deleted for security; please contact her via a DM; It's safer; Best wishes!

[pegfayfeder]

I grew up in Kennedy Heights and attended Woodward. The area of Montgomery Road between Kennedy and Ridge was very familiar to me. I remember going to the Monte Vista theater many times. At one time - late 50s? there were both an Albers grocery store and a Kroger grocery store on Montgomery road. Also a very large (so it seemed to me) 5/3rd bank. I think Mullany's drug store is in what used to be the bank. I'll have to stop in and look one of these days. My sister was married in the Pleasant Ridge Presbyterian church, a little further down Montgomery Road.

[t45209]

Another poster mentioned trying to remember a pharmacy in the area called "Streens." Could it have been Spreens? Spreens had locations in the Montgomery Square strip mall near Kroger, and until about 10 years ago was operating where CVS is now located in Mt. Lookout Square. We wused to go to Spreens to buy school supplies when I was in grade school.