Thursday, January 29, 2015

Not White Castles... But Blue Castles

From time to time, I receive photos and reminisces from people who graciously allow me to share them on the blog with my readers. Here's one of them.

The subject of the above photograph is a restaurant with Castle in its name. But it's not the Castle, or even a White Castle – it's the Blue Castle.

Linda Ellis sent me the above photo in a recent email. According to Linda, it's circa 1950 and depicts the inside of the Blue Castle restaurant in Lorain. Her aunt,  Helen Zagorsky Hendry, is standing to the right of the restaurant's owners, Edward and Loretta.

I'd heard of the Blue Castle, but it wasn't until I did a little research for this post that I discovered that there were several restaurants in the area by that name. The earliest appearance was the Blue Castle Sandwich Shop in the 1945-46 Elyria City Directory. The restaurant was run by Al Kaufer and was located at 588 W. Broad in Elyria.
October 26, 1945 ad from the Chronicle-Telegram
By the time of the 1947 directories, the Blue Castle name has disappeared from the Elyria book and resurfaced in the Lorain edition. The Blue Castle Sandwich Shop was located at 116 West Erie and was run by Robert L. Haff and Joseph S. Downie.

You can see the Blue Castle Sandwich Shop's neon sign
at the left hand side of the building; a bus is parked in front of it on West Erie
Strangely enough, in that very same 1947 edition, Eddie's Blue Castle – run by Edward and Loretta Easton – was listed at 723 Broadway.
May 24, 1946 ad from the Lorain Journal
October 25, 1946 ad from the Lorain Journal
Courtesy Paula Shorf Collection
By the time of the 1950 Lorain directory, the Blue Castle Sandwich Shop was still at 116 West Erie, but it looks like thar wasn't room enough in this hyar town for two Blue Castle's – so one had to go. Eddie Easton's business became listed in the book as Eddie's Confectionery. His business also moved to 611 Broadway.

Within two years, the Blue Castle name would disappear entirely from the Lorain city directories. The Butterfry (there's a healthy-sounding name for a restaurant) replaced it at 116 West Erie.

Thanks to Linda Ellis for sharing one of her cherished family photos.
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7 comments:

  1. Miss MerryJanuary 29, 2015 at 8:40 AM

    So glad I found your blog. I really enjoy all your research!

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  2. Dan BradyJanuary 29, 2015 at 8:45 AM

    Thanks, Miss Merry – glad you found it!

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  3. AnonymousJanuary 29, 2015 at 9:38 AM

    That first photo is GREAT. I love looking at those books.

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  4. Exploring Almost Forgotten Gravesites in the Great State of OhioJanuary 29, 2015 at 4:35 PM

    Thank you Dan so very much! I am so thrilled to read this descriptive write-up of the Blue Castle Sandwich Shop in Lorain. I can thank my Aunt Irene Zagorsky Ferner who allowed me to snap a photograph of the original photograph that she had of the inside of the Blue Castle where her sister, Helen Zagorsky Hendry worked and that she was also in the photograph. Enjoy all of your posts Dan!! Without your hard work and research, so much Lorain, and Lorain area history would just be lost.

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  5. AnonymousJanuary 29, 2015 at 5:50 PM

    Dan, The picture of the Blue Castle on West Erie, reminds me of a building in one of your earlier posts. This one is on EAST Erie. http://danielebrady.blogspot.com/2013/10/the-building-at-1368-e-erie.html

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  6. AnonymousJanuary 29, 2015 at 5:56 PM

    Thursday, October 10, 2013
    The Building at 1368 E. Erie Avenue,

    I don't think that link worked, so here is the post I was thinking about.

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  7. Dan BradyJanuary 29, 2015 at 9:33 PM

    Wow, you're right - they're practically identical. And both were on US 6, only about a mile or so apart.

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