To try and find out, I headed over to the BRHS to examine the original photo in their archives and see if there was any more information written on the back. Unfortunately, the photo was simply labeled, "1932 Neuman's Dairy Farm."
But then I remembered that Dennis Lamont had provided me with a collection of aerial photos of Lorain from 1924. Sure enough, there was the Neuman farm on the northwest corner of Oberlin Avenue and Meister Road (below). That's Oberlin Avenue running from north to south. (It's hard to believe that a gas station has been at that location since the late 1950s.)
Unfortunately, the aerial photo didn't provide any answers – it only made things more confusing.
The full 1924 aerial photo of the area reveals that all of the farms close to the Neuman property were on the same side of Oberlin Avenue – the west side. So I was unable to find a vantage point from which you could photograph part of the Neuman farm and have another farm in the background across the street.
Groan. The last thing this blog needs is yet another mystery.
Could the barn with the MAIL POUCH sign and other buildings be the Neuman farm? I doubt it. I was unable to match up any of the buildings in the two photos. The other elements of the photo of the cows grazing – the seeming junction of two roads, the electrical tower and the telephone poles – didn't help either.
Anybody got any ideas?
Anybody got any ideas?
There is one unfortunate possibility that I've seen before...the first photo could be misidentified. As stated in your earlier posts, Oberlin Ave. was a gravel road back then. But the road in the photo does appear to be paved, and the electrical tower seems out of place. I have no real proof or answer, but it's something to keep in mind.
ReplyDeleteI think you're right, Drew. It doesn't make any sense as is. I am in the midst of trying to contact the person/family who donated the photo, so hopefully we'll get some answers. It's a longshot.
ReplyDeleteI even thought the road in the background might be Leavitt Road, but I pulled out a map from that era and it showed that apparently Leavitt wasn't paved either.
I forgot to mention one thing, though. I have an aerial view of Port Mills when it was dedicated, and it looks like both Oberlin and Meister might have been paved – or at least of a very light colored surface – at that point.
ReplyDeleteBut that tower sure is strange.