24 Useless But Random Facts About Cincinnati

Cincinnati is an interesting place. It was the first in the field for a lot of things, from having the first professional major league baseball team to establishing its first Jewish hospital. There are quirky things that even residents of The Queen City don't know.

1. The oldest public observatory in the country resides right here in Cincinnati

-The Cincinnati Observatory, located at 3489 Observatory Ave in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Mount Lookout, was built in 1873 with its famous dome added in 1895

2. The wolf statue in Eden Park was a gift from Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini

-That's not even one of the strangest facts. Prior to its destruction, it showed a mother wolf nursing two young boys and it was indeed strange. It was intended to honor Lucius Quinctus Cincinnatus, the Roman statesman and one responsible for the name of the city. The two boys represented Romulus and Remus, the twins whose story related to the founding of Rome. This statue was sent to Cincinnati for a Sons of Italy convention in 1929, but a larger one was switched out and put here in 1931. Unfortunately, in December 2022, the statue was removed by vandals, most likely to cash in the bronze for money. The Cincinnati Order of the Sons and Daughters of Italy partnered with the Cincinnati Parks Foundation to create a new statue

3. Charles Manson was born in Cincinnati

-Charles Manson and his actual birth family are from Ashland, Kentucky. They're native Kentuckians. His mother just happened to choose a hospital in nearby Cincinnati to give birth. He was born on 11/12/1934 and lived in reform schools before going to Utah. There he was arrested after escaping with three Indiana Boys School students. He was considered illiterate, aggressive, anti-social and a psychiatrist recommended time in a minimum security prison. He landed in the Federal Reformatory in Petersburg, Virginia in 1952. He was in and out of prison until 1967, when an early release was granted and he formed "The Manson Family". In 1969 he and his "family" murdered pregnant actress Sharon Tate and other members of the Tate-LaBianca family over several days in Los Angeles

4. The Cincinnati apartment complex known as Swinton Village was once managed by Donald Trump

-At a foreclosure auction in 1964, the largest, mostly half empty apartment complex known as Swinton Village was purchased by Donald Trump. He was just a senior in high school in a military academy and he considered this his first major deal. He talked about it in his book The Art of the Deal. He talked of evicting poor, non paying residents who had "come down from the hills of Kentucky" with "seven or eight children, almost no possessions."

5. The lizards seen all over the city were introduced to Cincinnati by a tourist returning from Italy

-Known as "Lazarus Lizards", a tourist introduced these lizards into the city after visiting Milan brought some back and released them in their yard. They originate in Northern Italy. The lizards are even found in neighboring states Kentucky and Indiana

6. Famed astronaut Neil Armstrong was the professor of aeronautical engineering at the University of Cincinnati from 1971-1979

-That's right. You read that right. Famed astronaut Neil Armstrong taught at the University of Cincinnati from 1971-1979. He taught aeronautical engineering.

7. The world's only museum for ventriloquism exists right here in the Tri-State area

-Vent Haven is the world's only museum dedicated to the quirky art of ventriloquism. With 900+ figures and counting, guests can view all the figures, books, photos and more. Also, they host the International ConVENTion each year for dozens of worldwide ventriloquists. It's temporarily closed, as it is undergoing renovations. It's located at 33 W. Maple Ave, Fort Mitchell, KY.

8. The inventors of the Magic 8 Ball are Cincinnatians

-Laura C. Cooper Pruden was a psychic medium who lived here in Cincinnati. Her son, Albert Carter, gained an interest in the world of mysticism and psychic mediums from his mother. He had an idea for a toy that would be similar to the Magic 8 ball, answering "yes" or "no". He applied for a patent for his Syco-Slate "liquid filled dice agitator" in 1944. The patent, as co-filers, Abe Bookman (filed as Buchmann), Julius Mintz and Max E. Levinson. Later on, Levinson and Bookman created the actual Magic 8 Ball, as it's come to be known. They created it to look like the black 8 ball from billiards with additional answers besides "yes" and "no"

9. Prior to achieving big name success in the world of rap, Eminem both competed and lost in a Rap Battle at the Cincinnati Hip Hop festival Scribble Jam

-An important piece of the Eminem history is his constant rap battles. This includes a stint at the Cincinnati-based Scribble Jam, a not so well known event for hip hop fans. This annual event celebrates the four branches of the hip hop culture - graffiti, dance, MCing and DJing. It debuted in 1996 to limited fanfare, but exploded in 1997 and drew thousands of people. It proved to be successful for Eminem, as he sealed his place in hip hop history here in Cincinnati

10. Fredric Baur, the inventor of the Pringles can, is buried here in Cincinnati, in his own invention

-Fredric Baur was a Cincinnati chemist and the inventor of the Pringles can. He died in 2008 and was cremated and buried at Arlington Memorial Gardens. His remains were put into an Original Flavor Pringles can.

