Sam Klein Company

January 2, 1958 Sam Klein newspaper ad

1963 Sam Klein logo

While writing about Kline's Department Store a few weeks ago, I was reminded how as a kid I was confused by the fact that there were two stores in Lorain with soundalike names: Kline's and Sam Klein. And although we shopped at Kline's, I don't remember ever going into the Sam Klein store. I guess it was because it was a men's clothing store and not one of my mother's regular stops on the Saturday morning Downtown Lorain shopping jaunt.

Anyway, here's an article (below) that provides a nice history of the beginnings of the Sam Klein Company. As opposed to Kline's, which was part of a national chain, Sam Klein was just one store – and one of the oldest businesses in Lorain.

The article appeared in the Lorain Journal on June 21, 1958.

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Sam Klein Established In 1880's

The Sam Klein Company, 425 Broadway, was established by Sam Klein in a small frame structure 64 years ago on North Broadway where most of the business district was located in the late 1800's.

The company claims it is the oldest men's store in the city in years and the youngest in appearance and merchandising of latest styles for men and boys.

Julius Klein, the present owner and no relation to the founder, purchased the company in 1927 when the business was carried on in about 2,000 square feet of space. There were only two employes then.

As the community grew and the demand for more and better clothing increased, the Sam Klein Company expanded and remodeled with the times.

The store, one of the finest dealing in men's and boy's wear in the states, now occupies more than 4,500 square feet and has 10 employes.

In 1953, and expansion program resulted in an increase of 33 percent in selling space. The latest open visual displays were installed to permit customers complete access to merchandise for easier selection.

A modern store front was built, air conditioning was installed and new lighting, floor covering and store fixtures were added.

The owner had two sons, Warren and Allan, who are associated with him in the management of the store.

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As the article indicated, Sam Klein moved his business around a bit in the early years. The 1891 city directory had the company listed as being located above 59 Broadway. The next available book (1898-99) had the business at 311 Broadway.

I'm not sure when Sam Klein actually closed. Its location at 425 Broadway is now a parking lot next to the Driscol Music Company, and the clothing store is just one more fading memory in the mind of aging Lorainites.

If anyone out there remembers the store and/or ever shopped there, be sure to leave a comment.

Meet the Brothers Behind Sam Klein Co. – Jan. 1972

Yesterday’s post dealt with Downtown Lorain hanging on in the early 1970s, with the businesses hoping for better times thanks to the coming urban renewal improvements.

One of those businesses still with a presence in Downtown Lorain at that time was Sam Klein Company. (I remember as a kid being confused with two stores with same-sounding names: Klein and Kline’s.)

Below is a nice profile of the store and the two men behind it: brothers Allan and Warren Klein. It ran in the Journal back on January 23, 1972 and was written by Staff Writer Glenn Waggoner. 

The name of the store has a surprising story behind it.

As the article notes, “Sam Klein opened his Broadway Avenue men’s clothing store in 1891. The same store is open today, selling 70’s fashions in a modern decor.

“The name “Sam Klein” remains above the entrance, although brothers Allan and Warren Klein are now the owners.

“The Klein brothers, however, are not even distantly related to founder Sam Klein.

““The store was bought in 1927 by our father, Julius, who was not related to Sam Klein but kept the name since it was an established business,” explained Allan Klein. “The name was purely coincidental.”

“He and his brother both worked in the store in their youth, and both are graduates of Lorain High School. They opened a second Sam Klein store at Midway Mall in 1966, which has been “doing great,” according to Warren Klein.

“He spends most of his time overseeing the Midway Mall store, while Allen Klein supervises the 425 Broadway store.”

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I’ve written about the Sam Klein Company a few times. This post dealt with the early history of the firm, and this one told the rest of the story.

Sam Klein Company: the Rest of the Story

A graphic Jan. 22, 1942 newspaper ad

Here's a few more ads and information about The Sam Klein Co. and its successor stores that I found since my post (back here). After reading some of the great reader comments, which filled in the gaps in the store's later history, I realized I'd better go back and do some more research about that era of this well-known Lorain icon.

