Historical Report for Grammer’s and 1434, 1436, & 1442 Walnut By Alyssa McClanahan © All information believed to be accurate but not guaranteed.
The buildings that sit at 1434-1436 and 1442 Walnut—around the establishment known as Grammer’s—were constructed sometime around the beginning of the Civil War.i While they also housed tenants, 1434, 1436, and 1442 Walnut were primarily used as stores throughout the later 19th and early 20th century. Then called 538, 540, and 546 Walnut, before Cincinnati renumbered and renamed some of its addresses in the 1890s, 538-550 Walnut was a contiguous block of store fronts with tenants presumably living above the commercial space. By 1870, 544 Walnut boasted a new business: a coffee, spice, and tea “mill” and store, ran by the Doll family. Cincinnatians could also find a saloon at 538 Walnut, run first by Kate Blackburn, and then, for many years, the Metz family. By 1880, 546 Walnut likewise was the site of a new business: the Stang family began to sell cheeses and other groceries, and would until the mid-1920s when George H. Becker then began to sell similar goods there. Around World War I, the Doll family’s coffee mill transformed into
Grammer’s, under the guidance of Frank Grammer, Anton Grammer’s son. According to city directories, Anton Grammer first set up his restaurant and saloon at 1446 (550) Walnut, and then the business moved to 1438-1440 (542-544) Walnut under his son’s leadership, after Anton died in 1911—at 1446 Walnut. Throughout the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th, then, all of the buildings surrounding what is now Grammer’s were in constant use: densely inhabited, they served as both commercial ventures and as people’s homes. Sanborn Insurance Maps coded them as “S,” or as stores and shops, though 1446 Walnut was specifically designated as a saloon.ii Grammer’s, as a German bar and restaurant, fits within the larger narrative of Cincinnati as a city known for its German heritage and brewing industry. Founded in 1788 on the Ohio River, Cincinnati grew dramatically in the early 19th century to become the largest city west of the Appalachian Mountains. As a riverboat port and connected to the Miami Erie Canal by 1828, Cincinnati was a crucial part of interstate commerce. It was also a major exporter of pork, whiskey, and beer. This explosion of trade and growth attracted many Americans to the city, but also many immigrants, to the point that Cincinnati was one of the most densely populated cities in the United States. By the 1830s and 1840s, instead of English, Scottish, and Welsh comprising the foreign-born population of Cincinnati, German and Irish immigrants arrived in significant numbers. Most of them sought economic opportunities but others, like some Germans fleeing the failed 1848 revolutions in Europe, immigrated for political amnesty. Immigrants began to settle in distinct areas within the city. Pendleton, for instance, the area north of the canal and east of Sycamore Street, became home to many German immigrants by the 1840s. Likewise, the land between Sycamore and the eastern edge of the canal drew so many German immigrants that the canal was nicknamed the Rhine River, thus making the area “Over-the-Rhine.”iii Grammer’s and the surrounding buildings were prime spaces for these German immigrants to congregate around food and drink. Reminiscing in 1950 on Grammer’s history, Elise Sommer, the cook for many decades, noted the many faces that frequented the restaurant—some of whom, according to city directories, lived near Grammer’s on Walnut Street. She recalled, “There was Baker Schneider, Carpenter Hummel and Butcher Stark. There was Rost Mueller and Mr. Traut. Oh, there were a lot of them. Julius Fleischmann and the Dinkelackers, and Charlie Brauch… they had so much fun. They’d play cards, usually pinochle, and sing and drink their beer.”iv And Cincinnati had plenty to drink! By the 1840s, breweries were a significant part of Cincinnati’s economy. At least eight were in operation at this time. Brewing grew significantly with the invention and introduction of lagering and large waves of German immigrants by the mid-19th century. Brewed primarily by Germans for Germans, lager beer became more popular and was increasingly consumed by Cincinnatians at large. Breweries multiplied, and by the 1880s, thanks to artificial refrigeration, pasteurization, and other mechanization and technological improvements, beer exports from Cincinnati had increased tenfold since the Civil War. The city’s twenty-three breweries in 1880 not only fueled the Cincinnati economy, providing a myriad of jobs and off-shoot industries, but also gave visibility and cultural importance to the German immigrants living in Over-the-Rhine
and the West End.v Grammer’s, as one of the oldest German establishments in the city, contributed significantly to this history. Anton Grammer, born in 1835 in Germany to parents Joseph and Maria Grammer, immigrated to the U.S. in 1854 and married Elizabeth Schmidt, and had five children with her, four of whom lived into adulthood: Mary (apprx. 1867-n.d.), Katherine (approx.. 18681949), Frank (1872-1950), Joseph (1879-n.d.) and Louisa (1884-1934). Elizabeth (18441912) was likewise from Germany, almost ten years younger than her husband. Anton began his career in Cincinnati as a baker, and in 1872, opened his first saloon and boarding house at 15th and Vine (swc). In the 1887, he moved his business Walnut Street. So, Grammer’s as we know it, was not originally on Walnut! Grammer’s was celebrated for its fine food, liquors, imported beer, and distinguished clientele. Still, Anton never forgot his roots as a baker: over the years, he let the Bakers Singing Society meet at his café where they would drink, eat, and sing German songs. Anton’s son Frank took over the business upon his death in 1911, and in that same year, Frank built the famous barroom, installing ceramic tile flooring, a leaded glass front entrance, and a wood veneered bar. The beveled glass windows were imported