Journal Announces Admiral Ernest J. King's Passing – June 26, 1956

Admiral Ernest J. King, the first man ever to hold both the posts of Commander in Chief of the U. S. Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations – and Lorain's most famous, important and accomplished son – passed away seventy years ago on June 25, 1956.

He's been the subject of more than two dozen posts on this blog, so there's not much more I can say about this man (who sadly is well on his way to being forgotten in his own hometown).

Below is the front page of the Lorain Journal of June 26, 1956 reporting his death, along with the other pages of that edition paying tribute to him. There are articles about his life; his accomplishments; his personality (which was reportedly pretty crusty); his friends' thoughts about him; the home he was born in; the failure to name a highway after him; his relationship with President Roosevelt; and how Lorain was planning to honor him.

As I mentioned, I've featured the Admiral in more than two dozen posts on this blog. Click here to revisit them. There are posts about the house he was born in, his visits to Lorain during WWII, the 'mystery' painting of him – and more!

Fall Foliage 2024 – Mohican State Forest

It was a glorious Fall day on Sunday, so I headed down to Mohican State Park and Forest. It had been several years since I made it down there to check out the foliage, so I was looking forward to some great colors.

Unfortunately, hundreds, if not thousands, of other Ohioans had the same idea. 

Consequently, most parking areas adjacent to a scenic vista were choked with cars. There were no parking spaces anywhere. Even the Amish (who apparently all decided to picnic at Mohican today) were stashing their buggies and horses wherever they could. To make matters even worse, a wedding party decided to appropriate just about the entire Gorge lookout area for their festivities, with music blaring away. (I should have crashed the party and swiped some goodies as payment for having to park 1/4 mile away.)

Anyway, it still was the perfect autumn day and I managed to get photos of some of the park's landmarks. I even attempted a few Then & Nows.

One of my first stops was at the Memorial Forest Shrine. It originally honored the men and women of Ohio who lost their lives during World War II, before later expanding its scope to include Ohioans who died in all wars.

Admiral Ernest J. King was at the 1947 dedication ceremony. He wasn't identified in the photo on display, but I knew who he was.

I also made it over to the Fire Tower. I only went up about a third of the way before feeling like James Stewart in Vertigo.

I stopped at the Lodge, where I have stayed many times. It's barely recognizable from when it was new. By the way, it's celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. (Here's its website.)

I found the best color along Ohio State Route 97.

I've devoted several blog posts to Mohican over the years, and covered some of its landmarks (like the Memorial Shrine) before.

What to do with Admiral King's Birthplace? – June 1964

Sixty years ago, the City of Lorain was trying to figure out what to do about the birthplace of its most famous and accomplished son: Admiral Ernest J. King, Commander-in-chief of the U. S. Fleet during World War II.

The home in which he was born, located at 113 Hamilton Ave. in Lorain, was in danger of being torn down, as its then owner had other uses in mind for the property. 

The article above on the front page of the June 9, 1964 Lorain Journal explains. It notes, "A Lorain memorial to the city's favorite son, or kindling wood. This was the apparent alternative for a modest but historic frame home on Hamilton Ave., marked only with the street number "113."

"The house, now vacant for some time, was the birthplace of the late Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King, World War II hero.

"Councilman - at - Large Jerry Keron said he was told the site is being cleared for another purpose, and that the residence will either be moved or demolished.

"The question raised, according to Keron, was whether the city would be interested in buying the house and moving it to another location, perhaps on park property.

"Efforts have been made on a number of occasions to have the Admiral King birthplace set aside as a memorial, either at the present or some other site."

The next day in the June 10, 1964 Journal, an editorial appeared, acknowledging the dilemma.

The editorial ponders whether the old King home was suitable for a museum. But it correctly notes that King rated "more recognition than he has been given. History will show that he was a great man – one of the greatest in the time of crisis when world dictatorship was threatened." However, the Journal editor was in favor of leaving it up to the civic leaders as to what to do about the home.

An article in the June 13, 1964 Journal floated the idea of moving the home to "a strip of park property across from Century Park on E. Erie." Consequently the house would be located near the U. S. Naval Reserve Armory on Cleveland Blvd., "whose personnel would have a special interest in the Admiral King memorial."

Another article on June 26, 1964 suggested making the house part of the Admiral King High School site.

