Ralph Horner
Ralph Horner grew up in the 1950s and 1960s on Whittier Avenue in the Central and Hough neighborhoods. In the 1960s and 1970s, at the age of 19, he managed a French Shriner shoe store on Euclid Avenue, where he got to know many of the people who hung out on Short Vincent. A self-proclaimed juvenile delinquent living in the inner city, Horner observed the characters who were regulars in the neighborhoods he lived and worked in. Now in his 70s, Horner shares the stories of some of his more memorable experiences on Short Vincent with the FreshWater series, Rascals and Rogues I Have Known.
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In his final Rumbles on E. 49th installment, Ralph Horner recalls the epiphany that changed his life and led him down the successful career path, a life he chose.
Ralph Horner shares some of his narrow escapes from fights with rival neighborhood groups while growing up in the Goodrich-Kirtland Park neighborhood in the 1950s.
Ralph Horner recalls two instances when he and his friends ran into trouble as they attempted to rule the streets in the Goodrich-Kirtland Park neighborhood.
During events at the Cleveland Arena, Ralph Horner's "associates" would use business parking lots to make an extra buck and take some cars for a spin.
Ralph Horner was alone on the playground early one morning when his group's rivals, the Gashouse Bots, showed up. Horner averted a fight by playing stupid.
Ralph Horner and his buddies were good at eluding the police when they were hanging out at the Superior-Luther playground, except once when one member of the group made one wrong move.
Ralph Horner and his friends hatched a plan to prank the police who sat in their patrol car on East 55th Street and Superior Avenue every night around 7 p.m. The result produced the kind of joy that only teenage boys can feel.
Riding the electric bus around the neighborhood as a teenager, Ralph Horner and his friends enjoyed pranking the driver. Then, one day, they came up with the "ultimate" prank.
There were three groups of students at Willson School in the 1950s. Ralph Horner witnesses the shortest fight he'd ever seen when one of the "Basement Boys" made an error during a lunchtime movie.
After losing his temper while horsing around at White City Beach one day, Ralph Horner learned a valuable lesson: that sometimes humor if the best way to get out of a fight.
As an 10-year-old in Goodrich-Kirtland Park, Ralph Horner fell in love with the most beautiful 12-year-old he had ever seen. He envisioned themselves as D'Artagnan and Constance Bonacieux from "The Three Musketeers," only to be challenged by a bully.
As an eight-year-old on the streets of Goodrich-Kirtland Park in the 1940s, Ralph Horner knew the basics of street fighting other kids his age. He sees his style duplicated by the character Ralphie in the movie "A Christmas Story."
In his newest series, Rumbles on E. 49th, writer Ralph Horner writes about growing up in the Goodrich-Kirtland Park neighborhood, and playing the role of a tough kid to survive.
Writer Ralph Horner, who grew up in inner city Cleveland and spent much of his career selling men's shoes on Euclid Avenue, shares his memories of some of the characters he met on Short Vincent in the 1950s and 1960s in his FreshWater series, "Rascals and Rogues."
Writer Ralph Horner, who grew up in inner city Cleveland and spent much of his career selling men's shoes on Euclid Avenue, shares his memories of some of the characters he met on Short Vincent in the 1950s and 1960s in his FreshWater series, "Rascals and Rogues."
Writer Ralph Horner, who grew up in inner city Cleveland and spent much of his career selling men's shoes on Euclid Avenue, shares his memories of some of the characters he met on Short Vincent in the 1950s and 1960s in his FreshWater series, "Rascals and Rogues."
Writer Ralph Horner, who grew up in inner city Cleveland and spent much of his career selling men's shoes on Euclid Avenue, shares his memories of some of the characters he met on Short Vincent in the 1950s and 1960s in his FreshWater series, "Rascals and Rogues."
Writer Ralph Horner, who grew up in inner city Cleveland and spent much of his career selling men's shoes on Euclid Avenue, shares his memories of some of the characters he met on Short Vincent in the 1950s and 1960s in his new FreshWater series, "Rascals and Rogues."
Writer Ralph Horner, who grew up in inner city Cleveland, spent much of his career selling men's shoes on Euclid Avenue, and is a Vietnam veteran, shares his memories of some of the characters he met on Short Vincent in the 1950s and 1960s in his new FreshWater series, "Rascals and Rogues."
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