Reverend James Kemper

I recently visited the Heritage Village Museum located in the Sharon Woods Park and was so fascinated I decided to dig a little deeper into some of the history presented at the site.  All the historical buildings on the site originated in various locations in the Cincinnati area and were re-located at this living museum. The Kemper Log House, built by the Reverend James Kemper and three of his sons, is the oldest house in Cincinnati.

Kemper was born in Virginia in 1753. He was a surveyor but eventually studied theology and was licensed by the spring of 1791. He arrived in Cincinnati in the fall of 1791, a mere three years after the city's founding.

In 1794 Kemper founded a farm on a hill outside of Cincinnati, calling it Walnut Farm. The farm was located in what would later become the neighborhood of Walnut Hills. Built in 1804, the Kemper Log House is a two-story, double pen log house, and was originally located on what became Kemper Lane in the Walnut Hills neighborhood. It is one of the oldest houses built in Cincinnati, Ohio that is still standing. It was occupied by members of the Kemper family until 1897. The house was moved in 1912 to the Cincinnati Zoo and then relocated to Heritage Village Museum in Sharon Woods in 1983 where it now stands.

Kemper House in Heritage Village today

When I went inside the Kemper House I sat on one of the benches in the common room to the right of the front door and tried to imagine seventeen people living comfortably in this house. Fifteen children and two adults lived in this house, According to all historical accounts they did fine. 

Kemper's history is fascinating. "In his life of 80 years, Kemper was a farmer, teacher, surveyor, catechist, elder, and a pastor of over 43 years. He had lived in Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Ohio. He owned five residences in Kentucky and Ohio. Kemper started more than twenty Presbyterian churches in Ohio alone. In fact, James Kemper is arguably the founder of Presbyterianism in Southwest Ohio." Southwest Ohio History, Reverend James Kemper by Steve Preston

He fathered fifteen children and was married to his wife, Judith Hathaway, for sixty-two years.  

Names native Cincinnatians are familiar with to this day, Kemper Lane and Walnut Hills, originated from Kemper settling here. Kemper's history is the definition of the word persistence having been knocked down and starting over several times in his life. 

The story of  Reverend James Kemper is long and rich with the history of Cincinnati. I highly recommend you explore further. Here is a list for further reading from Southwest Ohio History, Reverend James Kemper by Steve Preston

Life’s Review, James Kemper 1753-1834, James Kemper

The Old Kemper Home, Robert Ralston Jones

Historical Register of Virginians in the Revolution, Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, 1775-1783, James H. Gwathmey

The Cincinnati Historical Society Bulletin, Volume 37, Winter1979, No. 4. The Founding of the Lane Seminary, Lawrence T. Lesick.

Queen City Heritage, The Journal of the Cincinnati Historical Society, Vol-ume 50, Spring 1992 No. 1, A Calvinist of the Old School: Joshua Lacy Wilson in Cincinnati, 1808-1846. Robert C. Vitz

Queen City Heritage, The Journal of the Cincinnati Historical Society, Vol-ume 45 Fall 1987 No. 3. William Henry Harrison Comes to Cincinnati, Hendrik Booraem V

The First Description of Cincinnati and Other Settlements, The Travel Report of Johann Heckewelder (1792), Edited by Don Heinrich Tolzmann

Kemper Records, 1946, A Supplement to the Kemper Family, 1899. Com-piled by Virginia M. McComb

Stockades in the Wilderness, The Frontier Defenses and Settlements of South-western Ohio, 1788-1795. Richard Scamyhorn & John Steinle

 

Happy New Year and Pass the Pork

The custom of eating pork on the first day of the new year is based on the idea that pigs symbolize progress. The pig pushes forward, rooting itself in the ground before moving. Its rich fat content signifies wealth and prosperity.

Cincinnati is renowned for its connection to the pig. The Queen City earned the nickname of Porkopolis in the mid 1800s when the pig packing industry thrived. In 1833, more than 85,000 pigs were processed in Cincinnati, and by 1844, 26 different meat-processing plants were located here.

