Thursday, March 20, 2025

Springing out of Winter

Saucer magnolia in full bloom. One of the first indicators for the arrival of spring.

In November of last year I started to get worried. The popular national weather outlets predicted that the Ohio Valley was likely to experience an exceptionally warm winter. Whenever I see extremely warm winter predictions, I know what's coming-so I start prepping. I fire up the snowblower, stockpile salt, stack firewood, and dig out all my winter gear. Because I know Old Man Winter's response: Hold my beer!

True to form this past La Nina winter ended up 4℉ below normal for the months of December (+2℉), January (-6.1℉), and February (+.1℉). We also experienced a decent amount of snowfall with almost all of January under a blanket of snow cover. Luckily, March has seen above normal temperatures; however, the cold winter has left us with some unexpected consequences.

Tree Work

On New Years Day I contacted the tree company and told them the temperatures looked perfect the following week to begin tree work (we look for below freezing daily high temperatures and cold low temperatures so the rough freezes up enough to support tree removal equipment). With predicted highs in the 20s and lows around zero everything was coming together, then the January 5th snow storm happened. After the storm dropped over 11" of snow on the course I knew we would have to hold off on tree work. But we were not expecting the snow depth to hang around the entire month. Once the calendar rolled over to February the snow was melting, but turning into a sheet of ice. Then the heavy rains hit, and then more snow. Needless to say, we were limited on how much of the tree work got accomplished this past winter; however, we were able to finish the in-house tree removals which consisted of around 20 trees.

One of the reasons we like to have tree work done before March is because the soils are typically wet and soft this time of year from the freezing, thawing, and rain. The week of March 10th we thought there was a dry enough window to accomplish the work by #18 fairway. In October a tree assessment was conducted and many of the pin oaks in that area had an abundant amount of dead limbs posing a safety concern, as well as, one particular pin oak requiring removal because of a large amount of decay at a bifurcated branch junction. After consulting the company foreman and monitoring the conditions we decided to move forward with tree work before more rain was expected that weekend.

Well, the ground was a bit more soft than we anticipated. The company was able to finish the trimming and pin oak removal to the left of #18 fairway, but a decent amount of ruts and tracks were left behind. A couple of the trucks even needed to be pulled out. We have since smoothed out the ruts, seeded, and strawed the area; however, we will need to have it roped off until the seed germinates. The lightning struck tree to the left of #16 fairway is next up for removal, but at this point we have decided to hold off until the conditions improve. I'm not sure when that will be with our typically wet spring conditions, but I will keep you posted if/when a date materializes.

Tree company taking down a massive pin oak and trimming 7 other trees in that area with many dead branches

Fixing the disaster area

Smoothing out ruts with 20 yards of topsoil.

Seeded, strawed and roped off. It is wet after a recent rain event.

#14 Tee

As I wrote about in last November's blog post, #14 tee provided us with some issues (click here for the post). In short the issues were as follows:

  • The old blue tee needed to be shaved down around 7"  to make it level with the old black tee.
  • After the base soil was exposed it consisted of hard, blue clay that was plowed up from the pond construction.
  • The late November rainfalls, along with the shade from the adjacent pin oak, and the low November sun angle kept the area extremely wet causing us to excavate the wet clay and fill with drier better quality soil.
  • 10" of the clay soil was removed and another 10" of fill dirt added to firm up the base.
  • During the end of the process another 1" rain storm occurred delaying work and washing out the newly installed base.
The construction work finally was completed right before Thanksgiving. In addition, the only local bentgrass sod producer (other places that sell bentgrass sod are located in Pittsburgh or Chicago which would have increased the cost considerably) had issues with the summer droughts that decimated many acres of bentgrass sod. The poor quality sod (that was discounted) for #14 tee had to sit longer than expected on the pallets due to the delay of construction. All this led to the tee top decomposing grass being laid in sloppy, wet conditions right before a cold snap that seemed to last through the entire winter. 

We replaced many of the worst pieces of sod with bentgrass sod from our nursery whenever conditions were favorable enough during the winter months.  The other tees (#4, #12, #17) that were completed earlier in November are much further along, look healthier, and are filling in. We expect these tees to be open by mid April. However, the #14 tee is just starting to grow after winter dormancy. We have topdressed with dry sand, seeded, and fertilized to try and push growth. Also, we are plugging bad areas with bentgrass to help fill in the worst spots. The tee is looking much better but still has some growing to do. Hopefully the warmer weather continues to help push it along. In the meantime we ask for your patience. The tee will heal in eventually, however, the date to open the tee is still in limbo.


