Tag Archives: South Side
Labor Demands Bring Appalachian Influence
The factories’ high employee turnover rate forced them to look for workers as far away as Appalachia. Buses were regularly sent down to recruit workers, and eventually the patchwork of immigrants was overtaken by the incoming southerners. As with the foreign immigrants before them, these workers brought their culture along as well. [youtube JsMiCZ5bJvQ]
Schottenstein’s
Schottenstein’s fortune started on the South Side with a small shop. Buying directly from factories allowed Schottenstein’s to offer its customers a lower price than competitors, resulting in the fortune the family is known for today.
Hungarians
Many Hungarians found a home on the South Side as decades of turbulence in their own country forced them out. They established churches and spoke little to no English, and as other immigrants entered the mix South Side became a miniature representation of the great American melting pot. [youtube ReXw9DgaCgI]
Eddie Rickenbacker
Race car driver, fighter pilot, and airline president Eddie Rickenbacker was a South Side native. Like many others in his neighborhood, he learned to work hard at a young age, sweeping floors as a child to help make ends meet. [youtube 084yNK0_gN8]
Industry Moves to the South Side
As the industrial age picked up momentum, South Side became home to some large manufacturing companies. Cheap, undeveloped land was plentiful and attracted businesses like Buckeye Steel and Federal Glass. The work was hard and sometimes dangerous, but there was certainly opportunity on the South Side.