from Germany. Frank ran the business with his brother-inlaw, German-born John Oehm (1875-1945), who married Frank’s sister, Louisa, in the summer of 1904.vi Under Frank’s guidance, Grammer’s dealt with the changing neighborhood. Especially as first-generation German immigrants became rarer and Cincinnatians in general started to move away from the city, Frank raised the prices and tried to maintain the reputation of Grammer’s to still attract the same clientele.vii Indeed, it was only in the post-World War II era that numbers started to dwindle on Walnut Street. This was unfortunately not unique to this block of Walnut Street. The history of many buildings in Cincinnati can serve as a microcosm into the problems facing urban America in this postwar period. While cities had historically attracted millions for jobs and community, beginning in the early 20th century and becoming more pronounced by the mid-20th century, many Americans fled from the urban core for the suburbs. In a process now called “white flight,” many white middle-class urban dwellers opted for suburban addresses to avoid the chaos, pollution, and diversity of cities. Federal government subsidization of suburban home ownership and highway infrastructure meant less money going to blighted inner city neighborhoods. Years and historical layers of housing and employment discrimination kept African Americans and other minorities stuck in city centers where jobs, opportunities, satisfactory housing, and healthy environments were hard to come by. The minorities that did manage to gain some kind of class mobility moved outward into suburbs, usually provoking white residents in these suburban neighborhoods to then flee further from the city. Cities were the grounds, then, for major racial and class tensions brewing in America in the mid-20th century. De jure desegregation mandated by courts beginning in the 1950s did little to spatially integrate America as many urban cores remained nonwhite and impoverished. The buildings surrounding Grammer’s thus dramatically lost tenants and businesses beginning in the 1940s, and illustrative of the effects of urban impoverishment and white flight, by the mid-1980s, were largely vacant except for the Grammer’s restaurant itself.viii
In 1950, Frank died, and Grammer’s estate reverted to the Lincoln National Bank until it was sold to Charles Berkman, café proprietor and wine deal, for $40,000 who continued to operate Grammer’s under the same name. In 1962, Grammer’s again went through another sale as Karl Mohaupt took over. The Mohaupt family added a lobby and entrance from the Liberty Street parking lot in 1965. Doing away with the German café’s simplicity in the two rear rooms, they installed carpeting, ivory-toned rough plaster, dark wood trim, a beamed ceiling, curtained booths, and subdued lighting from Victorian globe lamps. The new lobby sported a 100-year old gilt hall chair with a mirror in its high back along with a cloak room. The famous front entrance on Walnut Street was closed but remained intact. The barroom remained untouched. The Mohaupt cited that many of these changes served to target a female clientele as they noticed most of their customers were men. Much of the German culture remained though, and Grammer’s continued to be one of the most beloved and popular spots in Cincinnati. Indeed, many loved the restaurant because it served as one of the last visible remnants of Cincinnati’s unique ethnic heritage. As one Cincinnati Enquirer editorial lamented in 1977, “We wonder, while dining, whether the disappearing German, or the city at large, will ever recognize Over-the-Rhine for its architectural significance and move to acquire, protect and restore it as our ‘Old Town.’ If this ever comes to pass, Grammer’s, we hope, will still be there, ready to receive the medal it deserves for pure Teutonic tenacity.”ix By the late 1970s, Karl Mohaupt Jr. and his brother Richard, who inherited the business from their father, noticed dwindling numbers coming to Grammer’s and Over-the-Rhine in general.x In 1984, former city councilman, Over-the-Rhine Chamber of Commerce president, owner of Arnold’s Bar and Grill, and local Cincinnati legend Jim Tarbell purchased Grammer’s. After undergoing extensive renovation, Tarbell opened Grammer’s in the fall of 1984, giving life back to the restaurant and even using the space to host the first OTR Chamber of Commerce meeting in 1985, under Tarbell’s leadership. He restored the 100-year old atrium glass at the Walnut Street entrance and the wrap-around mural which graced the two walls in the barroom, in addition to decorating Grammer’s with preProhibition art. He created a “Frank’s Room,” named after Frank Grammer, with a community table seating 30 or so. In 1987, Grammer’s again underwent renovation, this time being adorned with an open-air patio, a second-floor porch, a new entrance, and more windows.xi Tarbell subsequently sold it to Martin Wade, owner of the Relish Restaurant Group, in 2007. It was the oldest pre-Prohibition German restaurant to remain in Over-the-Rhine. By late 2008, Grammer’s re-opened as a German restaurant under the Wade’s ownership. xii Throughout this time, Grammer’s reinvented itself as a popular night club, serving as a spot during Bockfest activities and a Midpoint Music Festival venue beginning in 2009. xiii In the summer of 2011, though, Grammer’s closed yet again, prompted by a violent robbery.xiv In late 2014, Martin and Marilyn Wade announced that they were planning mixed-use projects centered around the Grammer’s building. The three-phase project would include around 100 apartments, 40,000 square feet of office space, retail space and four singlefamily row houses. It would entail both historic preservation and new construction, beginning sometime in 2015. Facades of Grammer’s and adjacent buildings on Walnut
would be preserved as would the existing Grammer’s bar space.xv Exciting for some, upsetting for others, these plans are currently under review at the Historic Conservation Board.