#14 tee right after completion


#14 in mid December. We were starting to resod dead patches on the left side.


#14 tee in early March, breaking winter dormancy.

#14 tee late March

The grass is healing in.

Irrigation System

In the beginning of December we winterized the irrigation system. We pick this date because the tee leveling is completed in mid to late November and, depending on conditions, sometimes we need to water the sod. Usually it is warm enough in early December (average high is 50 degrees) to get the lines blown out with an air compressor. Last year was an anomaly, with very cold temperatures setting in the week of Thanksgiving. Noticing that the forecast models were predicting the cold snap we drained the system a week earlier, but the air compressor needs to be rented and could not get on property until December 2nd. The system draining gets rid of 90% of the water, but each individual head needed to be blown out to keep them from freezing. This is where we ran into a problem. While blowing them out 40 heads became cracked and blew off. 

Every March the system needs to be turned back on and pressurized back up to 110 psi. The pumps are checked, pump house components pressurized, computer software evaluated, and any leaks fixed. This year we also replaced the broken irrigation heads from the December winterization. Luckily, the heads were under warranty and were replaced at no cost to the club. I wanted to inform the membership just in case they saw some geysers coming up from the sprinkler heads while we were starting up the system.

Blowing out the irrigation system in December.


Verticutting Fairways

Verticuting of the fairways was implemented in 2021 with the purchase of a Weidenmann Triple V verticutting unit that has helped decrease the thatch layer and reduce compaction. Verticutting consists of vertical rotating blades, which penetrate the surface at a depth up to 1".  A significant amount of organic matter is brought up and picked up with a TC-125 John Deere sweeper. This procedure was completed in late February and early March and will continue to help with the health of the fairway turf; creating firmer conditions during the golf season.

Verticutting #1 fairway

Picking up debris on #7 with the TC-125 sweeper.

Dumping thatch.

Landscaping

Two areas around the club received a landscape upgrade. The first was next to the elevator area entrance. We lost an Alaskan cedar last fall, the boxwoods were dying, and the globe blue spruce bush had seen better days. Mr. Walsh had the idea of creating a "Short family garden" named after the Short family that owned this property for around 60 years. This looked to be a good location for that garden and we installed some of the plants named after Charles Wilkins Short (a famous botanist). Included are Solidago shortii (Short's Goldenrod), asters, sedges, and deutzia. We may look into adding a sign at a latter date.

In addition, the bed behind the pool needed to be replaced. The snowball spirea bushes were in decline and the junipers were getting overgrown. They were replaced with ornamental grasses (miscanthus 'Gracillimus'), Karen azaleas, and deutzia 'Yuki Cherry Blossom'.

Old Elevator entrance landscaping

Removing plants

Short Garden

David and Hector removing snowball spiraeas in the snow!

New pool landscaping.



 Driving Range

Some questions have emerged about the driving range rotation/policy. Here are the most frequently asked questions.

When will the driving range grass open for the season?

The practice tees will open on April 1st starting on the north tees, switching to the south tee in mid May and moving back to the north tees after Labor Day. After November 1st the grass on the practice tee is closed and it is mats only. 

Why can't we use the grass during warm days in the winter?

As the temperatures cool the healing time takes longer. In the winter, germination has ceased and the grass' growth has either shut down or slowed down considerably. Consequently, divots that are made after November 1st will not fully heal until growth begins again in April. Beating up the range in the winter will only lead to poor spring time conditions and will inevitably create poor practice tees for the following golf season.

Why are we still hitting on the mats when the grass is open?

The rotation of the practice tees is 5 days on the grass and 2 on the mats. We need to utilize the mats twice a week because the tees are under sized. Typically, an 18 hole course will have close to 2 acres of turf. Combining all the new WHCC practice tee areas we are still just under an acre. To keep the turf in decent shape, so there is still some green grass to hit off of, we need to use the mats twice a week and allow divots to heal (healing takes around 3 weeks during the warm summer months). One of the mat days is always on Mondays and the second day is rotated between Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday so golfers are always hitting off the grass on weekends during decent weather.

Remember to use the linear divot pattern on the practice tees. This pattern will heal faster than any other divot.


Other Jobs

The crew has been busy with other jobs as spring begins. Some of them include, raising drainage drains, installing the pond fountain, and picking up stump grindings. The blooming tulips are on the horizon and we are starting to fill in other areas with spring annuals. The bloom time is about 2 weeks behind schedule which should help for Easter color. 

