Roots of an Ohio "River Rat"

Background

A year ago, I was contacted by Sunny Morton, the editor of the Ohio Genealogy News, published quarterly. She had come upon this blog and suggested that I might want to summarize some of the themes into an article for publication. I took her up on the challenge,

The Winter 2018 issue contains the article. In it I attempted to summarize our Jones Family History along the Ohio River from Alexander and Elizabeth's earliest arrival in Cincinnati to the latest generation's ownership of the Rivertowne Marina a few miles upstream. 

I hope you enjoy it.

Roots of an Ohio “River Rat”

My father was a “river rat” – an attribution he claimed with pride.[i] He was determined to share this accolade with his seven children. He grew up at 2424 Eastern Ave, (now Riverside Drive) in a successful marketing strategy to redefine this lower, middle-class community into a condo-dominated neighborhood of desirable riverfront properties. The neighborhood was, and is, called the East End.

His home was a small frame house located just across the street from the banks of the Ohio River. The view was partially blocked by Highlands School, a Cincinnati Public School that he attended in Grades    1-6. My grandfather, “Fred”, could often be found sitting next to his large dining room window, chewing tobacco as he watched the river traffic.

I knew my Dad loved the river as he shared pictures of his youth riding the “rollers” created by steamboats that plied the river. He reluctantly sold his canoe to buy a sewing machine for my mother after they married.

                                      Johnny Jones in his canoe on the Ohio River

As children, we were subjected to drives down to the river every time the river exceeded its banks. I was always terrified that the car brakes wouldn’t hold and we would get caught up in the river current. I remember a trip down to see the last operating “wicket dam”[i] on the Ohio in 1963 shortly before it was removed to create a 95-mile navigable pool between the Markland[ii] and Meldahl[iii] locks and dams, greatly increasing both the depth and the width of the river.

I had grown up with stories of the river being so dry and shallow in the summer that my grandfather was able to walk across it. On the other hand, several Cincinnatians ignored pleas by the authorities to stay off the ice during the winter of 1977.[iv] They were able to walk across the now wider and deeper river from Ohio to Kentucky. My well-bred mother had insisted that “no child of hers was ever going to swim in that river.” But that promise was broken when my father was able to invest in a small pleasure boat and water skiing became an essential summer activity on the river we had all grown to love.

A River Runs Through Us – My Family’s History Along the River

In the winter of 2000, I found myself laid up with a hip replacement. My husband suggested that I take the opportunity to organize a folder containing information on my family’s history that had been left to me. Before long, I had the genealogy “bug.”

Tracing my family back, the earliest Jones ancestor came to Cincinnati in the early 1840s to work as a carpenter in the thriving steamboat industry. Alexander was first listed in the City Directory in 1843.  His occupation was listed as "carpenter," and he was living on Race between 14th and 15th Streets.[v]  By 1856, the family had relocated to 592 E. Front Street[vi] (later known as Eastern Ave. and now as Riverside). This was a time when one of the main occupations in Cincinnati was boatbuilding – in particular, steamboats. Alexander was drawn to this city where his skills as a carpenter were in great demand. He and Elizabeth had six children.

Alexander Jones and Elizabeth Kinley

Alexander died in 1863, allegedly from “inflammation of the bowels."[i] Given the reality of the times with drinking water often taken directly from the Ohio River, this really should come as no surprise. Cholera was an all too commonplace illness of the time. Elizabeth was widowed at the age of 40.

By 1868, Elizabeth and her children are living on the banks of the Ohio River.[ii] The small frame house was on a lot just to the right of St. Rose Church, which was to play a significant role in the life of my family.

Second Generation

Charles Henry Jones

Rachel Wainright

My great-grandfather, Charles Henry Jones, married and moved less than a mile away to a street with a great river view, Gladstone. He and his wife, Rachel Wainright, shared a two-family home with her mother, Mary Elizabeth. Her mother played a pivotal role in the upbringing of the three children as Rachel was ill and died at the age of 41 of “consumption.” The William Wainright family had moved to Cincinnati from New Jersey following the Revolutionary War. They lived on the river on Front Street. Their son and my gg-grandfather, Britton, husband of Mary Elizabeth, ran a blacksmith shop with his brother on Front Street. Britton moved his family to New Albany, Indiana, only to die of heat stroke while marching to confront John Hunt Morgan of Morgan’s Raiders.[i] Mary Elizabeth made the decision to return to Cincinnati to be near family.


