201 Elm Street
By Ruth Bamberger
The Buffalo Bar at 201 Elm St. will host an evening of food, drink, fun, and stories about the bar’s rich tradition of serving the “thirst” of the railyard workers of yore. The date: Tuesday, February 13 2024, 7-9pm, with doors opening at 6:00 for anyone wishing to sample the bar menu. Sponsored by the city’s Heritage Museum and the Ludlow Historic Society, this is an event for the folks and friends of Ludlow to meet and greet neighbors, to hear fascinating stories about Ludlow’s “bar culture”, and to raise funds-$10.00 entry per person- to restore the old STOREHOUSE in the railyard as the future site of the Museum and Event Center.
When the Cincinnati Southern Railway began operations in the late 1870s for the Cincinnati to Chattanooga route, Ludlow was chosen as the main railyard for servicing the trains, necessitating the need for hundreds of workers. Recent immigrants from Germany and Ireland flocked to the city, and a booming bar and tavern culture closely followed. At the end of their shifts, and especially on pay days, workers headed to the dozens of bars and taverns for drinks, hobnobbing, and playing cards, darts, and pool. The oldest is the Buffalo, though one other now gone is still well known- Nick Braun’s Saloon on Ash Street. Nick’s son, Bob, was a star on WLWT for many years, and grandson, Rob, was a well known newscaster on WKRC until he left there in 2019.
The Buffalo Bar seen in the photo was built in 1906, architecturally a brick Victorian structure with rounded windows typical of the day. The railyard Storehouse has the same style of window. The old bar was torn down in the early ‘60s, and replaced by the structure seen today. However, the recent renovations made by owner David Blank, have brought the interior of the bar up to the most contemporary standards. If you have not been to the new Buffalo, now is your chance to enjoy a great time there on Tuesday evening, February 13, 2024.
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