Despite the discussions and suggestions, no action was taken to save the house. It did not make the news during the rest of 1964 or even 1965.

In September 1966, the house was still standing – and talk about making it a museum or memorial began anew. Here's an article that appeared in the Journal on September 10, 1966.

About that time, Mayor Leonard P. Reichlin of Elyria suggested moving the house to Elyria, where it would receive the respect it deserved at the county seat as a museum. But Lorain Mayor Woodrow Mathna shrugged off the suggestion in this article from the Sept. 14, 1966 Journal.

A small editorial in the September 15, 1966 Journal thanked the Elyria Mayor for reminding everyone "that nothing has been done about creating a display of Admiral King memorabilia." The paper suggested that the high school named after him would be the logical place, unless a special building was erected for that specific purpose.

But the Journal apparently had the last word about the house. "As for saving the house in which the Admiral was born," it noted, "that would be a useless gesture. It is an insignificant little frame building. Preserving the structure would not serve to honor the memory of Admiral King. But to display his mementoes and to preserve in films, photos, voice tape, drawings and words the outline of his life and military career would properly honor him."

Today, the "insignificant little frame building" is slowly vanishing. Here's a view (so to speak) from last weekend.

I would not be surprised if it is eventually condemned and replaced by the Admiral Ernest J. King Memorial Grassy Spot®.

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Admiral Ernest J. King's birthplace has shown up on this blog many times. This 2011 blog post includes some "Then & Nows" over the years. And this 2010 post includes some more Journal coverage from Sept. 1966 when the Elyria Mayor offered to take the house off of Lorain's hands. And this post included a nice shot of the house at the time of the Sept. 2011 dedication of both the Admiral Ernest J. King Tribute Space and the new Admiral Ernest J. King Elementary School.

A June 2011 view

U.S.S. Lorain is Launched – March 1944

Eighty years ago today on Monday, March 13, 1944, the U.S.S. Lorain was being prepped for a launch later in the week. Above is the Lorain Journal from that date with the news.

As the article notes, "Lorain's own warship, the U.S.S. Lorain, will slide down the launching ways at the American Shipbuilding Cp. yards here at 12:20 p. m. Saturday.

"Meanwhile, plans went forward for the city celebration which is to accompany the launching of the first warship ever to bear Lorain's name. The U.S.S. Lorain is a 303-foot frigate, built under U. S. Maritime Commission specifications for convoy duty.

"Christening the ship will be Mrs. Fred Henderson, mother of Marine Hero Maj. Lofton Henderson who was killed at the battle of Midway.

"The city is clearing and leveling ground in back of the Eagles-blog at Broadway and 6th-st, which is almost exactly opposite the building berth where the trim warship waits its christening. From this point a clear view of the launching ceremony will be possible. 

"Launching here the warship Lorain will add further to the city's 46-year shipbuilding tradition, and will in fact come pretty close to being on the 46th anniversary of the launching of the first ship here by the American Shipbuilding Co.

"It was on April 13, 1898 that the company launched the Superior City, 430-foot ore carrier which at that time was the largest vessel on the Great Lakes. Many of the men who worked on the Superior City also have had a part in the building of the Lorain.

"The Superior City proved her worth in 22 years of operation on the Great Lakes, but was lost in a collision in 1920."

The launching came off without a hitch on Saturday. 

Lorain's own Admiral Ernest J. King flew home to attend the christening and greet Mrs. Henderson.

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This United States Coast Guard website includes the story of the U.S.S. Lorain. The Wiki entry for the U.S.S. Lorain also provides a history of the ship as well as a photo.

Admiral Ernest J. King Highway Proposal – Feb. 27, 1953

After World War II ended, there was an effort to honor Lorain's very own Admiral Ernest J. King, the Commander in Chief of the U. S. Fleet and Chief of Naval Operations.

In the late 1940s, for a time it looked like there would be an Admiral King State Park, located roughly where Beaver Creek empties into Lake Erie west of Lorain. This proposal fell through because of a legal problem related to purchasing the land.

Later in the early 1950s, there was an attempt to name the Ohio Turnpike after him, which is what you see above on the front page of the Lorain Journal of Feb. 27, 1953. 