City Directories: Faces throughout time at 1434, 1436, 1442 and Grammer’s *From the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Williams' Cincinnati directories **See below for renumbered addresses: 1434 Walnut = 538 Walnut 1436 Walnut = 540 Walnut 1438 Walnut = 542 Walnut 1440 Walnut = 544 Walnut 1442 Walnut = 546 Walnut 1444 Walnut = 548 Walnut 1446 Walnut = 550 Walnut 1860: Seria Herrington, huckster, 538 Walnut Chas Fleischman, cabinet maker, 540 Walnut Mrs. Catharine Guhman, seamstress, 540 Walnut Mrs. Anna Mary Moser, 540 Walnut Robert Doll, coffee burner, coffee and spice mills, 544 Walnut John Eiserle, brush maker, 544 Walnut Michael Wild, laborer, 546 Walnut Mrs. D. Harsch, 546 Walnut Julius Hense, soap maker, 546 Walnut Mrs. Christine Linsenmeyer, seamstress, 546 Walnut 1865: Bernard Krolage, cof., h. 538 Walnut John Theobald, tobacconist, h. 540 Walnut Clemens Bonn, cigar maker, wks. 544 Walnut John Hauck, laborer, wks. 544 Walnut Louis Reible, carpenter, h. 544 Walnut Fred Becht, policeman, h. 546 Walnut 1870: Caroline Young, bds. 538 Walnut Kate Blackburn, saloon, 538 Walnut Jacob Hunziker, saloon, 540 Walnut Lewis Jenkel, clerk, bds. 540 Walnut Joseph Lambert, bds. 540 Walnut John Schurr, laborer, bds. 540 Walnut Samuel Doll, coffee mills, 544 Walnut, h. 466 Walnut Jesse Yocom, at 544 Walnut, h. 70 Laurel
Val. Haas, baker, 546 Walnut John Roos, baker, h. 546 Walnut Doretha Harsch, widow, h. 546 Walnut 1875: Jacob Peter, engineer, h. 540 Walnut Elizabeth Peter, h. 540 Walnut B. Streit, saloon and b., h. 540 Walnut Samuel Doll, coffee and spice mill, 544 Walnut Louisa Bahlman, widow, h. 546 Walnut Dora Harsch, widow, h. 546 Walnut 1880: Chas Metz, saloon, 538 Walnut Nora Cleaver, bds. 538 Walnut Ruby Gates, bds. 538 Walnut Robert Hines, cook, 538 Walnut Rosa Busse, bds. 538 Walnut Nellie Fennessy, bds. 538 Walnut Henry Ortwein, cotton warper, h. 540 Walnut August Doll, clerk, 544 Walnut, h. 466 Walnut George Doll, foreman, 544 Walnut, h. 43 Mansfield Edward Stang, cheese, 546 Walnut Joseph Kamp, cigars, 383 Vine, h. 546 Walnut Reinhard Stang, groceries, 546 Walnut 1885: Sallie Morris, bds. 538 Walnut Mollie Westendorf, bds. 538 Walnut Robert Hines, cook, bds. 538 Walnut May Kelly, bds. 538 Walnut Mollie Lee, bds. 538 Walnut Louisa Metz, saloon, 538 Walnut Jennie Bradley, bds. 538 Walnut Chas Metz, rms. 538 Walnut Adam Rath, saloon, 540 Walnut J. Adam Huetter, porter, h. 540 Walnut Frank Keller, waiter, h. 540 Walnut Henry Ortwein, warper, h. 540 Walnut August Doll, b. k. 544 Walnut, h. 466 Walnut Louis Doll, foreman, 544 Walnut, h. 466 Walnut Samuel Doll, spice and mustard mill, 542 and 544 Walnut Reinhard Stang (William J. and Edward C.) cheese, 546 Walnut Fred Dankel, clerk, Post Office, h. 546 Walnut 1890:
Mrs. Louisa Metz, saloon, 538 Walnut Mrs. Wilhelmina Kantz, h. 540 Walnut Louisa Kantz, h. 540 Walnut Adam Rath, saloon, 540 Walnut Henry Wiettmann, laborer, rms. 540 Walnut Adolph Wittmann, iron worker, h. 540 Walnut Mary Ortwein, h. 540 Walnut Louisa Kantz, h. 540 Walnut Mrs. Wilhelmina Kantz, h. 540 Walnut August Doll, coffee and spice mill, 544 Walnut Reinhard Stang (William J. and Edward C.) cheese, 546 Walnut Philip Schmidt, clothing cleaner, 164 Central Ave., h. 546 Walnut 1895: August Doll, teas, 1438 Walnut R. Stang, cheese, grocery, 1442 Walnut 1900: Frank L. Norman, maltser, h. 1434 Walnut Mrs. Eva Orr, h. 1434 Walnut Louis Busam, h. 1434 Walnut Carl Goerner, saloon, lodging house, 1434 Walnut Gottfried Weber, cigars and tobacco, musician, 1436 Walnut John Kopp, trunk maker, h. 1436 Walnut Fred J. Lauman, driver, h. 1436 Walnut Ansorg Guenther, saloon, 1436 Walnut F. William Wlecke, salesman, 1440 Walnut, h. 1207 Poplar August Doll, coffee and spice mill, 1440 Walnut R. Stang, cheese, grocery, 1442 Walnut Edward C. Stang (R. Stang), h. 1442 Walnut William J. Stang (R. Stang), h. 1442 Walnut Ernestine Stang, widow of Reinhard, h. 1442 Walnut Anton Grammer, saloon, 1446 Walnut 1905: Louise Ossenbeck, butter and eggs, confectioners, 1434 Walnut Estelle G. Ossenbeck, saleslady, h. 1434 Walnut Genevra Peters, widow of Henry, h. 1434 Walnut Herman Peters, helper, h. 1434 Walnut John G. Riess, baker, h. 1434 Walnut Rose Schatzman, laundress, h. 1434 Walnut Mrs. Sophia Mack, h. 1434 Walnut Harry A. Rust, notaries public, Attorney at Law, h. and business 1436 Walnut Clyde Truitt, solicitor, 140 W. 9th, h. 1436 Walnut Frank Wamser, saloon, h. 1436 Walnut John P. Nebel, foreman, h. 1436 Walnut
