Lorain Journal Front Page – October 4, 1954

 

Seventy years ago, this was the front page of the Lorain Journal on October 4, 1954.

There was a lot going on; some big local stories, as well as some tragic occurrences elsewhere.

Besides the fact that it was the eve of the christening of the George M. Humphrey (which I wrote about here), the big news was the purchase of some lakefront property by the village of Sheffield Lake.

As the story notes, "The village has purchased 409 feet of lake frontage for use as a public beach, recreation area and municipal buildings, Mayor Sidney Jordan announced today. The property cost the village $35,000.

"Added to 500 feet of adjacent property already owned by the village, the property, known as the Lewis estate, gives the village 909 feet of lake frontage.

"Mayor Jordan said the village has been trying for four years to purchase the property. The land is at the foot of Rt. 301."

(Back then, State Route 301 followed Lake Breeze Road, instead of Abbe Road as it does now.)

I wrote about the D. D. Lewis estate back on this two-part post, "Dr. B. W. Donaldson's Lake Breeze Memories, Part 1 and Part 2." D. D. Lewis was a Superintendent of the Johnson Steel Company. He purchased the old Lake Breeze House for use as a personal summer home and to entertain guests.

Elsewhere on the page, another major news item was the anticipated announcement of the construction of the Cedar Point Causeway across Sandusky Bay. It would become the preferred way for guests to access the popular amusement park. (I wrote about the Cedar Point Causeway, along with the Chausee, back on this post with a Part 1 and 2.)

I found the story about the Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station dairy farm out by Castalia kind of interesting. Here's a photo of it on the page 2 continuation of the front page story.

I thought it would be cool to take a drive out that way and grab a 'now' photo of the barn. Its location on Wahl Road west of Castalia put it very near the community of Crystal Rock, which I had visited before. So I did a little 'drive by' research on Google Maps. Certainly a 200 x 60 barn would be easy to find in an aerial view.

Unfortunately, despite 'driving' back and forth on Wahl Road, I couldn't find it. I consulted Dennis Thompson's Vintage Aerial website but came up short there as well.

Finally, I found it on the Historic Aerials website. There it was in the 1957 aerial (below).

It was in the 1969 view as well.

You know what's coming, of course. By the early 2000s, it was gone – under water.

It's now part of the Willow Point Wildlife Area.

Oberlin College's Hales Gymnasium – Then & Now

I've passed and admired Hales Gymnasium located on W. Lorain Street on the Oberlin College campus many times during my commute over the past few years. But I never knew anything about the building (including its name) until I saw the vintage postcard above.

Before I get into the history, here's the "now" view from yesterday afternoon.

Under construction, 1939

Hales Memorial Gymnasium was dedicated on June 12, 1939 shortly after commencement. The sum of $150,000 was given by George Willard Hales, a former member of the Oberlin College Class of 1900, towards the construction of the gymnasium, in honor of his mother, Lina R. Hales.

The Architecture of Oberlin College website notes, "It was the first modern gymnasium for women at Oberlin, succeeding several makeshift structures that served multiple purposes. 

"Women had been using Crane Pool, adjoining Hales Gym, since it opened in 1931. The 1939 gym was designed by Richard A. Kimball to complement the design of Crane Pool. 

"The Hales Gym Annex, designed by Oberlin graduate Herk Visnapu, opened in 1958. It served the Department of Zoology after the demolition of Wright Zoological Laboratory that year. The bowling lanes were installed in 1963, replacing those in Wilder Hall. The Kettering Hall of Science, opened in 1971, absorbed science uses out of Hales. With the opening of Philips Gymnasium in 1971 and coeducation arrived in physical education, the bulk of the women's program migrated to the new facility. 

"Today Hales Gymnasium offers recreational and physical education opportunities to both men and women. It features a gym with one basketball court used for a variety of group sports and exercise classes. The facility also has classrooms, offices, locker rooms, and showers. The gym's multiuse wood floor accommodates recreational play in basketball, volleyball, badminton, and indoor baseball as well as physical education, yoga, and fitness classes. 

"Hales Annex now houses the Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse that offers space for solo and small ensemble jazz performances that draw appreciative audiences."

Here's another vintage postcard. It's postmarked 1944.

To read an interesting article on the Oberlin Review website by Kayla Kim, managing editor, entitled, "Remembering Hales Gymnasium: The Glory Days," click here.

