2024 the best city in america review
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Ridgewood in the Country Club District gives a rare, detailed look at life in this early suburb of Springfield, Ohio. It follows the meteoric rise of Harry Kissell from a go-getting local real estate agent and developer to one of the architects of the Federal Home Loan Banking System, which, in the midst of the Great Depression, saved millions of Americans from foreclosure and permanently opened up the possibility of home ownership to the middle class.
Ridgewood in the Country Club District tells the fascinating story of one of the first fully planned suburban neighborhoods in the United States. Developed in the early twentieth century in the bustling mid-sized, Midwestern town of Springfield, Ohio, Ridgewood was at the forefront of the emerging new trend of suburban living. And its developer Harry S. Kissell was one of the nation s biggest proponents of the American Dream of home ownership. Tamara Dallenbach provides an in-depth exploration of the story of Ridgewood s development, the lives of its early residents, its picturesque architecture, and the tales of Kissell s most ardent competitors for the local, high-grade real estate market. She sets Ridgewood in the context of national movements in residential developments, community beautification, and city planning. The narrative follows Harry Kissell from his rise as the proprietor of a local family real estate business and a dedicated community booster to that of a leading figure on the national real estate scene, one who opened up the possibility of home ownership to millions of Americans. Ridgewood in the Country Club District is a saga that spans half a century punctuated by two world wars and the Great Depression. It takes the reader on a compelling journey from everyday life in an early suburb in middle America all the way to the halls of Congress and the Oval Office.
Publisher : Orange Frazer Pr Inc (April 1, 2011)
Language : English
Hardcover : 353 pages
ISBN-10 : 193319779X
ISBN-13 : 978-1933197791
Item Weight : 4.5 pounds
Dimensions : 9.25 x 1.25 x 12 inches
Reviewer: M. G.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Fascinating Historical Perspective of Springfield Ohio
Review: This book provides a fascinating look at the architecture and suburban lifestyles of a unique development in the landscape of early 20th century mid-America. From the historical perspective of the individuals to the detailed progression of architectural tastes and styles, this is an extremely well researched and documented volume. As a former resident of Springfield, Ohio, this book presented a fresh view of the city I grew up in, and the leaders who shaped it. And, as the son of a former Springfield architect, it offers an inside look at the buildings and homes that fascinated me as my father pointed them out to me in my youth. My thanks to Ms. Dallenbach for her passion and painstaking attention to detail in compiling this rich historical perspective. Well done!
Reviewer: Tom Robey
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Great Book
Review: Itâs a fabulous reference book. Especially for anyone who wants to know more about the neighborhood we live in
Reviewer: Mike okeeffe
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Ridgewood History Comes Alive
Review: The writing style and pictures were excellent. I am very familiar with Ridgewood but learned hundreds of things I did not know before. Looking forward to her next book! Mike OKeeffe
Reviewer: april newsom
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Five Stars
Review: This is my second copy. I purchased as a gift for a housewarming gift.
Reviewer: Bibliophile Jean
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: I Love This Book!
Review: As a native Springfielder, I was looking forward to reading this book, recommended to me by a friend, about one of my hometown's most famous residents and his role in the birth of suburbia. And I was sure I would find it interesting. But I didn't expect to be blown away by it. It was a wonderful surprise on many levels. There is an incredible amount of Springfield history, as well as American history in this book. The author sets the whole Ridgewood story against the back-drop of what was going on in the city and the nation as a whole during the period from about 1914 to the end of WWII. The sections on World War I and World War II era Springfield were wonderful and worth the price of the book. Many other Springfield neighborhoods including South Fountain Avenue, East High Street, Elmwood, Perrin Woods, Hills & Dales, Sunnyland, Northern Heights, Warder Park, Garden Acres, and others are featured. The history of Ridgewood School and the Springfield Country Club are also covered. The author also provides a wonderful social history of how neighborhoods evolved, and how technology changed where and how people wanted to live. But the best part of the book is that it reads like a novel that you don't want to put down. I felt as if I was transported back to early twentieth-century Springfield. It was a wonderful time traveling experience from cover to cover, and when I was finished with it, I was sad that I would never again have the pleasure of reading it for the first time. There is a wonderful architectural guide in the back of the book, as well as two great maps - one of Ridgewood, and one of Springfield in 1930 - that add much to the experience of reading the book. What a pleasure.
Reviewer: Jeri L. Studebaker, author of *Still Starving After All These Years: The Hidden Origins of War, Oppression and Inequality*.
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Good sales experience
Review: The book arrived on time and in great condition. It included both maps in the rear map pocket.