NORWOOD HISTORICAL SOCIETY
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Historical Dates for Norwood, Ohio.
1910s

  • 1910
    The Plaza Theater opens at 4630 Montgomery Road in Norwood.

  • 1910
    The Ryan Construction Company of Springfield, Ohio, puts down granite blocks to surface Montgomery Road.

  • 1910
    The late Col. W. E. Bundy's (previous village solicitor) residence at Wayland and Ivanhoe Avenues is sold for $4,725. The lot was 100 by 150 feet and the house had eight rooms.

  • 1910 (January 3)
    An ordinance is introduced to create the office of General Superintendent of Public Works. Charles Harris, a member of the Board of Public Service, is selected for the position.

  • 1910 (May 5)
    The Gentry Bros. Circus performs two shows—one at 2 and another at 8 p.m.. Although it appears that the "Show Grounds Park" is the same place where the other circuses have performed in recent years, it is identified as being in East Norwood at Forest Avenue. Perhaps the grounds stretched from Smith to Forest and this circus is only using the east side of the land.

  • 1910 (May 17)
    Ringling Bros. is the second circus to come to Norwood this month and year.

  • 1910 (July 17)
    The Strobridge Company announces that the recently purchased Sattler Company's operations will be moved from McMillan Street and Essex Place, Cincinnati, to Strobridges' subsidiary, the Henderson Lithographing Company on Main Avenue, Norwood.

  • 1910 (November 1)
    Warren G. Harding Republican candidate for Governor and future U.S. President addressed a crowd at Norwood's Plaza Theater. He said that the audience at the Plaza Theater gave him more encouragement than any other crowd he had talked to in the present campaign."

  • 1911
    The present building for the Grace Methodist Church is dedicated. The pastor is Charles Clifford Peale, father of the famous Norman Vincent Peale.

  • 1911 (May 30)
    Lightning struck Kamplake's blacksmith shop at Sherman and McNeill Avenues, around a quarter after eight p.m. The Norwood Fire Department saved the building, the rear of which was destroyed for a loss of abour $200.

  • 1911 (May 25)
    Barnum & Bailey loaded back onto their trains for the short trip from Cumminsville to Norwood for two performances today. This effort was the first time it had been done where shows were given in different parts of the "same" city.

  • 1911 (August 1)
    The Robinson Circus returns to Norwood.

  • 1911 (September 5)
    The Sells-Floto Circus has its first shows in Norwood. It is the third circus to perform in Norwood this year.

  • 1912 (April 3)
    The N. & W. R. R. announces that they would soon begin work on Norwood Station. The expected cost is $15,000.

  • 1912 (January 12)
    A fire at the Knabe Piano Works, at Section Avenue and the B. & O. R. R., takes 60 hours to get under control. Seven adjoining buildings also catch on fire. The fire fighting is made difficult by eight inches of snow and a temperature below zero. This is the largest fire in Norwood at the time.

  • 1912 (March 28)
    Sarah V. Bolles dies. When her husband Lemuel Bolles and his associates were planning a residential development to the north of old Sharpsburg, she suggested the name Norwood. The development was given the name Norwood Heights. As the area developed, the name Sharpsburg was replaced with the name Norwood. The offical change of the name of the post office was 1870.

  • 1912 (April 1 & 2)
    Cincinnati Reds Tom Clark, catcher, and Harry Gaspar, pitcher, spend two days in Norwood using the Norwood Base Ball Field on Smith Road across from the Sanker hotel and beer gardens. They stay at the Sanker hotel until they rejoin the team on its way to a two-game series in Columbus. The two separated from the team because Gaspar's wife is ill.

  • 1912 (April 7)
    The Commercial Tribune baseball team play the Associated Press at the Norwood ball park.

