Historical Oddities Of Cincinnati, Ohio

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  • čas přidán 24. 07. 2024
  • Join me for a day of exploring the historical oddities of Cincinnati, Ohio. Today we visit the Betts House, Lytle Park, historic Ft. Washington, the Mercantile Library, and the Dunlap Café!
    Links:
    www.DraytonCallison.com
    www.WorldsGreatestKiting.com
    You can support Dray’s World at / draysworld
    Ohio Merchantile Library - mercantilelibrary.com/
    The Betts House - www.atlasobscura.com/places/t...
    #Cincinnati #Reds #MerchantileLibrary #OhioMercantileLibrary #AbeLincolnStatue #AbeLincoln #OhioHistory #BettsHouse #ExploreOhio #FtWashington

Komentáře • 129

  • @bobm97
    @bobm97 Před rokem +44

    The doors that you mentioned are the doors for the coal chutes. I've rehabbed several old homes in the Cincinnati area and they all had metal doors to the coal bins in the basement. I'm old enough to remember the coal truck backing up into the front yard and sending loads of coal into our basement. The coal dust would hang in the air for a day after the coal truck came. I remember my Dad going down into the basement and shoveling coal into the furnace in the middle of the night in winter to heat the house back up.

    • @DraysWorld
      @DraysWorld  Před rokem +1

      The coal shoots seemed so far away from the house I wondered if that is what they were for or for another purpose.

    • @bobm97
      @bobm97 Před rokem +9

      @@DraysWorld Prior to 1890, most houses had separate coal fireplaces in each of the major rooms in the house. Coal was delivered by horse drawn wagon and long metal chutes were set up to deliver coal from the street to the basement. When you needed to heat up a room, you carried coal up from the basement and lit a fire in the fireplace in the room. One of the rehabs that I did was an 1848 Italianate mansion that had 22 coal fireplaces. We converted a two of them to gas fired and closed up the rest. Central heat with coal burning furnaces ("octopus furnaces") were in every home until the late 1940's when gas forced air became the standard. The very wealthy had hot water heating systems with radiators in each room. The area where I am living now, Wallace Woods, was the millionaires row of Cincinnati in the early 1900's. The large houses along Wallace Ave. were made possible because of the hot water heating systems that could heat every room in the house!

    • @Alexandre.Hamann
      @Alexandre.Hamann Před rokem +1

      very interesting history!.

    • @MegaJune08
      @MegaJune08 Před 9 měsíci

      Reading your comments gave me a flashback!

    • @dingodonkey
      @dingodonkey Před 7 měsíci

      Can confirm, these are for coal delivery. Common at least in older Cincinnati buildings, but I have no idea how universal this was.

  • @user-np7gk2jj8i
    @user-np7gk2jj8i Před 9 měsíci +7

    The union terminal museum center would be a nice place to visit in Cincinnati. The rotunda is a perfect parabola so you can whisper at one drinking fountain and heard at the other. It is also the inspiration for the Justice League biilding in the comic book

  • @darylturcott
    @darylturcott Před rokem +31

    I love the architecture and history in Cincinnati.

  • @anndantoni584
    @anndantoni584 Před 2 lety +33

    My guess is that those doors opened to a coal shute into the houses basement. Would love to see the old books. Yes i remember library sign out cards.

    • @kitebum
      @kitebum Před 2 lety +2

      That was going to be my guess as well. I'm sure those homes were coal heated when they were built

    • @DraysWorld
      @DraysWorld  Před 2 lety +1

      That would make sense however the front door of each of these homes is about 20 feet from the sidewalk where the door stands. That would be a long coal shoot.

    • @kitebum
      @kitebum Před 2 lety +3

      After further investigation I'm almost certain that's a coal chute. Sounds like most all of them are sealed these days to prevent access. Doesn't matter how long it is if it goes downhill lol

    • @anndantoni584
      @anndantoni584 Před 2 lety +1

      @@kitebum 👍

    • @westelaudio943
      @westelaudio943 Před rokem +1

      Tartaria comments in 3... 2... 1...

