The Cincinnati architecture tour starts with a view of the historic City Hall. This impressive Romanesque building dates from 1893, after taking 5 years to build. The design was intended on reflecting the taste of the German descended majority of the population of the city at the time.
The Cincinnati Fire Museum (back side). Dating from 1907, the building is on the National Register.
The Plum Street Temple (now known as the Isaac Wise Temple), was built in 1865, with construction occurring during the Civil War. As with City Hall, which is caddy-corner from the temple, it is built in a style (Byzantine Moorish) that was popular in Germany at the time.
With World War II, all the temples in Germany in this style were destroyed, leaving only this and one in New York City in this style.
The Cincinnati and Suburban Telephone Company Building – This art deco building was completed in 1930.
Note the frieze – it is a series of rotary phones.
One interesting note, in the 1930s it contained the worlds longest straight switchboard (photo from Cincinnati Enquirer article). The floors were built at an unusually tall for the time 12′ high to support the equipment.
The western end of Garfield Place has a number of interesting structures.
The red brick building is the 1891 Waldo Apartments. The designer, Samuel Hannaford, also designed the Music Hall, nearby City Hall, and the Hooper Building.
The Covenant First Presbyterian Church is another late 1800s religious building. Both the church and the Waldo are on the National Registry.
William Henry Harrison is overlooking the entire scene. The statue’s statement of ‘Ohio’s first President’ is a bit of a controversy, as Harrison was born in Virginia, but elected from Ohio.
The Doctors Building is just down the block, on the south side of Piatt Park. The building has an impressive terracotta façade, while the construction itself is brick and concrete.
The east end of Piatt Park has a wider view of the Doctor’s Building on the left, as well as a statue of James Garfield.
The Garfield statue was commissioned just 2 years after he died, finally being unveiled in 1887.
Tucked in what is essentially an alley, the Cincinnati Gymnasium and Athletic Club dates from 1902. The club claims to be the oldest continuously running athletic club in the country, including Rutherford Hayes once being a member and president of the club.
In a controversial move the club would hold basketball games against other clubs, charging an admission and sharing the proceeds, thus making them ‘professional athletes’ in a time where that was frowned upon.
The Second Renaissance Revival Building was named to the National Registry in 1983.
The former Shillito’s Department Store building is unique in that the front and one side is very Art Deco in style, but the back is a far more traditional look.
TV fans of the 1970s will recognize this building as the home of ‘WKRP in Cincinnati’. In reality it was the home of the Cincinnati Enquirer newspaper.
This limestone building was opened in 1926. Today it is home to a couple of hotels.
Cincinnati was clearly a boom town in the 1920s, as yet another of the classic buildings, the Taft Theater, opened in 1928. This art deco hall seats 2,500, and is used for touring Broadway shows and concerts.
The John Roebling Bridge is one of the highlights of the city. When completed in 1866 it was the longest suspension bridge in the world, at 1057′. This was supplanted by his more famous Brooklyn Bridge in 1883.
A mix of old and new – the St Louis Church. Another 1930s building, it’s location at Walnut and East 8th Street is located along the new Cincinnati Streetcar route. Ironically the streetcars that would’ve been there when the church was built was torn out in the 1950s, only to be replaced by this new system costing $148m.
Just down the street, and a few decades before, streetcars ran everywhere. (photo from Wikipedia – ‘Metro Bus’). If only they had left the tracks.
Easily the best (in my opinion) is Cincinnati Union Terminal. Once a grand train station (still a small Amtrak station), it is now a museum center.
The building is known as the second largest half dome building in the world, after the Sydney Opera House.
Two landmarks for one – Fountain Square and the Carew Tower.
Fountain Square has been the center of the city since it was installed in 1871. The fountain’s name is ‘The Genius of Water’.
The Carew Tower was the tallest building in the city from it’s opening in 1930 until it was surpassed by the Great American Tower in 2010. While the interior is very ornate, the exterior is a very basic approach towards art deco.
Our tour complete it is time to get out of town at the 1937 Lunken Airport Terminal.
After 4 months of hanging around the house building wooden toys to avoid the cold, snow and covid, it was time to wander around town for a couple of hours on this cold, sunny Sunday afternoon.