I was surprised to find out that Sam Klein had a store out at Midway Mall in 1966, the same year the mall opened.

Here's a 1968 ad for Sam Klein (below). If you're a fan of Mad Men like the spouse and me, the show is up to 1968 right now. Based on this ad, I guess it's appropriate that Don Draper is still wearing his fedora.

Feb. 1, 1968 Journal ad

Both the Downtown Lorain store and the Midway Mall store continued to appear in the Lorain phone book until the 1975 edition, when only the Midway Mall store was listed.

On October 21, 1983 the small article (below) appeared in the Chronicle-Telegram. It announced that the Sam Klein Co. store was going to close its Midway Mall store in January 1984 in preparation for its move to a new location nearby.

Oct. 21, 1983 C-T article

The new location turned out to be to the Midway Square shopping center.

Here's a January 1, 1985 Journal ad from that era (below).

Eventually the store became known as Warren Klein's Store for Men.

In May 1994, Warren Klein announced his retirement. In large newspaper ads he stated, "After 43 years in the business personally, I have reached retirement age. I am going out of business and closing the store, which has been in my family for 103 years."

He added, "My heartfelt thanks for your many years of support."

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Here's a link to the obituary of Allan Klein, who along with his brother Warren Klein owned Sam Klein Company and its successor, Klein's Store for Men.

1957 Downtown Lorain – Washington's Birthday Sale

Feb. 21, 1957 full-page Lorain Journal ad

Yesterday I mentioned how George Washington's Feb. 22 birthday used to be a holiday. Well, it was also a good excuse for a sale – just like today.

The above full-page ad appeared in the Lorain Journal on Feb. 21, 1957, announcing a big Downtown Lorain sale. The ad seems to be made up entirely of disparate clip art elements.

The "shocking truth about prices" mentioned in the ad was merely a gimmick in that, like George Washington, the stores weren't lying about their great, low prices.

What's amusing is that each store had its own cartoon clip art version of our first president. Here's an ample sample (below), including Sam Klein, Ted Jacob's, Kresge's and Smith and Gerhart. (Click on each for a larger version.)

One thing's for sure. These little cartoons are downright quaint compared to seeing actors portraying George Washington and Abraham Lincoln dancing and singing in current furniture and car commercials! 

Christmas Ads – 1970

Well, the Christmas Cavalcade of newspaper ads and articles continues – we’re up to 1970 now.

It’s a real mixed bag of old fashioned ads, and “hip” ones that reflected the (ugh) changes in fashion that were taking place.

This nearly full-page ad for Hills Dept. Store seems to symbolize that the times were a-changing. It ran in the Journal on December 24, 1970. The unappealing characters look like they’re right out of the Beatles’ Yellow Submarine cartoon.

This Dec. 14, 1970 ad for Sam Klein Co. can’t seem to decide what decade it is. Although the man looks like he belongs in a 1950s beer ad, the woman has those now-classic 1970s ‘big eyes.’

Making his annual appearance in Penneys ads (after being introduced in 1967) is that famous holiday meece, Santa Mouse. This ad ran in the Journal on December 13, 1970. 

(I’ve had several recent dealings with mouse traps and ‘miserable meeces,' so I have to confess that I’m not a fan of Santa Mouse. He looks a little too realistic to me, and a little too hungry.

At least the next few ads are old-fashioned. First Federal Savings of Lorain (now the only local bank with ‘Lorain’ still in its name) had some nice vintage art in its Dec. 24, 1970 Journal ad. I like the dog-like reindeer.

 This Dec. 13, 1970 ad for Llewellyn Motor Company had a nice Santa illustration as well.

Santa’s also in this Lorain Creamery ad of Dec. 21, 1970 featuring ‘Flaming Ice Cream Snow Balls.” Sounds like a weapon! 

I wonder if competitor Home Dairy was not amused by the Creamery’s ad tagline: “LORAIN’S FINEST HOME DAIRY?”

