Easter Basket of Memories

 

Here's wishing all of you a Joyous Easter!

Above is the obligatory full-page ad for the holiday that ran in the Journal on March 28, 1964. Unlike other sponsored ads I've posted, several businesses listed on this page are still around (with slightly different names), including Anchor Lodge Nursing Home, Rebman's Recreation, Steve Polansky Markets and National Waste Paper.

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Assuming the weather cooperates, there should be a good crowd down at the Lakeview Park Easter Basket (subject of many posts on this blog over the years). As noted back on this 2010 post, when it was first introduced at Lakeview Park in 1941, it was referred to as a floral basket. 

I was poking around eBay the other day, and came up with a postcard for the basket that I hadn't seen (or posted) before. This one calls it a floral basket as well.

It's a good time to remember David Shukait, the man who received the patent for the design and construction of the basket.

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Photographs next to the basket on Easter is a cherished tradition for many families, including the Bradys. For several years from the mid-1950s up to about 1960, Mom and Dad brought us down to Lakeview Park for the annual Easter portrait. It was, and still is, a 'Lorain' thing to do.

Here are two pictures from my parents' first photo shoot at Easter 1956. My sister was a year and half old at the time. (The photo of Mom and her ended up on the front page of the Chronicle-Telegram as part of a photo montage back in 2009, when Rona Proudfoot wrote a comprehensive history of the Lakeview Park Easter Basket.)

The trips down to Lakeview Park at Easter concluded with this portrait below, taken at Easter 1960. Mom's holding your friendly blogger. The little girl at the left hand side of the photo doesn't look very happy.

Earlier in the day that same Easter, we had our fun at home. I've mentioned before how my parents would hide Easter baskets around the house for my siblings and me. We actually had a few baskets each, with candy and hard-boiled eggs in them. I don't remember retrieving the hard-boiled eggs from the baskets and putting them in the fridge. I do remember we ate one a day until they were gone.

And here's me, looking perplexed and puzzled. Note the grass from a basket in on the floor, with eggs strewn about.

Little did I know that I was dressed just like Bob's Big Boy!

The trips down to Lakeview may have ended, but we still managed to get a few more photos of us in our Easter duds in the following years. Here we are at Easter 1965, in front of the house on W. 30th Street. 

Happy memories.

Battle of the Good Friday Fish Sandwiches – March 30, 1972

As noted on Christianity.com, "Good Friday, the Friday before Easter, is the Christian day to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus and His death at Calvary.

"On Good Friday, we remember the day Jesus willingly suffered and died by crucifixion as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins."

As it is a Friday (Good or otherwise), that means no meat for Catholics. And back on Good Friday in March 1972, that provided an opportunity for two of the lesser fast food giants in Lorain to promote their own fish sandwich special and hopefully reel in some customers.

First up is my sentimental favorite: Sandy's. Sandy's offered its fish sandwich for a thrifty 25 cents each or 4 for a dollar. Here's the Journal ad that ran on March 30, 1972.

In case Sandy's didn't hook enough customers with its fish sandwich special, the restaurant chain reminded kids to stop in on Saturday for a free Easter egg give away.

Right next to the Sandy's ad in the same edition of the Journal was this ad for Burger Chef.

Burger Chef (seen in one episode of Mad Men) aimed a little higher creatively – naming its sandwich "Skipper's Treat™" and utilizing some maritime graphics. Unfortunately, its sandwiches were 3 for a dollar – possibly scuttling its hopes of torpedoing Sandy's promotion.

Oddly enough, McDonald's apparently stayed out of the Good Friday finny fray, perhaps hoping the two wannabes would sink each other.

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Although I'm not Catholic, I succumbed to all of the fish fry signs around town and carried out a tasty fish sandwich dinner from Chris' Restaurant on West Erie Ave. last week. Chris' was my Mom's favorite restaurant. I've noted before (on this post) how she often referred to it as Chris Cafe (which was the name of a restaurant in South Lorain). The name 'Chris Cafe' just stuck in her head and was re-assigned to the restaurant on West Erie.

Smith & Gerhart Easter Ad – March 23, 1951

Smith & Gerhart is another iconic Downtown Lorain business, well-remembered by the over-60 Lorain crowd. It was one of the few firms that lasted almost a hundred years, opening in 1893 (as the Boston Store) and closing in 1980.

