Wednesday, October 23, 2013

1368 E. Erie Avenue – in the Penfield Family Photo Album

The view last weekend from Kansas Avenue
Shortly after my post about the now boarded-up building at 1368 E. Erie (above), I got an email from fellow local history enthusiast Drew Penfield (whose Lake Shore Rail Maps is the definitive website about the history of the Lake Shore Electric interurban line).

He wrote, "I just saw your post about the old drug store on East Erie. My father lived in the house at 211 Kansas Ave., basically across the street from that building, in the late 40's and early 50's."

Drew attached two terrific photos of his father as a boy, with the former Shoemaker Drugs building in the background. Here's the first one (below), with his father standing in his front yard, probably taken in the early 1950s.

And here's the second photo of his father. He's a little younger in this one, and shown with a few of his chums (below).
While shooting my "now" photo, I walked around the area where these photos were taken. Unfortunately both trees are long gone – possibly due to the widening of the road and the addition of a huge sidewalk.

Anyway, the images from a bygone era make the upcoming demolition of that building even more poignant. Although Shoemaker Drugs is just a backdrop in these photos, the store played an important role in that neighborhood, making medicine and other items easily available to nearby families. And, as Al Shuck pointed out in a comment appearing on my first post, Dr. Paul Pastuchiw's family medical practice was located in the second floor of the building for many years, making the building even more important in the community.

Special thanks to Drew and his father for allowing me to post these great family photos.

7 comments:

Unknown said...

great article! i wish someone had a picture of (Carl) Longwells little store that sat behind the drugstore on Kansas Ave. it sat alongside the "alley" which was once there. when i was in grade school at Longfellow (from 1948-58),yep, the school grades went from the first to the ninth grades then. We use to "pitch pennies" against Mr. Longwells store after school. great memories.

Drew Penfield said...

Bill, I checked my photos again, but I don't have any that include the building behind the drugstore. I do have a photo of Miss Reid's first grade class at Longfellow from 1952 with names on the back. I could forward it to you if you are interested.

And Dan, I am always happy to contribute when I can.

Unknown said...

Drew: wow!! you also had Ms. Reid! i did also. probably in 48'-49'. i remember her being a "spinster". nice lady. I even remember what house she lived in, in Lorain. right around the corner from me. I lived on Michigan ave until 1950. then we moved to Garfield Blvd. send what you can Drew,i'd really appreciate it. my e-mail is stikemupp@aol.com. thanks again. Bill

Drew Penfield said...

Bill, you have mail!

Exploring Almost Forgotten Gravesites in the Great State of Ohio said...

Hi, Thank you for your post here. I wasn't aware that the store was slated to be torn down. What is supposed to be going in its place?

The name of Dr. Paul Pastuchiw brings back a memory of my mother taking me to see him when I had a bad sinus attack as a child. I remember him prescribing medicine that worked really fast! There weren't too many doctors on the East Side that is for sure! Thank you.

Dan Brady said...

Hi Linda,

According to an article on the Morning Journal's website, the Lorain Demolition Board of Appeals voted to declare the building "a public nuisance that should be abated by demolition." The city was still waiting for a letter of consent for it to be a done deal.

Exploring Almost Forgotten Gravesites in the Great State of Ohio said...

I'll have to check the MorningJournal website more often. For some reason, unlike the Chronicle-Telegram's website, the Journal's website seems to bring more Spam and pop up advertising, so I don't regularly visit it. Thank you for the update, Dan. Keep up your great work, but I have to tell you reading all of this history just makes me more homesick for Lorain; the Lorain I knew as a childhood though.