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April 1, 1965 |
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April 4, 1963 |
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March 26, 1964 |
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April 7, 1966 |
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March 9, 1967 |
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March 16, 1967 |
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March 5, 1970 |
VINTAGE ADS, ARTICLES, PHOTOS, POSTCARDS & REMINISCING!
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April 1, 1965 |
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April 4, 1963 |
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March 26, 1964 |
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April 7, 1966 |
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March 9, 1967 |
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March 16, 1967 |
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March 5, 1970 |
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Promotional postcard |
Unless you lived in the Lorain/Elyria area back in the 1960s and 70s, you probably don't. But it was a popular restaurant that the Bradys patronized occasionally. It's a pleasant memory.
For a while, there was a promotional gimmick whereas kids ate there free on their birthday. The restaurant even sent you a postcard around your birthday as a reminder. So we took advantage of that a few times, usually on a Sunday. My favorite meal? Pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. (I'm not sure I could handle that now.)
And it was back in April 1965 that the restaurant opened its doors. There was some publicity earlier in the year.
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Jan. 18, 1965 |
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Jan. 19, 1965 |
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April 3, 1965 |
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My siblings and me (wearing bolo tie) in a picture from that trip |
We saw a lot on that Western trip, with Mt. Rushmore, Deadwood, the Badlands and the Corn Palace being the main places of interest. But Crazy Horse – the Lakota war chief who defeated Lt. Col. Custer and the 7th Cavalry at the Battle of the Little Bighorn – figured prominently in two attractions we saw. (That's why yesterday I mentioned that the movie Chief Crazy Horse was of interest to me.)
The first one was Crazy Horse Pageant at Hot Springs, South Dakota. Here's the ad that ran in the This Week in South Dakota's Black Hills and Badlands tourist weekly for July 11, 1965.
As described in the tourist book, "The Crazy Horse Pageant is different from any Indian pageant you've ever seen... any place. It tells the story of the great Sioux nation in both its finest hour and its darkest moment – and of its greatest leader, the visionary Crazy Horse, and it tells it from the viewpoint of the Sioux.
"The Sioux nation was the only military force ever to fight the U. S Army to a standstill. Military experts regarded the Sioux as "the finest light cavalry in the world" and Crazy Horse was the most skilled fighter of them all."
As for the pageant, the tourist book noted, "No effort has been spared to make the pageant as authentic as humanly possible.
"The setting is a natural amphitheater on the Fall River which is almost an exact miniature of the Little Big Horn.
"The Crazy Horse Pageant is a memorable and moving experience and there is no other like it in America. It is perhaps the happiest marriage of historical accuracy with high drama which had ever been done."
The other Crazy Horse attraction was, of course, the Memorial. We visited the studio of the sculptor, Korczak Ziolkowski, who envisioned and designed the world's largest mountain carving as a tribute to Crazy Horse.Seventy years ago today, the entertainment page from the March 31, 1955 Lorain Journal had plenty of options for people looking for something to do or somewhere to eat (or drink). The page is loaded with interesting ads, with many from old blog favorites.
The one that ad that leaps out at me is the one for Stone's Grills (the subject of three previous posts), which was an Ohio chain of outlets that were both taverns and carry-outs.
It's hilarious to see the Easter Bunny hoisting a glass of wine, especially since the illustration of him looks like it came out of a book of nursery rhymes.Many of the other restaurants and night clubs (such as the Showboat in Lorain, Ben Hart's and "333 Bar") I've written about before as well.
As for movies, one of my favorite Westerns was opening at the Lorain Drive-in on Lake Road: Ride Clear of Diablo (1954) with Audie Murphy and the always-great Dan Duryea. Audie plays a very green deputy sent out by corrupt superiors to arrest the cocky Duryea character, with the hope that he would fail and get killed. However, Audie succeeds – to the crooked sheriff's disappointment – and ends up enlisting Duryea's help in avenging his father and brother's murder. It's a great story of redemption.
Recently I received a nice email from one of my old classmates named Frank Zabrecky. Frank went to Masson School as well, and some of his high school years were spent at Admiral King (my Alma Mater). I remember his sister Monica was at King as well. Frank commented that he enjoyed my blog and that it brought back some pleasant memories for him.
The Lorain Journal included a special Auto Show section that day. Here are a few select pages. (I made sure to include the page about Oldsmobiles.)
The page above about the Jeep reminded me of something that happened at work recently. A co-worker had recently purchased a Jeep, and I asked her if she was going to get a wheel cover with Popeye's pet Jeep on it. She had never heard of him. In fact no one in the room had. I guess it doesn't take very long for a once, well-known cartoon character to slip out of the public consciousness.It's something that most of us have to deal with sooner or later (preferably later). I know where I'm going to be – right next to my parents in Elmwood Cemetery.
(After my mother's graveside ceremony back in 2023, I was complimenting the minister on his lovely speech, and pointed out that I was going to be buried right next to Mom. After suggesting that perhaps some day he could do my service as well, I joked (as John Wayne did as Rooster Cogburn in the cemetery scene near the end of True Grit), that I hoped he wouldn't mind that I "don't move in too soon.")
Elmwood is a nice cemetery. It's well-maintained by the City of Lorain and has a lot of history, making it interesting to explore. Most of my father's side of the family that lived in Lorain are buried there; the rest are across North Ridge Road in Calvary Cemetery.
But what about Mom's side of the family?
Well, as Mom used to point out, her mother was a little bit snobbish. Rather than being buried in Elmwood with the rest of the Lorain rabble, she and Grandpa Bumke are buried in Ridge Hill Memorial Park.
But I can't blame Grandma too much. I recently found some articles and ads from the time when Ridge Hill first opened, and the concept behind it was very appealing. Here's an ad from the Lorain Journal of October 19, 1929. The cemetery was still under construction at that time, so this is somewhat of a teaser ad.
It's got some well-written ad copy that positions Ridge Hill as a unique, uplifting alternative to regular cemeteries like Elmwood. The ad notes, "We are creating at Ridge Hill a great park, devoid of mis-shapen monuments and other customary signs of earthly Death but filled with towering trees, sweeping lawns, splashing fountains, sparkling lakes and lagoons, cheerful flowers, singing birds, and noble memorial architecture."
And here's the special section from the Lorain Journal of November 25, 1929, when Ridge Hill was a few weeks away from opening. The lead article notes that 57 acres of the property was previously a farm owned by the late Edward Straw, with another 12 acres "obtained from an adjoining farm."
Here are some ads and articles from 1930.![]() |
Jan. 25, 1930 |
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Jan. 28, 1930 |
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May 1, 1930 |
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June 7, 1934 |
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July 14, 1934 |
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July 14, 1934 |
****
While preparing this post, I was saddened to discover that Bob Cool, Jr. of Boyer & Cool Home for Funerals recently passed away on March 14, 2025. Bob coordinated Mom's wake, and was the minister who spoke at the ceremony at the cemetery. He did a great job and made the day uplifting and memorable. Over the years, Bob's company handled the funeral arrangements of both my parents, as well as my grandparents.
My condolences go out to his wife and family.