Lastly, what would the holiday be without our old pal Reddy Kilowatt? His appearances in Journal ads were getting pretty rare by 1970, but here he is in one that ran Dec. 15, 1970, inviting us in for a free cup of coffee, and serving up an electrifying holiday meal. And unlike the Lorain Creamery Snow Balls – no flames!

Father's Day Ad – June 15, 1954

Father's Day is this weekend, so here's one of those almost full-page ads with a roll call of sponsors. Many of the iconic Lorain businesses (like Harry's Men's Wear, Sam Klein, Kline's Dept. Store, Rudy Moc) are there, but also a few I've never heard of: The Forecast, at 731 Broadway, which was a "Fine Men's Wear" store; Ostrov's, at 524 Broadway, which was a shoe store; and Pistell & Schneider, located at Broadway and 7th, who were jewelers and opticians.

The illustration in the ad of the typical father reflects the times – sort of a clean-shaven Cary Grant type. The equivalent rendering today would have to include a beard, and perhaps a shaven head.

I think that's too many presents floating around his head in the ad, though. (Fathers never seem to make out as well as mothers do on Mothers Day.) I can't even remember what sort of Father's Day gift we used to give Dad when my siblings and I were kids. I don't think there were many ties, because he didn't wear them that often.

I heard some sort of poll on the radio this week in which many modern fathers supposedly prefer to celebrate their day away from their family. Dad would never have done that. He was the most selfless person I ever knew. The amount of 'stuff' that he owned – mostly things that were given to him or that he saved for sentimental reasons (like this thing) – fit on a small shelf above his workbench.

Anyway, Father's Day is the one day a year that I'm jealous of my two brothers, both of whom along with their spouses raised some great kids. 

Happy Father's Day to all dads out there!

Lawsons vs the Blue Laws – Nov. 1962: Part 2

A few days before Election Day 1962, the Journal was filled with ads both for and against the statewide amendment sponsored by Lawson's that would allow the dairy chain to be open on Sunday.

Here's another full-page ad opposing the "Sunday Necessities Amendment." It ran in the paper on Monday, November 5, 1962.

Interestingly, the ad features the names of many popular local businesses encouraging a "No" vote, including Hart's Jewelry (a favorite on this blog), Ted Jacobs, Kline's, Smith & Gerhart, the Style Center, Sam Klein Company, Jupiter Discount Store, McKee Shoes, Bazley Meat Market, Driscol Music Co., and Willow Hardware. Grocery store giants Kroger, Pick-N-Pay and Fisher Foods also opposed the amendment.

In the end, surprisingly, the amendment failed – and consequently opened a can of worms in the process. On the front page of the November 7, 1962 Journal, it was noted that Lorain was going to begin to enforce the blue laws on the books, due to "the overwhelming defeat of Issue No. 1

Lawson's had the final word a few days later, when the ad below ran on Friday, November 9, 1962.

It wouldn't be until 1973 when the blue laws were officially repealed in Ohio.

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Despite failing statewide, it was actually a close vote on Issue 1 in Lorain County. According to an article in the November 7, 1962 Journal, the law "was supported by a slim 77-vote margin."

Issue 1 was supported by Avon, Oberlin and Sheffield Lake. It failed in Lorain, Elyria, North Ridgeville, Amherst and Avon Lake.

In Lorain, Issue 1 lost by 428 votes; in Elyria, a mere 28 votes. And it was supposed in Sheffield Lake with a 217-vote majority.

Lincoln Park Ballroom Grand Opening – September 1946

Back in February 2013, I did a short post on Lincoln Park Nite Club. At the time, I mentioned that the earliest listing in the Lorain Phone Book that I could find was in the 1947 edition.

So it makes sense that the above ad advertising the night club’s Grand Opening ran in the Lorain Journal on September 14, 1946. Apparently the business had existed in some form before, but according to the ad, it was now remodeled and under new management.

The ad promotes the appearance of Morrie Alexander and His 10 Piece Orchestra, featuring Alex Megesy, “the Lorain Boy Who Made Big Time.”