We have begun mowing the fairways, tees, and greens. And the rough is starting to green up as of this writing. Moreover, the March winds and thunderstorms are providing an abundant amount of cleanup work in the form of sticks, gumballs, and catalpa tree cigars.  Also, the Bermuda grass fall time overseeding has produced good results with the Bermuda grass fairway patches hardly noticeable during the colder months. Hopefully, the warm weather pattern continues allowing turf to heal in before the start of the 2025 golf calendar.

Assistant Michael Westendorf installing the pond fountain.

Fountain installed
Wilfredo and Raymond raising up the catch basin behind #12 green.


The Bermuda grass overseeding. You can see the last pass we made with the land pride over seeder in the fall.

Ricardo picking up the stump grindings with the mini skid steer.






Brad Piecuch
Grounds Superintendent













Friday, January 24, 2025

Western Hills Country Club History

 When I sent out information on the history of the WHCC property, I was unaware that it would garner so much interest. Many members sent emails about their fascination on this topic, and one particular member (Pat Walsh) wrote an extensive report about the property and the Short family's genealogy. Furthermore, Ray Grothaus from the Delhi Historical Society wrote a document about the history of the club and Sosthenes Fischesser's blacksmith shop.

 The claim that Benjamin Harrison had a summer residence here could not be confirmed. An article in the Cincinnati post, in December of 1927, stated that this was the summer residence of President Harrison and he stayed at the house on property that was later converted into the WHCC clubhouse. Interestingly, the article does not mention which President Harrison stayed here- William Henry Harrison or Benjamin Harrison. In order to confirm, we would need to find some confirmation of residence like a deed, or family letters indicating his WHCC summer retreat. However, it is entirely possible, due to the relations between the Shorts and Harrisons, that Benjamin Harrison may have spent some summers on this property.

The 1927 article. The article also references Nona Closterman, the founder of the Price Hill Golf Club that later became the Elberon Country Club.

An old Jewish tradition states that we die twice, once when we stop breathing and again when people stop mentioning our name. I like to think we are keeping the caretakers of this historic property alive by learning about them today. 

What follows are the two reports on WHCC history. Since I had difficulty connecting the dots on some historical information, I was lucky enough to encounter these two gentlemen who figured out the timeline of this property before it became Western Hills Country Club. Enjoy!

Brad Piecuch
Grounds Superintendent



History of the Property that Became Western Hills Country Club

 by Pat Walsh


January 19, 2025

Introduction

What started as a quick search into the ownership of the property that became Western Hills Country Club, turned into a history lesson on some of the key figures in the early days of the United States, and in particular, to the very origin of part of the “Westside of Cincinnati”. At the center of the story is John Cleves Short. He and his heirs owned 100 acres at the corner of Neeb Rd. and Cleves Warsaw Pike from 1853 until 1913. Short descended from a very prosperous family out of Virginia. He had close ties to two Presidents, a pioneer of the Northwest Territory, and was himself involved in acquiring land that is very well known to us today; acquisitions that made him extremely wealthy.

 

John Cleves Short

John Cleves Short was born in 1792 in Woodford County, Kentucky to Peyton Short and Maria Symmes. Peyton Short’s family were well-to-do farmers in Virginia, and at the passing of his father, Peyton took his large inheritance and moved west settling in Danville, KY. As an attorney he was active in the early politics of Kentucky as well as in land speculation. Peyton and Maria also had a second son, Charles Wilkins Short (who became a noted botanist), and a daughter, Anna Maria Short; more on them later.

 

John Cleves Short’s mother, Maria Symmes, was the daughter of John Cleves Symmes, who served as a colonel in the American Revolution. Symmes is most famous for coordinating the purchase of over 311,000 acres of the Northwest Territory from the US Government in 1788.  Known as the Miami Purchase, or sometimes the Symmes Purchase, the acquisition was bounded on the south by the Ohio River, on the west the Great Miami River, on the east by the Little Miami River, and on the north by a line that runs east-west roughly 25 miles north of Cincinnati. Symmes was also the father of Anna Symmes, wife of future President William Henry Harrison. John Cleves Symmes is the namesake of both the village of Cleves and Symmes Township in Ohio. (As an aside, Symmes’ mother was Mary Cleves of Long Island, NY. So technically she is the namesake of Cleves and therefore also Cleves Warsaw Pike).



Peyton Short had a brother William. He is important to the story because when he died, he left his entire fortune to his nephews, John Cleves Short and Charles Wilkins Short. From Wikipedia:

William Short (September 30, 1759 – December 5, 1849) was an American diplomat during the early years of the United States. He served as Thomas Jefferson's private secretary when the latter was a peace commissioner in France, and remained in Europe to take on several other diplomatic posts. Jefferson, later the third President of the United States, was a lifelong mentor and friend. In a 1789 letter, Jefferson referred to Short as his "adoptive son."


