My brother, Jim's, article for his former weekly newspaper, The Scioto Voice ... thx Jim

High Notes 11-02-2017

     Fifties recollections - Mound Park and more

     Harold Rhoten; Howard Rase; Victor Hockenheimer; The Sugar Bowl; Rase's Ashland Station; Mound Park Pharmacy; Henry B McKee; The Park Shoppe; John Holman; The Robert Cullen family; Herman and Richard Klitch...my early teenage years.

     In 1949 I turned ten-years of age.  I had inherited a Hawthorne bicycle, which had belonged to my brothers; Forest (Buddy), Sam, George, and finally I had the new opportunity to explore my neighborhood and beyond.  My aunt and uncle, Hazel and Bob Cullen contributed mightily to that bike.  I agreed to mow the Cullen's grass, and they agreed to buy me a new saddle for the bike.  That bike opened new horizons for me.  It made it possible for me to explore my surroundings, including Greenlawn Cemetery, and the Portsmouth Hilltop area.  

     I soon learned that Ernie and his son, Howard Rase owned and operated the Ashland Station at the corner of Hutchins and 17th Streets, across from the croquet courts at Mound Park.  That's where I would go to check and add air to my bike's balloon tires. Mound Park was unique in that it had croquet courts on that corner, and the corner of Hutchins and Grant Streets.  i can remember the northern-most courts, with their smooth sand base, were mostly used for Nuckle-down glass marble tournaments, a regular feature of public parks.    

     Harold Rhoten was a regular visitor at Rase's...he rode an unusual bicycle, with a normal sized rear tire, but a smaller front tire, which accommodated, an over-sized wire basket, built to hold a Newspaper route's hand-rolled papers, or other "freight".  Harold, or Rolty Bolts, as he was affectionately known by Lucy Hibbitts, was working as an apprentice machinist for the N & W Railroad in 1952, according to my Polk's City Directory for that year.  Another regular denizen, and later an employee at Rase's, was Victor Hockenheimer.  Victor and Howard Rase were neighbors...Victor lived at 1402 High Street, and Howard lived at 1410 Summit Street.

     Henry B. McKee, had a barber shop in the elevated room attached to the Mound Park Pharmacy.  Herman Klitch was a security officer at the New Boston Steel Mill, and the father of Richard (Dick) Klitch the amateur singles tennis champion for Ohio.  Dick came by that athletic ability honestly, because his father, taught him the elements of the sport, and their back-yard abutted the alley and the public tennis courts at Mound Park.  Park Shoppe lore had it that Klitch took on Bigler Ehrman, and beat him at tennis using a baseball bat, while "Biggy Bun" used a tennis racket.  Mr. Klitch was the coach of our "Grandview Cubs" summer league junior baseball team, and he sometimes would show up at the tennis courts, and hit tennis with me.  I've mentioned before that he used to play for a half hour or so before going to work a the steel mill

     John Holman, had the lawn mower and small engine repair shop in the buff brick building adjoining the Park Shoppe.  Later, John moved into The Washington House after it was converted to apartments for the elderly, and used to walk the streets of downtown Portsmouth.  You would see him regularly around the esplanade on Chillicothe Street. 

      Dick Klitch followed Portsmouth basketball coach Bill Rohr to Miami University to play for the basketball and tennis teams.  My brother Sam, Howard Rase and I drove to Huntington, W.Va to watch Klitch when Miami played Marshall.