Arrowheads Unearthed on Gashouse Hill – July 1936

Stories about accidentally uncovering buried Indian artifacts during construction are always interesting, and here's a good one. The story is from the July 16, 1936 Lorain Journal and notes that "A huge, latest model gas shovel, scooping up tons of dirt from the hillside of Gashouse hill, has unearthed scores of Indian arrowheads.

So where was Gashouse Hill? The March 2015 edition of The Village Pioneer has the answer. 

It notes,"Located near the intersection of Ford Road and Gulf Road in Sheffield Village, a roadway was cut into the shale cliff along Black River in the early 1800s to give access to a ford across the river. In the latter years of that century, an iron-truss bridge was constructed across the old ford, which then connected the two halves of Sheffield Township along North Ridge. 

"In 1916 an experimental gas-liquefaction plant was constructed at the intersection to produce high-octane gasoline from locally produced natural gas. Known as the Logan Gas Company, it was built in response to increased fuel needs during World War I. The plant consisted of a compressor facility at the top of the bluff and a pump house halfway down the roadway to bring river water up to cool the compressors. 

"Once the plant was constructed the road down the bluff became known as “Gashouse Hill.” The plant continued to operate until the mid-1930s. About the same time Garfield Bridge, a viaduct-style valley crossing, was built along North Ridge and the Gashouse Hill road was abandoned, except as a popular place for sledding."

The Village Pioneer had two photos of the rickety bridge that was being replaced in 1936 by the Garfield Bridge.

****

And here are a few Lorain Journal clippings about the process of getting the Gashouse Hill Bridge (later known as the Garfield Bridge) built and eventually opened.

Oct. 21, 1935

Feb. 5, 1936 

Aug. 20, 1936

June 25, 1937

June 28, 1937

The 1936 Gashouse Hill Bridge on Route 254 lasted until 2003.

****

NOTE

I will be taking some days off next week – maybe the whole week, maybe not – starting Monday to take care of some personal business (not health related or anything – I'm just busy). But I'll be back soon! Consider it my summer vacation!

Midway Mall Grand Opening – Sept. 29, 1966

Let's hang out at the Mall one more day – just like old times.

Here are some of the articles and ads surrounding the opening of Midway Mall back on Sept. 29, 1966. Everything was shiny and brand new then, and oozing with mod 1960s charm.

September 22, 1966

September 22, 1966

September 28, 1966

September 29, 1966

September 29, 1966

September 30, 1966

And here's a shot of one of the Penneys entrances from a few days ago.

****

And here's the dolphin that Alan Hopewell mentioned in his comments on Wednesday's post.

Sept. 20, 1967

Flapper? Hmmmm... must have been a cousin of Flipper. I'll bet there was a major flap when some Mall visitors thinking there were going to see a TV star realized that they'd been hornswoggled!

I wrote about this dolphin dilemma back here.

Higbee's at Midway Mall Opens – July 1966

The view on Tuesday

It's pretty depressing seeing what Midway Mall has become these days.

In the 1970s, it was the place to shop, to dine, to hang out. It was the perfect place to take a date (especially when you just got your driver's license); you could enjoy a nice dinner, and then walk around the Mall until it was time to get your seat for a movie.

You could get just about everything you needed there – clothes, shoes, jewelry, books, pets. Sears, Penneys, Higbee's – three truly great anchor stores.

Mom went shopping there seemingly every Saturday afternoon in the early 1970s, usually taking my sister along. The whole family went there at Christmas, or to see a movie. I remember all of us going to see The Return of the Pink Panther there on a Sunday afternoon.

There was always something going on at the Mall, especially on weekends: an auto show, a Sportsman Show, art shows, you name it. It really was an integral part in Lorain County when it came to entertainment, dining and shopping. And it became a community, where you were sure to run into someone you knew.

These days, there's not much there. The property keeps changing hands, you hear rumors and read articles about how it is going to be rejuvenated, etc. I'm not sure how many stores are actually still open.

But it was back in July 1965, that the groundbreaking for the Mall took place.

July 28, 1966

And a year later was the Grand Opening of Higbee's.

July 30, 1966

I drove around the Mall on Tuesday afternoon while preparing this post. It was like a bad dream seeing it so deserted. But the Higbee's portion of the Mall is still there, with its distinctive architecture.

Journal Front Page – July 14, 1936

Alvin Karpis

Ninety years ago today there were plenty of things of interest on the front page of the July 14, 1936 Lorain Journal.

Lorain was just coming off a heat wave similar to what we experienced a few weeks ago. "The heat wave is now in its 12th day," the lead article noted. It has broken all hot weather duration records.

"The death toll in the nation stood at 2,012, the Ohio toll at 183.

"Monday's highest Lorain reading was 92, the temperature between 4 p. m. and 8 p. m.

"This compared with 101 in Norwalk, and temperatures of over 100 in many other Ohio inland cities."

