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Fall Foliage 2014

October 20, 2014, 3:21 am
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Fall is my favorite season, and it's a tradition here on the Brady Blog to post some of my photos of local autumn color. (It's also a public service for transplanted Lorain Countians pining for a look at what's going on at home.) I usually grab my Canon Powershot and head out on Sunday afternoon to some of the rural townships in western Lorain County: Brownhelm, Vermilion and Henrietta.

Last weekend, the trees hadn't completely changed, and I only got a few shots. Here's Mill Hollow from the weekend of October 12th (below). I posted this one on Facebook and it received a nice reception.

Yesterday (a week later), it was a completely different view. We'd had quite a few windy nights and rain lately, and many of the trees were stripped of their leaves (below).

The rest of the shots below are all from Sunday, October 19th.
Here's a view (below) of Claus Road looking north from Cooper Foster Park Road (the spouse took this one for me out of her window).
Closer to Lorain, the Root House is still a favorite photo subject of mine. This was another one of my patented over-the-shoulder shots (below), where I'm glad to get anything at all.
I also spent a little time in Sheffield Village on Sunday. This is a shot of Old Colorado Avenue (below). Several dogleg remnants of the old road still exist in a few spots. This view is looking west.
Lastly, I headed out to – where else? – Gore Orphanage Road, another favorite spot. It was, not surprisingly, quite busy out there since Halloween is coming. There were people on the bridge and a bunch of cars parked at the old Swift Mansion ruins site.
I still think Gore Orphanage Road is one of the most beautiful drives in the fall (below).



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Own a Piece of Sheffield History – the Matthew Webber House

October 21, 2014, 3:34 am
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While out shooting fall foliage in Sheffield on Sunday, I noticed that this house on Old Colorado Avenue was for sale. It's located on the corner of old Colorado Avenue and Lake Breeze.

The house was featured in the Summer & Fall 2013 edition of the Village Pioneer. Editor Charles E. Herdendorf, Ph.D., provided a detailed history of Lake Breeze Road in that issue.

According to the magazine, the house was apparently built in the 1880s by Matthew Webber. The "large Folk Vernacular-style farmhouse" has five bedrooms and an original fireplace. From the 1930s into the 1950s the house was owned by Michael and Rosella Bruder, who operated a dairy farm there.

Read more about the house here.

And in case you're interested, the house is listed by Virginia Lindsay, Realtor, part of "The Lindsay Team" at Keller Williams Greater Cleveland West and Sell and Rent Cleveland.

Aerial view of Webber House Courtesy of Bing Maps
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October Opening Ads: DeLuca Bakery (1959) and The Sands (1964)

October 22, 2014, 3:38 am
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Here's a pair of vintage Opening ads that ran in the October pages of the Lorain Journal.

First up is an ad from October 24th, 1959 for the opening of the new DeLuca Bakery location at 8th and Reid in Lorain.

I've written about DeLuca Bakery before, including a 3-part series back here. I sure wish the family would reopen an outlet somewhere; their bakery is as iconic as Yala's Pizza in Lorain.
And next is the Grand Opening ad for The Sands on Colorado Avenue, which ran in the paper on October 5, 1964. It's such a great name for a nightclub, invoking the coolness of its namesake Las Vegas hotel/casino.
I also did a few posts on The Sands, including a 1967 ad (here) and the eventual demolition of the building when it was home to Margie's Magpie Inn (here).

Looking at the ad, I wonder what the 'surprises for the men' were?
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1923 Swift House Fire as Reported by the Mansfield News

October 23, 2014, 3:33 am
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Driving out on Gore Orphanage Road over the weekend reminded me that I had this old article. It is about the fire that destroyed the Joseph Swift House on the evening of December 6, 1923 – and ultimately gave birth to the legend of Gore Orphanage.

The article (at left) appeared in the Mansfield News on Friday, December 14, 1923. Unfortunately, it contains much misinformation – so much that I was a little hesitant to post it. (It's similar to one that appeared in the Chronicle, which I posted here.)

The Mansfield News article implies that Mill Hollow and Swift's Hollow are the same place. It identifies Joseph Swift as a Virginia planter – a Southerner – instead of a New Englander. It also includes a few fanciful ghost stories that have little to do with the actual history of the house.

But the article does have some kernels of truth, so it's evident that the author of the piece probably did visit the house, or at least was familiar with it.

Here is the article (below) as it appeared in the Mansfield News.

