Tuesday, May 17, 2016

The Journal Moves to its New Plant – May 1955

The dark clouds this past Friday night cast an appropriate gloom
over the Morning Journal’s empty offices
It’s sad driving by the Morning Journal’s empty offices and plant down at the Devil’s Elbow and seeing the large AVAILABLE signs on the building. It really drives home the reality that the paper hasn’t been printed in Lorain for a long time.

Here’s the link to the paper’s April reporting of the building being officially available for sale or lease.

But back in May 1955, it was a different story; the future was bright for the Journal and newspapers in general. The paper was in the process of moving from its longtime home (since 1920) on Seventh Street to its brand new plant.

Here’s part of the front page of the last edition printed at the old plant – Saturday, May 7, 1955.

And here’s the front page of the first edition printed on the new presses the following Monday.
I’ve mentioned before how my grandfather worked at the Journal’s Seventh Street plant for years as a linotype operator and repairman. Grandpa had a nice short walk from his house on Sixth Street. He had already moved on to another job by the time the Journal made the move to its Broadway plant in 1955.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Back in the late 70's my very first job (that required a SS for tax purposes) was in the Journal's, distribution center. One of the most fun jobs I ever had. It was also heavy work - stacking bundles of papers and inserting the adds or beloved TV book into the comics or into the paper itself, looking back I enjoyed it. Where else could a 16 year old get a $1.35 an hour for a part time job. But apart from what the story said, the distribution center potion of the building was not air conditioned. Luckily most times I was working was at night (for the Sunday AM paper)so it was cooler. Sad to see it go, fond memories of that place and the Red Head (I think) station on across the street where we bought a pepsi at 2:30 in the morning.

Jennifer said...

I just moved back to Lorain and buildings like the Journal depress me. It's time to put life back into this city!