Over the years Cincinnati has had a love/hate relationship with the pig. Many citizens embrace the city's long history of swine affection while others feel it is an embarrassment. None the less, the pig has prevailed.

Sawyer Point

At Sawyer Point Bicentennial Commons you will find Flying Pig sculptures. Minneapolis artist Andrew Leicester was chosen from 50 artistic proposals to design the entrance sculpture in honor of Cincinnati's bicentennial in 1988.









In 2000 the Big Pig Gig was sponsored by Artworks and local business. Local artists and schools decorated hundreds of full-sized fiberglass pig statues and installed them throughout the downtown area. A total of 425 whimsical pigs were distributed across Cincinnati and surrounding areas.

The Big Pig Gig was so popular that Artworks sponsored the Big Pig Gig: Do-Re-Wee in 2012 to coincide with the World Choir Games. One hundred pigs were created and distributed downtown and in Over-the-Rhine.



On the first Sunday of May marathon enthusiasts from all over the country compete in the Flying Pig Marathon. Started in 1999, it is now the third largest marathon in the United States. And an official time from the Flying Pig can qualify a runner for the Boston Marathon.



Yes Cincinnati aka Porkopolis really does embrace the pig. The Queen City has prospered over the years, sometimes even in spite of the piggish stubbornness of its citizens.  

LST Memorial 325 Passing by My Front Door

The Ohio River is a busy water highway. Barges transport goods and equipment up and down the river. Pleasure boats and yachts come out to play on the weekends. Serious anglers launch their fishing boats before dawn. Party barges and paddle-wheelers cruise along at a leisurely pace allowing their passengers to enjoy the beautiful scenery while dining.

But once in a while something unusual passes by. That was the case with the LST Memorial 325 when it passed by my house on Aug. 29, 2015 heading up river to Pittsburgh. It caused quite a stir with some who had not been forewarned about its journey passing through Cincinnati. Comments and pictures exploded on Facebook. Alarm: "Are we under military attack?!", shock and awe.

LST 325 passing by my front door

LST stands for Landing Ship, Tank. It was used to land tanks, soldiers and supplies on enemy shores during WWII. This particular LST was known as LST-325 during WWII, USNS LST-325 during its arctic operations in the 1950's, and later L-144 (A/G Syros) while it was in the service of the Greek Navy.

Heading up to Pittsburgh.

It is now the last fully operational WWII LST and has been employed as a floating museum complete with gift shop and tours. Its homeport is Evansville, Indiana but at this writing LST 325 is winding up its Pittsburgh tours and will be heading back here to Cincinnati to conduct tours September 12th to 16th on the riverfront adjacent to the Great American Ballpark. Tours are roughly 60 minutes long and include the Main Deck, Troop Berthing, Tank Deck, Mess Deck, Galley, Stern of ship (Guns and Anchor), Wheel House, Officer's Country and the Captain's Cabin. There are three sets of stairs down and three sets of stairs up. Questions and photographs are welcome.

Got the Blues Over the Cincy Winter Blues Fest

Standing in line outside the Phoenix

On Saturday Feb. 7, 2015 we attended the Cincy Winter Blues Fest in downtown Cincinnati at the Phoenix. The event was sponsored by the Cincy Blues Society.  We were so excited. We love blues music and this was our first time attending any of the Cincy Blues Fest events.

We were ready for a long night filled with the blues. And it was... but we were the ones singing the blues.

The doors of the Phoenix opened at 5:30 p.m. We arrived around 6:00 p.m. The line was just slightly out the door. So far so good. That was, until we got to the front door and saw the enormous marble staircase leading to the first floor. The line was longer than we thought.

We finally got to the top of the staircase about a half hour after the first acts started. The crowd on the first floor was shoulder to shoulder by then. We couldn't even get a peek at Ricky Nye performing in the first floor Tea Room. It must be because this was the first stop walking in the door and the smallest venue. Surely it would be better upstairs in the bigger ballrooms.