It is time to nose around in the snow…
One cold, lonely deer statue.
A colorful house on a dreary day (actually better than most – there is a bit of sun)
In the summer there are signs all around this pond saying ‘no wading, no swimming’ – no need for those today.
Plenty of bike shares available.
The statues standing sentry at the statehouse.
It feels like a Russian Winter.
Winter – the time of year if the streets aren’t covered in snow they are white from all the salt to melt the snow, and rust the cars.
In the early 1800s the United States government was taking over Native American land at a fast pace. One of the concepts they came up with for the people they were displacing was to create ‘Indian Territory’ in the middle of the country. The map below shows how the area that was to become the state of Oklahoma was divided up amongst the various tribes.
In 1889 the government was going to open up the area in the middle that was ‘unassigned’. The plan was to allow people to head for this land at noon on April 22, 1889, however a number of people took off early, despite a ‘sooner clause’ stating anyone who did would be denied land. Originally the term Sooner was derogatory, but now it is embraced by most Oklahomans.
In downtown Oklahoma City there is a large statue collection celebrating that day.
Oklahoma became a state in 1907. The current State Capitol building was completed in 1917, and has the unique feature of a working oil well on the grounds.
Unusual state symbols of the day
Official State Caricature Artist – Teresa Farrington
State Monument – Golden Driller – This guy is huge – 76′ tall.
Native Americans
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The Native American culture is celebrated far and wide throughout Oklahoma. The largest celebration is the Red Earth Festival.This multi day cultural event includes a parade. (photo from Wikipedia)
Everywhere you go you see signs of the Native culture. Many are excellent tributes, but some are a bit more commercial (like the gas stations with tepees).
Nature
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Oklahoma is mostly a vast plains.
Oklahoma is known as the center of tornado alley, having suffered from numerous deadly tornadoes each year. The National Weather Center is located in Norman, and has a collection of weather collecting devices on display.
There are a few areas that aren’t flat plains, like Gloss Mountain.
There are also hills in Southeastern Oklahoma. (photo from Pintrest)
As you travel around the state you come across a number of random sights.
Transportation
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Wait, was it left on 28 or right on 82….
Oil is big business in Oklahoma, once home of Phillips Petroleum.
Darryl Starbirds’ National Rod and Custom Hall of Fame is located in far eastern Oklahoma. Well worth going out of your way to get there.
Grand River Dam.
Cities and Towns
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Oklahoma City is the state capitol, and largest city (not by much – Tulsa is nearly as large). It is a nice city, with a decent downtown, and a hipster neighborhood called Bricktown.
Tulsa – As noted, Tulsa is nearly as large as OKC. It has long been a center of the oil industry.
Tulsa has always been a center of the music scene, with the ‘Tulsa Sound’. Eric Clapton is such a fan, most of his band is usually made up of Tulsans.
Bartlesville was the headquarters of Phillips Petroleum. It is home to a landmark Frank Lloyd Wright skyscraper.
Oklahoma seems to be a center for statues.
Just south of Oklahoma City is the Museum of Osteology. Oklahoma was surprisingly interesting, well worth a visit.
Today’s stop is North Dakota. A sparsely populated state along the Canadian border, North Dakota is a place with cold winters, hot summers and vast prairies.
HistoryÂ
1954 – Natural Resources   1983 – State Capitol
Bismarck is the state capital. The Capitol is the tallest building in the state, measuring 241′ (73m) high. Nearby is the North Dakota State Museum.
The grounds include a number of statues and monuments including Sakakawea, a Shoshone woman who helped Lewis & Clark make their way to the west coast.
Unique Symbols of North Dakota
Official State March – The Flickertail March. I am not certain it would work for the military but the Flickertail is a squirrel that has a distinctive jerk of their tails, or flicks, while running – and North Dakota has saw fit to make this their State March! (photos from statesymbols.org)
State Fossil – Teredo Petrified Wood. This petrified wood is unique in that it has ‘worming’ of the original wood that is clearly present in the fossils.
The Landscape
1958 & 1983 – Theodore Roosevelt National Park   1994     2002/2003   2011   2013
Theodore Roosevelt National Park is located in the far western part of the state. This massive park is a tribute to Roosevelt, who came to the area in 1883. After family tragedy, he returned to North Dakota the following year, and spent a few years in the area.
