Halloween in Lorain – 1956

By 1956, the ads and articles in the Lorain Journal reflected most of the aspects of Halloween that we have come to expect, including ads for candy, and for costumes and masks of TV and movie characters. The community traditions that many of us grew up, such as the Downtown window painting contest and the big parade, were also in place.

Here's a sampling of ads and articles to give you the flavor of Halloween 1956 in Lorain.

Oct. 18, 1956

Oct. 22, 1956

Lou Kepler wrote a charming reminisce about the way Halloween used to be.

Oct. 23, 1956

High school and junior high bands were to be included in the Halloween parade.

Oct. 24, 1956

Kresge's (today's Kmart) ran a Halloween ad that included a few costumed characters, including, er, Gay Gypsy, Happy Clown, and two members of the popular Disney menagerie: Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck. Donald looks like he had been smoking one of those exploding cigars.

Oct. 25, 1956

The actual costume (that has somehow survived over the years) of the irascible, sailor-suited waterfowl doesn't look much better than the ad illustration. No wonder Donald's always throwing a tantrum.

Mickey Moose Mouse fared a little better, perhaps because he is the Disney figurehead.

Muir's ad includes Halloween candy, as well as a few masks.

Oct. 25, 1956

Faroh's Candy ran an ad with some interesting items listed. I had never heard of a Peel-A-Way, but apparently it was just a molded chocolate (in the shape of something) that was wrapped in foil that you 'peeled away' as you ate it.

Oct. 26, 1956

And there were still Halloween dances, although not as many as other years.

Perhaps the best way to celebrate Halloween was at the Tower Drive-In – which had four classic horror films on its bill: Dracula with Bela Lugosi, Frankenstein with Boris Karloff, The Mummy (also with Boris Karloff) and Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman (not for coffee I presume).

October 29, 1956

October 30, 1956

Halloween in Lorain – 1946

Halloween was a fairly subdued affair in the pages of the Lorain Journal in 1946.

The holiday celebration had evolved into a regular pattern in Lorain and surrounding communities, consisting of a community parade that was sometimes followed by refreshments consisting of cider and donuts. 

The Journal editorial page usually contained a plea for a safe and sane Halloween.

There really were no department store ads containing a variety of costumes for sale, because there really weren't that many being mass produced – yet. Television would change all that in a few years.

What's interesting is that adult Halloween parties and dances were becoming much more commonplace in the nightclubs and social clubs, with several ads appearing in the Journal. Perhaps that was a foreshadowing of today's Halloween festivities, where it seems that adults are more heavily into dressing up and decorating than ever.

Here then is an ample sample of clippings from Halloween 1946. Note that Halloween hijinks started early in Sheffield Lake!

Oct. 25, 1946

Octd. 25, 1946

Oct. 30, 1946

Oct. 30, 1946

Oct. 30, 1946

Oct. 30, 1946

Oct. 30, 1946

Oct. 30, 1946

Oct. 30, 1946

Oct. 31, 1946

Halloween in Lorain – 1936

Halloween in Lorain in 1936 was going to be something special.

For years, the city of Elyria had celebrated the holiday with an impressive community effort consisting of a huge costume parade (with prizes for the best costumes), followed by a party in Ely Park with cider and donuts. It was such a popular event that it drew hundreds of participants, from all over Lorain County.

For 1936, Lorain decided it was time to have its own big celebration with a huge "Spook Parade" with bands and floats. The Lorain Merchants also got involved, making an effort to draw people downtown by designating it Fall Jubilee Week, with displays of new Fall merchandise and special sales.

Here are some clippings from the Lorain Journal that week that tell the story, as well as giving you a taste of Halloween 1936.

Oct. 27, 1936

October 29, 1936

Oct. 29, 1936

Oct. 29, 1936

Oct. 29, 1936

Oct. 30, 1936

Oct. 30, 1936

Oct. 30, 1936

Oct. 30, 1936

Toledo Clubber Murders – October 1926

In the 1930s, Cleveland had its Torso Murderer.

But in the mid-1920s, Toledo had its "Clubber" – a serial killer with his face dyed red with paint who clubbed to death three women and beat seven others into unconsciousness.

And it was 100 years ago this month on the morning of October 26, 1926 in Toledo, that the naked and bloodied body of Lily Croy, a young schoolteacher, was found stuffed beneath a fire escape at a school just a short distance from her home.

Below is the story from the front page of the October 30, 1926 Lorain Journal, conveying the terror being felt at that time in the Glass City.

As the article noted, "The streets of this busy harbor city on the shores of Lake Erie are almost empty of women.

"Toledo is a silent city. Only the taxi business is good. Women ride for safety's sake.

"Girls forego their customary dates.

"Husbands bring home the provisions for dinner. The butcher shops are crowded with puzzled males.

"No agent can induce a housewife to go to her door.

"If a woman goes downtown by daylight and is detained past dusk, she calls the Medical Service Bureau for an escort."

It's a pretty horrible story – the epidemic of fear that gripped Ohio's fourth largest city. And the killer was never caught, and the case never solved. (Click here to read a great write-up of the story.)

Sometimes the scariest stories are those ripped right out of the headlines.

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Closer to home, the front page also includes the story of Lorain's "Phantom Burglar," who had just robbed two more homes, after already ransacking more than 100 homes the previous winter and ten homes in the last two weeks.

Bob Wells, "Hoolihan the Weatherman" 1933 – 2026

It was sad to see that Bob Wells, best known in Cleveland for The Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show and as WJW Channel 8's "Hoolihan the Weatherman," passed away on Wednesday at the age of 93. Wells and his on-screen partner, Charles "Big Chuck" Schodowski, made The Hoolihan and Big Chuck Show a weekly must-see TV fixture every Friday night for years. 

This Wiki post provides a nice biography of Wells, and tells how he teamed up with Big Chuck to create the beloved show that was a successor to Shock Theater with Ghouldardi (necessitated when Ernie "Ghoulardi" Anderson left Cleveland to pursue a career in Los Angeles).

Although my siblings and I were too young to stay up late and watch the show when it premiered in 1966, it was regular viewing for us on Friday nights beginning in the early 1970s.

It's pretty incredible how great a comedy team Wells and Schodowski made. They had the perfect balance – with Hoolihan providing the energetic, upbeat delivery contrasting with Big Chuck's likable, low-key personality. And each shined in their comedy skits.

What some people may not know is that Hoolihan and Big Chuck made countless appearances in high schools and community sports events, pitting their All-Stars team against a variety of competitors, including school faculties, police departments, amateur teams, Amvets and others. Sports included touch football, basketball, softball, and bowling.

And let's not forget the pizza eating competitions.

Anway, here's an ample sample of clippings showing just how dedicated Wells and Schodowski were when it came to making personal appearances in Northern Ohio on behalf of various charities and causes.

Dec. 2, 1968

June 14, 1969

October 8, 1969

Dec. 3, 1969

Dec. 8, 1969

Jan. 26, 1970

July 9, 1970

Nov. 20, 1970

Sept. 11, 1972

Dec. 17, 1972

April 18, 1973

June 3, 1974

March 22, 1975

Oct. 27, 1975

Nov. 21, 1975

Nov. 25, 1975

Nov. 29, 1975

March 11, 1976

March 1, 1977

March 3, 1977

March 11, 1978

Sept. 16, 1979

It was disappointing when Wells left Channel 8 for good, moving to Florida for a new opportunity in Christian broadcasting. But he never forgot Cleveland, and made many pilgrimages back for various personal appearances at conventions and shows.

Hoolihan and Big Chuck (and Ghoulardi too) have been featured on this blog several times.