Midview High School Dedicated – Nov. 6, 1955

Midview High School is one of those schools in Lorain County (like Firelands and Keystone) that I'm just not too familiar with and couldn't tell you where they're located. Nevertheless, I wrote about Midview before (here), when I featured its "Midview Middie" mascot.

Anyway, the new $800,000 Midview High School was dedicated back on November 6, 1955 – 70 years ago this week, as noted in the article above that appeared in the Lorain Journal a day later.

What's odd is that when I was prepping this post, various sources (including its Wiki entry) noted that, "Midview High School was originally built in 1956 as a Junior High School, until the needs of the district demanded more room for students in grades 9-12. The building was then designated as the High School in 1956, and has remained so ever since."

I'm skeptical about the accuracy of that contention. It seems like from the beginning, the plan was to build a high school. Here's the August 31, 1954 report of the awarding of the contract for "the construction of the new Midview High School slated for completion on Capel Rd by Sept. 1, 1955."

Groundbreaking took place on Sept. 23, 1954.

That same week, an architectural rendering of the new Midview High School was unveiled.

After doing my Google Maps "drive by," I'm guessing it's been enlarged over the years. It looks like the classic high school design – very similar to my own Alma Mater, Admiral King High School.

Fall Cavalcade of Color - 2025 Part 2

Cooper Foster Park Road looking east
where it intersects with Baumhart Road

I wasn't sure if there was going to be Part 2 of my annual look at fall foliage around Lorain County, thanks to the wind and rain we've experienced recently. But I grabbed what photos I could during my travels in the past few weeks and present them here now, in order. As you will see, I tend to go down to Mill Hollow and the Bacon Woods a lot, to walk the trails. The colors are muted but still nice.

Baumhart Road

Bacon Woods Reservation

Bacon Woods Reservation

The old quarry behind my condo on Woodland Drive

Bacon Woods Reservation

Bacon Woods Reservation

Bacon Woods Reservation

Bacon Woods Reservation

Bacon Woods Reservation

Mill Hollow

Vermilion Road looking north

I've done this a few times before, so feel free to check out some of the past autumns including Mohican State Forest in 2024; Mill Hollow in 2023 and 2022; Fall Foliage in 2021; Mill Hollow Revisited in 2020; and 2018, which seems to have some of the best color and biggest variety of locations.

Landmark Burns – Nov. 5, 1965

The Underground Railroad ran right through Lorain County, with Oberlin, Elyria and Lorain all playing a role in the escaped slaves' trek to Canada.

Various historic homes and building are said to have been places of refuge for the slaves during their journey. One old structure believed to be part of the network went up in flames, 60 years ago today.

"A Lorain County landmark, believed to have been a stop in the "underground railway" during the slave days more than 100 years ago, was destroyed by fire early today," noted the article on the front page of the November 5, 1965 Journal.

"An unidentified passerby was credited with probably saving the lives of seven occupants of a house on the northwest corner of SR 113 and Murray Ridge Road.

"Because the exact history of the building isn't known, it is believed it was a former stagecoach stop and a station on the "underground railway."

"Col. Raymond Vietzen, first vice president of the Lorain County Historical Society, said: "It was never a very much talked about place." But, he said, it had everything needed for smuggling escaped slaves.

"A porch ran the length of the house and there was a unique woodshed made of brick and wood. He said a wagon could be driven into the shed and unloaded. Steps led from the shed into the kitchen.

"The basement of the house, he said, could be entered from the outside at ground level. The carriage house also had a basement that could be entered from ground level or from a trap door.

"In the 1930s the building became the Owl Club, a tavern that emerged after the repeal of prohibition." 

****

I found a few ads connected with the building in the Lorain Journal. It became the Owl Club in August 1934, and then changed to the Silver Bell Inn in Feb. 1935. It lasted as the Silver Bell Inn until at least the fall of 1953, when it was robbed during a wild crime spree stretching from Cleveland to Oberlin.