First we needed beverages. The line was long there as well. We purchased our five dollar, 12 oz. domestic beers and went to explore the other floors before finding a place to land for the evening. After navigating another huge staircase leading to the open gallery outside the Archway Ballroom on the second floor we needed to sit for a minute.

Beautiful marble stairs lead to the 2nd floor.

Johnny Fink and the Intrusion were performing in the Archway Ballroom and it was as packed as the Tea Room on the first floor, even though it had a larger capacity.

Since (once again) we couldn't get in to see the band we wandered into the Cincinnati Room adjacent to the side stage of the ballroom. It was like entering an elegant parlor from the past. The Phoenix is a beautiful old building designed by the renowned architect, Samuel Hannaford. It was built in 1893 and it is one of the finest examples of Italian Renaissance architecture in Cincinnati. Floor to ceiling windows, Tiffany stained glass, huge marble staircases and elegant archways combine for a nostalgic feeling of a time gone by.

We found a place to sit and settle for a minute. We could kind of hear the band playing next door, but the music was muffled as the doors to the side stage leading into the ballroom were kept closed.

It was now 7:00 p.m. and we were anxious about getting a seat on the third floor to see Joanne Shaw Taylor at 9:00 p.m. Our friends ran up to the third floor Grand Ballroom, the largest of the three venues, to investigate the seating situation. They came back and informed us that the Grand Ballroom was standing room only too. But we still had hope. Maybe when the acts switched, the crowds in the ballrooms would shift too. So we went up to the third floor to lean on the balcony to wait until Tempted Souls finished their act.

Tiffany stained glass outside the Archway.

Unfortunately there were more people coming up the stairs than going down. Again we got to listen but not see the performance. We entered the Grand Ballroom between acts hoping to see someone leave.

The seating arrangement here was odd. There was a huge dance floor in front of the stage surrounded by tables with chairs and more rows of chairs arranged lecture style on either side. Taking up a huge corner of the room was a beverage booth. So as the room became more crowded people started standing on the dance floor obstructing the view of the people in the chairs. Eventually the whole venue became standing room only.

After standing for about forty minutes, we decided to try to find a seat somewhere...anywhere. We knew by now it wasn't going to be on the third floor. We went back down to the Cincinnati Room and luckily found two seats at a table in the alcove next to the stage doors. The doors were still closed but occasionally a band member would come out and we would get a glimpse of the band. This is where we ended up spending the rest of the evening.

When Jay Jesse Johnson took the stage at 8:00 p.m. we convinced a stage hand to leave a door open to the side stage. At least now we were able to kind of watch and sort of listen.

By 9:00 p.m. they ran out of beer. RAN OUT OF BEER BY NINE! So halfway through the Leroy Ellington Blues Band act we left.

It is clear Mark Bubash, director of this event, and the management of the Phoenix were not prepared for the huge attendance. They over-sold tickets and over-packed the venue. They ran out of food and beverages before the headliner acts even took the stage. We were very, very, very disappointed.

It's a Family Affair - Main Auction Galleries

J. Karp at the microphone.

It's 10:30 a.m. on a Tuesday at Main Auction Galleries and J. Louis Karp, president and fourth generation auctioneer, takes the microphone.

"Welcome to Main Auction Galleries. The auction we've been doing for over a hundred years."

He explains the terms of the auction. No bid registration required. When you win a bid just give the clerk your initials. Checks, cash and credit cards accepted, however there is an additional 3% charge when paying by credit card.

Jay grabs the first box lot and begins the auction.

"What have we here? Oh look at this crap! Who would want to buy this stuff!? Can I have $5 to start the bid?" So the bidding begins - and so does the entertainment.

J. Louis Karp is not only known as one of the most highly respected and trusted auctioneers in the region, he also plays a bombastic, crotchety, sometimes raunchy character at the auctioneer podium. His son Jonas plays his straight man. The Regulars are used to it and even shout a few jabs back more often than not.