It was one of the many stores that Mom occasionally visited during our weekly Saturday morning trips downtown (along with Kline's and the dime stores).

One of my best friends in high school got a job as a security guard at Smith & Gerhart when we were seniors. I remember visiting him there in the alley behind the store a few times while he was working.

Anyway, above is the Easter-themed ad for Smith & Gerhart that ran in the Lorain Journal on March 23, 1951 (when the holiday was even earlier than this year's). I like that large bunny clip art (although he has been chopped in half by the Journal art department, like so many other ads).

I'm not sure if I buy the premise of the ad – Easter Gift Suggestions – but Smith & G was hoping Lorainites did. And there's something for everyone; tissue faille blousettes, handbags, pearl chokers for Mom; straw bags for kiddies and teen-agers; dress gloves for the kiddies; and ties and socks (sigh) for dear old Dad.

But who was Mrs. Steven, mentioned in the ad as the name behind the chocolate Easter eggs? Was she a Lorain housewife who lived on Reid Avenue and cranked out chocolates in her kitchen?

Nope. As noted on the Roadshow Collectibles website, ""Julia C. Krafft, 98, the founder of Steven Candy Kitchens Inc., was a farm wife in 1921 when she started the very successful, nationwide firm that manufactured and distributed her Mrs. Steven's Candies. 

Mrs. Steven's Candies proved a very popular item in Chicago for several generations. Her three-pound box that sold for a dollar made it possible during the Depression for people with marginal incomes to purchase a quality box of chocolates. 

"Her candy eventually sold through 22 retail stores and 800 outlets across the country. Mrs Krafft was born on a farm near Wayne, growing up in a log cabin there. After grammar school, she attended Ellis Business College in Elgin. After working for a while as an office manager at a threadwork in Elgin, she married Leslie Steven and lived on a farm. They were later divorced, but she kept the name for her candy. 

"Looking for a second income to help out, she followed a friend's advice and started making fudge. She found an outlet, a drugstore in the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad station and began selling as much candy as she could make. She left the farm, and with $1,000 in capital set up her business in Chicago, selling candy out of a drugstore in the Chicago & North Western station. Her business and cooking abilities came together in the company that continued to expand until she sold the company in 1956."

Faroh's Easter Ad – March 21, 1972

For many of us that are getting up in years, it's hard to imagine growing up in Lorain and celebrating Easter without candy from Faroh's. The company's distinctive chocolates, packaged and labeled with the well-remembered candy cane logo, was an integral component in many an Easter basket.

Anyone who visited the main showroom at the Henderson Drive location in Lorain will never forget the unbelievable selection of goodies.

Above is an almost full-page ad from the company's heyday that ran in the Journal back on March 21, 1972. It lists many of the firm's signature products, such as its delicious cream eggs.

Faroh's Finest Chocolates are still available today at Broadway Boutique and Treats on the first floor of the Ariel Broadway Hotel. To my taste, it's not quite the same as I grew up with – but at least the brand is still around in the 2000's.

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So what is your favorite Easter candy?

Growing up, I was never a fan of the Fruit & Nut eggs. (My siblings and I weren't exactly nuts about nuts.) But I liked just about anything else, especially white chocolate. The Russell Stover cream eggs were pretty good too.

These days, as I slowly proceed into dotage, I find that I like Peeps® the best. I've eaten several cartons of the Cotton Candy Flavored variety already. They're light, and satisfy my sugary cravings. 

And the Party Cake ain't bad either!

I suppose before Easter has passed, I'll have to try some of the (*yawn*) original yellow Peeps®.

I like these things too (below). They're like Nestlé Crunch bars in the shape of a rabbit. And they're cheap!

Januzzi's Easter Ad – March 26, 1954

Januzzi's is one of those iconic Lorain businesses that longtime residents of the city, especially Baby Boomers, remember fondly. 

Above is an Easter-themed ad that ran in the Lorain Journal on March 26, 1954. I like the chicken and her cute chicks holding hands wings, a nice alternative to the omnipresent rabbits in Easter ads.

I've mentioned before that we shopped at all the shoes stores in the area, including those at Midway Mall, O'Neil – Sheffield Center, Pic-way in South Lorain and Januzzi's.

