In this case, it's a nice aerial shot showing where the new Lorain Plaza Shopping Center was going to be built. It ran in the Lorain Journal on Tuesday, July 31, 1956.
That’s Meister Road curving down from the east to meet Oberlin Avenue in the foreground. Where they intersect, you can recognize the PURE service station (also seen below).
At that point in time, Jay’s grocery store and Willow Hardware were already open in the small Willow Shopping Center opposite the PURE station. (Jay’s had opened in 1952 and Willow Hardware in 1953.) You can see the shopping center’s distinctive rounded parking lot with frontage lane paralleling Oberlin Avenue in the photo.
Next door immediately to the right (or south) on Oberlin Avenue is the small collection of buildings anchored by Lezber Floors.
Anyway, it’s interesting to see how a commercial area that we’re all so familiar with grew ‘organically’ in the early days.
And here’s a “now” aerial shot of the same area.
And here’s a “now” aerial shot of the same area.