Oldsmobile for '64 Ad – Oct. 3, 1963

I've mentioned many times that we were an Oldsmobile family beginning around 1963 or '64. Thus, this ad, which ran in the Journal on October 3, 1963 may very well have influenced my parents. 

The ad features the Olds F-85 on the bottom half of the ad, and that's the model that launched our love affair with the brand. I'm pretty sure ours was a 1964 model year F-85, and it looked pretty much like this (below) if I remember correctly. It was a beige color.

And here's another one.

And here's an ad that I posted previously with an illustration that really resembles our car, since that's the color it was.

I still like the way that car looks. It's not too surprising that my parents eventually settled on the Cutlass as their car of choice, as the Cutlass was part of the F-85 series in the early 1960s. 

Our F-85 became Dad's work car when they purchased a second Olds (a Delmont 88) to pull a pop-up camper on our cross-country trips. (Mom and Dad sold the Delmont to my aunt and uncle in Elyria when it was necessary to buy a car with air-conditioning to cross the desert on an upcoming Western trip. They settled on a Delta 88.)

While my parents bought their first Olds at Kaminski Olds, they eventually bought all their cars – old and used – at Milad's in Amherst on Leavitt Road (Route 58).

That's why I was happy to find this reminder of our Olds heritage (below) in Mom's attic when I was cleaning out her house in preparation for putting it on the market.

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I've devoted a few blog posts to my family's Olds fixation, including this one focusing on the Cutlass, and this post putting the spotlight on Kaminski Olds and another F-85 ad.

Lorain Journal Promotes "Gilligan's Island" – Sept. 1964

It’s a question that men have been struggling to answer for generations – a debate that has raged on since 1964. 

When discussed openly, it’s sometimes pitted father against son, and poisoned formerly cordial relationships among co-workers and neighbors.

But when pondered privately, a man must look deep into his soul and be honest with himself – even if he might be surprised by his own answer.

And that question is: Ginger or Mary Ann?

Yup, which comely castaway on perennial TV rerun Gilligan’s Island did you fall for like a coconut dropping on Gilligan's noggin? Were you a sucker for the highly seductive charms of sexy, slinky Ginger, who very likely was no stranger to the Hollywood casting couch? Or were you more comfortable with the irresistibly cute, wholesome, Mary Ann in her short shorts and certain way with a coconut cream pie?

This debate all began exactly sixty years ago, when Gilligan’s Island made its TV debut on September 26, 1964. In the weeks before that, the Lorain Journal did its best to help promote the show. And it did it by printing – what else? – photos of Ginger (Tina Louise) and Mary Ann (Dawn Wells).

Mary Ann struck first with a photo on the TV page of September 9, 1964.

It's interesting that Dawn Wells was a former Miss Nevada in the Miss America pageant.

But this photo of Tina Louise, shown cavorting with the U.S. Olympic basketball team, neatly capsulates the point of view held by those who wouldn't mind being marooned with Ginger rather than Mary Ann. It ran in the paper on Sept. 24, 1964.

Anyway, in our house we watched Gilligan's Island both first-run and in reruns. I was a loyal fan of the show, reduced to watching it during its last season on a small black and white TV while my siblings watched The Monkees at the same time on the large color TV in the kitchen.

We must have missed the first season of Gilligan's Island, because the black and white reruns that showed up on Channel 43 when it first signed on were new to us. It always annoyed my mother that we enjoyed it, and I vividly remember her kicking us out of the house one time to go outside and play when we were watching it.

What's funny to me now is that while watching a lot of GRIT-TV, I see the Skipper (Alan Hale, Jr.) and the Professor (Russell Johnson) in lots of old Westerns. Russell Johnson plays a particularly rotten weasel in the great Ride Clear of Diablo (1954) with Audie Murphy. 

And speaking of 1960s TV regulars playing Western scumbags, DeForrest Kelley was the king, before becoming Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy on Star Trek. And he, too, tormented Audie Murphy, in Gunfight at Comanche Creek (1963).

This insightful tome was on the Brady bookshelf for years

Be with us next time when we debate the rocky choice of Wilma vs Betty (although they giggled the same and could both be shrews to their hard-working husbands), followed by Archie Andrews' conundrum of Betty vs Veronica (who were both drawn exactly the same except for hair style and color).

Just kidding.

Missive from Miss America 1972

Laurel Lea Schaefer, Miss Ohio 1971 and Miss America 1972

It's not every day that you open your email to find that a former Miss Ohio/Miss America has sent you a message. But that's what happened to me, and it was very pleasant indeed to hear from Miss America 1972, Laurel Lea Schaefer.

