Thursday, March 30, 2017

Ohio Turnpike Signs That Time Forgot

On a Sunday afternoon in late December 2016, I had to make a trip to Elyria. On the way home, I shot this photo of some ancient street signs located where Lorain Boulevard meets Lake Avenue.

The Ohio Turnpike sign is a rare die-cut version that you just don’t see any more. The sign pointing in the direction of Midway Mall has seen better days too – much like the mall itself.

That’s a Family Dollar in the photo on the left in the background.

While preparing this post, I looked at an aerial on Bing Maps of where the sign is located. Strangely enough, the now-demolished former Greyhound station was still in the photo where the Family Dollar is now located.

I remember having to catch a bus at that Greyhound station, but I’ll be doggoned if I can remember when that was – and where I was going!

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I just dug through my photo files and came up with another one of those faded, die-cut Ohio Turnpike signs. This one (below) is located in Huron near the intersection of Route 6 and Main Street on the south side of the highway looking east. I photographed it in 2016.

Interestingly, the Google Maps view from 2013 shows a different sign (below). Maybe somebody clobbered it with their car, necessitating dragging the older one out of retirement as a replacement.


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dan, Just wondering, Why does the picture from 2013 have a green field in the background, while your picture from 2016 have some older looking buildings in it ?? Bill N

Dan Brady said...

Hi Bill! That's a real good question. I know that it is the same burgundy building but I'm beginning to wonder if the sign was in a different position or even on a different street relative to the building. My memory is pretty lousy, but the sign may have been on Main Street as opposed to the main highway; I 'll see if I can figure it out by reviewing the aerials.

Dan Brady said...

Another theory is that my photo is much older than I thought. The date on it was 2016 but it was in a 2011 pictures folder on my iMac--not sure what that means!

geneingram said...

In Dec. 1958 my Mother, Sister and I arrived at that bus station moving to Lorain from Memphis, after my Father transferred from the Ford Assembly plant to the new plant in Lorain! There was a café in the bus station that had the best chili I have ever eaten, use to go back every so often to get a bowl! I graduated from Lorain High in 1961! D.E. (Gene ) Ingram

geneingram said...

There use to be a drive in restaurant named the "Loop or the Hoop " on 6&2 at the corner and ?? street, the new McDonalds was across the street, and there was a rootbeer bottling plant next door to McDonalds that looked like a castle! When I came home for Christmas leave from the Army in 1965 I dated a waitress from the night shift and one from the day shift, that kept me on my toes , keeping them apart. They use to have so much traffic diving around the Loop they had a guy selling tickets for 25 cents every time you went around, when you parked you could use them as part of the payment for your order! I am glad I found your site, brings back a lot of memories. I use to have a cop buddy there, Don Skodny, wanted me to join the Lorain Police Dept., but after a tour in the Army my blood was as thin as water from a year in the South Pacific, and I couldn't handle the cold and moved back South for a few years. I have no idea how old your group are, I am almost 75, could be way before any of your times.