The Unsolved Mystery of Joe Wilcher

As customers go to and from the Ice Cream Palace on the street level of the once notorious, now ever developing Over-The-Rhine neighborhood, many of them are unaware of the secret two stories above the store which produces their ice cold deserts.




Often times when exploring abandoned buildings or forgotten places, relics are left behind. Relics that give an insight as to the location's former use, former tenants and history. In a day and age where abandoned buildings are mostly visited for their scrap metal, it's rare to find personal items left behind after the vandalism has passed. When these personal items are how found however, they often give a deeper meaning to the location at hand, lending you some sense of the person or persons who once were there. Never has this been more true than when I explored the former apartment of a man named Joe Wilcher.




My friend Ali called me up one day to tell me about this place. The building is in the process of being completely renovated by her boyfriend Chap, of Pinstripes fame. After discovering the attic apartment and it's contents, Ali contacted me, thinking I might find it interesting. Not only was this place interesting to photograph, but you could easily spend hours taking a look into the life of the man who no longer resides there.

Who was Joe Wilcher? Joe Wilcher was a decorated Korean War combat veteran. Joe Wilcher was a Metro bus rider. Joe Wilcher was well organized. Joe Wilcher was resourceful. Joe Wilcher liked to smoke hand rolled cigarettes. Joe Wilcher suffered from some sort of disability affecting his mobility. The most obvious thing about Joe Wilcher's personality though; Joe Wilcher loved to read or at least collect books.



-A calendar left on the wall shows June 2001 as the last time Joe was in the apartment.

According the information Chap could gather from the building's owner, Joe paid his last month's worth of rent and left, never to be heard from again. No one knows what he took with him or where he went, but a glimpse of his personality can be found in what he left behind. According to the calendar on the wall: Rent was paid on June 12, 2001 with a letter having been sent to Jim (the landlord) on June 14, 2001. Joe left some time shortly after that, leaving behind a one room apartment modified in a resourceful manner and an amazing collection of literature.







Joe used almost anything and everything he had. A lot of his supplies went to building bookcases for his expansive collection, yet it was apparent he let nothing go to waste. Shelves and cabinets were constructed out of cardboard, while stickers and cut outs from magazines were used to provide decorative details on Joe's handywork.



-"War as I Knew it" by General George S. Patton was one of many books on warfare in Joe's collection. Joe himself was a decorated Korean War veteran.

Judging by the multiple handles around the room, it seems Joe suffered from lower mobility issues in his legs that didn't allow him to walk or stand up properly. With little use for it, his stand up shower was even converted into a bookshelf as seen below:




Despite the room obviously having been ransacked over the years, many very personal and sensitive documents still remained tucked away in a drawer in the apartment's "kitchen" area. Social security cards, medicare information, military and medical records as well as a Bronze Star Medal awarded during the Korean War were among many things tucked away.



-Social security cards and piles of other personal information were left behind.



-Joe's letter of discharge from the Army.



-This homemade cabinet was decorated with cut outs from a magazine depicting local Cincinnati landmarks.



-Even the bathroom area was modified to include bookshelves and a cut out window where the door could be in full view.

It was obvious that when Joe was living here, he wanted to keep uninvited visitors out. The door to the apartment had been rigged and fitted with various homemade deadbolts and locks. Cut away windows in the bathroom area and kitchen area allowed Joe to keep an eye on the door at all times.



-The apartment door.

One area of the small room seemed to be Joe's "Desk." Adjacent to the "kitchen," this area featured receipts, mail, supplies of rubber bands, pens, writing materials and other office supplies in addition to even more bookshelves.







One of the most interesting artifacts found in Joe's apartment though was a single shot glass:




The shot glass bears the seal of Ohio University, the school I transferred away from this year. Upon realizing this, I was reminded of my one room dorm that I had stayed in at OU. Roughly the same size as Joe's apartment, I wondered if he had been a graduate of or attended Ohio University at some point after being released from the army in 1953. Maybe he just had the shot glass?

