The Showboat in Lorain – Part 1

I had heard of a night club in Downtown Lorain called the Showboat, but only knew that it had the same name and theme as a restaurant in Huron in the 1970s. Lorain’s Showboat seemed to be a business that had only a very brief time in the spotlight in the 1950s before disappearing, and I didn’t know its story.

That’s why I was happy to see this two page spread in the February 10, 1950 Lorain Journal. It announces the formal opening of the nightclub, lists the two gentlemen involved in its management – Gus Atthanasoff and Joseph Karhusz – and even includes a photo of the outside.

Here are larger versions of each page in case you want to click on them and read them.

Employees featured in a photo of their own included Helen Wilson, cook; Frances Smith, waitress; Howard Ripple, bartender; Dolores Tracy, waitress; and Hallie Moore, waitress.

The ad includes a lot of detailed information about the restaurant itself and its culinary offerings.

It also mention that “A professional photographer will be on hand every evening to make “on-the-spot” souvenir photographs of you and your party for a moderate charge (if you so desire).”

The Showboat was located at 766 - 770 Broadway (the location of the now-demolished Ghoulardi’s).

Two Rusine’s businesses – Rusine’s Menswear and Rusine’s bookstore – had previously been located at that location since at least the early 1940s. (As we know, Rusine’s moved to a new location just a little further down Broadway.)

Tomorrow: Bugs Bunny “visits” the Showboat