Lorain Journal Front Page – June 24, 1926

One hundred years ago today, the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn – General Custer and the 7th Cavalry's massacre and defeat at the hands of the Sioux nation – was being observed on the front page of the June 24, 1926 Lorain Journal.

(It seems so odd to me that it was only fifty years earlier than 1926. Fifty years really doesn't feel all that long ago to me, especially since I'm a year short of being fifty years out of high school.)

Anyway, the occasion was commemorated with a huge gathering of American Indians on Custer battlefield in Montana, to "pledge anew peace with the white man on whose chosen representatives they inflicted in this setting the worst defeat ever suffered by a unit of the American army."

We stopped at Custer Battlefield in Montana during one of our Brady Family camping trips Out West around 1970 or so. I remember it being a very somber experience. Here's the brochure and postcard I saved from the trip.

As a kid I remember thinking that Major Marcus A. Reno (top row, right) reminded me of Major Hochstetter on Hogan's Heroes.

Oh yeah, back to the front page.

Other articles include a follow-up to the story of Mrs. Bogart, the South Amherst woman who inherited part of a multimillionaire's estate. 

Happy the Clown is Not Happy... Schwebel Bakery is Closing

The shelves at Discount Drug Mart in Vermilion
 has already experienced a run on Schwebel buns  

It was kind of sad last week to hear that Schwebel Bakery in Youngstown is going out of business after 120 years.

As noted on the WEWS Channel 5 website, the firm "will begin winding down operations and expects to initiate a liquidation of its business."

"The closure will include bakeries in Youngstown and Hebron, as well as retail stores and distribution centers across Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York."

"In a press release, the Youngstown company cited "operational and financial constraints," adding, "These challenges include aging manufacturing facilities and equipment, costly labor contracts and pension obligations, and consumer trends depressing demand for traditional bakery and bread products."

Lorain Countians will no doubt miss the various Schwebel products, which have been a staple in our bread drawers for decades.

I don't eat a lot of sandwiches these days, so I hardly ever buy a loaf of bread. But when it came to hot dog or hamburger buns, I always looked for the clown on the label before I bought.

By the way, his name is Happy. The Cleveland Historical website notes, "Dora Schwebel created Happy the Clown in 1932 to serve as a positive, uplifting symbol during the Great Depression. His familiar face has graced the company's labels ever since. 

Before clowns became a symbol of pure evil thanks to Stephen King and his novel It, they were seen as lovable, childlike friends to kids everywhere. Happy apparently was very popular in his day, since there are so many items emblazoned with his friendly visage, including signs, cups, a tote bag, apparel and even a bobblehead.

There was even a Happy costume that could be worn for personal appearances.

Courtesy ClevelandHistorical.org

Since clowns have been demonized, you don't see them too often these days (except in kid's nightmares). That means that just like Ronald McDonald, Happy is out of work. And he was probably the breadwinner in his family.

I just hope he doesn't end up in the bread line.

Here's hoping the genial clown has a happy retirement.

Homewood Shopping Center 1954 - 1958

Homewood Stores Co. was ahead of its time. What else can you conclude about a Lorain store that sold everything from major appliances to clothes to groceries – in 1954?

I've posted ads for the store before, but wasn't sure if it was a shopping center or a single store. It turns out it was both: Homewood Shopping Center consisted of just the building that was home to Homewood Stores Co., a department store.

Interestingly, Homewood Store's parent company – Union Supply Company – was a subsidiary of U.S. Steel. Perhaps the store's proximity to the steel mill had something to do with the decision to locate it there, on Grove Ave. (what was considered then as 'new' Route 57) at Homewood Drive.

The odd thing is that Homewood Stores wasn't around for very long. Here are the articles and mentions in the Lorain Journal that tell its story.

This November 27, 1952 article observes that the construction of the shopping center was coinciding with the beginning of the latest addition to the Homewood housing development.

This February 25, 1954 photo provided a progress report on the Homewood Shopping Center, as well as the O'Neil - Sheffield Shopping Center.

On April 22, 1954,  the eve of the much-anticipated opening, several articles and advertisements appeared on the Lorain Journal. 

On the day of the Grand Opening, April 23, 1954, this article appeared on the front page of the paper.

And then – only four years later – on July 5, 1958, it was announced that the Homewood Shopping Center would close. The Union Supply Co. division of U.S Steel decided "to eliminate the retail merchandising function of the Homewood Stores Division."

The former shopping center was used by U.S. Steel for some office functions but there was still the question of what would become of the building. This article from March 11, 1960 was one idea.

But in the end, it was the perfect building for the Hills Department Store chain to located an outlet there – with some remodeling, of course. This article from June 18, 1960 tells the story.

June 18, 1960

The Hills store would hold its Grand Opening only a few months later, on August 18, 1960.

Aug. 17, 1960

Aug. 17, 1960

I wrote about the Grand Opening back here.

Father's Day 1926

Here's wishing all you fathers out there a Happy Father's Day – especially my two brothers.

One hundred years ago, this was the Father's Day edition of the Lorain Journal on June 19, 1926. 

