Tales of Rocky River

"Incidents & Episodes, Tales of Rocky River and Rockport Township, Ohio" by George A. Christensen is the latest publication sponsored by the Rocky River Historical Society. The book is a collection of 180 true stories about the 1800s and early 1900s in Rocky River and the former Rockport Township and the surrounding area.

In 290 pages and 200 photos, "Incidents & Episodes" tells the stories of the bridges over the Rocky River, Scenic Park, the hog cholera epidemic of the mid-1800s, Metropolitan Park, the Rocky River Police Department, early businesses such as Candyland and Ingersoll’s Hardware Store, and schools, among others. The origins of some of Rocky River's street names, such as Archwood, Beach Cliff, and many more, are also explored.

Author Christensen, better known as “Sunny”, was born and raised in Rocky River. He graduated from Rocky River High School in 1933, Baldwin-Wallace College in 1937 and Cleveland Marshall Law School in 1958. When Rocky River was the tomato greenhouse capital of the world, he owned and operated one of the Rocky River Christensen tomato greenhouses for 27 years. Later, he became an attorney. Sunny served the community well, as a precinct committeeman, city councilman, and member of the Police Pension Board, the Firemen’s Pension Board, and the Civil Service Commission. He was a founder and the first president of the Rocky River Historical Society.

To purchase a copy of "Incidents & Episodes," please send a check for $20.00 payable to Rocky River Historical Society, P.O. Box 16445, Rocky River, Ohio 44116, or contact the editor, Gay A. Christensen-Dean, at 440-356-0095.