  • @kskssxoxskskss2189
    @kskssxoxskskss2189 Před rokem +10

    The Mercantile Library still hosts and funds scholars, including my niece a few years ago.

  • @grouchogreen572
    @grouchogreen572 Před rokem +13

    The doors in the front walls of the homes on Dayton Street (?) are for transporting ash cans to the curb for pick up. Furnaces were coal filed. Some doors appear to be coal shut covers.

  • @quad_kite_flyer
    @quad_kite_flyer Před 2 lety +9

    At 6:15 you almost got it right. It's ebru, a type of paper marbling, in this case for endpapers of the book.

  • @Crosses3
    @Crosses3 Před rokem +7

    My husband worked downtown and belonged to the mercantile library. He loved it there.

    • @DraysWorld
      @DraysWorld  Před rokem

      It’s a very unique part of your city!

  • @UberBoss231
    @UberBoss231 Před rokem +7

    2:40
    “Address number 420… looks like an old church or something”
    Immediately the best part

  • @lisaburns4445
    @lisaburns4445 Před rokem +16

    If you are ever back in Cincinnati check out American Legacy Tours. A couple other amazing historical sights are Music Hall, and Union Terminal. Would love to hear any history you find on them. Thanks for sharing!

  • @sortoftubular
    @sortoftubular Před rokem +9

    To get to 12th floor of the Mercantile Library, don't use the hallway stairs. Use the smaller set of stairs inside the 11th floor library near the librarians to get to the 12th floor library room. This might be a security measure to keep you in view of the librarians if you bring a book down.

  • @shanestines4854
    @shanestines4854 Před 2 měsíci +3

    The Mercantile Library building is currently under renovations. Office space and condos.

  • @drock5404
    @drock5404 Před rokem +17

    Lie-til park

  • @tommyt6029
    @tommyt6029 Před 2 lety +8

    There's even older books at the University of Cincinnati's archival library, Langsam Library. Books in all kinds of languages dating from early 1700s. The pages practically fall apart as you turn them.

    • @DraysWorld
      @DraysWorld  Před 2 lety

      I’ve got to see this next time I’m there

  • @andybaker162
    @andybaker162 Před 2 lety +5

    I had a good friend who lived in that limestone townhouse next door to the Betts! And Mitch used to live just a block away from there! How cool that its on your radar! Small world.

    • @DraysWorld
      @DraysWorld  Před 2 lety +1

      Can you find out from your friend that lived there what those openings are on the sidewalk in front of each of the houses on the street?

  • @G2B1983
    @G2B1983 Před rokem +4

    Such doors or similar doors flat in sidewalks were used for a number of things...coal, ice, access ways for merchandise and supplies for stores in downtown areas. As a kid in the 60s and 70s it was pretty common to see trucks unloading shipments via such doors to the stores and businesses downtown.

  • @RutabegaNG
    @RutabegaNG Před 11 měsíci +3

    There are a lot of interesting buildings and sites downtown. There are also a lot around town. A person could lose a lot of time just wandering around from place to place.

    • @DraysWorld
      @DraysWorld  Před 11 měsíci

      Agreed. Can’t wait to make it back for some more wandering around.

  • @davidhuber7552
    @davidhuber7552 Před 7 měsíci +1

    According to one source I've encountered, Lincoln's son Robert Lincoln was present at the unveiling of the Lytle Park Lincoln statue in 1917.

  • @michaelshearer3559
    @michaelshearer3559 Před rokem +4

    The old Guilford building (originally a school I believe) is one of my favorites. Beautiful architecture, details, and verandas. So much more to see, hope you come back.

  • @abbedelehanty1665
    @abbedelehanty1665 Před 2 lety +5

    Nice library … how neat ! Welcome back to Ohio !

  • @carmenpoole6299
    @carmenpoole6299 Před 2 lety +3

    Ty so much! I'm in swfl now but Cincinnati is my home town.. born and raised. I love Florida but I can't wait to go home. Ty for your wonderful tour.. God bless

  • @joesphbest3120
    @joesphbest3120 Před rokem +4

    There for COAL to heat the house. Thats what the doors are for. I grew up in that area a long time ago.

