Thomas A. Edison Bridge to Open – Nov. 29, 1965

It's always a little exciting for me to drive over the Thomas A. Edison Memorial Bridge.

Why? I guess it's because the sheer size of it and magnificent view of Sandusky Bay. I always feel like I'm on vacation in New England when I'm cruising over it. Plus, it's the pathway to fun: to Cheesehaven, Port Clinton, Marblehead, East Harbor State Park, Catawba Island, Put-in-Bay, etc.

And it was only back around this time in November 1965 that it was getting ready to open to traffic for the first time.

Below is an article that ran in the Lorain Journal back on November 29, 1965.

It's pretty incredible to me that it was built in less than a year and a half. 

The bridge was a godsend to both locals and tourists. As the article notes, "Opening of the bridge to traffic will receive traffic congestion caused by the old, two-lane drawbridge now in use, especially during summer months when the area is haven for tourists and outdoor recreation buffs.

The official opening was planned to be a gala event, with Governor James A. Rhodes and even some descendants of Thomas A. Edison present, as noted in this Journal article from Dec. 6, 1965.

And here is the Journal coverage from Dec. 16, 1965, the day after the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Nov. 23, 1954 Ad from Lorain Journal

Here's wishing all of you a Happy Thanksgiving! It's a great day to give thanks to God for all of our blessings throughout the year.

I hope you are able to spend the day with family and friends, perhaps enjoying a fine meal. If you're not able to be with all your loved ones, why not take the advice of the Lorain Telephone Company mascot and give them a call?

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On holidays, I usually post a full-page vintage ad from the Journal with a list of sponsoring companies. This time, there are two of them that ran on Thanksgiving Day 1964. It's always fun to see the roll call of local businesses, and there's a few more successor companies this time than usual.

What Happened to the O'Hara Turkey? Don't Axe! – Nov. 24, 1954

Thanksgiving as observed by the Lorain Journal in the 1950s and 60s often meant a front-page photo to celebrate the event. There was a variety of photo subjects: a cute kid eating a drumstick; children praying in church; a homemaker about to shove a turkey in the oven; a flock of turkeys; or maybe just a simple shot of a cornucopia or hands clasped in prayer. The photos were almost always cute and interesting, chosen to trigger feelings of faith and family.

That's why I found the photo above, which appeared on the front page of the Lorain Journal on November 24, 1954, so hilarious. As the caption notes, "Seven year old Althea O'Hara, ax in hand, shows a 25 pound white Holland who's boss when Thanksgiving draws near. Althea, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Vance O'Hara, 2308 Leavitt, is accustomed to seeing turkeys fall under the ax – her father operates a turkey farm. The smile comes from memories of how the turkey's father tasted last year."

Many people that are familiar with O'Hara's Beverage Spot on Leavitt Road might not know that the family business at that location was originally a poultry farm. I wrote about it and interviewed Ralph O'Hara back in a two part series (here and here) in 2017. And an earlier post in 2011 revealed O'Hara's "Poultry Past."

Ad from Nov. 19, 1958 Lorain Journal

Lorain Banking Thanksgiving Ad – Nov. 25, 1954

Thanksgiving is coming up rapidly, so I'll continue with my annual smorgasbord of vintage ads with that theme. 

Over the years, I've served up an awful lot of them. Most of the time, the ads offer a sanitized view of the holiday, with a simplification of the story of the first Thanksgiving.

That's why I was surprised to see this ad for Lorain Banking Company, which ran in the Lorain Journal on November 25, 1954. The graphics are fairly typical. But rather than merely thanking its customers and expressing the organization's appreciation for their loyalty, the ad tries something different in the text.

"The land was always there," it begins. "Three miles high where the mountains crested, six miles deep to the oil domes, with a breadth of 1800 and a length of 3000 miles. No one said it would be American, or English, or even white. Least of all the Indians. The Pilgrims owned a tiny slice of it, and took joy in their ownership, when they weren't contesting ownership with the Pecot tribe. They had food enough to stock seven shelves in a modern supermarket  and guns that would shoot 450 feet with a good tail wind.

"They were the people – it takes land and people to develop a country, an idea, a civilization.

