A Little piece of Paradise… College Hill, Ohio - SELFCRAFT

Paul Briol 15 was born in Spencer, Massachusetts in 1889. In 1909 he moved to Cincinnati along with hisfamily. His parents, from Alsace-Lorraine, his sister and Paul lived in the Glenwood Apartments. Paulworked as a photographer and journalist with the Cincinnati Enquirer until he opened his own studio in1932. While attending Grace Episcopal Church he met and later married Mary Elizabeth Emerson in1920, daughter of Mary Adelphia Simpson and Dudley Emerson, who was the head of the Ohio MilitaryInstitute at that time. Mary Emerson’s sister, Ruth, married Howard Hannaford, and they weremissionaries in Japan. She had two brothers, one of which, Earl Emerson, was the head of ARMCO SteelCorporation.Mary Emerson was born in 1884, went to Miss Ely’s Preparatory School, and was a graduate ofWellesley College. She taught mathematics before her marriage at her former school, Miss Ely’s, inClifton. Miss Ely was the sister of Rev. John Hugh Ely, minister of Grace Episcopal Church. Mary’shealth was fragile and for several months she lived at a tuberculosis sanitarium in Minnesota. A freespirit, Paul was living in a tent behind the O. M. I. when he met Mary.The Briol’s lived at 1812 Larch Street, next to her family and grandmother in the Simpson house atthe corner of Larch and Belmont Avenues. Paul and Mary had one child, Joan (Jan) Biol born in 1923.During the Depression, Mary operated a nursery from the front room of their house. Biol worked as aprofessional photographer until a car accident in 1950 which forced him into semi-retirement. The Briolsmoved to Katonah, New York in 1962 to be near their daughter. Paul died in 1969, Mary in 1968. Bothare buried in Spring Grove Cemetery.Briol’s photographic reputation was founded by his use of the 8X10 camera and his darkroom skills.He photographed all that was interesting in Cincinnati and dramatic clouds were his trademark. He wasmost famous for his photographs of the Tyler-Davidson Fountain, downtown spires and Ohio Riverscenes.His Honor, John E(ldridge) Bruce 16 , graduated at Western Reserve College, Hudson, Ohio 1876, andcame to Cincinnati in 1878. “He became a resident of College Hill in 1885, and was a member of Councilbefore being elected Mayor, which position he has held for the past eight years. He was one of theAssociated Press agents from 1879 to 1883, and from 1880 to 1888 conducted a College NewsDepartment in the Commercial Gazette. He was admitted to the practice of law in 1879, and he was firstassistant U. S. Attorney for Southwestern Ohio from 1886 to 1889, at which latter date he formedpartnership with Hon. H. Bromwell, the present member of Congress from the second Ohio District, withwhom he is still associated. He was first assistant U. S. Attorney again from 1891 to 1898 under thesecond Cleveland Administration. He is a prominent member of the Masonic Order, being past master ofN. C. Harmony Lodge No. 2. He is a member of the Episcopal church... Mr. Bruce was married Dec.12th, 1883, to Miss Alice A. Knowlton, whose father, Cyrus Knowlton, was formerly principal of HughesHigh School. They have two children...who were Edward Knowlton Bruce - married Katherine Pierson,and Carolyn Alice Bruce who married Hubert Frohman, architect of the National Cathedral inWashington, D. C. After Carolyn’s death, Frohman married Mary Ann Evans, daughter of Walter andNaomi Evans. At the time of this marriage Mr. Evans was the president of McAlpin’s department store.The Bruce’s lived on Groesbeck Road, next to the Chatfield home.”Mr. Bruce was also the vice-president of the Western and Southern Life Insurance Company andanother College Hill resident, Frank Caldwell, was the president. He served on many boards - a fewbeing, director of J. A. Fay & Egan Company, vice president of Cincinnati Tool Company, secretary andtreasurerof the Withrow Manufacturing Company, president of the Bartholomew-Ely School Company. Bruce hada keen interest in providing children playgrounds and amateur baseball and he was a member of the Board15 Queen City Heritage, Vol. 47, Number 3, Fall 198916 Chic, March 17, 1900177