As the caption for the illustration of the Admiral against a backdrop of the State of Ohio asks, "Will Ohio give proper recognition to one of her most famous sons... during his lifetime? Admiral Ernest J. King, whose brilliant strategic leadership of all U. S. naval operations during World War II was a major factor in final victory, ranks with the nation's greatest war heroes. Ohioans would do honor to the state by giving to the Ohio Turnpike the name of a great man – Admiral King Highway."

Two years later, the renaming of the highway looked like a done deal.

This article appeared in the June 28, 1955 Lorain Journal in which it was announced that Mayor John Jaworski of Lorain was soon to meet with the Ohio Turnpike Commission.

As the article noted, Governor Frank Lausche of Ohio offered "full support to the proposal" and urged James W. Shocknessy, chairman of the turnpike commission, "to take action before the dedication of the highway in October."

By July 17, 1955, an editorial in the Lorain Journal noted, "Ohioans, almost by acclaim, have signified their desire to have Ohio Turnpike No. 1 named Admiral King Highway. It remains only for the Turnpike Commission to give the final nod of approval to make definite this worthy recognition of a great man.

"Many individuals and groups throughout the state, including city councils, veterans organizations, civic groups, the State Junior Chamber of Commerce and a number of newspapers have voiced their approval of the proposed action.

"The final and most important stamp of approval came when both houses of the Ohio Legislature endorsed the proposal by resolution, almost unanimously.

"Earlier this year, James Shocknessy, chairman of the Turnpike Commission, told a Lorain delegation that public approval of the proposed name for the turnpike would be a factor in helping the commission reach a final decision.

"Now that the General Assembly, which represents citizens of the entire state, has spoke out clearly in favor of the proposal, it can be hoped that the commission will act promptly in adopting the name."

So why isn't there an Admiral King Highway today?

This editorial from the May 23, 1956 Lorain Journal explains. James Shocknessy, chairman of the Turnpike Commission, scuttled it. "He is unalterably opposed to any name other than Ohio Turnpike," the editorial noted.

Remember that each time you drive the James W. Shocknessy Ohio Turnpike today.

Admiral King's 75th Birthday – Nov. 1953

Seventy-five years ago this month, Lorain's most accomplished citizen – Admiral Ernest J. King – was celebrating his 75th birthday.

Above is the front page of the November 23, 1953 Lorain Journal marking that milestone with a special cartoon, front and center.

"Resting quietly in his home in Washington, D. C., Lorain - born Admiral Ernest J. King today was the recipient of many cards of congratulations as he observed his 75th birthday.

"It was on Nov. 23, 1878, that the admiral who led the nation's naval forces in one of the country's greatest crises was born in an unpretentious white frame house at 113 Hamilton Ave.

"He graduated from Lorain High School in 1897 and from the U. S. Academy in 1901 to begin a long naval career climaxed by his appointment as commander-in-chief at the United States fleet and chief of naval operations.

"The appointment was made by President Franklin D. Roosevelt shortly after Pearl Harbor and came after Admiral King had advanced through the grades to the rank of rear admiral, received in 1933, and the rank of admiral, received in 1941.

"A frequent visitor to Lorain until his serious illness a few years ago, Admiral King never failed to visit his old friends and classmates when here.

"On one of these visits, as honored guest for Lorain's Victory Day celebration at the end of World War II, Admiral King, although on a crowded schedule, took time to pay several personal surprise calls to families of Lorain men who lost their lives in naval action during the war.

"Another well-remembered visit to his hometown was in 1947 when he helped former fellow schoolmates celebrate the 50th anniversary of their graduation from Lorain High School.

"Although known as a strict disciplinarian in the line of naval duty, there has always been a twinkle in his eye when chatting with fellow Lorainites, exchanging anecdotes recalling the days of his youth here.

"Admiral King has been in ill health since suffering a severe stroke a few years ago. He returned to his Washington, D. C. home after several months in the naval hospital at Bethesda, Md., but still reports back to the hospital periodically for a check=up.

Admiral Ernest J. King has been the topic of many, many blog posts here over the years. I'm still unhappy that the most famous, successful and important person that ever came out of, or will ever come out of, Lorain, Ohio – my hometown – has no sign at the city limits making it known that he was born and raised here. I'm also disappointed that his name is no longer attached to the high school, but perhaps it's just as well, since his incredible accomplishments are completely unknown to the younger generations and, increasingly, even the general public.

