Back to School With Popeye at Penneys – 1935

Fans of pop culture know that during the 1930s, Popeye the Sailor was more popular with kids than Mickey Mouse. Because of his animated cartoons (which beat the ever-cheerful Disney rodent in polls taken by theater owners) and his daily comic strip (drawn by cartoonist/creator Ezie Segar), the one-eyed, spinach-eating sailor was truly a national sensation. 

Thus it's not too surprising to see Popeye featured in this Back-to-School ad for Penney's that ran in the Lorain Journal back on August 28, 1935. Since it was assumed that rough-and-tumble Popeye had great appeal to little boys, most of the ad space is taken up with boys' clothes: shirts, knickers, sweaters, slacks, golf hose and school oxfords. The inclusion of girls' tub frocks seem like an afterthought.

The main drawing point of the ad was a complimentary ticket to the Warner Bros. Palace Theater on Friday, August 30th and Saturday, Aug. 31st. Lorain schools started the next week, so it was sort of a last hurrah for summer vacation.

And what was showing at the Palace on those two nights? None other than the just-released W.C. Fields comedy Man on the Flying Trapeze. 

Despite the fact that it sounds like a circus movie, the plot was no doubt a familiar one to the great comedian's fans. He plays a henpecked husband with a shrewish wife (and nasty mother-in-law) and a loving daughter. And happily (like most of his movies), his character come out on top and there's a happy ending.

But what about Popeye?

If you look closely at the ad, there is indeed a Popeye cartoon as part of that night's program. It doesn't say which one it was, but a football-themed Popeye cartoon was released to theaters that very weekend. Here's a clip of You Gotta Be a Football Hero featuring Popeye's football team versus that of Bluto's. The game is already underway and Popeye is getting clobbered. Fickle Olive isn't even rooting for him!

Have a Peachy Time Shopping at Bergman Orchards Farm Markets

Anyone who has spent any time in Port Clinton, Marblehead or the Lake Erie islands is probably familiar with the popular Bergman Orchards farm markets. With two locations – one on State Route 53 and the other on State Route 269 – they’re pretty hard to miss with their well-known red and white striped awnings. And both have the incredible variety of fresh fruits and vegetables that are the hallmark of the Bergman name.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Dan Bergman, owner of Bergman Orchards, at the Route 53 market for my latest article in Leisure Living (which you can read here). Dan, his wife Patty and other family members were hard at work, making sure their customers were happy. But he kindly took the time to chat with me and give me a tour.

Dan and Patty Bergman

I asked Dan about the history of the business. He pointed out that Bergman Orchards has been family owned for more than 150 years.

“In 1859 German emigrant Dietrich Bergman settled in Danbury Township and began farming,” he noted. “His son Johann followed in his footsteps, and Johann's son, Edwin continued farming as well.”

By the 1930s, Edwin began selling peaches, apples, grapes, pears and plums with just a wheel barrow and a plank of wood set by the road. Eventually, Edwin and his son John opened a retail fresh produce stand on old State Route 2 in 1946. And that led to the still-thriving 80-year-old business that is so much a part of Vacationland today, with the seventh generation of family members involved with the business and continuing John's legacy.

Dan provided me with a great selection of vintage photos showing the business as it evolved and grew.

Edwin Bergman (in center of photo) taking bushels of peaches to market
in Danbury Township circa 1910. Dan even knew the names of Edwin's horses!
(Photo courtesy Joan Hickman)

Edwin Bergman and wife Mary with a load of pears in 1930

The first roadside market

Young John Bergman at the first market

This photo and photo below show the expanded farm market on Bayshore Road, circa 1961

Over the years, the Bergman Orchards roadside stands changed locations to take advantage of increased tourist traffic. Today there are just the two markets. The Route 269 store opened in 1961 and the State Route 53 one in 1980.

The Route 269 market

The Route 53 market

(My family has been stopping at the Route 269 market for as long as I can remember, since we used to camp at East Harbor State Park in the 1960s.)

I asked Dan why they have two stores only minutes away from each other. He chuckled as he explained, “With only two main roads leading to Lake Erie and the Islands, it’s hard not to pass one of our markets.” It's a pretty savvy marketing tactic!

And each market has its own distinctive roadside landmark.

The Route 53 market has a giant fiberglass apple out front. If it looks familiar to you, that’s because it used to adorn the top of the Steuk’s barn at the former farm market in Sandusky! When the property went up for sale, Dan bought the apple at the auction, paying less than a hundred dollars for it. “I wanted it to stay in the area,” he explained.

Dan and Patty and family members pose in front of the large apple in front of the Route 53 market

And the Route 269 market has the memorable “Take a Peach to the Beach” sign nearby on the highway, showing a woman swimmer shown from the back, with two well-placed peaches superimposed over her behind. 

"My dad put that up in 1970 after working the night shift at General Motors in Sandusky and came home and told the family about his idea," Dan explained. "To this day, we have the logo on T-shirts and people regularly stop and take selfies with the sign."

