Rick Houser
As I have said many times I was raised on a farm on Fruit Ridge Road three miles north of Moscow, Ohio, from the 1950s onward. Moscow is a village that has peacefully existed on the banks of the Ohio River year after year, decade after decades and now century after century.

When the frontier was settled about the only route of travel was by the waterways. Moscow grew in the first century as a settlement where trading and growing were taking place and by doing so Moscow grew into a prosperous community that was considered by all as a place where a person could exist and market in and know they would be safe and treated fairly. The village earned a name as a good place to go to and to this day it maintains this reputation.

In the second century as the ways of transportation expanded around Moscow and the business transportation by river dwindled this village continued to be that community that has cared for each other and has always found the way to continue to move forward with the years that has passed. When the A&P highway was built, today is called U.S. 52, it was designed to pass by Moscow with the community between the highway and the Ohio River. In between lies a village where a weary traveler can pull in and stretch their legs and even rest in the peaceful time stopping place where the calendar stands still momentarily.

As I said I got to enter Moscow with my parents, sister and brother. From my first recollections on I have always found the village in mostly a restful mood. The first grocery stores I remember were Kremprins and Inez Logan’s. Going there was a treat to me and the proprietors’ seemed to be long lost friends. I went to the school house with my mom as she helped in the PTA and we all went to watch Peg cheerlead and Ben play basketball and I being their biggest fan. When school was mentioned I was in the car and ready to go for it was for sure to be a fun time. (This was before I entered school.) Later on I did go to school at Moscow and I did enjoy it other than the homework and being quiet in the classrooms.

I think my first visit into town was to The Moscow Church of Christ. I loved attending as the congregation was much like a large family. I can still recall memorizing my Bible verse to stand up in front of the congregation and recite it loud and clear.

My dad was a township trustee of Washington Township and had to make a lot of trips into Moscow on township business. Of course if Dad needed to go I needed to accompany him so I could see what and where he was going and doing. I know in the early 1950s a fire engine was acquired and the need for a firehouse was needed. I can see almost every citizen in town and an awful lot from the township gather to build the building. Either on Fridays or Saturdays bingo and fish fries were held in that building to help pay on the fire engine and help to buy equipment for the firemen. By the way that building that all helped to build is still there just a block up from the Ohio River. Just as that building stands along with the churches and the school and other landmarks so alas does the standards of this community. Hard work and pride in what they have done stays steady just as it has for two hundred years.

It almost sounds funny to say Moscow has been there for 200 years but it has and it hasn’t been an easy task to carry out. Over many large floods and winter blizzards the town continues. Why shoot, in 2012 a major tornado tried its’ hardest to remove Moscow from the maps. However just as any diversity this village has been confronted with the tornado failed.

So on Saturday Sept. 24 Moscow is holding a bicentennial celebration like none has ever been seen in the community before. The public is invited and from the opening ceremonies until the closing fireworks display that day will be dedicated to celebrating what only will come this and only this one time. To celebrate 200 years is to participate in history itself and it is hoped that all of you want to come and see how much fun being a part of history can be. My mom was a lady who enjoyed helping in community events and I can still hear her singing an old song entitled “Banks of the Ohio”. Down on those banks I began my journey through this life and I have enjoyed it greatly so far. So please on Sept. 24 please join Moscow down on the bank of the Ohio? I doubt that you will regret it!

Rick Houser grew up on a farm near Moscow in Clermont County and loves to share stories about his youth and other topics. He may be reached at houser734@yahoo.com.