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OLD COLONIAL HOME IN MILL HOLLOW DESTROYED BY FIRE

Many Mansfield people will remember the old colonial house – said to be haunted – which stood in Mill Hollow, or Swift's Hollow in the Vermilion river valley, several miles south of Vermilion. The place was visited yearly by cottagers from Ruggles Beach and Mitiwanga, as well as by other people from the country round. The house was destroyed by fire recently, according to news from Lorain.

The mansion was said to have been erected about 1818 by a Virginia planter, and was built in typical colonial style. The timbers were hewn out of heavy wood, largely walnut with much of elaborate carving which ornamented the beautiful doorway and full length windows, was carried there on ox carts all the way from Connecticut. Four imposing pillars, which gave the place a southern atmosphere, graced the porch extending across the front of the house.

There were about twelve rooms in the place, all on one floor. Most of them contained large fireplaces. The ceilings were very high, and the halls spacious and dark. Large cupboards and numerous closets contributed to the spooky atmosphere of the house. Names of visitors from all over the country, including autographs of some of the Mansfield young people had been written over the walls.

The colonial house was the only one left standing in the valley, a very lonesome but beautiful place. High hills, once river banks, overhang the hollow. A stately entrance to the estate has its traces left in the old stone posts that stand at the edge of the yard now overgrown with brambles.

At this place many years ago, the young folks of the whole country round used to gather to enjoy the hospitality of the Swift family. The commodious residence was well fitted for entertaining of all kinds, and help was so plentiful, if one may judge from the large servant quarters built, southern style, at the rear of the mansion.

There are several stories as to the ghost that "haunted" the house, and had kept people from living there for many years. One tale runs that the southerner who built the house and brought his family there lost three of his children soon after arriving, when they contacted a contagious disease from handling goods of a peddler's pack. The family were said to have left the place immediately afterward, and never to have been heard of afterward.

Another story is that the Swift family, of prominence in that part of the country, occupied the farm a great while ago, Mr. Swift owning many acres of rich river bottom land. His son, only a short time before his wedding day, went to his new home in that same valley to clean the well, and was overcome by "black damp" and died. The whole hollow was said to have been haunted from that time on.

The mansion in ruins was a famous spot for tourists as well as people living nearby. Several artists have used it in studies. College hikers from Oberlin were fond of the place. All will regret to hear of its destruction, as it was indeed an unusual spot of northern Ohio.

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Tomorrow, I'll post a newspaper article about a 1948 visit to the Swift house ruins.
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John Grandetti 1958 - 2014

October 23, 2014, 1:08 pm
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Admiral King Marching Band Trumpet Section with John Grandetti circled
(photo from the 1975 Trident Yearbook)
It was very sad to see that fellow Admiral King Class of 1977 Graduate John Grandetti passed away on October 18th after battling cancer for six years. I only knew John from Admiral King Marching Band (he did a great impersonation of Curly from the Three Stooges) and had no idea of his illness.
 
Here is the link to his obituary in the Akron Beacon Journal.
John had quite an impressive career in sports after his marching band days. He played basketball and baseball at Admiral King High School. He then attended Kent State on a full basketball scholarship and after graduation, played basketball in Europe. He came back to Lorain and coached basketball at Admiral King High School, and later was head coach of the girls basketball team at Rittman High School. (Click here for an article from the Wooster Daily Record about his hiring as coach, as well as the story of his cancer.)
He finished up his coaching career as assistant basketball coach at Canton McKinley High School.
John was a nice, funny and talented guy when I knew him in Band, and I offer my condolences to his family.
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A Visit to Swift's Hollow – June 1948

October 24, 2014, 3:44 am
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Here's an interesting article that ran in the Lorain Journal on Tuesday, June 8, 1948. It's about a visit that the Silver Buckle Riding Club paid to the Swift House ruins, and provides a nice, capsule history of the place.

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Riders Pay Swift's Hollow Visit
By MABEL FULLGRADE

Swifts Hollow by state route 113 on the Vermilion river near Birmingham began after the war of 1812 when it was given to Joseph Swift, a war veteran as a bonus for his services to this country.

On the grant which comprised 150 acres of rich bottom land beside the river, he cut large oak, cherry, and whitewood trees to clear a field for planting.

He produced excellent crops of corn and wheat which were readily marketed in the lake ports nearby. He bought more land, cleared more fields and raised more crops and his wealth grew.

