September 2, 1910 Grandma takes Traction

Post Office, Cincinnati, O., originally uploaded by morgazgc.

September 2, 1910, originally uploaded by morgazgc.

Fri.  Am having a lovely time.  We are now in Harrison.  Going into City tomorrow morning.  Do not worry for we are getting along fine.  Do not expect ... to you see me come home home Sun. night for only bought a round trip ticket from Hillsboro over traction so I suppose we will come home on traction.  If L. & I come alone we will come up on 8:10 but if Cecil comes with us we may not come until 10:10.  Went to Conf. yesterday at W. Hill.  Has not yet rained a drop.  G.H.   I may know then when I will come home.  If I write tomorrow you will receive it Sun. morning. 

So the questions here about Grandma would be:  Why is she in Harrison?  Who is "L"?  What does Cecil have to do with this trip since he may or may not be accompanying them home?  Was the Conference in West Hillsboro or some W. Hill part of Cincinnati?  There was Sunday mail service?  This was mailed on Friday, 9/2/1910 and would have been the beginning of Labor Day Weekend, which became a national holiday in 1894.


Traction?  Now that's an interesting subject!  Turns out "Traction" is another name for Electric Railroad (now in Phoenix, called Light Rail) and there was a C&C - Cincinnati & Columbus line, which opened in 1906 between Hillsboro and Norwood, at the edge of Cincinnati.  Line was never extended further north than Hillsboro, was badly damaged in a 1913 flood, and was abandoned in 1920.  An interesting article on Cincinnati Traction History has more information about this line, as well as the CM&B (Cincinnati, Milford & Blanchester) line.  The article includes pictures (taken in 2008) showing the ROW (Right of Way) of the C&C and says the end of the line, was at the Highland County Courthouse in Hillsboro, looking northwest at the corner of Main and High Streets. The C&C looped around the courthouse.  Here's picture #110 of 111 of the C&C Route along W. Main Street in Hillsboro, looking west. N. Elm Street is at the second stop light, the B&O yards are at the bottom of the hill.