I had devoted a post to Laurel that featured a few articles that were written about her when she was crowned Miss America in 1971. Today she is known as Laurel Lea Schaefer-Bozoukoff, and she was gracious enough to reach out to me.

"Many thanks for recognizing my Ohio legacy," she wrote. "I remember those 50+ years ago as a unique journey of exquisite memories, empowering lessons learned, and personal dreams and goals realized.  Over the years, the kindness, pride, and on-going support that I have received from fellow Buckeyes remains an integral part of my personal appreciation and gratitude for my many blessings.

"I am attaching the materials I submitted in 2021 to the Ohio Pageant in celebration of my Miss Ohio 50th Anniversary.  The write-up details many of the blessings I speak of." 

The biographical materials revealed that Laurel has had a pretty wonderful life. 

Besides all of the great experiences that were part of being Miss America, (traveling the country and logging more than 250,000 air miles, meeting the President, throwing out the first ball of the World Series), Laura also had several impressive careers. 

She enjoyed an entertainment career for more than 40 years, appearing on many TV shows including Three's Company, L.A. Law, Quantum Leap, The Rockford Files, Matlock, Love Boat and had a regular role on Falcon Crest. Her vocal talents as a lyric soprano led to many theatre credits and even more appearances on television.

Laurel's other careers include working for the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (Dept. of Defense) at the Intrepid Spirit TBI Clinic, Camp Lejeune (N.C.). There, she educated service members on strategies for overcoming the effects of traumatic brain injury. As a Certified Brain Injury Specialist (CBIS), she continues her educational outreach on brain fitness and wellness, preparing interactive presentations for community organizations. Laurel has also owned her own company (specializing in children's commercials and animated films) where she served as casting director.

But getting back to her Miss America days.

Laurel was the last Miss America to headline a USO Tour to Southeast Asia. During her three weeks in Vietnam and Thailand, she kept a journal of her experiences and observations.

Is a book in the air?

"More recently, I have been working on a book, The Last Miss America in Vietnam and in the process of writing the book, I also composed a story for Vietnam Magazine," she wrote. "The story caught the eyes of the Vietnam Veterans of America and this past August I was awarded their "Presidents Award for supporting the troops.” 

Laurel is philosophical about her being named Miss America. 

"Once the crown is passed to the next recipient, life takes on new meanings, challenges and opportunities. For me, the legacy left is not so much about a title but, more importantly, the personal testimony that the title afforded. "To whom much is given, much is expected.”  

Courtesy roadarch.com

Laurel is from Bexley, Ohio, and I remembered from my days crisscrossing the Buckeye State with my camera that her hometown had a vintage Super Duper grocery store sign that was very popular with roadside enthusiasts. I mentioned to Laurel that I had taken a road trip to Bexley specifically to photograph it.

"Yes, I fondly remember the Elephant sign at Super Duper," she wrote. "Although the store was sold the sign remained, albeit, covered with a tarp. The elephant was there in 2015 but was gone by 2017. However, the Rubino’s Pizzeria sign and the restaurant are still there and operational in Bexley! Did you know that when I won Miss America the city installed signs at the entrance to Bexley saying, “Welcome to Bexley, Home of Laurel Lea Schaefer, Miss America 1972!”

I asked Laurel if she knew Jacqueline Mayer, Miss America 1963 and the pride of Sandusky, Ohio. I've devoted many blog posts to Jackie. It turns out they are good friends!

"Jackie and I stay in close contact," said Laurel. "When I celebrated my 50th Miss Ohio anniversary in Mansfield, Jackie attended. While making my remarks, I introduced her from the stage and said, “She’s MY Miss America." Jackie, and her mother, were instrumental when I was Miss Ohio and was preparing for the national competition. Jackie’s grace, eloquence, and elegance made a profound impact on me and she was my role model."

Laurel is very humble about her achievements. As her biographical materials noted, "With all her accolades, this woman of substance and humility takes no credit for her success but gives glory to Jesus Christ! Having lost her father to leukemia on her tenth birthday, Laurel learned early in life the value of time, obedience, and living in God's will."

I enjoyed my correspondence with Laurel and was happy to receive her gift of one of her archival Miss America postcards. "I only have a handful left but seeing you are all about nostalgia, it seemed fitting.

"Keep up the wonderful contributions that you are making with your own website!"