Dogged By Trouble
In 1841 he moved from his pioneer homestead into a house he built of Pillared Greek revival style, one of the finest in pioneer architecture ever erected in Ohio.

Altho only a few of the foundation stones can be found now in a tangle of weeds people still talk about the Swift house and how it became haunted after the Swifts left it.

Misfortune beset the Swifts after they moved in their new home. Swift lost money in an early railroad venture through here. He over-extended himself in land and lost money signing notes for friends. His four children died of black diphtheria and were buried along the river's edge.

Headstones Gone
Headstones were erected but all traces of them are gone and patches of myrtle have covered the burial ground. The property went to ruins and ghost stories began to spring up about the place which kept anyone from living there. The home stood vacant for years and in the 1920's fire broke out and destroyed it.

Northwest of Swift's Hollow is the home of Mr. and Mrs. Pelham Blossom, which was built from lumber torn down from an old Mennonite orphanage which once housed 68 children. The orphanage failed because of lack of funds and the children were sent to a home in Indiana. Later Mr. and Mrs. Blossom bought the property.

The early days of the region were recalled at a recent outdoor get-together of the Silver Buckle Riding club in the hollow. Joe Bickel of Birmingham told the story of the ill-fatted Swift.

Meet At Home
The members who are from Birmingham, Henrietta, Florence, Wakeman, Kipton, Brighton, Elyria and Rochester met at the home of Howard Greene east of Birmingham on route 113 and rode down the Gore Orphanage-rd, named after the orphanage, to the hollow.

Members of the club are Mr. and Mrs. Guy Radecliffe, Mrs. Stella Sharp and son Eldon, Mike Polansky and son, Mr. and Mrs. Green and family, Roy Radecliffe, Mr. and Mrs. William Jackson and family, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Bickel, Earl Smith and son, Jerry Howe.

Fourteen horses began the ride. Kenneth Bell brought his tractor and trailer.
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Lawson's Halloween Ad – October 27, 1959

October 27, 2014, 3:40 am
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Here's a cute, timeless ad for Lawson's that ran in the Lorain Journal on October 27, 1959 – just a few days before Halloween – 55 years ago today.

As noted back here, the first Lawson's in Lorain opened in June of 1959.

I love the simplicity of the above ad. Back then, stores designed their ads to feature just a few items to get you to visit. You can tell at a glance what's going on. The small ads in today's newspapers are so cluttered and over designed, with tiny type reversed out of black (can you tell I'm a graphic designer?) that they don't have half the selling power of the Lawson's ad.

That kid in the bunny suit looks kinda like Ralphie from A Christmas Story– except he isn't wearing spectacles.

Then as now, Brach's candy is still the dominant brand of classic candy corn. (I've already munched my way through 1/2 a bag!)
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Grant's Halloween Ad – October 28, 1964

October 28, 2014, 3:23 am
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Here's a Halloween-themed ad for the well-remembered W. T. Grant Company (or just plain Grants) chain of dime stores. The ad ran in the October 28, 1964 Lorain Journal – 50 years ago today– reminding readers that they'd better stock up on candy – and get some costumes if they hadn't already – before the big day.
Lorain had several Grants stores, in the Lorain Plaza, Oakwood Shopping Center and Westgate Shopping Center. (I only remember going to the one at the Lorain Plaza, which was always fun and interesting – especially looking at the pet turtles for sale.) The Grants store in the Lorain Plaza appeared in the city directory until 1975; after that, the space went vacant until Revco moved in during the early 1980s. The space is still currently vacant since CVS built their own store at the former Willow Hardware location.

The Grants ad above is interesting in that the only licensed character costume is Yogi Bear  – a favorite of mine. The "smarter than the average bear" was introduced on The Huckleberry Hound Show in 1958, and had received his own TV show in 1961.

I supposed his visibility had received another boost in 1964, thanks to the release of his full-length movie Hey There It's Yogi Bear earlier that year.

I like that little witch icon done in the style of a child's doodle in the Grants ad. Apparently it was used on the Mars candy bar packaging that year, since it seems to be visible in the candy illustrations as well.

But what about the other costumes in the ad?
I finally figured out that the costume the young lady isn't wearing a princess mask – it's a Cleopatra one. (Of course, after I found the photo of the mask at left, I looked more closely at the ad and finally saw the word CLEOPATRA plastered in all caps across her costume.)