J. Louis Karp began his career as an auctioneer at the age of fifteen. He is the fourth generation of his family to run the business. Jonas, his son and partner, makes the fifth generation. And in spite of the comedy act and jabs, both father and son are highly knowledgeable, honest, genuine and generous.

Main Auction Gallery is a family affair. On this particular morning Jay's daughter-in-law and grandchildren have come to wish Popi (Jay) happy birthday and present him with a homemade banner which Jonas promptly attaches to the wall. Then we all sing happy birthday.

Looking west on Fourth Street.

Five generations of Karps have run this highly regarded auction house since 1870. Their employees are treated as family and it shows in their stellar customer service. And that tight knit family feeling extends to the Regulars who come to the weekly Tuesday auctions, which includes me and my husband. Main Auction is our standing weekly date.

The Tuesday Regulars are the family in the audience. The bidders and buyers. Many greet each other by first name. Some even have reserved seats. They examine the items displayed as they ask each other about their families and how their week went.

They come for a variety of reasons. Some own brick and mortar shops, some do business strictly online, some are high-end dealers. Some come for the free donuts in the morning, some come for the free pizza in the afternoon. And I suspect some come to get good deals on quality stuff for their downtown homes. Downtown Cincinnati is definitely experiencing a residential renaissance.

The Tuesday auctions run until 2:00 p.m. So if you're downtown on a Tuesday, Main Auction Galleries at 137 W. Fourth Street is definitely worth a peek. Pictures of items offered for auction are uploaded  to their website the Friday prior to each Tuesday auction. All lots are available for inspection prior to the auction all day Monday and Tuesday morning before 10:30 a.m.

Paint Nite at the Tin Roof Bar

Fun with friends at Paint Nite

Last month we did something very different for my friend's birthday. We did a Paint Nite event at the  Tin Roof Bar located at the Banks in downtown Cincinnati at 160 Freedom Way Suite 150 Cincinnati, OH 45202. We painted cherry blossoms in a bar while enjoying cocktails and lots of laughs. And since it was my friend's birthday our partners were "forced" to join us. If you want to "culturize" your man this is the perfect date.

As you can see there were many different interpretations.

What is Paint Nite? Who better to explain than the company itself. From their website: "Paint Nite® is a new concept of blending two timeless pastimes, artistic painting and drinking cocktails, as a way to draw patrons into local pubs on a slow night with a unique opportunity to socialize and be creative. The 2-hour Paint Nite painting parties are held daily with 25 people in attendance who follow the step-by-step instructions of one master local artist from blank canvas to masterpiece."

Nothing better than beer, a blank canvas and acrylic paints. We are all creative beings. Whether you creatively solve problems at home or at the office or create art, it all requires some right-brain ingenuity. Unfortunately our innate creativity is diminished as soon as we enter middle school here in the USA. Paint Nite allows you to relax in a none-judgmental environment and just have fun with a paint brush.

My Masterpiece.

Annie Back was our Paint Nite host. She and her assistant were delightful and funny. They painted mustaches on patrons who were game. They took lots of pictures and added them to Paint Nite Cincinnati's growing gallery on Facebook. You can find a list of upcoming Paint Nite events in Cincinnati and buy tickets here.

Let's Go Krogering...

...the happy way to shop!

Having lived in Cincinnati all my life I've taken "going Krogering" for granted. Kroger has always been around with a store in every Cincinnati neighborhood and suburb. So I was more than a little "Cincinnati Proud" when I found out the first Kroger store originated right here in our Queen City. 

Bernard Henry Kroger was born in 1860 to German immigrants living in Covington, Kentucky. When Barney was 16 he took a job selling tea and coffee door to door in Cincinnati. A couple of years later he took a job at the struggling Imperial Tea Company. The owners offered him 10% of the profits if he could turn the company around. After successfully moving from clerk to manager and turning the unimpressive company for a profit, Kroger wanted to invest his share of the profits in one-third of the company. The owners refused so Kroger struck out on his own.

