Swing Bridge Over the Black River

I was recently alerted by blog contributor Doug that there were some unique, vintage Lorain photographs for sale on eBay right now. 

Above is one of the photos, showing traffic on the old swing bridge over the Black River. It's a neat shot. 

Here's another great photo of the bridge (below), with a streetcar going over it, currently on eBay.

And here's another one from the same batch.

The bridge was still making the news in 1939 – by breaking down. The December 19, 1939 Lorain Journal reported, "Lorain's antiquated Erie-av swing bridge, now being replaced by a new bascule span, broke down this morning, cutting off heavy Lake-rd traffic 55 minutes and producing one of the worst traffic snarls in months.

"At 9:05 a. m., the swing bridge swung open to let pass a concrete mixing barge of the Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. The the mechanism in the turntable refused to mesh for the return trip.

"The breakdown this morning, one of the longest in the 40-year history of the bridge, was believed caused by a stone or bolt "thrown on the turntable of the structure."

This swing bridge was actually the second swing bridge over the Black River. An earlier version had been constructed, along with the viaduct, in 1890. It was replaced by the second swing bridge in 1900. This eBay photo for sale shows what I believe is the inscription of its construction.

The second swing bridge was replaced by the Bascule Bridge in September 1940.

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One of the interesting things in the photo at the top of this post is seen in the background, across the river.

It's the monument with the inscription, "In 1807 a trading post with the Indians was established near this site by Nathan Perry, Jr. that resulted in the settlement of Lorain which in pioneer days was known as the 'Mouth of the Black River."

I wrote about this monument back here in 2012.

Here's a postcard that includes the monument in the lower right hand corner.

And here's a photo of it circa 1960s in the Lorain Public Library files.

And lastly, when I bought my Pentax K1000 in 1979, I drove around Lorain taking photos with it. One of the things I photographed was this monument. By then, the roadbed around the stone was pretty much gone, half of it having fallen in the river. And the monument was nicely paint-splattered.

Eventually, the monument was moved to a new location nearby. It seems to have that sinking feeling, though.

Chicken Delight Ad – April 3, 1964

Lorain old-timers remember when Chicken Delight had a store on W. 21st Street near Leavitt Road. It held its Grand Opening in Feb. 1964, and was one of the first (if not the first) fast-food chicken restaurants on Lorain's west side.

 

(Minnie Pearl's Chicken restaurant opened a few years later on Leavitt in September 1969, and Colonel Sander's Kentucky Fried Chicken didn't show up on Oberlin Avenue until April 1971.)

A few months after it opened, Chicken Delight ran this ad (below) in the Lorain Journal on April 3. 1964.

It's a fairly amusing ad now. People (usually an insufferable boss and his wife) dropping in for dinner unexpectedly seems to only happen in old Blondie comic strips.

Chicken Delight had a pretty good concept, with memorable advertising and a great mascot. Here's a 1963 radio spot.

Best of all were the delivery vehicles with the Chicken Delight mascot roosting on the roof.

Thinking back, we probably only had it once in the Brady household. That's because Mom made her own tasty fried chicken, and as I recall, we always had honey on the table. I still like to dip fried chicken in honey.

The concept of honey-flavored fried chicken was the whole idea behind this restaurant chain (below).

But launching the chain eventually turned out to be a boo boo, and today there's only one Yogi Bear's Honey Fried Chicken left, in Hartsville, South Carolina. It's on my bucket of chicken list to eat there someday.

Anyway, as I mentioned in earlier Chicken Delight posts, the chain still exists, up in the land of Maple Leafers. Here's the link to its website. But don't try to order and have it delivered; the DoorDash® driver would have to cross the U. S. Canadian border, and there's a good chance the border agents might confiscate it, especially if it is near dinner time.

Pick-N-Pay Ad – April 29, 1964

Although today's grocery stores rely on loyalty programs (such as Giant Eagle's myPerks) to retain customers, decades ago there were other ways to keep shoppers coming back. Of course, some stores gave out Top Value Stamps, which could be redeemed for a variety of gifts. But there were other more creative efforts as well. These included encyclopedia promotions in which a different book was offered each week until the whole set was complete, and similarly, dinnerware offers in which you could piece together a set dish by dish.

And then there were the contests and giveaways, such as the Pick-N-Pay "Spot-O-Gold" promotion. Here's the two-page spread from the Journal of April 29, 1964.