In 1814, John Cleves Short married Elizabeth Bassett Harrison, daughter of William Henry Harrison and Anna Symmes. If you are keeping track, she was his first cousin (their mothers were sisters). Harrison did not become president until 1841, but the Shorts remained married until she died in 1846, so it is true that Short was the President’s son-in-law while in office. Unfortunately, William Henry Harrison holds the distinction of the first President to die in office as well as the shortest term – one month – so Short’s association with that President was short-lived.

 

John and Elizabeth Short had only one child, who died in infancy. I could not find much additional information about them prior Elizabeth’s death in 1846. An 1847 Plat Map of Hamilton County shows Short owning several plots of land and a home in what is now Addyston. In later documents his homestead is referred to as “Short Hill” and from one of the old maps it looks like Short Hill was right in the middle of what is now the INEOS ABS plant that runs along the river in Addyston. John married a second time in 1849 to Mary Ann Goodrich. He was 57, she was 33. In the 1850 U.S. Census, they were living in Miami Township (presumably at Short Hill) with one son from Mary Ann’s first marriage, William Mitchell, age 7, and a son of their own named John Cleves Short, age 1 month. The value of his real estate was $90,158 (approx. $3.6M today).

 

Recall that Short’s uncle, William Short, had died in 1849 and left him a considerable fortune. It is not clear to me when Short purchased the original land in Miami Twp, but according to an 1856 Plat Map, he had amassed around 2,100 acres, stretching from what is now Dahlia Ave in Sayler Park, along the river to Addyston, then north to Shady Lane (including the current neighborhoods of Aston Woods, Villages of Shady Lane, Belmont Estates, Surreywoods Estates, a small part of Neumann Golf Course, The Reserve at Deer Run, and South Pointe). Dahlia Ave is interesting as it defines a border between what was “Fernbank” and “Home City”. The land that formed Home City had been purchased by Rees Price (of Price Hill fame), while Addyston and Fernbank were bought by Short.

1847 Plat Map

1856 Plat Map

Let’s pause on the family history for a moment and return to the corner of Neeb Rd. and Cleves Warsaw Pike.


Land Transfers Associated With WHCC

First, some background on the division and sale of land in the early days of the County, from the Hamilton County Genealogical Society:

The land in Hamilton County has been surveyed three different ways in three separate areas – The Symmes purchase between the Miami Rivers, a government survey next to the Indiana border, and The Virginia Military warrants in Anderson Twp. To trace property in the county, it is necessary to understand the nomenclature of how the townships and sections are arranged and identified. This 1853 map illustrates the Range-Town-Section arrangement in Hamilton County. (Source: https://hcgsohio.org/cpage.php?pt=192)



From the above, what is important to understand for WHCC is that it is located in Section 19 of Green Twp in Hamilton County Ohio, Town 2, Fractional Range 2 (highlighted in red).

 

Once the Towns, Ranges and Sections were defined, the US Government began selling them to the general population, and then subsequently they were divided and re-sold in smaller pieces. The first division of a Section was commonly One Quarter. A perfectly square Section is 640 acres, so it is typical to see 1/4 divisions of 160 acres each. These quarters were described by ordinal directions, e.g. someone might buy the “Southeast quarter of Section 19”. The image on the left below shows Section 19 of Green Twp as it was surveyed in 1847. The SE 1/4 is owned by "C Thrasher". The image on the right shows Section 19 in 1856. You now see J.C. Short owns 100 acres in the SE 1/4 of Section 19. Note that the NE 1/4 of Section 19 is again owned by Rees E Price. The NE quarter is where the Beechgrove and Sydney neighborhoods are today (west of Neeb). This map shows early roads: Cleves Warsaw along the south line of Sect. 19, Devils Backbone running through B. Hays’ property, Sydney Rd. and Muddy Creek Rd. in the NE quarter. It appears that Neeb Rd is not developed at this point, but it will run along the east line of Section 19. Just north of the Short property you see 20 acres owned by G.N. – George Neeb


1847

1856

Land Transfers Involving WHCC Property (1788-1853)

Deed Book and Page numbers included for reference

 

1788 – As mentioned earlier, the first land transfer associated with the WHCC property occurred in 1788 when John Cleves Symmes made the Miami Purchase. This included much of Hamilton County, including all of Green Twp. (Source: Deed Book: S Page: 245)