Maud Bradley, widow of William, h. 1436 Walnut George Lepple, manager, h. 1436 Walnut Edward Seiter, salesman, 1440 Walnut, h. 213 Orchard Mfg Co George W. Frey prop grocers’ sundries 1440 Walnut J. C. Turley, salesman, 1440 Walnut, h. Norwood Chemical Co Charlton A. Marshall prop office, 1440 Walnut The George W. Frey Coffee Company, 1438 and 1440 Walnut F. William Wlecke, salesman, 1440 Walnut, h. 1207 Poplar Marshall Coffee and Spice Company, 1438 and 1440 Walnut Smiley Manufacturing Company, 1438 and 1440 Walnut Marshall Chemical Company, 1440 Walnut R. Stang, cheese, grocery, 1442 Walnut Edward C. Stang (R. Stang), h. 1442 Walnut William J. Stang (R. Stang), h. 1442 Walnut Ernestine Stang, widow of Reinhard, h. 1442 Walnut Anton Grammer, saloon, 1446 Walnut 1910: Oswald Wuest, oysters, 1417 Walnut, h. 1434 Walnut Oliver L. Cella, horseshoer, h. 1434 Walnut William Conrad, laborer, bds. 1434 Walnut Rudolph Dedecek, butcher, bds. 1434 Walnut Fred Yorde, bottler, h. 1434 Walnut Martha Orde, office attendant, 1222 Walnut, h. 1434 Walnut Jacob Hummel, carpenter, furniture repair, 1434 Walnut August Potraffke, shoemaker, h. 1434 Walnut Herman Potraffke, helper, h. 1434 Walnut Herman Potraffke, Jr., shoemaker, h. 1434 Walnut John A. Zaegner, teacher, h. 1436 Walnut Harry A. Rust, attorney, 1436 Walnut Rust and Byrne, real estate, 1436 Walnut Frank Minetti, tailor, h. 1436 Walnut Peter Heil, cabinet maker, h. 1436 Walnut Augusta M. Rust, saleslady, 209 W. Liberty, h. 1436 Walnut Mary Rust, saleslady, h. 1436 Walnut Henry O Niemes, president, the Cincinnati Coffee and Spice Company, 1440 Walnut, h. 514 Ludlow Avenue Howard Mayer, secretary and treasurer, the Cincinnati Coffee and Spice Company, 1440 Walnut Louis Freyonora, baker, h. 1440 Walnut F. William Wlecke, salesman, 1440 Walnut, h. Madisonville R. Stang, Edward C. Stang, grocery, wholesale cheese and sausage, 1442 Walnut Edward C. Stang (R. Stang), h. 1442 Walnut William J. Stang (R. Stang), h. 1442 Walnut Ernestine Stang, widow of Reinhard, h. 1442 Walnut Anton Grammer, saloon, 1446 Walnut
1915: Lina Delhotal, widow of Joseph, h. 1434 Walnut Mary Hummel, widow of Jacob, h. 1434 Walnut Otto Kuhnert, machinist, rms. 1434 Walnut Fred Guenther, porter, h. 1434 Walnut Frank Hummel, carpenter, furniture repair, 1434 Walnut, res. Newport Mechanics’ Club, 1436 Walnut Gordon Graybill, driver, h. 1436 Walnut August Rust, umbrellas, 209 W. Liberty, h. 1436 Walnut Henry Sauers, driver, h. 1436 Walnut Peter Heil, cabinetmaker, h. 1436 Walnut Harry Lewis, laborer, h. 1436 Walnut Grammer & Oehm saloon, 1438 Walnut Carl Roling, head baker, the Joseph R. Peebles’ Sons Company, h. 1440 Walnut John Wanger, baker, h. 1440 Walnut Grammers, Frank Grammer and John Oehm, headquarters for bakers; choice wines, liquors and cigars, 1438 and 1440 Walnut George F. Feld, physician, h. 1442 Walnut R. Stang, Edward C. Stang, wholesale cheese and sausage, 1442 Walnut Frank Trauth, clerk, 1442 Walnut, h. 440 W. McMicken 1920: Ben H. Felty, laborer, h. 1434 Walnut Chas Felty, ice puller, h. 1434 Walnut Paul Gruner, shoe maker and repairer, 1434 Walnut, res. Dayton, KY Chas B. Jones, ice puller, h. 1434 Walnut Otto Kuhnert, machinist, rms. 1434 Walnut Frank Hummel, carpenter, furniture repair, 1434 Walnut, res. Newport Mrs. Pearl Hammons, h. 1436 Walnut Augusta Rust, h. 1436 Walnut Fred O. Selm, designer, h. 1436 Walnut Austin Radcliffe, shoemaker, h. 1436 Walnut William David Hellard, box paster, h. 1436 Walnut Frank Grammer, Grammer & Son, h. 1438 Walnut Frank Grammer and John Oehm, soft drinks, 1438 Walnut Clarence Miller, baker, rms. 1440 Walnut Bert Moore, baker, rms. 1440 Walnut Ernest Selfert, baker, rms. 1440 Walnut Fred Kuhlman, salesman, 1442 Walnut, res. Covington Frank Kauffman, machinist, h. 1442 Walnut George W. Morris, clerk, 1442 Walnut George H. Becker, cheese, 1442 Walnut, h. 139 Woolper Ave. Ira Ware, machinist, h. 1442 Walnut John J. Wendelken, Jr., chief clerk, the Bradstreet Co., h. 1442 Walnut
