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