As for the generic Frankenstein monster outfit, I couldn't quite find an exact match. But here's a link to a great blog featuring a variety of vintage Ben Cooper monster costumes that probably includes the one shown.

And for a hilarious look at kid's Halloween costumes of the 1950s and 60s, click here to visit John Kricfalusi's blog.
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1930s Halloween in Lorain

October 29, 2014, 3:38 am
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Since the Postwar era of the 1950s, most communities have celebrated Halloween by designating a night for Trick or Treat, on which costumed kids go door to door collecting candy and goodies. But it wasn't always that way.
Halloween in Lorain was very different eighty years ago.
1930s Halloween Decoration
(Courtesy zombienormal.tumblr.com)
How do I know? I recently talked to someone who grew up at 1216 Sixth Street in Lorain during the 1930s – namely, my 87-year old mother.

The way Mom remembers it, there was no designated night or time for Trick or Treat in Lorain back then. And, it was much more about the tricks, than the treats.

"We went trick or treating for a couple of weeks," Mom reminisced. "It wasn't just one night." She said she and her friends pretty much stuck to the houses on Sixth Street – her neighbors, the people she knew.

I asked her what they did for tricks.

"Oh, we rang doorbells, and banged on people's porches with a stick," she said. "They'd come to the door and then we'd run like hell. I also remember soaping windows and throwing leaves on people's porches."

I kidded Mom as to whether or not the statute of limitations on those crimes had truly expired, or if she could now expect a knock on her West Side door by one of Lorain's Finest.

The funniest trick Mom remembered was seeing two boys standing on the opposite side of a street, both pretending to be holding an end of a rope extending across the road. A car would approach, and the driver couldn't tell if the pranksters were really holding something or not. (After hearing this story in the late 1960s, my brothers and I tried it on our street. It is a good gag, except for the annoyed driver of the car!)

Apparently, Mom's tricks were mild compared to what Dad's Uncle Ben got into when he was a kid in Lorain, twenty years earlier. "Dad said that his Uncle Ben told him that he and his friends used to put people's outhouses on their roofs as a prank."

What about costumes back in the 1930s? I asked Mom about what kind of costumes she and her friends wore when they went trick or treating. "Everyone wore black masks, like the Lone Ranger," she said.

She remembered that there really weren't a lot of store-bought Halloween costumes, or at least no one could afford them anyway. "It was Depression times – people were hurting. You had to make up your own outfit. Sometimes we wore our costumes from our dancing routines." (Mom and her sister Helen were tap dancers, and the duo performed in costume at a variety of local shows during the 1930s.)

The newspapers did mention that Lorain had an annual Halloween "Mardi Gras" parade for the kids to march in while they wore their costumes. (I'll have more about the 1938 parade later this week.)

Lastly, how were the Halloween treats back then?

The former Hawkins house at 1172 Sixth Street
Mom has one specific memory about a special treat on one Halloween. There was a house on Sixth Street just across Oberlin Avenue to the east. "An auto dealer named Hawkins lived there," she remembered. One Halloween he was handing out ice cream cones."

That's a pretty nice treat – much better than the tiny "fun size" candy bars being given out now!

The auto dealer was Edwin J. Hawkins, President of Hawkins Motor Sales, and his house – still a magnificent one – is at 1172 Sixth Street. (It is a great house. The spouse and I attended an Open House there back in the late 1990s, and the realtor who was there that day became a family friend. She not only found our current house in Sheffield Lake, but sold our house on Nebraska Ave as well.)

Anyway, special thanks to Mom for sharing some of her 1930s Halloween memories. It was a simpler time back then, and a poorer one – but still a lot of fun for Lorain's youth.

Part of the 1937 Lorain City Directory Listing for Sixth Street
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Oakwood Shopping Center Halloween Party Ad – October 26, 1959

October 30, 2014, 3:26 am
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Here's yet another glimpse of a Lorain Halloween of long ago, this time from 1959. The above ad –  announcing a South Lorain Community Halloween Party to be held at the Oakwood Shopping Center – appeared in the Lorain Journal on October 26, 1959. The shopping center had opened in November 1958.
It's funny how I had the misconception that Halloween events held at shopping centers – such as the trick or treat event held at Crocker Park last Saturday – were something new. But as you can see, it's an old idea used by savvy store owners for a long time. 
In this case, the Oakwood Shopping Center went to a lot of effort to make it nice, including a parade, a contest for best costumes and a talent show. Unfortunately, for a Lorain West Sider like me, Oakwood Shopping Center was one of those places we just didn't go to. (We did go to Hills in South Lorain, though.)
Hey, I just noticed that the Oakwood merchants forgot to include Pearl the Squirrel in the above ad!

