Columbus Neighborhoods | Connecting The Ohio 3 C's | Season 8 | Episode 2

>>> YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD OF THE THREE Cs, CLEVELAND, CINCINNATI AND -- >> COLUMBUS.

AFTER ALL, CHARLENE, WITHOUT COLUMBUS, WE WOULDN'T HAVE A SHOW.

>>> TRAGIC, YOU'RE RIGHT ABOUT THAT.

ASIDE FROM THE THREE BIGGEST CITIES IN OHIO, AND LESS THAN 250 MILES APART, THE THREE Cs HAVE CONNECTED IN A LOT OF WAYS THROUGHOUT HISTORY.

PHONY >>> WE ARE EXCITED TO BE HERE, TO LEARN ABOUT THE LITTLE MIAMI RAILROAD, AND HOW IT GOT STARTED.

>> IT STARTED IN CINCINNATI, SNAEG BEING ONE OF THE BIGGEST CITIES IN THE STATE OF OHIO.

IT WAS FORMED UP ALONG THE OHIO RIVER, WITH THE DEPOT DOWN THERE.

IT BUILD UP THE LITTLE MIAMI RIVER, FIRST MAKE STOP WAS IN MILFORD, OHIO.

THE DEPOT WAS RIGHT ALONG THE LITTLE MIAMI.

YOU COULD LOOK OUT AND SEE THE RIVER.

THEN IT CAME UP INTO XENIA, AND REACHED THERE.

1845 WAS THE FIRST TRAFFIC UP INTO XENIA.

CAPTIONS PROVIDED BY WOSU-TV, THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY >>> IF YOU'VE LIVED IN OHIO FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME, YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD OF THE THREE Cs -- CLEVELAND, SNEAD AND -- >> COLUMBUS.

AFTER ALL, CHARLENE, WITHOUT COLUMBUS, WE WOULDN'T HAVE A SHOW.

>> TRAGIC, YOU'RE LIGHT ABOUT THAT.

ASIDE FROM THE BIG CITIES IN OHIO, THE THREE Cs HAVE CONNECTED IN A LOT OF WAYS THROUGHOUT HISTORY.

FOLKS, UP UNTIL 1967, ALL THREE CITIES WERE DIRECTLY CONNECTED BY RAIL.

>> THAT'S RIGHT, CHARLENE.

IN TODAY'S SHOW WE'RE EXPLORING SOME OUR THREE C CONNECTION, ONE WAS THE ALSO MIAMI RAILROAD, IT STARTED BACK IN 1853.

HERE'S THAT STORY.

>>> WE ARE EXCITED TO BE HERE IN XENIA, OHIO, TO LEARN ABOUT THE LITTLE MIAMI RAILROAD AND HOW IT GOT STARTED.

>> IT STARTED IN CINCINNATI, CINCINNATI BEING ONE OF THE BIGGER CITIES IN THE STATE OF OHIO.

IT WAS FORMED UP ALONG THE OHIO RIVER.

THERE WAS THE DEPOT DOWN THERE.

IT BUILT UP THE LITTLE MIAMI RIVER.

THE FIRST MAJOR STOP WAS IN MILFORD, OHIO.

IT WAS -- THE DEPOT WAS RIGHT ALONG THE LITTLE MIAMI.

YOU COULD LOOK OUT AND SEE THE RIVER.

THEN IT CAME UP INTO XENIA.

REACHED XENIA IN 1845, THE FIRST TRAFFIC UP INTO XENIA, AND THEN THEY COMPLETED THE LITTLE MIAMI UP TO SPRINGFIELD, OHIO, THE FOLLOWING YEAR, 1846.

THAT PARTICULAR PIECE OF TRACK WE WANT RIGHT THROUGH DOWNTOWN XENIA.

THEY HAULED PASSENGERS FIRST, AND THEN PICKED UP FREIGHT.

THE RAILROADS REALLY TOOK BUSINESS AWAY FROM THE CANALS.

THEY HAD A NEW CANAL GOING INTO CINCINNATI, BUT CANAL BOAT TRAFFIC WAS VERY SLOW.

THE RAILROAD WAS MUCH FASTER.