The area’s badlands and wildlife make for a scenic experience.
Uniquely North Dakota
1965 – Rest Area   1984 – Interstate in the Badlands   2005 – Trail of Legends
Fargo is the largest city in the state, with 125,00 residents. It is on the Red River, which forms the border of Minnesota. The visitor center has the woodchipper from the movie ‘Fargo’
Medora is a small town near the national park. Among the attractions here is the cabin that Roosevelt lived in.
As you leave Bismarck headed west you come to the small town of New Salem, with the giant fiberglass cow – Sue.
1973 & 2009 – Native Americans
Native American’s have inhabited the North Dakota area for thousands of years. Today there are 30,000 Native Americans living in the state, one of the largest percentages of any state, giving the state a strong native presence.
Sisseton Wahpeton Powwow Grounds (photo from Flickr)
Many have capitalized on the ability to have casinos to sustain their tribes, including Spirit Lake
Today’s younger Native American’s continue to take pride in their culture and lands. (photo from Earthjustice.com)
Welcome to New Jersey – my usual first views of the state are landing at Newark airport, for better or worse.
At the other end you can take a ferry from Delaware.
Overview
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The New Jersey State Capitol is in Trenton. (Photo from Flickr)
The unusual state symbols of the day include:
State Colors – Jersey Blue and Buff. This dates from the Revolutionary War when Washington assigned the colors to the regiments of the New Jersey Continental Line. It is thought he chose these because New Jersey (as well as New York) were settled by the Dutch, and those colors are the Netherlands colors.
State Tall Ship – A.J. Meerwald. This ship, built in 1928, is featured on maps below. It is a Oyster Schooner.
Officially known as the New Jersey State House, the building was completed in the 1790s, behind the capitols in Maryland and Virginia.
Let’s visit some other cities in the state starting with Atlantic City. It’s main business since being started in the 1850s has been tourism. It was marketed to the crowded city folks in New York and Philadelphia as a healthy resort on the ocean.
By the 1870s more than 500,000 people a day made their way to Atlantic City. By the early 1900s it had large hotels lining the coast, along those streets whose names have been made famous by the board game Monopoly, as well as the notoriety from the Miss America Pagent.
The mayor of the time quoted during Prohibition ‘we have whiskey, wine, women, song and slot machines. I won’t deny it and I won’t apologize for it.’
By the 1970s it had fallen on hard times, so they introduced legalized gambling. These photos show the rebirth in the 1980s, but the convention hall still being the showpiece.
Today it is similar, only with so many cities introducing gambling, the city has one again fallen on hard times. (photo from NJ public radio)
Much of the Jersey Shore (not beach or coast) has some cool/kitschy features, but the best is easily Lucy the Elephant in Margate. This 140 year old elephant still brings in the tourists.
Jersey City – The second largest city in New Jersey has the good fortune of being located just across the Hudson River from lower Manhattan. While the city has had it’s ups and downs, peaking out at 316,000 people in 1930, it dropped down to a low of 223,000 by 1980. This reflected the exodus of people from New York City as well, as everyone was headed to the suburbs.
Since then though, with significant renewal of the waterfront area the population has gone back up to 265,000, and continues to grow.
Just upriver Hoboken is experiencing a similar rebirth, but retains the fabulous Hoboken Terminal for New Jersey Transit Trains, and ferries to Manhattan.
Statue of Liberty
1983Â Â Â 1986
It is interesting that New Jersey has featured the Statue of Liberty on the cover of some of the maps, as technically it is in New York. The island that the statue sits on is in New Jersey water, but is a federally owned island that belongs to Manhattan.
This is a result of a dispute dating (amazingly) from 1664, that stated the New Jersey borders did not extend to the middle of the river, or bay. In 1834 the US Congress did set the boundary in the middle of the waterways, however specifically exempted Liberty Island, stating it would remain in New York. This was held up in 1908 by the Supreme Court, and again in 1987 when New Jersey sued to take control of the island. Clearly these maps from 1983 and 1984 were when Jersey was confident the island would once again be theirs.