Tomorrow: How the scare associated with the 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds played out in Lorain
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Halloween 1938 – The War of the Worlds as Fought in Lorain

October 31, 2014, 3:14 am
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The front page of the Lorain Journal of October 31, 1938
Well, today is Halloween – and a good day to remember the panic caused back on Halloween eve back in 1938 by the radio dramatization of "The War of the Worlds" by Orson Welles and his Mercury Theater players.

The realistic announcement during the broadcast that Martians had landed in Grover's Mill, New Jersey caused an uproar that is still remembered and talked about today.

How did the panic play out in Lorain? Here's the story (below) as it appeared on the front page of the Lorain Journal on October 31, 1938 – the day after the broadcast. As you can see, it did not even rate the headline.

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Protests Follow in Wake of 'Mars Horror'
Many Lorainites Alarmed as Radio Fantasy Brings War Jitters to U. S.

A horrible fantasy of war waged on the earth by fearsome men from Mars brought near-hysteria to thousands of persons thruout the country who were not listening last night to Charlie McCarthy's rival radio program.

In staccato, news-broadcasting style, the fiction of a "Hallowe'en" program became so realistic that panic prevailed among listeners thruout the United States and Canada.

Today the federal communication commission started an investigation of the program. Sen. Clyde Herring of Indiana said he planned to introduce in congress a bill to outlaw such radio plays.

Calls Flood In
In Lorain, The Journal office last night and again this morning was swamped with calls from frightened residents who wanted information on the attack of the martians.

City police reported they were unable to give comfort to near-hysterical persons who called them for verification of the catastrophe.

Sgt. Britt Buda, who was on duty at the police station desk during the program, said that he, himself, was not sure that the whole thing wasn't true, since he had heard parts of the program on a radio turned on in his office.

"Is the world coming to an end?" screamed one woman who called The Journal.

A man, who said that he had been roused from bed by his wife, cried into the telephone: "What's happening in the east. They say it's almost all destroyed. For God's sake, find out something about it!"

Whole Country Roused
Most of those who called refused to be reassured, having been "worked up" by months of war-tension in Europe.

Other residents who had heard the oft-repeated warnings during the program that it was "just a play," indignantly declared that such horrible descriptions should be banned from the air.

Indications were that Lorain as a whole took the "news" that New Jersey was being destroyed by the "death rays" of the men from Mars much more calmly than other communities thruout the country.

A woman in Pittsburgh tried suicide, saying "I'd rather die this way than like that."

At a high point in the program, the electric power failed at Concrete, Wash., a town of 1,000. As the lights went out most of the homes, many thought the invasion had reached the west coast. Women fainted and men prepared to take their families to the mountains, according to the Associated Press.

Some reported they could smell the gas and see the attackers. People gathered in groups to pray for salvation.

Head for "Open Spaces"
In metropolitan New York City, panicky persons jumped in the autos and headed for the open spaces to escape the expected bombing of New York.

A woman in Indianapolis ran down the main aisle of St. Paul's Episcopal church, crying "The world is coming to an end." The congregation was hastily dismissed.

Three Toledo residents fainted at telephones while trying to call police, the United Press said. Others said they could see the flames and smell the Martian poison gas.

In Newark, N. J., near the scene of the hypothetical invasion, hysteria ran riot. Hundreds fled from two city blocks, carrying what possessions they could snatch up.

Orson Welles, director of the program, today issued a statement expressing "deep regrets."

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The whole 1938 "War of the Worlds" hysteria was one of those things that my parents told me about when I was a kid, causing me to forever associate it with Halloween (along with the annual séance to see if Houdini was able to send a message from the Great Beyond).

I was surprised that, according to the Lorain Journal, the city's reaction to the "War of the Worlds" had been so low-key. I was expecting a Journal headline like that of the Boston Daily Globe (at left).
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Cedar Point Demolishes the 1905 Auto Entrance to the Hotel Breakers

November 3, 2014, 3:31 am
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Cedar Point was in the news again last week, doing what it does best – that is, demolishing its past to make way for something bigger and better.

In this case, the thing being demolished was the auto entrance to the Hotel Breakers (shown above in a vintage postcard). It had been built in 1905 and was the first thing that hotel guests saw when they arrived by auto and entered the hotel.

