Monday, March 18, 2024

Thomas Penson, Civil War Vet Passes Away – March 1920

Thomas Penson's grave in Brownhelm Cemetery
By 1920, the Civil War had been over for 55 years. Consequently, veterans of that war were becoming scarcer, and passing away at an alarming rate. The deaths of these solders who fought to preserve the union often made the front page of their local newspapers.

The Lorain Journal was no different, and featured many of these brave men and capsule summaries of their war record.

I feature them here on the blog as I find them, since as a member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, I share the view of that organization that with the passing years, these men and their legacy are in grave danger of being forgotten.

Below is the report of the death of Thomas Penson that appeared on the front page of the Lorain Times-Herald on March 2, 1920. It notes, "Thomas Penson, 85, Civil War veteran and former resident of Brownhelm, died yesterday at the soldiers home in Sandusky.

"Mr. Penson, who was a native of Lincolnshire, England, came to the United States when 14 years of age and became a resident of Brownhelm Township. During the Civil War he served in the 103 Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He is survived by the following sons and daughters: Mrs. Jerry Brown, Brownhelm; Weston Penson, Lakewood; Charles Penson, East [illegible]-st, Lorain; Leva Penson, 1831 Reid-av, Lorain.

"The body was brought to Lorain last night and taken to the home of Leva Penson from where the funeral services will be conducted tomorrow afternoon at 1 o'clock. Burial will be made in the family lot in Brownhelm cemetery."

Here is a report of his death from what I presume is a Sandusky newspaper.

It's interesting that Penson served with the 103rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, well-known for its one-of-a-kind compound in Sheffield Lake. His record as listed in my copy of Personal Reminisces and Experiences By Members of the One Hundred and Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry lists him as entering the service on August 6, 1862 in Company F; appointed Corporal Jan. 1, 1863; reduced to Private Oct. 1, 1863; and mustered out with company June 12, 1865.

Here is the link to his Find-A-Grave memorial.

Friday, March 15, 2024

More Vintage St. Patrick's Day Ads

St. Patrick's Day is one of those holidays – not unlike Cinco de Mayo or Fat Tuesday (with its obligatory eating of paczkis whether you're Catholic or not) – that grew over the years, getting bigger and bigger in the public consciousness that it became easy to get swept up in the celebration.

But it wasn't always like that. 

Looking at vintage Lorain Journals, I came to the conclusion that in our area, St. Patrick's Day was often only acknowledged by holding a dance. Here's an ad from the Lorain Journal of March 16, 1944.

Morrie Alexander and his 13 piece orchestra provided the dance music. (We met Mr. Alexander before, back on this post.)

Here's another ad from a few years later, running in the paper on March 17, 1951.
Very slowly locally in the 1950s, St. Patrick's Day began to be used as a theme for sales, and perhaps promote St. Patrick's Day as a big event. Here's an ad for the well-known Faroh's Candies that ran in the Journal on March 11, 1955.
As the 1950s progressed, companies such as the Harry Volk Corporation began to make available various collections of illustrations and photographs that could be used for advertising purposes by whoever purchased it. These collections were issued on a regular basis with themes related to holidays and the time of year. Thus it became very easy to assemble an ad with a theme of St. Patrick's Day. However, some of the pieces of artwork were memorably odd, like the art in this ad for Crystal Clear Dry Cleaners that ran in the newspaper on March 14, 1958.
That smirking, bowler-hat-wearing guy just doesn't look very Irish to me. Maybe a clay pipe would have helped. And Begora, he turned up again in a weird ad (Operation "17"?) the following year, for Lorain's Downtown stores.

Going into the 1960s, you can see that the Journal's art department was fully onboard with clip art. This ad from March 16, 1964 uses a huge piece of banner art. Unfortunately, the art had to be cut back to fit – leaving the thumbs of the Irishman hanging out in space by the letters.

Finally, here's the equivalent Downtown Lorain ad with a St. Patrick's Day theme from two years later. Once again, a leprechaun presides over the proceedings. 
Hey, that leprechaun kind of looks like Barney Phillips, the actor! I wonder if he has an extra eye under that green, buckled hat?

Thursday, March 14, 2024

Reidy-Scanlan St. Patrick's Day Ads – 1954, 1964 & 1967

The Reidy Scanlan Company has been a favorite topic on this blog, since so many of us shopped there over the years. Blog posts covered its timeline from when its building was under construction to its eventual (and inevitable) demolition.

Nevertheless, the firm was a mainstay of Lorain's central business district and a regular advertiser in the Lorain Journal. Thus it wasn't too hard to come up with some St. Patrick's Day-themed ads.

First up is one from March 1954. It's a fun ad with a nice gimmick, with the firm offering 20% off any item that has 'a bit of green' in it.

By the way, according to online dictionaries, "Begora!" is "an expression of surprise or emphasis," and a euphemism for "By God!"

It's kind of interesting that it really wasn't until the 1950s that ads with lots of 'clip art' (like the ad above) began to appear in the Journal. Up until then, there was a limited selection of tiny graphics that printers could use in a small ad or business card.