THE CANAL SPEED WAS ABOUT THE SPEED OF A HORSE OR MULE.

THE RAILROAD SPEED WAS MAKE 30 MILES AN HOUR, GIVE OR TAKE A BIT.

YOU COULD SHIP LARGE AMOUNTS OF GOODS ON THE RAILROAD, WHERE IN THE CANAL YOU WERE MORE LIMITED TO HOW MUCH YOU COULD SHIP.

EARLY ON, I'M TOLD, RATHER THAN SHIPPING CORN, THEY CONVERTED IT TO WHISKEY.

IT WAS SHIPPED DOWN TO CINCINNATI ON ORIGINALLY RIVER BOATS -- RAFTS, REALLY -- LATER ON CANALS, AND THEN IT COULD GO DOWN THE OHIO RIVER TO MISSISSIPPI AND RAW MATERIALS COULD COME BACK THE OPPOSITE WAIT.

>> IT PROVED TO BE MORE EFFICIENT.

>> OH, YES, MUCH MORE EFFICIENT, LESS COSTLY, YEAH.

HOW IMPORTANT WAS IT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE AREA?

>> IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THE POPULATION GREW FROM THE 1840s CENSUS, THE POPULATION GREW PROBABLY ALMOST TRIPLE IN THE 1850 CENSUS.

>> WAS IT MAINLY FOR FREIGHT OR INDUSTRY OR PASSENGER ALSO?

>> PASSENGER ALSO.

>> OF COURSE, THE FREIGHT WENT ALONG WITH THE PASSENGERS.

THE MONEY WAS IN THE FREIGHT, BUT INITIALLY, YOU KNOW, IT HAULED PEOPLE.

>> BY THE 1860s, YOU WERE ABLE TO HAUL SOLDIERS FROM CAMP DEN I SEN AND CAMP CHASE, AND GO DOWN TO THE SOUTH WHERE THEY WERE NEEDED.

>> TELL ME HOW THE LITTLE MIAMI RAILROAD CAME TO COLUMBUS?

>> THE LITTLE MIAMI CAME TO XENIA IN 1846.

ANOTHER COMPANY WAS FORMED, BECAME COLUMBUS AND XENIA.

THERE WAS SOME TALK OF GOING ALL THE WAY TO CLEVELAND, BUT IT DIDN'T.

BY 1850, THE COLUMBUS AND XENIA WAS COMPLETED.

THE TERM I NEWS WAS AT XENIA.

BY 1860, THE TWO HAD MERGED, PROBABLY BECAUSE THEY WERE GOING OVER THE SAME AREA.

THEY WANTED TO MAKE THAT LENGTH TO COLUMBUS THAT HAD EVEN MORE OF AN ECONOMIC IMPACT.

>> ONE OF THE REASONS THE COLUMBUS LINE WENT TO XENIA IS THE LITTLE MIAMI MERGED WITH ANOTHER RAILROAD AT SPRINGFIELD, WENT UP TO LAKE ERIE.

ON THAT WAS THE FIRST CROSS-STATE RAILROAD.

SO ANYTHING THAT COLUMBUS SHOULD SHIP DOWN TO XENIA, THEY COULD SHIP TO LAKE ERIE, OR DOWN TO THE OHIO RIVER AND DOWN TO THE MISSISSIPPI.

IT GAVE THEM A GOOD OUTLET FOR PRODUCTS FROM COLUMBUS, TO GET THEM OUT TO THE REST OF THE UNITED STATES OR -- THEY WEREN'T UNITED STATES IN THOSE DAYS, BUT THE STATES THAT WE DID HAVE.

>> THERE WERE A NUMBER OF RAILROADS, THEY ALL CAME TOGETHER?

>> EACH TIME THEY WOULD COME TO A COMMON TOWN, THEY WOULD MERGE THE TRACKS TO INTERCHANGE CARS.

THEN THEY WOULD THEN TRANSFER FREIGHT.

IT GOT TO BE EASIER FINANCIALLY, PAPERWORK-WISE.

THEY GREW THAT WAY, AND EVEN TODAY, YOU KNOW, BIGGER IS BETTER.

