Back in Athens, back to The Ridges.
"The Ridges" is the name designated for the Ohio University owned, former Athens State Hospital Property. The Kirkbride style hospital originally opened in 1874. For those of you unfamiliar with "Kirkbrides," they were a common style of mental hospitals built on large plots of isolated land where patients took care of the land. Many Kirkbrides like the Athens State Hospital featured self sustaining apple orchards, gardens, and dairy farms. The hospital in Athens became part of Ohio University in 1993 when the final patients left and the grounds were transferred to the school. Today the main ward and wings serve as an art museum and office space, unable to be photographed.
Cincinnati Bridges, Cincinnati Highways.
I drove back from South East Ohio. I had planned to actually stay there for a weekend. However, I'm not always happy there and needed to get some stuff photographed this weekend.
More to this city than meets the eye.
I have often heard people say that Cincinnati is only considered a major city because it has "major league sports teams." Nothing could be further from the truth, while the Queen City is no Chicago or New York (and is certainly better than Pittsburgh), it is in fact a major city. Facing major city problems, major city crime, and major city progress.
Abandoned Rail Depot off of 75.
Ever since I was a young kid I can remember passing this structure. While our car sped southbound on Interstate 75 you could see it sitting parallel to the railroad tracks. It had the architecture of a building you'd see sitting along your toy Lionel trains (didn't everyone have those?). However, it seems that Sir Topham Hat, Thomas, Percy, Gordon, Scheemer, and all of the other shiny time station friends (anyone get the Thomas the Tank Engine reference?) have been gone since the mid 70's according to the papers inside. You've probably seen it on your way to a Red's game, the aquarium, or for any other reason you'd go southbound on I-75, now see what its like up close.
And in the end?
And in the end the East of Ohio was ok, but I am in no hurry to go back out in that direction and slowly being back in the Queen City has not been all that great.
History of the Crosley Building
You may have seen The Crosley Building, the original home of Cincinnati's 700 WLW and former headquarters of famous inventor Powell Crosley featured on this website before. Despite the many explorations done inside very little specifics were known about the buildings history. Thanks to a recent contribution by Ram23 we now have an interesting tidbit about the building.
Some More From Americana
Today we have some recently un-published photographs from the QCD team's visit to the now defunct Americana/Lesourdsville Lake Amusement Park. These photographs were omitted from the October Article.
The Cincinnati Gardens.
Opening in 1949, the arena which seated 11,000 patrons, became Cincinnati's premiere indoor venue. Modeled after Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, this area would go through history playing host to professional basketball, indoor soccer, concerts, Richard Nixon, Elvis, boxing, roller derby, monster trucks, and so much more. Perhaps though, the Gardens most interesting event history is rooted in Ice Hockey.
Crosley - Part 2: The Return.
Two weeks ago Tron2.0, Ram23, and I had the opportunity to re-visit the Crosley Building again. Tron2.0 first explored this place in March 2007, now almost a year later we returned with Ram23 and discovered a bit more about the former tenants.
![Vacant Houses [that I would've rather not have had to photograph]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5f4d8a25db85a54c4d64fe76/1606418449579-ZH2P8VEBV1GHTKS64TZ1/image.jpeg)
Vacant Houses [that I would've rather not have had to photograph]
Because these houses were once the homes of my neighbors.
33rd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Commemorative March
It has been 40 years since Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated outside of his Memphis, TN hotel room. As a baptist minister on the forefront of the civil rights movement, Dr. King lead many famous boycotts, marches, and protests through his ideas of "civil disobedience" in order to bring light to the plight of African Americans in the United States. Since his death many advances have come in regards to equality in America, yet many feel that the work of Dr. King and other civil rights workers must not be forgotten. So every year on the anniversary of Dr. Kings birth, Cincinnati citizens gather to march in remembrance of the progress made and to bring light to current issues.
Hayswood Hospital and Parker Tobacco Co. (The trip to Maysville, KY.)
I recently met up with good friends Seicer and Tron2.0 for a trip to historic Maysville, Kentucky. Located just down the Ohio River from Cincinnati. We made our trip at the end of November to this quaint and beautiful river town recovering from Thanksgiving and gearing up for Christmas.
The Ridges: Tuberculosis Ward
"The Ridges" abandoned TB Ward in Athens, Ohio paired with my favorite John Frusciante song at the time.
There's a reason for the 21st Century...
Images made at an abandoned drive-in and rail yard in Eastern Ohio, paired with my favorite Red Hot Chili Peppers song at the time (because when you're 18 and angsty, you do this apparently).
LeSourdsville Lake/Americana Revisited
No one had ridden the classic "Screechin` Eagle" wooden roller coaster, or any other ride for that matter since 2002. In fact, the park hadn't seen any guests since it closed a week before it was planned to end it's season back in August of 2002, with its Halloween and holiday events also being cancelled. In June of 2007, myself and two other photographers were permitted to enter the park property. A place that once provided so many memories and served as a symbol of the fading era of the "classic" American amusement park, sat quiet and abandoned.