Lorain Civil Defense Tower Erected – October 1953

One of those pieces of "Old Lorain" that very few people remember these days is the city's 1950s civil defense tower, used for watching for enemy aircraft, that was located behind the old City Hall. 

I've written about the tower several times. I guess I've been interested in it ever since my siblings and I drew a picture of it as part of a Saturday morning art class in 1968 at St. Mary High School run by local artist Paul Henschke.

The tower demonstrated Lorain's strong commitment to the Ground Observer Corps, consisting of civilian volunteer aircraft spotters, and Operation Skywatch.

1953 pamphlet

Before the tower was erected, Lorain's Operation Skywatch volunteers did their spotting from atop the Eagles Building, as noted in this article from the July 14, 1953 Lorain Journal.

Near the end of the article, it notes, "In a meeting today in Mayor John C. Jaworski's office it was decided to move the new lookout tower from the coast guard station to the vicinity of City Hall. Final decision in the matter will be left to city council at its July 20 meeting.

At that meeting, city council did indeed decide to install the tower behind city hall, although a few citizens had some other locations in mind, as noted in this article in the Journal on the day after the meeting.

By October 1953, Lorain planned to honor its Skywatch volunteers by celebrating  WULUSU ("Wake Up, Look Up, Sign Up") week. Medals and certificates would be awarded to volunteers (which I wrote about here) but the highlight of the week was the formal dedication of the new Skywatch tower behind City Hall. This October 17, 1953 Journal article tells the story.

And here's a photo from the October 23, 1953 Journal showing the tower building being lifted into place in preparation for its dedication.

By 1958, the city was still encouraging Ground Observer Corps volunteers to man the tower, as noted in this article that appeared in the Journal on July 22, 1958.

But a little over ten years later in January 1971, it was time for the tower to come down, as a new City Hall was on the way.

January 15, 1971 article from Journal

Lorain Skywatchers Awarded Medals – October 1953

Remember when Lorain had a Civil Defense tower sitting right next to the old City Hall, dating back to the early 1950s?

No? That's not surprising. As the years roll by, there are fewer Lorainites that can recall the old observation tower. Before it was erected there for use by the Ground Observer Corps, it was previously located in the harbor and served as the U. S. Coast Guard 's life-saving tower.

It came down in 1971 (which I wrote about here) when the new Lorain City Hall was being built.

But before the tower was moved there from the harbor, the Lorain Skywatchers, Ground Observer Corps had to watch the skies for enemy aircraft from somewhere. And that was atop the Eagles Building on Broadway.

And according to the article below, which appeared on the front page of the October 9, 1953 Lorain Journal, Lorain's volunteer Skywatchers were a dedicated bunch. They racked up hours and hours of scanning the skies, and were going to be honored for their efforts. 

The article notes, "78 Lorain men and women are scheduled to receive medal awards from the U. S. Air Force Ground Observer Corps for lengthy service in the Skywatch operation.

"In addition, approximately 100 more will receive award certificates."

A medal similar to what was given out to the Lorain Skywatchers is on eBay right now (below). It's currently up in the Great White North, but I wonder if it originally belonged to a Lorainite?

Anyway, the article goes on to point out that the Lorain Skywatch post "is one of only eight or 10 in the eastern half of Ohio to maintain a 24-hour watch. The post has received two federal commendations and is listed as one of the best in the country.

"All this has been accomplished with a staff so small that many of the observers serve double and even triple duty to keep the record intact."

That's a pretty impressive accomplishment by a group of unsung Lorain heroes who unselfishly donated their time when their country needed it. If anyone out there is related to, or knew any of these fine citizens, be sure to leave a comment.

Lorain’s Civil Defense Tower to Come Down – Jan. 1971

As noted on several recent blog posts, the year 1971 was a big one for change in Lorain. The preparation for the construction of a new City Hall required the demolishing of many buildings and structures that residents had gotten used to seeing.

One of those iconic structures was the old Civil Defense Tower that stood behind City Hall. 