The auto entrance met with the wrecking crew last Wednesday. It will be replaced with a more grand entrance – what else?

Here's another view of it from a vintage brochure in my collection (below).

And here's a few photos (below) of the demolition from their respective newspaper websites, along with a more detailed account of the story.

First, here's the photo from the Sandusky Register (click here for their story and some sad video).

Courtesy Sandusky Register
Next is a photo from the Toledo Blade (click here for their story).

Courtesy Toledo Blade
Lastly, here is a link to the Cedar Point website with a sneak preview of what the new entrance will look like. It's actually going to be quite nice.

But sadly, one more piece of the "old" Cedar Point bites the dust.

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Election Day 2014

November 4, 2014, 1:24 am
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Remember these types of machines? I do!
(Courtesy of rare pattern.com)
Well, it's finally Election Day– another one of those days where I take the day off from blogging about local history.

Let me explain why. Because I'm a volunteer poll worker, my day begins at my Avon Lake precinct around 5:15 am.  Needless to say, I hit the hay early on Monday night – thus, no time to properly prepare anything for the blog here today! Sorry about that.

Today, my day doesn't end until more than an hour after the polls close. We usually aren't dismissed until around 8:30 or 8:45 pm. That makes for a long day doing my civic duty.

I enjoy working the election, though. Besides getting paid for my labor, it's interesting and kind of fun.

Being one of the newer workers at the precinct where I work has its drawbacks, however.  I usually end up having to take my two breaks (for lunch and dinner) at the times nobody else wants. During the May election, I had to eat lunch at around 9 in the morning, and dinner was in the early afternoon. So voters got to listen to my stomach growling as I asked them for a form of I.D. during that long stretch until the polls closed.

Anyway, be sure to vote today! And if you see me working the signature table in Avon Lake, be sure to say hi!
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Rainbow Arch Bridge on Old Route 20

November 5, 2014, 3:19 am
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While on one of my rare trips to Elyria a few weeks ago (looking for fall color and checking out the Rural King store) I came home on old Route 20. I hadn't driven by the old rainbow arch bridge in many years, and was curious to see how it was surviving.

Well, it's still there, but in rather sad shape – which is a shame. It's a real piece of roadside history. Here's its story (below), which appeared in the Chronicle-Telegram back in late January 1990. It was written by C-T Staff Writer Jeff Mohrman. The photo accompanying the article is by Gene Krebs.

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Bridge to nowhere
Closed rainbow arch bridge on old Route 20 is historian's delight

By JEFF MOHRMAN
C-T Staff Writer

CARLISLE TWP. – When the county inherits Oberlin-Elyria (old Route 20) from the state, it will inherit a bridge which due to safety reasons is never to be used again. But any attempt to tear it down might meet resistance from historians.

The 120-foot, two-lane rainbow arch, or "bow-string" bridge, is located between Russia and LaGrange roads. It was built in 1923, according to John Hamilton of the county engineer's office.

A new bridge had been constructed for traffic. The county is due to take over control of the road (from Parsons Road to the Elyria city limits) in late 1991, he said.

The concrete rainbow span is blocked off from the new section of road by a guard rail.

County engineer Ken Carney said, "When the new bridge was constructed, the Ohio Historical Preservation Society chose that it be put on the historical register.

The society wanted it left in its present state, he said.

The bridge is based on a French design. The first such bridge was built in 1904 in France and the first one in Ohio was in Cincinnati in 1910.

But Hamilton said that due to its deterioration, "it's also a liability, if someone gets hurt."

Said Carney, "it could be an attractive nuisance."

****
Want to find out more about rainbow arch bridges? Click here to see a variety of them from all over the United States on the bridgehunter.com website. The website even has a page devoted to the one on old Route 20.

I always liked this bridge, and remember driving over it. It's strange to see it bypassed and stranded off to one side. But, at least it hasn't been demolished.


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Frank Lloyd Wright's Mosher House in Wellington

November 6, 2014, 3:04 am
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While driving out to Findley State Park in search of fall colors a few weeks ago, I made it a point to snap a few shots of this house. It's known as the Mosher House and is a Frank Lloyd Wright designed Prairie School home – and it sits just south of Wellington on Route 58!

Here's another view of it from my Friday afternoon photo shoot.