11. The Cincinnati Reds were the first major league baseball team to travel by plane

-The Cincinnati Reds have a lot of firsts attached to their name. They were originally known as the Cincinnati Red Stockings and were the first major professional baseball team in 1869. They played in the Major League against the Philadelphia Phillies at Crosley Field on 5/24/1935. Reds catcher Willard Hershberger was the first baseball player to commit suicide during the season. 6/8/1934 marks the first major league baseball team to use to travel. They traveled to Chicago

12. Steven Spielberg was born in Cincinnati

-The legendary director was born in Cincinnati in December 1946

13. The "Least Metal Moment" occurred right here in Cincinnati

-In the early 2000s, Motley Crue front man Vince Neil led the Chicken Dance at the annual Oktoberfest

14. The Licking River also flows north

-Like the Nile River, the locally-based Licking River also flows north

15. Fleischmann Gardens has the largest gingko tree in Ohio

-Located at 524 Forest Ave in the Cincinnati neighborhood of Avondale, is Fleischmann Gardens. Ohio's largest gingko tree resides here. This park is respectively named after Charles Fleischmann, founder of the Fleischmann Yeast Company. This park also has an evergreen maze

16. The world's last passenger pigeon died in Cincinnati

-Named Martha, the world's last passenger pigeon died at the Cincinnati Zoo in 1914. With her death, the passenger pigeon species became officially extinct. There's a mural dedicated to her at 15 E. Eighth St and at the Cincinnati Zoo, there's a separate building honoring this adorable little animal

17. A wreath from Abraham Lincoln's casket is on display at Memorial Hall

-Located at 1225 Elm St in the neighborhood of Over-The-Rhine, Memorial Hall was designed by architect Samuel Hannaford & Sons. It was built in 1908 to honor the veterans of both the Civil War and Spanish-American War. It's listed on the register of historic places. It displays various military and civic artifacts, including a wreath that was on the casket of former president Abraham Lincoln

18. The last town crier works in Mariemont

-In the affluent East Side of Cincinnati neighborhood of Mariemont, there exists the nation's last town crier. It's definitely gotten an update from its 18th century beginnings. Back then, town criers were employed to inform locals of the news or major announcements, since many townsfolk were illiterate. The village of Mariemont has held fast to the tradition. Town crier Dr. Bob Keys has other duties in addition to sprouting the news of the day. He opens the town meetings, leads the Memorial Day parades, speaks to groups about his position in the city

19. Mount Adams was originally called Mount Ida

-The hilltop neighborhood known as Mount Adams, which provides breathtaking views of downtown Cincinnati, was originally called Mount Ida after an old lady named Ida Martin who lived on the hill in a hollowed out sycamore tree. The name change came in 1843 when president John Quincy Adams went to Mount Ida to do a dedication ceremony for the Cincinnati Observatory. The observatory was originally here in Mount Adams, but was moved to Mount Lookout

20. The first female-owned and operated large manufacturer was right here in Cincinnati

-Rookwood Pottery was the first large manufacturer to be female owned and operated. It was founded in 1880 by Maria Longworth Storer Nichols. This pottery is known for its impressive craftmanship and design

21. The first newspaper printed in the Northern Territory was printed right here in Cincinnati

-The Centinel of the Northwest Territory was printed for the first time on Nov. 9, 1793. The paper was published by engraver William Maxwell. It was published weekly until 1796. The motto was "open to all parties - but influenced by none." It was purchased by Edmund Freeman, who merged it with his Freeman's Journal and relocated to Chillicothe. It became The Chillicothe Gazette, Ohio's oldest newspaper

22. The first glass door oven comes from Cincinnati

-Ernest Huenefeld invented the first glass door oven in 1909. The glass allows bakers to see the progress of their food without opening the oven. A marker was dedicated in 2003 by the Cincinnati Preservation Association and The Ohio Historical Society. It's located at 2701 Spring Grove Ave in Camp Washington

23. The first paid professional fire department started here

-Located at 315 W. Court St, in downtown Cincinnati, the Fire Museum gives guests a long history of the world known as fire fighting. People can also learn that Cincinnati was the first city to have the first fully paid, fully professional fire department. The Cincinnati Fire Department was created in 1853

24. Cincinnati-based pop group Blessid Union of Souls almost wrote the theme to the film Armageddon

-Known as a highly successful film starring Liv Tyler, this Cincinnati-based group wrote a song called "Standing On The Edge of the Earth", which was slated to be used in the film. Unfortunately, this song got thrown to the wayside in favor of Aerosmith's "I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing". Most think it was nepotism that got this song selected only because Aerosmith's front man Steven Tyler has his oldest daughter in the film

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Based on the novel of the same name by L. Frank Baum, this film tells the story of a young girl named Dorothy Gale who gets swept up by a tornado and dropped into the wonderful world of Oz.

