Have a safe New Year's Eve!

Wow, I almost forgot – here's yet another "drive safely on New Year's Eve" full-page ad from the pages of the Lorain Journal. The ad ran on New Year's Eve, December 31, 1955.

No Grim Reaper in this ad for a change. He took the night off, apparently – and here's hoping he does tonight as well!

Have a safe New Year's Eve!

Reddy Kilowatt New Year Ad – December 1946

Well, my last post was a Christmas-themed ad featuring Reddy Kilowatt – so I might as well close out the year with an ad with a Happy New Year motif with our electrical pal. This ad ran in the Lorain Sunday News on Sunday, December 29, 1946.

****

The Ohio Public Service Company ad above shared the newspaper page with ads for Central Record Shop (which was located opposite the hospital, according to its ad), Universal Cleaners, the Central Bank, Lake Erie Lodge No. 552 Loyal Order of Moose, Delis Bros. Furniture and Rusine's.

The Rusine's ad specifically promoted only one item – a book –namely, God's Little Acre. The ad noted that the New York Society for the Suppression of Vice had brought the first publishers of the story into court on an obscenity charge, but that the court dismissed the case. Fortunately, Rusines stated that the store would not sell the book to persons under 21. I wonder if they sold a lot of them as a result of the ad?

Anyway, here's wishing you a Happy New Year and all the best in 2015.

Reddy Kilowatt Christmas Ad – December 1950

Well, it's the last post before Christmas, so I thought we would spend Christmas Eve with our old pal Reddy Kilowatt. I can't believe I haven't featured him on the blog since his small cameo appearance in an Ohio Edison ad that I posted on January 2 of this year.

The above ad – which ran on December 1, 1950 in the Lorain Journal – is the Mother Lode (or Mother Electrical Load if you prefer) of Reddy appearances in a Christmas ad. No less than 10 images of Reddy are spotlighted in the ad, mostly demonstrating those newfangled electrical appliances.

As I do every year, I'm taking some much-needed time off from blogging until around New Year's Eve. So here's hoping you and all your family and friends enjoy a most wonderful and happy Christmas!

Willow Hardware Christmas Ad – December 5, 1960

I've featured a 1960 Christmas ad for this iconic and much-missed Lorain store before (here), but here's another one for Willow Hardware anyway. This one ran in the Lorain Journal on December 5, 1960.

Along with Bob's Donuts, Willow Hardware has got to be the business most missed by Lorainites. I still drive by its former location on Oberlin Avenue and shake my head (and my fist) – probably because CVS is probably my least favorite of all the drug store chains. 

Looking at the newspaper ad headline, though, it's a little amusing. It stresses toys and gifts, but the ad includes a lot of stuff that would not be looked at kindly under the Christmas tree (waste basket, clothes hamper, clothes basket, etc.)

At least Willow did sell chemistry and microscope sets for all the junior scientists on the west side of Lorain.

Shop in Elyria, Buy in Elyria Ad – December 10, 1958

Here's another Christmas ad from December 1958 that ran in the pages of the Elyria Chronicle-Telegram. But while yesterday's ad was aimed squarely at the kiddies, this one seems targeted right at Dads.

The illustration of a Santa Rockette wannabe riding on the back of a reindeer is right out of a 1950s ad man's Christmas fantasy. But it seems out of place in an ad promoting hometown stores – unless the town is Potterville.

Since Elyria has always seemed foreign to me, it's no surprise that I haven't heard of most of the stores, which include Berson's Dry Goods, C. H. Merthe Company (a popular department store) and the Fitch Company ("Elyria's Friendly Store").

The ad unapologetically urges the locals to both shop and buy in their hometown. That's still a good concept worth practicing (although it would be difficult for me to only spend my scratch in the handful of Sheffield Lake stores).

But I do practice the spirit of the ad, though. Years ago, I stopped going to Great Northern Mall, deciding that if I had to go to a mall, it was going to be Midway Mall.

Midway's not exactly in Lorain, but it's my mall so I'm going to support it.

