Clik here to view.
Elyria’s Grandma Allen – Part 1
With Elyria celebrating its bicentennial all year, it’s still a good time for me to post this article. It’s about Maria Allen of Elyria. At the time of this article, which appeared in the Lorain...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Elyria’s Grandma Allen – Part 2
Here’s Part 2 of the article which appeared in the Lorain Times-Herald on October 23, 1905 about Maria Allen of Elyria. At that time, she was the oldest woman in Ohio at 105 years old.GRANDMA ALLEN HAS...
View ArticleClik here to view.
School’s Back in Session – 1932
Although school starts in August for today’s kids, I still think of early September as being the beginning of the school year.Vintage local newspapers seemed to always address the start of the school...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Look Back at the Old Red Schoolhouse – 1938
Northeast Ohio is still dotted with old former schoolhouses which somehow managed to survive. What was it like to attend one of these schools? Read all about it in this article that ran in the Lorain...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The One-Room Schoolhouse at Meister and Leavitt – Part 1
One of the more intriguing photos in the Arcadia book Images of America – Lorain is the photo above of an old one-room schoolhouse, part of the collection of the Lorain Historical SocietyThe photo...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The One-Room Schoolhouse at Meister and Leavitt – Part 2
Looking at old Black River Township maps, it seems that a school was not located at the intersection of Meister and Leavitt until the 1874 version.A school also appeared at that location on the 1896...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The One-Room Schoolhouse at Meister and Leavitt – Part 3
Aerial view of Port Mills Airport, 1929My first big break researching the Black River Township schoolhouse occurred while I was researching the opening of the Port Mills Airport, which was located at...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The One-Room Schoolhouse at Meister and Leavitt – Part 4
So when was the Black River Township schoolhouse torn down?An obituary for Mrs. Martha Opfer that appeared on the front page of the Lorain Journal on August 4, 1941 provided an answer.With the heading...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The One-Room Schoolhouse at Meister and Leavitt – Part 5
I’ve compared the available photos of the Black River Township schoolhouse and I’ve come to the conclusion that the photo in the Arcadia Images of America – Lorain book (shown above) is not the school...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Ghosts of Nationwide Theatrical Agency
Remember when I wrote about the Nationwide Theatrical Agency and its uniquely-shaped sign at 1629 Broadway? At the time, I wondered what kind of acts the agency actually booked.Well, recently a small...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Richard C. Beck Remembers Lorain
The trailer park just west of Chris’ Restaurant was home to Richard BeckI got an nice email a few months ago from Richard C. Beck III, who called Lorain home for a while in the 1950s. Although he now...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Thistle Building Update Part 1
The view this past weekendAlthough the Thistle Building is gone, the question remains: How did the building gets its name?Thanks to longtime blog contributor Rick Kurish, we now have some theories...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Thistle Building Update Part 2
Rick Kurish was finally able to determine the organization behind the Thistle Building’s construction, as well as a Scottish connection. In an early September email, he wrote, "Under the heading...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Woody Hayes Article – Sept. 2, 1967
(CourtesyCleveland.com)I’ve mentioned before on this blog that I went to Ohio State and, like my father, was a big fan of Woody Hayes. (Back here, I even mentioned how I “met” him once.)Well, since...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Name Lorain’s Downtown Development – Sept. 1973
Back in the early 1970s when Lorain was getting ready to redevelop its downtown area, the decision was made that it should have a fancy name. But who should name it?Consequently a contest was held to...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Franz and Flapper Visit Midway Mall – Sept. 20, 1967
Baby Boomers who grew up in the Cleveland area had several local TV hosts to entertain them with cartoons and friendly patter. I’ve written a few times about Captain Penny, who was on Channel 5, as...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Channel 61 Signs On – and Off
Although there now seems to be countless ways to watch your favorite programs – whether it’s online, on cable, via a satellite dish, or over the air – back in the early 1960s, you didn’t have many...
View ArticleClik here to view.
New Stores at Midway Mall – Sept. 1967
Here's sort of a companion piece to the Midway Mall ad I ran a couple days ago. It appeared in the Lorain Journal on September 20, 1967 and announced the addition of four new stores: Foxwood Casuals,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Big Moose Showcase Ad – Sept. 22, 1967
Back when the former Lorain Arena was for sale in 2010, I did several posts about it – including a four-part series (that began here).During the following years, additional Arena posts featured an 1955...
View ArticleClik here to view.
639 Broadway
It’s always interesting when an old building is remodeled (or otherwise modified) and something hidden is revealed.Recently while photographing the vacant lot where the Thistle Building used to stand,...
View Article