When I lived in a one room dorm at Ohio University I had a few good friends, photography and this website as an outlet for the frustration I felt of being in a place I wasn't totally happy with. I wonder who, if anyone, Joe Wilcher had and what his motivation was for just up and leaving.



-A hand drawn map of Ohio counties on the wall.



-One of many pairs of reading glasses.



-A 1995 copy of the "Guinness Book of World Records."

According to Chap, Joe relayed to his landlord that he "couldn't take it anymore" and requested no help in moving out. Joe left behind no clues as to where he went or any sort of journal or writings.



-The view from Joe's fire escape window.

As Over-The-Rhine continues to be rapidly redeveloped and improved, hidden treasures within the walls of the neighborhood's old buildings will be found. Some will be explored, others lost and forgotten. While Chap and his crew press on with the building's renovations and improvements, Joe Wilcher's belongings remain. Many of them have been packed up and moved for sanitary reasons and to prepare for work on the building. Since Joe never returned for anything after leaving in 2001 and there is a good chance many of these items will be lost, I took the shot glass with me. I've collected them since I was a kid and attended Ohio University at one point. If Joe or someone from his family could ever be found or contacted, I'll gladly return the shot glass and help them retrieve most of these belongings if they so desired. It would also be nice to have some closure in finding out where Joe went, why he left and possibly meeting him if he's still alive. Until then, the shot glass sits on a shelf in my room amongst similar glasses from various tourist attractions and amusement parks throughout the nation, yet this one has a special story behind it. A story that preserves some memory of Joe Wilcher, whether anyone else remembers him or not.



-The only picture of Joe that could be found.

If you have any information as to the whereabouts of Joe Wilcher, please feel free to Contact Me.

Special thanks to Ali, Chap and Lisa for showing me the apartment!

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Previous update: May 14, 2009 :: Cincinnati's Other Abandoned Subway

Cincinnati's Other Abandoned Subway

Some time after I wrote my article on the Transit Center, the Cincinnati Enquirer published an article on the center questioning whether it was a sound plan for the future or a waste of money. Immediately, a wannabe tax watch dog group called COAST (The Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and Taxes) posted on their blog about how the project was a "boondoggle" and a "waste of public monies." After reading their blog I was flattered to find that they had linked to my article on the center, yet I don't think they took the time to read what I wrote. The Transit Center was built with public knowledge, with a sound design for future use. The right-of-way for future rail transit has been secured through the Transit Center, and the center could be used as a modern rail hub for commuter and high-speed rail.

Cincinnati planned for the future here with the transit center, yet COAST doesn't like it. You see, COAST is pushing forward an Anti-Rail Charter Amendment that would require ANY kind of passenger rail project within the city limits to go to a public vote completely side stepping the process of representative democracy and your elected officials. Not only would their charter amendment make it harder for the city to progress with projects such as the streetcar, but it would effectively cut out Cincinnati from the prospective 3C Corridor High Speed Rail Project and prevent the Riverfront Transit Center from ever being utilized as a transit option for the entire Tri-State area. COAST's campaign has been proven to be built on lies and bold exaggerations.

COAST is not just about "Deamanding a vote," they've proven time and time again that they're against progress, against future transit options, against allowing our elected officials to do their jobs and against the city of Cincinnati. Don't let resources and progress already in place go to waste! If you're interested in learning how to stop COAST's anti-rail charter amendment, check out Cincinnatians For Progress!

------------------ Original Article: ------------------
This past Monday, Seicer and I were downtown checking out the construction progress of the new Queen City Square tower...




...and the progress on The Banks:




Coming North off of Walnut St. we noticed the surface entrances to the Riverfront Transit Center. Some of the benches and metallic facade around the entrances have already begun to rust.



-Street level infrastructure of the Riverfront Transit Center showing signs of rust.

Most people don't even know where these stairs and elevators lead to.



-Surface level entrance to the underground Riverfront Transit Center.



-Surface level elevator entrance to the underground Riverfront Transit Center.

When viewed from street level, they've been known to fool out of town visitors or unknowing locals into thinking Cincinnati has some sort of subway transit system.




On the outside, their design is modern and appealing.




But on the inside, behind the locked doors, are stairs leading down into darkness.