Barnaby at Westgate Mall – December 1958

Here's an ad for the old Westgate Mall that ran in the Elyria Chronicle on December 4, 1958. The ad is supposed to be promoting Santa Claus' Fairyland Toyhouse, but it seems that an appearance by TV host Barnaby is stealing the show.

Linn Sheldon had only been playing his Barnaby the elf character on KYW-TV for a little more than a year (hosting Popeye cartoons), but as you can see from the ad he was enjoying great popularity. If you look closely at his photo, you can see Popeye sitting on his shoulder.

Barnaby and Woodrow the Woodsman,
who got his start on Barnaby's show

In its second month, the TV show was on the air, Barnaby and his Popeye cartoons were actually beating the Mickey Mouse Club in ratings, according to this article on the Cleveland Classic Media website.

Of course, my siblings and I grew up watching Barnaby on Channel 3 (and later, Channel 43). I don't remember ever thinking of him as an elf or leprechaun; to me, he was just a nice, gentle guy in a straw hat that showed a variety of cartoons over the years, including the el cheapo Popeyes, as well as the Tales of the Wizard of Oz cartoons.

Every local baby boomer remembers the beautiful musical theme of his TV show, as well as his closing line that was just as memorable as Captain Penny's. Do you remember what Barnaby used to say?

Here he is saying it for the very last time on his very last show in late March 1990. It's a very emotional moment for him, and it's hard not to tear up watching him say it.

It's nice that he was taking home Long John, his invisible parrot.

****

Looking at the ad, it's strange knowing that Westgate Mall is no more. Although I don't remember going there as a kid, it was one of the shopping centers my mother and sister went to once in a while for something different. Later, I used to shop there a lot in the 1980s. It helped that there was a Chi-Chi's (also gone) on the premises.

A Look at Central Press Association

Yesterday I mentioned Central Press Association, a division of the well-known King Features Syndicate. It happens to be the place where my grandfather finished up his career as a linotype operator and repairman (after stints at various times at the Lorain Journal, the Plain Dealer and Lorain Printing).

Central Press was located in Downtown Cleveland at various locations over the years, including 2063 E. 4th Street (1910-1913), 2042 E. 4th Street (1913-1927), 1435 E. 12th (1927-1955) and 1013 Rockwell (1955-1963).

Grandpa Bumke had a little spiral bound souvenir book of Central Press that provides a nice window into its world of the early 1960s. Here's a selection of images from it.

Entrance

Court Smith, Managing Editor

Editorial Department

Al Buescher, Art Director

Art Department

Photo Department

Engraving

Composing

Composing Staff (Grandpa is in top row, fourth from left)

Press

Mailing

Back Cover of the book

It's interesting that at one point Central Press apparently was in the same building as Otto Moser's, Cleveland's oldest theater restaurant. I was lucky to have eaten at the restaurant several times in the early 1980s when it was still on E. 4th Street.

Here's a better version of the photo from the book, courtesy of the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History website.

Otto Moser's later moved up to Playhouse Square. Today, E. 4th Street is a prime entertainment district with more than a dozen unique restaurants.

As for my grandfather, he passed away in 1965, but I have a lot of memories of him. One of these memories is directly related to his employment at Central Press.

Grandpa smoked, and he had a cigarette lighter that he pulled out once in a while that had all the cartoon characters from the King Features made-for-TV cartoons on it. I specifically remember Beetle Bailey and Snuffy Smith being on it, since Captain Penny had featured their cartoons on his TV show.

I don't know what ever happened to Grandpa's lighter, but if my memory is correct, it looked like this one (below) that's on Ebay. Barney Google, Popeye and Krazy Kat are on it too.

Here's the flip side of it, with the King Features logo.

And while I'm at it, here's the well-remembered opening of the Beetle Bailey cartoons – courtesy of YouTube.

And – why not? – here's the opening to the Snuffy Smith cartoons.

Bob Pilgrim Santa Claus Cartoon – November 10, 1954

Here's a neat little cartoon that ran in the Lorain Journal on November 10, 1954. It provides a capsule history of the American version of Santa Claus.

The cartoon has a few funny bits – especially the bratty little kid who wants Santa to bring him Jane Russell for Christmas.