1802 – John Cleves Symmes to Burnet, Findley, McMillan – It’s hard to follow the deed, but it appears that John Cleves Symmes owed money to someone and could not pay in cash, so a judgement against him forced a Sheriff’s sale of some parcels of land (which included Section 19) to pay off his debt. The purchasers were Jacob Burnett, James Findley, and William McMillan. (Deed Book: E2 Page: 21)

1825 – Burnet, Findley, Harrison to Bank of United States – Another tough deed to follow, but it appears the same Jacob Burnett and James Findley were now involved with a firm called “William Green & Co”, along with William Henry Harrison (before he was President). Apparently, the William Green group was indebted to the Bank of the United States for around $62,000, and a judgment had been rendered against them which forced them to turn over many plots of land to the Bank, similar to a foreclosure. Again, this included Section 19. (Deed Book: 25 Page: 165)

1830 – Bank of United States to Hugh Brennan – This is where the 100 acre plot is first created as its own parcel, described as: “All that tract of 100 acres of land in Green Township…off the south side of the south east quarter of section 19 township 2 of the second fractional range in Symmes Patent”. It sold for $1,250. (Deed Book: 44 Page: 331)

1839 – Hugh Brennan to Richard T Wait – A more precise description of the land appears in this deed. Sold for $6,000. (Deed Book: 71 Page: 313)

All that tract of one hundred acres of land in Green Township Hamilton County Ohio, off the South side of the Southeast quarter of section No 19, Township 2, 2nd Fractional range in Symmes patent being one hundred rods wide on the East line of said section No 19 commencing at the Southeast corner of said section, and running Northerly on said Section line and extending Westwardly the same width one half of the said Section bounded on the South by the division line of Delhi & Green Townships being the same premises purchased by said Brennan of the Bank of the United States by deed recorded in the Records of Hamilton County in Book No 44 page 622.

1842 – Richard T Wait to Brennan and Kirby – Purchased at sheriff's auction for $4,334; associated with some sort of court judgement. Hugh Brennan bought it back in partnership with Kirby. (Deed Book: 85 Page: 63)

1846 – Brennan and Kirby to Charles Thrasher – The land is referred to as “Brennan’s Farm”. I can’t make out the amount of sale. This is the “C Thrasher” from the 1847 Plat map above. (Deed Book: 111 Page: 52)

1853 – Charles Thrasher to “John Cleves Short of Short Hill Ham Co” – Sold for $24,600, but this price also included land in Section 32 of Green Twp. (Deed Book: 189 Page: 221)

Let’s pause the land transfers and switch back to the family history for a moment.

From the 1860 U.S. Census:

John Cleves Short is now 68 years old and still married to Mary Ann, who is 44, living at Short Hill. They have two sons, John C. Short Jr. age 10 and Charles Wilkins Short age 8, apparently named for his botanist uncle. William Mitchell, 18, Mary Ann’s son from her first marriage is also living with them. They have 4 domestic servants. Value of real estate is $145,580 – roughly $5.5M in today’s dollars.


John Cleves Short’s Death and His Heirs

On January 5, 1864, John Cleves Symmes penned his last will and testament. He died March 3 at Short Hill at the age of 71, and in April of that year, his last will and testament was entered into the Probate Court of Hamilton County. In it he bequeathed to his wife the amount of $5,000 (approx. $100,000 today) to be paid to her by the Executor each year for the rest of her natural life. He also stated she should “occupy and enjoy the homestead and land belonging to it at Short Hill…without any accountability whatsoever”. To his stepson William Mitchell he left $5,000 to be paid in annual installments of $1,000. The rest of his estate he bequeathed to his sons John Cleves Short and Charles Wilkins Short and their heirs, to be held “until tis their pleasure to divide or otherwise dispose of it or any portion of it”. However, he stipulated that no division or sale should take place until the younger (Charles) was of age. At this point Charles was 12.

 

In the 1870 U.S. Census, we still find Mary (age 54) living at Short Hill with sons John (20), Charles (19) and William Mitchell (28), along with 4 domestic servants and a cook. The value of her real estate according to the Census was $1,150,000 (about $27M today!). The number is very clearly written, but is hard to believe. In 1860 the value was only $145,000, so that is an 8-fold increase in 10 years.

