Anyone who grew up in Lorain in the 1960s and 70s probably remembers Hole in the Wall beach, located just west of Beaver Park and Oak Point Road. It was one of many places where local teenagers would congregate. Unlike Lakeview Park, however, it was located on private property, so anyone at the beach there was trespassing. Making it worse, it was a little dangerous to access it, since it involved crossing railroad tracks on foot in an area dense with bushes and tall grass.
It was a trouble spot even in the early 1960s, according to the article above, which appeared on the front page of the Journal back on June 11, 1963.
As the article notes, "Police Chief Frank Pawlak today launched a campaign to discourage swimmers from going to the Hole-in-the-Wall swimming area on Lake Erie, west of the Beaver Park Marina.
"He said he has ordered "no parking" signs erected along Rts. 6 and 2 in the vicinity of the swimming area to make it as difficult as possible for would-be swimmers to go to the Hole-in-the Wall area.
"Pawlak's action came on the heels of the beating of three persons at the popular beach last Sunday.
""All of the cars parked in the area will be ticketed since the beach is inside the city limits," Pawlak said.
"Pawlak noted that after leaving the highway where they must park their cars, swimmers must cross the Nickel Plate tracks to reach the beach, which is owned by the railroad.
""It is up to the railroad to keep people from trespassing on their property," he said."
Despite the signs, it was a popular place even when I was in high school in the mid-1970s. I only went there once or twice with my friends, and I worried the whole time I was there that my car might be ticketed or towed.
Sixty years later, you can still see a bunch of cars parked along the highway there, every once in a while, despite a fence designed to keep swimmers out. A 'No Parking' sign is still there, but it's faded – just like my memories of bumming around Lorain with my high school pals in much simpler times.
