It's a small photo with caption from the May 29, 1968 Lorain Journal – 50 years ago. It depicts a simple event (the routine installation of new highway signs) but commemorates something much bigger: the opening of the U. S. Route 20 Bypass around Norwalk.
The construction of these new, limited-access bypasses around cities during the 60s and 70s made it much easier to get around, but it forever changed small town American life. Without that steady flow of traffic through the heart of a city, downtowns deteriorated as businesses suffered and eventually closed.
It's no coincidence that the beginning of Lorain's decline in the 1960s coincided with the opening of the new Route 2.
That's great to hear from the family. So was the Butterfry Diner at 116 West Erie in the RR car diner that was located in that area? Or was that gone by the 1950s?
ReplyDeleteHi Dennis,
ReplyDeleteI believe the old style diner that was located in front of Lorain City Hall was eventually modified to became the Dew Drop Inn.
http://danielebrady.blogspot.com/2011/01/helens-diner-dew-drop-inn.html
The Butterfry was in the building that was located on the northwest corner of Broadway and West Erie:
http://danielebrady.blogspot.com/2011/01/old-time-diners-at-loop.html