RIP Martha, Sept. 1 1914

Martha, died 104 years ago today at the Cincinnati Zoo. The last of over a billion birds that once roamed America.

The New York Times NATHANIEL RICH wrote about Martha and he said;

"On Sept. 1, 1914, Martha, the last captive passenger pigeon, died at the Cincinnati Zoo. She outlasted George, the penultimate survivor of her species and her only companion, by four years. As news spread of her species’ imminent extinction, Martha became a minor tourist attraction. In her final years, whether depressed or just old, she barely moved. Underwhelmed zoo visitors threw fistfuls of sand at her to elicit a reaction. When she finally died, her body was taken to the Cincinnati Ice Company, frozen in a 300-pound ice cube and shipped by train to the Smithsonian Institution..."

Treehugger says she's stuffed but not on display at the Smithsonian.
From RoadsideAmerica;

Martha spent her last years in the Cincinnati Zoo, in a pagoda aviary that has been restored. It's an official National Historic Landmark... Perched on a rock in front of the hut is a life-size bronze likeness of Martha. Also here is the stuffed carcass of the last Carolina Parakeet, "Incus," who died in this same aviary in 1918, four years after Martha. That makes this place a uniquely bad spot in the history of bird extermination.

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RIP Martha, Sept. 1 1914

Martha, died 103 years ago today at the Cincinnati zoo. The last of over a billion birds that once roamed America.

The New York Times NATHANIEL RICH wrote about Martha and he said;

"On Sept. 1, 1914, Martha, the last captive passenger pigeon, died at the Cincinnati Zoo. She outlasted George, the penultimate survivor of her species and her only companion, by four years. As news spread of her species’ imminent extinction, Martha became a minor tourist attraction. In her final years, whether depressed or just old, she barely moved. Underwhelmed zoo visitors threw fistfuls of sand at her to elicit a reaction. When she finally died, her body was taken to the Cincinnati Ice Company, frozen in a 300-pound ice cube and shipped by train to the Smithsonian Institution..."

Treehugger says she's stuffed but not on display at the Smithsonian.
From RoadsideAmerica;

Martha spent her last years in the Cincinnati Zoo, in a pagoda aviary that has been restored. It's an official National Historic Landmark... Perched on a rock in front of the hut is a life-size bronze likeness of Martha. Also here is the stuffed carcass of the last Carolina Parakeet, "Incus," who died in this same aviary in 1918, four years after Martha. That makes this place a uniquely bad spot in the history of bird extermination.

[where: 45202] best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati
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biking through Camp Dennison

When riding north from Milford on the Loveland Bike Trail the first structure encountered in Camp Dennison is the Waldschmidt House. I always look at it because it has an old vintage bike in front that has been rusting away for years. When I saw a small hand painted open house sign we slammed on the brakes and swerved over to check it out.
The Waldschmidt House served as an officer barracks and also as a medical center for freshly recruted soliders for the Civil War. This was in 1861 when Camp Dennison was established as military recruiting, training, and medical post for the United States Army. From the very early 1900s until the early 1950s The Waldschmidt House was a dry goods grocery.
Fast forward to today and the owner wants to open a coffee shop, but he complains the zoning board won't give him a variance. The resistance comes from the fact a farm across the street has been trying to convert to residential and the board is worried once they make one change the flood gates will open. When he told me that I said, "HA! my urban planner buddies call that form-based code, let the building be what it wants to be." He made a little face because I don't think he wanted to side with someone from the city but what choice did he have. He just wanted the building to go back to what it was sixty years ago. The place is definitely an interesting time capsule, hopefully he gets to open his coffee shop, its halfway between Milford and Loveland, we'd stop every single time.

He found a bayonet and a musket ball while digging in the yard.
The owner moved a counter and found 13 cents. They were dated from 1891 through 1940s, except for one from 1981 that I joked a time traveler must have dropped. He thought it was interesting the store was open for almost 50 years and they only misplaced 13 cents.


[where: 45202] best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati
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save the buildings, save the city

“Sentiment without action is the ruin of the soul.” - Edward Abbey

Cincinnatians can no longer afford to stand by and let outside interests destroy buildings in Cincinnati. These old buildings are what make a city a city.
Never mind the fact that Columbia REI, the owner of Joseph Auto Group, bought a historical building in a historical neighborhood.
I urge you to write your own letters and pledge to never spend a penny at one of their businesses.
The Dennison must be the last historic building that gets destroyed.