Summary

-Dorothy Gale is a young girl who gets swept away by a tornado and lands in the world of Oz. There, along with her dog Toto, she meets a scarecrow, a tin man and a cowardly lion. They embark on a quest to The Emerald City, to meet the Wizard, who can fulfill their wishes

Cast

-Judy Garland: Dorothy Gale

-Frank Morgan: Professor Marvel / The Gatekeeper / The Wizard of Oz / The Guard

-Ray Bolger: Hunk / The Scarecrow

-Bert Lahr: Zeke / The Cowardly Lion

-Jack Haley: Hickory / The Tin Man

-Billie Burke: Glinda the Good Witch

-Margaret Hamilton: Almira Gulch / The Wicked Witch of the West

-Charley Grapewin: Uncle Henry

-Pat Walshe: Nikko

-Clara Blandick: Auntie Em

Did You Know?

-Many scenes were either shortened or completely deleted out of the film because they were thought to be too intense. One example is a scene showing the tornado completely engulfing the house

-While searching for clothing for Frank Morgan (The Wizard/Professor Marvel), the wardrobe department went to a second hand store and found one that gave off a vibe of "shabby gentility". One day, director Victor Fleming turned out one of the pockets and a label bearing the name "L. Frank Baum" came out. Mary Mayer, a publicist for the film, reached out to both the tailor and Baum's widow. It turned out that the coat did, at one time, belong to the famed author of The Wizard of Oz. When filming concluded, the coat was given to Mrs. Baum

-Judy Garland found it hard to be fearful of Margaret Hamilton, the Wicked Witch, because she was such a kindly woman off-screen

-The iconic ruby slippers Dorothy wore are now in the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of American History. The carpet in front of the case has to be replaced frequently due to wear and tear

-The horses in Emerald City were coated with gelatin powder, to give them their bright hues. Scenes had to be shot quickly before the horses licked off the powder

-Dorothy Louise Gage was born in 1898 to the brother and sister in law of Maud Gage Baum, the sister of L. Frank Baum, the famed author of The Wizard of Oz. When Dorothy died five months later, Maud was devastated. Ironically, Baum was finishing "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" and decided to name the heroine Dorothy to comfort his wife. He changed the last name to Gale in the third book. Dorothy Gage was buried in Evergreen Memorial Cemetery in Bloomington, IL. Her grave was mostly forgotten until 1996 when it was rediscovered. Mickey Carroll, one of the last surviving actors to play the Munchkins, learned of the discovery and made it his mission to give her a new marker to replace the old, heavily weathered one from the monument company he owned. A dedication ceremony in 1997 was held to celebrate this and the children's section of the cemetery was renamed the Dorothy L. Gage Memorial Garden with the hope that parents who lost children would be comforted by the thought of their deceased children being with Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz

-Judy Garland had to wear a corset to appear younger and flat chested because, at the time of filming, she was only 16 and had to appear as a pre-pubescent girl

-The Munchkins are played by The Singer Midgets, not named after their ability to sing, but their manager Leo Singer. The group came from Europe, and many of them were Jewish. They took advantage of being in the US to escape the Nazis. Professional singers dubbed their singing voices, as many of them couldn't speak English or sing all that well. The only two heard speaking with their real voices were the Munchkins who give Dorothy flowers after she climbs into the carriage

-Ray Bolger was originally cast as the Tin Man, but instead he wanted to play the Scarecrow. His good friend Buddy Ebsen ended up playing the Tin Man. Unbeknownst to Ebsen, the silver makeup contained aluminum dust, which he had a severe allergic reaction to, resulting in him being rushed to the hospital. The role of the Tin Man was immediately recast and Jack Haley took over as The Tin Man, wearing makeup that contained not aluminum dust but aluminum paste, so as to avoid any allergic reactions

-Despite playing an enemy to Dorothy, Judy Garland and Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch, got along very well on set. Garland had shown Hamilton a dress she was planning on wearing to her high school graduation. But Louis B. Mayer had her going out on a tour with Mickey Rooney and she never got a chance to wear it onstage with her graduating class. Hamilton became angry and called up Mayer to yell at him