“Plenty of Free Parking” is also mentioned in the ad. (We all remember the trees in the parking lot and what a challenge it was to dodge them.)

Lincoln Park is another one of those Lorain businesses that are almost impossible to research, since it had a Stop (Stop 48) for an address, and was on the outskirts of town.

A teaser ad for the Grand Opening had appeared in the paper on Friday, September 13 (below).

Also on the page are ads for Eddie’s Blue Castle Sandwich Shop, the Sam Klein Company and two different ads (Eddy’s Market and Steve Polansky’s) pushing Kirkman Flakes at 26 cents a box.

Jax Store For Men Ad – "The Man from Lorain"

Here’s a vintage ad for a well-known Lorain business that dates back to the 1950s. The ad for Jax Store for Men ran in the Lorain Journal on May 5, 1969 – 50 years ago this month.

I like the theme of the ad, with a profile of “The Man from Lorain” as a chap who collects classic blazers to keep him looking “his dashing best.”

It probably wasn’t the most appropriate marketing approach for a working-man town like Lorain, but men still needed to have a suit or sportcoat in the closet. So why not one from Jax?

Lorain was lucky to have so many fine men’s stores for decades. Besides Jax, there was Harry’s Men’s Wear, Sam Klein Co and Louis Cohn.

Although long-gone from Lorain, Jax is still around today in Lorain County. Today it is called Jax Store For Men & Women and is located in Olde Avon Village.

An article in the Plain Dealer from October 2008 points out the story behind the store's unusual name and a bit of the company history. It notes, "In the 1960s, Jax in Beverly Hills was THE place for starlets to shop. Even Marilyn Monroe bought her cotton dresses and capris from the now-defunct store, known best for its chic yet affordable offerings.

"The Jax boutique in Avon, formerly of Lorain, has also been around since the 1950s. The two stores aren't connected in any official manner, but they share the same snappy name and the concept of stylish, affordable clothes -- from party clothes to professional wear and sportswear -- for men and women.

"Owners Merle and Scott Beyers bought the store from Merle's dad, Art Lipsin, who opened the store in 1951 in south Lorain. They bought it from him in 1983 and moved it to Avon in 2005."

Lorain Stores Christmas Ads – December 1965

As long as I seem to be stuck in 1965, here are a pair of ads from the pages of the Lorain Journal that December – 50 years ago.

First up is an ad for Sam Klein that ran on December 17, 1965. It features a comely Santa’s helper, which no doubt would be considered politically incorrect by today’s standards. Seeing as all of the things on sale are for men and boys, perhaps a beefcake Santa would have been more appropriate in the ad to catch the attention of female shoppers.

But the gimmick of staying open until Midnight with free coffee and donuts available is a good one.

The other ad (below) is for the iconic Hills store on Route 57 and ran on December 18, 1965. It features a rather abstract Santa Claus graphic, along with a more conventional drawing of crowd of happy shoppers. 

 

Note all of the men in the ad wear fedoras. (Dad had one too, and it was up on his bedroom shelf all the way into the 1970s, when we would use it to imitate Crazy Guggenheim.)

The Story Behind the Buildings – Part 1

Last month the Morning Journal featured an article by Richard Payerchin that outlined developer Jon Veard’s plans for several buildings on Broadway in Lorain.

One of the buildings being redeveloped– located on the southwest corner of Broadway and Fifth Street – was the longtime home of Lorain Hardware. (I wrote about the building here.)

But what about the other buildings? Were they ever home to any iconic Lorain businesses through the decades?

Here are the buildings in question: the Honecker Building on the northwest corner of Broadway and Fifth Street, and the flat, red-bricked building with two storefronts to the right of it.

Let’s sneak a peek at the city directories to see what roles they played in Downtown Lorain history.

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Unlike many Downtown Lorain buildings with an inscrutable name (such as the Thistle Building), the Honecker Building has an easy-to-research history. Its name corresponded with the man who ran a drug store at that location for many years: William Honecker.

