A Follow-up From the Last Post

Reader David, a Cincinnati native, had this to share in response to my last post:

“Haha, I was looking at your article again and I saw that you referred to Cleves Warsaw as Cleves Warsaw Pike. You can tell I am old because I never once knew it was Cleves Warsaw Pike. One of my best friends lived along Cleves Warsaw Pike and I always called it Cleves Warsaw Road (as it is a county road and almost all county roads in Hamilton County Ohio are Road, except for former State / US Routes such as Harrison Ave / Pike). Street name signs along county roads in Hamilton County do not include Pike / Road etc. So, I always assumed it was Road.

The west side of Cincinnati is so terribly interesting because it has so many abandoned roads. Why are they abandoned? Land subsidence. The most tragic tale of land subsidence has to be Devils Backbone Road. It’s such a cool name, but why is it called Devil’s Backbone Road? There’s no crazy curve on this road! Well, there was. It slid into Muddy Creek. That’s why Devils Backbone Road is discontinuous. It’s also why Muddy Creek Road is discontinuous near Devils Backbone Road. At least the hairpin turn on Ebenezer Road still exists! I just hate that they got rid of the old hairpin road sign (https://goo.gl/maps/LtHNYGaheQKZ3SPg6) and replaced it with a standard hairpin road sign. So sad. God, I wish these abandoned roads still existed. I love hills and curves. It makes driving more fun. 

Another fun fact I learned in college is the history of Delhi Avenue. It is an avenue but mysteriously ends at Bender Road. Well, it didn’t used to. It used to go down the hill to Hillside Avenue. Technically, it still does. If you go to a winter aerial, you’ll see the old road down the hill still exists, but it is closed off. Before they abandoned the road, the Hamilton County Engineer had sections of Delhi Avenue on the hill that had eight feet of pavement due to subsidence. I wish I remembered if I learned this in Geotechnical Class or Risk and Reliability Class. (probably the latter). 

I am a huge fan of historical roads and routes, I have always found them fascinating in every city I have lived in. I just happen to know historical roads in western Hamilton County Ohio the best. 

Also, if you can’t tell I am a west sider. Oh how I miss home.

Keep up the good work!”