1925: Edward H. Wogenstahl, electrician, h. 1434 Walnut Edward Metz, autos, h. 1434 Walnut Frank Hummel, carpenter, furniture repair, 1434 Walnut, res. Newport M. F. Capeless, h. 1434 Walnut Paul Gruner, shoe maker and repairer, 1434 Walnut, res. Bellevue George Pappas, poultry dealer, 1436 Walnut, h. 32114th Ernest Paul, peddler, h. 1436 Walnut Mrs. Maude Lewis, h. 1436 Walnut Ralph H. Millard, watchman, h. 1436 Walnut Augusta Rust, h. 1436 Walnut Frank Grammer, Grammer & Son, h. 1438 Walnut Frank Grammer and John Oehm, soft drinks, 1438 Walnut Philip Fuchs, baker, rms. 1440 Walnut Gus H. Lindner, h. 1442 Walnut George W. Morris, salesman, 1442 Walnut, rms. 115 E. 5th George H. Becker, cheese, 1442 Walnut, h. 1631 Bruce Ave. George M. Schaefer, salesman, 1442 Walnut, h. 3027 Glenway Ave. Edward Shields, salesman, 1442 Walnut Franklin Shinkle, salesman, 1442 Walnut, h. 807 Matson Pl Harry Dlekman, glassworker, h. 1442 Walnut Jason Dougherty, h. 1442 Walnut John J. Wendelken, Jr., chief clerk, the Bradstreet Co., h. 1442 Walnut Sylvia K. Bressler, bkpr, 1442 Walnut, h. 1680 Pullan Ave 1930-1: Paul L. Bigney, guard, City Work House, h. 1434 Walnut Dave Burnett, shoeworker, h. 1434 Walnut Frank Hummel, carpenter, 1434 Walnut, res. Newport Michael Hauck, sheet metal worker, tinner, 1434 Walnut, h. 523 Glenwood Ave. John J. Jahlnzyk, painter, h. 1434 Walnut Edward H. Wogenstahl, electrician, h. 1434 Walnut Albert Sherolnsky, laborer, rms. 1436 Walnut Oliver Schafstall, rms. 1436 Walnut John Kirkpatrick, elevator operator, h. 1436 Walnut Mrs. Jennie Kirkpatrick, furnished rooms, 1436 Walnut John Polley, laborer, rms. 1436 Walnut Chas Coleman, laborer, rms. 1436 Walnut Lawrence Abbott, salesman, rms. 1436 Walnut Frank Grammer, Grammer & Son, h. 1438 Walnut Frank Grammer and John Oehm, soft drinks, 1438 Walnut Meeting spot, Edelweiss Society, 1440 Walnut Gus H. Lindner, h. 1442 Walnut George M. Nagel, clerk, 6th floor, Ingalls Bldg., h. 1442 Walnut Eugene J. Halm Amusement Company, Amusement Devices—Manufacturers, 1442 Walnut
1935: Frank Hummel, carpenter, 1434 Walnut Florence Lopez, h. 1434 Walnut Clara McMillian, h. 1434 Walnut Michael Hauck, sheet metal worker, tinner, 1434 Walnut, h. 523 Glenwood Ave. John J. Jahlnzyk, painter, h. 1434 Walnut Berton Perry, laborer, rms. 1436 Walnut Homer A. Pabst, rms. 1436 Walnut Mary Hauck, saleslady, 1321 Vine, rms. 1436 Walnut Raymond E. Hayes, painter, h. 1436 Walnut Anna Juelg, housekeeper, rms. 1436 Walnut Mrs. Jennie Kirkpatrick, furnished rooms, 1436 Walnut John Kirkpatrick, elevator operator, h. 1436 Walnut Torrence Kirkpatrick, salesman, h. 1436 Walnut Mrs. Violet Lacefield, h. 1436 Walnut Melvin Hahn, auto mechanic, rms. 1436 Walnut Clifford Anderson, truck driver, rms. 1436 Walnut Henry Bevan, clerk, rms. 1436 Walnut Mrs. Thelma Davis, h. 1436 Walnut Frank Grammer, Grammer & Son, h. 1438 Walnut Frank Grammer and John Oehm, soft drinks, 1438 Walnut Jason H. Connelly, h. 1442 Walnut Francis J. Duerr, shoe repairer, 1442 Walnut Gus H. Lindner, h. 1442 Walnut 1940: John L. Homer, carpenter, 4. 1434 Walnut Frank (Rose) Hummel, carpenter, 1434 Walnut, h do Frank Hummel, Jr., carpenter, r. 1434 Walnut Florence Lopez, widow of John, h. 1434 Walnut Eugene (Clara) McMillian, driver, r. 1434 Walnut Harry T Moran, plumber, 1434 Walnut, h do Mrs. Jennie Kirkpatrick, furn., 1436 Walnut, h do John Kirkpatrick, elevator operator, Edwards blg., h. 1436 Walnut George Mack, r. 1436 Walnut George A. Graham, painter, r. 1436 Walnut William J. Graham, painter, r. 1436 Walnut Melvin (Myrtle) Hahn, machinist, r. 1436 Walnut John E. (Mary) Hird, r. 1436 Walnut Earl Colvin, driver, Cincinnati Dept. of Waste Collection, r. 1436 Walnut Ora A. Cole, r. 1436 Walnut Elise Sommer, cook, Grammer & Son, h. 1438 Walnut Frank Grammer, Grammer & Son, h. 1438 Walnut Grammer & Son, restaurant, 1438 Walnut John J. (Alma) Kohl, waiter, Grammer & Son, h. 1730 Pell William Sammet, bartender, Grammer & Son, h. 2200 Clifton Avenue