Ellis Island however is much simpler, it is in New Jersey. So all those ancestors of ours who were so proud to step of the boat onto New York, really set foot in New Jersey.
Interestingly it is connected to New Jersey by a bridge that is not open to the public, just park service personnel.
Those immigrants – unless you were headed to New England, you were herded onto barges and sent to the train stations in Jersey City and Hoboken, having never set foot in New York.
Liberty State Park in Jersey City is along the mainland near both islands. The park is on an area that was once large rail yards, with the centerpiece being the Jersey City Terminal of the Central Railroad of New Jersey. This building dates from 1889, and is currently undergoing renovations (for years).
Outdoors in New Jersey
1988   1990   1992   2007 Holgate  2009   2012/2014/2015 AJ Meerwald
Sandy Hook is a spit at the far northern end of the Jersey Shore, sticking out into New York Harbor. It is home to a vacant military facility, but is now a vast park, including large areas of natural settings with views across the harbor to Brooklyn and Manhattan.
New Jersey Palisades. This geological feature along the Hudson River just north of New York City has been protected since 1900, as the industry of the times were blasting it away for crushed stone. (all photos in this section fromonlyinyourstate.com)
Our visit to the smallest state in area in the country will also result in the smallest posting, with only 5 maps in the collection, all in the last 20 years. With very few photos of Delaware, this posting will share photos found on the internet.
2001 – The Delaware Memorial Bridge. These twin bridges cross the Delaware River, carrying an average of 80,000 cars a day. As the main route from New York, Philadelphia and points north to Baltimore, Washington and points south this route is constantly busy with car and truck traffic.
The bridge was designed by firm HNTB. This same firm designed the Walt Whitman Bridge in Philadelphia, and the Verrazzano Narrows Bridge in New York City. All have a similar look.
The Kalmar Nyckel was a Swedish ship built in 1638 to carry settlers to the New World. A replica of that ship was built in Wilmington in the late 1990s.
This photo from the American Bridge website shows a view from high above the bridge deck.
2003 – Smith Bridge, Brandywine Valley. In 1839 Isaac Smith and his son Edward built a mill, and a covered bridge. This bridge, while reinforced in the 1950s, stood until 1961 when an arsonist burnt the bridge.
It was originally replaced with an open deck wooden bridge, but in 2002 this reproduction bridge was built. It uses the same truss design but the road deck is reinforced steel.
2006 – Brandywine Park in Wilmington. Located along Brandywine Creek, this park dates from 1886 with assistance from Fredrick Law Olmsted. The park is listed on the National Historic Registry.
This photo from the Delaware State Parks website shows the park in spring.
Delaware has a small coastline. This photo show the remains of the Fort Miles Observation Tower. These towers were built during World War I. Later the fort was used as a secret listening post assigned to identify route submarines.
2012 – Delaware is very proud of Caesar Rodney. While Paul Revere gets all the notoriety for his ride in Massachusetts, Rodney made a 70 mile ride through a thunderstorm on the night of July 1, 1776. His goal – to arrive in time for a July 2nd vote to break a deadlock for Delaware’s addition to the Declaration of Independence.
This statue is located in downtown Wilmington. Photo credit to a website called ‘Onlyinyourstate.com’.
Delaware – our small visit to this small state is complete.
One of things we have noticed are a number of statues of cartoon characters scattered around town. It turns out there are currently 16 of them.
Armed with a list and a map we set out on a cartoon character scavenger hunt.
We start in front of the Museum of Humor with a work by Guillermo Mordillo called La Girafa (the Giraffe). Mordillo was a famous cartoonist who works featured mostly long necked characters, hence the giraffe.
This guy is known as Don Nicola, a friendly landlord in the Italian immigrant neighborhood of La Boca. The character was created by Hector Torino in 1937.
Meet Indoro Pereyra with Mendieta, a talking dog, both enjoying a mate. Sadly, and true with a number of them, people have graffitied the art. This cartoon started in the 1970s.
Dating from 1945 this is Prawn (Langostino in Spanish) and his trusty, but very small ship Corina. The cartoonist was Eduardo Ferro.
This is Diogenes ( a ‘mutt’) and the Linyera (a vagrant). It has been published since 1977 in the newspaper Clarin, originally by an Uruguayan cartoonist named Tabare. After he passed away others have continued the strip.