>> DID THEY KEEP THE NAME OR JUST EXPANDING NAMES OR COME UNDER THE NAME OF ANOTHER RAILROAD?

>> WELL, THEY PROBABLY RAN OUT OF ROOM ON THE SIDE OF THE CAR.

WHATEVER INITIALS, THEY PROBABLY RAN OUT.

THEY DID EVENTUALLY MERGE INTO ANOTHER FIRM.

>> SOME OF IT WAS THE SAME, SOME OF IT WAS PHYSICALLY OR OUTRIGHT BUYING THE RAILROAD.

IT WAS MORE LEASING AND SHARING INITIALLY.

THE INDIVIDUAL RAILROADS WOULD KEEP THEIR NAMES.

LATER ON, AS THEY ACTUALLY MERGED, THEY WOULD REACH A NEW NAME, TWO RAILROADS WOULD COMBINE, GET A NEW NAME.

THIS -- THEY GOT BIGGER AND BIGGER AND BIGGER.

THEY WOULD CHANGE THEIR NAMES SOMEWHAT ON A REGULAR BASIS AS THEY GREW.

WHAT BECAME THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD INITIALLY WAS A BUNCH OF OTHER LITTLE LINES.

AS THEY GREW AND GREW TOGETHER, THEY EVENTUALLY ENDED UP BEING THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD, WHICH CAME IN FROM THE EASTERN UNITED STATES.

>> THEY CONTINUED TO GO THROUGH COLUMBUS?

THAT WAS THE WAY TO THE EAST/WEST TRAFFIC TO MOVE.

>>> THIS IS WHERE THE SOLDIERS BOARDED THE TRAINS IN THE 1860s.

THIS BUILDING WAS TORN DOWN IN 1955.

THE PICTURE IS THE UPPER DEPOT, AND THAT ONE WAS BUILT SPECIFICALLY FOR THE LITTLE MIAMI RAILROAD.

YOU HAD TO STOP THERE BEFORE -- THIS WAS ON DETROIT STREET.

IT WAS TORN DOWN IN 1941.

THIS IS A PHOTO JUST ACROSS THE LINE INTO WARREN COUNTY, THE LITTLE MIAMI RAILROAD, IT'S CLEARLY MARKED HERE ON THE ENGINE.

THIS IS JUST AT FOSTERS CROSSING.

THIS IS ANOTHER PICTURE OF THE DEPOT, THE LOWER DEPOT, USS U.S. STATION AT XENIA.

THE WOOD CAR, SAYS LM AND CX.

SO THEY HAD MERGED.

>> THIS IS THE DEPOT AS I REMEMBER IT WHEN WE MOVED HERE IN 1951.

IT LOOKED LIKE A LOT LIKE THAT.

>> BUT NOT THE STEAM CAR.

>> OF COURSE, NO.

>> THIS IS THE BIG WIDE FUNNEL OF THE STEAM COMING OUT.

>> YEAH.

>> HUMONGOUS COW CATCHERS.

THEY DID CATCH COWS AND HORSES.

>> STILL A PRETTY RURAL AREA.

>> OH, YEAH.

>>> THE MAN IS THE HAND OF MAN, 1840 TO 1870.

IT WAS STILL IN THE PLANNING STATION IN 1840s.

IT'S A TIMETABLE, 1853.

THIS IS A COLUMBUS AND XENIA RAILROAD COMPANY QUARTERLY DIVIDEND FROM 1925.

AND THIS IS EDWARD WORTHINGTON GOT $170.50 TO GET PAID FOR HIS DIVIDEND BY HOLDING STOCK IN THE RAILROAD.

SO IN 1925, THEY WERE STILL PAYING DIVIDENDS, EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE GONE FOR A WHILE.

>> WHAT WAS THE FINAL YEAR OF OPERATION?

>> THROUGH DOWNTOWN XENIA, IT WAS 1967.

IT WAS THE PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD AT THAT POINT, BUT IT WAS THE ORIGINAL TRACKAGE AND ROAD BED.

>> WHAT REMNANTS ARE THERE OF THE RAILROAD HERE IN XENIA?