****

Here are some more photos of Laurel Lea Schaefer, from her Miss Ohio/Miss America days to today.

Circa 1979

Oberlin College Rocks! – Part 2

Oberlin College's two famous boulders on Tappan Square made it into the Lorain Journal a few times beginning in the late 1950s.

The article below, which appeared in the paper on October 3, 1958, features the charming reminisces of A. C. Norris, a member of the Oberlin College Class of 1898. Norris was one of the seniors who moved the seven-ton boulder under cover of darkness from the bank of Plum Creek to its final resting place where it still sits today, opposite the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. It's quite a story.

Note that the article makes no reference to the boulder being painted yet. But by 1962, it seems to have been a common occurrence, judging from the article below, which appeared in the Journal on December 5th of that year. It notes, "The giant boulder placed on Oberlin College's Tappan Square by undergraduates of the Class of 1898 has been the target of many campus pranksters in recent years, but it was not until Tuesday that it became the head of the "Jolly Old Fellow," Santa Claus."

The following year both rocks on Tappan Square were transformed into Easter eggs, according to the article below, which appeared in the Journal on April 15, 1963.

The Class of 1898 boulder became Santa Claus again for the holidays in December 1966. The photo below appeared in the paper on December 14, 1966.

Interestingly, the college artist who transformed the boulder into Santa 'confessed' to the Journal. The small item from the January 20, 1967 edition tells the story.

Lastly, Oberlin College President Robert Carr and Dean of Men Walter Reeves got into the act of painting the rock – and brought along their wives as accomplices. The story below, which appeared in the Journal on October 25, 1967 explains. 

(It appears to be the 1898 rock, judging by the size of the plaque.)

Oberlin College Rocks! – Part 1

Directly across the street from Bibbins Hall, Oberlin Conservatory's main classroom building, is a large boulder on Tappan Square. Apparently it's a longstanding tradition for it to be repainted regularly by the students, who decorate it with various designs and color schemes to convey a message or just have fun. 

Just a short stroll to the east in the same area is another huge boulder facing the storefronts along W. College Street.

I've passed these boulders regularly during my commute for the past two years, and have often wondered. How long have they been there? What did they originally commemorate before becoming a creative canvas on which the students can express themselves?

Fortunately, author and regular blog contributor Don Hilton did my research for me. In an email, he pointed out that the Oberlin Heritage Center website provided some history for each boulder. 

"The two largest boulders were placed on the square in 1897 and 1933," it notes. 

"The Oberlin College Class of 1898 removed one boulder from Plumb Creek and put it on the square in 1897. The plaque reads “Glacial boulder of granitoid gneiss from eastern Canada, excavated from 10 feet below the surface of the northwest corner of Professor and Morgan streets and placed here by the class of ’98 during the night of Dec. 3 1897.”  

That's the boulder across from the Conservatory that it's talking about, the one that's painted like the Palestine flag (red, green, white and black) in my photo. 

But what about the boulder in front of the 'Oberlin' carving?

The Oberlin Heritage Center website notes, "The other, known as the Founders Boulder, was taken from Erie County and reads “In Memory of John J. Shipherd, Philo P. Stewart, Dedicated June 17, 1933.” 

The Founders Boulder was dedicated during the festivities surrounding the city of Oberlin's centennial celebration. Oberlin was founded in 1833 by two Presbyterian ministers, John J. Shipherd and Philo P. Stewart.

Here's a Cleveland News photo currently on eBay of the rock being prepped for the big event. 

The caption reads, "George W. Ernst, a workman preparing the "Founders Tablet" to be dedicated Saturday."

The Oberlin Heritage Center website also notes, "Plaques on the boulders have been covered by hundreds of layers of paint and are barely legible. The rocks became public billboards in the 1960s and soon even college officials joined in the tradition of painting the rocks. Today, anyone can paint them on a first-come, first-served basis. 

"Visit oberlinrocks.com to see more images of the painted rocks."

The plaques on both boulders are pretty much illegible these days.

There are a few vintage photos on the internet showing the 1897 rock in the 1960s. 

This photo from 1967 apparently pokes fun of the campus inventory system.

And this photo from the fall of 1968 celebrates the World Series victory of the Detroit Tigers over the St. Louis Cardinals.

Thanks to Don Hilton for his suggestion of the Oberlin College boulders as a blog topic. By the way, Don has been busy adding additional tomes to his body of work. Visit his website to find out more about his two newest books.