During the Christmas holidays a friend sent out a very interesting letter.In it he recalled many memories of his Grandmother.
This brought back fond rememberances
of my own childhood and Grandmother.
A few days later,while surfing the net,
I happened upon a site containing photos of Latonia and Covington,Kentucky.
This is where I spent several of my childhood years.
At that moment I decided to record a few of my own memories.
So off I go on my stroll down memory lane.
In 1920 just four months prior to my second birthday,
my father died after an emergency appendectomy.
My Mother then found it necessary to return to work.
So I was sent to my maternal grandparents to live.
Here I remained until my Mother remarried two years later.
This union produced two girls,one of which developed a major medical problem.
With three small daughters,my Mother had more than she could handle.
It was decided that everyone would fair better
if I went to live with my other Grandmother,and my father's only sister.
So off I go to Latonia,Kentucky.
This brings me to the photos.
The Kenton County Infirmary,shown in the photo above,
was across the street from our house.
I remember walking on that brick wall on the way to piano lessons.
This is a picture of the Latonia Christian Church
that my Grandmother attended.Of course I went along with her.
I attended grade school at the 10th district.
Located at the end of the "Green Line",which was the turn around for the street car line.
The street car then returned to the Cincinnati,Ohio terminal.
This is the entrance to suspension bridge
that crossed the Ohio river into Cincinnati.Then into Dixie Terminal which was the end of the street car line.
My aunt Ruth worked in downtown Covington at Coppin's department store.
After a few years she moved to Mabley and Carew department store in Cincinnati.
I remember she invited me to meet her for lunch on many days.
I learned a lot of social graces from her on these occasions.
As I grew a little older she took me shopping,"over the river" as we called it when we shopped in the city.
We would then go to the Albee theatre to see stage shows.This was a big treat for me at the time.
A picture of Coppin's Department store in Covington.
I attended this high school for a short time before
returning home to Corbin,Kentucky to live with my mother and sisters.I also found what a wonderful stepfather I now had in my life.
Also my sister no longer needed to see her doctor more than twice a year.And eventually was dismissed from his care entirely.
Holmes High School
Covington,Kentucky
Being from Kentucky,I had a love of horses,naturally.
So I was allowed to attend the races at the Latonia Race Track,accompanied by adults of course.
Latonia Race Track
This is by no means Churchill Downs,home of the famous Kentucky Derby.But it was well known in it's own rights.
And very impressive and exciting to me.
This concludes my visit down memory lane,at least for this part of my life.
Thanks to those who have shared these memories with me.
Leaving from this railroad station to return home at last.
I dearly loved my Grandmother and Aunt Ruth.
I could not have had any better care than I was given
But after all is said and done,"there is no place like home" and living with my Mother.
This page is dedicated to my Mother,Grandmother and Aunt Ruth.
All three are no longer living but remembered lovingly
A special thanks to Bernie Spencer for permission to use these photos.
Click to visit his other great pictures of various areas in northern Kentucky.