How long had Januzzi's been around? An article in the October 8, 1980 Journal noted, "Tomorrow marks the 55th year in business for Enrico Januzzi, founder of the Januzzi chain of shoe stores in Lorain and Elyria. Now 79 years young, he began in 1925 – before Lindberg crossed the Atlantic – by repairing shoes in the basement of his home at 506 W. 28th St., Lorain. He also worked in the then National Tube plant. He moved the business to Broadway and 29th in 1933 and in 1949 began selling new shoes. 

"Today there are three generations of Januzzis managing this family business.

"Today there are Januzzi stores on Broad Street in Elyria, in the Oakwood Shopping Center and the main "Professional Shoe Fitting" headquarters at 26th and Broadway, a location chosen in 1940."

The business eventually moved out to the Sheffield Center on Route 254 in 1981, becoming Januzzi's Select-A-Shoe with name brand footwear at budget prices, a "rack store with customers waiting on themselves," according to Carmen Januzzi at the time.

Today, the Januzzi brand lives on in Amherst at Januzzi's Footwear Solutions.

The former Januzzi's store on Broadway today

Midway Mall Easter Ad – March 16, 1972

Well, it's Easter week – so longtime readers know that means it's time for my traditional Easter parade of vintage ads.

First up is this attractive, full-page ad for Midway Mall heralding the appearance of the Easter Bunny that ran in the Journal back on March 16, 1972. I really like the artwork of the Easter Bunny casually leaning against a basket the size of the one in Lakeview Park (although an egg-rattling earthquake is seemingly in progress).

I don't recall Mom and Dad ever taking my siblings and me to see the Easter Bunny in a department store. In fact, I don't think I ever had a clear image in my mind what a rabbit who delivered Russell Stover and Faroh's Candy, as well as hard-boiled eggs, would look like. Was he six feet 3 and 1/2 inches tall like Harvey in the movie of the same name? Or was he just a little bigger than your average garden variety rabbit? 

Plus, the Easter Bunny didn't bring toys, so there wasn't any pressing reason to visit him before the holiday. I do recall that my parents did put little wind-up toys in our baskets one year.  

Anyway, over the weekend I had to stop at PetSmart across the way from Midway Mall. It was pretty depressing looking over at the now almost empty shopping complex that's slowly morphing into something else entirely. 

For so many years in the late 60s and entire 1970s, Midway Mall truly was the shopping and entertainment hub of Lorain and Elyria, hosting a variety of special events, shows, school exhibits and performances. There's a lot of sentimental memories there for locals. It's hard to imagine that today's youth will look back decades from now with the same kind of affection for shopping meccas like Crocker Park or Legacy Village (which are designed to look like Downtowns) that we have for Midway Mall. 

Gartner's New Supper Club Grand Opening – March 23, 1954

Gartner's Inn, located near the Elyria – North Ridgeville border on U. S. 20 (Center Ridge), has showed up on this blog as a topic a few times.

It seems to have been around since the early 1940s at the very least, judging by online newspaper mentions. Located 'out in the country' back then, it seemed to have been – not unlike Timbers Nite Club – a magnet for trouble and various violations.

Perhaps that's why the inn seemed to be trying to rehabilitate its image a few times. A 1947 New Year's Eve ad promoted the 'new' Gartner's Inn. And in March 1954, Gartner's Inn changed its name to Gartner's Supper Club. Here's the March 23, 1954 nearly full-page ad making the announcement. Note entertainer Lee Sullivan was the headliner.

So what's a supper club?

It seems to have been a Wisconsin thing that perhaps spread to other parts of the country. A supper club is more or less a restaurant. but a little more exclusive and intimate, with limited seating and a fixed menu. There was also more emphasis on ambiance.

Perhaps Gartner's was just trying something new to see if it worked. Nevertheless, within a few years ads for the business seemed to be unable to decide if it wanted to be called a supper club, an inn or a lounge bar. 

Here's a smaller ad that ran in the Lorain Journal on February 26, 1954, prior to the official Grand Opening in March.

By the early 1960s, it was back to being Gartner's Inn before changing to Porter House around 1963.

It was the Porter House for several years until it became Tiffany's Steak House and Brew in the early 1970s – continuing under that name until around 1996.
After a year with no directory listing, the address became the home of Lite Rock Cafe beginning in the 1998 book. After that, the address was host to a variety of businesses, some at the same time, including Home Plate Cafe, Roca Bar & Grill, Guys-N-Dolls, the Country Ridge, and Crissy's Lounge. 

