Sunday, January 4, 2009

Miami Shores

Part of Moraine, but with a sort of seperate history, is Miami Shores. So a special post for this little suburb.

This was one of at least four, maybe five, "resorts" built along the Great Miami River north and south of Dayton. There may be more further south along the river in the vicinity of Hamilton and Middletown.

This was a development fad of the 1920s, maybe a bit earlier, too. Examples can be found in Louisville and Indianapolis as well. The idea was to develope areas along water as a sort of weekend getaway. "Boating/Bathing/Fishing" as the brochure says.

You'd get there by car, but the brochsure does show the interurban, too. In other cases these were developed around interurban access (Indian Lake up in Champaigne County is an example of that) or around railroad stops (Fox Lake in Lake County Illinois, near Chicago).

The brochure mentions the "Iron Bridge", and this pix shows that bridge, which seems like the old spans on Siebenthaler and on 725 west of Germantown. This is now replaced by a big concrete bridge, perhaps part of the road realignments associated with the extenstion of Gettysburg south to Moraine.
Miami Shores was laid out within a bend of the Great Miami, and didn't have that much frontage on the river. The swimming was not in the river but in the "swimming hole" south of Sellars Road.
One can see on the map Venetian Way as a parkway, and the "Swimming Hole" . Perhaps these are remnants of an earlier watercourse on this bend, as an 1875 map shows an old mill race where these features are at.

Since boating was one of the attractions there was two boat ramps. One by the bridge, the other further into the plat.

Since there is (or was) a boat ramp people had boats:

Miami Shores houses, mostly older ones shown here. Since this was so close to the Frigidaire plant one has to assume this pretty quickly became a place to live year round as well as a weekend or summer vacation getaway.




Downtown Miami Shores. If I recall right this was where the old "Iron Bridge" crossed the river, so there was a little collection of stuff near the bridge and and boat ramp. Reminiscent of little weekend communities in the chain of lakes area northwest of Chicago, which saw similar development in the 1920s.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

I was born and raised in the Shores. I lived there until I went into the Marine Corps in 1973. We attended West Carrollton Schools and were known as Miami Shores River Rats. Semper Fi, Harry Fritz, aka Pugsley.

Anonymous said...

I was born and raised in the Shores too. I loved living there.I just found out thats what we were called river rats. I guess back then it was hurtful being kids and all.But if you didnt live there you dont know what you missed out on.Playing in the rain going on swimming hole road and swimming in the water hole with kids. Going to the boat ramp watching the people put there boats in the water.Hanging out at the trading time post,going to webbs mkt.the starlite resturant.Watching Mr. Johnson Fly the RED BARRON,now that was the good old days.Wished I could go back to the good olds days in MIAMI_SHORES,I still go back from time to time and see my Best Friends. Wouldnt bother me a bit to move back there.I would be the Best Big River Rat You would wont to see.And Be very happy too.Like I am today and every day,just glad that the LORD has give us the lite every day we open our eyes. Jackie(clark)Jackson

Anonymous said...

I was borned and raised there too with my brothers and sisters and i remember it as a safe place to live we never locked our doors we new all our neighbors and had a great bunch of friends those were difinaly the good old days. Mary (Fritz) Robinson

Anonymous said...

Born and Raised a River Rat..Man those were the good old days.Alot has changed since then but "The Shores" will always be Home...Kenny Payne

Anonymous said...

I was born and raised in Miami Shores. I can't envision a richer childhood that I experienced in the Shores. Duke's Boat House and the grounds over the levee at the north end of Miami Shores Drive was was where I spent most of my imaginative years. I wouldn't trade that experience for anything!

Anonymous said...

I was and still think of myself as a river rat miss the old day where we all ran and stuck toghter thats not the way anymore miss big Paine/Scott stivers/Russ/Dave/Eddie and tommy/Ron decker/ and my mother Alice Schwab. Ed .

Unknown said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Nightowldweller said...

Is anything gone from Miami Shores that use to be there?

Moraine Airpark said...

I am looking for photos and information about Moraine Airpark 1950's-1980's
and also Neff Field( that where the Wax Park is now). I also grew up in the Shores going buy candy from Harold and Thelma @ the Airpark then running across the field to the pool.

Anyone who might have info please feel free to contact the
Moraine Airpark 937-866-2489. Please leave me a message.