Then and Now: Southeast Ohio revisits 1970s Athens

THEN

NOW

National guardsmen file past the Varsity Theater (41 S. Court Street, now a Chipotle). Riots broke out May 1970 in the wake of the Kent State shooting. The theater marquee features "Z," a classic political film about revolution.

The May 2020 marquee of The Athena Cinema, closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cautions citizens to follow proper hygiene. 1970 and 2020 mark the only years Ohio University did not hold graduation ceremonies.

Southeast Ohio Revisits 1970s Athens

White’s Mill remains in operation as Jim White grinds wheat, corn and buckwheat as Athens millers have before him for 170 years.

White’s Mill is a locally owned retail center selling home, garden and pet supplies. Business is brisk this spring as Athens residents hope plants will brighten up their stay-at-home order.

The Stimson Avenue to Richland Avenue section of the Appalachian Highway, built to relieve traffic congestion, nears completion.

A steady stream of traffic flows. In 2010 a traffic roundabout was constructed at the intersection of Richland Avenue and Ohio Route 682.

The former Sheltering Arms Hospital on Clarke Street sits boarded up and abandoned after construction of O’Bleness Hospital was finished in 1969.

David Haggy, resident of Sheltering Arms Apartments, enjoys precious pandemic time outdoors on a cold, sunny day.

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