 

On July 31, 1868, Mary Ann Short, widow of John Cleves Short, signed her last will and testament. She died sometime in early 1871 (age 55) and her will entered Probate Court in Hamilton County on March 16, 1871. In it she first bequeathed $1,000 to Missouri Kirgin “In consideration of the respect I have for her, and her long and faithful services in my family”. Someone named Missouri Allen, age 18, was listed on the 1850 Census living with the Short family. I assume she was a domestic servant of some sort that married later in life. Mary left the rest of her estate to her son William Mitchell, but this did not include any of the real estate, as that was left to the other two sons as part of John Cleves Short’s will in 1864. At the time of their mother’s death, John was 21 and Charles was 20. She also named a guardian, Joseph Kinkaid.

 

Charles Wilkins Short, son of John Cleves Short

It is now necessary to return to the sister of John Cleves Short mentioned at the beginning of the story. Anna Maria Short was born in 1800 to Peyton and Maria Symmes Short. She married Dr. Benjamin Winslow Dudley, a prominent physician in Lexington, KY in 1821. The Dudleys had 3 children: Charles Wilkins Dudley (b. 1822), William Ambrose Dudley (b. 1824), and Anna Maria Dudley (b. 1827).

 

Their son William Ambrose Dudley grew up to be a lawyer in Lexington. He married Mary J. Hawkins and had four children. Their youngest child was Mary Wycliffe Dudley, born 1852. Now due to the fact that John Cleves Short had children so late in life, he effectively “lost” a generation in his tree. Therefore, it is somewhat surprising that his son, Charles Wilkins Short was the same age as his sister’s granddaughter, Mary Wycliffe Dudley.  Even more surprising is that Charles Wilkins Short married Mary Wycliffe Dudley, his first cousin once removed, in 1872. You may want to look at the family tree below to get a better picture of this.

 

 First sub-division of the 100 acre farm

1873 – John C Short, Charles W Short, and Mary D Short to Peter Hennel – Charles is now of age. He and his wife and brother sold 1 acre of land to Peter Hennel, who owned land adjacent to the north side of their 100 acre plot. They sold him a long thin strip, “twenty-six and four tenths feet” wide running north-south along the entire west side of the property. Looking at the 1884 Plat Map it appears this was to provide Hennel direct access to Cleves Warsaw Pike. Price was $200. (Deed Book: 421 Page: 128)

 

In the 1880 U.S. Census, Charles Wilkins Short, age 28, and wife/cousin Mary, age 27, were living in Miami Township, most likely at Short Hill, the estate of his father. They had 3 children: William Ambrose Dudley Short (7), John Cleves Short (3), and Mary Dudley Short (2 months). They had 5 servants. Land value was not captured on the 1880 census.

 

John Cleves Short, son of John Cleves Short

It is not clear what happened to John Cleves Short, Jr. He was involved in the 1873 transaction with Peter Hennel, but seems to disappear after that. Several online family trees state that he died in 1880. I have found no documents to support that; however, it seems likely as all of the land previously owned by his father appears to be owned by his brother Charles on the 1884 Plat Map.

 

Second sub-division of the 100 acre farm

1881 – Charles W Short to Sosthenes Fischesser – Charles and his wife sold a 1 acre plot of land to Sosthenes Fischesser at the northwest corner of “Warsaw Pike and County Road” [Neeb Rd]. The plot of land was square, 208.71 feet by 208.71 feet. Price was $201.75. From the 1880 Census, we know that Fischesser was a 30 year old blacksmith from Alsace, France living in Delhi at the time. Apparently he moved his operation (and home) to the corner of Neeb and Cleves Warsaw. (Deed Book: 528 Page: 423)

1883 – Charles W Short to Sosthenes Fischesser – In this transfer, the land owned by Fischesser is expanded to 2.75 acres (including the original 1 acre). Price was $360.58. This plot ran 238.71 feet north from the SE corner of Section 19, then 500 feet west to the center of the Short’s property. This expansion also added 30 feet of frontage on the two roads, which had been excluded in the 1881 sale. (Deed Book: 559 Page: 48)

1884 Plat Map

On the left is the Short property in Miami Twp. Charles W Short (son of John Cleves Short) is now the owner of all his father’s land. In fact, the holdings have extended north into Section 3 to include all of the area south of Bridgetown Road that is now Neumann Golf Course. On the right is Section 19 in Green Twp. Short’s plot is now only 98 acres and you can also see the two small plots sold to Fischesser and Hennel.