It had originally served as the life-saving tower by the United States Coast Guard station in Lorain, but was removed in the early 1950s to make room for a new small boat harbor. Consequently, Forest J. Greenshields, the director of Lorain’s Ground Observer Corps, obtained it for his team of 24-hour volunteers scanning the skies for enemy planes.

But by 1971, the old tower was no longer being used and had to go, to make way for the new City Hall. That’s the subject of the article above, which appeared in the Journal on January 15, 1971.

As noted in the article, Don Buchs Inc., the company doing the demolition, had the salvage rights. The Lorain County Regional Airport expressed interest in the tower but didn’t want to pay for it and didn’t know how it was going to move it.

I wonder if it ever ended up anywhere other than the scrap heap?

Lorain Ground Observer Corps PD Article 1954

Yesterday I featured a vintage postcard of the old Coast Guard Station in Lorain (above). If you look closely at the circled portion on the postcard, you might recognize the tower that was later located behind the old city hall and used by Lorain's Ground Observer Corps as part of the cvil defense effort.

I wrote about this tower a few times in the blog, including this post, which included an interesting article about the volunteers who took turns manning the tower in the 1950s to keep an eye out for enemy aircraft.

Well, here is another great article about Lorain's Ground Observer Corps, this time from the Cleveland Plain Dealer Pictorial Magazine of June 27, 1954. It also mentions how and why the tower ended up being used by the Ground Observer Corps.

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Sky Watcher Doubles as "Matchmaker"

Forest J. Greenshields.
"Man of the Year," he's director of the
Lorain Ground Observer Corps,
auditor-tax consultant, pilot
and "Dan Cupid."

Lorain's Forest J. Greenshields is a man who has played many roles.

The shiny-scalped ex-marine of World War I, selected recently as the steel city's "Man of the Year," has added still another – that of "Dan Cupid" – as director of the Ground Observer Corps.

Greenshields' chest swells, too, when he tells you his G. O. C. unit is one of the finest in the nation and one of a handful of those still on 24-hour duty since their inception on July 14, 1952.

Surprisingly enough, Lorain's observation post was one of 500 set up in Ohio two years ago when the cold fact of Russia's capabilities of bombing United States cities was made known. Ohio was among the 27 states alerted to maintain around-the-clock sky watches.

Today, though, Lorain's post under Greenshields is believed to be the lone 24-hour unit in Ohio. Within three months it received the air force's first unit citation for the Buckeye State.

When the post was first organized, Greenshields, an auditor and tax consultant in private life, obtained use of the roof of the Lorain Eagles Building and with donated materials and labor erected a heated, glass-enclosed structure.

Recruiting personnel from all walks of life, Greenshields signed up 147 observers from among steelworkers, teenagers, mothers, grandmothers and veterans. It was then that Greenshields' "Cupid" role came into being.

Dan's arrow once again found its mark when Miss Ann Miller, now chief observer in charge of the night shift, began dating George A. Gall, another observer. Gall, a brakeman with the Lake Terminal Railroad at Lorains' sprawling National Tube Co., scanned the heavens from noon to 4 p. m. once a week. Miss Gall served the next four hours. They first met last December, have been dating since March and expect to be married within a few weeks.

In between loving glances the observers spot and report all jet and multi-engined aircraft. As soon as such an aircraft is observed, it is logged, then reported to the air force filter center at Canton. With a direct telephone line, the procedure takes but about 10 seconds – thanks to Greenshields' employment of the best possible equipment and facilities.

Recently, when the life-saving tower from the United States Coast Guard station in Lorain was removed to make way for a new small boat harbor, Greenshields obtained it for his sky watchers. A 12-foot section was added to its base and now the 42-foot tower is in operation at a new location adjacent to Lorain's antique city hall.

His observers now number only 97, but Greenshields needs more observers. He has impressed two service clubs, the Sertomas and the Lorain Civic League, so much with the importance of a constant vigil that they have each volunteered to man the tower for a four-hour period once a week.