  • 1912 (May 6)
    At the Council meeting, a petition signed by every property owner on Harris Avenue is submitted to council protesting a proposal by council to lay granite on Harris Avenue. A majority of the owners are at the meeting. They think the granite is a needless expense for a street that is not largely traversed. They are willing to pay their share to have the street rebuilt with macadam, however.

  • 1912 (May 6)
    Letters from the Norwood Business Men's club and the Norwood Millcreek Republican club request council's help in deleting the township line and make Norwood entirely in Columbia township, instead of in both townships. The matter has already been submitted to the Hamilton County commissioners, who have the authority to make the change.

  • 1912 (May 6)
    Property owners file petitions to extend Crown avenue, and to extend Lafayette from Ashland to Cameron avenues.

  • 1912 (May 8)
    Ringling Bros. Circus returns to Norwood after a on eyear absence.

  • 1912 (June 24)
    Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show returns to Norwood, five years after the last visit. This time the two performances include Pawnee Bill's Far East Show.

  • 1912 (August 15)
    Edward Hollister Hargrave, 53, President of the Cincinnati Tool Company, and organizer and a Director of the First National Bank of Norwood, Ohio, dies this morning at his residence, 4124 Floral Avenue, after a second attack of apoplexy. He has been confined to his home since his first attack in late July.

  • 1912 (November)
    By a vote of 2,650 to 1,278, Norwood voters approved a $90,000 bond for a new city hall. Five other bond issues on that ballot did not receive the two thirds majority—Boulevard lighting system, Crown Avenue extension, Ross Avenue extension, Franklin Avenue extension and Lafayette Avenue extension.

  • 1912
    Sears, Roebuck & Company takes over the Standard Mill Company at Section and Ross Avenues. They operate the plant as a manufacturer of windows, doors, and millwork for its prefabricated homes and garages. The name is changed to the Norwood Sash & Door Company. Sears keep the Norwood site until 1945, when it is sold to a group of employees.

  • 1913 (February 4)
    An interurban train car splits a switch at Cleneay and Main avenues shortly after 5 o'clock. Hundreds of Norwood factory workers wait in the cold for the cars.

  • 1913 (February 6)
    The St. Denis Hotel at the northeast corner of Norwood Avenue and Montgomery Road was robbed of over $1300 in gold and currency when the safe in the barroom was blown open by thieves. They had removed a heating duct from the basement furnace and crawled through a register to the room.

  • 1913 (February 10)
    At a special meeting of Council, Mrs. Frank Mcguire of the Norwood Federation of Women's Clubs states that the organization withdraws the first selection of the Central School as the location of the proposed City Hall. They decide that the structure should be at the corner of Main and Mills avenues.

  • 1913 (February 11)
    The Cincinnati CT prints an article that an emergency hospital and auditorium is to be built in the future Norwood City Hall.

  • 1913 (February 13)
    Sandy Klein, who has been in the newspaper business in Norwood for the past 15 years, sells out his interest in The Norwood News to the Hamilton County Publishing Company.

  • 1913 (February 21)
    Norwood's application to be made into one township was rejected by the Hamilton County Commissioners because no one showed up to support it. The city was made up of Millcreek and Columbia Townships.

  • 1913 (February 22)
    This afternoon, two thousand marchers from the highest Masonic bodies of the country parade through Norwood in a ceremony laying the corner-stone in the new temple of Norwood Lodge, F. and A. M., No. 576. In the hermetically sealed copper box placed in the corner-stone are a Holy Bible, history of the Norwood Lodge, history of the present building, photos of the present lodgeroom and grounds on which the new temple is being erected, program of the corner-stone laying of Grace M. E. Church, Sharpsburg School and High School, copies of The Commercial Tribune, Enquirer, Times-Star, Post and the three Norwood papers, and a program of the services today.

  • 1913 (February late)
    Except for the brick and electrical, The Ohio Building and Construction Company was given the job of building the 1,000-seat Norwood Theater. The brick work was to be done by the David Hummel Building Company.