Today, it is unclear if Indigo Salon still occupies part of the building.

LaGana Fish Article – March 23, 1954

Easter is coming up quick, so that means fewer Lenten fish fries are left (although many organizations hold fish fries all year long).

Does anyone still fry fish at home? I'm guessing that most people prefer to go to a fish fry and enjoy the social aspect of it, rather than make a mess in their kitchen at home.

But seventy years ago, it seems that cooking fish at home was possibly the norm in Lorain – judging by this article that ran in the Lorain Journal on March 24, 1954.

"Tangy, fresh-caught Lake Erie fish have been heading for Lorain Lenten tables all this week, with boatloads of perch, pickerel and pike pouring over lakefront docks.

"Veteran city fisherman Pete LaGana produced more than a half-ton of fish – almost 90 percent perch – during each of the first two days this week, a check showed.

"A rush of Lorain housewives with families hungry for fresh-caught finny dinner grabbed up the catch "on order" even before it hit the docks, Mrs. LaGana said.

"The scarcity so far of pickerel is due to uncertain weather on the lake in early spring, Mrs. LaGana stated. With more than $6,000 worth of nets in the water now, she pointed out, the fishermen hesitate to lay the even more expensive pickerel and pike nets. A sudden windstorm, for which Lake Erie is notorious, could cost LaGana his entire investment.

"Daily trips start in the pre-dawn dark, with the fishing boats hitting the docks at about 2 p. m.

"The fish are in Broadway stores by 3 p. m. and usually all have passed over the counter by 6 p. m."

How did they ever clean all those fish?

The article explained, "Workmen in the processing plant in the rear of the store were busy early today boning and scaling Tuesday's catch. Iced immediately, the finny morsels are cleaned and packed largely by machine."

I'm sure most longtime Lorainites bought fish or some other seafood at LaGana's store on Broadway at some point in their lives. I remember being sent there by Mom to pick up fish. Later, Dad caught all the perch and walleye we could eat (two of his fishermen friends owned boats). Dad used to clean them himself, later he would take them to a fish-cleaning place around W. 21st and Leavitt.

Fisher Foods Stokely Ad – March 18, 1954

Advertising mascots of the past are one of my specialities here on the blog, with such old friends as Reddy Kilowatt, Speedy Gas Flame and Willing Water making regular appearances. National advertising mascots such as Sparky the Fire Dog, Smokey Bear, Tony the Tiger, and Sugar Bear also show up, since they were featured in ads in the Journal.

But every once in a while, I see a mascot that is completely new to me – like the guy in the ad above for Fisher Foods promoting a sale on Stokely products. The full page ad appeared in the Lorain Journal on March 18, 1954.

Here's a closer look at him. Who is he – a shirttail cousin to 'Pop' of Rice Krispies fame?

No, his name is Easy (good thing he's a guy mascot) and he symbolizes the 'Easy Does It' philosophy of Stokely and its food preparation convenience. He seems to have first appeared in the late 1940s.

Here's Easy in a short clip from a 1948 Stokely Van Camp promotional film (and here's the link to the whole film). 

One online blogger identified Easy's voice as voice artist Dick Beals, who also did Speedy Alka-Seltzer and various voices for animation studios.

Easy didn't seem to be utilized very much, and it's not very, uh, easy to find him in 1950s ads. Magazine ads rarely featured him. Here's one that did, for Stokely Van Camp's Pork & Beans.

However long Easy's reign was as a symbol of Stokely, he was apparently well-known enough to be immortalized as a ceramic advertising figure.

By the 1960s, Easy seems to have been retired. Here's hoping the little guy is 'taking it easy" in the Retired Ad Mascot Hall of Fame.

Kensington-on-the-Lake Ad – March 21, 1964

I've lived in Vermilion since May of 2018, but am still learning my way around the city. Much like my hometown of Lorain, a river runs through it – and you tend to spend more time on the side that you live on. Thus there are areas of town that I just haven't explored.

Thus when I saw the ad above for Kensington-on-the-Lake in the 'Suburban Property' section of the March 21, 1964 Journal, I didn't immediately recognize that the area it was promoting. It turns out that it's actually part of the Vermilion-on-the-Lake neighborhood, just a few minutes from where I live now.

