Although the Super Kmart is gone (with a new Meijer's under construction at that location), it's still a busy intersection, with Dunkin' Donuts, Walgreens, Chase Bank, Taco Bell, a Marathon station, a Sunoco station, a Speedway station, Chipotle, Bob Evans, Days Inn and Denny's, all nearby. Plus a State Route 2 interchange just up the road.
That's why it's rather quaint to think that it was back in July 1966 that a traffic light was first put up in that intersection.
Here's the news coverage of the event as it appeared in the Lorain Journal on July 7, 1969.
The event made it onto the front page of the Amherst News-Times too on the same day.
Looking at the two photos, it's a little hard to know for certain what views are shown. After looking at the Historic Aerials website, I think the government officials in the News-Times photo are standing on the southwest corner and looking north on Leavitt.
There are a few clues. The photos were taken in the afternoon; and Leavitt was widened by then.
Anybody have any ideas?
Anybody have any ideas?
11 comments:
South west corner looking north sounds about right.... that was before my time... but suspect the shopping center was built by 1966 - where the old kmart (now Save-Alot) use to be. It would have been visible (as well as probably the gas station and maybe Denny's) if they were looking south.
I always try to look for shadows. They can help with direction and time of day. Looks like South west side, around early afternoon. Bill N
Amazing. I was driving by then and we lived near there. But I don't remember that intersection without a light and not much around it.
Once State Rt.2 was added to the mix this area became a major bottleneck.
I believe that the pictures were taken from the north west corner of the intersection for a couple of reasons. First, at that time i believe the only construction at that intersection was the Leimbach Atlantic service station on the north west corner, making it a logical place to park the cars of the several officials and reporters that documented the scene. The second picture shows prominent stop signs on both sides of what appears to be a two lane road, which would indicate it was Cooper Foster Park road. Rt 58 had been enlarged about a year previous, and I don't believe there was a four way stop at that intersection. Also, if the bottom photo was indeed looking north some evidence of the Leimbach gas station would appear behind the two men, and only vegetation appears. My opinion for what it is worth.
Thought there was a house on the N/W corner, that was moved north up 58. Around construction time of Super K. Maybe it was alittle west of the intersection, facing Cooper Foster.
Taking a look at whatsupporting data we have available are aerial photos from 1962 and 1969. In 1962 only the NW corner had anything, Leimbach Atlantic as Rick mentioned. By 1969 the only open corner is the NE corner. There are buildings on all 3 others. So what was there in 1969 is conjecture without consulting the directories. We do have another clue. In the second photo we see there are TWO traffic signals, not one. Each signal controls a lane of traffic on Rt 58, one northbound and the other southbound.
Here is what I think. The empty corner behind them is the NE corner. They are standing on the SW corner. The traffic light over the head of the one guy is controlling the southbound traffic we can see lined up. The signal to the right is controlling the northbound traffic. Why they had two lights to do the job of one is beyond me. And like anonymous said, the shadows back up that they are on the SW corner. Also, they seem to be on a sweeping corner. The SW and NE corners were sweeping.
That house was moved to a location right by the old Hoop Restaurant on West Erie Ave in Lorain.It's on Rte 58.
I think it's 1128 Leavitt Rd.
Thanks to everyone for weighing in with your comments and opinions!
That's interesting about the house at 1128 Leavitt. You can see the way it is positioned on the property at its current location (especially the garage) that something unusual occurred. At least the house was salvaged. I wonder if any of the other half-dozen or so ranch homes on the west side of Leavitt that had to make way for the Super Kmart were moved as well?
I'm 68 now, and remember being in the car with my parents. Rt. 58 ran out of paved road and was all gravel heading south on the way out of Lorain.
Almost nothing was around back then.
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