Aug. 28, 1934

Feb. 14, 1935

Feb. 22, 1935

Davy Crockett Watch – Nov. 1955

As Christmas 1955 slowly swung into view on the horizon, the Davy Crockett craze was dying down. It had been almost a year since the adventures of the coonskin-capped frontiersman had appeared in several episodes of the Disneyland TV show. The May 1955 release of a big-screen movie cobbled together from the TV segments did big business. But Crockett fatigue was setting in.

But Davy Crockett merchandise was still being offered, as you can see in the Sobel Jewelers ad above that ran in the Lorain Journal on November 17, 1955. What interesting is that the Bradley wrist watch was apparently not an item that was produced and licensed by Walt Disney Productions.

Here's one currently on eBay that somehow managed to survive 70 years.

It's actually quite attractive. It still works, and there's a leather band. It is listed for $150.

And here's another one. This one doesn't work but seems to have the original band. The price? Forty-five bucks.

Interestingly, another listing has both a Bradley watch and the official Walt Disney Productions watch. They're part of an estate sale and are offered for parts or repair.

The Bradley watch is actually more attractive than the Disney version. But the Disney watch has a rendering (however poor) of Fess Parker in his iconic pose as seen on the movie posters, books, etc.

Being born in 1959, I missed the Davy Crockett Craze (although I saw Charlie Brown and his friends wearing coonskin hats in at least one strip in the Peanuts reprint paperbacks). I remember Fess Parker as Daniel Boone, although I don't think we ever watched it in our house. According to the Wiki entry for the show, Parker had tried to buy the rights to Davy Crockett but Disney refused to sell. So the TV show ended up being about Daniel Boone instead.

What's funny to me is the fact that director John Ford had wanted to use Fess Parker for the Martin Pawley role in The Searchers but Walt Disney (who had Parker under contract) wouldn't release him. So Jeffrey Hunter got the role and did a great, memorable job. I think that Fess Parker would have been too similar to Ken Curtis (as Charlie McCorry) so it wouldn't have been so drastic a choice for Laurie (Vera Miles).

Meet Urlin Sargent – Lorain's Renaissance Man

It was back in June when I received an intriguing email from Ben (who lives in another state). He had acquired an antique pocket watch with an inscription on it and was attempting to research its story. His initial email mentioned that it had an inscription of 1915 and may have been given to someone in Lorain, Ohio. The only problem was that it had "LHP Graduation" on it, instead of "LHS."

It seemed a little odd. But not so odd when you know that sometimes script fonts have some weird-looking characters.

And that was the case here. A similar font (called Palace Script) has a 'S' that resembles an 'P.'

Next, the name on the watch was unusual: Urlin Sargent. 'Urlin' is not a common name. Nevertheless, I made the trek into Lorain to see if I could find him in the library's collection of Lorain High School yearbooks. The only information I had was that he had graduated in 1915.

The problem was that Lorain High School's high school yearbook – the Scimitar – originally started out as a thin, magazine-like publication that came out several times a year (since there were several graduation classes each year, such as -A, -B, etc.) The helpful librarian at the Lorain Public Library made several trips to the archives to retrieve stacks of these thin volumes for me.

But while Urlin may have graduated in 1915, he was not to be found in any of the available books. I was feeling somewhat despondent over it.

As library closing time neared, I dejectedly returned the tall stack to the reference desk – only to see that there was another stack of Scimitars there from earlier in the day waiting to be filed. I excitedly thumbed through them and sure enough, I found a different book from 1915, and in it was our man Urlin.

His yearbook biography was short and sweet. "As Urlin came to us only this year, we do not feel that his case can be so easily diagnosed. From our short acquaintance, however, we know he is jolly and kindhearted. He has a pleasant word or smile for everyone." Now that's a pretty nice sentiment. 

What's somewhat odd, however, is that Urlin, unlike the rest of his classmates listed in the Scimitar, had no birthday listed.

Anyway, while searching through available online archives of the Lorain Journal, I discovered that Urlin was a true Renaissance man. He did it all: local musician performing with a band, a singer, an actor, a radio performer, an athlete (tennis player) and was generally well-known and popular in Lorain. 