-During the "poppy field" scene, where Dorothy, the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and Cowardly Lion fell asleep, the "snow" raining down was 100% industrial grade asbestos. Unfortunately, it had been known for years the dangerous health hazards of asbestos

-Bert Lahr, who played the Cowardly Lion, wore a lion costume that weighed 90 pounds. At the end of each day, due to the bright lights on set, the costume was soaked from Lahr sweating badly

-Margaret Hamilton was very fond of animals. Like Judy Garland, Hamilton had a bond with Terry, the dog who played Toto. Which is why Hamilton found it difficult to do the scene where Miss Gulch has to take Toto away and as the Wicked Witch, where she ordered Toto to be drowned

-Margaret Hamilton got teary eyed during the scene where Frank Morgan, who plays The Wizard, was giving Dorothy and her friends gifts from his "black bag". A diploma for the Scarecrow, a ticking heart for the Tin Man, and a medal for the Cowardly Lion. She said "Frank was just like that in real life-very generous."

-Judy Garland's feet hurt so bad from wearing the ruby slippers that she could only wear them for brief times. A quick shot of her wearing soft rehearsal shoes can be seen in the scene where the Tin Man is dancing and falls backwards

-Since Judy Garland was only 16 and in school at the time, she could only do four hours on set and spent three hours getting her education when not filming

-Nikko is the name of the lead winged monkey. This name comes from the Japanese town where the famous See No Evil/Hear No Evil/Speak No Evil monkey shrine is located

-There is a small sign outside of Professor Marvel's wagon that says "Balloon exhibitionist" as one of the services he offers

-Eerily enough, on the day that Judy Garland died, there was a tornado in Kansas

-Ray Bolger (Scarecrow), Bert Lahr (Cowardly Lion) and Jack Haley (Tin Man) had to eat their lunch in their dressing rooms because their makeup frightened other people in the MGM cafeteria

-Frank Morgan, who played Professor Marvel / The Wizard, suffered from alcoholism and would discreetly hide his liquor in his dressing room. He remained friendly and professional throughout his life. One of the times he was noticeably drunk was during the Oz guardhouse scene, where, it's been noted, he would have fallen over if not for the guardhouse. He even began attracting attention when he began singing a dirty song. This type of behavior was not considered normal for the usually friendly actor

-Multiple styles of shoes were tested for the ruby slippers. There was one known as "Arabian" slippers because of their curled up toes. There was another one known as "Bugle Bead" slippers without bows. The ones that won out were a pair of low schoolgirl-style pumps with bows

-The paint used to make bricks yellow for the Yellow Brick Road was nothing more than basic yellow industrial paint purchased from a hardware store several blocks away from the studio

-During the scene where the Wizard's guard had told Dorothy and her friends to go away, the crying Dorothy did was not acting, but real. Judy Garland found out her pet dog died and it broke her heart so much she broke down in tears, which worked for the scene and made it more realistic

-The set was said to be a major health hazard. Buddy Ebsen, who was supposed to play the Tin Man, was allergic to the aluminum-based makeup and had to spend time in an iron lung to cure him. Margaret Hamilton, who played the Wicked Witch, suffered burns from a faulty trap door during her exit scene from Oz. She missed six weeks of filming while her understudy was in the hospital for eleven days after suffering permanent burns from the broom exploding. Hamilton's green makeup was also toxic because it was copper-based and allowed her only to drink liquids through a straw. Her skin was also green for months, even after filming wrapped

-Normally, poppies are not known for an appealing scent. Anyone who is familiar with narcotics, specifically opium and heroin, know that the opium poppy is where these two narcotics are derived from. The red flowers are representative of the opium poppy, which does induce sleep

-In the original book, the slippers were silver, not red. They were changed to a ruby red color to make them appear better in Technicolor 

The Inmate by Freida McFadden

Originally, I had this on my Amazon wishlist to read as a Kindle book. I ended up finding it in paperback form at a local bookstore.

Summary

Brooke Sullivan is back in her hometown of Raker, New York. She was working in Queens as a nurse practitioner, but now has a new job-the nurse practitioner at the Raker Correctional Institute, a maximum security prison. She's given these three rules upon entering: 1.) Treat each prisoner with respect, 2.) Never reveal ANY personal information, 3.) Never get too friendly with the prisoners. She's already broken the rules, unbeknownst to the staff. The staff there don't know about her personal and intimate connection to Shane Nelson, the prison's most deadly inmate, incarcerated for a series of gruesome crimes. That it's Brooke's testimony in court that put him there. And he doesn't forget a thing about it.