Third Generation

My grandfather, Charles “Fred” Jones, lived with his wife Norine and their five children on Columbia Ave. They rented space from his Uncle Tom and Aunt Ella. Due to eminent domain, the house was sold to make way for the construction of Columbia Parkway, one of the main arteries to the east side of Cincinnati. It is known for its spectacular views of the Ohio River. This led to the purchase of their home in 1929 at 2424 Eastern Avenue just across the street from the river. The timing of the move coincided with the crash of the stock market. My grandfather, who worked as a supervisor for the street car company, proudly never missed a payment. This was the home where my father, John T. Jones, grew up.

Fred and Norine Jones and children Edith, Charley,Bob and Johnny (oldest to youngest).

The baby, Margaret Ann, was born in 1928, eight years after my Dad, Johnny, was born in 1920.

The 1937 Flood

If you are a Cincinnatian, you are aware of the 1937 flood. My father was seventeen when this flood destroyed much of Cincinnati, even shutting down the Water Works Pumping Station. The flood crested at 80 feet, Normal pool stage in Cincinnati today is 26 feet. The river crested just short of the second-floor attic of my Dad’s house.

When I finished tracing my Cincinnati Joneses and Wainrights, it became abundantly clear that the river had played a central role in the life of my family since my gg-grandfather, Britton was born here in 1819. Each move took the family further east along the river. In fact, I realized that four generations had lived within about a one-square mile area of St. Rose Church.

Yellow pins represent four locations of Jones residences. Click to enlarge.

The Fourth Generation

The five children of Fred and Norine were: Edith, Charles (Bud), Bob, Johnny and Margaret Ann. They grew up at 2424 Eastern and spent their whole young adulthoods in the East End. Margaret Ann even married another East Ender, Anthony Scardina.

From left to right, youngest to oldest -- Margaret Ann, Johnny, Bob, "Bud" and Edith

Together, they had 19 grandchildren. Most still live in the Cincinnati area. In the summer of 2016, we held a cousins reunion.

From left to right: Top row - Tom, Fred, Ted, Don, Bob, and Tony
Middle Row: Peggy, Patty, Sue, Jeanne, Karen, Kath, Dan and Tim
Bottom Row: Fred, Gina, Rose

The Fifth Generation

I am the oldest of seven children born to John and Virginia Jones. We are all, connected in some way to the river. All of us have owned boats, mostly used on the river. My mother, who once stated that "no child of hers would ever swim in that river," had to eat those words as boating, water skiing and jet skiing became larger and larger components of any Jones summer.

John and Virginia Jones with children moving clockwise in the picture:
Don, Dan, Ted, Karen, Kath, Tom and Tim (Don is in the red sweater).

A few years ago, my youngest brother, Don Jones, made a significant contribution to our family’s river history. HE BOUGHT A MARINA![i] Only three miles upriver from where my Dad grew up, the tradition continues. Another brother, Ted, works with Don on projects designed to make this marina a boater’s paradise on the Ohio. By July 2019, the marina will include a new project, Tucker’s Landing, where recreational RVs will be able to find a home along the banks of the river.

The Sixth and Seventh Generations

My siblings and I now have children who have children. They are being "trained up" in the ways of boating and the joys of the Ohio River. I hope our legacy as "River Rats" continues for several generations.

Bill, Kath Tom, Linda, Tim. Karen, Ted, Dan, Captain Don

Labor Day fireworks on the river

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[i] According to the Urban Dictionary a “river rat” is defined as “a community of people that live along a river. Known as tight knit community that always sticks together and looks out for its children. Also, spend a lot of leisure time along the river, fishing, boating, etc. People that live along a river are proud to be called "river rats!" www.urbandictionary.com

[ii] Article on “wicket dams” http://www.steamboats.org/history-education/glossary/wicket_dam.html

[iii] Markland Dam https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markland_Locks_and_Dam

[iv] Meldahl Dam https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Markland_Locks_and_Dam

[v] “River Hike Old Stuff to Dad As He, Sons Tredge Icy Ohio”  Cincinnati Enquirer, 21 Jan 1977, Fri, Page 25.

[vi] Cincinnati City Directory for Year 1843, p. 184.

http://digital.cincinnatilibrary.org/digital/collection/p16998coll5/id/208277/rec/9

[vii] Williams City Directory, 1856 p. 143.

http://digital.cincinnatilibrary.org/digital/collection/p16998coll5/id/35256

[viii] Letter to Edith Jones from her cousin, Lillian Mears, chronicling Jones family history.

