The Swamp Lily

The above photo of the intersection of Broadway and West Erie Avenue in Lorain – looking east, with the Broadway Building on the right and the old swing bridge (that preceded the present Bascule Bridge) off in the distance – probably looks odd to anyone familiar with this location today. 

We're not used to seeing anything on that northeast corner or on the viaduct leading to the bridge. Yet the photo shows a Gulf service station and, just east of it, a hotel that local historians fondly know as the Swamp Lily.

The Swamp Lily had been built (according to at least one source) in 1894. Here's an early, undated photo looking east towards the Swing Bridge that shows the Swamp Lily on the left side of the photo. As you can see, the Broadway Building hasn't been built yet.

The Swamp Lily made it onto this 1924 Lorain Tornado souvenir postcard, which looks west from the tornado-damaged viaduct. That's it on the right.

Here's a vintage photo, courtesy of the Lorain County Memory website, circa 1930s. There's some kind of carnival or exhibition at the north end of Broadway, but you can see the Swamp Lily off in the distance on the left side of the photo.

And here are two more vintage photos of it, circa mid-to-late 1930s, from different angles, probably taken at the same time. The first one shows how you would enter the front door from the viaduct. The second photo shows it at ground level. 

While the name Swamp Lily is used regularly to refer to the hotel on the viaduct, it actually had several names during its existence, including the Eagle Hotel and the Checker Inn.

The Swamp Lily made it into the news frequently in the early 1930s. The first event that triggered several news accounts in the Lorain Journal was the city's desire to widen E. Erie Avenue at the western end of the viaduct. August Baldwin, one of the city's last living Civil War veterans and the owner of the Swamp Lily at the time, blocked the widening via an old injunction. Apparently the city retaliated by declaring the hotel a fire trap. The issue was finally resolved.

Sept. 4, 1930

Sept. 12, 1930

Oct. 23, 1930

Oct. 27, 1930

Dec. 2, 1930

The second big event that put the Swamp Lily in the news was the fire that almost destroyed it on September 2, 1932.

The Swamp Lily made it into the news for the last time when it became necessary to remove it to make way for the new Bascule Bridge.

Nov. 10, 1939

Nov. 30, 1939

Dec. 5, 1939

Dec. 6, 1939

Dec. 27, 1939

Feb. 23, 1940

May 22, 1940

July 17, 1944

Dec. 5, 1949

Full Speed Ahead with Labor – Labor Day 1956

Here's hoping all of my readers enjoy a safe and happy Labor Day.

The Lorain Journal observed the holiday with this full-page ad back on Aug. 31, 1956. As usual, it's interesting seeing what companies that sponsored the ad are still around, at least in some form.

Wondering about the history of Labor Day? Rather than belabor it, let's turn to the website of the U.S. Dept. of Labor for the answer.

It notes, "Observed the first Monday in September, Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being. 

"Before it was a federal holiday, Labor Day was recognized by labor activists and individual states. After municipal ordinances were passed in 1885 and 1886, a movement developed to secure state legislation. New York was the first state to introduce a bill, but Oregon was the first to pass a law recognizing Labor Day, on February 21, 1887. 

"During 1887, four more states – Colorado, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York – passed laws creating a Labor Day holiday. By the end of the decade Connecticut, Nebraska and Pennsylvania had followed suit. 

"By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, Congress passed an act making the first Monday in September of each year a legal holiday. 

"Who first proposed the holiday for workers? 

"It’s not entirely clear, but two workers can make a solid claim to the Founder of Labor Day title. Some records show that in 1882, Peter J. McGuire, general secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners and a co-founder of the American Federation of Labor, suggested setting aside a day for a "general holiday for the laboring classes" to honor those "who from rude nature have delved and carved all the grandeur we behold." 

"But Peter McGuire's place in Labor Day history has not gone unchallenged. Many believe that machinist Matthew Maguire, not Peter McGuire, founded the holiday. Recent research seems to support the contention that Matthew Maguire, later the secretary of Local 344 of the International Association of Machinists in Paterson, New Jersey, proposed the holiday in 1882 while serving as secretary of the Central Labor Union in New York. 

"According to the New Jersey Historical Society, after President Cleveland signed the law creating a national Labor Day, the Paterson Morning Call published an opinion piece stating that "the souvenir pen should go to Alderman Matthew Maguire of this city, who is the undisputed author of Labor Day as a holiday." Both Maguire and McGuire attended the country’s first Labor Day parade in New York City that year. 

"The first Labor Day holiday was celebrated on Tuesday, September 5, 1882, in New York City, in accordance with the plans of the Central Labor Union. The Central Labor Union held its second Labor Day holiday just a year later, on September 5, 1883. 

