Leadership Toledo, Part II

Last Friday was the second session of Leadership Toledo. We spent the day on an air-conditioned bus driving to various points in Toledo so that we all could get a feel for what we might have missed about "our town." At each point along the way, we picked up or listened to a special expert on that area. Each person brought information AND humor to their presentation.

Nick Malone gave us the details of the east -- an area of Toledo that I can always manage to get lost. It was interesting to hear of each little settlement and how architecture reflected the country from which the settlers immigrated from.

My favorite spot of the day was the Old West End. While today we think of this as "downtown," back in the "old days" this was the new suburb. The Old West End Association's members are joined by an interest in the # of fireplaces, types of doorknobs, types of architecture and events. We were welcomed to the Edson Baumgardner House (the picture of only of the back of the house, for some reason I didn't take a picture of the front.) on Parkwood by the current owner, a retired history teacher. He is passionate about this house and that he is the steward of keeping it for generations in the future. One of our Leadership Toledo members had enjoyed having this man as his teacher and said that the owner was the best teacher he had in his whole schooling.

I'll tell you more about our day in another post. But if you get a chance, take a self-guided walking tour of the Old West End some Sunday afternoon. It will be a pleasure.