William Honecker came to Lorain in 1889 to open a drug store after serving his apprenticeship in Allegheny, Pennsylvania. Along with his brother Charles, he opened the pharmacy on Broadway. The business became his own a year later when he bought out his brother.

(As Broadway’s downtown business district grew and evolved, business addresses often changed over the years, even though a store might not have moved. The 1905 Lorain city directory had "William Honecker - druggist” at 320 Broadway. By the time of the 1905 directory, the business was listed at 324 Broadway. Later, the Honecker drug store had an address in the 400 block, with the same neighbors as it did when it had an address in the 320’s.)

The 1912 directory was the first listing I could find for the Honecker Building, with a range of addresses of 446-448 Broadway. These addresses would change slightly through the years.

Here is that first 1912 listing (below). Note the many well-known Lorain businesses that were already established, including the Sam Klein Co., and Smith & Gerhart.

By the time of the 1915 directory, the drug store would be listed as being affiliated with the Rexall chain.

The Honecker Building was home to several fraternal organizations over the years. The 1921-22 city directory listed the Elks Club as one of the tenants. And the 1928 listing (below) notes that the Masonic Hall was located on the third floor.

Politically Incorrect Christmas Ads – 1971 Edition

Just like it just wouldn’t be Christmas here on the blog without an appearance by Reddy Kilowatt, similarly it would be hard to celebrate the holiday without some vintage ads that would be seen as sexist today. 

It’s surprising, but fifty years ago there were still newspaper ads in the Journal with cartoon illustrations that looked like they belonged in a cartoon found in the back of a True magazine.

First up is an ad for Diamond’s Mens Stores at Midway Mall that ran in the Journal on December 8, 1971.

Despite the illustration, the ad is actually directed towards women, with various suggestions for mens gifts. Lots of knit products in that ad!

A second ad for the store ran in the Journal on December 16, 1971. This one is more typical, with a Santa Showgirl that would look right at home at a Rat Pack Christmas Party. Lots of knits in this one too!

I like the three cartoon mens heads. The pipe smoker looks like he could be a modern version of Cappy Dick.

Lastly, here’s an ad for Northern Savings and Loan Company promoting their 1972 Christmas Club. The ad ran in the Journal on November 8, 1971.

In this case, I think the Santa gal was just an attention getter, something a little more interesting to look at than a photo of the free jar of Smucker’s Jelly "in a specially packaged apothecary jar” mentioned in the ad. Plus it seems somewhat appropriate with the protest movement going on at that time.

As a bonus, here's a Sam Klein Co. ad from the Dec. 18, 1972 Journal with another attention-getting Santa babe. 

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Back in 2018, I did a whole post devoted to ads of this sort. 

Of course, Diamond’s Mens Stores was one of the stores whose ad was featured. By the way, it appears that at least one store is still around. Here’s the link to its website, where it's described as “A Cleveland Tradition Since 1941."

Louis Cohn Opens Vermilion Store – Nov. 1965

 

Many of us who grew up in Lorain remember when Downtown Lorain was still thriving, with a large variety of stores geared to specific interests. There were several great men's stores offering personal service, including Sam Klein, Harry's Men's Wear and Louis Cohn, the subject of this post. I'm sure the Louis Cohn store at 13th and Broadway is well-remembered by many of my readers.

And it was 60 years ago when the well-known Louis Cohn name came to Vermilion with the opening of an outlet in the South Shore Shopping Center. Above is the Grand Opening ad that ran in the Journal on November 4, 1965.

I've neglected Louis Cohn on this blog for too long. So here's an ample sample of ads and clippings about the store, and the men behind it: Louis Cohn and his son, Edwin.

Sept. 27, 1929

April 12, 1935

April 11, 1941

Nov. 14, 1947

June 21, 1955

Oct. 13, 1955

Dec. 19, 1960

Jan. 6, 1966

Oct. 20, 1966

July 8, 1970

Nov. 8, 1979

Feb. 4, 1980

Oct. 23, 1983

Feb. 14, 1985

Oct. 14, 1998

July 22, 1999