Weird Kentucky by Jeffrey Scott Holland

Part of the Weird US series by Mark Scuerman and Mark Moran, this book highlights all of the weird, quirky and wonderful people, places and things about the Bluegrass State, Kentucky.

It's broken down into sections. Ancient Mysteries, Fabled People and Legendary Places, Unexplained Phenomena, Bizarre Beasts, Local Heroes and Villains, Personalized Properties, Roadside Distractions, Roads Less Travelled, Ghosts of Kentucky, Cemetery Safari, Abandoned in Kentucky

Some of the items mentioned in this book include:

The Louisville Slugger Museum

This museum in Louisville is attached to the museum making the famed baseball bats known as "Louisville Sluggers". There is a massive model of its famed product leaning against the building housing the museum, dedicated to the history of the famed Louisville Slugger baseball bat.

Donald Harvey, The Angel of Death

He was a resident of Kentucky who became known as the Angel of Death, for the high number of deaths that occurred on his watch. He worked at several hospitals in the area, including the VA (Veterans Affairs) Medical Center right here in Cincinnati

Maxey Flats

A toxic government area that is more or less a radioactive waste dump. It's where dangerous radioactive material is simply left to rot in metal canisters and cardboard boxes, where, eventually, the chemicals eat through the metal and cardboard and leech into the local water supply and ground. This is not a tourist destination; it's under heavy surveillance and protection of the government. These radioactive materials have to be monitored frequently to ensure that too much radiation doesn't taint the local water supply. This is what happens when you don't know how to properly dispose of radioactive material and toxic chemicals. You do a dump and run (dump something dangerous and just run away, forgetting the whole thing). This place is what happens when the government doesn't know how to properly dispose of radioactive material.

The Gates of Hell

This area, called the Gates of Hell, goes through Kasey Cemetery and, because of the spooky nature of the area surrounding the cemetery and road, lead to you wondering if you've entered the unholy underworld. Located in Elizabethtown, this area is often heavily visited by figures in black cloaks, practicing black magic and devil worship. If you visit this road, and get out to explore, be prepared to meet figures in black who exude an overwhelming sense of uneasy malevolence.

The Wildwood Inn

Located in Erlanger, this "interesting" hotel is known for it's large glassed-in heated indoor pool, giving you the feeling of swimming in a large hothouse more appropriate for plants and its 31 themed rooms. This is for couples who want to reinvigorate their love lives and spice things up. There's the Raceway Suite, including two regulation-size NASCAR cars and black and white checkered flag bed linens. Then there's the Central Park suite, complete with park benches and murals of New York's famous Central park.

Butchertown

This was an area of Louisville that once had tons of slaughterhouses and other meat processing plants. There is a park overlooking one of these plants that is said to be the most unpleasant park you can imaging. Aside from the heavily hot dog-scented air and view of a meat processing plant, there is strong paranormal activity here. Feelings of being watched, feelings of nausea almost to the point of vomiting. It's just an overall uneasy feeling here.

Colonel Harland Sanders

The man behind Kentucky Fried Chicken, he wore many hats before becoming known as the man behind Kentucky Fried Chicken. His odd jobs included fireman and a stint in the military. His large empire started out as nothing more than a modest side job at the gas station he owned in Corbin, Kentucky. He would sell fried chicken at the gas station, made from the kitchen of the house he owned right behind the gas station. It was good and attracted more and more people. One day, he noticed he was selling more chicken than gas and realized he might be one to something. He thought about making this a regular thing and started his own fried chicken company. Today, this company has dozens of locations in the US and even worldwide. Most little kids don't know the man from the KFC commercials was a real person

Waverly Hills Sanatorium

Located in Louisville, this is an old tuberculosis hospital that opened up with tuberculosis, known as the dreaded consumption or "white plague" was still ravaging the areas of Kentucky and beyond. The doctors and nurses at this hospital may not have been successful in finding a cure, but they were friendly and caring. They believed fresh air and sunlight would help the patients. It may not cure them, but it will keep their spirits high. Unfortunately, due to the high number of daily deaths from tuberculosis, the long tunnel on the facility, used to ferry supplies into the hospital, was repurposed for a more grim reason. It was renamed, by locals and even some of the staff, as The Body Chute. It was used to remove the bodies of those who perished, secretly, so the patients wouldn't see how many people were dying a day. Luckily, there were were patients who were here who were cured enough to be freed back into society. You can often take tours of this old TB hospital, daytime and nighttime tours.