The ad is a study in contrasts. On one hand, it seems designed to appeal to those with a taste for the finer things in life, with its promise of an "Exclusive Country Club membership facilities and private beach and play area." But it specifically reaches out to Ford workers, mentioning that it is only 2 1/2 miles to the Ford Plant, which is also depicted on the map to the model home.

Speaking of that map, it seems to be a little off (as usual), if one expects to find the same model home in the photo located where it is shown in the drawing. A short drive over to Berkely and Kensington shows a different house (with no attached garage) on that corner.

Drive down Kensington, and you'll find the same house as the model home (sans garage), over and over.

But what's nice is that many of the home owners remodeled their houses (changing the roof line, etc.) making each one unique and distinctive. Best if all, the homes are affordable and still a short walk from the lake – the point of the 1964 ad.

Thomas Penson, Civil War Vet Passes Away – March 1920

Thomas Penson's grave in Brownhelm Cemetery

By 1920, the Civil War had been over for 55 years. Consequently, veterans of that war were becoming scarcer, and passing away at an alarming rate. The deaths of these solders who fought to preserve the union often made the front page of their local newspapers.

The Lorain Journal was no different, and featured many of these brave men and capsule summaries of their war record.

I feature them here on the blog as I find them, since as a member of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, I share the view of that organization that with the passing years, these men and their legacy are in grave danger of being forgotten.

Below is the report of the death of Thomas Penson that appeared on the front page of the Lorain Times-Herald on March 2, 1920. It notes, "Thomas Penson, 85, Civil War veteran and former resident of Brownhelm, died yesterday at the soldiers home in Sandusky.

"Mr. Penson, who was a native of Lincolnshire, England, came to the United States when 14 years of age and became a resident of Brownhelm Township. During the Civil War he served in the 103 Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He is survived by the following sons and daughters: Mrs. Jerry Brown, Brownhelm; Weston Penson, Lakewood; Charles Penson, East [illegible]-st, Lorain; Leva Penson, 1831 Reid-av, Lorain.

"The body was brought to Lorain last night and taken to the home of Leva Penson from where the funeral services will be conducted tomorrow afternoon at 1 o'clock. Burial will be made in the family lot in Brownhelm cemetery."

Here is a report of his death from what I presume is a Sandusky newspaper.

It's interesting that Penson served with the 103rd Ohio Volunteer Infantry, well-known for its one-of-a-kind compound in Sheffield Lake. His record as listed in my copy of Personal Reminisces and Experiences By Members of the One Hundred and Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry lists him as entering the service on August 6, 1862 in Company F; appointed Corporal Jan. 1, 1863; reduced to Private Oct. 1, 1863; and mustered out with company June 12, 1865.

Here is the link to his Find-A-Grave memorial.

More Vintage St. Patrick's Day Ads

St. Patrick's Day is one of those holidays – not unlike Cinco de Mayo or Fat Tuesday (with its obligatory eating of paczkis whether you're Catholic or not) – that grew over the years, getting bigger and bigger in the public consciousness that it became easy to get swept up in the celebration.

But it wasn't always like that. 

Looking at vintage Lorain Journals, I came to the conclusion that in our area, St. Patrick's Day was often only acknowledged by holding a dance. Here's an ad from the Lorain Journal of March 16, 1944.

Morrie Alexander and his 13 piece orchestra provided the dance music. (We met Mr. Alexander before, back on this post.)

Here's another ad from a few years later, running in the paper on March 17, 1951.

Very slowly locally in the 1950s, St. Patrick's Day began to be used as a theme for sales, and perhaps promote St. Patrick's Day as a big event. Here's an ad for the well-known Faroh's Candies that ran in the Journal on March 11, 1955.

As the 1950s progressed, companies such as the Harry Volk Corporation began to make available various collections of illustrations and photographs that could be used for advertising purposes by whoever purchased it. These collections were issued on a regular basis with themes related to holidays and the time of year. Thus it became very easy to assemble an ad with a theme of St. Patrick's Day. However, some of the pieces of artwork were memorably odd, like the art in this ad for Crystal Clear Dry Cleaners that ran in the newspaper on March 14, 1958.

