Col. Raymond C. Vietzen and the Indian Ridge Museum Revisited

The wooden arrow from the Indian Ridge Museum –
at its new home in the New Indian Ridge Museum

Back in January (was it that long ago?), Colonel Raymond C. Vietzen and his Indian Ridge Museum were featured in a post that collected several articles about them from the Lorain Journal, dating from 1944 to his wife's passing in 1999.

Since then, I found an earlier article about Vietzen, and the publication of his book, Ancient Man in Northern Ohio. The article by Jean Weaver appeared in the Journal on August 23, 1941.

One of the articles from the earlier post (dated October 16, 1951) indicated that there would be four more parts in the series on the following Tuesdays. However, it appears that the intention to publish that many more articles was overly ambitious. I could only locate one more, which appeared on Wednesday, October 24, 1951 (below). The length of it seems to indicate that it contains the balance of the story. After the publication of this article, the Journal moved on to another multi-part historical series.

Here's another article that missed the cut to be included on the original blog post. It's from June 30, 1965 and promotes Col. Vietzen's latest book at that time, Indians of the Lake Erie Basin or Lost Nation.

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After that first blog post, local historian Col. Matt Nahorn of the New Indian Ridge Museum in Amherst provided me with some great photos to share.

Here's the Colonel, back when he was just Corporal Nahorn, outside the original Indian Ridge Museum. At right is the photo of the Museum from the 1951 article. Note the wooden arrow in the window; Nahorn salvaged it and it is shown in the photo at the top of this post.

Matt noted that the original Indian Ridge Museum was part of a 1920s filling station. The Museum was demolished in 2000, and Matt was able to salvage the original door. Here he is with it.

Lastly, here are photos of the two Colonels – four decades apart – posing with the statue from the original museum that now calls the New Indian Ridge Museum home.

The Passing Scene – April 1966

Gene's solution to prevent the theft of the Lakeview Park
Easter Basket's eggs: hide a cop inside one

Let's end the week with a few laughs. Here are all five of Gene Patrick's "The Passing Scene" comic strips that ran in the Journal back in April 1966. Enjoy!

The April 2nd edition humorously addressed a late March 1966 UFO sighting in Lorain.

The April 9th strip mentioned sonic booms – something that I remember from being a kid, as well as something that we experienced a few weeks ago.

The April 16th comic contains Gene's hilarious Lakeview Park Easter Basket cartoon.

The April 23nd edition gave Gene the opportunity to do a nice rendering of Hotel Antlers.

And finally, the April 30th strip foreshadowed the eventual replacement of Lorain City Hall and includes a cameo appearance by Batman and Robin.

Reddy in April – 1946, 1956 & 1956

Our old pal Reddy Kilowatt hasn't made an appearance on the blog circuit since the holidays. Let's correct that revolting oversight with a look at a few of his April appearances through the years, as well as a current sighting from right in Lorain County – specifically Grafton.

Reddy is ready to do some wiring in this ad that ran on April 10, 1946 in the Lorain Journal.

Ten years later in this handsome ad that ran on April 16, 1956, Reddy encouraged Lorain Countians to enjoy the benefits of electric cooking, with a generous $95 wiring allowance. 

I'm assuming Reddy wanted people to switch from natural gas and not a potbellied stove. Anyway, I'll bet this offer showed ol' Speedy Gas Flame who's the boss. Mess with Reddy and his corporate bosses at Ohio Edison, and the sparks will fly!

Lastly, having already convinced consumers to get their homes wired, and to cook with electricity, Reddy pushed that most important (to me, anyway) electrical luxury: air conditioning. This ad (with an air conditioner that resembled, well, a simple box) ran on April 11, 1966.

So what's Reddy doing in 2026?

He's still hard at work – in Grafton, apparently. I received the following photo recently from contributor Tom Janus. 

Tom wrote, "This spring I have been driving around Grafton and Elyria and found some interesting things.  From your website, I know you’re a fan of the character "Reddy Kilowatt" used by electric companies. I was in Grafton in March and found this unique truck trailer parked near the railroad switch house. I think it contains a mobile generator that can be taken to a neighborhood that has a power outage. It's probably from the 1950s-60s. The faded lettering reads "Central Illinois Public Service Company."

"I also took a picture of the switch house, water tower and a building with a railroad mural.  Grafton is a historically significant town for its railroad history and the site of the first Spitzer automobile dealership."

Thanks for sharing, Tom!

UFO Over Yala's – April 1967

Courtesy Craiyon.com

You're probably familiar with Yala's Pizza, Lorain's longtime westside favorite since the 1950s (rebranded a few years ago as Fran's Pizza).

But did you know that there was a UFO sighted over the iconic pizza parlor back in April 1967? Read all about it below in this article that appeared in the Journal on April 28, 1967. (I'm betting Alan Hopewell remembers this.)

I couldn't find a follow-up story in the weeks after the sighting, so I'm assuming that the report went into Project Blue Book, along with a grease-stained Yala's carryout menu.

Appropriately enough, the following "Our Space Age" comic panel appeared in the Journal a little more than a week later on May 9, 1967.

UFOs in our area have been a regular topic on this blog for some time. There were so many articles and reports of sightings in the Journal when I was growing up that flying saucers were always on my mind (and something else for me to worry about besides trying to achieve all A's).