Hayswood Hospital

Unlike the Waverly Hills Sanatorium that you can take tours of, this one you cannot. It's unstable, the floors can break through without warning, there is vermin running about and, in addition to the asbestos in the air, there is the unmistakable aroma of paranormal activity here. This hospital is located on a hill atop Fourth Street, overlooking the Simon Kenton Bridge and the Licking River in Maysville. Originally starting out as the Hayswood Seminary, a place where men go to study the theological world and become priests, this building closed. A local named May Peale Wilson came and turned the building into the Wilson Infirmary, which she ran until she died in 1901. Then the building was razed to make room for a new hospital, which would be called Hayswood Hospital, in honor of the old seminary that once stood here.

The hospital was considered not just the gold standard, but the platinum standard for medical care. People came here from six counties and beyond for their treatments. People were born here, lives were saved here, people died here. The hospital closed in 1983 in conjunction with the opening of the new Meadowview Regional Medical Center. Hayswood then lay abandoned since then. Supplies are still in cabinets, never to be used once more. Gurneys wait in the halls for patients who will not be be admitted. Paranormal activity is running over overload. People living near the hospital state they see lights on in rooms occasionally, which is odd given the building no longer has electric. Hospital equipment will be seen in the windows. Phantom nurses and doctors see standing in the windows. The phantom clacking of heels, such as from a doctor running down the hall in response to a Code Blue (high priority emergency in medical lingo).

Pete Gross aka Buckhorn

Known as Buckhorn in the Richmond, Kentucky area, this kooky character was a bit strange, but beloved by those in the Richmond area. He worked odd jobs, such as a custodian and worked at the local WEKY radio station, known for his ear shattering, off tune cover of "Happy Birthday to You". He was known to the town drunks, college students and citizens as a rough, grizzled-looking guy with an almost child-like laugh. He would zip around town on his motorcycle, ignoring traffic laws. The ironic thing is that he couldn't write or read, but if it came to radios, he would fix them easily and make them good as new, if not better. He would receive broken radios and with the "Buckhorn" touch, they would work anew.

James Herndon aka Sweet Evening Breeze

Imagine being a black man living in Louisville, Kentucky during the 1930s-1970s? Then add on to that being not only a black man, but an openly gay, cross dressing black man in the 1930s-1970s in Louisville. You can imagine that would stir up some trouble in the racially charged, Bible Belt of the South. A local character named James Herndon, better known by their drag name of Sweet Evening Breeze, is the subject of this eye catching story. She was an openly gay, cross dressing black man known by the drag name of Sweet Evening Breeze. Because of their kind personality and massive charisma, no one gave them any issue. This interesting local had friends all over, from their fellow church goers at the Pleasant Green Baptist Church to the fellow doctors and nurses at Good Samaritan Hospital, where Miss Sweets, as she was also known as, would work, and play the role of cheerleader during staff football games and also worked as a nurse. They lived in the old black neighborhood on Prall Street. Their house is still there. This world lost this louder than life personality in 1983.

A mural on the side of the building

The actual Sweet Evening Breeze

Charles Manson

Before he became known for "Helter Skelter", he was born in Ashland, Kentucky. He was in and out of jails, reformatories and other behavior-correcting facilities as a child. As he grew up, he wanted nothing more than to be a musician. The Beatles and The Beach Boys being his inspiration. During the 1960s, he and a group of people became known as the Manson Family and murdered Valley of the Dolls actress Sharon Tate while she was pregnant. Charles Manson is, to this day, still in prison. Never to be released.

Weird Ohio by Loren Coleman, Andy Henderson, James A. Willis

Part of the Weird US series by Mark Scuerman and Mark Moran, this book highlights all of the weird, quirky and wonderful people, places and things about the Buckeye State, Ohio.

It's broken down into sections. Ancient Mysteries, Fabled People and Legendary Places, Unexplained Phenomena, Bizarre Beasts, Local Heroes and Villains, Personalized Properties, Roadside Distractions, Roads Less Travelled, Ghosts of Ohio, Cemetery Safari, Abandoned in Ohio

Some of the items mentioned in this book include:

Gates of Hell / Blood Bowl

Located in the underground storm drains running under High Street in Columbus, this heavily graffitti-infested series of storm drains are a skateboarder or BMX rider's paradise. It's called the Gates of Hell because supposedly there is a portion of these tunnels that is an opening to the underworld. It's called the Blood Bowl because some kid was dared to ride in the pitch darkness on his skateboard and the outcome was grim

Thomas Lee Dillion, the "Unsportsman-Like Sniper"

-Thomas Lee Dillon was a gun enthusiast who often hunted both animals and humans. When the number of murders began to rise around the Canton area, where Dillion is from, the FBI were brought in. They compiled a psychological profile of the suspected gunman, or "unsub" in FBI lingo. It included that the person was a gun enthusiast, preferred to solve issues in a cowardly way, that they were isolated or a loner, etc. One former classmate heard about this profile and realized, with horror, it fit his former classmate perfectly.

