Sunday, July 12, 2009

Sidney, Ohio Part I

Sidney, Ohio

Views of the 1883 Shelby County Courthouse built
in the Second French Empire Style.
This building with grounds occupies an entire square block.
Around the square are other notable old buildings.


Another view of the square around the county courthouse.
Sidney became the county seat for Shelby County way back in 1819.

The most famous place to eat in downtown Sidney, Ohio.

The Spot
The original Spot began in 1907 as a chuck wagon run by a man named Spot Miller.
George W. Bush has eaten at The Spot.

And what is the best thing on the menu?
Why that would be a gigantic tenderloin sandwich.


The People's Federal Savings and Loan Building
This beautiful bank building was designed by Louis Sullivan and built back in 1917.
It has stained glass windows and gargoyles like a medieval cathedral might have.


Here is a sideview of the Federal Savings and Loan Building.
Double click on both pics to see the detailed workmanship of this old building.



The Monumental Building is a Civil War Memorial
to all the Shelby County Union Soldiers Who Fought in the Civil War.
This building has seen many uses including being an opera house where Buffalo Bill performed.
It has recently been restored and is now a municipal court.

Here is a sideview of the Monumental Building.
This facade is entirely different.
It looks very German to me.

Notice the ornate tile roof and the figure at the top of the building.
The figure at the top stands for Sergeant Baker, a Shelby County farmer who became one of the Ohio Squirrel Shooters sent to defend Cincinnati from the advancing Southern Forces.
A Squirrel Shooter was a farmer turned Civil War soldier whose previous gun experience was "shooting squirrels but never the same squirrel twice".

Now that's a strange bit of Ohio history for you on this Monday morning.



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6 comments:

  1. This Is My Blog - fishing guyJuly 13, 2009 at 7:21 AM

    Joann: A wonderful trip through the little Ohio town. They had some great architechture.

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  2. PattyJuly 13, 2009 at 10:07 AM

    I was looking at the photos, the one of the best place to eat, almost looks like a spot in Greenville, they use to call the Hamburger Joint, on the corner of Broadway and I think Martin Street.

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  3. AnonymousJuly 13, 2009 at 10:12 AM

    I must say that you have put some magnificent photographs on this blog of your's. I had not seen any of these places in decades but instantly recognized some of them.

    Thanks too for the mention below. I appreciate that.

    I will have to give your link to my brother (or half-brother) Charles Rhodehamel who lives in Texas. His father and my stepfather was from Sidney and their family lived along the river there. I remember it as crossing a bridge and there on the left was a two story house which is where he was born.

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  4. CharlesJuly 13, 2009 at 7:29 PM

    Thanks for photos & info on Sidney. My half-brother informed me of it. I have saved a couple other pics of the Spot & have eaten there. Thanks for pics of courthouse; in fact, every time we drove close to it, my dad would remind us that he had dug the holes & planted them when he was young. He was born in 1897 in Pasco. I have 1 cousin still living in Sidney.

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  5. DeniseinVAJuly 14, 2009 at 5:41 PM

    Sidney looks like a lovely town. Your photos are great.

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  6. AnonymousAugust 6, 2011 at 12:39 AM

    Proud to say that this is my hometown. Was just downtown tonight with the family enjoying courthouse square and the new fountains that are up and running. A beautiful city!

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