[ix] Cincinnati City Directory, 1868

[x] Britton Wainright – Parts I and II, https://jonesfamilymatters.blogspot.com/2009/05/britton-wainright-part-i.html

and https://jonesfamilymatters.blogspot.com/2009/06/britton-wainright-part-ii.html

[xi] Rivertowne Marina http://www.rivertownemarina.com/

For additional fun:

The 1937 Flood was an extreme weather event affecting many communities along the Ohio River. Included are links to pictures of its impact on the East End Community of Cincinnati.

https://ohioriverways.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-1937-flood-revisited.html

https://ohioriverways.blogspot.com/2012/02/great-ohio-river-flood-of-1937.html

A local Cincinnati photographer, Tim Jeffries, has unintentionally made a landmark of the “little red bench” located on the river bank behind St. Rose Church. As my ancestors lived on a lot just east of the bench, it is a place of special meaning for me. Links to related posts.

https://ohioriverways.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-little-red-bench.html

https://ohioriverways.blogspot.com/2011/11/living-on-ohio.html

You can read additional details about my “river rat” ancestors in my blogs, “A River Runs Through Us” and “Family Matters”  http://ohioriverways.blogspot.com and http://jonesfamilymatters.blogspot.com

Blue Room Belch - During World War II, patrons of Pharo's Cafe in the East End compiled stories of local interest into a newspaper that they published and distributed to service men and women from the neighborhood. The newspaper and the articles were loaned to me by Mary Pharo Meldon, deceased, who allowed me to transcribe them and publish them in a blog. A copy of the resulting book is online at Blue Room Belch. An actual copy of the book is in the Rare Books Department of the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library.

The 1937 Flood Revisited

A few years ago, I wrote about the impact of the 1937 flood on my Dad and his family who were living at 2424 Eastern Ave. (now Riverside Drive). It included family pictures that had been passed down to us. Three years later, I acquired additional pictures from the Cincinnati History and Archives Library at the Museum Center. They are in possession of a scrapbook of flood pictures that were collected from a variety of individual collections. One of the pictures was one I recognized from the collection of Mary Pharo Meldon, who loaned it to me for inclusion in the Blue Room Belch.

The search led to additional pictures that featured my Dad's house. John Thomas Jones was 16-years old at the time of the flood. I remember him telling stories about the house being accessible only through an attic window by boat.

This is my Dad's house on the left. We do not know the identities of the men in the boat.

From this view, you can see that the water level got up just below the attic. The house is still standing in 2015. 

This view is from the railroad tracks above the house. I have no idea why there is a car on the tracks.
Dad's house is the small one on the left. Note all of the furniture stacked next to the tracks.

Finally, Mary Pharo Meldon's collection included this great picture of people from the East End trying to acquire drinking water after the Cincinnati Water Works pumping equipment failed.

From the Collection of Mary Pharo Meldon

March 2015 Flooding

St. Rose Church from the air 3-16-2015
Photo Credit: Tim Jeffries

Over the years, I've taken numerous pictures of St. Rose Church -- but never from this view. Once again, photographer Tim Jeffries outdid himself when he captured this picture of the recent flood. If I recall correctly, this year's flood crested at 58.6 feet. Flood stage is 52' so it was just enough to flood the parking lot of St. Rose Church. Note that the "little red benches" featured in the previous post were completely submerged.

In talking with Tim, I asked him if he had any pictures of the flooding of Rivertowne Marina. He shared this one with me.

Rivertowne Marina

Photo Credit: Tim Jeffries

As you can see, the buildings and the boats stored in the surrounding lot are high and dry. Just to add a few pictures of my own, Bill and I went down and captured the Jennie Wade, normally undergoing restoration in the parking lot, surrounded by water and some of the local ducks.

Jennie Wade 3-8-15

Finally, here is a picture of my husband, Bill Reed, sitting on the "little red bench" the week before it would be completely submerged in the rising flood waters. I think we are all ready for spring.

The Little Red Bench

The Little Red Bench
2-20-2015
Used with the permission  of Tim Jeffries, Photographer

I'll admit it -- I spend way too much time on facebook. One recent discovery seems to have justified the time. Photographer, Tim Jeffries, posted a picture of a red bench behind St. Rose Church on the banks of the Ohio River. I responded to Tim that this was a special place in the hearts of all Jones descendants as Elizabeth Kinley Jones and family lived on the river bank in a small frame house in 1870. I wrote about this in detail in 2011. I jokingly told Tim that our family would probably love to have a four-season set of pictures from this spot. Since then, Tim has posted numerous pics from this spot.