The Ohio Grassman

This is the Ohio equivalent to the famed creature known elsewhere as Bigfoot

Clermont County Dead Man's Curve

With a name like that, you're sure to get someone's attention. There are actually two Dead Man's Curves in Ohio and they have to be referred by either the county they're in or the road they include as part of them to differentiate them. There's the Clermont County Dead Man's Curve and the Harrison Ave Dead Man's Curve. The Clermont County one runs through the small village of Bantam, Ohio, where State Routes 125 and 222 meet. This intersection is PITCH BLACK DARK at night. It has no streetlights. Originally, it was part of the Ohio Turnpike. Back then, it was a dangerous stretch of road. It turned sharply right atop a steel hill. It's since been leveled out and hopefully made safer. Not so much. In the fall season of 1969, A horrible car crash between a 1969 Dodge Roadrunner and a 1969 Chevy Impala occurred, killing all five occupants of one car. It was said that the Dodge Roadrunner had hit the Impala at speeds over 100 mph. Now, there's a spooky spirit who hangs here. He's known as the faceless hitchhiker and is seen between 1:20-1:40 in the dead of morning. He will attack cars passing by. He will jump out in front of drivers only to be "hit" and then leap up and race after the car. It's wise to avoid this stretch of road between the hours of 1:20-1:40 am in the DEAD OF MORNING otherwise you are doing this at your peril.

The Lake Drive-In

There was once a multitude of drive-ins in Ohio. Most closed down with the advent of the multiplex theaters and/or lack of business. The Lake Drive-In in Mt. Orab was one of the last to close. In fact, during a re-release of Gone with the Wind, ironically, a tornado came in. People knew trouble was brewing earlier in the day when the skies took on an eerie greenish tinge, a usual indicator of tornado activity. Sure enough, not too long afterwards, a tornado came in when the theater was showing Gone with the Wind. The big screen was destroyed in the high winds, but no one was hurt or killed. Now the theatre is abandoned.

The "Stain" at the Ridges Asylum

Before becoming known as The Ridges, it was originally the Athens State Hospital. It was a mental health facility taking care of those with mental health issues. When the hospital was evacuating patients, it was said that a deaf mute patient named Margaret Schilling hid from staff in her room. When she was unable to call out for help, she simply took her clothes off and lay right on the floor to die of hypothermia. Because of the sunshine from her window shining in, the sunshine caused some sort of chemical reaction to result in a ghostly outline or "stain" of her body.

Hell Town

Located in the Cuyahoga Valley in and around Cleveland, in an area known as Boston Township, Hell Town is a town worthy of its name. From chemical spills to incredibly dangerous Satanists lurking in the premises, it's wise to avoid this town at all costs. There are several churches in the area, incredibly beautiful to look at. But what's not so beautiful about them is the lurid activity which occurs within. Local devil worshippers summon The Dark One and practice black magic within these hallowed halls. Not only that, but a chemical spill years ago was said to cause all sorts of strange mutations on the local wildlife. This town closed down to the public in the 1960s when legislation was written to create more green space, and thus, more parks. The legislation written was for the National Park Service to buy up land to transform into national parks, in a process known as eminent domain. Which is where you can come in and buy up land with no problems. One house here even had the statement put on it "Now we know how the Native Americans felt". That's how the Cuyahoga Valley Park was born.

There are two roads in this town, both claiming to be dead ends, but you can see it continuing for miles. One is called End of the World. It's at a very high hill so that when you look down, it looks as though you're driving off of a cliff. It's also been said that the devil worshipping being done here is extremely high and that these worshippers are extremely dangerous. The local worshippers will ensure you meet a gruesome end to protect their secret rituals. The police here are constantly running off thrill seekers and warning them about the extreme danger of these local devil worshippers

The Screaming Bridge

Located on Maud Hughes Road in the affluent neighborhood of Liberty Township, this bridge got its unique moniker from when it was first built. Originally, it was steel rails on steel decking. When cars would sail over it, it would sound like screaming, thus the unique moniker was born. There was also an occurrence or two that would cause human screaming. A woman had a child born out of wedlock and in those days, that earned the woman plenty of shame from others. She took the baby and herself to the screaming bridge and threw the child off the bridge and then hung herself not long afterwards.