Here's the 1964 version. Note that it has a promotional tie-in with the 1964 World's Fair, which would open a little more than a month later.

Begora, that leprechaun lad in the ad still bears a wee resemblance to an ape (as theorized in this article, as well as this one). But that's okay, one of my favorite movie series is the original Planet of the Apes.

Lastly, here's Reidy-Scanlan's 1967 ad. Pretty much the whole ad was constructed using clip art – no furniture this time.

Since Reidy Scanlan's company anniversary fell around mid-March, ads from that time period over the years dealt with that celebration instead of the Irish holiday. In fact, these are the only three St. Patrick's Day ads for Reidy Scanlan that I could find between the late 1940s and early 70s.

Anyway, tomorrow I'll post a veritable Irish Stew of other vintage ads of area businesses in the lead up to the holiday on Sunday. 

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

U.S.S. Lorain is Launched – March 1944

Eighty years ago today on Monday, March 13, 1944, the U.S.S. Lorain was being prepped for a launch later in the week. Above is the Lorain Journal from that date with the news.

As the article notes, "Lorain's own warship, the U.S.S. Lorain, will slide down the launching ways at the American Shipbuilding Cp. yards here at 12:20 p. m. Saturday.

"Meanwhile, plans went forward for the city celebration which is to accompany the launching of the first warship ever to bear Lorain's name. The U.S.S. Lorain is a 303-foot frigate, built under U. S. Maritime Commission specifications for convoy duty.

"Christening the ship will be Mrs. Fred Henderson, mother of Marine Hero Maj. Lofton Henderson who was killed at the battle of Midway.

"The city is clearing and leveling ground in back of the Eagles-blog at Broadway and 6th-st, which is almost exactly opposite the building berth where the trim warship waits its christening. From this point a clear view of the launching ceremony will be possible. 

"Launching here the warship Lorain will add further to the city's 46-year shipbuilding tradition, and will in fact come pretty close to being on the 46th anniversary of the launching of the first ship here by the American Shipbuilding Co.

"It was on April 13, 1898 that the company launched the Superior City, 430-foot ore carrier which at that time was the largest vessel on the Great Lakes. Many of the men who worked on the Superior City also have had a part in the building of the Lorain.

"The Superior City proved her worth in 22 years of operation on the Great Lakes, but was lost in a collision in 1920."

The launching came off without a hitch on Saturday. 

Lorain's own Admiral Ernest J. King flew home to attend the christening and greet Mrs. Henderson.

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This United States Coast Guard website includes the story of the U.S.S. Lorain. The Wiki entry for the U.S.S. Lorain also provides a history of the ship as well as a photo.

Tuesday, March 12, 2024

She Co-starred With the Stooges: Dorothy Granger of New London

"Punch Drunks" was only the second Three Stooges short.
That's Dorothy Granger between Moe and Curly
New London, the charming village in Huron County, Ohio, boasts of several famous people having grown up there, including renowned architect Philip Johnson and popular CNN Headline News anchor Robin Meade.

But there's one person who was born in New London (on November 21, 1911) that isn't mentioned on the village's Wiki page that should be: Dorothy Granger. She enjoyed a fine career in Hollywood, featured in short subjects with roles alongside some of the nation's most beloved comics.

When she was very young, her family moved to Texas, where she won a beauty contest at the age of thirteen. A move to Los Angeles lead to a screen test. Her distinctive beauty and natural comedy timing resulted in a contract with Hal Roach Studios.

Her list of co-stars reads like a Who's Who of comedy, including Laurel & Hardy, W. C. Fields, The Three Stooges, Abbott & Costello, Charley Chase and Leon Erroll (with whom she starred in a short subject series as his wife).

In a small roll as Mr. and Mrs. Hardy's maid in "Hog Wild"
Dorothy's laughing because Hardy is looking for his hat, unaware that it's on his head
With W. C. Fields in "The Dentist"
With Curly and Moe in "Punch Drunks"
With Charley Chase in "The Pip From Pittsburgh"

Here she is with W. C. Fields in hilarious short The Dentist (1932). Dorothy makes her entrance as a scared dental patient beginning around the 8:23 mark. Her sequence is both hilarious (when she screams so much she scares away a patient waiting outside) and a little risqué (as she shows W. C. Fields where a dog bit her). In fact, the whole pre-Code short is pretty shocking, especially the way W. C. Fields treats his patients with contempt!

Dorothy Granger made the front page of the Lorain Journal back on October 19, 1933 as part of a scandalous legal case. As the story notes, "Dorothy Granger, film actress and cousin of Don L. Granger, Elyria resident, alleged that Alfred C. Read, Jr. made "ardent love" to her and told her he was unmarried in an affidavit filed in Los Angeles by attorneys of Claire Windsor, as part of their fight to set aside a $75,000 verdict against Miss Windsor by Read's former wife, Mrs. Marian Read."

(Note that the photo of Dorothy Granger is similar to the one near the top of the post. On the Wiki page where that photo appears online, it says that she is holding a Hollywood contract. More likely it is the affidavit mentioned in the article!)