Anyway, a quick glance at the rest of the Journal front page might give you a feeling of déja vu, with China involved with drug trafficking, and Israel defending its retaliatory military actions in Qibya.

The good news, though, is that Ohio's hunting season "opened today with partly cloudy skies and the threat of forest fires greatly alleviated."

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By the way, you might be wondering about the men shown 'working' in the photo at the bottom of the page. What were they doing? A quick look at page 17 revealed that they were judging potential acts for that year's edition of the Mary Lee Tucker Christmas Benefit Show.

Admiral King Painting Update

Remember my quest to find out about that painted portrait of Admiral Ernest J. King (shown above)?

It was waaaay back in 2011 that I had been alerted that the painting had been in storage at the Charleston Administration Center (the former Charleston Elementary School), and that it was headed over to the new Admiral Ernest J. King Elementary School to be displayed there.

Here it is, hanging on the wall at the dedication of the new elementary school in 2011.

But who painted it – and what was the story behind it?

That was all answered back here on this post (with additional information on this one), where it was revealed that it was painted by Chris Lewis, chief deputy in the Lorain County Sheriff's Dept.  It was given to the Admiral at the September 1945 Victory Luncheon at the Hotel Antlers.

Courtesy Lorain Historical Society

But sixty-six years later, it was being stored in a cluttered room at the Charleston Administration Center.

If it was given to Admiral King, how did it end up back in Lorain?

Well, I recently found another piece of the puzzle, thanks to the Lorain Public Library's online archives of the Lorain Journal (accessible free through the library's website).

It was back on July 2, 1948 that a small item in "The Log of Lorain" column noted, "The portrait of Admiral Ernest J. King, painted by Chris Lewis and presented to the admiral when he was here for the city's victory celebration three years ago, today hung in the library at Lorain High School.

"The portrait was presented to the school as a gift from the Admiral, according to Principal K. C. Shook."

So that's the picture. The Admiral felt that his Alma Mater should have it, and that's how it ended up back in Lorain.

Did Lorain High School give it to the new Admiral King High School when it opened in 1961? I haven't found any confirmation of that, but perhaps time will tell.

Crusty Admiral Ernest J. King

Admiral King doesn’t look crusty in this photo of him at his Class Reunion in April 1944
(Courtesy www.history.navy.mil)

What kind of man was Admiral Ernest J. King, the greatest and most accomplished person ever born in Lorain, Ohio?

The answer: apparently he was a pretty crusty guy – who snarled at his aides and didn’t like to be awakened from a sound slumber.

Read all about it in the hilarious article by Jack Walsh of the Washington Post below, which appeared in the Lorain Journal on February 22, 1969. In it, Walsh writes about the much-decorated Lt. Commander Robert E. “Dusty” Dornin, who served as an aide to Lorain’s Number One Son – and lived to tell about it.

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I still find it ridiculous that Admiral Ernest J. King didn’t make the cut in 2018 for Lorain Schools’ Alumni Association’s inaugural class of distinguished alumni. Have any of the honorees done more to make the city famous than Admiral King? Or is more about the honoree having living relatives in the area, or being a young role model that kids can relate to?

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Admiral Ernest J. King has been a regular topic on this blog since the beginning. Click here to visit some of those old posts, which include his 1942 visit back to Lorain for the big Homefront Celebration, and this post (and this post) about his birthplace on Hamilton.

The Lakeview Park War Memorial

William Kratt posing in front of the memorial at Lakeview Park circa 1942

The monument today

On Memorial Day, I featured a photo of the Lakeview Park War Memorial, which was dedicated to the men and women of Lorain who served in World Wars I and II.

Well, yesterday I received a terrific photo (above) in my email from Diane Fort. As Diane explained, "That's William Kratt who worked on the masonry when it was first made."

Diane is related to the Kratts; George Kratt, who owned a lumber yard in Lorain in the early 1900s, is her great-grandfather.

It's interesting to compare the view of Lakeview Park behind the not-quite-finished monument with the same view today that I posted on Monday.

And here's the Lorain Journal front page of the laying of the cornerstone by none other than Admiral Ernest J. King on August 30, 1942.