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Dennison Hotel

The world changes fast, even faster these days with social media. I can't even imagine what is like for old guys like the Austin Poweresque evil bad guys, the Joseph brothers. In the old days, circa 2013, they could quietly buy a historic building, sit on it for a few years until everyone forgot about it then tear it down.
That was the old days before supporters of history, particularly Cincinnati history, became highly networked.
And now the Joseph's are shocked SHOCKED that anyone would dare oppose them.

“I don’t know who all these people are,....You have a small vocal group who wants to say our client took down a landmark building (a historic building in a historic district but whatever).” ~ Joseph's spokesdick

You almost have to feel sorry for them, in the old days money bought whatever the Joseph's wanted. Money still buys whatever they want, the only difference is in 2017 they are squinting and squirming in the harsh glare of social and news media while doing it.

[where: 45202] best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati
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RIP Martha, Sept. 1 1914

Martha, died 102 years ago today at the Cincinnati zoo. The last of over a billion birds that once roamed America.

The New York Times NATHANIEL RICH wrote about Martha and he said;

"On Sept. 1, 1914, Martha, the last captive passenger pigeon, died at the Cincinnati Zoo. She outlasted George, the penultimate survivor of her species and her only companion, by four years. As news spread of her species’ imminent extinction, Martha became a minor tourist attraction. In her final years, whether depressed or just old, she barely moved. Underwhelmed zoo visitors threw fistfuls of sand at her to elicit a reaction. When she finally died, her body was taken to the Cincinnati Ice Company, frozen in a 300-pound ice cube and shipped by train to the Smithsonian Institution..."

Treehugger says she's stuffed but not on display at the Smithsonian.
From RoadsideAmerica;

Martha spent her last years in the Cincinnati Zoo, in a pagoda aviary that has been restored. It's an official National Historic Landmark... Perched on a rock in front of the hut is a life-size bronze likeness of Martha. Also here is the stuffed carcass of the last Carolina Parakeet, "Incus," who died in this same aviary in 1918, four years after Martha. That makes this place a uniquely bad spot in the history of bird extermination.

[where: 45202] best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati
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Hudepohl

[where: 45202] best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati

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Happy 4th of July everyone

Screw the safe part, if you aren't risking your life how much fun can you really be having?

[where: 45202] best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati

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The Cincinnati Museum Center's green roof

A couple weeks ago a bunch of bloggers got a behind the scenes tour of the Cincinnati Museum Center and one of the stops was the green roof on the southern part of the building that is not open to the public. This living roof is pretty cool and accomplishes a couple things. The plants reflect heat keeping the roof cooler avoiding heat gain in the building easing the load on AC and the electric bill. The second thing it does is absorb rain water easing the strain on the cities over taxed sewer system. I would propose it accomplishes a third thing, education. The public learns a little about being green and the roof is an ongoing classroom for the museum center as they learn what plants thrive which don't and how much care they require. Important knowledge that can be passed onto other businesses or institutions that would consider a green roof.

If this post or my last one showing some of the building's water damage has inspired you to help the Cincinnati Museum Center in their ongoing effort to repair and restore the building to its former glory, there is one easy way you can help: A Cincinnati Museum Center Member Pass.

This is a great deal for everyone, families with and without kids. It includes free parking, plus free admission to all three of the museums at any time and Members get discounts on special exhibits (like A Day in Pompeii), OMNIMAX films and other special events. They’re running a deal right now in conjunction with their 100 Days of Fun, you can get a 14-month Member Pass for the price of a 12-month Member Pass, so it’ll take you through this summer and next.
Visit cincymuseum.org for more details.


[where: 45202] best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati

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The Cincinnati Museum Center

Or more precisely, The Cincinnati Museum Center at Union Terminal offer us an opportunity to go behind the behind the scenes and get a first hand look at the deterioration going on in the building.
It wasn't meant to be decay p0rn but to highlight the challenges the building is facing, budget cuts don't paint a rosy future for rehab and preventative maintenance. It was a hot cramped dirty tour, but very enlightening.

[where: 45202] best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati
I've got another two hundred pictures so expect a few more Museum Center posts. And you can see a collection of everyone's instgrams here.

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"today we're turning the page in Cincinnati..."

So said Mayor Mallory last Friday, this is a project that everyone in Cincinnati can be pround of. As the mayor said this was a grass roots initiative pushed by bloggers, facebookers, twitterers and everyone else who got out the word and helped educatate their friends and aquiantences.
Everyone deserves a little bit credit.


The speaches inside before were jammed packed.



the man the mayor called "Mr. Streetcar." John Schneider

[where: 45202]best place to learn how to live downtown cincinnati ohio the ethos of Cincinnati
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