I had first heard of this house back in the early 1980s, when I saw a photo of it in the Lorain Public Library's copy of Preserving Our Past (1977) published by the Lorain County Regional Planning Commission. The book is an index of historic and landmark buildings in Lorain County and Vermilion.

At the time the book was published, the house's history was still a little bit shaky. As the book indicated, "This is a less ambitious, yet handsome rendition of Wright's prairie style architecture. The eaves of the roof extend out four feet from the exterior walls. Inside, the kitchen and the central fireplace were remodeled by the last owner of the house. The present owners have done a limited restoration of the house."

Here's the photo of the house from the book.

The book also noted, "This building has been researched by students of Oberlin College, who claim that this is indeed a house from Wright's office. Apparently a Mr. Mosher, who was an acquaintance of Wright in Chicago, had the house commissioned. It is questionable whether Wright himself supervised the work or even saw the house."

Apparently – judging from what I've seen on the internet – there had been a longtime controversy concerning this house as to whether or not it really was the work of Frank Lloyd Wright. But it seems that with the discovery of drawings and plans, it's now accepted as such – which is a relief.

Here are a few interesting links to check out regarding the house. Prairieschooltraveler.com has a link with some nice photos of the house before it was painted. Franklloydwrightinfo.com has some nice detailed shots of some of its ornate features.

And to see some great Taliesin architectural renderings of the house, click here and scroll down a bit. If you're a FLW fan, you won't want to miss these. The online discussion accompanying the photos is worth reading as well. (By the way, according to that website, it turns out that the man for whom the house was designed was actually named John A. Moser.)
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Findley Lake in Fall

November 7, 2014, 3:28 am
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Like I mentioned yesterday, a few weeks ago I headed down to to Findley State Park to see how the fall colors were coming along by the lake. Although it was a week or so past peak colors, I still grabbed a few shots of one of my favorite places in Lorain County.

I wrote about the creation of Findley Lake back here.

Anyway, here are my late afternoon lake shots.

I pretty much had the place all to myself except for a fishermen or two. Too bad I didn't bring a pic-a-nic lunch!

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Harry's Men's Wear Grand Opening – November 2, 1950

November 10, 2014, 3:27 am
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Here's an ad for a well-remembered, iconic Lorain business – Harry's Men's Wear– that ran in the Lorain Journal on November 2, 1950 – the eve of its Grand Opening. Every Lorain male shopped at Harry's Men's Wear at some time or another.

As the above ad noted, owner Harry Levine was the manager of Fisher Brothers Department Store before opening his own business that would prove to be a linchpin of Downtown Lorain for decades.

At the time of his passing at age 63 in late December 1977, Harry Levine was remembered as follows in a touching Journal obituary. It read, "Harry Levine was a fixture on Broadway and around Lorain. In recent years his stocky figure and silvery beard reminded everyone of someone you would expect to see on that other Broadway in New York.

"He loved people and he loved to talk with them. "Come and see me," he'd say, "I've got something (clothing) just made for you.

"Harry Levine was a mix of joy and style in business. His store was among the first to take on class on a street that desperately needed class. He was honored for his efforts long ago but maybe his efforts were as instrumental in an urban renewal project for downtown Lorain as all the later events proved to be. Levine was a do'er and not just a talker.

"Born Dec 2, 1914 in New Castle, Pa., he had resided in Lorain 42 years and made his home at 2647 Skyline Drive. A U.S. Navy World War II veteran, he had come to Lorain after graduating from Geneva College, Pennsylvania, where he studied education. Prior to starting his business, he spent 10 years managing a chain clothing store in Lorain with his wife, Jennie.

"He was a member of Agudath B'nai Israel Temple, B'Nai Brith, Jewish War Veterans and Lorain Elks No. 1301."

****
I didn't know that at one point, Harry's Men's Wear actually had two locations. In the late 1970s, there was a second store at 371 Broad Street in Elyria.

The Levine family continued to operate the store at 700 Broadway for a number of years after the death of its founder. It finally closed in the mid-1980s, disappearing from the Lorain city directory in the 1986 edition.

700 Broadway today
(Courtesy Lorain County Auditor)
Harry's Men's Wear and Mr. Levine undoubtedly live on in the memories of countless Lorainites.
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A Tale of Three Chris' Restaurants

November 11, 2014, 3:34 am
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The Morning Journal had a nice article back in mid-October about the 50th anniversary of Chris' Restaurant. (Click here in case you missed it.) The article mentioned that Chris Manofski started his popular restaurant back in 1964 on Pearl Avenue, and moved it to its current location at 2812 W. Erie Avenue (in the old Howard Johnson's restaurant) in 1981.

