Snow Cap Ice Cream continued to aggressive advertise in the
Lorain Journal with innovative ideas during the latter part of the 1950s. This ad from Feb. 22, 1957 promoted the Snow Cap Birthday Party Special – whereas the company would provide ice cream, spoons, napkins, chocolate wafers, punch syrup to make 6 quarts, and drinking cups, making it easy for mothers.
This July 12, 1957 ad listed all the Snow Cap products, as well as suggesting using Snow Cap dry ice for keeping things cool on picnics.
This ad from May 28, 1958 noted that Snow Cap Ice Creams was "Lorain County's only manufacturer of frozen novelty stick confections." The ad also suggest listening for the bells of the Snow Cap ice cream trucks, and their products were "served at your door or favorite corner store."
Snow Cap continued to promote the use of dry ice, as seen in this pair of ads.
 |
| June 14, 1958 |
 |
| July 17, 1959 |
Snow Cap even utilized coupons, as seen in this ad from August 28, 1959.
It seems that things began to wind down at Snow Cap at the end of the 1950s, with little to no advertising in the newspaper. This May 14, 1960 report of a break-in is one of the few times the company was mentioned in the
Lorain Journal during that era.
Despite the unique product offering and marketing ideas, it was the end of the line for Snow Cap with this announcement from April 3, 1961.
The winding down of the Snow Cap business seems to coincide with Mr. Gantose taking over the concession at Lakeview Park. This March 17, 1972
Journal article notes that he had operated the concession there for about 15 years – or roughly since around 1957.
Mr. Gantose continued to operate the concession there right into the 1980s. He became embroiled in a controversy when the city of Lorain attempted to evict him so that renovations could be done at the bath house to attract a Wendy's Restaurant. But in the end, the city's plans to put a fast food restaurant were scuttled; in December 1985, Lorain County Judge Joseph Cirigliano ordered the city to allow Gantose to use the concession area through Jan. 30, 1990, when his lease expired. He went to a month-to-month contract during the summer of 1990.
He passed away in 1994.
As his brother noted in his obituary, "He enjoyed people. He did what he enjoyed doing."
And he enjoyed making people happy with ice cream.
I wondered if that was the same "Al" who ran the concessions at Lakeview back in the day; he was there every day with his two daughters. The bicycle ice cream carts were often present at Lakeview, and I wonder if Al owned those; they operated from a small building behind Wayne Cleaners between 19th and 20th, and Elyria and Broadway. They had the unfortunate reputation of being robbed frequently.
ReplyDeleteSo that part of Lorain started getting seedy around 1960,the dawn of the decade.As evidenced by Gantose fleeing the area after the burglary.I know it is very bad now but 66 years ago when kids were still innocent and sqeaky clean?It was like overnight the criminal element moved in and hasn't looked back since.I would never walk around that part of Lorain in the dark today let alone in the daytime no matter what some of the flag wavers would try to have you believe.
ReplyDeleteBut for a few short years in the 1950's the sweet sound of Doo-Wop and early Rock N Roll reverberated on Reid Ave in the Snow Cap parking lot as kids cruised up and down the street in their hot rods and lead sleds eating ice cream.
And the end of the innocence as it happened.