Heimann's Barbecue Ad – Dec. 1, 1954

Who doesn't love barbecue?

According to research, more than 80% of the American public own their own barbecue grills or smokers. And barbecue chain restaurants like Famous Dave's and City Barbecue are enjoying greater popularity and success each year.

It seems like barbecue has always been popular in our area, judging by vintage ads in the Lorain Journal. Many local restaurants made it the main item on their menu, including the Pueblo, Vian's, the Charcoal Pit and The Pit.

And here's another barbecue restaurant that was right on US 6 on the east side of Lorain for many years: Heimann's Barbecue. Seventy years ago, it was celebrating the Grand Opening of its newly enlarged and redecorated restaurant. Above is the full-page ad that ran in the Lorain Journal on Dec. 1, 1954.

How long had it been there? An article that ran in the Lorain Journal on June 21, 1955 provides some history. "When Heimann's Barbecue, Inc., was founded by William C. (Bud) Heimann almost 29 years ago at 402-406 East Erie," it notes, "it featured ice cream and sandwiches and had only eight seats.

"Today it is one of the most modern and best equipped restaurants in northern Ohio, has a large counter service and seating for 166 in the air conditioned dining room and private dining den.

"The barbecue now has a catering service available throughout the county, serves everything from sandwiches to full course dinners and still features homemade ice cream.

"Heimann purchased the store from Charles James in November, 1926. It had previously been owned by Mrs. Ida Stark and was operated first as a shoe store and later as an ice cream store.

"Heimann has a large staff of workers and is assisted in the management by his wife, Loretta."

As the article noted, Heimann bought the business in 1926. This ad from the July 2, 1925 Lorain Journal may be the one that caught his eye and gave him the idea of owning his own business.

And here is a sampling of ads through the years. As you can see, World War II affected the business, which reverted temporarily back to its roots.

Dec. 24, 1938

Aug. 24, 1942

Aug. 15, 1949

In the early 1950s, Heimann's offered one of the first frozen TV dinners – the "Frigidinner." According to History.com, it was entrepreneur Jack Fisher who came up with the idea of placing pre-frozen meals in aluminum trays and marketing them exclusively to bars and taverns who could then feed their customers without having to hire a cook. The businesses (such as Heimann's) could also sell them to their patrons to take home.

March 29, 1952

July 18, 1953

But of course, barbecue was still the mainstay of the menu.

Sept. 13, 1952

July 21, 1955

William Heimann passed away in early July 1969. The barbecue business continued into the early 1970s, but apparently came to a close with a huge auction held in the parking lot of the restaurant in September 1974. Mrs. Heimann passed away in late March 1992.

And what became of the building? It continued its legacy of being a place where people could enjoy fine food. In 1975, it became the home of the well-remembered Lannie's Chinese Restaurant.

July 20, 1975 Journal article

Thomas A. Edison Bridge to Open – Nov. 29, 1965

It's always a little exciting for me to drive over the Thomas A. Edison Memorial Bridge.

Why? I guess it's because the sheer size of it and magnificent view of Sandusky Bay. I always feel like I'm on vacation in New England when I'm cruising over it. Plus, it's the pathway to fun: to Cheesehaven, Port Clinton, Marblehead, East Harbor State Park, Catawba Island, Put-in-Bay, etc.

And it was only back around this time in November 1965 that it was getting ready to open to traffic for the first time.

Below is an article that ran in the Lorain Journal back on November 29, 1965.

It's pretty incredible to me that it was built in less than a year and a half. 

The bridge was a godsend to both locals and tourists. As the article notes, "Opening of the bridge to traffic will receive traffic congestion caused by the old, two-lane drawbridge now in use, especially during summer months when the area is haven for tourists and outdoor recreation buffs.

The official opening was planned to be a gala event, with Governor James A. Rhodes and even some descendants of Thomas A. Edison present, as noted in this Journal article from Dec. 6, 1965.

And here is the Journal coverage from Dec. 16, 1965, the day after the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Nov. 23, 1954 Ad from Lorain Journal

Here's wishing all of you a Happy Thanksgiving! It's a great day to give thanks to God for all of our blessings throughout the year.

I hope you are able to spend the day with family and friends, perhaps enjoying a fine meal. If you're not able to be with all your loved ones, why not take the advice of the Lorain Telephone Company mascot and give them a call?

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On holidays, I usually post a full-page vintage ad from the Journal with a list of sponsoring companies. This time, there are two of them that ran on Thanksgiving Day 1964. It's always fun to see the roll call of local businesses, and there's a few more successor companies this time than usual.

What Happened to the O'Hara Turkey? Don't Axe! – Nov. 24, 1954

Thanksgiving as observed by the Lorain Journal in the 1950s and 60s often meant a front-page photo to celebrate the event. There was a variety of photo subjects: a cute kid eating a drumstick; children praying in church; a homemaker about to shove a turkey in the oven; a flock of turkeys; or maybe just a simple shot of a cornucopia or hands clasped in prayer. The photos were almost always cute and interesting, chosen to trigger feelings of faith and family.