>> WELL, ALL OF THE RAIL LINES AND RAIL BEDS HAVE BEEN TURNED INTO MULTI-USE TRAILS, THE RAILS TO TRAILS MOVEMENT.

THE ONLY ACTIVE RAILS IN GREENE COUNTY IS AT FAIRBORNE.

>>> THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE HISTORY WITH ME.

>> YOU'RE QUITE WELCOME.

>> THANK YOU FOR COMING.

>>> STREETCARS WERE ANOTHER IMPORTANT CONNECTION POINT WITH THIS THESE CITIES.

>> ESPECIALLY HERE IN COLUMBUS.

THOUGH THEY'RE NO LONGER RUNNING, THERE ARE REMNANTS THAT STILL EXIST.

>> THERE'S A NEW HISTORIC TROLLEY AREA.

>> JUST WAIT UNTIL YOU SEE THE NEW SPACE.

>>> WE'RE ON EAST OAK STREET, JUST OUTSIDE DOWNTOWN COLUMBUS.

IT WAS ONE OF THE STREETS SERVED BY THE STREETCARS.

IN THOSE DAYS, NOBODY LIVED IN COLUMBUS MORE THAN THREE BLOCKS IN A STREET LINE.

IT WAS REMARKABLE HOW EASY IT WAS FOR PEOPLE TO GET AROUND WITHOUT DIFFICULTY, BECAUSE THE STREETCARS WERE SO ACCESSIBLE.

WE'RE HEAD TO DO A BIG COMPLEX FOR THESE ARE KNOWN AS THE TROLLEY BARNS TODAY.

THEY WERE EMPTY, IN PRIVATE OWNERSHIP BY AN OWNER WHO DIPLOMAT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THEM, FINALLY WERE ACQUIRED BY A LOCAL DEVELOPER, AND THEIR REBIRTH HAS BEGUN.

I THINK WE'LL HAVE A GOOD VISIT TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON HERE TODAY.

>> HI, BRAD.

>> GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> GOOD TO SEE YOU.

>> WOW, WHAT A PLACE.

WHAT A CHANGE.

>> YEAH, I KNOW.

>> THIS IS A LOT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IT USED TO BE.

I NOTICE IT HAS ITS TRACKS BACK AGAIN.

>> YEAH.

WE PUT THEM BACK IN ABOUT LAST YEAR.

THE TRACK DID RUN IN TWO PARALLEL LINES.

IT WAS UNDER ASPHALT.

THERE WAS HISTORICALLY NOT A BASEMENT UNDER THIS.

WE DUG ONE IN, AND THEN WETTED THE DETAILS WITH THE SWITCH THAT OUTLINES THE PATHWAYS.

>> I REMEMBER SEEING THE COMPLEX GETTING WORSE.

IT MUST HAVE BEEN A CHALLENGE TO TAKE IT ON.

>> IT WAS.

THE PEOPLE WERE PASSIONATE ABOUT TRYING TO KEEP THE HISTORIC FABRIC, AS WE ARE AS A DEVELOPMENT COMPANY.

IT TOOK A LONG TIME TO PLAN IT OUT.

IT'S BEEN A LABOR OF LOVE FOR A FEW YEARS.

>> THE MAIN BUILDING IS KNOWN AS EAST MARKET, WHICH I THINK IS GREAT.

OF COURSE, THE CITY USED TO HAVE PUBLIC MARKETS.

EAST MARKET IS BACK AGAIN.

I THINK THAT'S GREAT THAT THERE'S A PUBLIC MARKET.

>> YES, ABSOLUTELY.

WE LOOKED AT IT AS IF IT WAS A FOOD DESERT.

WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING IN THIS AREA, WHERE THE COMMUNITY COULD COME IN, HAVE A SELECTION, PEOPLE -- LOCALLY OWNED BUSINESSES COULD PLY THEIR TRADE, AND HAVE MORE OF A GATHERING PLACE.

>> I CAN SEE THE OLD BUILDING.

CLEARLY IT'S STILL HERE, THE BRICK WALLS.

HOW DID YOU APPROACH MAKING IT INTO A MARKETPLACE?