On Area Movie Screens – April 14, 1956

Leo Gorcey and Huntz Hall were starring in
"Crashing Las Vegas" at the Ohio

Seventy years ago today – April 14, 1956 – was a Saturday. And since Lorain was a real Saturday night town back then, no doubt many of the residents were thinking about going out to see a movie. As usual, there were a lot of choices, and judging by the incredible selection on the Lorain Journal entertainment page below, there was something for everyone. Perhaps you'll recognize one of your favorite movies or stars.

The one that leaps out at me of course is Crashing Las Vegas – the last Bowery Boys movie featuring Leo Gorcey as Slip Mahoney, the leader of the gang. Gorcey would retire from the movies after this, as he was struggling with personal issues and still mourning the untimely death of his father (who had starred in the Bowery Boys films as Louie, the proprietor of the ice cream shop where they hang out). 

I have this film on DVD, and it's a funny finale for Gorcey. It's somewhat appropriate that Leo Gorcey is in the back seat of the car driven by Huntz Hall in the movie poster. With Gorcey's exit, Hall became the star of the series, which would limp along for another six films with Stanley "Duke" Clements as the leader of the gang.

The big film of the Journal page is probably Pic-a-Nic Picnic, starring William Holden and Kim Novak and showing at the Tivoli. I've seen it a couple times and enjoyed it. It's a nice look at how various lives in a small town are disrupted by the arrival of, well, a handsome bum played by William Holden. 

Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were starring in Artists and Models, which was about to begin a run at Tower Drive-in on Lake Avenue. Martin and Lewis would break up only a couple of months later.

I looked for a big Western on the page, and one of the few that I've seen is Destry (1955) with Audie Murphy, showing at Lorain Drive-in. It's a pretty good movie, a remake of Destry Rides Again with James Stewart. I liked Audie's version better.

Perhaps the most interesting thing on the page is not a movie; it's the Hot From Harlem Revue, featuring "Kings & Queens of Swing • Boogie • Bebop and Jazz" live on stage at the Palace. 

Here's a great poster from a similar appearance in Oakville, Ontario that same year, providing a clearer look at the night's entertainment. It looks like it was quite a production, with exotic costumed dancers.

Topsy Hartsel, Baseball Great

Did you know that one of Major League Baseball's greats was born in tiny Polk, Ohio – the little blink-and-you-miss-it village on State Route 89 in Ashland County, south of US 224? Topsy Hartsel of the Philadelphia Athletics was born there in 1875.

I wasn't aware of it either until I read the following account in Looking Back on Lorain County by Ernie Henes, which should be of interest to baseball fans. Hartsel's achievements in professional baseball shouldn't be forgotten, and I present Mr. Henes' informative article here in the hopes of spurring some local interest.

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Topsy Hartsel, One of Baseball’s Greats

Lorain County has given baseball several outstanding players, but few if any as colorful as Tully Frederick (Topsy) Hartsel (1875-1944), an 1895 graduate of Wellington High School. One of baseball’s most diminutive stars (he was only five feet, four inches tall and weighed 125 pounds), he was one of the best bunters in baseball. A superb leadoff man, he was unusually fast in getting down to first, and he could also whack the ball when he took a toe hold at a fast pitch.

His professional career started in 1898 with the Louisville club where he attracted attention by batting .324. In 1900 he was with the Cincinnati Nationals and hit .335. From 1902-11 he was with Connie Mack’s Philadelphia Athletics.

In his very first year with the A’s he won the hearts of Philadelphia fans by batting .283 and leading the league in runs scored (109), bases on balls (87), and stolen bases (47). He had a lifetime record of 837 bases on balls and led the league in this department in five of the 10 years he was with the A’s. An outfielder throughout his 14-year career, he played in 1,354 games, was at bat 4,843 times, garnering 1,335 hits for a lifetime average of .276.

Clifford Kachline, librarian of the National Baseball Library at Cooperstown N.Y., reported on June 30, 1975: “As far as records go, he still shares the record for the most putouts in left field in a nine-inning game at 11. He performed this feat on Sept. 10, 1901.

Hartsel played a prominent role in winning the A’s first American League pennant in 1902, and according to Connie Mack “was the man who won our fifth and final World Series game from the Chicago Cubs in 1910. Hartsel was on the bench in the first three games, which we won. In the fourth the Cubs beat us 4-3 in 12 innings. For the fifth game I decided to bring Hartsel back into the game and put him in his customary leadoff position. Well, Topsy played with every bit of dash and fire that he showed in earlier years. He came up five times, scored twice, got a hit and stole two bases. He actually bewildered the Cubs by his play. It was a great showing for a man who was through as a regular.”

Hartsel also played a lead role in one of the longest games in American League History, the 24-inning victory of the Athletics in 1906 over the Boston Red Sox. He finished his baseball career as manager of the Toledo Mudhens.

Grafton Heals From Palm Sunday Tornado – April 11, 1966

Those of us who grew up in the area during the 1960s probably remember the 1965 Palm Sunday Tornado. My parents talking about it left quite an impression on me. Along with the Lorain Tornado, it made me pretty aware (and scared) of tornadoes in general for some time.

I devoted several posts to the Palm Sunday Tornadoes, with front page news coverage here; news of the damage in Pittsfield here; and the 50th Anniversary of the tornado as observed in Pittsfield here. 

Anyway, a year after the disaster, the Journal paid a visit to Grafton, another city devastated by the tornado. The goal was to capture photos of  a few homes that were wrecked by the tornado and then restored. Above you see the result from the April 11, 1966 Journal.

The article by Staff Writer Molly Cutts also includes some thoughts about the disaster by a few community members. They reveal that the healing was still ongoing, and would be for some time.