"By 1894, 23 more states had adopted the holiday, and on June 28, 1894, President Grover Cleveland signed a law making the first Monday in September of each year a national holiday. Many Americans celebrate Labor Day with parades and parties – festivities very similar to those outlined by the first proposal for a holiday, which suggested that the day should be observed with – a street parade to exhibit "the strength and esprit de corps of the trade and labor organizations" of the community, followed by a festival for the recreation and amusement of the workers and their families. This became the pattern for the celebrations of Labor Day."

Lawson's Labor Day Ad – Sept. 1966

Do you have everything you need for the traditional Labor Day cookout tomorrow?

Sixty years ago, Lawson's really had its finger on the pulse of customer shopping habits when it came to Labor Day picnics. It knew what people wanted and put those items on sale. Here's its full-page Journal ad from September 1, 1966.

It mirrors my shopping list for today: hot dogs, buns, potato chips and potato salad. It just seems like that's what the menu should be on Labor Day. And maybe some baked beans on the side.

I like the Harry Volk clip art; those artists always did a nice job of capturing of moment and making it seem real. But I wonder if anyone ever really wore a chef's hat when barbecuing?

I know they did in cartoons.

Back to School Ad – Sept. 3, 1956

We'll close out the week with a final Back to School ad, since today is the first day of school for the daughter of a woman I work with. The daughter is starting kindergarten in the Firelands school system. It's an odd day to start, right before the long holiday. But I guess it's the school officials' way of slowly easing the new students into something that's going to take up the next twelve years of their young lives.

Speaking of kindergarten, I wonder if the kids still have to bring a mat to school to sleep on? During my kindergarten class at Charleston Elementary, I remember having a nap time in a darkened room. We talked about this at work the other day, and my co-worker (who is in her early thirties) Googled it, and determined that nap breaks are a thing of the past. 

Anyway, this Back to School ad is sponsored by the Lorain County Deputies Association. It ran in the Lorain Journal on September 3, 1956 and features some great clip art of kids and a policeman.

Although there's no Grim Reaper illustration, the tagline in the ad is still rather jarring: Don't Meet Your Maker By Accident. It also doesn't make a lot of sense, since the goal of the ad is to keep drivers from running over kids.

At least the little cartoons on the right side of the ad still pack an important message in as capsule format, seventy years after the ad was published. 

It's always surprising to see drivers confused as to whether or not they have to stop for a school bus that is picking up or dropping off kids in the opposite direction on a four lane highway like Liberty Avenue (US 6) in Vermilion. 

The answer? They don't. The kids are never put in the position of having to cross a four lane highway.

But many drivers stop anyways and are shocked when I don't. 

The traffic person (Jamie Sullivan) on Channel 19 News used to review this issue every year when school started, to try and eliminate the confusion, and I think it was a very good idea. 

Down State Beer Ads – Aug. 1956

Beer has been a favorite topic on this blog since its beginning. I've written a lot about Old Dutch Beer, which for many years was Mom & Dad's favorite. They would even bring me a six pack of Old Dutch when they came down to Ohio State to visit me in the dorm. It was like having a little bit of home right in my mini-fridge.

It was in the dormitory that I soon realized that there were a lot of beers out there that I'd never heard of. Just as we had our regional favorites in the northern part of the state – especially those brewed in Cleveland – Southern Ohio had their preferred choices too.

Hudepohl was one of those beers I wasn't familiar with. It was founded, and is still brewed, in Cincinnati. That's why it's strange to see a large ad for Hudepohl in the Lorain Journal on August 31, 1956.

I like the use of cartoons at the top of the ad. But it's odd to see the TV schedule for the Cincinnati Reds (here listed as Redlegs) in the lower right hand corner. 

It's a neat campaign, positioning the beer as a golden brew because of its 14 K process. The golden theme is mirrored (literally) in these can designs that are similar to the one shown in the ad.

Another down state brew that I'd never heard of is Burger Beer, another Cincinnati favorite. And it too showed up in the Lorain Journal in an ad on August 29, 1956.

I like that mascot. He reminds of the Monopoly guy.

It would seem that at least one ad campaign over the years would have to be based on the idea that Burger Beer goes well with burgers.

Oddly enough, Burger Beer ended up under Hudepohl ownership and for a time was Hudepohl's budget priced brand.

Today, Burger Beer is still around – sort of. Its logo is slapped seemingly as an afterthought on the back of cans of Muskie Lager. Retail sales of Muskie Lager support Xavier University's varsity sports. But it's too bad that the classic Burger Beer bottle and can design isn't used.

Anyway, both of these down state beers showed up in the Journal right before Labor Day Weekend 1956.