At first I assumed that it would be impossible to find out who drew the cartoon. But then I noticed the artist's last name was Pilgrim (seen in the lower left hand corner of the cartoon), so I did an online search to find out more about him.

With help from Allan Holtz, comic strip historian and author of American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide (as well as a fellow blogger), the artist was positively identified as Bob Pilgrim. Mr. Pilgrim apparently began his long running career in the 1920s, working as an artist for different syndicates on a variety of features.

What's interesting to me is that Mr. Holtz recognized the small symbol in the cartoon underneath Bob Pilgrim's signature. It's the logo of Central Press Association, which was a division of King Features Syndicate in Cleveland. It supplied features and artwork to newspapers such as the Journal from 1910 until the early 1970s.

Why is all this interesting to me? Because my grandfather worked at Central Press, retiring from there in the early 1960s.

Central Press may long gone, but tomorrow on the blog, we'll drop by its offices and take a look around, so to speak.

Leo DeLyon Plays the (Lorain, Ohio) Palace – December 1954

Although the Morning Journal's current Mary Lee Tucker Clothe-a-Child program depends on cash donations to purchase warm winter clothing for school-age children, its original source of income (when the program first started in the 1920 and well into the 1950s) was a gala Christmas benefit show. It was usually at the Palace Theater and featured local bands (such as Jimmy Dulio and his band).

The emcees for these shows were often up-and-coming performers (like Bob McFadden) who went on to have great careers.

Recently I was digging around on microfilm and discovered that one of my favorite Hanna-Barbera voice artists – Leo DeLyon – hosted the show back in December 1954 at an early stage in his career. (Do you remember which animated TV characters he voiced? If you don't, I'll reveal it shortly.)

Anyway, it was announced on the front of the Lorain Journal of November 18, 1954 that Leo DeLyon would be hosting the show (below). (Note that on the same page the infamous Dr. Sam Sheppard murder trial was underway.)

Here is the text of the article about Leo DeLyon (below). It provides a nice biography of him at that stage of his career.   

****

Comic, Pianist, Singer

Versatile Leo DeLyon Will Spark Yule Show

That Versatile Gentleman Leo DeLyon, comic, pianist and singer, is coming to town. He will bring a fresh, sensational type of humor to his Lorain audience when he serves as master of ceremonies for the annual Mary Lee Tucker Christmas benefit show.

Three Hour Show

Announcement of his acceptance for the sparkling three hour vaudeville show sponsored by the City Club was made today by Gus Athanasoff, show director.

The show, a one night stand, is scheduled for 8 p. m. Dec. 8 in Palace theater.

Foremost trade observers have tabbed DeLyon for immediate success. His first New York engagement resulted in a wave of press notices that pushed all other amusement news in the background.

His voice, remarkably versatile in tone and depth, performs the almost unbelievable trick of going from deep basso to extreme soprano in a few notes.

Nine Different Voices

He has sung in nine different voices and can do an entire opera from start to finish. He seldom sticks to the straight and narrow, however, with the result of his efforts coming out as pure, hilarious comedy.

Sitting at the piano, DeLyon can look like a concert musician, a ragtime honky tonker, or like the zany character he really is.

Once he starts playing, it's every man for himself and may the walls hold together. He gets more laughs per line than any other comedian in the business.

New Jersey Native

Born in Paterson, N.J., 23 years ago, DeLyon displayed a remarkable talent for music. In 1942 he began his professional career with a small band in the Borscht Circuit of New York State.

Though he played piano in the group for 12 weeks, it was not until the final day the leader found DeLyon could not read music.

It seemed unbelievable that a thorough and talented keyboard stylist like DeLyon had faked his way through the summer. While admitting that DeLyon was adequate, the maestro convinced him that piano lessons could make the future brighter.

Winner of an Arthur Godfrey Talent Scout radio show, DeLyon in one of the fastest Broadway hit appearances in history went from the Strand theater to the Roxy theater, then to the Carnival.

Capacity Crown In London

At the Carnival he was instrumental in helping establish that club as one of the foremost in Gotham. He also played the New Yorker, in New York City and in such other locations as the Oriental theater in Chicago.