That's why I found the photo above, which appeared on the front page of the Lorain Journal on November 24, 1954, so hilarious. As the caption notes, "Seven year old Althea O'Hara, ax in hand, shows a 25 pound white Holland who's boss when Thanksgiving draws near. Althea, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Vance O'Hara, 2308 Leavitt, is accustomed to seeing turkeys fall under the ax – her father operates a turkey farm. The smile comes from memories of how the turkey's father tasted last year."

Many people that are familiar with O'Hara's Beverage Spot on Leavitt Road might not know that the family business at that location was originally a poultry farm. I wrote about it and interviewed Ralph O'Hara back in a two part series (here and here) in 2017. And an earlier post in 2011 revealed O'Hara's "Poultry Past."

Ad from Nov. 19, 1958 Lorain Journal

Lorain Banking Thanksgiving Ad – Nov. 25, 1954

Thanksgiving is coming up rapidly, so I'll continue with my annual smorgasbord of vintage ads with that theme. 

Over the years, I've served up an awful lot of them. Most of the time, the ads offer a sanitized view of the holiday, with a simplification of the story of the first Thanksgiving.

That's why I was surprised to see this ad for Lorain Banking Company, which ran in the Lorain Journal on November 25, 1954. The graphics are fairly typical. But rather than merely thanking its customers and expressing the organization's appreciation for their loyalty, the ad tries something different in the text.

"The land was always there," it begins. "Three miles high where the mountains crested, six miles deep to the oil domes, with a breadth of 1800 and a length of 3000 miles. No one said it would be American, or English, or even white. Least of all the Indians. The Pilgrims owned a tiny slice of it, and took joy in their ownership, when they weren't contesting ownership with the Pecot tribe. They had food enough to stock seven shelves in a modern supermarket  and guns that would shoot 450 feet with a good tail wind.

"They were the people – it takes land and people to develop a country, an idea, a civilization.

"The idea that seeded first in Massachusetts soil was Freedom. Freedom to worship God. A new idea, so new the Pilgrims didn't understand it too well themselves. For a long time they put Quakers and such in stocks on the town common, but they didn't burn them, and that was a beginning."

What the ad is acknowledging is the persecution of the Quakers by the Pilgrims, which is somewhat unusual. 

The rest of the ad is non-controversial. "The land was big – big enough to absorb a lot of Freedom-hungry people, big enough to hatch a lot of strange new freedoms. Freedom to own a farm, or your own home. Freedom to worship God. Freedom to elect your own assemblyman. Freedom to speak, to write, to print. Freedom to move West if you didn't like it East. Freedom to be your own master, to plan for your own future."

I could almost hear John Wayne narrating that ad copy. After all, didn't he call a lot of people – "Pilgrim"?

Thanksgiving Grocery Ads – November 1954

Thanksgiving is only a few days away – so hopefully you have your menu finalized, and everything you need to prepare it in the fridge already.

Back in late November 1954, you had a lot of choices when it came to where you bought the items for your holiday feast. Here's a veritable corny-copia of grocery store ads that all ran in the Lorain Journal on November 22, 1954, all designed to put you in the Thanksgiving mood with great graphics.

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And as a bonus, here's an IGA Thanksgiving ad from ten years later – November 1964. What's odd is that the price per pound of turkey (31 cents) is less than it was in the 1954 ads. And it has a nice holiday sentiment at the top of the ad.

Oberlin College Demolishes Lord Cottage – November 24, 1964

The Oberlin College campus went through a significant transformation during the 1950s and 60s. I wrote about the 1964 opening of the new Conservatory of Music and posted a 1954 article about the demolition of Dascomb Cottage, a well-known dormitory.

And here's the story of another dormitory that was razed to make room for more modern accommodations for students. Sixty years ago this month, the College was preparing to demolish Lord Cottage, as noted in the article below, which ran in the Journal on November 24, 1964.

As described on the Architect of Oberlin College website, “Lord Cottage, named for its principal donor Elizabeth W.R. Lord, originally provided dormitory accommodations for forty women. The dining room offered table board for and additional thirty-five others. The builder, Adam Feick and Brothers of Sandusky, Ohio, were employed by the College for a number of other buildings on campus, under designing architects. The first story was constructed of brown stone, and the second and third in wood."

A 1936 Alumni Catalog provides some additional information. “Lord Cottage was begun in 1891 and completed in 1892. The total cost was $17,300. Mrs. Elizabeth W.R. Lord gave $11,000 for its construction and equipment, and the cottage was named in honor of her. It provides dormitory accommodations for forty young women. The dining room offers table board for thirty-five others. It is a three-story building, located on the northwest corner of Professor and Forest Streets. The first story is constructed of brown stone, and the second and third of wood. It suffered a serious fire in the winter of 1900, but was immediately rebuilt, and was ready for use again in the fall."

Lord Cottage was a popular subject for postcards.

As the 1964 article notes, the demolition of Lord Cottage was part of an ambitious program to build eight new small dormitories that were "well designed, attractive and fireproof."

The particular dormitory that replaced Lord Cottage at 104 S. Professor Street is Kade House.

Photo courtesy Tanya Rosen-Jones and Oberlin College