Perkins Pancake House Opens – April 1965

Promotional postcard

Remember the Perkins Pancake House on North Ridge Road near Route 57?

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.

Jan. 18, 1965

Jan. 19, 1965

Then this article appeared in the Journal about the opening on April 5, 1965.

April 3, 1965

It's nice to see the operators' names: Ed Scalzitti and Vince Ruma. About a month after the successful opening, this thank-you ad appeared.

May 11, 1965

The restaurant ran the odd ad in the Journal for the next few years. 

April 28, 1967

Dec. 2, 1967

Aug. 5, 1968

The restaurant was still open in Spring 1984, but closed later that year. For a little while, the 2170 North Ridge Road location became part of the small, local J. T. Dawkins chain.

Dec. 14, 1984

Later, it became Chris' & George' Restaurant.

Today, the building is still home to the popular George's Family Restaurant. The building still looks somewhat like the rendering on the vintage promotional postcard.

Crazy About Crazy Horse

Back in the summer of 1965, my family hitched the Apache pop-up camping trailer to our Olds F-85 and headed Out West to South Dakota for our vacation. I wrote about it in a five-part blog series beginning here.

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. 

Here's our photo taken at the studio of a miniature version of what the sculpture will look like when finished. 

And here's the mountain itself, as it looked at that time.

There's been some progress in the intervening sixty years.

There's still a lonnnng way to go, though. One of my favorite books, The New Roadside America, humorously described it like this: "When complete, it will be bigger than the Sphinx! The head of his horse alone will be bigger than all of the white men on Rushmore. Completion due date? The middle of the twenty-third century."

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I suspect that Chief Crazy Horse's fame led to the creation of the character Chief Crazy Coyote, who heckled and harassed Huckleberry Hound in several classic Hanna-Barbera cartoons.

Entertainment Page – March 31, 1955

It's the last day of March – hard to believe, isn't it? I guess that's what happens when you get older, the months (and years) simply fly by.

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. 

It's nice to see an ad for the well-remembered McGarvey's, a favorite topic on this blog.

I like that Spring Lobster Bake menu (and the $5.50 price, although today it would cost about sixty-five, er, clams (or $65.48).

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.

But the Journal movie ad that really grabbed my attention is the huge ad for Chief Crazy Horse, which was playing at the Tivoli. 

But why is that movie of interest to me? I'll explain tomorrow, pardner.

In the meantime, why not watch Magoo's Check Up, the cartoon that was on the same bill? 

For those of us raised on the made-for-TV Mr. Magoo cartoons, in which the nearsighted character was warm and likable (with a Chinese houseboy and various pets), the characterization of him in the theatrical shorts is quite different. He's downright crabby and ornery in them, unlike the softened version of him that we Baby Boomers are used to.

Masson Class Photos – March 29, 1966

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.

"In regard to the Masson section, I especially took note of the picture showing your first grade class with Mrs. Pierce," he wrote.  

Here's the class photo that he was referring to. That's me in the second row, second from left. (Mom helpfully drew a little arrow on it.) As you can see, it was taken March 29, 1966 – 59 years ago tomorrow.

Frank continued. "As I recall in a past site visit," he noted, "you had stated that Mrs. Pierce and Miss Duskey were somehow related.  

Yes, Mrs. Pierce and Miss Duskey were cousins (and the subject of this post).

"I was in Miss Duskey's first grade class, and I happen to have the picture of the class taken on the same date.  It is in good condition, and I thought you may possibly be interested in a copy of it to post."

Here's Frank's photo of Miss Duskey's class, taken the same day as mine, and with the same classroom as the backdrop. That's Frank in the front row, second from left.

It was neat to see kids in Frank's photo that I instantly knew. Frank felt the same way about my photo. "I was even able to recognize almost all of the people in your picture as well," he commented. 

It's funny how even though I might forget people that I worked with over the last forty years, I can almost always remember classmates from elementary school. I certainly remember all of my teachers, such as Mrs. Pierce, who were all terrific. And although I didn't have her as a teacher, I remember seeing Miss Duskey at Masson and thinking she was pretty, with her distinctive hairdo.

My thanks to Frank for sharing, and letting me take a peek at who was in the classroom next door.

Lorain Auto Show – March 25 - 27, 1955

Seventy years ago today, Lorain was enjoying the third and final day of the Lorain Auto Show. Above is the front page of the Lorain Journal of March 27, 1955. Held at the Lorain Arena, it was the city's first auto show in 25 years.

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 kind of sad that the ninth-largest city in Ohio has no venue for an Auto Show these days. In fact, there aren't any new car dealers in Lorain, since the last two vamoosed out to Avon.

Ridge Hill Memorial Park

Have you given any thought as to where you'd like to be buried when you, uh, depart this earthly realm? 

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

This article from Jan. 28, 1930 reveals that the well-remembered house at the entrance to Ridge Hill was the former farm house of Edward Straw.

Jan. 28, 1930

May 1, 1930

There was a lot of publicity in 1934, the centennial of the founding of the village that later became Lorain.

June 7, 1934

July 14, 1934

July 14, 1934

Remember the old farmhouse at the entrance? It's gone now, but continues to haunt old Google Map views.

Here is a recent photo of the entrance gates. They pretty much resemble the architectural rendering seen in the article from Nov. 25, 1929.

The memorial park itself is still beautiful. It's shaking off the effects of a tough winter and a windy start to spring, but its natural beauty is evident.

It is a different feeling than Elmwood. Good choice, Grandma!  

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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.