Nor has he limited his activities to this side of the Atlantic. He played to packed audiences in the Paladium in London and the Empire in Glascow.

He is kept busy playing theaters, night clubs and TV guest appearances and is readying a new format for his own show on TV that is expected to go on very soon.

Appearing with DeLyon on the benefit show will be the best of local talent selected through auditions. Second of three auditions for talent will be Sunday at 1 p. m. in Sons of Italy hall, 15th at Reid.

More than 20 acts appeared for the first audition held last Sunday. Final chance for talent to try out for a spot on the show will be Nov. 28, also at 1 p. m. in Sons of Italy hall. 

Tickets on Sale Saturday

Funds raised through the show will be used to spread Christmas happiness to young and old throughout Lorain county. They will provide gifts and entertainment for county home and children's home residents as well as patients in rest homes, hospitals and Pleasant View sanatorium.

Tickets for the show, all reserved seats, will go on sale Saturday, selling for $1.50 each or $1.25 each in blocks of 10.

Orders are being taken at The Journal office for patron tickets selling at $2.50 each.

****

The Mary Lee Tucker Christmas benefit show was a smash, with a packed audience of close to 2,000 at the Palace Theater. The nationally known vocal quartet, The Crew Cuts, came on near the end of the two and a half hour show. Jimmy Dulio's 13 man band performed, as well as the Tracey Twins.

Leo DeLyon held the whole show together with his emceeing. As the Journal noted the next day, "DeLyon, a master of versatility, highlighted his offerings with a deal that involved simultaneous whistling of one tune and humming of another. He demonstrated a wide vocal range and ability to imitate all manner of sounds, human and otherwise; he tickled the ivories, and he pretty well managed to keep his listeners in a happy frame of mind with his fast change of pace comedy routine."

Do you remember which Hanna-Barbera characters he provided the voices for? If you're a big Top Cat fan like me, then I'm sure you'll remember both of the cool cats on the show that he voiced: Spook (the beatnik cat with the necktie) and Brain (the dumb one wearing a T-shirt).

Happily, Mr. DeLyon is still with us today. Here is a link to his Facebook page.

Smith and Gerhart Christmas Ad – December 6, 1950

Here's a Christmas-themed ad for Smith and Gerhart Inc. The ad for the iconic Lorain store appeared in the Lorain Journal on December 6, 1950.

There's plenty of goodies for the ladies in this ad: "razzle-dazzle" rhinestone jewelry consisting of pins, necklaces, bracelets and earings; genuine calfskin leather purses; and nylons that were S & G's "very own brand" – Elynors.

Their own brand? Does that mean that "Elynors" is some sort of mashup of the words "Elyria" and – ?

Apparently not. It seems that Elynor Fashions was based out of New York and was known for a wide variety of goods and services, including ladies hats, coats, suits, blouses, sweaters, hosiery and underwear. The company had its own namesake stores in some markets, and merely made their merchandise available to stores such as S & G.

Anyway, the ad is a nice reminder of the days when illustration ruled the day in the advertising world.

Christmas Comes to O'Neil's – 1954

I've done quite a few Christmas posts on O'Neil - Sheffield Center over the years on this blog (including Christmas 1955 and 1960, Santa's arrival in 1959 and 1963, and the Talking Christmas Tree. I guess it's because the shopping center left such a big impression on me as a kid.

Well, here are two more ads for O'Neil - Sheffield Center, both from 1954 – the year it opened. Both ads ran in the Lorain Journal on November 22, 1954.

First up is the ad announcing Santa's arrival in a helicopter – same as he did in later years.

In the same edition of the Lorain Journal was this full-page ad trumpeting the arrival of Christmas at the center for the very first time.

Note that the Talking Christmas Tree had not yet made its appearance in 1954. Instead, a 40-foot live 'community' Christmas tree is promoted.

The full-page ad does a good job of making the case to go out there and check out all the wonderful holiday sights. The center's ideal location between Lorain and Elyria did indeed position it as the community place to shop (much to the detriment of Downtown Lorain) until Midway Mall was built.