  • @lisaburns4445
    @lisaburns4445 Před rokem +7

    This may sound odd, but I bet the smell in the library is wonderful! Also, living close to Cincinnati I enjoy the history you are sharing!

  • @alfredfranchini2659
    @alfredfranchini2659 Před 2 lety +4

    Thank you for sharing, this is great!

  • @benjamindixon4825
    @benjamindixon4825 Před rokem +3

    Translucent glass is for natural sun light. Old library in home town same.

  • @tdpay9015
    @tdpay9015 Před 6 měsíci +1

    I thought maybe the Mercantile Library lease might be a Guinness World Record, but the GWR site says: "There is a lease concerning a plot for a sewage tank adjoining Columb Barracks, Mullingar, Co. Westmeath, Republic of Ireland, which was signed on 3 Dec 1868 for 10 million years."

    • @DraysWorld
      @DraysWorld  Před 6 měsíci +1

      Woah. Very interesting, as I’m in Ireland currently. Thanks for letting me in on this information! If I find myself near this place, I’m definitely including this in a video.

  • @jakepyrett1715
    @jakepyrett1715 Před rokem +5

    That statue is one of the only of Abe shaven

    • @visasmom
      @visasmom Před rokem +2

      He gave a speech there at one time.

  • @aliciacarr9899
    @aliciacarr9899 Před 7 měsíci +2

    Very cool to see what was the walking part of my daily commute for a while. I worked for the company that owns the Guilford now, Western & Southern, who are headquartered across the street. They did a lot of renovations inside so its pretty modern but they kept some of the historical elements. Rumor has it the building it shares the alley with was an old jail and you can see where they closed off the entrances that were foenthe horse ans carriages. Not sure of the validity of such claims but that was the talk around the office.
    I appreciate you highlighting some of the lesser documented areas in Cincinnati. Sometimes living and working some place for so long you kind of forget some of the cool historic tidbits.

    • @DraysWorld
      @DraysWorld  Před 7 měsíci +1

      I appreciate you watching and thank you for your comment. I love the city!

  • @kimcircagirl474
    @kimcircagirl474 Před rokem

    Thank you so much! Drays world

  • @MegaJune08
    @MegaJune08 Před 9 měsíci +2

    Great job !

  • @kellydiver
    @kellydiver Před 5 měsíci

    I’m a member of the Merc. They’re actually remodeling right now - you couldn’t visit the main floor if you visited today. But it’s gonna be killer when it’s finished!

  • @melissaj1927
    @melissaj1927 Před 3 měsíci +1

    I worked in the Mercantile Library building for years.

  • @travisgal
    @travisgal Před 2 lety +3

    Very cool. I'll be near Cincinnati in a week but won't have time to go into town! Next time!

  • @user-mn5du9te4j
    @user-mn5du9te4j Před 10 měsíci +3

    Love how Hes being Nosy, and just going and walking where ever he wants.....lmao

    • @DraysWorld
      @DraysWorld  Před 10 měsíci +2

      I am pretty nosy come to think of it. Thanks for watching!

  • @goodcitizen3638
    @goodcitizen3638 Před rokem +4

    Not "little park" in Cincinnati speak but Lytle park with a long i pronunciation as in "I want to lie down."

  • @williambechmann6547
    @williambechmann6547 Před 4 měsíci +2

    Study William Haines Lytle and his family. Lytle was a lawyer, politician and U.S. Army general. He was shot and killed on September 20, 1862 at the Battle of Chickamauga. This battlefield is located at Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia. Just south of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Lytle is buried at our famous Spring Grove Cemetery in Cincinnati. Nice video!

  • @thisisdez
    @thisisdez Před rokem +3

    Oh, I see, you don’t live in Cincy. Wonderful video! Very fun

  • @daverotroff6873
    @daverotroff6873 Před rokem +5

    The park is pronounced like the Y is a long I not like Little. Like the tunnel and the high rise building.

  • @swisschalet1658
    @swisschalet1658 Před rokem +2

    loved it

  • @Sgt_MoDog_USMC
    @Sgt_MoDog_USMC Před 11 měsíci

    Very cool

  • @jimbarnett2735
    @jimbarnett2735 Před 2 lety +4

    I so want to do a history tour with you someday! I love these!!

