Thursday, August 15, 2019

1969 Maumee Valley Tourist Ads – Part 1

My parents saved a lot of newspapers related to the July 1969 Moon Landing, including a Plain Dealer dated July 25th that commemorated the astronauts' splash down. That's it above.

That yellowing Plain Dealer also includes the PD Action Tab, a weekly entertainment tabloid.

It was a terrific publication that covered everything: movies; TV; restaurants; nightclubs; the latest pop hits on the radio; motor sports, etc. It had something for everyone.

There was even a section devoted to camping and Ohio tourism suggestions. My copy has a page (below) highlighting the Maumee Valley, along with some of the region’s restaurants and motels.

There’s even a simple map courtesy of the Cleveland Automobile Association providing directions.

I’ve spent some time in that part of the state, and it is history-rich indeed. The Battle of Fallen Timbers, in which General “Mad” Anthony Wayne led his troops to victory over the Northwest Indian Confederation, took place there.

Anyway, looking at the full page of 1969 ads, I wondered: how many of these places are still around today, fifty years later? Let’s pay a visit to a few of them and find out.
The most prominent ad was for Powatomi Inn, part of the Pokagon State Park at Angola, Indiana.

The Powatomi Inn was a favorite subject for postcards, and here’s a nice selection from through the years. (Years indicated are postmark dates.) It looks like a cool place.

(Courtesy digitalcommonwealth.org)
1939
1939
1940
1940
1940
1947
1948
1952
1953
1956
1971
Not surprisingly, the Powatomi Inn is still around, although it seems to have gone through a growth spurt or two.
(Courtesy www.in.gov)
Next: Anthony Wayne Drive-in

No comments:

Post a Comment