Even though Dorothy Granger was starring in Hollywood movies, she apparently did not forget her roots back here in Northern Ohio. In the fall of 1939, she made two appearances in South Amherst with her husband, both times presenting entertainment programs in the high school gym.

From Sept. 9, 1939 Lorain Journal
From September 20, 1939 Lorain Journal
From September 20, 1939 Lorain Journal 

Here's Dorothy as Leon Erroll's suspicious wife in one of the many comedies they made together. In this short, he has a twin brother, which creates many comic misunderstandings. 

Dorothy Granger enjoyed a long career in Hollywood from the 1930s through the 1950s with nearly 250 movie credits. This native of New London, Ohio deserves to be remembered for her contributions to movie comedy.

Dorothy Granger, 1911-1995

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This blog post was originally planned for February but was postponed when I got sick. I finally decided to work on it this past Sunday afternoon. Imagine my surprise on Saturday night when I noticed that the comedy short leading off MeTV's weekly Three Stooges series was none other than "Punch Drunks!" Now that's an omen.

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This blog provides a little background on how Dorothy Granger ended up in the entertainment field; her parents apparently ran a theater in New London. It also reveals that she had a career in vaudeville before she began making movies.
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UPDATE (March 17, 2024)
As pointed out in a comment left on this post, here's Dorothy in a cameo role in Westward the Women. She is one of a group of Chicago saloon performers deemed 'unworthy' to make the trip West to California to become brides for lonely cowboys.
Here, Dorothy (on the right) is expressing indignation to Roy Whitman (played byJohn McIntire), who rejected them without explanation.
After being turned down, Dorothy (shown looking back at Whitman) warns two other stage performer floozies (played by Denise Darcel and Julie Bishop) that they'll get rejected too, because "the old goat don't like the way we were dressed."
Of course, that sets the whole plot in motion as Denise Darcel and her friend change clothes so as to appear to be 'good women.' They don't fool Whitman, but he lets them come along on the trip anyway, as he believes that they are attempting to reform.

Monday, March 11, 2024

Winter Storm Finale – March 10, 1964

Were you as surprised as I was to realize that winter isn't quite over yet? 

Despite Punxsutawney Phil's prediction of an early spring, and the fact that people were wearing shorts and T-shirts just last week, winter isn't over until Mother Nature sez so. (In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if the much ballyhooed total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 gets snowed under.)

Sixty years ago, the good citizens of Lorain County were probably just as perturbed as we are now, if the headline of the March 10, 1964 Journal is an indication. At least the storm is seen as the finale of winter.

The other photo on the front page shows an original painting by Stevan Dohanos that was donated to the Lorain Community Hospital, as well as the cover of The Saturday Evening Post cover on which it appeared.

There's also foreshadowing of two big events in Lorain's future, including the proposal of a high school for South Lorain, and a new City Hall.

Friday, March 8, 2024

Deutschof Becomes Danny's – March 1954

Do you remember the Deutschof

The restaurant known as "the Fun Spot of Lorain" held its Grand Opening at its original location at 571 Broadway in 1933. It moved to its new location at 651 Broadway in the late 1940s. There, it continued its fine reputation as a place to enjoy fine food and the best in entertainment.

(I did a multi-part series on the Deutschof, featuring some great photos of its interior provided by a reader, starting waaaaay back here in 2011.)

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. Joseph L. Deutsch, the owner of the Deutschof, passed away in late May 1949. The business kept on for a few more years before a major change took place in March 1954 – a new name, new approach and (I'm assuming) a new owner.

Here's the ad announcing the transition from the Deutschof to Danny's Bar (or just Danny's for short). It ran in the Lorain Journal back on March 12, 1954.

The ad is interesting in that it appears (via the illustration of the grinning worker punching his time card) that Danny's was trying to be the place where a working man could stop after work – sort of a 1950s version of "Miller Time." But the ad counteracts this theme by pointing out that the 'whole family is welcome.'

But it appears that Danny's didn't last very long. The building would be the home of Ben Hart Show Bar about a year later.
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Stopping for a drink after work apparently was a big thing in a working man's town like Lorain, judging by the number of bars located all in a row on a major street, especially across from a factory or plant (like U. S. Steel).
Even my grandfather was known to stop every night on his way home from his job at the Journal for a drink at the Elks Club. Mom told me that a few times she was sent to fetch him there, and she remembered the boisterous singing of bawdy songs, like Roll Me Over.
I'm (*hic*) guilty of the practice myself. While in my 20s, I worked for an architect on E. Ninth Street in Downtown Cleveland for a short while in the early 1980s. Very conveniently, there was a bar with a very nice lounge located in our building at street level. (Our office was in the basement.) So naturally, the other two guys I worked with (a draftsman and a landscape architect) and I stopped for a quick snort each night. It gave the draftsman time to flirt with the cocktail waitress, as well as regularly providing me an opportunity to almost miss my bus home. I remember many times running like Dagwood Bumstead from E. Ninth to Public Square trying to get there in time.