>> WE HAD EXCAVATED THE ENTIRE BASEMENT, AND WE HAD SUPPORT POLES ON THE OUTER WALLS HOLDING IT UP.

>> WOW.

>> THERE WAS A HUGE STORM THAT PUSHED IN THE WALL.

WE HAD TO DO A DEMOLITION, THEN OF THAT WALL.

WHAT IT ALLOWED TO DO IS WE CREATE ADD STEEL INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THE COMPANY THAT ALLOWED -- >> THESE OLD BUILDINGS ARE NOT REUSABLE, BUT DON'T NECESSARILY COMPLY WITH COUNTRY COAT.

YOU FOUND A WAY TO DO IT ECONOMICALLY, IT WAS A CERTIFIED HISTORIC REHABILITATION?

>> YES, THE STATE AND FEDERAL PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE REALLY MAKE IT A POSSIBILITY.

>> LET'S SEE SOME MORE.

>> ALL RIGHT.

IT SOUNDS GREAT.

>>> SO, WHAT SPACE ARE WE IN NOW?

>> THIS IS RAILHOUSE.

RAILHOUSE IS OUR EATERY/TAVERN.

WHAT WE DID, IN THE MARKET SPACE, WE WENT WITH WHITE, CLEAN, SEMI-STERILE COLORS TO INVOKE DAYTIME, BUT AS YOU COME INTO RAIL HOUSE, THIS IS CONVERTIBLE FOR A NIGHT -- >> TELL ME ABOUT THE WALL HERE.

>> THE BLOCKS ON THE WALL ARE ACTUALLY BLOCKS THAT WERE IN THE FLOOR OF THE BLACKSMITH SHOP.

THAT WILL BE PART OF COLUMBUS BREWING COMPANY'S FLAGSHIP RESTAURANTS.

THEY BLOCKS WERE REPURRED TO BE USED AS ARTWORK HERE.

WE'RE PRETTY PROUD OF THEM.

I THINK WE BROUGHT OUT 4,000 OF THEM.

>> I'M GLAD YOU SAVED THEM.

>> WE PULLED THEM UP, WE FOR THE OUT THEY WERE WOOD.

>> ONE REASON THEY DO THAT IS THEY ABSOB OIL AND THE FLOOR DOESN'T GET SLIPPERY, BUT IT CHANGES WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE, TOO.

>> ABSOLUTELY.

WE CLEARCOATED THAT AND SEALED IT ALL?

>> 28th ME ABOUT THE ARTWORK.

>> WE WERE REFERRED TO AN ARTIST NAMED DUART.

HE WAS SO GOOD, LITERALLY TOOK THE PHOTO -- HE CAME BACK WITH ONE DRAFT AND WE WERE, LIKE, WOW.

THE TOP RIGHT BUILDING UP THERE IS ACTUALLY IS THE WEST CAR BARN, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE IN, ALSO KNOWN AS THE PAINT SHOP.

THE DIFFERENT TIME FRAMES OF TROLLEY CARS, ALL OF THESE WERE SIGNIFICANT TO COLUMBUS, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO BUSES.

WE FEEL LIKE WE GOT AN INCREDIBLE PIECE OF THE TIME.

>> IT'S A WONDERFUL SPACE.

>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

ONE LAST PLACE I WOULD LIKE TO SHOW YOU.

>> OF COURSE.

>> SOUNDS GREAT.

>>> WHERE ARE WE NOW?

>> THIS IS THE SPEAKEASY.

WE'RE BELOW THE MARKET.

THIS IS CALLED SWITCH.

WE NAMED IT SWITCH, BECAUSE OUT HERE, JUST OUTSIDE IS WHERE THEY HAD THE SWITCH GEAR FOR THE TROLLEY CARS, WHEN THEY PICKED THE DIRECTION THEY WOULD GO.

THIS ACTUALLY WAS THE ONLY THREE ROOMS THAT WERE A BASEMENT OF THIS BUILDING, WHICH IS NOW THE EAST MARKET.

WE DUG A BASEMENT UNDER ANOTHER 14,000 SQUARE FEET ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WALL BEHIND US, BUT THEY HAVE THESE BARREL BRICK WALLS.

