interesting. Plenty of history there and with all of the new microbrews popping up around town, I think it would have some current interest.
Reds, Various Neighborhoods, Eastside/Westside, Transportation (River, Rail, abandoned subway) are all popular topics with rich history.
How about the history and evolution of the Cincinnati Fire Department. It was the first professional force in the country. A lot of history and has some cool old firehouses, plus I have to think the Fire Museum could give you some ideas and assistance.
Let me know if you need any more ideas or let me know if my ideas suck as bad as my assistance on Albuquerque did.
Now I like the Fire Department idea.
I know there are a lot of homes in Cincy that were part of it and the city was a critical launching point to the underground railroad. If there was a video of still existing homes used and the people who still live in them, I'd watch it.
I manage a suite of historical newspapers, including several from Cincinnati. I realize the prject is oral history, but let me know if you'd like to supplement that with some primary source newspaper content. My email is linked.
See if you can get a cross-section of Cincinnatians discussing the hidden meaning of the song "Gold Star For Robot Boy".
I believe it was written late one night, as Robert Pollard (Robot Boy) was trying to get one of his slightly more sober compatriots to go buy him some damn chili.
Perhaps a cross-section of Cincinnatians reading these lyrics off a teleprompter?
If i waited for you to signify
The moves that I should make
I'd be on the take
Gold star for robot boy well then that's OK
If i waited for you to show me all the actions I should take
Would I get my break?
Gold star for robot boy
And it's one thing
And it's something to do the robot boy yeah
If i waited for lessons in true confessions
That could take all day
But I'm here to stay
Gold star for robot boy
Well then that's my move
Well then that's my move
Well then that's my move
But it's one thing
Yeah it's something to do the robot boy yeah
If I waited for you to signify
The moves that I should make
I'd be on the take
Gold star for robot boy
Well then that's okay
As an alternative, try to develop an oral history of GBV appearances at Southgate House: "At which show was Pollard the drunkest?"
Hey, no charge for these great ideas. I'd just like to get two free tickest to the World Premiere.
I've seen GBV, the Old 97's, the Raisins, Towns Van Zandt, Modest Mouse, Ralph Stanley, etc. play there. It was a great concert venue and I have heard they are reopening it. Abraham Lincoln also visited the place and the workers there have sworn it is haunted.
The transformation/gentrification of Over the Rhine (assuming that is still the case...I haven't lived there in years).
The brewing history would be fascinating, especially with the re-emergence of Christian Morlein.
How/why Greek food culture came to dominate the city.
Why there has never been a sizable downtown living community...goes along with your neighborhood theme. You could also do a west vs. east distinction.
Memories of the Pete Rose betting scandal.
Stories of fishing on the Ohio River.
Talk to people who know about the history of the airport, Delta, etc. Just a general series on transportation history could be interesting. The river, the roads, the airport, etc.
Something different from the usual Cincinnati-Catholic-West Side flavor.
Please do not do anything related to Elder.
It's got a long history of crappy beer.*
*I technically only know about Hudepohl, but couldn't resist the urge to give Cincy a shot.
I think they made their own beer, but I could be wrong.
They were in Ft. Mitchell, KY, which is about 5 mi. from Cincinnati. They started in the late 80s/early 90s, had a few decent beers, but didn't last long. There were micro brews at the time, so they were a nice change.
and I was way too young to drink. I think they made a pretty good burger.
I went to HS with the family that owned it (not sure if they still do). They had the hotel, a number of pretty good restaurants, and then built the Oldenburg brewhaus which was modeled after a German brew house. I grew up in Ft. Mitchell, and we used to go there quite often for beers when I was home from college/after work. The brewhaus was huge and they reputedly had the world's largest beer can collection on the walls. I don't remember the food, but they later turned the place into some country bar and used to have live acts there as well. I'm not really a country fan (or what they call country music) but I saw David Allan Coe there one time. My parents still live in Ft. Mitchell and I understand that the hotel is a mess and the restaurants have pretty much gone out of business. There is a Montgomery Ribs on the property, but they might have bought that land from the Deters.
Someone told me that he owns a bar here in Columbus. It's a half country, half rap club. The strangest place ever. Rednecks and black people separated by a wall.
that were big news in 2001?
It's been long enough that people may have forgotten much of what happened, but recent enough that you could track down folks for interviews.
When my Dad was in a nursing home, some volunteers from a local parish just came in to talk with my Dad and recorded him talking about his life. They transcribed the tapes and gave us his autobiography. The stories he told the volunteers were the ones he never told us as kids. I never knew my Dad drove a bootleg liquor delivery truck.
Ordinary people that spent a large part of their life in Cincinnati would give you a pretty big population to talk with.
You could also discuss how Cincinnati is really just an extension of Kentucky.
I would argue that N. Ky/Cincinnati are distinct from both Kentucky and Ohio.
Anything focusing on local history, industry, influential families, buildings, organizations, etc... and tying them into broader historical contexts would be a good place to start initial research.
I understand what I just typed was extremely broad, but you can always narrow your search as you begin to dig up things that you find interesting.
Can't go 5 minutes without hearing about it.
We get it. Cinnamon.
"Do you know about green chile? Hey, want some green chile with that? Have you tried green chile ice cream yet? HEY, LOOK, GODDAMNIT! WE GREW SOMETHING IN THE DESERT, NOW EAT IT!"