CINCINNATI

The Cincinnati Reds play their games in Great American Ball Park.  It opened in 2003.  Before that, they played in Riverfront Stadium which opened in 1970 and they shared it with the Cincinnati Bengals.   Prior to 1970 and starting in 1912, the Reds played their games in a place originally called Redland Field and then renamed Crosley Field in 1934.   As a youngster, I was taken to quite a few games at Crosley Field and attended one there, in 1966, on my honeymoon.

This name Crosley is rooted deep in the local culture.  In 1934, Powell Crosley Jr. purchased the Reds and changed the name of the park.  Crosley was an entrepreneur and inventor without parallel.   Crosley Field became the first major league ball park to have lights permitting night games.

He had gone to the University of Cincinnati for two years but dropped out because he wanted to build automobiles.  His first attempts at manufacturing automobiles were unsuccessful. But his parts and car accessories business was very successful.

He followed that up with the manufacture of radios.  The Crosley Radio Corporation was the leader in the industry in the 1920's.  He sold more radios than anyone in the world.

It was then an easy transition for him into radio broadcasting.  In 1922, the Crosley Broadcasting Corporation was awarded the am call sign WLW for his radio broadcasts and the prized slot of 700 KHz.  In 1934, he installed a 500,000 watt transmitter in Mason, Ohio.  He could broadcast to most of the country.  After WWII, all stations were limited to 50,000 watts.  His company built the Voice of America station next to it's transmitter.

Among Crosley's patents, was the idea of putting shelves into the doors of refrigerators.  His appliance businesses dabble in all sorts of consumer products.

He started Crosley Motors in which he manufactured inexpensive smaller cars to compete with his idol Henry Ford.  At it's peak, he had four plants in operation putting out thousands of Crosley vehicles.  The onset of WWII, ended his auto business.

In his spare time, he founded the Crosley Aircraft Company which manufactured planes in Cincinnati.  Only a few planes were ever produced.

During WWII, most American manufacturing was redirected to the war effort.  Crosley Corporation was no exception.  It produced many significant items for the military.

After the war, Crosley went back to manufacturing his automobiles.  He stayed in the business until 1952.  His cars are now collectors items.  In this period he sold most of his holdings.

Powell Crosley Jr. is world renowned.  Things he built here in Cincinnati were world leaders and put this city on the forefront of innovation.  His legacy lives on.
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