  • 1913 (April 8-9)
    Because Redland Field was in bad shape from flooding, the Cincinnati Reds may have practiced at Norwood Park (later site of General Motors plant).

  • 1913 (May 23)
    The Barnum & Bailey Circus visits Norwood for the fifth time since 1903 today.

  • 1913 (May 28)
    The Barnum & Bailey had just left town, when the Gentry Brothers Circus set up for another day of entertainment in Norwood. However, they were in trouble with county officials because they had failed to pay a $60 a day cirucs license fee for the eight days that had been performing the county.

  • 1913 (September 12)
    The 101 Ranch Wild West Show is the final outdoor entertainment to travel to Norwood this year. It has 50 cowgirls who are expert horsewomen and many are expert ropers, too. Ethyle and Juanita Parry, known as the "Cossack Girls" for their daring feats on horseback are a main attraction.

  • 1913 (November 10)
    The five-story Boss Washing Machine plant, at Harris and Pine Avenues, burns. The nearby Water Works plant and other nearby structures are damaged by the flames and embers. The fire takes 42 hours to put out. (The Zumbiel Box Company later locates here.)

  • 1913 (November 13)
    The first Masonic Temple in Norwood is dedicated on Weyer Avenue. A later temple is built on Hopkins Avenue in 1927.

  • 1913 (December 2)
    Postal Department in Washington, D. C., gave permission to Postmaster Monfort to through with the plan for a new Norwood postoffice. Under a ten-year lease, it would be located in a to-be constructed one-story addition to the First National Bank building at Washington and Montgomery.

  • 1913 (December before 20th)
    In response to complaints, Mayor Engelhardt, stated some high-points of his administration. One item he mentioned was the gradual replacement of the DC electricity with AC from the city's electric light plant at the waterworks. He said he hoped to be able to announce within 90 days that consumers south of Williams Avenue would be getting the 110-volt AC service.

  • 1913
    Heekin Can Company locates in Norwood.

  • 1913
    Norwood voters rejected a change to a Commission form of government.

  • 1913
    The Norwood Theater opens at 4720 Montgomery Road at the southern part of Sanker's Garden.

  • 1914 (February 3)
    The Norwood Police Benevolent and Protective Association ends its first year with its first annual election. The officers elected are: Lieutenant Kent, President; George Grimm, Vice President; Edward Greene, Secretary; Louis Supe, Treasurer; and Thomas Brothers, Thomas Worth and Andrew Hart, Trustees. The total membership is twenty-two.

  • 1914 (February 3)
    An accident occurs at the intersection of the Norfork & Western Railroad and Lexington Avenue, when some loose cars back into a Joseph R. Peebles Company wagon. Only the rear of the wagon is damaged; the driver and the animals pulling the wagon are not injured.

  • 1914 (April 28)
    The Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus comes to Norwood for the first time. The Hagenbeck Circus appeared in Norwood in 1905 and 1906, but after financial problems was merged with the Wallace animal show.

  • 1914 (September 8)
    The new high school on Sherman Avenue was put into active service. The courses of study included the usual high-school course and special courses in sewing, cooking, manual training and commercial work. The high school had previously been located in the north building at Allison and Courtland. Click here for more information about the building and school ... or click here for links to more Norwood school history.

  • 1914 (November 21)
    The new high school on Sherman Avenue (today's middle school) is dedicated.

  • 1914
    The Commercial Savings Bank of Norwood (Norwood Savings Bank) is organized and locates at Carthage Avenue and Montgomery Road.

  • 1914
    The Dalton Adding Machine Company moves from Poplar Creek, Missouri to Norwood—at 4923 Beech Avenue between Norwood Avenue and Highland Avenue (later, the location of The Day Company and currently Rumpke). The company was formed in St. Louis in August, 1903, by James L. Dalton as the Adding Typewriter Company.

  • 1914
    Even more additions are built at Globe-Wernicke's Norwood site as the old 8th Street factory in Cincinnati is sold.