For those of you who are not aware, a Sandborn Fire Map pictures the exact location of the little frame house sitting on the river bank on land that is now occupied by the city-owned water works.

The frame building is described as being 250' from the corner of St. Rose Church. My brother, Tim, his wife, Dusty, and I went with tape measure in hand and tried to determine the exact location. You can read about our efforts here.

So the bench, for me, has become a symbol. It is a symbol of the Jones family connection to the river and to St. Rose. And due to numerous facebook posts during the past few weeks, I know it is symbolic for many Joneses, Scardinas, Brevings and Kramers. So think of our family when you visit the bench. Hopefully, the next pictures will have a lot more green.

Note: I encourage you to check out some of Tim Jeffries photos of Cincinnati. I recently purchased a beautiful picture of the Over-the-Rhine area printed on canvas.

Back to the River

It's been more than a year since I posted about our Jones/Wainright family connection to the Ohio River. During much of 2014, I tried to compile information documenting our relationship to Vincent Wainwright, our 4X great-grandfather and Revolutionary War patriot. He had served as a "Minute Man." You can read more about him here. Qualifying for the Daughters of the American Revolution requires "rock solid" research that tested every one of my skills. I am proud to say that I was successful. The process led me to uncover Cincinnati deeds for property owned by our Wainrights along the river, in the area that is now the Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park.

Theodore M. Berry International Friendship Park
www.cincinnatiparks.com

In fact, as we will discover, William Wainright (and his wife, Ruth), were forced to sell their property along the river due to eminent domain. The land was taken in order to build the Little Miami Railroad, pictured along the left side of the picture.

So let's explore together our early Cincinnati roots along the banks of the beautiful Ohio River. A river truly does run through us.

Don Adds a Chapter to Our Family History on the Ohio

Captain Don helps lock the Jennie Wade through the Meldahl Dam lock on her way to Cincinnati.

I know it's been a good six months since I've added anything to this blog. I always seem to want to add things in chronological order, but my brother, Don Jones, gave me a good reason to go "out of order."

On April 1, 2013, Don ended his term as "President" of Champion Window, a company he had worked for and developed for twenty years. The company was purchased from the original owners by a group of out-of-state investors. The writing was pretty much on the wall. But not for Don ...

Don was able to become the owner of the Rivertowne Marina on Kellogg Avenue. This is the "right" move on so many levels. Don has always had a love of the river, working on the Delta Queen just out of high school, and purchasing increasingly larger boats over time. His current boat, the Fleur de Lis, was docked at Four Seasons Marina and provided the larger Jones family with countless memories, especially of trips to view the fireworks on Labor Day.

This second career has enabled Don to combine a love of the river with his business skills. He immediately made changes to the marina, cutting down overgrown weeds, identifying abandoned boats for removal, etc. But that's not enough for Don.

Rivertowne Marina actually includes 42 acres (including water) and has a lot of empty space that could be developed. Long-time customers were thrilled to discover that the new owner actually has a Captain's license and a love of boating at all levels -- well, maybe sailboats are an exception.

He has so much vision. He recently made the decision to purchase the Jennie Wade, a 54' sternwheeler with an interesting history. Lacking an engine, the boat was pushed down the river by a towboat yesterday to make its new home at Rivertowne Marina. Don has an incredible vision for the future of this boat. It may serve as a concession enabling Rivertowne boaters to purchase ice, soft drinks and snacks without having to leave the facility. It will also add quite a bit of ambiance to a somewhat sterile environment. He has many other ideas, but I would be remiss to reveal them at this time.

I think all of the Joneses couldn't help but believe that Dad looked down on us with approval as we moved the Jennie Wade from Chilo to Cincinnati in beautiful weather. The marina is not very far from the East End location where four generations of Joneses lived and worked as far back as 1840 in Cincinnati. I feel like we have come full circle and that all of us are rejoicing in Don's newest project. If you want to know more, "like" the Rivertowne Marina facebook page and follow a new blog on the Jennie Wade located at Jennie Wade Sternwheeler.

Welcome aboard!

A Proud Man - Charles Fred Jones aka "Butch"

I've written about my grandfather and his pride in his work before. I'm grateful that the Cincinnati Transit Company published a bimonthly news magazine called The News. I thought I had pretty much gleaned what I could from their publication until I found out that the Cincinnati History Library and Archives had some copies I may not have reviewed. A trip to the library uncovered some gems I had not previously discovered. What joy! And so I share them with you -- my fellow Joneses.