Robert L. Rapp, bartender, Grammer & Son, r. 110 W. 14th William J. (Dorothy) Critz, waiter, Grammer & Son, h. 2929 Bellevue Chas (Albertina) Becker, waiter, Grammer & Son, h. 202 Woodward, Apt. 6 Emil Carl, porter, Grammer & Son, r. 1438 Walnut Alex Terry, r. 1442 Walnut 1945: John Slover, 1434 Walnut Mrs. Sylvia Coleman, 1434 Walnut Mrs. Jennie Kirkpatrick, 1436 Walnut Frank Grammer, 1438 Walnut Frank Grammer, restaurant, 1440 Walnut Rude Harvey, radio repr, 1442 Walnut Alex Terry, 1442 Walnut Mrs. Emma Heinz, 1442 Walnut Herman Ryder, 1442 Walnut 1951: John Slover, 1434 Walnut William C. Cox George Hoover Melvin L. Hensley, 1436 Walnut Benjamin Chandler, 1436 Walnut Grammer’s restaurant, 1440 Walnut Rudi Harvey, radio reps., 1442 Walnut Mrs. Emma Heinz, 1442 Walnut 1955: Jason Prater, 1434 Walnut William C. Cox, 1434 Walnut Audrey Davis, 1434 Walnut Daisy Hummel, 1434 Walnut Everett Boles, 1436 Walnut Grammer’s restaurant, 1440 Walnut Consolidated Music Systems musical instruments dealers, 1442 Walnut Leland Schoemaker, 1442 Walnut 1960: Norris J. Miracle, furniture, rms. 1436 Walnut Mrs. Beryl Hoy, 1436 Walnut Mrs. Nancy Ward, 1436 Walnut Grammer’s restaurant, 1440 Walnut Grammer’s parking lot, 1450 Walnut 1965: Emmett Pittilo Jr., 1434 Walnut
Mrs. Bertha M. Barlow, 1436 Walnut Frank M. Turpin, 1436 Walnut Mrs. Doshia Griffith, 1436 Walnut Mrs. Arnette V. Miller, 1436 Walnut Chas Bales, 1436 Walnut Ronald H. Preston, 1436 Walnut Ernst E. Truelsch, 1436 Walnut Grammer’s restaurant, 1440-1442 Walnut Grammer’s parking lot, 1450 Walnut 1970: Mrs. Ethel H. Sprangler, 1434 Walnut Grammer’s restaurant, additional space, 1436 Walnut William Coker, 1436 Walnut Nelson Gooch, 1436 Walnut Stanley Gibson, 1436 Walnut Grammer’s restaurant, 1440 Walnut Grammer’s parking lot, 1450 Walnut 1975: Ronnie Tyler, 1434 Walnut Franzier Harotke, 1436 Walnut Joseph Hanna, 1436 Walnut John Morgan, 1436 Walnut Grammer’s restaurant, 1440 Walnut Grammer’s parking lot, 1450 Walnut 1980: Bertha Reid, 1434 Walnut John Norfleet, 1434 Walnut Mrs. Judy Angel, 1436 Walnut Schond and Charles Couch, 1436 Walnut Peggy Alexander, 1436 Walnut Linda Saladin, 1436 Walnut Grammer’s restaurant, 1440 Walnut Grammer’s parking lot, 1450 Walnut 1985: Vacant, 1434 & 1436 Walnut Grammer’s restaurant, 1440 Walnut Grammer’s parking lot, 1450 Walnut 1991: Vacant, 1434 Walnut Grammer’s restaurant annex, 1436 Walnut Grammer’s restaurant, 1440 Walnut
Mrs. Peggy Hughes, 1440 Walnut Yvonne Presley, 1440 Walnut Mrs. Margaret Harrington, 1440 Walnut Robert Martin, 1440 Walnut Grammer’s parking lot, 1450 Walnut 1995: Not listed, 1434 and 1436 Walnut Grammer’s restaurant, 1440 Walnut Not listed, 1442 Walnut 2000: Not listed, 1434, 1436, 1440, 1442 Walnut
Births and deaths associated with the Grammer Family: *From the University of Cincinnati’s digitized collection of death and birth certificates
Births and deaths associated with 1434 Walnut: *From the University of Cincinnati’s digitized collection of death and birth certificates
Births and deaths associated with 1436 Walnut: *From the University of Cincinnati’s digitized collection of death and birth certificates
Historical Photos and Documents for 1434 Walnut:
Ownership card, 1434 Walnut *From Hamilton County Auditor’s website
Conveyance Form, 1434 Walnut, November 14, 1994 *From Hamilton County Auditor’s website
Conveyance Form, 1434 Walnut, November 14, 1994 *From Hamilton County Auditor’s website
Conveyance Form, 1434 Walnut, August 31, 1995 *From Hamilton County Auditor’s website
Conveyance Form, 1434 Walnut, September 6, 2007 *From Hamilton County Auditor’s website
Historical Photos and Documents for 1436 Walnut:
Ownership card, 1434 Walnut *From Hamilton County Auditor’s website
