747 Park Avenue and the Grayson Family (information from 2008 House Tour)
          747 Park Avenue was built in 1914 by George H. Eveland.  In 1920 he sold it to Miles and Harry Eveland who sold it in 1922 to Frank Y. and Daisy B. Grayson.  According to the 1920 census they were already renters there in 1920 with their 18-year-old son Raymond and their 16-year-old daughter Margaret.  As is quite common we learn about Frank Y. Grayson through his obituary in 1955. 
          “Frank Y. Grayson, a newspaperman for 66 years, died Wednesday at his home, 747 Park Avenue, Terrace Park.
          Although he retired 15 months ago from the Times-Star sports department, Frank Grayson never could be idle.  He was using a sickle to cut grass behind his home when he collapsed from a heart attack. 
          Mr. Grayson will be best remembered for the 25 years that he covered the Cincinnati Reds.  But Frank Grayson always thought of himself as a “newspaperman,” rather than a sports specialist. 
          Mr. Grayson was a self-made, self-educated Hamilton county writer from the word go. 
          He was born 82 years ago near New Haven, and at 14 quit school to go to work at $1.50 per week for a furniture company in Harrison, O.  After a few years of that, he opened the first drug store soda fountain in Harrison, and started his newspaper career writing for the town’s two weekly newspapers and the Times-Star. 
          Just before the turn of the century he was hired as a fulltime reporter by the Enquirer.  For eight years he covered police, politics, and the Kentucky feuds, and left the Enquirer in 1908 to take a job with the city auditor’s office.
          In 1925 until he retired in 1955, Mr. Grayson wrote about the Reds, traveling with the team and following them from last place to two World Series and one world championship.
          He was married to Mrs. Daisy Grayson in 1900.  Mrs. Grayson died in 1951, several months after the Graysons celebrated their golden wedding anniversary.  He leaves a son, Raymond Grayson, of Mariemont, a daughter, Mrs. Margaret Booze, of Indian Hill, a grand daughter, Nancy Grayson, and a sister, Mrs. Lola Morgan of Indian Hill.” 
          Daisy Grayson was an excellent seamstress and also did beautiful handiwork.  She made quilts for each of Bruce and Liza Brown’s children when they were born.  Their son Ray had a childhood disease that left him deaf.  He learned to be an excellent lip reader.  His wife, Edna, was both deaf and mute.  Their daughter was Nancy Budd Grayson.  Frank and Daisy’s daughter, Margaret, first married Loren Gatch and it was for them that 104 Miami Avenue was built. 
          His friend Lou Smith wrote about Frank as a person.  “A wonderful guy and a true friend became just a memory yesterday when word came that Frank Y. Grayson had been called ‘out’ by the supreme Official Scorer – his Maker.
           ‘Pop,’ as he was affectionately know to me, and his legions of friends, was a great guy.  I know, for I spent 17 enjoyable years covering the baseball beat with him.  His was a friendship that battled for you when you were wrong.  He was first to brag about you when you did something good.
           Pop was one of the few baseball writers I knew who I never heard a ball player say a mean word about.  And for a good reason.  He operated on the theory – which is conspicuous by its absence in baseball writing today – that if you can’t say something nice about a player, don’t say anything. 
           He was excellent company and a great storyteller.  He was a human who lived every minute, ate, drank and made merry.  But I couldn’t tell you one mistake Pop made during his long career as baseball writer for Times-Star. 
           Only last Monday night I was in Pop’s company at Russ Olsner’s annual baseball party at his tavern in Lookout Heights.  He amused all who sat at the table with him with amusing anecdotes and stories, all of which he told well and with a merry twinkle in his eyes.
           Pop also was looking with great anticipation to another trip to the Red’s baseball training camp at Tampa.
           Now he’s gone.  And the old wooden bleachers at Plant Field, where Pop used to regale brother baseball writers and followers of the Reds with his countless stories won’t seem the same”.

747 Park Avenue Points of Interest (from 2008 House Tour)
          1) 747 Park Avenue was originally a mirror image of 748 Park Avenue, except for one bay window on the 2^nd floor of 748 Park and the fact that 747 is wood and 748 is brick.
          2) 1999 renovation attempted to maintain exterior integrity, blend with Park Avenue streetscape, and maintain interior trim style.  Also matched living room floor in the 1st floor addition – but couldn’t get planks that were as wide.  On tour day the floor will be marked with blue painter’s tape so that people can see where walls were before renovations. 
          3) Frank Y. Grayson was a sportswriter for the Cincinnati Times Star and an author.  Present owners have one of his books, which is displayed on the kitchen table.
          4) Home passed from father, Frank Grayson, to son, Ray. Ray’s widow sold to present owners in 1994.
          5) Part of the garage served as a workshop for the Graysons.
          6) Western Avenue used to run alongside this house.  The street was closed when the
lumberyard was sold for Denison Lane.