It seems that the Lorain Creamery hung on as long as it could. A 1983 ad (above) still advertised home delivery. But by then, having a milkman come to your home was an anachronism.
Both the Creamery and the Parlour were still in the Lorain phone book in 1987. But sadly, the Creamery disappeared from the book in 1990 with the Old English Parlour following in the mid-1990s.
I'm sure many Lorainites remember going down to the Lorain Creamery for those great ice cream cones. Part of the entertainment was eating your cone right there and watching the trains go by. I even remember seeing a hobo once in a while in the 1960s, riding beneath some of the trains. (Maybe they were out-of work milkmen.)
I have fond memories of the Old English Parlour too. It was the perfect place to bring a date, although now it sounds like something out of Archie comics.
Be sure to post your Lorain Creamery and Old English Parlour memories!
this is random...but i used to go to the Old English Parlour all the time as a kid and i always got this orange malt. Recently i have been craving it but have no idea how it was made! I wish i could ask the old owners!
ReplyDeleteThe last time I was there was in 1974. I moved back to Lorian in 1990, only to find that my city was gone!
ReplyDeleteRIP Lorain, Ohio.
A burger and a shake from the Parlour was one of my great childhood memories. The structure was still standing as of a few years ago. It would be cool if somebody would re open it
ReplyDeleteOld English Parlour was the best
ReplyDeleteOrange Malt--1oz Malt. 4oz milk,3-3oz scoops van.IC. 2oz orange flavor.
ReplyDeletePaul Gray Founder of Old English Parlour & part owner Lorain Creamery.
Lorain Creamery used to have a HUGE sundae, maybe 12 scoops...and "Himalayas" of whipped cream....maybe it was called the "Dreamer's Delight"? Anyone remember?
ReplyDeleteA February 17, 2000 article in the Chronicle-Telegram provided a capsule history of the Creamery and its eventual closing.
ReplyDeleteIt noted, "The Lorain Creamery began business as Sumner's Dairy at 212 W. Seventh St. by Sumner Crook and Frank Crook in 1923. Later, it was purchased by cousins Wels and Dan Gray and Roy Deal. They started calling it the Lorain Creamery and moved the operation and its fleet of dairy wagons and horses to West 14th Street and Oberlin Avenue.
"When the Lorain Creamery sold out to Smith Dairy in 1989, it was the last of 20 independent dairies in the city that gave way to convenient stores and supermarket chains, according to records at the Black River Historical Society."
Went there on a field trip while attending Harrison Elementary school back in the sixties. Saw how the milk was heated to a flash point then homogenized and bottled;unforgettable experience!
ReplyDelete