Conveyance Form, 1436 Walnut, September 6, 2007 *From Hamilton County Auditor’s website
Historical Photos and Documents for 1442 Walnut:
Ownership card, 1442 Walnut *From Hamilton County Auditor’s website
Conveyance Form, 1442 Walnut, September 6, 2007 *From Hamilton County Auditor’s website
Photos and Documents related to the Grammer Family:
1880 Federal Census, showing Anton Grammer, his wife, and four of their children *From Ancestry.com
1900 Federal Census, showing Anton Grammer and his family at 1446 Walnut *From Ancestry.com
Frank Grammer’s WWI Registration *From Ancestry.com
Grave site of Anton Grammer, St. Mary Cemetery *Find a Grave Index
Grave site of Frank Grammer, St. Mary Cemetery *Find a Grave Index
Grave site of Louisa Grammer Oehm, Vine Street Hill Cemetery *Find a Grave Index
Grave site of John Oehm, Vine Street Hill Cemetery *Find a Grave Index
Vignettes of Life on 1434 Walnut: *From the Cincinnati Enquirer, Proquest Historical Newspapers, Virtual Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
Cincinnati Enquirer, August 10, 1919
Cincinnati Enquirer, April 4, 1922
Cincinnati Enquirer, March 4, 1919
Cincinnati Enquirer, October 29, 1914
Cincinnati Enquirer, October 5, 1913
Cincinnati Enquirer, July 13, 1913
Cincinnati Enquirer, August 11, 1910
Cincinnati Enquirer, August 9, 1910
Cincinnati Enquirer, August 4, 1910
Cincinnati Enquirer, April 12, 1908
Cincinnati Enquirer, December 27, 1907
Cincinnati Enquirer, February 18, 1906
Cincinnati Enquirer, December 31, 1905
Cincinnati Enquirer, August 20, 1905
Cincinnati Enquirer, September 13, 1903
Cincinnati Enquirer, June 3, 1902
Cincinnati Enquirer, June 2, 1902
Cincinnati Enquirer, September 5, 1897
Vignettes of Life on 1436 Walnut:
*From the Cincinnati Enquirer, Proquest Historical Newspapers, Virtual Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
Cincinnati Enquirer, December 24, 1914
Cincinnati Enquirer, December 7, 1913
Cincinnati Enquirer, July 19, 1913
Cincinnati Enquirer, December 6, 1908
Cincinnati Enquirer, May 19, 1907
Cincinnati Enquirer, October 1, 1900
Cincinnati Enquirer, February 2, 1900
Cincinnati Enquirer, May 27, 1898
Cincinnati Enquirer, April 25, 1897
Cincinnati Enquirer, July 16, 1895
Vignettes of Life on 1440 Walnut: *From the Cincinnati Enquirer, Proquest Historical Newspapers, Virtual Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
Cincinnati Enquirer, February 16, 1911
Cincinnati Enquirer, September 12, 1920
Cincinnati Enquirer, May 30, 1919
Cincinnati Enquirer, May 1, 1919
Cincinnati Enquirer, February 3, 1918
Cincinnati Enquirer, November 9, 1914
Cincinnati Enquirer, November 3, 1914
Cincinnati Enquirer, October 10, 1914
Cincinnati Enquirer, September 9, 1914
Cincinnati Enquirer, August 2, 1914
Cincinnati Enquirer, February 17, 1914
Cincinnati Enquirer, October 14, 1913
Cincinnati Enquirer, May 25, 1913
Cincinnati Enquirer, September 22, 1912
Cincinnati Enquirer, March 12, 1912
Cincinnati Enquirer, June 28, 1910
Cincinnati Enquirer, November 16, 1909
Cincinnati Enquirer, November 20, 1908
Cincinnati Enquirer, April 12, 1906
Cincinnati Enquirer, January 22, 1906
Cincinnati Enquirer, October 3, 1904
Cincinnati Enquirer, June 6, 1902
Cincinnati Enquirer, April 28, 1902
Cincinnati Enquirer, April 9, 1902
Cincinnati Enquirer, December 5, 1900
Cincinnati Enquirer, August 26, 1900
Cincinnati Enquirer, October 28, 1898
Cincinnati Enquirer, March 6, 1898
Cincinnati Enquirer, September 21, 1897
Cincinnati Enquirer, November 13, 1895
Cincinnati Enquirer, October 6, 1895
Cincinnati Enquirer, July 26, 1895
Cincinnati Enquirer, July 3, 1895
Vignettes of Life on 1442 Walnut: *From the Cincinnati Enquirer, Proquest Historical Newspapers, Virtual Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County
Cincinnati Enquirer, May 18, 1919
Cincinnati Enquirer, November 6, 1918
Cincinnati Enquirer, August 9, 1914
Cincinnati Enquirer, August 9, 1914
Cincinnati Enquirer, May 8, 1913
Cincinnati Enquirer, October 11, 1908
Cincinnati Enquirer, September 5, 1902
Cincinnati Enquirer, November 26, 1899
