Woodlawn History
From Pieces of the Past, Volume 3, pages 190-192 by Jim
Reis, printed here with the author's permission.
Part of Woodlawn is built on the grounds of the old Odd Fellows picnic grove.
In the late 1800s, the Odd Fellows was a thriving fraternal organization of the
who's who of Northern Kentucky. In Campbell County the Odd Fellows,
chartered in Newport on February 25, 1848, had a small impressive headquarters
at the northwest corner of York and Sixth streets in Newport.
For the convenience of its members, the Campbell County Odd Fellows operated a picnic grove in what was then considered the country. It was developed off Waterworks Road, which Newport had constructed to provide access to the waterworks in the District of the Highlands (now Ft. Thomas).
Deed records show the land was part of the Col James Taylor estate and that Peter and Emma O'Shaughnessy had purchased the 19 acres in 1897. They sold the land on February 16, 1905 for $1 and other considerations to Leonard J Crawford Sr. and his wife, Ella J Horner Crawford. Crawford was an active member of the Odd Fellows and a Newport attorney. The same day the Crawford's sold the 19 acres for $17,500 in the Woodlawn House Company.
A Kentucky Post account on November 27, 1905 listed the directors of the Woodlawn Home Company as Paris C Brown-vice president, L C Crawford, Jule Plummer, Dan Riedel, Howard Benton, R W Phillips-secretary, and J E McCracken-company president. All were prominent Newport businessmen and civic leaders.
James E McCracken was a native of Cincinnati and a former Civil War drummer boy. He moved to Newport as a child to live with his uncle, Robert McCracken, a former Newport mayor (1862-1866). McCracken was president of the McCracken Co. in Cincinnati and the Newport Mutual Fire Insurance Co.
Jule Plummer was born in Independence in Kenton County, director of Central Savings Bank and Trust Co. and longtime county sheriff. He was credited with finding the clue that led to the identity of Pearl Bryan's headless body and to the arrest of her murderers. On October 27, 1917, Plummer died from injuries sustained in a car accident.
Howard Benton was a native of Brownstown, Ind. grew up in Newport and graduated from law school in Cincinnati. He was chief counsel for Wiedemann Brewing Co. and several building and loans and served as a temporary newspaper correspondent, giving legal interpretations during the Pearl Bryan murder trial.
Dan Riedel was a native of Campbell County, one time steam-boat captain, former county sheriff and Newport safety commissioner. Richard W Phillips was a one time County Circuit Court Clerk.
Paris C Brown was a native of Concord and began working as a cook on boats operating between Maysville and New Orleans and eventually became a steamboat captain and owner. Brown later became a Cincinnati businessman, director of the Cincinnati Chamber of Commerce and Newport mayor.
The Woodlawn Home Co. subdivided the picnic grounds and began marking off home lots. A Kentucky Post account on September 5, 1910 said 138 lots were under development with 27 lots still for sale. "A great future is predicted for the almost sold out Woodlawn addition on the Ft. Thomas car line, back of Newport." Adam Haas was the real estate agent for the development, which had macadamized streets and piped water into every lot. The cost was $10 down and $1 a week.
The public school was built in Cote Brilliant, and school trustees elected May 1, 1914 were James Brown of Ohio Avenue, Charles J Pirman of W Crescent Avenue and William Clark of Woodlawn. In 1920 Woodlawn survived an annexation attempt by Newport. In 1922 Woodlawn formed the Woodlawn Welfare Association and petitioned for incorporation. On October 17, 1922, Circuit Judge A M Caldwell signed the incorporation papers establishing Woodlawn as a sixth class city. Judge Caldwell appointed Charles J Pirman, Jacob J Hanners, Charles A Westmeyer, Charles Ripberger and William S Hardin as town trustees. Thomas Dowd was named police judge, William M Conners became town marshal and H J Hildenbrand was tax assessor.
In the 1923-24 City Directory businesses listed were:
the carpentry shops of John Fechter at 73 West Crescent
J Neal Robbins at 30 West Crescent
Jacob J Hanners and Son contractors at 124 Baum Ave
On June 3, 1924 Woodlawn became a separate voting precinct. By 1940 Woodlawn had a population of 294. Mayor was Louis A Bartlett, who also ran an auto repair shop at 1110 Waterworks Road. The Woodlawn Volunteer Fire Department started in the 1940s with Joe Rasche the first chief.