I never did feel the same way about Midway Mall as I did about O'Neil's. Maybe it's because the mall was in Elyria and didn't have that connection with Lorain that O'Neil's did. Or possibly because it was such a headache to get to Midway Mall (still is) with having to go up and over Route 57 to get there.

We'll see in a few years whether the planned highway improvements in that area (and the removal of the bridge) result in a revival for Midway Mall.

Meanwhile, the 'reimagined' Centre of Sheffield remains. Even in its new configuration, it still brings back holiday memories for many local Baby Boomers.

Jingles and the Other "Not Forgotten Box" Mascots Part 2

So when did Jingles come out of hibernation and become involved with the Not Forgotten Box at the Chronicle-Telegram?

It was during the 1969 campaign – although he was but a nameless bear at that point. Here's the photo of Jingles and his pal, little Christy Murphy, that appeared in the C-T on December 6, 1969 (below).

As noted, he was originally donated by Penneys at Midway Mall.

He was such a big success that he was brought back the following year. The announcement of his return was the headline of the Chronicle-Telegram of November 27, 1970. It read: Not Forgotten Bear back at post.

The article, written by Pat Geisler, charmingly told the story of how the bear decided he'd rather work for the C-T than end up as a gift himself. "Donated last year by the J. C. Penney Co. at the Midway Mall, he was originally intended for some lucky child. But the bear, himself, took things in hand, and refused to leave his post at The Chronicle-Telegram  “Please," he begged, “this is what a bear like me was just made to do." Of course, C-T personnel argued back. After all, wouldn't he be happy in some warm, loving home, where he could have a little boy or girl all his own?

"The bear thought long and hard about it.  “No,” he finally said. He would miss the excitement, and all his friends at the C-T. He would miss having a real job to do. and he would miss being needed. So, the bear stayed. This year, he sits comfortably, again, at his post beside the Not Forgotten Box, waiting to thank all those who bring toys for children, and to guard the toys for Santa Claus till Christmas. And, sometimes, when people come to bring a toy to the box, if they watch very, very closely, and still believe in magic, he smiles."

Since then, the bear – christened "Jingles, the Christmas Bear" by the start of the 1971 campaign – has been the mascot of the Not Forgotten Box. And every year, the Chronicle-Telegram makes the giving season fun by coming up with a new angle to Jingle's story.

In 1995, he was kidnapped and held for ransom for almost a month – and the toys poured in to get him back. When he was set free, as the December 23, 1995 story explained, the abductors had been "won over by the 25-year-old, brown-furred, black-eyed, 3-foot-6, 17-pound symbol of the Chronicle's annual toy collection. They brushed his coat to a gleam. They put a Chronicle T-shirt on him. They tied a holiday bow to his collar.

"Jingles came back to the C-T precisely at 1:30 Friday afternoon, in the passenger seat of a sheriff's cruiser driven by Deputy Steven McCroskey."

In 1996, Jingles got married. His wedding to Noel, a large white plush bear, took place in front of church pews stuffed with er, stuffed bears and other plush animals.

Jingles' best man was a stuffed lion (below) – although I don't know if it was Lloyd or not.

Anyway, here's hoping the Not Forgotten Box is another big success this year – and I'm sure it will be. Special thanks to the Chronicle-Telegram for its devotion and support for their community through its campaign – as well as its dedication to making it fun through the use of their beloved mascot, Jingles.

****

Don't forget – Saturday is the last day for donations at the Not Forgotten Box in the Chronicle-Telegram lobby. Click here to visit the C-T website for all the details, as well as a great gallery of photos of donors posing with Jingles.

Jingles and the Other "Not Forgotten Box" Mascots Part 1

Jingles
(Photo Courtesy Chronicle-Telegram)

Anyone who reads the Chronicle-Telegram is familiar with newspaper's long-running Not Forgotten Box campaign, which begins right after Thanksgiving each year. For more than 50 years, the C-T has stationed the Not Forgotten Box in its lobby to collect new toys and food to benefit local families and ensure that no child is forgotten on Christmas Day.

