When the Cincinnati Southern Railway built a railroad route to Chattanooga in the 1870s to open up new markets to the South, Ludlow became the major railyard for operations and repairs., thanks to land given over by the Ludlow family. Many German and Irish immigrants were drawn to the city with new jobs awaiting them. They brought their bar and tavern culture with the, and these establishments proliferated at many corners of the town.
The Buffalo Bar at 201 Elm St. was the earliest in town and survives to this day. The Ludlow Historic Society and Heritage Museum are sponsoring an evening of storytelling there about life in the bars during the heyday of the railyard. Date and time: Tuesday, February 13, from 7-9, Cost is $10, and with that comes free non-alcoholic drinks and a discount for alcoholic drinks. All proceeds go toward the restoration of the Railyard Storehouse, the only remaining building in the railyard. This old Victorian brick structure was completed in 1891 after a devastating fire destroyed all the buildings in the railyard in 1887. A diorama of the Storehouse will be on display at the event. Plans are under way to house the Ludlow Heritage Museum and an Event Center in the restored building.
