Reitz Hill Neighborhood Association

Reitz Hill Neighborhood Association was formed August 20, 2018. It includes homes and businesses north of Claremont, east of Barker Avenue, south of Pennsylvania Street, and west of Lemcke Avenue. Historical books label our neighborhood as Coal Mine Hill or by its original name, Forest Hills, from when the land was plotted in 1918.

Legend has it, our neighborhood has the only home in the City of Evansville which has been passed down through three generations staying in the same family since it was built in 1910! Reitz Hill residents, Andy and Carol Moore, live in the same home Andy’s great-aunt, Alice (Moore) Mann, built over a century ago! The home is still all original. It was the second home to be built in our neighborhood. The home took over a year to build because it was built without the aid of electricity; horse and buggy brought all the materials up the hill. Alice passed away five years after building, so the house went to her brother, Charles Moore.

Charles worked for L&N Railroad and his brother, James H. Moore, owned Ingleside and Sunnyside Mine Companies. In 1953, Charles’ son Jimmy acquired the home with his wife Margie, whose childhood home was on Pennsylvania Street. Jimmy worked for L&N Railroad just like his father. In 1970, the home was passed down to Jimmy’s son Dr. Andy Moore and his wife Carol. Andy is a retired Westside eye doctor. Carol said one difference in the neighborhood now is that there are so many more power lines, telephone lines, & streetlights.

Legend also has it, our neighborhood has the only family in the City of Evansville to have four generations still living in the original neighborhood, generations later! Delaine (Southwood) Foote has a mother, Bettye (Grammer) Southwood (almost 97 years young), a sister, a granddaughter, and a great-granddaughter living just blocks from her.

Delaine’s maternal great-grandpa, William H. Grammer, helped build the Reitz Bowl! Reitz High School was built in 1918. A retaining wall was needed because of the hill. Thereby Reitz Bowl came to be with an original budget of $60K. Everything was dug by hand with the help of mules to carry the heavy loads.

William H. Grammer’s son, Wallace, was in the first graduating class of Reitz High School. The Grammer family built and owned the neighborhood pharmacy and ice cream shop, Grammer’s, that all the Reitz students would go to for lunch.

Long before Mead Johnson was here, a cotton mill stood at Lemcke Avenue and Pennsylvania Street. Delaine’s paternal great-grandmother, Hazel Southwood, had her homestead right beside it. Delaine (Southwood) Foote has lived in five separate homes in our neighborhood from childhood to the present. She says there are far fewer trees in the neighborhood now. Bettye (Grammer) Southwood said what she liked about raising kids in the neighborhood so long ago was everyone being so helpful and you did not have to worry about the kids.

There is some very long-standing pride here on the Hill!

Officers

President: Cory Herrin
Vice President: Stacy Herrin
Secretary: Shannon Dierlam
Treasurer: Brett Doninger
Representatives:  VACANT

Meeting Information

Currently no in person meetings. Meeting via Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/reitzhillna

Please contact Cory Herrin at 812-499-4878 or
drcoryherrin@gmail.com to verify meeting date/location.

EPD Sector

This neighborhood is in the West Sector.
Crime Prevention Officer (CPO): Jay Pagett 812-485-3065
Meeting Date: 3rd Thursday of odd months
Time: 6:00pm
Location: Crime Prevention Office,  CK Newsome Center, 100 E Walnut St., Suite 100, Evansville, IN 47713

Boundaries & Map

Download the KML file here. Map and KML updated on 8/9/2021