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

Hill, once stood at the corner of Cedar and Piqua. After his death his wife and children moved to CollegeHill, where Jesse attended College Hill High School. Jesse worked for many College Hill families, doinghis chores before and after school. Graduating as the valedictorian of his senior class, he was part of thelast students matriculating from College Hill High School. Following classes attended Hughes HighSchool for by then College Hill had been annexed to Cincinnati.He worked for a year before he could afford to enter Howard University in Washington, D.C.,graduating from its law school. It was in college that he met and married Anna French.After his graduation they returned in Cincinnati, living in their 1210 Cedar Avenue home from1918-1952. He started his law practice in 1919. While his practice was being established during the day,he worked as a janitor by night.For 36 years he was a lawyer and became a leader in the Republican Party. In 1941 he wasoverwhelming elected to Cincinnati City Council, only the third African American man to do so. Winningfive more elections he served as City Councilman 1942-1953. But when he was asked, he said that hisproudest accomplishment was founding, along with George A. Martin, who was blind, the NegroSightless Society of Ohio in 1945.The Lockers had 4 daughters: Mary E., Vivian H., Bunny Cleo, and Junanita Alice. Mrs. Locker wasactive in many organizations, including the Republican Party. She loved flowers, building a water gardenand green house for her hobby. Her Oriental Gardens were visited by residents and school children alike.Well respected, when he was appointed as U.S. Ambassador to Liberia he remarked; First time I everheard of Liberia was as a boy when a white missionary from Liberia, C.C. White, spoke at the CollegeHill Christian Church, of which my father, Laben S. Locker, was pastor. He told about the wonderfulmissionary work of the Negro missionary, Jacob Kennelly, who gave his life trying to save somedrowning boys in Liberia. I never forgot about that, but I never dreamed of becoming ambassador there.President Eisenhower appointed him Ambassador in 1953.Locker resigned his city council position to accept the Ambassadorship. His service was cut short byhis sudden death from a cerebral hemorrhage in 1955. His funeral was the largest ever seen in Cincinnati.His body lay in state at City Hall, the only person to be so honored. It was estimated that over tenthousand people viewed him during the four hours he lay in state. Representatives from Washington D.C.and the Liberian government attended his funeral.Locker is buried in Mt. Pleasant Cemetery, Mt. Healthy. His Cedar Avenue home was demolished in1987. Nothing in College Hill honors his memory by bearing the name of the man who said: “Thegreatest thing I hope will be said of me when I die is that I was a friend to the common man.”Philip Van Ness Myers studied both law and teaching. He came to be the president of Farmers’ Collegein 1879, leaving his native state of New York. He held that position for a dozen years and wasinstrumental in the change from Farmers’ College to Belmont College. He resigned his position to headthe history department at the University of Cincinnati. As an author he wrote a popular book on PresidentWilson, whom he greatly admired. Mrs. Myers also taught at Belmont College. They built a house acrossfrom the Davey mansion and since Mrs. Myers didn’t cook, the house was built without a kitchen. Theytook their meals across the street at “Oakwood” which they also owned. At that time Oakwood was aboarding house for College Hill’s unmarried women teachers. Myers also built the Glenwood Apartmentsthat until recently stood on Hamilton Avenue.Myers had an African American butler, Henry House, who later worked for the Henshaw family. Mr.House had at one time worked for a hotel in downtown Cincinnati. At the end of the day he would collectthe scraps leftover from the day’s meals. He took the food to his house in College Hill to feed his hogs.By feeding and selling the hogs, he was able to put his five children through college.The Neuzel family owned a brass foundry. Katherine Schevene (later Neuzel) wrote of her memories ofher neighbors: “At Christmas time they had a wagon come out with brass articles for presents. We had atall pair of candlestick holders on our mantle and Father had a comb, brush and mirror set and (Mother)186