The contest was a cash giveaway. Shoppers received a free "Spot-O-Gold" Dividend Card, which they were instructed to bring with them on their shopping strips to Pick-N-Pay. When their card had been "properly punched," the store manager removed the gold spot to reveal their reward. (The rules don't make it clear how many punches were needed.) At the very least you would win a buck.

I like the illustrations in the ad. The store manager is depicted as they usually are in newspaper ads, smiling, with a white coat and bow tie.

I like the other grocery guy with the basket of loot. I hope he wasn't going to take it on the lamb lam.

The late David Howat was a big fan of Pick-N-Pay, as he cherished the memories of shopping at the W. 21st Street store with his mother when he was a tyke. He sent me this photo of an employee hat he had in his archives.

David also sent me this 1958 photo taken inside a Pick-N-Pay store. It's labeled as being the 'Lorain' store, but I suspect it means Lorain Road in Cleveland. The back of the photo indicates that the store manager (Don Wilcox) lived in Lakewood, and the Maher family lived on W. 181st Street.

But it's a nice little slice of life, showing a typical family out buying groceries. Dad looks kind of apprehensive, though.

Contrary to today, when men do just as much shopping for food as women (or possibly more), my own father never went grocery shopping. It was Mom's job, usually on Friday nights when I was a kid. 

I wrote about those days back here in 2011.

Streetcar Era Memories – April 29, 1964

During the last 15 years, I haven't done very much on this blog about the Lake Shore Electric (LSE), the interurban system that ran between Cleveland, Toledo and Detroit. Why? Because it's much better to leave it to the experts: Drew Penfield and his Lake Shore Rail Maps website, which features many contributions and photos from archivist and historian Dennis Lamont. I've been fortunate to become acquainted with both of these fine gentlemen through my blog, and both have helped me immensely over the years with my research.

But occasionally, I do post the odd piece about the Lake Shore Electric, as well as the Lorain Street Railway, its local subsidiary which provided streetcar service in Lorain. 

Above you see a full-page of vintage streetcar photos from the April 29, 1964 Journal. The reason for the article is the publication of the first volume of The Lake Shore Electric by Harry Christiansen, one of the earliest books on the subject.

As the article notes, there was much enthusiasm on the part of individuals and organizations to acquire a copy of the book. Libraries, former LSE employees and even some who remembered riding the LSE were clamoring for their edition.

"The trolley car "era" actually ended just 26 years ago next month, to be succeeded by city and inter-city buses," stated the 1964 article. "Final drama was the passing of the big orange Cleveland - Toledo interurbans on May 14, 1938."

It's odd to think that the date of the streetcars being replaced by buses was only about 20 years before I was born.

My dad (who was born in 1921) remembered the streetcars and interurbans. But Mom (born in 1927) didn't – but it's not surprising because she didn't get out of town very much, and walked everywhere as a young girl. By the time she was in high school, buses had taken over.

Anyway, thanks to the efforts of Drew and Dennis, there's a permanent tribute to the interurbans online, helping to ensure that era isn't forgotten.

P.O.C Beer Ad – April 23, 1954

P.O.C. Beer has long been the subject of a mystery: what do the letters P.O.C. stand for?

The well-remembered beer was pretty popular in the Cleveland area, being brewed here.

According to the Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, P.O.C. stood for "Pilsner of Cleveland" since it was brewed by the Pilsener Brewing Company located near the intersection of Clark Avenue and W. 65th. But in the ad above from the April 23, 1954 Lorain Journal, P.O.C. could also stand for other things, depending on the ad campaign, such as "Premium of Course." Over the years, I also heard of other answers to the P.O.C. mystery: Pride of Cleveland, Pilsener On Call, etc.

The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History entry notes that in 1963, the brewery was purchased by the Duquesne Brewing Company, so P.O.C. was re-imagined to stand for "Pleasure on Call."

The brew has made a few comebacks, most recently in 2016 as a craft pilsener by Double Wing Brewing Company. 

Here is the link to the page on its website for P. O. C. Pilsener.

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I hope that the latest version of P.O.C. is successful. It's pretty tough to get beer drinkers to switch brands (unless they are influenced by so-called influencers).

I know my taste in beer has evolved since the mid-1970s. When I was old enough to drink, my inaugural beer-drinking choice was 3.2% Miller. In college, my favorites were Genesee Cream Ale and later, Rolling Rock. (I can't forget Old Dutch, since my parents used to bring me a six-pack when they visited me in the dorm at Ohio State.) 