According to the official history, it all began back in 1956 when a former C-T business manager, C. Russell Stokely, began a toy collection for children at Green Acres Children's Home in Oberlin. At that time, the box was named the "Santa Box." By 1957 (according to my research and contrary to the 1958 date commonly given), the box had acquired its more familiar name.

The official mascot for the Not Forgotten Box is Jingles, a huge stuffed bear. For decades, Jingles has kept an eye on the donation box, and posed for photos with the generous donors who drop by the C-T offices.

But Jingles wasn't always the mascot, according to my research.

In the early years, there didn't seem to be any mascot associated with the campaign. But according to the December 4, 1965 Chronicle-Telegram, a stuffed king of the jungle maintained a vigil next to the toy box that year.

The paper stated, "Joey Denes, 2, wasn't really lion-hunting when he visited the C-T lobby the other day, rifle in hand, with his mother, Mrs. Rudy Denes of RD 1, Diagonal Road, LaGrange. It was a friendly safari, he assured Lloyd, lion mascot of the Not-Forgotten toy box."

Here's the cute photo of Joey and Lloyd that ran with the article (below).

The article also stated, "Lloyd is lonely. Also worried. Lloyd, you recall, is that large lovable plush lion who is serving as mascot this year of the Not Forgotten Box campaign for toys. His post is beside the box in The Chronicle-Telegram lobby where he can welcome all the generous people who bring toys for Christmas giving to children in needy families. Lloyd loves children and wishes a lot of youngsters would come in with their gifts of toys, to meet him and perhaps give him a hug."

Lloyd was featured throughout the campaign that year. Here's another photo and caption (below), that appeared in the paper on December 15, 1965.

I'm not sure how long Lloyd was king of the toy box, but by 1967 some monkey business was underway – along with a new mascot.

He was unveiled in the November 29, 1967 edition of the Chronicle-Telegram in an article written by Connie Davis. 

"Looking for action? Then come over to the lobby of The Chronicle-Telegram. Things are really jumping here now and a big toy monkey with the shiniest brown eyes you ever saw is responsible. He's Jumpin' Jack, mascot for the Not Forgotten toy collection campaign this year. Jack is on loan to us from the Elyria Furniture Company through the courtesy of Myron Averbook. He's going to help us in the big task of collecting about 2,000 toys so that every needy child in the Elyria area will be happy on Christmas morning.

"Jack is a joyous volunteer with a great big smile on his simian face. He loves kids. Whenever he sees a child bringing a toy for the Not Forgotten box he jumps with joy. And how he jumps! His red- and-white checked shirt balloons out, his arms wave up and down. Jack wants every boy and girl in this area to come and see him jump."   

Here's the photo that ran with the article (below).

But when did Jingles make his very first appearance? For that, you'll have to wait until Part 2 of this story is posted tomorrow!

I'll bet you can bearly wait.

****

Don't forget – Saturday is the last day for donations at the Not Forgotten Box in the Chronicle-Telegram lobby. Click here to visit the C-T website for all the details, as well as a great gallery of photos of donors posing with Jingles.

Santa Makes the Front Page of the Lorain Journal – Dec. 9, 1926

If you ever had any doubt about the existence of Santa Claus, this portion of the front page of the December 9, 1926 Lorain Journal –  published 88 years ago yesterday – might convince you otherwise.

Right there on the front page, the paper included a large photo of the beloved icon, with this caption: "Our photographer journeyed all way to Arctic to get exclusive pictures of Santa Claus. The closeup of most popular old gentleman in world, shows he is in good health and ready for a busy Christmas."

The photo is credited to Underwood and Underwood, pioneers in the field of news bureau photography according to this Wiki page.

Anyway, as usual – the other items on the front page are just as interesting as the item being spotlighted. There's a grisly murder in Conneaut (that in the article is compared to a notorious murder earlier that year in Troy, Ohio), as well as a humorous account of paying a traffic ticket "cafeteria-style" in Elyria.

But what about the article with the title, "SHEP DRINKS NITRO; BOOM! IT'S ALL OVER"?