Ben shared his research with me. He discovered that Urlin served in World War I as part of the 329th Infantry Band. So Urlin was a Veteran too.

Here are some Lorain Journal clippings depicting an interesting life well spent.

May 6, 1926

May 5, 1927

March 27, 1928

Nov. 10, 1928

Aug. 29, 1931

March 28, 1932

May 27, 1932
Note mention of Harrison Baumbaugh

June 24, 1932

Aug. 5, 1935

After a short but busy life, Urlin died in the Cleveland Clinic after a month's illness on March 13, 1936. The news items at the time of his death list his age as both 45 and 46. 

Lorain Journal, March 13, 1936

Lorain Journal, March 14, 1936

March 14, 1936
Note that Urlin was living at the Overlook Apts

The two ages listed only add to the mystery around Urlin. If either of those reported ages were correct, it means he would have finished high school at the age of 24 or 25. Also, apparently there was a wife that lived in Cleveland, as this clipping from later that year shows.

Sept. 14, 1936

Nevertheless, Urlin's sad passing rated a special mention in the Editor's column on page 4 of the Lorain Journal on March 16, 1936. It's a great tribute.

"The death of Urlin Parker Sargent removes one of Lorain's most well-known and well-liked figures," it notes.

"Every activity in which he took part, and they were many, will miss him. He was equally at home twirling a baton in front of a drum corps, taking a leading part in lodge affairs, or singing light opera on the radio.

"There is this in particular to be said about him. In the vernacular of the day, he "got a whale of a kick out of life." He was always busy, always had a good word to say, and did not even let middle age cut down his activities.

"He lived a full life, and enjoyed it. And that, after all, is an important point."

Halloween 1965

Ten years after the events in yesterday's post, Halloween 1965 seemed to be a low key affair in the Journal, with not very many ads with a holiday theme.

The well-remembered Ontario store seemed to start the ball rolling with this ad that ran on October 14, 1965. Candy and a very limited selection of costumes were included in the sales offerings.

After that, it seems like local stores pretty much waited until only a few days before Halloween to run ads for costumes. Grants played both sides of the street by featuring the competing ghoulish TV families of the Munsters and the Addams Family. This and subsequent store ads ran on October 27, 1965.

There are vinyl masks listed for 'Walt Disney and TV characters.' However, the only recognized licensed character in the ad is the rodent mascot of the entertainment giant. I'm sure Donald Duck was annoyed.

Jupiter ran a similar ad, completely devoid of any licensed character costumes – not even Mickey. Halloween Candy Discounts included Nestle's Crunch, Baby Ruth, Snickers and Hershey's. 

An unofficial polling at my work regarding candy bars resulted in Kit Kat being the most popular these days. Nestle's Crunch (a favorite of my youth) – while still popular with the Baby Boomers – was largely unknown to the younger co-workers.

Of interest in the Jupiter ad are those Doe-Caps. My brothers and I wore that style for a while in the early to mid-1960s.

Procter & Gamble ran a special Halloween-themed ad for Clorox Bleach in that same October 27, 1965 paper. It's kind of cute. 

The Blood-Curdling Blog of Monster Masks has a 1965 Collegeville Costume Catalog page with a few of the masks shown above, including the one that most people would call 'Frankenstein.' It's actually advertised as "The Brute" (no doubt to avoid paying Universal a royalty).

Lastly, we finally get to the good stuff: an ad for Kresge's with an oddball collection of licensed character costumes. 

There's Peter Potamus (one of the lesser Hanna-Barbers creations); Flipper the dolphin – star of his own TV show; Daniel Boone; and Wishnik trolls. Remember the little troll dolls? My siblings and I all had one.

I found a few of these costumes online. I was surprised to see that there is at least one extant Peter Potamus mask on Planet Earth.

Here's Flipper – currently swimming around on eBay, having dodged StarKist's nets.

And here's the Wishnik. He's wishing he had an iron.

And these days, Daniel Boone is hunting b'ars on Etsy.