Don't forget to stock up on your favorite beer – whether it's an up state or down state brand – to enjoy during this upcoming long weekend.

Back to School Ads – 1966

Although school has been in session for many school systems for several weeks now, many of my readers remember fondly when school did not start until the first week of September. It made for a nice, clean transition from August to September.

And with school starting later back then, the back-to-school ads didn't begin to appear until the end of August. Many (if not most) of them seemed to focus on school clothes, specifically shoes. 

We never wore our 'gym shoes' to school when we were little – it would have been unthinkable. (Remember bringing them to school in a gym bag along with a towel and gym shorts?) Nope, we wore shoes that had to be polished and tied. I don't remember a lot of slip-ons.

Anyway, here's a not-too-ample sample of ads from 1966 with a back to school theme. This first ad for Gray Drug Stores has a neat transistor radio giveaway.

Aug. 31, 1966

Amazingly, some of those radios have survived. You can see one on the radio museum website. Here are a few poached pictures courtesy of that website.

Hills usually had some great clip art in their ads, but the illustration in this one is a little odd. I'm not sure what you would call the young boy's hairdo. Maybe he was a Cesar Romero fan.

Sept. 1, 1966

And as I mentioned, there were tons of shoe ads. I like the little dog illustration in the Hageman Shoes ad.

Sept. 2, 1966

I've never heard of Lazy Bones Shoes, but apparently they were popular enough to run four color ads in magazines well into the 1970s. And the cute dog mascot was featured prominently, which is doggone nice.

1977 ad

1978 ad

Other shoe ads featured the old Brady favorites: Nobil's and Pic-Way.

Sept. 1, 1966

Sept. 1, 1966

On Area Screens – Sept. 1, 1966

I never realized it until a few years ago, but Mom and Dad sure took my siblings and me to a lot of movies when we were growing up in the 1960s. 

We saw almost every Walt Disney movie from about 1964 on until the early 1970s. They also took us to almost every John Wayne movie as well from roughly that same time period.

And we saw other movies as well. This movie page from September 1, 1966 – sixty years ago today – includes a few. 

The big movie event for us was Help! featuring the Beatles. 

The album that was played over and over again

We were big fans of the Beatles (before they went all hippie/druggie/psychedelic) because my older sister had all their albums, which were played on the stereo in the living room. We watched the Beatles cartoons, played the "Flip Your Wig" game and each had a favorite Beatle and matching doll. (Mine was goofy Ringo.)

I may be wrong (I'm 67 years old after all), but I'm pretty sure my parents surprised us by taking us to see Help! at the Lorain Drive-In. We were probably down at Lakeview Park first, seeing the fountain lights, and Dad then drove west out of Lorain and then teased us about whether we'd like to see the movie – and then turning in to the Drive-in. At least that's the way I remember it.

The other movie that we saw for sure was Walt Disney's Lt. Robin Crusoe, U.S.N. starring Dick Van Dyke and cute Nancy Kwan. I even had a little novelization of the movie (see photo below).

This is the book version that I had

I can't remember whether I enjoyed the movie or not. I did like the part where he had to consult a survival handbook while drifting at sea in his raft. Here's a brief clip. I seem to recall the book telling him to stand on his head (on a raft?) to cure hiccups.

As you can see, the handbook actually 'talked' to him, which was kind of funny. (The book's voice was provided by Richard Deacon, who played Mel Cooley on The Dick Van Dyke Show.)

At the end of the movie, Lt.. Robin Crusoe is rescued from his South Seas paradise, and saved from having to marry Nancy Kwan's character. Even as a kid, I wondered why he wanted to be rescued!

One movie on the page that I first saw on GRIT a couple years ago is The Night of the Grizzly, starring Clint Walker. It also features Leo Gordon, who's always great as a villain. Although the movie comes across as a cheapie made-for-TV flick, it's pretty good and even has a redemption theme, which I like.

Lastly, I like the Giant Back to School Show at the Palace: "5 Big Color Cartoons Plus 2 Hilarious Three Stooges Comedies." It may be 1966 but the illustration of the two kids looks very 1930-ish. And it doesn't say which Stooges shorts were shown, but I hope they were Curlys. (Yeah, a young Don Hilton would have walked out, disgruntled at the lack of Shemps.)

I wonder if Alan Hopewell still has his Giant 8 Piece Handy, Sturdy Pencil Box?

It's great to see Tom Cat in the ad, although we don't know which cartoons were being shown. They could have been lame Loopy De Loops, or Woody Woodpeckers.

Tom looks kind of funny in the ad, with the grey tint over his entire body – instead of a white muzzle, chest and patch between his eyes.