After college, I haven't had too much beer in the last 40+ years; when I do, it's usually a brand with nostalgic appeal, like Carling's Black Label or Hamm's (which is in my fridge right now). But I will have the occasional Guinness on St. Patrick's Day. In fact, I made Slow Cooker Guinness Beef Stew last year for my workplace's St. Paddy Day luncheon and it was a hit. Of course, we had to limit servings, since each bowl of stew had some brew in it.

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P.O.C. Beer has been served up on this blog a few times. This post featured a 1949 hockey-themed ad; and this 1954 ad include an appearance by Pilsner Pete.

Sugardale Cold Cuts Ad – April 15, 1964

I saw this ad for Sugardale Cold Cuts that ran in the Lorain Journal back on April 15, 1964 and it got me thinking.

No, not about Hamlet, the cheery porcine Sugardale ad mascot. I'm referring to just how much America's eating habits regarding lunch have changed over the last sixty years.

Back in the 1960s and 70s, Mom always bought a lot of lunch meat each week at the grocery store, or Lawson's. Lunch was always a sandwich for Dad and us kids, with an incredible selection of lunch meat to choose from: bologna (or baloney if you prefer), hard salami, olive loaf, pickle and pimento, Canadian Bacon, beef log, chicken loaf (a loaf of chicken?), chipped chopped ham, very crumbly corned beef slices, souse, and Dutch Loaf.

The Sugardale ad above has a more limited selection in its pre-packaged 'cold cuts' (a term Mom never used): bologna, pickle and pimento loaf, and Berliner. 

Berliner?

I had to look that one up. The German Butchery website says it is 'a mildly flavored fully cooked German cold cut made out of finely minced pork. And the Pendle Hill Meat Market website describes it as 'a traditional German sausage made with a blend of pork and beef. Finely ground and seasoned with a savory blend of spices.' Strangely, both companies are located in Australia. Hey, I thought they ate Vegemite sandwiches Down Under.

Fast forward to the 2000s, and it's generally accepted that lunch meat is somewhat unhealthy. This Cleveland Clinic article tells the sad tale of how processed meats are high in calories and low in protein. (Conversely, the Sugardale ad boasts that the company's meat products 'give you a new way too put Protein Glow in your lunches.)

And sandwiches seem to have lost their appeal these days, perhaps due to everyone trying to cut their carbs. Most people I know seem to bring leftovers for their mid-day repast. As for me, I tend to have a light lunch of Cup-a-Soup, although a sandwich made of lunch meat sounds pretty good right now.

Perhaps by the power of suggestion, this blog post will usher in a glorious comeback for cold cuts in the Lorain County area.

Proposed Rt. 254 in the News – April 1964

For those of us that depend on State Route 2 for a quick and easy way to get to Sandusky, or to connect up with I-90 to the east towards Cleveland, it's odd to think of the days before it was built.

State Route 2 been a favorite topic on this blog, since I remember when a piece of it was built here, then another chunk there, etc. It took a while before it all connected up and was technically finished. Although for a while the state couldn't decide what to call it, it was eventually designated State Route 2, and the familiar name "6 & 2" (Federal Route 6 and State Route 2) along the lakeshore was broken up forever.

Back in April 1964, the limited access highway we know as Route 2 was being referred to as State Route 254, and its planning and financing was in progress. That's the topic of the article above, which appeared in the Journal back on April 15, 1964.

The map shows that Rt. 254 would join up with I-90 to the east, just as Route 2 does now. But as the caption notes, "Eventually as routes are completed, I-90 becomes one limited access route from Boston, Mass. to the west coast. The proposed Rt. 254 will join I-90 and eventually become part of of that route. I-90 now crosses Lorain County as part of the Ohio Turnpike."

It sure sounds like I-90 was originally planned to be its own route separate from the Turnpike. I even remember my parents mentioning that we would be able to get on I-90 at Leavitt Road and take it all the way to Mt. Rushmore. But as we all know, west of the Rt 57 interchange, I-90 gloms onto the Ohio Turnpike, and Route 2 follows its own route west towards Sandusky and Toledo.

The map also shows U. S. 6 as being part of the new highway, rather than State Route 2. That didn't happen either.

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Also on the page: we get a look at pretty Miss Lorain, Maria Arvanitis; a story about Ohioan Mrs. Jerrie Mock, who was attempting to become the first woman to fly around the world alone (she made it); and a Lorain City Planning Commission article in which local restaurant entrepreneur Richard Head was requesting some rezoning of the property near his Hoop Drive-in at Leavitt and W. Erie.

