Green Book
The Green Book was also known as The Negro Motorist Green Book, and later, The Negro Travelers’ Green Book and was named after its founder Victor Hugo Green. It was a travel guide for African Americans that was published from 1936 to 1966. As an annual guide, the book was designed to show businesses that did not discriminate against African American travelers.
Due to war efforts, the publication of The Green Book was briefly suspended between 1942 and 1946 during World War II. Soon after the return of Black soldiers, the need for the book picked back up in the
just in time for the postwar travel boom in 1947.
The demand for The Green Book began to decrease after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 passed -- this legally prohibited racial segregation. However, the Green Book continued until 1966, and was published by Victor Green’s family after his death in 1960.
"Negro Motorist Green Book"
More than just a guidebook for African American travelers.
OverviewWhether it was information on the location of Sundown Towns or details on where to eat, lodge, or have fun without fear of discrimination–or, worse–harrassment and lynchings, the Green Book was ‘the Bible of Black travel’ and is notable as being one of Black America’s best kept secrets. It…
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The Edgemont Inn
A tavern and boarding house listed in the "Negro Motorist Green Book".
About the Green Book SiteAs the Edgemont Inn, the first floor was a tavern space. It was listed in the Green Book and served a wide group of Black patrons. Upper floors served as an African American boarding house operated by a Black woman named Mrs. Irene Bacon. By this time, the house was already…
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Bryant's Snack Shop & Barbeque
This structure was constructed in 1915 in a vernacular style with Italianate detailing and was demolished in 2021. It was located in the C.M. Holloway’s Subdivision, created in 1887 by Charles M. Holloway. Holloway was an avid businessman in the region, largely involved in steamboats, real estate,…
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Gordon Hotel
Famous as a Green Book site, this building was one of the few hotels in Cincinnati that offered rooms for black travelers during Jim Crow.
Jacob Schmidlapp of the Model Homes Company, continued his mission to produce affordable, decent housing in Walnut Hills from 1911 until his death in 1919. The Gordon Hotel was constructed in 1916 and provided an alternative to the rooming houses in the neighborhood for decades before turning into…
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Green Book Sites in Cincinnati
The collated information from each year of Green Book entries reveals some confirmations of other research and some surprises. Here is a preliminary analysis of the data.
Locations: Both the map and a categorization of addresses shows that the West End and Walnut Hills were centers of Black…
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