Where do these stairs go? Well, to the Riverfront Transit Center of course! Or as I affectionately call it: Cincinnati's other abandoned subway (To read about the original Cincinnati Subway which was constructed from 1920-1927 then abandoned, leaving a network of tunnels beneath the city streets, click here).

Unlike it's abandoned predecessor, the Transit Center is not a failed or abandoned project, just one waiting to be utilized. Also, unlike the original abandoned subway, the Riverfront Transit Center may soon have a more active, useful future.

What is the Riverfront Transit Center? The Transit Center is an underground tunnel running beneath 2nd street with two portals on each end. The tunnel runs parallel to Ft. Washington Way and opens up to Pete Rose Way near the US Bank Arena on it's East end and to Central Ave. near Paul Brown Stadium it's West end.




The idea for the Transit Center was born out of the reconstruction of Ft. Washington Way and the construction of the new stadiums. Unlike Riverfront Stadium before them, Great American Ballpark and Paul Brown Stadium do not feature expansive plazas at street level for buses and taxis to park. The Transit Center was built to accommodate these buses which now required a new place to park for events like Oktoberfest, Riverfest, Bengals and Reds games, etc. Designed with the future in mind, the roof of the tunnel is raised and features large, industrial vents to accommodate rail transit, should Cincinnati ever embrace a light rail plan.



-This image, published in a 1997 edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer, shows concept art of the what the Transit Center could look like. Note: the streetcar station in the top right.

Aside from special events that bring large amount of buses and people downtown, the Transit Center remains closed, locked up tight in a somewhat abandoned state. I had only been down there on a few occasions before this day. Back in January of 08 I walked up and down 2nd St. checking the surface entrance doors to see if any were opened. I found one opened door and proceeded down the steps. I don't think that door was supposed to be unlocked, because once I got down there, there was hardly any light, no buses or vehicles and no people. I snapped one grainy photograph at 1600 ISO and left.



-January 2008 view of the Transit Center, most of the lights were off.

The next time I was able to get down there was during Oktoberfest Zinzinnati 2008. The doors were unlocked, the lights were on and there were a few buses parked down there. Seicer and I walked down to find the nice, modern light fixtures and hand crafted mosaics of the center's walls.



-Oct. 2008 view of the Transit Center during Oktoberfest.

As we stepped into the center of the tunnel to take a wide photograph, a voice came over the loudspeaker: "Excuse me, you must exit the Transit Center, the Transit Center is not open to the public." Confused, we looked for an employee, a person or someone who was down there before we heard the announcement again. We made our way towards the stairs, heading back up to the street level as the same voice once again came over the speaker to say "Thank You."

It's a shame the transit center isn't used more often as it looks very nice and could be a great example of modern transit architecture. As a bus terminal, it pretty much fails except in the case of special events. Local bus operators such as METRO, TANK and MegaBus prefer to use Government Square due to it's location in the central office district at the heart of downtown. If the Transit Center were to be utilized for light rail or as part of the upcoming 3C Corridor, it would give Cincinnati a rail transit station in a key location right under the riverfront.



-Look familiar? This underground transit tunnel in Seattle is currently undergoing renovations to accommodate light rail transit. (Photo courtesy of King County Engineers Office)

Despite the Transit Center now being locked up from the surface, Seicer and I were determined to see if any of the other entrances to the center were open.



-One of the street level information boxes for the Transit Center. Most of these are turned off, the few that are on instruct viewers to check METRO's website for bus schedules

So we headed into the Central Riverfront Garage, beneath the Freedom Center.



-Closed doors to the Transit Center within the Riverfront Garage.

While there were clues indicating the Transit Center's existence, most of the signage throughout the garage only directed pedestrians where they could park, exit and where attractions such as the stadiums and freedom center were located. No signage indicated where the transit center could be located and even the elevator buttons leading to it had been disabled.



-Even the signage within the Riverfront Garage doesn't indicate the Transit Center exists and the buttons on the garage's elevator have been disabled.



-This Central Riverfront Parking Garage is similar to the one being constructed beneath The Banks development.