Tomorrow: More on the Kratt Family of Lorain

Admiral Ernest J. King Painting Update

It's been a while since I did an update on this whole Admiral Ernest J. King painting caper, and a lot has happened since my last post.

To begin with, thanks to Joe Jeffries of the Lorain Public Library, we know a bit more about Chris Lewis, the person who painted the portrait. According to some clippings from the Chronicle-Telegram that Mr. Jeffries found, Chris Lewis was chief deputy in the Lorain County Sheriff's department during the late 30's and early 1940's. Lewis was also a sign painter by trade for 40 years and he made painting his hobby.

He was also a member of the Lorain Elks lodge, and one of the clippings mentioned that on October 20, 1943, "Chief Deputy Chris Lewis presented his own hand painted portrait of Admiral King to the lodge."

It had already been established that the large color painting at left was done by Chris Lewis and presented to the Admiral at the September 1945 Victory Luncheon. So what was this second King painting that was mentioned in the 1943 clipping? Were there really two paintings – or did the one bounce around a bit?

Fortunately, the Lorain Elks solved this mystery rather quickly. When I contacted them through their Facebook page about the possibility of a second King portrait by Chris Lewis, I received a nice reply from member J. Anthony Rich, who mentioned, "I think the painting is in our Lodge as we speak."

Mr. Rich kindly invited me to visit the Lodge, and he took me upstairs to their meeting room (which was very cool to see – especially since my grandfather was an Elk.) Lo and behold, hanging in one corner of the room was the painting that Chris Lewis donated to the Lodge back in 1943.

It's a lot smaller than the one that hung at Admiral King High School, and done on a smaller scale. But it's unmistakably Chris Lewis' work. He really was quite talented.

Strangely enough, he didn't sign either painting.

Anyway, Mr. Rich was nice enough to remove it from the wall at my request, since I was having trouble photographing it. But no matter which way it was held, or in which lighting, it was practically impossible to shoot without getting a reflection off the paint.

The shot at left is the best I could do.

Anyway, now the mystery shifts back to the original painting at the top of the blog. If it was presented to Admiral King himself as a gift, how did it ultimately end up at Admiral King High School?

I put this question to some of Admiral King's relatives at the dedication ceremony of the new elementary school, where the painting is now hanging. I happened to be standing by the stage while the family was being photographed, and when they started to disperse, I ran up and shouted, "HOLD IT!!! Do any of you ever remember seeing that large painting of the Admiral before, maybe in his house?"

Although most of the family probably thought I was a kook, one courageous women did talk to me. She assured me that she did not remember ever seeing the portrait before.

So my new theory is this: the Admiral decided to donate the portrait to some local organization or group, and it never left the area. Later, that same group decided it belonged at the high school.

We'll see.

Thanks again to Joe Jeffries for his assist with the research, and J. Anthony Rich and the Lorain Elks for the invitation to visit their Lodge and photograph the painting. And thanks of course to fellow sleuth Lisa over at Buster's House for inviting me along on this merry hunt.

Admiral King Birthplace Through the Years

Although the hoopla over the dedication of the Admiral Ernest J. King tribute space was last month, I'm still involved in some Admiral King-related research and still coming up with material to post. 

It's interesting (to me at least) how the Admiral's birthplace has changed through the years. Here's a view from the 1952 autobiography of Admiral Ernest J. King.

Here's a clipping (below) that I found recently in the Special Collections file of the Lorain Public Library. It's from the Journal and shows Admiral King's birthplace on Hamilton Avenue as it looked back in 1967, when it was for sale for $12,500. It's a shame that it wasn't purchased by the city back then for a museum.

Lastly, here a view from the tribute space dedication last month. That little porch/room on the right side seems to have gone through the most changes over the years.

Admiral Ernest J. King Highway Sign

Here's a clipping from the October 24, 1959 Lorain Journal that I found in the Special Collections file of the Lorain Public Library. (Click on it for a larger view.) It shows an Admiral Ernest J. King highway marker that used to be on Route 58 (Leavitt Road) on the southern approach to the city. One of these signs is now down at the Admiral Ernest J. King tribute space.

When I saw this, I thought, "Oh, yeah--I kind of remember that!" since this was my neck of the woods while I was growing up. Check out two-lane Leavitt Road in the background, along with the farmhouse!

I wonder why the sign was taken down in the first place?