The Hamilton County Auditor lists 1436 as built in 1865 and 1442 as built in 1900. 1434 Walnut does not have a construction date. However, Williams’ City Directories listed all of these structures as dating to at least to 1860. ii Williams’ Cincinnati Directories, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County; 1891 Sanborn Insurance Map, 1904-1930 Sanborn Insurance Map, Cincinnati History Library and Archives, Cincinnati Museum Center, Cincinnati, Ohio. iii Michael D. Morgan, Over-the-Rhine: When Beer was King (Charleston: The History Press, 2010), 25-34. iv Joseph Doran, “Cook at Grammer’s Is Chief Mourner For Days Past,” October 3, 1950, Cincinnati History Library and Archives, Cincinnati Museum Center, Cincinnati, Ohio. v Morgan, Over-the-Rhine, 55-74. vi Ohio, Deaths, 1908-1953, FamilySearch.org; 1900 Federal Census, Ancestry.com; Ohio, Marriages, 18001958, FamilySearch.org; Cincinnati Birth and Death Records, 1865-1912, Ohio Digital Resource Commons, University of Cincinnati Libraries; Robert J. Wimberg, Cincinnati: Over-the-Rhine, A Historical Guide to 19th Century Buildings and Their Residents (Cincinnati: Ohio Book Store, 1987), 27; Over-the-Rhine: A Description and History, Historic District Conservation Guidelines (Cincinnati: Historic Conservation Office,1995), 33; “Built in 1872: Old Grammer’s—New Owner,” Cincinnati Enquirer, n.d., Cincinnati History Library and Archives, Cincinnati Museum Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; Find a Grave Index; Ancestry.com Public Member Trees; Williams’ Cincinnati Directories, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. vii Joseph Doran, “Cook at Grammer’s Is Chief Mourner For Days Past,” October 3, 1950, Cincinnati History Library and Archives, Cincinnati Museum Center, Cincinnati, Ohio. viii Robert Fogelson, Bourgeois Nightmares: Suburbia, 1870-1930 (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2005); Thomas Sugrue, Origins of the Urban Crisis: Race and Inequality in Postwar Detroit (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1996); Kevin Kruse, White Flight: Atlanta and the Making of Modern Conservatism (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2005); Williams’ Cincinnati Directories, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. ix Joseph Doran, “Cook at Grammer’s Is Chief Mourner For Days Past,” October 3, 1950, Cincinnati History Library and Archives, Cincinnati Museum Center, Cincinnati, Ohio; “Grammer Estate Sells Restaurant,” Times Star, October 24, 1950; “Famed Restaurant Sold; Grammer’s In New Hands,” Cincinnati Enquirer, October 25, 1950; “Famed Grammer’s: Sale In Progress,” Cincinnati Enquirer, June 16, 1962; “Grammer’s Drops German i
Look,” Post Times Star, July 15, 1966; “City’s German Heritage Found Living At Grammer’s,” Cincinnati Enquirer, March 10, 1977. x “Evening Trade Dropping Off At Grammer’s,” Cincinnati Enquirer, June 21, 1978; xi “Grammer’s To Re-Open With Festivities,” Cincinnati Enquirer, September 28, 1984; “New Grammer’s is old German,” Cincinnati Post, October 2, 1984; Sara Pearce, “Changes brewing at Grammer’s restaurant,” Cincinnati Enquirer, February 17, 1987; http://otrchamber.com/pages/OurHistory. xii http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/11/26/rookwood-pottery-owner-plans-75million.html?page=all; http://www.urbancincy.com/2011/03/relish-group-closes-grammers/ xiii Jackie Demaline, “The Best Things to do in the Next Three Days,” Cincinnati Enquirer, October 1, 2004; John Wolfe, “Get To It,” Cincinnati Enquirer, June 23, 2008; http://citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-18625grammers_embraces_historical_significance.html. xiv Jennifer Edwards Baker, “DNA from straw results in arrest,” Cincinnati Enquirer, June 9, 2012; Lauren Bishop, “Grammer’s closes; neighborhood safety cited,” Cincinnati Enquirer, August 13, 2011. xv http://www.cincinnati.com/story/money/2014/11/26/wade-family-plans-big-otr-project/19548239/; http://www.bizjournals.com/cincinnati/news/2014/11/26/rookwood-pottery-owner-plans-75million.html?page=all.