Monday, May 16, 2011

Another Look at That Diner


Here's a neat photo from the archives of the Black River Historical Society. Although the little boy was obviously the subject of the undated photo, in the background we get a nice shot of the diner that used to be in front of and slightly east of the old Lorain City Hall.

Back here in this post, I mentioned that it was actually a Ward & Dickinson Dining Car, and if you look closely at the photo above the boy's head, you can see a wheel. By the time the diner became Helen's Diner (at left) in the late 1930's, the wheels had been covered up.

It's a little tricky trying to figure out the time frame for this photo. I can't quite make out the year in the license plate of the car behind the little boy, and I'm no good at identifying antique cars either.

But comparing it to the above photo of Helen's Diner, as well as a 1937 photo (at right) confirms to me at least that this photo predates the other two. There is no visible shrubbery as in the two photos, and no billboard above it either. Plus the diner has a slightly rundown look to it, as opposed to the neat appearance it had as Helen's. So I'm guessing it's from the early 1930's.

Anyway, it's still strange to think that the diner ended its career as the Dew Drop Inn (below) decades later, and that its location is roughly the same as that of the steps to the current Lorain City Hall.

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6 comments:

  1. AnonymousMay 17, 2011 at 5:18 PM

    Finally had a chance to check out the company website.
    I'm not going to laugh at the wheels anymore seeing as how they really work and this is a dining CAR, not a building. The Lorain model also has the opalescent glass mentioned in the upper window sash, just like a fancy railroad or interurban car. The interior woodwork is quite a work of art (by todays standards). Would have been fun to drop in for a burger and fries!

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  2. crowrycheMay 17, 2011 at 6:51 PM

    After looking at the Dew Drop Inn pic, I have to ask. What's the story on the building with the giant heads on it to the right?

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  3. Dan BradyMay 18, 2011 at 6:52 AM

    You'll find the story of the building next door with the faces (the Northern Institute of Cosmetology) right here in my January 12, 2011 post:

    http://danielebrady.blogspot.com/2011/01/face-of-northern-institute-of.html

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  4. crowrycheMay 18, 2011 at 10:51 PM

    Thanks! a.k.a. crowryche

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  5. mikeDecember 23, 2011 at 8:57 PM

    you sure the photo of the boy is the same location as the others?

    don't know if it is only the angle of the camera, but something with the angle of the cars parking in each photo looks off.

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  6. Dan BradyDecember 23, 2011 at 10:47 PM

    There's always the possibility that I'm wrong, but I'm pretty sure that the boy is standing in the park across from Lorain City Hall, with the current Wickens Place behind him. The tire is in the parking lot of what was then a gas station there; at the far left of the photo there is a portion of the entrance to the public restroom (kind of like a screen or mesh) that is also visible in the diner shot with the streetcar in it. I wish I had written down any caption on the photo. Next time I'm at the BRHS I'll try to confirm.

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