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| June 27, 1941 Amherst News-Times ad |
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.
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| 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.
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| The area today |
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| Same area in 1952, showing orchards |
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| 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. **** Here's another mention of Ashbolt Orchards in the Amherst News-Times. This is from the July 7, 1939 edition.  |
So why were the Ashbolt Orchards sold and rezoned for housing?The sale of the land reminds me of another orchard that was sold and rezoned,the Spiegelburg Orchards on the end of Broadway in Lorain.Practically neighbors.Both families cashed in and became instant millionaires.But the patriarchs rolled over in their graves and are still crying over the destruction of the orchards that they lovingly tended to over the years.Then boom,in the blink of an eye it was all over.How's that old B.B. King song go?-The Thrill Is Gone.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn’t be too hard on the families. It’s difficult sometimes to keep family businesses going. What was a passion for the founders of an business (whether it’s a farm or orchard) doesn’t always transfer to their children, resulting in a sale that transforms the landscape in a manner that many object to. It’s disappointing but understandable when it happens.
ReplyDeleteOur Family's lot dead ended on Cherrywood Drive and Ashbolt Drive. They wanted to buy my Father out and extend the Cherrywood to North Ridge Road. That would have made a nice outlet for all the traffic from Clearview School. If they would have bought my Dad out and the land on each side you would have had 20 more houses. That land was Black River Township. I believe this was after the Korean War so you had a need for houses and all the new babies coming into the world. Different times so don't compare the two orchards. Why did they waste all that good land on North Ridge for the dead in those cemeteries?
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