A story about steel mill workers is pretty surprising. It notes, "It's vacation time in South Lorain – vacation time with pay for employes of the National Tube Co. – and the first paid vacation for wage earners in the history of the plant." As a result, many of them were heading out of town to visit relatives in the cities they lived in before moving to Lorain. "Still others are leaving Lorain via automobile, many just 'driving around,' some camping in tents and others staying in tourist cabins," the article observes.

The big national news was Alvin Karpis, the 'dethroned king of gangland,' pleading guilty to conspiracy in the $100,000 ransom kidnapping of William Hamm, Jr., St. Paul brewer. Karpis would eventually serve twenty-six years at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. 

The Alcatraz History website has a page devoted to Alvin Karpis and his time at "the Rock."

Elsewhere on the front page: an apple gets baked by the sun; a pickpocket strikes in Lorain; a stolen car goes into the drink at Avon Lake; burglars hit a cigar store and a bottling plant in South Lorain; and the City of Lorain was still trying to figure out what to do about replacing the antiquated Erie Avenue swing bridge. 

The Passing Scene – July 1966

Let's start the week off with a few chuckles, courtesy of our pal Gene Patrick and his The Passing Scene comic strip. He was in his second year of producing the panel at this point, and it was appearing once a week on Saturday.

The July 2, 1966 strip offers a nice panoramic illustration of the upcoming holiday.

The July 9, 1966 comic notes that Lou Kepler (the Journal's Women's Editor) and the Lorain High School Marching Band were both in New York City at that time.

July 4, 1966

July 7, 1966

The July 16th strip makes light of a car theft that occurred that week. A note left at the scene of the crime indicated that none other than the Caped Crusader and Robin the Boy Wonder were responsible.

The July 23rd strip notes that the Wellington Police Chief was again being permitted to publish his popular newspaper column in the Wellington Enterprise.

And the July 30, 1966 panel includes a caricature of Elyria Mayor Reichlin for the second week in a row.

That American Flag Overlooking Route 2 Revisited

The view on Thursday evening

The nicest story to come out of the nation's 250th Birthday celebration was the repainting of the American flag overlooking State Route 2.

A great article by Connor Ball in the July 4, 2026 edition of the Chronicle-Telegram tells the story. 

"Fifty years after first painting the American flag on a rocky ledge overlooking state Route 2, the family behind one of Lorain County’s most recognizable landmarks returned Friday morning to freshen it up for the nation’s 250th anniversary.

"Barbara Thompson Brucker, who painted the flag with her brother, Grant Thompson, on July 4, 1976, said sharing the tradition with her children and grandchildren made this year’s repainting especially meaningful.

"The family out of Amherst began repainting the flag around 7 a.m. with Brucker’s daughter, Stephanie Brucker; her fiancé, Marc Garcia, and her son, Daniel Brucker; Daniel’s children, Eli and Brynn; granddaughters Adalynn Fisher, Kinslee Fisher and Laia Brucker; and family friends helping continue the tradition.

"Brucker said she hopes future generations will continue caring for the landmark. 

"The flag traces its origins to the nation’s Bicentennial celebration in 1976."

****

The story I did in 2015 about the flag overlooking SR 2 is my most-visited post of all time, with more than 28,600 hits!

Although I transcribed the story below on that post, here is the original Journal article from August 6, 1976 with the story behind the painting of the flag.

And here is a follow-up story from July 4, 1987 about how the brother and sister team and some friends freshened up the flag with a new coat of paint.

July 30, 1987

****

Like I mentioned before, I never get tired of seeing the flag when I travel SR 2 east. I watch for it each time.

Another view from last evening.

Jungle Larry Article – July 1970

Jungle Larry, his wife Safari Jane, and one of their sons

Anyone who grew up in Northeast Ohio during the 1960s remembers Jungle Larry from his appearances on TV's Captain Penny show or his "Safari Island" attraction at Cedar Point amusement park. He was always a friendly presence on the TV show, bringing along some animal or exotic creature to show the Captain, and educate his young viewers.

But did you know that Larry Teztlaff (his real name) once managed a drug store in Lorain? Or that he was the real thing when it came to going on safaris and collecting animals, once working with Frank "Bring'em Back Alive" Buck? He wasn't just a guy who wore a safari hat.

Read all about him in this informative and entertaining article by Kathy White that ran in the Journal back on July 19, 1970. (Click on it for a readable view.)

Here's a great YouTube video of Jungle Larry on Captain Penny's show.

And here are a few more postcards of Jungle Larry, including one of the entrance to his winter compound down in Naples, Florida.

****

Jungle Larry has been a favorite topic on this blog. I wrote about his time as manager of the Muir Cut-Rate Drugs store back here.

My siblings and I thought it was pretty exciting to visit Safari Island at Cedar Point back in the days when we watched Jungle Larry on TV. The Jungle Larry website has a page devoted to Safari Island here.

Courtesy JungleLarry.com