That smirking, bowler-hat-wearing guy just doesn't look very Irish to me. Maybe a clay pipe would have helped. And Begora, he turned up again in a weird ad (Operation "17"?) the following year, for Lorain's Downtown stores.

Going into the 1960s, you can see that the Journal's art department was fully onboard with clip art. This ad from March 16, 1964 uses a huge piece of banner art. Unfortunately, the art had to be cut back to fit – leaving the thumbs of the Irishman hanging out in space by the letters.

Finally, here's the equivalent Downtown Lorain ad with a St. Patrick's Day theme from two years later. Once again, a leprechaun presides over the proceedings. 

Hey, that leprechaun kind of looks like Barney Phillips, the actor! I wonder if he has an extra eye under that green, buckled hat?

Reidy-Scanlan St. Patrick's Day Ads – 1954, 1964 & 1967

The Reidy Scanlan Company has been a favorite topic on this blog, since so many of us shopped there over the years. Blog posts covered its timeline from when its building was under construction to its eventual (and inevitable) demolition.

Nevertheless, the firm was a mainstay of Lorain's central business district and a regular advertiser in the Lorain Journal. Thus it wasn't too hard to come up with some St. Patrick's Day-themed ads.

First up is one from March 1954. It's a fun ad with a nice gimmick, with the firm offering 20% off any item that has 'a bit of green' in it.

By the way, according to online dictionaries, "Begora!" is "an expression of surprise or emphasis," and a euphemism for "By God!"

It's kind of interesting that it really wasn't until the 1950s that ads with lots of 'clip art' (like the ad above) began to appear in the Journal. Up until then, there was a limited selection of tiny graphics that printers could use in a small ad or business card.

Here's the 1964 version. Note that it has a promotional tie-in with the 1964 World's Fair, which would open a little more than a month later.

Begora, that leprechaun lad in the ad still bears a wee resemblance to an ape (as theorized in this article, as well as this one). But that's okay, one of my favorite movie series is the original Planet of the Apes.

Lastly, here's Reidy-Scanlan's 1967 ad. Pretty much the whole ad was constructed using clip art – no furniture this time.

Since Reidy Scanlan's company anniversary fell around mid-March, ads from that time period over the years dealt with that celebration instead of the Irish holiday. In fact, these are the only three St. Patrick's Day ads for Reidy Scanlan that I could find between the late 1940s and early 70s.

Anyway, tomorrow I'll post a veritable Irish Stew of other vintage ads of area businesses in the lead up to the holiday on Sunday. 

U.S.S. Lorain is Launched – March 1944

Eighty years ago today on Monday, March 13, 1944, the U.S.S. Lorain was being prepped for a launch later in the week. Above is the Lorain Journal from that date with the news.

As the article notes, "Lorain's own warship, the U.S.S. Lorain, will slide down the launching ways at the American Shipbuilding Cp. yards here at 12:20 p. m. Saturday.

"Meanwhile, plans went forward for the city celebration which is to accompany the launching of the first warship ever to bear Lorain's name. The U.S.S. Lorain is a 303-foot frigate, built under U. S. Maritime Commission specifications for convoy duty.

"Christening the ship will be Mrs. Fred Henderson, mother of Marine Hero Maj. Lofton Henderson who was killed at the battle of Midway.

"The city is clearing and leveling ground in back of the Eagles-blog at Broadway and 6th-st, which is almost exactly opposite the building berth where the trim warship waits its christening. From this point a clear view of the launching ceremony will be possible. 

"Launching here the warship Lorain will add further to the city's 46-year shipbuilding tradition, and will in fact come pretty close to being on the 46th anniversary of the launching of the first ship here by the American Shipbuilding Co.

"It was on April 13, 1898 that the company launched the Superior City, 430-foot ore carrier which at that time was the largest vessel on the Great Lakes. Many of the men who worked on the Superior City also have had a part in the building of the Lorain.

"The Superior City proved her worth in 22 years of operation on the Great Lakes, but was lost in a collision in 1920."

The launching came off without a hitch on Saturday. 

Lorain's own Admiral Ernest J. King flew home to attend the christening and greet Mrs. Henderson.

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This United States Coast Guard website includes the story of the U.S.S. Lorain. The Wiki entry for the U.S.S. Lorain also provides a history of the ship as well as a photo.