Should Greenshields' observers ever run out of planes to report, he can solve that, too. For Greenshields – "Whitey" to his friends – has added the role of private pilot to his long list of accomplishments.

Manning Lorain's Civil Defense Tower in the 1950's

Seeing that photo of the Dew Drop Inn with the Civil Defense tower in the background reminded me that I had this article. It's from the November 26, 1953 Lorain Journal and tells about the 'skywatchers' who used to man the tower.

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Lorain Skywatchers Acquire Additional Knowledge On Canton Inspection Tour


Some 35 conscientious skywatchers are still talking today over their recent journey to Canton to learn more about skywatch activities from the Filter Center there.

Ranging in ages from 12 to past 60, the sky-scanners of Lorain share one common interest despite their diversified ages: that of keeping tabs on the air lanes of the nation in the event of a possible enemy attack.

***

BRIEFED BY AIR FORCE WORKERS ON PROCEDURES

Youths of junior high age and women who have been grandmothers for years all flocked onto the bus near the skywatch tower on Erie Avenue, eager to visit the Canton center which filters plane information from skywatch stations of northeastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania.

At the filter center, the Lorainites were briefed by volunteer and Air Force workers there on the efficient procedures used in filtering plane information. Many of them listened to conversations from Columbus, Youngstown, Warren, Sharon and Pittsburgh, Pa., and other main skywatch points in the two states. The Canton center relays most of the information received to other stations lying in the paths of air traffic.

In the middle of the floor at the filter center is a large, odd-shaped table containing a chart where aircraft positions are marked. Around the table, volunteer workers use direct telephone lines installed at certain points to converse with stations in other cities. Complete records of every plane spotted are kept and are passed on immediately upon receiving warnings from other skywatch workers.

The trip, arranged by Co-Chairmen Mrs. Mary Rieger and Mrs. Ann Miller, kept the scanners in Canton four hours, learning filter center procedures. They also learned that the same problem facing them in Lorain faces the center in Canton – both stations lack volunteer personnel to do a thorough, highly efficient job.

Over six million dollars have been allotted this year by the government for civil defense activities. In the Canton center a poster is displayed on the wall revealing a photo of President Eisenhower appealing for support of skywatch activities. Even with the President's backing, many of the skywatchers said, there is still a need for more and more volunteers.

At present, the tower in Lorain, next to City Hall, is operated by volunteers who work four-hour shifts. Mrs. Rieger said that one woman, over 60 years of age, put in more than 20 hours in one week along with her regular duties at home. More volunteers would mean that the shifts could be cut down to two hours.

OFF TO CANTON – Some 35 members of the Lorain Skywatchers, Ground Observer Corps, met in front of the skywatch tower near City Hall over the weekend preparing to visit the Canton Filter Center. Shown awaiting arrival of a special bus, skywatchers, old and young, anticipate viewing Canton's methods of spotting planes and recording airplane information from eastern part of Ohio and western part of Pennsylvania. Skywatchers ages range from 12 to past 60 and all hold an intense interest in their jobs as part of the Civil Defense's all-out effort.

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I remember seeing that tower next to City Hall as a kid (I even drew it here). According to some online research, there doesn't appear to be very many of these towers still standing today.

For more information about "Operation Skywatch", here's a link to a great article in AIR FORCE magazine about the history of the Ground Observer Corps.  Here's a link to a Wiki page, as well as another website, if you prefer a shorter version.

1950's government sticker promoting the Ground Observer Corps

Summer Art Class 1968 Part 2

Here are a few more sketches from the Lorain summer drawing class that my siblings and I took in the late 1960s. All three of these subjects were in close proximity to each other, since all of them faced Washington Park.

   Lesson 4 was the old City Hall. It's fascinating (to me, at least) because of the civil defense tower rising next to it.

   Lesson 5 was the First Congregational Church. I like the bird walking right above the name.

   Lesson 6 was Fire Station Number One, right next door to the church. I wonder; was there really was a potato-nosed fireman sitting on the porch that day?