We exited the parking garage and got back into Seicer's car. Heading down 3rd St., we turned left on Central Ave. in an attempt to find one of the portals of the Transit Center.

Directly below 2nd. St., on each end of the tunnel are two parking lots, which block the tunnel's entrance and exit. This is not a problem for buses which exit and enter the transit center, considering there is no activity or buses utilizing the Transit Center. At the ends of the tunnel, at the back of the parking lots are large gates, barracading off the Transit Center.




Peering through the gates one can see the empty tunnel, which features few lights left on and rust beginning to form on some of the walls.




While I may jokingly refer to the Transit Center as "Cincinnati's Other Abandoned Subway," the Transit Center is not a failed project by any means, just an underutilized one. If adapted for light rail transit, the RTC could literally become an active subway station for the city, connecting to a regional light rail line. As the 3C corridor, a high speed amtrak rail line connecting Cincinnati, Columbus and Cleveland, is planned; the Riverfront Transit Center has been considered to possibly be the location of a new Cincinnati station on the 3C route. As progress continues on The Banks project and the new Central Riverfront Park, one is left to wonder whether or not the Transit Center will ever be used to it's full potential. Until the surrounding development is complete or plans for light rail and the 3C Corridor are brought to fruition, the Transit Center remains quiet and closed beneath the city streets, just like it's abandoned predecessor, waiting for a chance to come to life.



-Weeds and grass growing up between Paul Brown Stadium and the Transit Center's western portal. Hopefully soon these open areas will be replaced by development.

Update :: 5/21/2009

Today the Cincinnati Reds hosted the defending world champion Philadelphia Phillies. Nearly 26,000 came out for today's day game, many in the crowd were young children visiting the ballpark with school or other groups. Due to the large amount of visiting groups, the underground Riverfront Transit Center was utilized to host all the buses:










Already showing some ware and tear, the Transit Center could use a little TLC. However, it was both interesting and exciting to see it operating in some capacity. Since it's only sometimes used for large events, it's a shame that this asset is not used to it's full potential.

To read more about and see photographs of Cincinnati's original Abandoned Subway system, click here.

To read about and see photographs of the construction of the Riverfront Transit Center, check out Jake Mecklenborg's Cincinnati Transit website.

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Previous update: May 6, 2009 :: Alisha's Apartment

Alisha's Apartment

The day had been marred by failed attempts at exploring. On one of his rare days off work, Chris met up with me to go out, cameras in hand. Every place we were interested in exploring had some sort of obstacle to it, obstacles we were not willing to challenge. By the time we found something to explore, the sunshine crept behind the clouds and the rain came down as we retreated to a Northside Taco Bell/KFC. As we sat there discussing politics and eating tacos, I remembered a building that we had come across back in November.



-This abandoned apartment building has become a landmark in East Price Hill

I called this building the "cuban building," because for some reason it reminded me a lot of the buildings I had seen in a photo essay on Havana. I didn't know much about the history of the building, so I asked a few of the neighborhood residents. According to a woman sitting outside on her front stoop; it was once an apartment building and there were rumors that it had at one time been a hospital. A a man yelled down from the balcony above her, he claimed it had "over 100 rooms." I thanked them for taking the time to talk with me as Chris and I gathered up our camera gear and prepared to go exploring.



-The exterior of Robinson Flats

With help from Kevin Lemaster of Building Cincinnati, I was able to learn that this East Price Hill landmark was constructed in 1925 as Robinson Flats, a luxury apartment complex. The doors on the corner of W. 8th St. and Elberon Ave. had once led to a drug store on the first floor that in it's later years became a church. Judging by documents found inside, I'd say the residents left and the building closed down sometime around 2003 or 2004. In 2007 a plan was put forward to convert the building into a retirement community, but nothing substantial has come from the idea since.



-The view from inside.

We made our way through a maze of basement rooms filled with utility pipes until we came to a stairwell. The steps changed from cement to 1970's era tile as we entered onto the first floor. Doors missing knobs forced us to keep climbing the stairs until we reached a room with beautiful glass windows leading to a balcony. We snapped photographs as we walked around the large apartment until finding what had been the kitchen. Here the room had another exit that leading to another set of stairs.



