By Carol C. Cole
There are two definitions of a restaurant in the newly revised Zoning Ordinance for the Village of Terrace Park.
The first tells a restaurant is, “A business establishment, with or without table service, with no drive through or walk up windows, within which food is prepared and offered for sale and consumption on or off the premises, to the customer, in a ready to consume state in individual servings."
A fast food restaurant is, “A business establishment whose principal business is the sale of rapidly prepared food, directly to the consumer in a ready to consume state for consumption either within the restaurant or off-premises, in a average preparation time of 240 seconds or less."
I doubt that Terrace Park has ever had anything that would fit under the definition of “fast food restaurant". However, there certainly have been several establishments that could be considered restaurants.
Did you know that at one time there were several places in Terrace Park where one could “eat out"? As most of you probably know there was quite a summer colony in Terrace Park in the early 1900s. Families escaped the summer heat of the city by coming out here to stay in cottages and Clubs close to the Little Miami River. The Avalon Canoe Club had its own very fine cook, Henry. He was a favorite of the children since we were told by Dorothy Meyers Rixey that “he always passed out candy as he walked from the Railroad Station, across the tracks from the Terrace Market, to the club."
The Andrew sisters and their brother, a large stockholder in the Newport Steel Mills, had two log cabins probably where 810 Miami Avenue stands today. Every afternoon they drove their electric car to a boarding house where meals were served. Caroline Burger, daughter of Charles Meurer, the artist, knew this as she worked for the Andrew sisters as a child for 25 cents an hour, doing household chores.
After her husband's death Mrs. Corey kept a year round boarding house at her 722 Wooster Pike home (now 723 Indian Hill Road). Mrs. Rixey told us about one of Mrs. Corey's year round boarders. Miss Elizabeth Jeffries was “a handsome woman who gave music lessons to many of the young people of the village. She was quite a character, and was constantly bickering with Mrs. Corey. When at the age of seventy Mrs. Corey decided to plant a peach orchard, Miss Jeffries who was ten years younger, really let her have it. She said that only an ass would plant trees at her age, and expect to live to harvest a crop. Some years later when the tress bore fruit, Mrs. Cory served her boarders peach shortcake. Miss Jeffries got applesauce. When other guests had homemade peach ice cream, Miss Jeffries got applesauce. The same was true for all peach delicacies even to the preserves when Miss Jeffries was given apple jelly. The only peach she ever had was one she sneaked out after dark and picked."
In fact there were many homes in Terrace Park where more people lived than just the extended family: this included married children and their families, elderly or widowed parents, in-laws and many other relatives. Many families had live-in servants as well as boarders. Vinnie Ader told Jane Peterson that she had heard that at one time Robinson Circus performers boarded at 321 Rugby.
The 1910 census was taken on April 15th. As of that day several circus people were boarding with the circus foreman and his wife somewhere on Stanton Avenue: the overseer, superintendent, musicians, actresses and a black waiter. Somewhere on John Robinsons grounds, along with John Robinson and his wife and servants, are listed superintendents and stewards, actors and actresses, equestrians, grooms, animal keepers, an elephant keeper and elephant trainers, a cat keeper, drivers, laborers, a carpenter, a cook and waiters, a porter and night watchman, along with others I've found too difficult to read. In all there are 71 people ranging in age from 13 to 57, with John himself at 66 years of age.
Next month I'll continue this story of where one could board or “eat out" in Terrace Park in earlier times.