"The idea that seeded first in Massachusetts soil was Freedom. Freedom to worship God. A new idea, so new the Pilgrims didn't understand it too well themselves. For a long time they put Quakers and such in stocks on the town common, but they didn't burn them, and that was a beginning."

What the ad is acknowledging is the persecution of the Quakers by the Pilgrims, which is somewhat unusual. 

The rest of the ad is non-controversial. "The land was big – big enough to absorb a lot of Freedom-hungry people, big enough to hatch a lot of strange new freedoms. Freedom to own a farm, or your own home. Freedom to worship God. Freedom to elect your own assemblyman. Freedom to speak, to write, to print. Freedom to move West if you didn't like it East. Freedom to be your own master, to plan for your own future."

I could almost hear John Wayne narrating that ad copy. After all, didn't he call a lot of people – "Pilgrim"?

Thanksgiving Grocery Ads – November 1954

Thanksgiving is only a few days away – so hopefully you have your menu finalized, and everything you need to prepare it in the fridge already.

Back in late November 1954, you had a lot of choices when it came to where you bought the items for your holiday feast. Here's a veritable corny-copia of grocery store ads that all ran in the Lorain Journal on November 22, 1954, all designed to put you in the Thanksgiving mood with great graphics.

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And as a bonus, here's an IGA Thanksgiving ad from ten years later – November 1964. What's odd is that the price per pound of turkey (31 cents) is less than it was in the 1954 ads. And it has a nice holiday sentiment at the top of the ad.

Oberlin College Demolishes Lord Cottage – November 24, 1964

The Oberlin College campus went through a significant transformation during the 1950s and 60s. I wrote about the 1964 opening of the new Conservatory of Music and posted a 1954 article about the demolition of Dascomb Cottage, a well-known dormitory.

And here's the story of another dormitory that was razed to make room for more modern accommodations for students. Sixty years ago this month, the College was preparing to demolish Lord Cottage, as noted in the article below, which ran in the Journal on November 24, 1964.

As described on the Architect of Oberlin College website, “Lord Cottage, named for its principal donor Elizabeth W.R. Lord, originally provided dormitory accommodations for forty women. The dining room offered table board for and additional thirty-five others. The builder, Adam Feick and Brothers of Sandusky, Ohio, were employed by the College for a number of other buildings on campus, under designing architects. The first story was constructed of brown stone, and the second and third in wood."

A 1936 Alumni Catalog provides some additional information. “Lord Cottage was begun in 1891 and completed in 1892. The total cost was $17,300. Mrs. Elizabeth W.R. Lord gave $11,000 for its construction and equipment, and the cottage was named in honor of her. It provides dormitory accommodations for forty young women. The dining room offers table board for thirty-five others. It is a three-story building, located on the northwest corner of Professor and Forest Streets. The first story is constructed of brown stone, and the second and third of wood. It suffered a serious fire in the winter of 1900, but was immediately rebuilt, and was ready for use again in the fall."

Lord Cottage was a popular subject for postcards.

As the 1964 article notes, the demolition of Lord Cottage was part of an ambitious program to build eight new small dormitories that were "well designed, attractive and fireproof."

The particular dormitory that replaced Lord Cottage at 104 S. Professor Street is Kade House.

Photo courtesy Tanya Rosen-Jones and Oberlin College

Bill Long Article – Nov. 21, 1964

Bill Long, Lorain's pioneer aviator, has been the subject of many blog posts, covering his incredible aviation career, his operation of several local airports and his passing in 1971. 

I had heard his name mentioned several times by my parents when I was a kid, since he ran the airport on Leavitt Road that was only a few minutes away from our house (where PC Campana is located today).

The Journal recognized Long's unique position in aviation history and dispatched reporters out to interview him on several occasions, including this one from 1959 and another in 1967 (part of a 3-part series on his airports).

But between those two interviews, the Journal profiled him in a well-written article (above) by William E. Scrivo that ran in the paper on November 21, 1964. It's probably the most comprehensive article about his life that I've seen.

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The article mentions that before Long began his flying career, he was in business for himself with an auto dealership and garage for Hudson cars. Here are a few clipping from that era, including a creative advertisement that served as a testimonial to the Hudson's quality and durability. 

Feb. 13, 1924

March 5, 1924

By 1926, Long had switched brands – from Hudson to Auburn.

