But the article that I found most interesting is a tongue-in-cheek travelogue written by Robert Tate, as he explores the Black River, starting from the Erie Avenue Bridge and continuing until he runs aground at 31st Street. It's mostly written in an amusing style (he shares that his provisions consist of two cheese sandwiches on white) but there are serious comments sprinkled here and there. Tate also contributes a few photos.
It's surprising when he discovers how polluted the Black River is. He points out that "the river is filthy dirty and stinks." He observes 'two warnings of death' early in his journey: a drowned rat floating by on its back, and a deceased fish trailing it by a few feet.
His log is at its most whimsical when he writes, "Pushing on upstream, I came to the country of a tribe known as the Steelworkers. They are noted for their handicraft, round metal tubes, especially. They make these in big campfires that burn day and night."
Tate notes that "The water is red brown with pollution. Any fish in it should have its fishhead examined. The only waterfalls are sewage pipes discharging."
He ends his journey at 31st Street, aware that "further on lived people known as Elyrians and others named by the civilized lakeshore peoples as "downstaters.""
Check out that ad for P.F. Flyers shoes.I have a couple pairs of them from when New Balance relaunched them in the early 2000's.They phased them out a few years back but were brought back out once again as a specialty niche shoe geared mostly towards women.Like the current day Converse Chuck Taylor and other shoes for that matter,they are all made in China, Taiwan,Indonesia or any of the other foreign slave labor market sweat shops favored by Wall Street hedge fund investors.
ReplyDeleteThe river's come a long way since then:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.epa.gov/great-lakes-aocs/black-river-aoc#:
I like the cartoon upper-right of the 2nd page. That's how things are, sometimes.
Personally, i would have started at 31st street and traveled downstream. I suppose i'm just lazy. He failed to mention that on the east side of the river, across from the mill, was the Lorain dump. I am sure that contributed to the smell.
ReplyDeleteInteresting article. Don’t miss the steel mill pollution but sure do miss the steelworker pride and prosperity it brought to Lorain families. A nice way I’ve experienced the river there lately is the metropark’s Steel Mill Trail.
ReplyDeleteAlso, as a “Leg-wise woman” according to the Smith & G hosiery ad - I shall henceforth declare myself a “Duchess.”