-The many stairwells within the building proved to be a challenge to navigate.

We would soon come to find that the entire complex had many different sized rooms and many different stairwells. This would become confusing later on when we tried to find our way out.

Climbing the stairs, we made our way to the top floor, deciding to work our way down as we explored, hopefully not missing anything.



-Price Hill as viewed from the top floor.

The first thing I always think of when exploring apartment buildings is the Nickelodeon television show "Hey Arnold," which was about Arnold living with his grandparents and other residents in a boarding house. I like to wonder how well the former residents of this place knew each other. Were they like the people on "Hey Arnold?" What were their personalities like, what did they do for a living and where did they go? Clues laying about the floors of the rooms gave an insight into the lives of the people who once called this home.



-A Nintendo 64 system left behind by a former resident.

It was also evident that the building had become a place for squatters to stay after the tenants had left. Prescription pill bottles and empty 40 oz. beers littered the floors in some rooms.



-Prescription pill bottles littered the floor of this top floor room.

Judging from the wood paneling on the walls and other decorations, I'd assume that the building was renovated some time in the mid 70's. Plastic skylights adorned the roof, many of which were now broken, allowing rain to seep into the building.



-View of the courtyard from the top floor.

We came to another stairwell where I noticed a black line spray painted onto the wall. I knew what this black line meant as I had seen it before in many other abandoned buildings. It was a directional tool for scrap and copper thieves. Following the black line would mean you were being directed towards the building's exit. Nearly every bathroom in this building had been destroyed and ripped apart by someone who had come to clean out the copper and scrap metal.




Continuing through the mazes of hallways, rooms and stairwells we encountered even more personal artifacts left on the ground by the previous tenants who forgot to take them with them.



-Photographs left behind by former tenants.

Most of the rooms were empty aside from a few beds and furniture still left behind. Personal artifacts were left here and there, but it wasn't until we reached apartment 4 that we found most of the belongings.











-The door leading into "Alisha's Apartment."

Dubbed "Alisha's Apartment," Apartment 4 seemed to have been the nicest apartment in the complex at one time. As we entered the room it was apparent that the wooden floors had been warped and were crumbling apart. Cautiously we crossed the floor, making sure it would hold our weight. In a back corner of the apartment we found a room littered with children's books and toys.



-Childrens books and toys strewn about the floor.

The room reminded me of a doctors office waiting room, filled with dated children's books from the 70's and 80's that I always wondered if anyone really ever read.



-Some of the books found amongst the remains.

One book in particular though caught my interest. Laying on the floor was a purple book containing loose leaf paper. This book gave a very personal look at the people who once occupied this apartment. While there were writings detailing bills and bank statements, most of the writings and drawings in the book were signed as having been done by "Alisha."



-Alisha's diary.

On numerous pages the lyrics to the song "Angel" by Amanda Perez had been written out. According to Wikipedia, this song was very popular in 2003.



-Song lyrics written in the diary.

When I was a kid I always had a hard time letting go of any toy. Whether it was being donated or going to a younger relative, I didn't like seeing my toys go to someone else, even if it was something I never played with or touched anymore. After inspecting some of the other belongings in the room, it was apparent that a lot of it had belonged to Alisha. I wondered if she didn't mean to leave some of this stuff behind, especially the book she had written and colored in.




The time had come to leave. We packed up our camera gear and headed for the exit. Locked doors again forced us back up to the top floor. The building's layout is extremely confusing and twice we had to backtrack to find the correct stairwell that led into the basement.

We exited the building and got in the car. Wondering where the people who lived there are today, we made our way up W. 8th St. to one of the overlooks.













Overlooking the city from Price Hill, I pulled a nail out of my boot, reminding myself to always wear boots when exploring. That could've hurt!

To see more photographs from Robinson Flats and larger images of the ones pictured above check out the Queen City Discovery Photo Gallery :: Robinson Flats (opens in new window).

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Previous update: April 30, 2009 :: Share Your Own Queen City Discovery!