More on Ashbolt Orchards

June 27, 1941 Amherst News-Times ad

So where were Ashbolt Orchards located?

That’s a good question that I’ve been asked several times, via email as well as comments left on the blog.

Vintage ads for Ashbolt Orchards only list the address as Foster Park Road, or State Route 254. A 1945 article in the Van Wert Times Bulletin refers to Ashbolt’s "Detroit Road farms.” And several ads from the Amherst News-Times lists ‘Foster Park Road’ as the address, with the explanation: First road south of Penfield Junction, between Lorain and Elyria.

That area where the orchards were located was well outside Lorain city limits, so it’s not too surprising that directions were included in the ad.

But I agree with longtime blog contributor Rick Kurish that Ashbolt Orchards were most likely located on today’s Cooper Foster Park Road between South Broadway and Oberlin Avenue. Driving that stretch of highway today reveals many streets on both sides of the highway named for orchards or the varieties of fruits grown on orchards. Borman's Farm still operates a roadside stand offering their seasonal fruits and vegetables.

As Rick noted, Ashbolt Drive can be found on older maps, right at the end of Cherrywood Drive. I suspect that the street wouldn’t have that name unless it occupied at least part of the former Ashbolt Orchards – particularly where cherries were grown.

Portion of a 1960s Champion Map

It’s still on the Lorain County Auditor website. 

But Ashbolt Drive is pretty much just a paper street today. I had hoped to take a photo of the street sign, but there’s no street that I can see. Cherrywood just dead-ends.

Looking at some vintage aerials, there were several impressive orchards where Cherrywood Drive is today, so I wouldn’t be surprised if that was the location of Ashbolt Orchards. 

The area today

Same area in 1952, showing orchards

A composite of the above two images

As Rick noted, there were and still are many orchards in that area of Cooper Foster Park, so unfortunately I don’t know for sure at this time if I have it right about the Ashbolt Orchards location. Even now, Dennis Thompson – another longtime contributor to this blog – is helping by reviewing old plat maps at the Lorain County Auditor's office, as well as vintage aerials.

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Here's another mention of Ashbolt Orchards in the Amherst News-Times. This is from the July 7, 1939 edition.