When you stop at one of the markets, it’s hard to resist the amazing selection of fresh produce, including homegrown peaches, sweet corn, melons, and tomatoes. 

There are also Bergman Orchards signature Hot & Sweet Pickles, jams and preserves, as well as local honey and homemade baked goods, including the famous Bergman peach, apple cinnamon, and cheese breads. The bread, pie and other goodies are baked right on the premises at the Route 53 store.

And don't forget the Bergman Orchards Traffic Jam, an employee favorite. While 'traffic jam' usually has a negative connotation, in this case it's a delicious blend of fruits and berries (including peaches, strawberries, cherries, red raspberries and cranberries) all jammed together in one jar.

I tried some for the first time recently, and it's really good – and worth waiting in a real traffic jam for.

So the next time you're heading out to the Port Clinton and Marblehead areas, stop in at one (or both) of the Bergman Orchards farm markets. You'll soon see why they have enjoyed success and customer loyalty for 80 years!

Dan Bergman and the family's flagship item

Buckeye Express Diner in Bellville off I-71

If you're ever driving on I-71 just south of Mansfield near the Bellville Exit 165, and you look up to the east and see a train all alone and high on the hill – that's the Buckeye Express Diner. On my way home from the Ohio State Fair this past weekend, I made sure that I would be passing that area right around dinner time, and I'm glad I did. If you're looking for some great food in a unique setting, it's well worth the stop.

The first thing I noticed after I drove up the hill from SR 97 and pulled into the parking lot behind the restaurant was this giant fiberglas statue. Jacque is his name. Does he look familiar?

If you've ever been to Marblehead, you've probably seen his twin, right next to a Mickey's gas station on SR 163. While the Marblehead one now has monstrous hands (after having no hands for decades), the Buckeye Express Diner one is holding burgers that could very well be the actual size of the ones being served there. (Click here for the story of Marblehead Jacque, and here for Buckeye Express Jacque's tale, both on the great "Roadside America" website.)

The owners of the Buckeye Express Diner obviously have an eclectic, fun outlook on life. Just to the left of the green train car behind Jacque are statues of a pair of buffalo, as well an American Indian on a horse that's rearing up. Why? I have no idea. But they're fun to look at.

Anyway, once you get inside and are in the dining car, you get the idea you're in Ohio State Buckeye country. It's a fun decor.

One of my co-workers (who is a big Ohio State Buckeyes fan) told me the burgers at Buckeye Express Diner were fantastic and he wasn't kidding. My hamburger was the biggest I've ever eaten in my life, and one of the best. And my order of French fries could have fed a family of four.

So how long has the diner been there? Well, the trains were put there around 2007 with the intention of opening a restaurant. That happened about two years later, so it's been in business for about 17 years.

(Click here for an article on the Spectrum news site.)

So if you like burgers, the Buckeyes, trains – or all three – be sure to visit the Buckeye Express Diner. Check the website for hours just to be sure they're open.

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And here's my photo of Jacque, taken up at Marblehead earlier this summer.

Mickey the Moose can probably use an extra pair of hands to help send that pesky gas-pumping beaver back to the Lone Star State. And giant Jacque is just the guy to do it.

2026 Ohio State Fair

Ohio's State Bird watches over the Cardinal Gate at the Fair

I went down to the Ohio State Fair on Saturday for the first time in about twenty-five or thirty years.

It's pretty different now from the last time I visited. The fairgrounds used to have a layout very similar to the Lorain County Fair. It had a big track in the middle and a grandstand for visitors to watch the concerts and attractions, with the whole thing surrounded by food vendors and buildings for the livestock. But I had forgotten that the track and grandstand were removed back in the 1990s. So it all looks very different.  The now-expanded Midway with all the rides practically rivals Cedar Point. And that's where all the biggest crowds were congregated. 

Back when I was a member of the All-Ohio State Fair Band in 1976, I knew the fairgrounds like the back of my hand. But now, with all the new, huge, buildings built in the last few decades – one for concerts, one with an incredible variety of sit-down restaurants, one that's like a mini IX Center, I had a hard time even finding the Rhodes Center, where I stayed during my time at the Fair. It's still the home of the All-Ohio State Fair Band. And it looks the same as it did in 1976. 

I was able to catch part of a concert by the current Band. They played their concert in the Rhodes Center auditorium rather than an outdoor venue such as the Natural Resource area or the Rhodes Center lawn. I never saw them 'ballyhoo' around the Fair either. But it was just as well, because it was hot.

For lunch, it was a Brady tradition to head over to the Schmidt's outdoor restaurant for a brat. Our family visited the main restaurant in German Village many times over the years, so we always hit the Fair outlet too. My bratwurst was excellent of course. It was so big I couldn't even fit it all in the photo!

Another Brady tradition was to go see the Butter Cow, in the Dairy Building. In the old days, you just had to know it was in there – there was no sign outside. But that's not the case now.

