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!
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.
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
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) |
|
|
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). |
|
|
Video
about Charles Wilkins Short and his botanical findings (this is pretty interesting
if you are into plants!) |
Early Days of the
Western Hills Country Club
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