Ohio Edison Ad – April 1, 1953

"Keeping Ahead of the Joneses" is the theme of this stylish Ohio Edison ad that ran in the Lorain Journal back on April 1, 1953. But while the similar phrase "Keeping up with the Joneses" normally refers to the act of trying to compete with neighbors who might be in a slightly better economic standing, this ad has a different angle. It depicts how Ohio Edison is committed to being ready to supply electricity to a variety of different Joneses in the early 1950s.

And of course our old pal Reddy Kilowatt makes an appearance.

As for the Joneses in the text, the first ones (shown in an illustration as your basic nuclear family) are new householders that are "finding it to their advantage to live electrically through greater use of electric appliances." It's a little odd that they are referred to 'new customers' as the family doesn't exactly look like they were participants in the rural electrification program.

The second Jones is an industrialist whose factory uses "tens of thousands of kilowatt hours of electricity" each year. I like the chart on the wall with the upward arrow. Business is good!

The last Jones is shown as a pipe-smoking atomic scientist, symbolizing Ohio Edison's involvement in the construction of power plants to supply energy requirements of the Atomic Energy Commission's Portsmouth Gaseous Diffusion Plant in Pike County, which produced enriched uranium. (You can read about it here on Energy.gov.) Today, the plant is long-closed and the site is still being cleaned up. Oh well.

The ad is also interesting because it shows the old style transmission tower that is becoming a thing of the past (like the ones removed on Tower Boulevard). 

I wonder if any Journal readers wrote for their free copy of the Annual Report of the Ohio Edison Company?

Ford Mustang Goes on Sale to the Public – April 17, 1964

Courtesy Motorcities.org

On this day back in 1964, the production Ford Mustang went on sale to the public. Henry Ford II himself unveiled the car at the 1964 New York World's Fair on April 17, 1964. (Click here for a great article with photos about that event.)

Maybe that's why the ad above for George May Ford, which ran in the Journal on April 16, 1964, doesn't even show a photo of one. Instead, we have a cowboy on a wild mustang.

"The mustang is at the George May Showroom. Not a wild horse, but wild horsepower from Ford," reads the ad copy. "But George May isn't making a production out of it; he's just letting you see for yourself the wild styling... and he is serving refreshments.

"You're all invited... you'll see... in person, a gun-toting cowboy and his horse... plus our model cowgirl hostess."

It all sounds like a lot of fun on a special day.

As a member of an Olds family, I've never been a Ford fan – but it's impossible not to love the look of the Mustang.

Fisher Food Ads – April 1964

Sixty years ago this month, the 1964 New York World's Fair opened. (You can read about it and see some great photos here on the NYC Parks website).

Naturally, the Fair provided opportunities for promotional tie-ins with businesses. You can see one above in an ad for Fisher Foods that ran in the Lorain Journal on April 1, 1964, that was a joint effort by the grocery store chain and the Cleveland Zoo.

As the ad copy notes, "Each year, along with the lions, tigers, the elephants, monkeys and the reptiles, the Cleveland Zoo is stocked with several species of the more common domestic animals which are equally interesting to children, among the, pigs, lambs and calves which are corralled in the zoo's Red Barn Yard. It's a famous stop on the miniature railroad at the zoo.

"We at Fisher Foods take pride in presenting these animals to the Zoo this year for the pleasure of you, yours and thousands of children who will be zoo visitors."

(Let's hope the animals that were donated weren't shrink-wrapped cuts and chops suitable for roasting.)

So what was the contest? Kids could win a trip for 4 to the New York World's Fair just for naming 3 pigs or 3 lambs at the Cleveland Zoo's Red Barn Yard and writing one sentence explaining "Why I want to visit the Cleveland Zoo this summer." There were 10 prizes in all: 2 for the World's Fair and 8 Second Prizes consisting of a day at Cedar Point.

The fine print of the contest rules stipulate to "be sure to give appropriate names to males and females." It's kind of sneaky that there's a female piggy in the middle of the porcine trio. I'm not sure if my entry – "Hammy, Spammy and Sammy" – would work.

Likewise, just to throw the kids off, there's a boy lamb centrally placed in the woolly threesome. 

Feel free to suggest names for the Mutton Trio in the comment section. (Sorry, no Greyhound Bus trip to New Yawk for the winner this time.)

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Fisher Foods also mentioned the contest a week later in its April 8, 1964 ad. But good old Chief Wahoo and the Cleveland Indians ticket promotion dominates this time.

That's a nice rendering of the Indians' beloved mascot.