Bill Long had already made a name for himself as an aviator by the early 1930s. Here's an short article about him that ran in the Lorain Journal on March 16, 1931.

In William Scrivo's article, Long mentioned a crash that happened during his days of providing ferry service to Cedar Point in his Curtiss MF Flying boat. Here's the story of the plane crash as it ran on the front page of the August 13, 1932 Lorain Journal.

(Elsewhere on that front page: the sad passing of Victor Marks, founder of Marks Cleaning Works and a stop at the Hotel Antlers by humorist Don Marquis.

Oakwood Shopping Center Opens – Nov. 1958

It was sixty-six years ago this month that Oakwood Shopping Center opened in South Lorain on November 12, 1958. At the time it was the largest shopping center ever erected in Lorain.

The project was the brainchild of Cleveland developer Joseph Porath. As noted in an article in the Journal on the eve of the shopping center's Grand Opening, "Joseph Porath, Cleveland realtor and developer, has a knack for dreaming dreams which have an almost consistent habit of becoming realities.

"Early in 1956, Porath announced plans for a $10 million project, which would include a $2 1/2 million shopping center and 700 three-bedroom homes on a 200-acre site known as Oakwood Park Development within the Lorain city limits.

"The site, which had been annexed to Lorain late in 1955 covered a four-block area south of E. 36th St. between Pearl Rd. on the west and Grove Ave. Extension (Rt. 57) on the east.

"There were the usual skeptics who said that plans for the shopping center and giant housing project wouldn't pan out.

"But Lorain area citizens were not acquainted, as were Cleveland's, with the Porath drive and determination to make dreams come true.

"Despite some obstacles, Porath's dream about a shopping center in South Lorain officially will come true Wednesday when his $3 million Oakwood Shopping Center will open to the public for the first time.

"And adjacent to the shopping center, some of the 700 three-bedroom homes dreamed about by Porath in 1956, are going up on land which Porath sold to the Ranier Corporation.

"The short, stocky and friendly Porath is the idea man for the largest shopping center ever erected within city limits.

"Porath is also credited with the idea of a unique "community showcase" as part of the Oakwood Shopping Center and a protected six-acre playground adjacent to the center, which he gave to the City of Lorain.

"Porath also initiated the construction of the Homewood Dr. Extension, which will serve as the north boundary of the shopping center. The concrete roadway runs from Pearl St. east to Grove Ave. Extension (Rt. 57)."

Lorain was very fortunate that Joseph Porath had the vision and grit for such an ambitious undertaking, and that the Lorain city administration worked with him to accomplish a goal that improved the lives of many residents. Those two critical components – a developer willing to take risks and a city willing to work with him to make it happen – are still necessary today if a city is experience any major commercial development. 

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Groundbreaking ceremonies for the shopping center took place on Feb. 21, 1958. Here's the article from the Journal the next day.

A major shopping center for that part of Lorain was an idea whose time had come. The ad below, which appeared in the Journal on May 3, 1958, noted that time was running out for stores to reserve their space. Note the acorn graphic with the family of squirrels, including Oakie (with the vest) and Pearl (with the bow in her hair). While Pearl would become the official mascot for the shopping center, it was Oakie who was spotlighted in the Grand Opening ad shown at the top of this post.

On the eve of the Grand Opening, a series of articles and congratulatory ads appeared in the Journal, including the page shown below.

The Grand Opening was a rousing success, with 1001 prizes given away to shoppers. The ad below accompanied a two-page Journal spread with the names of the prize winners that ran on November 20, 1958. As you can see, Pearl the Squirrel was already established as the Thrifty Squirrel mascot, appearing on signage for the shopping center, including a huge wall sign on State Route 254 near the railroad tracks at Pearl Avenue.

And Pearl would appear occasionally in Oakwood Shopping Center ads in the Journal, such as the one below, for the next few years.

Oakwood Shopping Center eventually went into decline as Lorain lost most of its industries, dramatically affecting the financial well-being of its residents, and retailers moved out. Like many other neighborhood shopping centers in Rust Belt cities, Oakwood simply could not survive. It's unfortunate but reflects the general attitude of national retailers towards brick and mortar stores, as well as consumer buying habits, with a preference towards online shopping and a desire for a more fantastic, destination shopping experience.