All right (sigh), here it is. It took place on an oil field in Irvine, Kentucky. A dog drank about a pint of nitroglycerin. The oil men tried, but were unable to catch him. So the workers cleared out of the area, and the owner of the dog (fearing that he would come home, I guess) removed his wife and ten children from their home.

The dog ended up chasing a rabbit over a fifty foot precipice. He fell and…well, you know the rest.

They should have erected a monument to that rabbit.

1954 Sears Wish Book Ad

Remember the Sears Wish Book?

That's the subject of today's ad, which in the Lorain Journal on November 4, 1954. It's interesting seeing that the cover was a charming illustration, instead of the photos that we Baby Boomers were used to seeing on the catalog cover in the 1960s.

Here's a color photo of the 1954 Sears catalog depicted in the ad.

Courtesy Ebay

Picking out things that we wanted in the Sears Christmas catalog was an annual ritual in the Brady household during the 1960s. It never occurred to me to question why Santa Claus preferred us to do it that way.

Here's another Wish Book cover, this time from 1968 – one that I'm sure we looked at.

It's funny thinking back about thumbing through the Wish Books. There was such an amazing array of stuff that you could spend hours just soaking it all in.

Courtesy
airplanesandrockets.com

There were always several pages devoted to the Peanuts gang (such as the 1969 page at left), with plenty of books containing reprints of the comic strips. Remember, Peanuts wasn't carried in the Journal in the 1960s, so our only exposure to Snoopy and Charlie Brown besides those paperbacks were the couple of TV specials that were broadcast once a year. (Come to think of it, one of the early specials – Charlie Brown's All-Stars – is never repeated at all.)

One year, my brothers and I all received Sears pajamas for Christmas with Snoopy on them. My Mom has a particularly sappy Christmas shot of the three of us wearing them (which I won't reproduce here – sorry).

The Sears catalog had a lot of exclusive things. I remember that for years Sears had the rights to produce Winnie-the-Pooh products (of which I had many, being a fan of the Disney cartoon). But the book was also filled with all sorts of strange toys that we'd never heard of. I remember seeing a photo of  Jimmy Nelson's Danny O'Day ventriloquist doll and wondering who he was.

Sadly, Sears no longer produces the Wish Book, having ceased in 1993 (click here to read an article about the book's passing.)

If you'd like to relive the memory of flipping through the pages of a Wish Book, though, visit this website. (Someone has gone to the trouble of scanning entire Sears catalogs through the years, so get a glass of milk and some cookies and do some wishin' just like in the old days.)

Finally, click here to visit a page on the Sears Archives website to learn about the history of the Wish Book.

UAW Local 425 Union Hall Dedication – December 1963

Although no one in my family ever worked for Ford, several of my high school buddies' fathers did, as well as several of our neighbors on Skyline Drive while I was growing up.

The Ford plant was a huge part of Lorain's heritage. Together with the steel mill, the shipyards, Thew Shovel, and various other industries, it defined Lorain as a working man's town. That's why it's still so distressing to drive down Baumhart and look over the closed plant (although it's enjoying some success being redeveloped as an industrial park).

Nevertheless, the former UAW Local 425 Union Hall still sits across from the former plant. It's the subject of today's vintage Journal ad from November 30, 1963 announcing its grand opening dedication (below).

Today the hall serves the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America Local 2192. Here is the link to its Facebook page.

Here's my shot of the hall from over the weekend.

National Pharmacy Ad – November 15, 1954

Here's probably the most un-Christmas-like ad I've ever seen for a Lorain store's Christmas promotion.

The ad is for National Pharmacy, and ran in the Lorain Journal on November 15, 1954. It announces the start of the drug store's Christmas contest, in which people were invited to stop in and register to win a variety of prizes.

Courtesy Ebay

Prizes included a Mix Master, a Black Angus Giant Rotisserie, a Handy Hannah hair dryer (at left), a Brownie camera, 5 cartons of cigarettes, a cigarette lighter, an electric waffle iron, an electric toaster, gift certificates and many more.

What's amusing (to me at least) is the lack of any Christmas icons – no Santa Claus, holly, snow men, etc. Just... an organ grinder's monkey, tipping his hat.