2010 Community Forum Featured Historical Uses and Colorful Characters of Clintonville Ravines

By Alice Waldhauer (all photos courtesy of Sherrill Massey)

On Tuesday, March 23, Friends of the Ravines presented the 2010 Community Forum at the Clinton Heights Lutheran Church. The forum featured two speakers from the Clintonville Historical Society: Richard Barrett, a well-known expert on Olentangy Park, the former Clintonville amusement park, and Algy McBride, who spoke about the life and times of Bill Moose, the last full-blooded Wyandot Indian.

Between the 1880s and 1938, amusement parks operated under various names in the area west of High Street between Glen Echo and Walhalla ravines, but the name Olentangy Park is the best remembered.  Richard Barrett’s presentation covered the story of the park and its evolution as a destination spot where residents could ride roller coasters, take a dip in the famous swimming pool, and enjoy thrilling attractions and skill games of the period.

 

Algy McBride talked about Bill Moose, Clintonville’s most beloved Wyandot Indian.  The nearby Bill Moose Ravine is named for this historical figure, whose home was a shack near the intersection of Morse Road and Indianola Avenue;  he lived close to the Olentangy and Scioto rivers most of his life.  When Bill Moose died in 1937 at age 99, thousands of people attended his funeral.  His final resting spot, located on Riverside Drive near Lane Road, is marked by a memorial of boulders stacked into a pyramidal shape.
 

 

Friends of the Ravines would like to thank all those who attended the 2010 Community Forum, as well as the Clinton Heights Lutheran Church for hosting the event.  Thanks also to Simple Sweets Bakeshop, Giant Eagle, and Kroger for donating refreshments.