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Distributed for University of Cincinnati Press

Bicycling Through Paradise

Historical Tours Around Cincinnati, Revised Edition

Revised

A revised edition of the award-winning book of historically themed cycling tours in and around Cincinnati, Ohio.

Bicycling Through Paradise: Historical Rides Around Cincinnati includes nineteen historically themed cyclist tours for all abilities centered around Cincinnati, Ohio. Written by two longtime cyclists—one a professor of history and one an architect—this book dives into the details of local landscape and history encountered along the route. Rides combine familiar destinations like Lunken Airport, Eden Park, and Loveland Castle with lesser-known sites like Underground Railroad stations, ruined stone canal locks, and a nineteenth-century socialist commune, all located in and around the Greater Cincinnati area. Stops along the way include public parks, covered bridges, and one-room schoolhouses.

Each chapter includes a QR code to link readers to a companion Community Page where cyclists will find downloadable turn-by-turn directions and wayfinding photos, plus a place for cyclists to share their feedback, making this book an interactive experience.

320 pages | 5 x 8 | © 2025

Thinking About Ohio

History: Urban History

Travel and Tourism: Tourism and History, Travel Writing and Guides


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Table of Contents

Introduction        
Cycling Advice 
Part I: Waterways                                                        
1.     Path Dependency: Layers of History along the Mill Creek                                                       
        Northside, Ivorydale, Elmwood Place, and Lockland 
2.     William Henry Harrison and the Shawnee Nation                         
        The Ohio River Valley West to Harrison’s Tomb, Shawnee Lookout, and Indiana
3.      Visions and Dreams on the Little Miami Scenic Trail                    
         From Milford to Xenia via Loveland Castle, Kings’ Mills, and George Barrett’s Concrete House 
4.      Floodplains and Hilltops
         Eden and Ault Parks, Cincinnati Observatory, Pioneer Settlement and Lunken Airport 
5.     Following the River: The Story of Mary Ingles
         Alexandria and Bellevue, Kentucky
 6.     Swimming Pools, Parks, and the Integration of Coney Island
7.      The Whitewater Canal Route                                                                 
          Indiana from West Harrison to Cedar Grove, Brookville, and Metamora 
Part II: Paradise
8.      Bicycling Through Paradise                                                                   
         Mariemont, Perintown, Harmony Hill, Felicity, and Utopia
9.     The Party Tour: Breweries and Inclines                                                        
         Amusements Past and Present in Over-The-Rhine
10.    Town and Country                                                                                               
         Mt. Airy Forest, Winton Woods, Greenhills, Glendale and Sharon Woods 
11.    A Holy City: Churches, synagogues, and Shrines
        Northern Kentucky, Downtown Cincinnati, Walnut Hills and Evanston
12.  Immortality and its Consequences                                                      
       Spring Grove, College Hill, Fernald Preserve, and Whitewater Shaker Village 
13.   Immortality, Continued                                                   
        Hamilton, the Hollow Earth Monument, Chrisholm Farmstead, and Miamisburg Mound 
Part III: Big Ideas
14.     Homeland Insecurity                                                                             
          Military Installations from Fort Washington to Newport Barracks to Fort Thomas, Kentucky 
15.      People, Animals, Water, and Salt                                                                               
           Anderson Ferry, Burlington, Kentucky, Rabbit Hash and Big Bone Lick 
16.      Building a Nation’s Soil: The Civilian Conservation Corps                                          
          Big Bone Lick and Walton, Kentucky 
 17.     Black Community Leadership in Madisonville                                                                       
18.      Crosstown Missions                                                                                           
           Xavier University, University of Cincinnati, and Hebrew Union College 
19.      Art Deco Architecture                                                                           
           Lunken Airport, Downtown, Union Terminal, and the Mt. Washington Water Tower 
20.      Industry, Rustbelt, and Re-development                                                   
           Norwood, Oakley, and Madisonville 

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