Join us to enjoy this experience in person at the Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 4, 2026. The tour will be offered twice – at 1 & 2 pm.
Historical Walking Tour Celebrating Nadine Waters
Classical soprano Nadine Waters (1892-1985) sang in the great concert halls of Europe, studied in Boston, and fought racial discrimination every step of the way. Her 466-page scrapbook, preserved by the Wyoming Historical Society, details her career, her drive, and her love for family. Join us on a walking tour at the 2025 Juneteenth celebration to learn about her father, Martin Van Roberts, the namesake of Van Roberts Place, as well as her mother and sisters, and the Maple Street church they loved.
This is a story of passion, persistence, grit and community—and it’s a uniquely Wyoming story that it’s high time to share.
We enjoyed tours during Juneteenth and are looking for possible additional dates to offer in the future.
Nadine Waters – Historic Black Wyoming Walking Tour
Many thanks to the WCIA committee that created this tour – Kelly Blewett (lead), Jean Griffin, Rebecca Johnson, Autumn McKinley, and Sadiqah Salahuddin, with support from Eve Mayes. The Wyoming Historical Society was an important partner for this work, and the committee is grateful for their enthusiasm and support.
To Accompany your Tour Experience
Tour Stop #1: Wyoming Village Green
This image of Nadine is from her Emery Concert poster. It was turned into a digital illustration by artist Nichole Washington.
Tour Stop #2 – Van Roberts Place street sign
Martin Van Buren Roberts (born 1863). This image is from a church history information sheet, provided by the Wyoming Historical Society.
This article was originally published in the Cincinnati Enquirer – Nadine is quoted in the article saying, “we’ve been walking on the clouds. Our dad was such a wonderful person.” A copy of this image was included in the Cincinnati Public Library’s documentary about Nadine – Exceptional Cincinnatians: Nadine Roberts Waters
On her stationary, Nadine proudly corrected the street name. Image courtesy of Jennifer Sauers
Tour Stop #3 – The House (627 Van Roberts Place)
Ella Taylor Roberts, Nadine’s mother. A copy of this image was included in Exceptional Cincinnatians: Nadine Roberts Waters.
Contemporary photo of the Maple Street Church, which was founded by Nadine’s paternal grandparents and figured prominently in Nadine and her family’s lives. Photograph by Matthew Zory. This image was included in a historical overview of Nadine’s career provided by the Friends of Music Hall – Nadine Roberts Waters: La Cantatrice de Cincinnati – Friends of Music Hall.
Tour Stop #4 – Oak Avenue School – Wyoming City Building
From Nadine’s scrapbook, which is housed in the Wyoming Historical Society and was digitized by the Cincinnati Public Library. You can find this and more in the Nadine Roberts Waters scrapbook – Exceptional Cincinnatians – Digital Library.
This review from a French newspaper is also from Nadine’s scrapbook.
Paris Concert Advertisement, 1933, from Nadine’s scrapbook.
Additional Parisian Concert advertisements circa the1930s, from Nadine’s scrapbook.
Program from Nadine’s performance at the Valley Forge Club’s scholarship fundraiser event, saved in her scrapbook.
Tour Stop #5 – Oak Avenue – Village Green
Nadine performing at Wyoming’s July 4th celebration in 1980, with Jennifer Sauers. Included in Exceptional Cincinnatians: Nadine Roberts Waters, this image is courtesy of Jennifer Sauers.
For more information on Nadine, we recommend:
- Cincinnati Preservation story: Nadine Roberts Waters – Highly-Acclaimed Concert Soprano who Broke Color Barriers Worldwide | Cincinnati Sites and Stories
- Cincinnati Public Library documentary–DOCUMENTARY: Dream of Comfort
- Friends of Music Hall blog post: Nadine Roberts Waters: La Cantatrice de Cincinnati – Friends of Music Hall
- Nadine Roberts Waters scrapbook – Exceptional Cincinnatians – Digital Library
- WVXU interview: Meet Cincinnati’s ‘forgotten’ Black opera singer, Nadine Waters | WVXU
