Act 1: The Story of Sister Gabriel by Barbara Behler
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Act 2: The Peaslee Story, 35 Years of Making a Way Forward - Women are the Backbone by Bonnie Neumeier
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Act 3: Poor Mrs. Brokamp by Molly Wellman
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The Over-the-Rhine Museum is delighted to announce that the next installment in our quarterly lecture series, “Three Acts in Over-the-Rhine,” will be virtual! In honor of the one hundredth anniversary of the ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment, this month’s program celebrates the contributions of women to the history of Over-the-Rhine. Three short video presentations will be released on three upcoming Thursdays, June 18, 25, and July 2. Please join us virtually as we celebrate the diverse stories of the people of Over-the-Rhine.
The Women of Over-the-Rhine will feature storytellers Barbara Behler, Bonnie Neumeier, and Molly Wellmann, each sharing stories of the women whose lives and work have touched Over-the-Rhine and surrounding urban neighborhoods. All video presentations will be made available for online viewing on our website beginning at 6:00pm on their designated dates.
Our first talk, by Barbara Behler, will be released on Thursday, June 18.
Behler is a fourth generation Cincinnatian who was raised in College Hill. Her family owned and operated Entner Oldsmobile, and later Behler Oldsmobile, for 50 years on Spring Grove Ave. She is retired from the Nashville music industry and currently resides in Tennessee.
Behler will introduce the early Behler family, poor German immigrants who settled in Over-the-Rhine in the 1850s. They left and returned to the tenement conditions of the neighborhood half a dozen times over the next fifty years. Behler’s grandfather, Tony Behler was born in the neighborhood in 1888 and worked at Pettibone’s clothing and costume factory. Tony’s firstborn child, Margaret will be the star of Behler’s story. Behler’s “Aunt Margaret,” was born in 1913 and joined the Order of the Sisters of Ursuline (OSU) in 1934. Anyone associated with Ursuline Academy will remember her as Sister Gabriel. In her fifty prolific years at Ursuline, she served as teacher, principal, Superior General, Director of Development and Director of Alumnae.
Our second talk, by Bonnie Neumeier, will be released on Thursday, June 25.
Neumeier is a long-time Over-the-Rhine community activist, teacher, story-teller, poet, listener, and lover of porch flowers. She is one of the women who co-founded Peaslee Neighborhood Center as part of the Over-the-Rhine People’s Movement for Justice. Her herstory is also deeply connected with the Drop Inn Center, now called ShelterHouse, Greater Cincinnati Homeless Coalition, and Over-the-Rhine Community Housing. She is active in pushing for affordable housing and all basic human rights. Her untiring efforts, integrity and compassion to include and nurture the voices of those who get dismissed has impacted countless families and individuals.
In celebration of the Peaslee Neighborhood Center’s 35th anniversary, Neumeier will share a short history of the profound birth story of this educational resource in Over-the-Rhine. She will highlight contributions that women have made over its herstory. Women continue to be the backbone of Peaslee and work to ensure that the organization benefits all who walk through the doors. Celebrate the work of Peaslee Neighborhood Center by learning more about its history.
Our third talk, by award-winning local mixologist, Molly Wellman, will be released on Thursday, July 2.
Wellman is a self-taught mixologist born and raised in Cincinnati. She spent twelve years living and working in San Francisco and returned to her beloved hometown to be closer to family. Since her return she has shaken up the classic cocktail scene not only here in Cincinnati, but also across the nation. She has won awards including “Best Bartender/Owner” by Nightclub and Bar media in 2019. Molly is a writer, and owner of Japp’s Since 1879 on Main Street in Over-the-Rhine.
This talk will explore the history of women and saloons in nineteenth century Cincinnati. Wellmann will share her own story in the bars of Over-the-Rhine and present the horrible demise of a Cincinnati woman, Mary Brokamp, who reluctantly owned a dive bar under the worst circumstances.
The Museum suggests a $5 donation for these provocative stories. We encourage you to donate online at http://otrmuseum.org/donate.
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Three Acts in Over-the-Rhine is an innovative series designed to expose attendees to the broad range of stories of the Over- the-Rhine neighborhood. Each event features three fifteen-minute talks on the history of Over-the-Rhine.
The Over-the-Rhine Museum inspires understanding and respect for the people who have created and lived in Cincinnati’s historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood by working with visitors and community members to uncover, present, and preserve their stories in an immersive experience.