It has some special pieces in honor of the holiday: a funny, timeless cartoon, a special tribute by A.M. Hopkins to his father. But other than that, it's chock full of the usual news items – some tragic (several deaths caused by trains) and some unusual (a man about to be drafted by the Czecho-Slovakian army unless he can produce his birth certificate that shows that he was born in Lorain).

If you're wondering who A. M. Hopkins was (like me), it appears that he was manager and editor of the Newspaper Enterprise Association (NEA), a syndicate that provided features (such as his column) to newspaper nationwide.

As as for the young Lorain man who was trying to avoid serving in the Czecho-Slovakian army, the story had a happy ending.

June 23, 1926 Lorain Journal

Homewood Shopping Center Father's Day Ad – June 1956

With Father's Day just a few days away, here's a great ad from the 1950s that nicely features just about every gift imaginable for dear old dad. The ad is for Homewood Shopping Center and ran in the Lorain Journal on June 13, 1956.

It's fairly fascinating seeing what you could buy for a buck back then: Interwoven socks, a Regal summer tie. Moving up in price slightly, a dollar fifty could get you a Hickok leather belt, billfold, key case, jewelry box or briefcase; matching Hickok gold or silver plated cuff links and tie bars.

At the high end price-wise was an RCA personal TV set with a 32 sq. in. screen for $125 or an 18" power mower by Penn ACCO for $79.95.

There are a few items that are slightly less but still expensive: Elgin and Bulova watches at $33.75 to $75; a Motorola portable radio for $34.95.

****

I'm afraid my father never made out too well on Father's Day. As kids, we probably just signed a card that Mom bought for us to give him. Dad didn't really have any hobbies, so there was nothing special or fun to get him.  I only remember boring gifts like handkerchiefs (which he always carried). It wasn't until my siblings and I were grown up that we actually bought him something. In later years, I usually got him a book, since he was a voracious reader. He particularly liked Tom Brokaw's book The Greatest Generation and the follow-up book, The Greatest Generation Speaks.

First Annual Vermilion Festival of the Fish – June 1967

Vermilion's 60th Annual Festival of the Fish is this weekend, June 19 through 21. So it's a good time to look back at the very first one, which was held June 16, 17 and 18, 1967. That's Perky Perch above – the mascot of this event since the very beginning. 

Vermilion Photojournal ad from early June 1967

What follows are Journal clippings and ads from that first year. This article notes that Ray Full, president of Kishman Fish Co. helped initiate the Festival of the Fish.

Jan. 23, 1967

The festival hype started early, with an article in the Journal on Feb. 22, 1967.

Another small article followed on May 4, 1967. The article revealed that popular country stars Homer and Jethro would perform as part of the festivities.

Articles and advertising for the festival kicked in a few days before the event, including a full page ad on June 15, 1967. Hey, where's Perky?

June 15, 1967

June 15, 1967

Once the festival started, the Journal provided regular coverage right through to the end.

June 17, 1967 

June 19, 1967

June 19, 1967

June 19, 1967

The Vermilion Photojournal devoted its June 22, 1967 issue to coverage of the first festival.

*****

Here's the 1972 version of the Festival of the Fish logo. Perky still has his fork and knife!

And by 1989, Perky had been rendered in a much easier to reproduce design.

And here's the handsome rendering of Perky today, just in time for the 60th anniversary. He's ditched the napkin around his neck, as well as his cutlery. 

I'm not sure why the logo says 1966 - 2026.

1955 Father's Day Gifts to Finish Off That Facial Fur

So what should a little shaver get his dad for Father's Day?

These days, I'm not sure. But back in 1955, according to the two ads below that both ran in the Lorain Journal on June 15, 1955, a shaver would have been just the right gift. (That is, assuming the mother bought it and let her kid 'give' it to dear old dad.)

I don't remember Dad ever using an electric razor. If he did, it was only because he received one as a gift, and he felt obligated to use it for a little while. I do remember the packs of razor blades in the medicine cabinet, along with a shaving brush. (I wonder whatever happened to that thing?)

In later years, he used disposable razors; I remember him telling me that he used a fresh one every day, as he had a thick beard. I use them too, and try to make one last for several days. When I eventually (and inevitably) cut myself, I know it's time to get a fresh one.

Remember when you used to stick a tiny piece of toilet paper on a cut? It looked kind of silly. 

Anyways, these days I'm guessing that the companies that make electric razors and shaving supplies are hurting, since beards have been back in style. 

Call me old-fashioned, but I just can't get used to the really long beards that I see out in public. When members of ZZ Top wear them, they seem fine, because it's part of their shtick. But when they're on an average Joe, it seems odd to me. The long, attention-attracting beards just weren't in style when I was growing up. A really long beard was something you only saw in cartoons, usually on feuding 'hill folk.' One of the Smith Brothers on the box of cough drops had a fairly long one; maybe that's why long beards seem like an anachronism to me.

From the Bugs Bunny cartoon "Hillbilly Hare" (1950)

Sooner or later, beards will go out of style and the clean shaven look will be 'in' again. I hope.