  • @kimcircagirl474
    @kimcircagirl474 Před rokem +1

    beautiful!

  • @kimcircagirl474
    @kimcircagirl474 Před rokem

    totally awesome library!

  • @paulfischeruncleyips
    @paulfischeruncleyips Před rokem +2

    Wow, places I have never visited. I didn't even know about the oldest house in Ohio. I rarely go downtown anymore preferring to go places in the suburbs and beyond. I do know where Fort Washington and Lytle Park are located.

  • @andrewloughnane6116
    @andrewloughnane6116 Před rokem +3

    you missed the spiral staircase at the mercantile library. next time check it out!

  • @JayYoung-ro3vu
    @JayYoung-ro3vu Před 3 měsíci

    Yeah, for West Jefferson! A village at the edge of Columbus suburban sprawl and doing well at it.

  • @wadecoppage5583
    @wadecoppage5583 Před 11 měsíci +5

    Lytle Park (pronounced lie-tuhl) is fenced off and a construction site now. I wonder where they moved Abe...

    • @DraysWorld
      @DraysWorld  Před 11 měsíci +1

      I’ll have to track him down when I visit next

    • @RutabegaNG
      @RutabegaNG Před 11 měsíci +2

      There's the comment I was looking for. "Little" park was bugging me.

    • @user-xo6pr6zw7l
      @user-xo6pr6zw7l Před 11 měsíci +2

      Abe will still be in Lytle Park, just in a different position. There will be a fountain where the statue was placed.

    • @DraysWorld
      @DraysWorld  Před 11 měsíci +1

      Cool.

  • @LCStL1
    @LCStL1 Před 27 dny

    Some 35 years ago, in downton looking at the Christmas displays, I saw a bronze marker commemorating the birth of the 1st Anglo-American child in the region. I wonder if it is still on the storefront . . .

  • @robertblake3360
    @robertblake3360 Před rokem +1

    Pretty cool place

  • @2Goiz_1ShanDA
    @2Goiz_1ShanDA Před rokem +3

    I'm sure you've heard it by now but those little doors under the houses are coal shoots my brother. So yes Secret passageway

  • @kimcircagirl474
    @kimcircagirl474 Před rokem

    another video please! 😄😁🙌

  • @christophermiller3031
    @christophermiller3031 Před rokem +1

    @2:00 haha hope you can see well to be able to read that sign past the fence. I dunno... just funny to me... cuz I guess our historic signs in Canada, would never be behind a fence like that.

  • @ronaldgundrum2174
    @ronaldgundrum2174 Před 10 měsíci +1

    You have to try the Cincinnati Gin just came out Reson.

  • @gregoryreed4866
    @gregoryreed4866 Před rokem +1

    I’m sick a fan of historical homes and buildings Great video ! Plus, it was made even better by how smoking hot you are !!

  • @stephenbyrd8295
    @stephenbyrd8295 Před měsícem +1

    Not sure how or why but I know you from somewhere and not from youtube. Just cant remember how? anywho, Cool vlogs!!

    • @DraysWorld
      @DraysWorld  Před měsícem

      It’s a good possibility with crossed paths somewhere down the road. Thanks for watching!

  • @user-xo6pr6zw7l
    @user-xo6pr6zw7l Před 4 měsíci

    The Guilford Building was originally a public school and opened in 1914, not 1952 (think about it, does that building look like 1950s architecture to you?). It is surprising that you think a book dating to the 1800s is old. I once worked as a student assistant at the University of Cincinnati library and they have books dating back to at least the 1500s and possibly older than that.

  • @Roadtripmik
    @Roadtripmik Před 6 měsíci +1

    They demolished lots of old buildings (1950s-1980s) it was considered bad if the homes are old even if they beautiful

  • @Alexandre.Hamann
    @Alexandre.Hamann Před rokem +2

    Very nice and interesting video!! I got interested to this region due the strong German immigration.Greetings from Brazil

  • @kimcircagirl474
    @kimcircagirl474 Před rokem +2

    adore the West i so want bd there visit ,"5" min ago😄

  • @michaelg1060
    @michaelg1060 Před 8 měsíci +2

    It's Lytle Park is pronounced "LIE-TEL". Great video!!