Land Transfers Involving WHCC Property (1890-1913)

1890 – Charles W. Short to E.R. Donohue – The 98 acres in Section 19 plus five named lots in “Charles W Short’s subdivision of Fernbank”. Price was $1. It occurred the same day as the transaction below. Unclear as to why there would need to be a two-part transaction, but the net effect is Charles moved ownership of the 98 acres to his wife Mary. (Source: Deed Book: 975 Page: 416)

1890 – E.R. Donohue to Mary D. Short – See above. (Source: Deed Book: 695 Page: 633)

In the 1900 U.S. Census, I cannot find an entry for Charles W Short, though he did not die until 1926. I did find a Census entry for his wife, Mary Dudley Short and their children, living with her father in Lexington, KY. Mary is 47 years old. The children are William Ambrose Dudley Short (27), John Cleves Short (23) and Charles Wilkins Short (15). This is now the third generation of brothers named John Cleves and Charles Wilkins Short, which is very confusing when looking through Deeds.

 

Mary Dudley Short died in Lexington in 1903 of a burst appendix. It is not clear if she returned to Ohio between 1900 and 1903, or if she had continued to live with her father.

22 May 1913 – W.A.D. Short, J.C. Short, C.W. Short, and C.W. Short (widower and father of the other three) to Milton Sayler – Sold for $17,250. After 60 years, the Short family divests themselves of the 98 acres at the corner of Neeb and Cleves Warsaw. John Cleves Short’s son and grandsons sell the land to Milton Sayler. (Source: Deed Book: 14 Page: 975)

7 June 1913 – Milton Sayler to Western Hills Country Club Co. – Sold for $18,750. Two weeks after purchasing it, Sayler sells the land to WHCC for a $1,000 profit. (Source: Deed Book: 14 Page: 975)

28 April 1923 – Sosthenes Fischesser to Western Hills Country Club – This document is a “Contract of Sale” between Fischesser and the Club, which gave WHCC the option to purchase the 2.75 acres owned by Fischesser for $6,500, paid with a promissory note to Fischesser with a 10 year term and a 5% interest rate, containing an exclusion that allowed the Fischessers to live on a smaller parcel of land within the 2.75 acres that included “the dwelling house, smokehouse, and all other buildings” rent free for as long as “we or the survivor of us shall live”. WHCC accepted the offer. (Deed Book: 1299 Page: 264)

7 June 1923 – Sosthenes Fischesser to Western Hills Country Club – This is the Deed that transferred ownership according to the Contract from April. (Deed Book: 1313 Page 172)

Frances Fischesser, wife of Sosthenes, died in 1924 and according to her obituary, they were still living on Cleves Warsaw Pike (likely still on the WHCC land). Sosthenes died in 1934. I have not found a 1930 Census that would tell us where he was living. So it seems WHCC would still have them as tenants as late as 1924. I’m curious what the state of the golf course was in 1924.

I have not looked for any additional real estate transfers involving WHCC beyond those listed here. 

 

President Benjamin Harrison

Benjamin Harrison was born in 1833 on the Harrison family farm in North Bend. He was the grandson of President William Henry Harrison and the nephew of John Cleves Short through Short’s first wife Elizabeth. Short was 41 when Harrison was born. I found nothing documented to say Short and Harrison were close, but certainly the families were living in close proximity. Harrison moved to Indianapolis after graduating from Miami University, but his formative years were spent in North Bend, adjacent to Short’s property at Short Hill.

 


Charles Wilkins Short, brother of John Cleves Short

Charles Wilkins short was mentioned briefly at the beginning of this story. He does not directly have anything to do with the WHCC property, but he is another interesting and somewhat famous character, and much has been written about him. Charles was born in 1794, two years after his brother John Cleves. At age 13 he entered college at Transylvania University in Lexington. Later he attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania and after completion of his studies returned to the medical school at Transylvania to be a professor.  

 

When Charles was 7 (and John Cleves 9) their mother Maria Symmes Short passed away. Their father Peyton married a second time to Mrs. Jane Henry Churchill, who herself was a widow and had a daughter from a first marriage. In 1815, Charles Wilkins Short married that daughter, his step-sister. They had ten children together.

 

This passage from a biography of Charles Wilkins Short explains why I decided to include him:

From the time he began to exchange plants with other botanists, he possessed the desire to have a country estate where he could plant the roots, bulbs, and seeds sent to him by Sir William T. Hooker and others throughout the world. Also desiring to be near his brother, John Cleves Short, he purchased from him a tract of land near his country estate, Shorthill, on the bank of the Ohio River, twelve miles below Cincinnati. Because of the profusion of ferns he found growing there, he called the summer residence “Fernbank”. Many pleasant summers were spent at "Fernbank," cultivating and enjoying the rare plants in his gardens, improving the estate, enjoying the companionship of his brother, and botanizing the surrounding areas for new plants. His pleasures at "Fernbank" were not to last. His health was failing, and his family wished to remain in Louisville. He sold “Fernbank” to his brother and bought an estate called “Hayfield,” five miles south of Louisville.

