History

  An estimated 11 million people were killed during the Holocaust. Six million of them were Jews. Of those, more than one million were children. The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education, formed by a group of Holocaust survivors and their families, educates about the Holocaust, remembers its victims and acts on its lessons.

  The Ohio River reached its highest point in recorded history, 79.99 feet, on January 26, 1937. Author and University of Central Arkansas Associate Professor David Welky wrote a definitive book on the tragedy, The Thousand Year Flood: The Ohio-Mississippi disaster of 1937.

The Cincinnati Museum Center recently opened the new American Indian Education Center in the Village of Newtown. Frank Johnson learns more about this interactive museum featuring rare artifacts from Bob Genheimer, the George Rieveschl Curator of Archeology at the Museum Center.

  Author, Columbia University Professor and New York Times Columnist Samuel G. Freedman is in town to moderate a panel tonight at the Freedom Center, hosted by the Cincinnati Museum Center. Mr. Freedman’s latest book frames black history and the civil rights movement through the lens of college football.

Insight OTR is a project that started out as an honors course at Northern Kentucky University and has developed into an ongoing search for stories about the people, businesses, culture and history of one of Cincinnati’s most iconic neighborhoods.

I met with Cailtin Neely, creator of Insight OTR on the campus of NKU to learn more.

In early 1941, as it became clearer that the Unites States was headed into war, President Franklin Roosevelt created the USO to provide emotional support to troops.

With dozens of local breweries in operation, Cincinnati was once known as the beer capital of the world. But by the mid-Seventies, only two local breweries remained. Now, thanks to a growing list of craft beer makers and a renewed appreciation of the city’s rich brewing history, Cincinnati is once again becoming known for its beer.

Cincinnati has a tradition of producing winners in the boxing ring, Tim Austin,  Freddie Miller, Aaron Pryor, and most famous, Ezzard Charles, “The Cincinnati Cobra,” who defeated Joe Louis in 1950 to become the Heavyweight Champion of the World.

The Betts House in Cincinnati’s west end has just opened its newest, major exhibition called Bricks, Barrel Vaults, & Beer: The Architectural Legacy of Cincinnati Breweries. With the explosion of new and historic breweries throughout the city, this could not be a timelier exhibit as Dayle Dearduff, interim executive director, tells our Jane Durrell.

October 13 is the date for this year’s Columbia Tusculum Historic Home Tour, and local musician, artist and resident Cindy Matyi joins Lee Hay to share some of the events that will take place during the tour including art exhibits and live music in many of the homes.

Lee Hay spoke with Diana Porter who is the organizer of a bicentennial celebration of College Hill on Saturday, September 21st from 11am-4pm.  The celebration will be a living history event spanning four neighborhoods from Northside to Mt. Healthy, with 9 living history sites focusing on the theme of abolition and the Underground Railroad.

Cincinnati's earliest roots trace back to what is now a cemetery.

Memorial Pioneer Cemetery,  the oldest cemetery in Hamilton County and the second oldest in Ohio, is hard to find even if you're looking for it. It's tucked away, small sign and all, across from Lunken Airport.  That's where Cincinnati Park Board naturalist Michael George is waiting. 

Originally aired Sunday, November 29, 2009 at 8:00 PM 

December 3, 1979 became an infamous night in Cincinnati history as the deaths of eleven concertgoers forever changed crowd control and emergency preparedness. The Who concert has never been forgotten, and there has never been such a complete look at that tragedy and its aftermath as The Who Concert: 30 Years Later.

  July 27, 2013 marks 60 years since the signing of the armistice agreement that ended the fighting in Korea. Howard Wilkinson takes a look at what is often called “The Forgotten War” with two men who were there: Bob McGeorge, commander of Cincinnati chapter of the Korean War Veterans Association. During the war, his Infantry Battalion spent more than 1,000 days on the front lines. And Dr. Bae Suk Lee, who escaped his native North Korea after the Chinese invasion and served alongside American and allied troops during the war.

  Coordinated by the Library of Congress, the Veterans History Project collects first-hand accounts of those who defended the US during wartime. Dr.

Fans of local architecture and some of the fascinating history of early Cincinnati will want to learn about the upcoming Betts Longworth Historic District walking tours happening on the fourth Saturday of the summer months. Jane Durrell welcomes in two of the walk organizers: Julie Carpenter, the director of the historic Betts House on Clark Street, and Judith Mann. The 90-minute walks start at 1:00pm at The Betts House and the $10 fee also includes admission to The Betts House.

The Cincinnati Preservation Association will host a two-day symposium entitled Preserving Modern Architecture in the Midwest on April 24-25. CPA Executive Director Paul Mueller tells our Stuart Holman that the event will be held at the historic, and recently renovated, Frederick and Harriet Rauh House in Woodlawn and will feature tours of the home and discussions of preservation efforts of modern architectural gems.

The Cincinnati Observatory is celebrating an anniversary this weekend. It was 168 years ago that a prominent Cincinnatian made the city the "Birthplace of American Astronomy."

Ormsby MacKnight Mitchel must have been a pretty convincing guy. In the mid-1800s he went door to door to collect 25 dollar donations for a telescope and observatory. Cincinnati Observatory Outreach Astronomer Dean Regas tells the story.

In honor of Black History Month, Natalie Hastings, the communications director from the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, joins Mark Perzel in studio to discuss special programs and exhibits at the Center this month, as well as provide a brief update on how the Center is faring with the growth of The Banks project in its front yard.

Mary Remler is an expert on the various cemeteries in Hamilton County, and she joins Lee Hay to talk about some of the fascinating stories regarding Dunham Cemetery (aka Price Hill Potter's Field), Spring Grove and even Washington Park.

You hear Chris DeSimio each Saturday morning hosting On the Money, but did you know besides being a successful investment counselor, Chris is also the president of the Friends of Harriet Beecher Stowe House? As we begin Black History Month, Mark Perzel turns the tables and interviews Chris about the importance of Harriet Beecher Stowe to the Underground Railroad, and provides information about her family and their home at Gilbert Avenue and Martin Luther King Blvc.  that is now meticulously maintained inside by the Friends group, and the Cincinnati Park Board on the outside.

UC is helping to spearhead an effort to digitize rare library collections worldwide.

Archivist and historian Kevin Grace is just back from Vancouver where he spoke to representatives from 26 countries. More and more people want to access special collections without having to go to remote places to look at them.

Grace says lots of U.S. universities are putting rare photos and books online but many other countries lack the resources to put the necessary background information to go with them.

Robyn Carey-Allgeyer shares information about upcoming paranormal tours taking place at the historic Italian Renaissance home, Hillforest, in Aurora, Indiana.