The History Press

What is it like to grow up, live, work, shop and hang out next to one of the nation's largest university campuses? According to firsthand accounts of Ohio State neighbors, life in the University District is entertaining, fascinating and sometimes maddening. Stories range from picnics in the University Woods and chats from porch swings to riots filled with tear gas and zoning wars mired in acrimony. The century of stories in this book reflects the shifting demographics of the district and the struggle against urban decay. Take a stroll with editor Emily Foster as she celebrates the historic homes, landmarks, architecture and collegiate culture that belong to this neighborhood like no other.

It was 1908, and Dover had just upset a far superior New Phila football team. A group of DHS students set forth on a streetcar to gloat in the Phila square. They were met with eggs, and the football rivalry, which had been simmering, began in full. Through the lens of this rivalry's greatest games, traditions emerge and passions mount as The Game becomes Game Week and community pride hinges on the outcome. Whip through the first snake dances, paint the rock and revisit the early clashes in the fairgrounds through the 100th game and beyond. Whether you remember Paul Miskimen's field goal in 1946 to beat the Tornadoes, Don Watsons ninety-four-yard fumble return for Dover in 1989 or Richard Sindiland's dominating performances in 2004 and 2005, this book commemorates triumphs for all fans of this classic Ohio rivalry.

On November 2, 1895, the newly formed football team at Fremont High School journeyed to Sandusky to play its first game against Sandusky High School. It was the beginning of the second-oldest high school football rivalry in Ohio. Since then, the teams have met 106 times in the regular season and once in the playoffs. The players have included an Olympian, a top NFL draft pick, a Heisman Trophy winner and scores of athletes and coaches who went on to notoriety and success. Take the field with author and sports journalist Vince Guerrieri as he recounts the amazing legacy of a truly historic rivalry.