In the 1970s, two trains crashed here. A northbound train and southbound train were heading towards each other on opposite sets of tracks here, since there are two sets of rails running parallel to each other here. One set of trains was carrying iron rebar, the kind used in concrete work to set the frame in which the concrete is be poured around. Somehow they became dislodged and now were pointing out like a jouster's lance. They pierced the conductor of the opposite train, causing a crash. That conductor died on impact while the conductor of the other train died a slow, agonizing death from the boiler, which opened and scalded him to death from boiling water. Now it's said that a ghostly conductor waving a lantern traverses these tracks in addition to seeing a ghostly figure on the bridge, appearing to commit suicide. Because of the profane graffiti lining the walls under the bridge, that more than suggests some unsavory characters hang out here. It would be wise not to go investigating here. Not only that, but those tracks are still in use by various train companies. Watch out for trains.

James Ruppert Easter Sunday Massacre

This occurred on Easter Sunday in 1975 in the neighborhood of Hamilton. James Ruppert, an all around perfectly normal man, came down from his room at 635 Minor Ave and calmly shot each and every one of his relatives. He would shoot them twice, first shot being a disarming shot and then second shot being a kill shot either directly into the brain or heart. To this day, this house exudes an uneasy, almost malevolent vibe. This house is now known to all Hamilton locals and beyond as "the murder house".

Hitler Road

This is sure to get your attention. There are three roads in Circleville, Ohio named Hitler Road 1, 2, 3. They are named after residents in the area whose family name is Hitler (no relation, thankfully, to the evil Nazi Party leader, whose name was actually misspelled from Hiedler, his maternal grandmother's married name). The residents with the last name Hitler here are a farming family who have suffered agonizing demonization from people. One person with this last name was even asked to change his last name by his own employer

Jeffrey Dahmer

What a lot of people don't know about the famous "Milwaukee Cannibal" is that he was not born and raised in Milwaukee. He was actually born in Bath, a village in Summit County, Ohio. He was labelled "a weird kid" by most of his classmates. He had moved to Milwaukee later on and that's where his crime spree escalated. He was known for murdering Hispanic, black and Asian gay men and sometimes eating them after they were dead. He was also accused of committing necrophilia (sexual intercourse post mortem or after death). A lot of people believe that the only reason his crime spree continued in Milwaukee was because the police were homophobic and racist, because the victims were gay and also minorities.

Solid Rock Church, home of the "Touchdown Jesus"

Most Ohio residents don't know the actual name of the church in Monroe that holds this unique figure. They only know the church as "Touchdown Jesus". It earned its interesting moniker from the fact that the hands on the statue of Jesus standing there have his hands raised to the heavens, as if cheering for a touchdown. On the nearby highway Interstate I-75, people would clog the roads taking pictures of the statue, since it was very clearly visible from the highway. I-75 even suffered tons of car wrecks and deaths from people wanting to stop and take pictures of the so-called "Touchdown Jesus". It was evenly split between those who thought of it as an eyesore and those who called it "Touchdown Jesus". Unfortunately, lightning struck the statue and it burned to the ground. It was not made of concrete, but of some sort of material that was not weather-resistant and easy to catch fire. A new statue was rebuilt, this one made of sturdy concrete and now his hands are in a more reverent pose, outstretched with palms up, as if asking for alms for the poor. Locals still refer to this church, whose proper name is Solid Rock Church, as "Touchdown Jesus". When they refer to it this way, it's never offensively; it's always with the most reverent joy and respect and always a smile.

The so-called "Touchdown Jesus"

The Road of Ester Hale

Located in East Liverpool, Ohio, this lonely stretch of road has an old house that belonged to a local woman named Ester Hale. When she was alive, she was planning her wedding, while her future husband was planning his escape. She spent all day on the day she was to enter wedded bliss in her wedding dress, but her future spouse never showed. When it was clear he wasn't coming, she simply became a recluse. When friends and loved ones and even the police had to find out why she seemingly dropped off of the face of the earth, they went to her house to find now yellowed wedding decorations and her dead in her wedding dress. It's said that if you go along this road, around the date of her supposed wedding, you'll see a woman in a wedding dress. WARNING. There's a legend attached to this that will keep you from wanting to pick up this frightening bride. If you allow her to touch you, she will become young and beautiful again and you will grow old instantly and die instantly.

Chippewa Lake Amusement Park

Located in Medina County, Chippewa Lake Amusement Park was the place to go for cheap, family entertainment. It closed in 1978 because Cedar Point, in nearby Sandusky, was proving to be too much competition for this small time park. The remnants of the rides are still out in those woods, rusting, left to the elements. Trees are growing up in and around the rusted hulks of these former rides.