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I combed through the Journal's online archives but was unable to locate the names of the New York World's Fair contest winners or their monikers for the two meaty trios. Sorry!

Hot Dog! Dog 'N Suds Better Than Ever in 2024!

Dog 'N Suds has only been open for about two weeks, and I've already been there twice. Its strong presence on Facebook has got me trained like a docile doggie to keep coming back.

On April 2nd, Opening Day, I carried out my meal because rain was in the forecast. It was just overcast while I was there, but by the time I was on Route 2 heading home, the expected torrential downpour came. (By the way, the cute car-hop unintentionally made my delicious Texas Burger & Fries a theme dinner by wearing cowboy boots.)

It was perfect weather for my second visit, this past Saturday for lunch. My chili dog (hold the onions) and root beer were picture perfect too – and I'm not woofin'. The service was great too.

I think the chili dog was quite possibly the best I'd ever had there. The chili sauce was sweet and meaty, the same as always, but nice and thick. And the root beer in the frosted mug was perfect as well. I didn't even mind when some ice flaked off the mug and dropped onto my car seat, providing my Hyundai Venue its baptism of fast food fire, and curing me of new-car-itis.

Anyway, Ilene's Dog 'N Suds on North Ridge Road is the only one in Ohio now, and one of only 20 locations in the whole country! So get out there and support an iconic Lorain County business.

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I've been writing about Dog 'N Suds on this blog since 2009. Many posts were dedicated to trying to determine when it actually opened. 

A few years ago, I finally figured out that it originally opened around the fall of 1963, remained open in 1964 but seemed to have been shuttered during 1965. Then in the summer of 1966, it reopened as Eckstein's Dog 'N Suds.

Grand Opening Ad from Lorain Journal, July 1, 1966

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Years ago, you had to be a real bloodhound to track down Dog 'N Suds memorabilia in antique shops and flea markets. I used to collect a few items, and still have a vintage wrapper somewhere in my files. 

But a quick check on eBay reveals a veritable coney-dog-copia of Dog 'N Suds mugs for sale. 

I wonder if any (the ones with Rover the mascot) are from the early August 1966 theft of 24 mugs from the Oberlin Dog 'N Suds drive-in on Route 58 by a, er, cat burglar?

There are other Dog 'N Suds items on eBay as well, including a paper cup, a place mat and a free root beer card.

The place mat notes that at that time, there were more than 500 locations! With a mere twenty now, it's all the more reason to support our Dog 'N Suds in Lorain County.

Lorain City Hall That Might Have Been – April 8, 1964

Lorain City Hall has been a recurring topic on this blog. Why? Because I'm old enough to remember the old Lorain City Hall, located in an aging, run-down mansion (with the Civil Defense Tower behind it). Its eventual demolition and replacement by the current one has been explored in many blog posts.

We've even debated the attractiveness of the present City Hall. Some commenters like it. I'm not a fan; I think it looks horribly dated and is a poor symbol of a city that is trying to reinvent itself and make a comeback. 

(Maybe I don't like it because the only time I ever go in there is to pay a speeding ticket or go to court.)

Anyway, I was very surprised to see the article and photo below, which appeared in the April 8, 1964 edition of the Journal. The proposed design of the new City Hall is very different from what was eventually built.

This design was estimated to cost less than a million in 1964. According to the article, "The proposed new building would have six floors and a basement. It would be 80 x 80 foot in size, and contain 45,000 square feet of office space.

"The top floor would house a new jail and some the mechanical equipment. Prisoners would be able to have outdoor exercise on the rooftop under the supervision of guards.

"Reflecting pools would flank either side of the front entrances."

Fast forward to July 1971, seven years later. A new City Hall design is unveiled (see below). This one is originally estimated at $8.7 million, but with elimination of some elements, such as underground parking, the hope is that it would only cost about $5 million. (Yikes! That's $38 million in today's inflated greenbacks!)

From July 22, 1971 Journal 

I have no idea what the final cost was, but I kind of wish they had built the 1964 version. Strangely enough, in this era where every new restaurant has a boxy design, the 1964 version of City Hall would look less dated.

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The location for the new Lorain City Hall was also the subject of a debate by city officials in April 1964. An argument was made for building the new City Hall in a central location, specifically at W. 20th and Elyria Avenue, to better serve the citizens of Lorain. There was also an expectation that with harbor improvements, the port would be so busy that the Bascule Bridge would need to be replaced with a high level bridge; as the result, the new City Hall would end up under it at its west end.