 

This explains why there is a road called Wilkins Short in Sayler Park that leads into Fernbank Park.

 

Charles Wilkins Short’s most lasting impact is in the field of Botany. At his death he had a botanical collection of 15,000 plant samples that was given to the Philadelphia Academy of Natural Sciences.  Fives species of plants and one genus are named for him:

·         Solidago shortii (Short’s Goldenrod) – which he discovered

·         Carex shortii – which he discovered

·         Symphyotrichum shortii (Short’s Aster)

·         Vesicaria shortii

·         Phaca shortii

·         Shortia galacifolia

 

Charles Wilkins Short died in 7 March 1863 in Louisville.

 

Closing Thoughts

·         Given the extent of Shorts land holdings, I am curious how he used the 100 acre site. Was it a working farm? Was it wooded? Did they use it for hunting or fishing? Were there any buildings?

·         Golf was introduced to the United States in 1888. John Cleeves Short died in 1863. I wonder what he would have thought about so much of his land being dedicated to the sport. Besides Western Hills, the land he owned later included Neumann, Deer Run, and Fernbank golf courses.

·         Maybe WHCC could dedicate a small garden area to the Short family? Fill it with Short’s Goldenrod, Carex and Aster.


Family Trees

This first tree is the Short family from the Symmes perspective. You can see the two daughters of John Cleves Symmes marrying W.H. Harrison and Peyton Short. John Cleves Short appears twice (as a spouse on the left and a son on the right) since he married his first cousin, Elizabeth Harrison. This tree also shows the siblings of J.C. Short – Charles Wilkins and Anna Maria. It also shows that J.C. Short is the uncle of Benjamin Harrison through his first wife Elizabeth.






This tree shows John Cleves Short’s immediate family, as well as his siblings and descendants that are pertinent to the WHCC story. Because Charles Wilkins Short (b. 1851) married his first cousin once removed Mary W Dudley (b. 1852). They both appear twice in the tree, but at different generations.


Sources and Further Reading

Use this link to see the actual original Deeds using the Deed Book and Page#  where listed above

https://recordersoffice.hamilton-co.org/hcro-pdi/doc-view/deed-book

Findagrave entry for John Cleves Short (incl portraits)

https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42761172/john-cleves-short

Wikipedia Charles Wilkins Short (incl portraits)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Wilkins_Short

A very in-depth life history of Charles Wilkins Short, much of which applies to his brother John Cleves Short, including how they inherited their fortune. Also the story of Fernbank (on page 21 of the PDF).

https://filsonhistorical.org/wp-content/uploads/publicationpdfs/19-3-2_Charles-Wilkins-Short-1794-1863-Botanist-and-Physician_Davies-P.-Albert.pdf

Video about Charles Wilkins Short and his botanical findings (this is pretty interesting if you are into plants!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vyymuf-v9U






Early Days of the Western Hills Country Club

 by Ray Grothaus

                Everyone knows that hole #12 is a short, straight 189 yard par 3. But did you know that it began life as hole #6, a 345 yard, dogleg right? The dogleg was necessary because someone else owned the 3 acre parcel at the southeast corner of Cleves Warsaw and Neeb.



Sosthenes Fischesser was a blacksmith who purchased his land from Charles Wilkins Short in 1881 and 1883. He and his large family lived and worked on the property for over 40 years. He had a home, a smokehouse, a blacksmith shop, a barn and a garden scattered across the acreage.

Sosthenes Fischesser and family at their blacksmith shop.

The Club bought 95 acres from the Short family in 1913 but the purchase did not include the Fischesser property. Therefore, when designer Tom Bendelow drew up plans for the new course, he had to work around the neighboring land. Once play started, a message was included on the scorecards which advised players to avoid entering the plot. Any shots which went astray had to be recovered gently!

                As smithing and shoeing transitioned to auto repair, Sosthenes continued to operated his shop and live on the parcel. Some of his customers were Club members. By 1925, his wife had passed and all 8 of his children had moved out. The Club was more than happy to buy his land and fold it into the rest of the grounds. The outbuildings were removed and the garden was harvested for the final time. The house got moved down the street to 977 Neeb where it still stands today. The hole was shortened, straightened and re-named. So now, any shot that goes out of bounds at the site will probably wind up in Delhi Township!

 

2025 Ray Grothaus of the Delhi Historical Society