And just as before, it's virtually impossible to take a photo of the buttery bovine without some reflection from the many windows showing up in the picture. But I like the top-hatted calf; that's some well-dressed veal.

I saw as much of the Fair as I could. The Bricker Building had information booths and exhibits from all the government agencies. In the ODOT booth, I was surprised to see a display of vintage die-cut highways signs from the old days. They looked like the real thing to me. The numbers are actual highways in Ohio.

But for me, the high point of my visit to the Fair was yet another Brady tradition: going to see Smokey Bear in the Natural Resources Park. I hadn't yet seen the new animatronic version that was installed in 2015. It replaced the Smokey that had been there since 1959 (the year I was born).

Smokey looked great. He's animatronic, but curiously didn't move his arms while I was there – just his muzzle when he talked. I was a little disappointed that no attempt was made by whoever was doing his voice to mimic the gruff, low, familiar sound of the real Smokey that we all remember from TV and radio commercials. The Ohio State Fair Smokey just sounded like a young, glib car salesman. Kids seemed to stay away from him out of fear.

What was neat, though, was that behind Smokey was a historic 60-foot steel lookout fire tower that was originally built in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps in Pike County. It was moved to the fairgrounds in 2016. It used to be slightly taller but was shortened when moved and reassembled.

Soon, it was time to go, and I bid farewell to the Ohio State Fair – probably for good. It was interesting going back after so long but I felt a little wistful. The Fair I remember is long gone, but the current one is arguably better now – bigger, with more rides, more air-conditioned buildings and more family-friendly activities.

But my consolation is that Lorain County Fair time – my favorite time of year – is almost here. And I can't wait.

Second Annual Jackie Mayer Day at the Merry Go Round Museum – Saturday, August 8, 2026

Courtesy Sandusky Register

Meeting Jackie Mayer – Miss America 1963 – and interviewing her last year at her home for my article in Leisure Living magazine was one of the big thrills of my life. Although I was a bit nervous, Jackie quickly put me at ease. She was friendly, gracious, self-effacing and still beautiful. I got to see her again when she made a rare special appearance at the Downtown Sandusky Cedar Point Historical Museum in August 2025.

If you missed the chance to meet her last year, you have another chance this Saturday at the Second Annual Jackie Mayer Day. It's from noon to 3 p.m. at the Merry-Go-Round Museum, 301 Jackson St., in Sandusky. It’s sponsored by the Downtown Sandusky Cedar Point Historical Museum, housed within the same building as the Merry-Go-Round Museum. Jackie will make her presentation a little past noon. After that is the special meet-and-greet session with her. Visitors can pose with Jackie (even wear her Miss America crown) and get her autograph!

The cost to attend is $10 for adults and $7 for seniors. All proceeds benefit the Merry-Go-Round Museum.

1966 Ohio State Fair Ad

This weekend is the final weekend of the 2026 Ohio State Fair, so if you're pondering a visit, then this is your last chance. As you can see from the logo for the 1966 Ohio State Fair above, it used to run right into September.

Speaking of the 1966 edition of the Ohio State Fair, here are a few ads showing the entertainment headliners. Just like the 1976 Fair, it has an impressive lineup, including Bob Hope, Perry Como, Art Linkletter, the King Family, Jimmy Dean, Herman's Hermits, the Lovin' Spoonful, and Miss USA-World.

August 11, 1966

August 18, 1966

August 23, 1966

And here's the whole page showing the August 23rd ad. Hey, the big screen Batman movie was in local theaters at that time!

There's also an ad for Hanna House, subject of a few posts back here. (It was formerly known as Fior's Spaghetti House).

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So what was the Miss USA World pageant? It wasn't the same as Miss USA (written about extensively here through my posts about Jackie Mayer and Laurel Lea Schaefer). According to Grokipedia, " Miss USA World 1966 was a national beauty pageant organized in 1966 as part of a series of contests aimed at selecting an American representative for the international Miss World competition, amid ongoing legal disputes over similar naming conventions with established pageants like Miss USA. 

"The event, held at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus, Ohio, crowned 19-year-old Denice Estelle Blair of Layton, Utah, as the winner; she had previously held the title of Miss Utah and defeated entrants from 46 states.  

"The pageant, the fifth edition under the Miss USA World banner, was sponsored by figures including comedian Bob Hope and featured state preliminaries across the country, reflecting the era's growing popularity of televised beauty contests despite trademark conflicts. 

"The Miss USA World 1966 pageant took place on Saturday, August 27, 1966, at the Ohio State Fairgrounds in Columbus, Ohio. This venue, part of the ongoing 67th Ohio State Fair, drew an estimated audience of 32,000 spectators to the evening event, held in a spacious fairground arena suitable for large-scale presentations including swimsuit and evening gown segments."

So the appearance of Miss USA World at the 1966 Ohio State Fair made sense: the pageant actually took place at the Fair, and Old Ski Nose himself – Bob Hope, who was appearing at the Fair – was a sponsor of it.

Frostie Root Beer is her favorite?
She's my kind of gal!