The Short Story
This page gives you a snapshot of what this book is about. For more information, please proceed to the long description page. To read the full introduction, click here.
Many well-known cities have built rapid transit subway systems that are still used today. New York City, for instance, could not survive without its extensive subway network. Nearly a century ago, Cincinnati tried to compete with the commercial progress of other large cities by planning a rapid transit loop with a subway downtown. The subway system would carry citizens from their homes in the suburbs to downtown quickly-more quickly than the streetcar system. This plan would also allow interurban travelers to be carried swiftly from the outskirts of the city to downtown.
A $6 million bond was voted on in 1917. Construction began in 1920, and ended in 1927 when that money had run out. The city's mayor had decided to end the project since he felt his city wouldn't benefit from spending millions to complete the system. A variety of other issues contributed to the failure of the subway, and the whole story is told in my book, The Cincinnati Subway.
This book is the first--and only--book that tells the whole story of the famous subway project that was never completed. The Cincinnati Subway details the reasons why the rapid transit system was needed, how the subway was built, and what led to its downfall. The book continues the story after 1930, discussing what happened with the subway and Cincinnati every decade until present day. Along the way, the story is put into perspective with events taking place in Cincinnati and the rest of the world: the 1884 Courthouse Riots, WWI, the Roaring 20s, the Depression and WWII.
The Cincinnati Subway is a fascinating book that is being enjoyed by history buffs and railfans around the country. The book offers topics of interest for many readers: Cincinnati history; the growth of a city; city politics; mass transit history including horsecars, streetcars, and automobiles; steam and interurban railroads.
The book was published by Arcadia, and released in May, 2003, and by the end of September, had sold over 2300 copies. It contains nearly 200 pictures, maps and diagrams; and many pictures have never been published before.
For more detailed information, proceed to the Long Description page.