I could be wrong, but the article left out some of the restaurant's history.

According to the city directories, Chris' Restaurant was out on West Erie as early as 1968. It was located at 5100 West Erie – the former home of Johnson's Restaurant, and most recently Jack & Diane's) right across from the Lorain Drive-in. The listing remained in the city directory well into the late 1970s.

I'm not sure why this wasn't mentioned in the Morning Journal article.

What makes it even more confusing is that there were actually three restaurants in the Lorain area with Chris as part of their names during that time period.

In the 1970 directory, the restaurant run by Chris Manofski was listed as Chris Restaurant at 5100 West Erie. In that same book, there was Chris' Restaurant– run by Frank and Christine Bishop – at 5316 Colorado Avenue, and Chris Cafe at 3680 Pearl – run not by Chris Manofski, but a gentlemen listed as Christ Evanoff.

It's a good thing Lorain didn't have a Ruth's Chris Steak House back then. It's enough to make a researcher's head spin.

I'm not sure that Chris' Restaurant was out on Pearl very long, as I had difficulty finding a listing of it. Hopefully, someone connected with Chris' Restaurant's history will clear this all up for me with a blog comment.

Nevertheless, Chris' Restaurant remains one of my mother's favorites. We stop in on Saturday every couple of months to enjoy a delicious perch sandwich, along with some friendly service.

The funny thing is, when Mom is in the mood to go there, she mentions, "How about lunch at Chris Cafe?"
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1954 Harmon-Nielsen Ad – Philco Television

November 12, 2014, 3:24 am
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Here's a big ad for Harmon-Nielsen Company that ran in the Lorain Journal on November 16, 1954 – 60 years ago this month. The ad promotes the new Philco "Miss America" television set with a 24" console.

That's Lee Meriwether, Miss America 1955 in the ad. She's one Miss America that actually achieved a great level of career success after her reign was over. In this case, she enjoyed a fine career as a model and actress (well-remembered for her role on Barnaby Jones and as Catwoman in the 1966 Batman movie). Here's the link to her website.

Philco's "Miss America" television set campaign ran for several years, gaining a new spokesmodel with each new contest winner. (Here's a link to a website with a nice overview of the campaign along with some great photos of the televisions themselves.)

It's rather quaint looking at ads like this, and remembering how people used to shop for TVs and major appliances. A half-century before shopping online or browsing at big box stores became the norm, consumer often got their first look at the new products in big, glossy color magazine ads. These same ads were also reproduced in black and white and customized with the dealer's name for local newspapers.

It's strange remembering how big and bulky television sets used to be, in view of today's ultra-thin models. The old-time sets were regular pieces of furniture with beautiful wood finishes.

I'll probably never forget waiting for my parent's TV set to warm up so I could watch cartoons as a kid in the early 1960s.

Anyway, I didn't have time to properly research Harmon- Nielsen Co. for this post. I did find out that the company became simply Harmon Appliance in the mid-1950s, and later, Harmon's TV & Appliance. Erie TV & Appliance purchased the firm in 1995.

2063 N. Ridge today
(Courtesy Lorain County Auditor)

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Page-ettes Indian Pudding Ad – November 15, 1954

November 13, 2014, 3:30 am
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Well, it's National Indian Pudding Day, so I thought I'd better post this ad for Page-ettes, which ran in the Lorain Journal on November 15, 1954.

What, you weren't aware that November 13th was that particular holiday? Well – neither was I, until I did some research for this post.

It turns out Indian Pudding is a classic New England dish made of cornmeal, milk and molasses, dating back to colonial times. It's not very well known outside of New England, where it's still very popular. It's served warm, and with ice cream – which automatically makes it sound good to me. (I love stuff with cornmeal in it anyway!)

Speaking of ice cream, that's what's being promoted in the Page-ettes ad (in case you didn't know). Page-ettes were individual mini-cartons of Page ice cream – in this case, Indian Pudding flavored ice cream. But I suspect that Page-ettes didn't stand much of a chance in these parts, with all of the excellent local dairies cranking out their own ice cream.

I like the attractive artwork in the ad. It sure reminds me of Dick Dugan's style.

Anyway, if you've got the urge to whip up some of this New England concoction, here's a link to an interesting article about it, complete with several recipes.
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