Monday, May 9, 2011

Don't Forget to Donate for the Admiral!

I just thought I'd remind you all that Lorain Pride Day is slightly less than two weeks away – and that's the day that the Charleston Village Society and the Black River Historical Society hope to have their memorial to honor Admiral Ernest J. King in place on Hamilton Street, across from his birthplace.

You can read the whole story here, in case you missed it.

This little memorial park is pretty important in my opinion. Back in the 1950's and 1960's, several attempts were made by various civic leaders to honor the Admiral. But plans to rename Lakeview Park in his honor failed, as well as an effort to attach his name to the Ohio Turnpike and I-90. It was even proposed that a new lakefront state park west of Lorain be named in his honor, but the park proposal went nowhere as well.

Oh, Lorain did manage to name its new high school after him in 1959, but as we saw, that honor had an expiration date on it. And as for the new Admiral King Elementary School, who knows if it will even be in use in another twenty years, in view of Lorain's shrinking public student population?

In other words, this small lakefront memorial may be the only thing honoring Admiral Ernest J. King that lasts.

Please consider a contribution to this worthy cause.

The above link to the Morning Journal website has all the information.

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Incidentally, the illustration of the Admiral above is taken from a famous World War II poster (below). A framed copy of it hangs in the Lorain Public Library upstairs in the local history section.

1 comment:

Loraine Ritchey said...

Thanks Dan, we are indeed hoping to have the hardscape and the flag pole up for Pride Day, the weather has not helped. Phase one of the project will be getting the hardscape in and the flag pole up.

People have been very generous so far and hopefully we will have enough donations to pay for the solar lighting for the flag etc. which is Phase Two we are working on the hook part of the anchor..... ( which will be done with mounding and landscaping - working on that and then.....

I was at the site on Saturday you can see the lighthouse and the entrance to the river it was really lovely and calming watching all the boats come in and out of the river mouth .... but then I realized we need a bench so people can sit and enjoy the view ... :)