WE HAD TO REMOVE ALL THE BRICK FOR THESE AMPING, AS WE PUT A PRECAST FLOORING SYSTEM ABOVE IT TO SUPPORT THE WEIGHT, AND THEN REBUILD ALL OF THESE AS THEY HISTORICALLY WERE.

ALL OF THE PAVERS WERE STANDING ON RIGHT NOW WERE PULLED OUT PARKING AREA.

>> ALL PAVERS.

WE CLEANED A TOTAL OF 11,000 PITCHERS.

>> YOUR ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS INCREDIBLE.

THIS LOOKS LIKE A VERY PRIVATE, SMALL SPACE.

IT'S CALLED A SPEAKEASY FOR A REASON.

>> WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS OPEN TO EVERYBODY, BUT LIKE A TRUE SPEAKEASY, WE SPECIALIZE IN WHISKEY AND BOURBON, AND THAT'S LOCKED, AND ON THURSDAY -- RIGHT NOW ON THURSDAY, ON THE BOTTOM OF YOUR INVOICE IS THE PASSWORK, YOU KNOCK ON THE DOOR AND THE BARTENDER WILL OPEN AND LET YOU IN.

>>> SO WITHOUT A PASSWORK,AL CAPONE COULD NOT GET IN?

>> ABSOLUTELY NOT.

>>> THIS IS A GREAT PROJECT.

WHAT FUTURE PLANS DO YOU HAVE COMING UP?

>> THIS IS THE LARGEST OF ALL BUILDINGS.

IT WAS THE MOST INTRICATE BECAUSE OF THE MARKET.

THE INFRASTRUCTURE BEHIND US IS INCREDIBLE.

THUS ACTUALLY ONE OF FIVE BUILDINGS.

THE SECOND USED TO BE THE MECHANICS' SHOP.

THAT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE COLUMBUS BREWING COMPANY.

>> SO YOU SEE ALL OF THE REMAINING BUILDINGS GETTING DEVELOPED OVER TIME?

>> WE TENANTS FOR ALMOST ALL.

IF YOU GO TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PROPERTY, THE LARGE BUILDING, 25,000 SQUARE FEET ON THE FAR EAST END IS THE EAST CAR BARN.

RIGHT NOW IT HAS THE WALL DOWN.

THEY'RE REBUILDING THAT STRUCTURE, BECAUSE PARTWAY THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT, WHEN WE OPENED UP THE ROOF, ALL OF THE MORTAR HAD ERODED.

>> THAT TENDS TO HAPPEN.

>> YEAH, WE HAD TO GO BACK, TAKE IT ALL DOWN, CLEAN THE BRICK AND RE-LAY IT.

>> THEN YOU HAVE OVERLAYED ANOTHER LEVEL OF DETAIL.

THANK YOU FOR DOING SUCH A GOOD JOB, SUCH A GREAT TOUR, AND BEING WILLING TO TALKING TO US.

>> MY PLEASURE.

WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR COLUMBUS.

THANK YOU.

>>> WE'RE CONNECTING THE HOW OY THREE Cs FROM CINCINNATI TO COLUMBUS, AND NOW ON TO CLEVELAND.

>> WHAT BETTER WAY TO CONNECT TO CLEVELAND THAN THROUGH AN ACTUAL BRIDGE.

>> IF YOU EVER PASSED OVER THIS CLEVELAND BRIDGE AND MARVELED AT THE ICONIC PYLON, THIS NEXT MESSAGE IS FOR YOU.

>>> I'M DAVID SIMMONS, AUTHOR OF THE ARTICLE ON CLEVELAND'S GUARDIANS.

I'M INTERESTED IN TELLING YOU A BIT MORE ABOUT THIS UNIQUE STRUCTURE.

>> I'M THE EDITOR OF THE CONNECTIONS MEMBERSHIP PUBLICATION, "ECHOES" MAGAZINE.

THIS BRIDGE IS EMBLEMATIC OF CLEVELAND IN THE 20s CENTURY, THE HIGHS OF THE 1920s AND '30s, AND NOW IN THE NEW CENTURY, THE GUARDIANS THAT WATCH OVER THE CITY.