    • @DraysWorld
      @DraysWorld  Před 8 měsíci +1

      Thank you!

    • @michaelg1060
      @michaelg1060 Před 8 měsíci +2

      @@DraysWorld Very welcome, my friend. I drove cab in Cincy when the hoods were ominous...I don't think there is a place I haven't been, A street I haven't had a fare on!
      I miss it. But I wouldn't want to do it today.
      Uber and Lyft ruined it. And the "Taxi Companies" are really only car leasing companies now, only with a meter on it. I paid 45 bucks a night shift, used 15-17 dollars in gas...never on a weekday went home with less than 150...Fri and Sat no les than 250-400. Those days are long gone. Too many squirrels and not enough acorns.
      Keep up the great work!!

  • @pointuout2020
    @pointuout2020 Před rokem +3

    What about the old Cincinnati Elks Lodge building downtown?

  • @kimcircagirl474
    @kimcircagirl474 Před rokem +1

    Could you do an over-the-rhine video pleassss

  • @daviddoran3164
    @daviddoran3164 Před rokem +2

    coal shut we. had them in Mt Adams where I grew up.

  • @gpteesapparel4804
    @gpteesapparel4804 Před 3 dny

    I Grew Up On That Street 415 Clark

  • @melissaisbel409
    @melissaisbel409 Před 3 měsíci +1

    The doors are coal storage

  • @thisisdez
    @thisisdez Před rokem +1

    Will I see you at the fall forum today?

    • @DraysWorld
      @DraysWorld  Před rokem

      I’ll be there in spirit. Thanks for watching!

  • @Michael-fl1tm
    @Michael-fl1tm Před 4 měsíci

    Behind those doors is where they kept the slave's

  • @burntwic1
    @burntwic1 Před 10 měsíci +1

    Coal delivery doors?

  • @sheilawiner6848
    @sheilawiner6848 Před 3 měsíci

    Coal bins ?

  • @HugoTaboada-vh8us
    @HugoTaboada-vh8us Před 3 měsíci

    If you see old Louisville neighborhood, you'll drive crazy, it's way nicer than this

  • @k.z.923
    @k.z.923 Před 10 měsíci +1

    Yes they are for coal when thats how they heated those big houses.!

  • @seanmertens3049
    @seanmertens3049 Před 18 dny

    Doors are coal shoot. Nice Video

  • @kellydiver
    @kellydiver Před 5 měsíci

    Honest Abe’s son didn’t like that statue - AT ALL. He thought it made his father look grotesque.

  • @gooberclown
    @gooberclown Před měsícem

    Those are coal chutes.

  • @rotceridjc
    @rotceridjc Před rokem +1

    That’s right those doors are for loading coal.

    • @DraysWorld
      @DraysWorld  Před rokem

      They all seemed so far away from the house on the sidewalk, It made me wonder.

  • @ccgsales
    @ccgsales Před rokem +3

    @10:35 "LIE-TUL" NOT "little" PARK!!! Man, all these 'discovering Cincinnati' videos on YT and people STILL can't pronounce the names correctly! Why don't you just do a tour of "Cincinnatuh" while you're at it. I bet all these 'discovering' or 'hidden gems' videos are from people not originally from Cincinnati.

    • @DraysWorld
      @DraysWorld  Před rokem

      Thanks for the input. I’m not from the city but I sure do love exploring Cincinnatuh when I’m near by.

  • @danieloblinger1199
    @danieloblinger1199 Před 6 měsíci +3

    It would be nice to see more pictures of what you’re talking about and less pictures of you talking about it.

  • @Level_No_Curve
    @Level_No_Curve Před rokem

    These buildings are not from our civilization

  • @michaelmcginsie2600
    @michaelmcginsie2600 Před rokem +1

    Those metal opening were most likely used for delivering coal to residents. They have those here in Chicago as well.