  • 1915 (April 27)
    Almost to the day, the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus returns a year later to Norwood.

  • 1915 (June)
    The old Central School Building, between Montgomery and Smith Roads, just north of Elm Avenue, is demolished. The structure, with later additions, was originally built around 1884. However, a one-room school building for Columbia Township had been on the site from possibly as early as 1828. In 1868, the Sharpsburg School District took over control of the school, providing for those parts of Columbia and Millcreek Townships within Sharpsburg. One of its last uses was as a temporary city hall, after the demolition of the old Town Hall and during the construction of the new City Hall at Montgomery Road and Elm Avenue.

  • 1915 (September)
    The Norwood Eagle Building and Loan Association is organized by a group of Norwood Eagles. The name is changed to the Norwood Federal Savings and Loan Association in June 1936, after receiving a Federal Charter.

  • 1915
    The Heekin Can Company starts Norwood operations at Park and Forest Avenues in a factory previously owned by the U. S. Printing & Lithographing Company. The company was established on August 2, 1901, in Cincinnati, as the first can manufacturing plant in Greater Cincinnati.

  • 1915
    Norwood's City Hall is constructed. Weber, Werner and Adkins are the architects. The architectural firm of Samuel Hannaford may have submitted an unsuccessful proposal by the indication of preliminary drawings in the possession of The Norwood Historical Society. An article by the Cincinnati Times-Star with a picture of the new City Hall is published on August 4, 1915.

  • 1915
    Norwood's Frank G. "Swede" Sorenson is elected Captain of the Ohio State University football team. The previous season, he played left halfback and fullback — which was also his position earlier at Norwood High School. (In the 1977 book Norwood, Ohio, Bicentennial Remembrance, Francis S. Hannaford's interview of Norwood High School graduate J. Sherman Oberhelman gives the year as 1916.)

  • 1916 (January 1)
    The November-elected city officials are installed on the stage of the new City Hall. Two former Norwood Mayors assist in the inaugurations. Judge David Davis presides over the ceremonies and Judge Aaron McNeill gives the oath of office.

  • 1916 (January 1)
    After, the swearing-in ceremonies of the new Norwood officials, including Mayor Englehardt, Norwood's $100,000 City Hall is dedicated on Saturday.

    In keeping with his title of "Norwood's Official Historian," and as a member of the Publicity Committee, Ren Mulford, Jr. prepares a souvenir programme. It contains a history of Norwood and its prominent men.

  • 1916 (January 1) Former Norwood citizen and village official, George Puchta is installed as Cincinnati's Mayor.

    His biggest concern is the transportation issues of Cincinnati, such as better freight and passenger facilities, and an interurban rapid transit system (known today as the failed subway project). The latter probably reminds him of his many years traveling daily to Cincinnati from Norwood on the narrow rail passenger trains of the Cincinnati, Lebanon and Northern Railroad.

  • 1916 (March 24)
    An announcement is printed in the Cincinnati Post about a plan for the "R. K. LeBlond Machine Tool Co. to build (a) $150,000 plant at Madison and Edwards-rds." The Rookwood Pavilion occupies the site today.

    Although the property has been part of Norwood since the first annexation in 1889, it was reported at the time to be in Oakley. After the demolition of the factory and the building of Rookwood Pavilion and Rookwood Commons, the site has been incorrectly thought by some people to be in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Hyde Park, probably because of the zip code.

  • 1916 (April 3) The City of Norwood acquires land allowing for the extension of Smith Road from Duck Creek Road to Edmondson Road.

    After the closing of the short section of Edmondson Road that connected to Duck Creek Road and the much later construction of Interstate 71, Smith and Edmundson Roads smoothly blend together in a curve at the top of the hill.

  • 1916 (April 16)
    The Norwood baseball team opens its season against Lick Runs. Mayor Engelhardt and others plan to speak before the game.