>> PUBLIC ART IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE HAVE STRONG FEELINGS ABOUT, BUT IN THIS CASE, THESE ARE SUCH MONUMENTAL ADDITIONS, THEY'RE SO UNIQUE THAT THEY NEED TO BE PRESERVED, AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES THEM SPECIAL TO ME.

>>> HEN RE FORD WAS THE ONE WHO CAME UP WITH THE IDEA OF EVERYONE OWNING AN AUTOMOBILE.

CLEVELAND GOT THE FACTORY OF FORD IN 1914.

HAVE YOU LIVED, CLEVELAND STREETS WERE FULL OF AUTOMOBILES.

>> THE WHOLE HISTORY OF THE AUTOMOBILE IN THE COUNTRY IS THE ROADS TRYING TO CATCH UP.

>> THE BRIDGE WAS ABOUT GETTING TRAFFIC OVER THE FLATS.

THE FLATS IS A WAREHOUSE AND INDUSTRIAL AREA RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE CITY.

>> THROUGHOUT THE 1920s, CLEVELAND WAS SO COMMITTED TO THE FUTURE AND PROGRESS THAT THEY DECIDED THAT THEY WANTED TO BUILT THIS BRIDGE.

>> THE BRIDGE WAS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN AN ENGINEER AND AN ARCHITECT.

WILBUR WATSON WAS THE ENGINEER, AND HE WAS INTERESTED IN BRIDGE CONSTRUCTION AND HIRED FRANK WALKER TO HELP AND DESIGN THE BRING BY CREATING THE GUARDIANS HOLING THE BRIDGE IN THEIR HANDS.

>>> THE 1970s, WE SAW THE BEGINNING OF THE DECLINE OF THE STEEL INDUSTRY IN NORTHEASTERN OHIO.

AT THE SAME TIME, WE WERE SEEING THE DETEAR YATES OF THE LORRAINE CARNEGIE BRIDGE.

THE ICING WAS ONE OF THE MAIN FACTORS.

THE WINTERS WERE BRUTAL.

>> WE HAD TO CLOSE SIDEWALKS, TWO OF THE OUTSIDE LANES, AND ALL ALONG THE AIR POLLUTION WAS DARKENING THE GUARDIANS THEMSELVES, TO THE POINT THEY LOOKED SHABBY AND WORN OUT.

>> THE BRIDGE SURVIVED THE 1970s.

BY THE EARLY 1980s, THE CITY WAS GOING TO REHABILITATE IT.

>> DURING THE PROCESS, THEY WERE SAVED, BUT THEY ALSO AGREED TO CLEAN ALL THE YEARS OF GRIME AND DIRT.

>> THE SOOT HAD TURNED THE PYLONS FROM MORE OF A BEIGE COLOR TO BLACK.

>> THE TECHNICIANS THAT WERE DOING THAT, AGREED TO LEAVE ONE BIT OF DARKENED STONE, AND THAT WAS THE COAL IN THE BED OF THE COAL TRUCK.

THEY THOUGHT THEY SHOULD STAY BLACK, BECAUSE THAT'S MORE REALISTIC.

>> WHEN I FIRST HEARD THAT THEY WERE CHANGING THE NAME FOR THE GUARDIANS, I WAS INDIFFERENT AT BEST.

THEN I READ AN ARTICLE THAT QUOTED THE INDIANS OWNER, THAT SAID HE DROVE ACROSS THE BRIDGE.

HE SAID EVEN THOUGH THE NAME CAME WITHOUT CONSIDERING OF THE GUARDIANS, THAT IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE FOR THE CITY.

NOW THE ONLY QUESTION IS WHETHER OR NOT THE GUARDIANS CAN HELP THE TEAM PROTECT THE EIGHTH AND NINTH INNING LATE.

>>> THANKS FOR BEING WITH US, REMEMBER, YOU CAN CATCH ALL OUR EPISODES ON COLUMBUS NEIGHBORS.

>>> AND FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM AND X, FORMERLY TWITTER.

>>> WE'LL SEE YOU BACK HERE ON "COLUMBUS NEIGHBORHOODS."

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