These two characters also date originally from the 1970s. They are Negrazon and Chavella, who hail from the Argentine city of Cordoba. They are riding a locally made Puma motorbike. Meant the represent the challenges and life of middle class life in Cordoba, they were the work of the artist Cognigni. Sadly they too have graffiti on them, including an A with a circle around it – a symbol for Anarchy.
This nice lady is Aunt Vicenta, by the famed artist Landru’ – whose real name was Juan Carlos Colombres. He portrayed political and social life of Argentina for 60 years.
When we first arrived in Argentina I thought I kept seeing a Garfield the cat who had gone crazy. It turns out it is from 1993 and is called Gaturro, by Cristian Dwzonik. He has been accused of plagiarism numerous times with content, as well as the obvious look.
These too are Patoruzito and Isidorito. While graffiti free, they are in rough shape, hanging out under the trees in a park.
They are the work of Dante Quinterno, starting in the 1940s. Patoruzito is the childhood representation of the Chief Patoruzu – the last of the Tehuelches, whom Spanish conquerors saw as giants with amazing strenght. Living in the world of today he and Isidorito, a true Porteno, find adventures; but in this world Isidorito is the one with the stength.
Evoking the look of the 1950s, by Guillermo Divito, these two are simply known as The Divito Girls. Women of the 1950s took to mimicking the style shown in this weekly comic magainze ‘Rico Tipo’. Not represented, but equally influential were the male characters, with their double breasted suits.
Our friend below is Clemente. Without wings, but with very cool horizontal stripes, he became an interesting character during the military dictatorship.
The 1978 World Cup was held in Argentina during this period. One of the rules that they implemented was ‘no confetti’, in an effort to present a ‘good’ image of Argentina to the world. The artist (Caloni) had Clemente warn Argentinians of the real intentions of rules like this, and launched a ‘paper rain campaign’.
This became so popular that Clemente became the unofficial mascot of the Argentine National team. So I guess the anarchy symbol here might actually be appropriate, as in the final, broadcast around the world, confetti rained down as they won.
The cartoon from 1978, from a very interesting website detailing that period in Argentina. http://papelitos.com.ar/home
This is Don Fulgencio, dating originally from 1938. He is the man who had no childhood. This left him as a very ‘correct’ gentleman, but with childish customs. He was created by Lino Palacio.
In addition to the comics, in the 1950s he made it to the big screen.
Matis has been on the back cover of the newspaper Clarin for many years. He is the ‘boys boy’. The writer is known as ‘Sendra’.
These two characters are Laguirucho and Super Hijitus (on the right). Hijitus is a poor boy who, when putting on his hat becomes a super hero.
Another character from the 1930s is Isidoro Canones, a typical Argentine little rich playboy. He too was created by Dante Quinterno.
Meet Susanita – friend of Mafalda. She is the gossip specialist of the neighborhood.
And finally we meet Manolito and Mafalda. Easily the most recognized face throughout Argentina is Mafalda. This little girl is everywhere.
Somewhat backwards of most U.S. comic characters, Mafalda started out strictly as an advertising character who became so popular she was made into a comic strip. She represents the views of the educated middle class of Argentina.
Back on the Rio De La Plata for a late afternoon cruise – this time towards the city of Buenos Aires. The city and suburbs runs for about 40 miles along the coast of the river, mostly lined with mid rise apartment buildings.
The shore itself has a number of parks and other features that add to the scenery. The highlights include the soccer stadium for River Plate, and the airport Jorge Newberry.
With some spare time due to the holidays at the end of the year we checked out a few sites in the Recoleta neighborhood including a visual arts museum, which of course because of the holiday’s was closed.
The library itself was also closed. Good thing there are a number of public sculptures nearby.
The famed Floralis Generica. The pedals close each night and reopen in the morning.
Next door is the law school, which has a great lobby which was…closed.
The former design center.
A museum next to the Recoleta Cemetery. The museum was closed but the cemetery was open 🙂
Enough closed buildings, lets go hang out in Olivos Harbor.
The setting sun gave a great ‘Olivoshenge’ – not quite Manhattanhenge, but still cool. And the sun has set on 2019!
RDZ Photography 