  • 1916 (April 23)
    It is a good day for Norwood baseball. The Norwood baseball team plays John Spinney's Minor Leaguers, composed of several former Federal League players, at Norwood Park.

    If that team was called the All Pros, then Norwood beat them 11 to 6. Also, the Norwood Nationals hold the Carthage Lindens to one run. Norwood's pitcher, Dumont, fans 13 and does not walk any.

  • 1916 (April 24)
    The Pfau Manufacturing Company's president, Charles Pfau, annouces that the company will double the capacity of the Norwood plant.

  • 1916 (April 25)
    For the third year in a row, the Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus returns to Norwood.

  • 1916 (June 8)
    The Sells-Floto Circus performs in Norwood at Smith Road and Elm Avenue, after being at Weidemann Ball Park in Newport, Kentucky, the day before. The entertainment included a 2 mile long parade at 10:30 a.m. and two performances at 2:15 and 8:15. The headliners were Jess Willard, world heavyweight boxing champion; Frank Gotch, former world heavyweight wrestling champion, and Buffalo Bill Wild West Show (although Buffalo Bill was probably not in the show).

  • 1916 (July 8)
    Edwin Louis Jucker is born in Norwood. He lives here until his 1st year of high school. After his first session at Norwood, his family moves to Cincinnati, and he attends and graduates from old Woodward High School. He attends U. C., where he is on the basketball, baseball and golf teams. Jucker goes on to coach the University of Bearcat men's basketball team to two consecutive NCAA titles in 1961 and 1962.

  • 1916 (September 21)
    Peter S. Bettinger, publisher of Norwood's first directory in 1896, dies.

  • 1916 (November)
    A referendum vote is cast to determine if Crown Avenue should be extended to Montgomery Road.

    It is approved by 23 votes. There is a question of legality, however. The city had not notified the B. & O. S. W. Railroad (who owned the railroad switch that ran into the Dexter Lumber Company's plant) that their property would be condemned.

  • 1916 (December)
    Ernest J. Knabe, Jr., and brother, William Knabe, of the Knabe Brothers Piano Company, Norwood, Ohio, file for bankruptcy.

  • 1917 (February 12)
    The old Allison Street High School building burns down. This is three years after the move to the new high school on Sherman Avenue with the old building being converted to a grade school. According to the log book of Norwood Fire Company #2, the working time fighting the fire was 22 hours and the origin was an overheated furnace.
  • 1917 (March 5)
    City Council approves the platting of The Langdon Realty Company's Subdivision. The new subdivision is a replatting of the original 1868 Langdon Addition to Sharpsburg Subdivision with the inclusion of the land that would later become the site of General Motors. It was at this time that Cross Street was replaced by an extension of Norwood Avenue from Wesley Avenue to Montgomery Road.

  • 1917 (March, late)
    After being used by the Norwood Baptist Church since 1892, the Harmon-Memorial Baptist Church building at Sherman and Station Avenues is sold to the Norwood Moose Lodge.

  • 1917 (early spring)
    Bids are being received for the new Mt. St. Mary's Theological Seminary to be built on Norwood Heights. The building will be three stories high and 354 by 253 feet.

  • 1917 (April 15)
    More than 3000 fans watch the 1917 season opener of the 1916 World Champion Norwood baseball team at the Norwood park, which boasts an enlarged grand stand and a new automatic score board. L. B. Harrison is the opponent. The Norwood players are Manager and Captain Eddie Tiemeier, Norwood boy Herbie Arinsmeier, Bobby Green, John Dell, George Mulvaney, "Fuzzy," Gordon Weil, "Maggie" (Charley Magness?), Reggy Short, Johnny Scott and Pusateri; pitchers Buck White (a.k.a. Red White?), (Earl) Yingling, Creager, Bartley and Honeck, catchers Red Munson, Keifel and Niehauss. Rohrer is the President of the club.