Battle of the Coffee Giants – November 4, 1964

There must have been a fierce coffee brand war a-brewing back on November 4, 1964. How else can you explain two major brands both unveiling a special promotion in the same edition of the Journal?

First up in the paper on page 27 was this ad for Chase & Sanborn Coffee, announcing a special 100th anniversary company promotion. For a limited time, its coffee came in a cannister designed to look like an "American Drum" 

It doesn't appear to tie in with a specific war, but I'm guessing it more closely resembles a Civil War drum than anything else.

And just a few pages away on page 34 of the Journal, Maxwell House was offering a free coffee pot in which to make its instant coffee.

What, no special Hills Bros. (my parents' favorite) promotion?

Anyway, there doesn't appear to be any surviving Chase & Sanborn drum canisters on eBay. But the drum design must have been a good gimmick, as there are some other coffee cans (including one for Folger's) with the same idea. 

As for Maxwell House, the free pot must have been a long-running promotion, as many of them survived, albeit with slightly different graphics. The drawback of this promotion was that you could peel off the label – turning the pot into a generic one.

Today, both Maxwell House and Chase & Sanborn are still around.  

Maxwell House (owned by Kraft Heinz) is still aggressively marketed, with a great variety of products and blends. Here's the link to its website. 

On the other hand, Chase & Sanborn is part of Massimo Zanetti Beverage USA and has no website of its own, except for an ordering site. Its corporate overlord also owns and markets Hills Bros. and Chock full o'Nuts. Both have nicely designed websites.

Now, don't you feel like having a cup of coffee?

Robin Hood Flour Misses the Target in the States

Robin Hood Flour has always been a favorite in the Brady household. Mom was loyal to it and insisted on it when she was baking. The other leading brands, such as Gold Medal, just wouldn't do. Even in my own house over the years, Robin Hood was the only brand of flour you would find in our cupboard.

Thus I had a pleasant feeling of nostalgia when I saw the above ad with coupon, which ran in the Journal back on November 18, 1964, and just had to post it. I always liked the graphics on the bag and color scheme (although I'm not sure what the connection is between the Sherwood Forest avenger and high quality baking).

But in recent years, Robin Hood Flour disappeared from local grocery store shelves. And a quick look on the internet revealed that Robin Hood Flour is now a Canadian brand only. What happened, eh?

I reached out to the J.M. Smucker Company (owner of the brand) to find out what the story was, and received a reply the same day. "Thank you for contacting The J.M. Smucker Co. Canada to inquire about Robin Hood®. Unfortunately, this product did not receive enough support and was discontinued in the U.S. It currently is only available in Canada. 

"However, your voice of support is very important to us, and we have let the right teams know that you would like to see our Robin Hood® flour back on shelves in the future!"

I was a little surprised that such an iconic brand – one that has been around for well over a hundred years – would have dwindled in popularity so drastically that it no longer made sense to market it in the States. But I guess there isn't as much baking going on as there used to be, especially in this era in which convenience reigns. 

Here is the link to the Robin Hood Canadian website.

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The name 'Robin Hood' has been assigned to a variety of products over the years, including clothing, golf balls and grass seed.

Detail from a Peoples Drug Store ad, Lorain Journal Sept. 2, 1948

Sears Ad, Lorain Journal Oct. 9, 1950

Robin Hood Flour first turned up in Journal grocery store ads in the late 1940s. And its first standalone promotional ad appeared on July 11, 1946. It was a contest that was tied in with its sponsorship of a radio program.

A series of ads promoting the brand continued to appear for many years in the Journal, until the mid-1960s. I wonder if that is how Mom got familiar with the brand, tried it and was pleased with its performance?

Feb. 20, 1947

Nov. 17, 1955

Nov. 19, 1958. Note announcement of new package design.

Oct. 18, 1961

April 11, 1962

Dec. 12, 1962

Dec. 9, 1964

June 2, 1965

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A brand that has been around as long as Robin Hood Flour generates a lot of ads, promotional items and even postcards. Feel free to sift through this gallery, courtesy of eBay.

Grain Elevators at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada

Greenville International Mill Elevator

Promotional Cookie Cutters from the 1950s

A 1959 Magazine ad