In 1883 Barney Kroger, with $350 borrowed from a friend and $372 of his own money, opened his first store on Pearl Street in Cincinnati. The Great American Western Tea Company was 17 feet wide and three blocks from the river. He also bought a horse and shiny red wagon, for back then groceries were delivered to the customer. He ran his business with a simple motto: “Be particular. Never sell anything you would not want yourself.”

Despite a couple of setbacks; losing his horse and wagon in a train wreck two weeks after opening and then a few weeks after that, losing his entire stock of groceries in a flood; Kroger persevered. Within a year Kroger was doing so well he bought out his partner and within two years he owned four stores.Today with nearly 2,500 stores in 31 states under two dozen banners and annual sales of more than $70 billion, Kroger ranks as one of the nation’s largest retailers.

Barney Kroger not only started a chain of grocery stores he was an innovator of the times. He advertised more regularly in the newspaper than any other grocery in town. By 1902, the Kroger Grocery and Baking Company was organized and was the first grocery in the nation to bake its own bread. He was also the first to sell meats and groceries in the same store.

Kroger saw an opportunity to increase his income by manufacturing some of the products he sold. When farmers came to town with their produce, he bought far more cabbage than he could expect his customers to buy. He took the cabbage home to his mother who, following her favorite recipe, turned it into tangy sauerkraut that proved hugely popular with his German customers. Today Kroger operates 40 food processing plants producing over 14,000 private-label items.

The company introduced another innovation in 1916 with the beginnings of self-service shopping. Like today, customers went to the grocery store, chose their own merchandise, and brought it home themselves. Many customers appreciated having the opportunity to select their own items. Other stores quickly adopted Kroger's innovation. In 1972, Kroger became the first grocery retailer in America to test an electronic scanner.

Sources:
Cincinnati Then and Now - Iola silberstein
Pleasant Family Shopping
Kroger Website
Ohio History Central

800 Broadway

Times-Star Building then.

I have lived in Cincinnati all my life but am starting to realize just how little I really know about the Queen City's history. When I worked for the Hamilton County Clerk of Courts we would refer many of our "customers" to 800 Broadway for domestic relation issues, probation and juvenile court. We referred to it as 800 Broadway.

But in all the fifteen years I worked for the county I had no idea 800 Broadway was originally the Cincinnati Times-Star Building built in 1933 and designed by the firm of Samuel Hannaford & Sons.

800 Broadway now

From Wikipedia: "Much of the decorated facade plays homage to the printing and publishing businesses. Two hundred feet above the street stand four pillars at each of the tower's corners, representing patriotism, truth, speed and progress.

The newspaper plant occupied the first six stories. The floors above were offices. The Cincinnati Times-Star was an outgrowth of several newspapers and was owned by Cincinnati's Taft family. Charles Phelps Taft was editor.

The building was bought by Hamilton County in the late 1980s, it is used for county offices."

It looks like I still have a lot to learn.

Who the Hell is Cincy Cher?

Hey there Cincinnati! Cincy Cher here. An homegrown perspective. Yep, been here all my life living in the eastern burbs of Greater Cincinnati. 

Love the river. Love boating. Love the rambling hills of Cincinnati. Love Skyline, White Castle, Big Boy and Sunny Moorman. Love live music all over town. Love the arts and local artists. Love local dives, especially those on the river. Love to write. Love playing with anything digital (we'll leave that to your imagination). Champion for the little guy. Voice for the oppressed majority.

What I don't like is a bumbling city council, corrupt government, greed, paying outrageous amounts for parking downtown and the sucky Bengals. Hate too many cops on the river, on the road and working for every level of government in our system. Hate lousy drivers who don't use their turn signals. Hate bureaucracy.

But a wise man once said, "When you love something or someone, you love 'em warts and all." And I love Cincinnati...warts and all.