  • 1917 (April 17)
    With 1517 ballots for and 1136 ballots against, the Norwood voters reject a change to a Charter form of government. The Charter change was promoted by The Enterprise newspaper's editor, publisher and owner, D. S. Tarbell.

  • 1917 (April 23)
    Each year for the last four, the Hagenbeck-Wallace returns to Norwood a day or two earlier than the previous year.

  • 1917 (May 1)
    The Robinson Circus is the second of three circuses to perform in Norwood this year.

  • 1917 (June 19)
    After four years, Barnum & Bailey returns to Norwood.

  • 1917 (July 8)
    In their first game for the 1917 Interstate League championship, the semi-pro Norwood baseball club defeats the Hamilton Krebs 8 to 3 before a big crowd at Norwood Park. The Norwood pitchers for this game are Sally Creager and Red White, who had pitched the Norwoods to the world championship in 1916.

  • 1917 (July 15)
    The Norwoods baseball team plays against Lockland in the Interstate League championship. The game is expected to be well attended, so extra cars are operated on the North Norwood and Vine-Norwood car lines between 12:30 and 2 p.m. that Sunday. The fans take those cars to Vine and McMillan Streets, where they transfer to the Lockland cars to the Lockland Ball Park. Other fans form auto parties to get to the game. The Norwoods, with Red White pitching, beat Lockland, 12 to 4, before the largest crowd in Lockland's history. Since Bellevue lost their game, this puts the Norwoods in sole first place at this point in the tournament.

  • 1917 (July 21)
    Although they have an important championship game the next day, the Norwood baseball team plays a charity game at Norwood Park against the Miami Boat Club team. The profits go to the Red Cross.

  • 1917 (July 22)
    The Norwoods win against the Bellevue, Kentucky, baseball team, 8 to 7. Some of the Norwood players are (Reggy) Short, Keifel, (Gordon) Weil, (John) Dell, (Ediie) Tiemeier, (George) Mulvaney, Charley Magness and Johnny Dell with Earl Yingling the starting pitcher and Red Munson as a late inning first base coach.

  • 1917 (November 6)
    Mayor Harry E. Engelhardt is re-elected for his third term as Mayor, besting Democratic Edward A. Tepe (2,758 to 1,718). In May, the Norwood Republican Central Committee had indorsed Sidney Crew, instead of Engelhardt. However, the Mayor would not give up and ran in the primary, which he won. A former mayor, Orville Dwyer, as a Solicitor candidate, is the big favorite, however. He has over 3000 votes—more than any other candidate for any office, including Mayor Engelhart.

  • 1917
    According to the unpublished "Historical Sketch of Norwood" (a survey of historical records by the WPA), there are 47 factories in operation in Norwood.

  • 1917 (November 6?)
    A bond issue to improve Harris Avenue is approved by Norwood voters.

  • 1918 (January 28)
    Norwood's first mayor, John C. Weyer, dies at his home on Harris Avenue. He is also a widely respected pharmacist.

  • 1918 (February)
    Norwood receives the potential threat of annexation when Henry Guentert of Burwood Avenue has the Norwood Service Department's books examined by independent accountants. He apparently is trying to show that Norwood's water and light rates were no lower than Cincinnati's.

  • 1918 (April 27)
    Hagenbeck-Wallace returns for the fifth consecutive year to circus lovers in Norwood.

  • 1919 (February)
    The first Norwood troop of the Boy Scouts of America is organized.

  • 1919 (April 29)
    The Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus returns to Norwood for the sixth year. The previous summer, the circus lost 86 people, who died because of a train accident in Indiana.

  • 1919 (September 9)
    Al. G. Barnes' Big Ring Wild Animal Circus performed in Norwood for the first time. The troupe consisted of 600 people, 550 horses, 20 performing lions, and 40 dancing horses and 40 dancing girls. Altogether it had 1200 performing animals.

    

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