"Miss Victory" From the Back – May 1956

Here's something you don't see everyday: a view of Lorain's iconic "Miss Victory" statue (a favorite topic on this blog) from the back.

The photo ran on the front page of the Lorain Journal back on May 26, 1956 – 66 years ago today. As noted in the caption, "Lorain Park Department workers (left to right) Rodney Hale, foreman; John Ceol and James Camera planted geraniums, dwarf marigolds and a border of blue ageratum this morning at the World War I veterans' monument at Fifth St. and West Erie Ave. All veterans's monuments and markers in the city will be beautified before Memorial Day."

It's kind of nice to remember when Lorain used to proudly maintain its parks using its own workers. 

Today, Lakeview Park and Century Park/Harbor House are operated by the Lorain County Metro Parks. And the park at Fifth Street and West Erie – which celebrated its 100th anniversary in early April – is owned by the Lorain Finance and Port Authority.

Unfortunately, additional flag poles have been erected that dwarf Miss Victory, and destroy the quaint, contemplative nature of the park. 

Courtesy Google Maps

Ugh.

Still Looking for That Big V

With Lorain’s Victory Park in the news so much lately, I've been constantly reminded that I never did figure out who first installed the iconic Big V sculpture. It’s a mystery that’s been bugging me since 2011.

I first wrote about my quest here, comparing it to the search for the Big W in my favorite movie It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

I attempted to solve the mystery with a trip to the Lorain Public Library this past Saturday, retracing steps taken years ago with the thought that I might have missed it the first time.

Since the Big V was never mentioned in any of the Times-Herald coverage of the dedication of the Miss Victory statue, I have to conclude it was not there in April 1922.

Hoping that perhaps it was added to the V-shaped park in the weeks following its dedication, I went back and checked the Times-Heralds of that time period. No luck.

The 1924 Lorain Tornado newspaper coverage didn’t mention the Big V either.

During the days when I spent a lot of time at the old Black River Historical Society, it was suggested by someone there that the Big V was put up after World War II.

So on Saturday, I rechecked the Lorain Journal coverage of Admiral Ernest J. King’s visit to Lorain in late September 1945 celebrating the victorious end of the war. Again, no mention of a Big V being added to Victory Park – before, during or after the celebration.

The Lorain Elks did have an award-winning float in the victory parade that included a large clock marking the hour of eleven, a dove of peace and – you guessed it – a large V for Victory. The Elks have maintained the Big V in Victory Park for years, and I have wondered if the V from their parade float was the inspiration for it.

But getting back to my research. I have spot-checked newspaper coverage of various Memorial Days, Veterans Days, and anniversaries of V-J Day and V-E Day in Lorain, finding no mention of the Big V.

Nevertheless, my hunt goes on. It's like my own personal Moby Dick. (Or Moby Vic if you prefer.)

Hopefully with the renewed interest in Victory Park, a vital piece of information may trickle out and solve the mystery.

A Plea to Cancel the Sale of Victory Park

Saturday’s edition of the Morning Journal included an article that attempted to clarify why Lorain wants to sell Victory Park, the park containing the city’s memorial to all of the soldiers who fought and died in World War I.

The explanation actually makes the whole proposal sound even worse, and confirms my original belief that the sale of the park needs to be cancelled.

The veterans group, whose name had not been revealed in coverage by either of Lorain County’s daily newspapers up to that point, is the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Louis Paul Proy Chapter 20, which is located next door to the park.

The Journal article attempts to convince the reader that the DAV isn’t the bad guy here. 

It quotes Ray Kershaw, adjutant and treasurer of Proy Chapter 20, as pointing out that they originally bought the property next to the park because, “We wanted to have some green space next to us, keep the corner all veteran-oriented if we could.”

The article also notes, "Kershaw said the large "V" memorial and the Victory statue, which depicts the Greek goddess Nike bearing a sword and a palm frond, were not part of any deals to be made on the land and that the “Big V" will stay where it’s at no matter what."

“We did not want to buy the property with the (Victory statue) on it, because it’s city property and a memorial to World War I vets,” he said.

Why sell the park to the DAV then? They don’t want to buy the statue; they want the property to remain a green space; and they want the corner wedge-shaped land to remain ‘all veteran-oriented.’

So keep the park as it is, and the Big V and the statue will stay where they’re at, “no matter what.”

Especially if the Proy Chapter 20 ever goes out of business. It happens.

But Lorain city officials saw the Proy Chapter’s interest in the property as a way to get rid of a park so that they city wouldn’t have to maintain it. 

The Journal article quoted Safety-Service Director Dan Given. “The city’s position is that we own hundreds of parcels all over that we’ve acquired over time," Given said. "Why are we sitting on these things, maintaining them, cleaning up junk when we can actually make it productive?”

My answer to that is: Why does a park that is practically sacred land have to be productive? A memorial park is supposed to be a place where citizens can come and contemplate what is being honored.

It’s embarrassing that a city of Lorain’s size is so eager to save money that it would sell what is arguably one of its most important parks – and one of its smallest and easiest to maintain.

Perhaps the most ridiculous comments from the Journal article belong to Phil Dore, Lorain’s deputy safety-service director and the Mayor’s chief of staff. In attempting to justify the proposed sale, he pointed out that the city “went out of its way to ensure the property had no historical significance for WWI.”

“It just so happened, that whoever funded the statue, put it there,” Dore said.

Well, yes, I don’t think that the V-shaped property was a WWI battlefield or anything. What kind of historical significance were they expecting to find?

And as to the identity of “whoever funded the statue," let’s consult the Lorain Times-Herald of April 7, 1922, the day after the dedication. It notes, “Yesterday’s memorial was erected by the city at a cost of $6,000. It was made possible largely through the untiring efforts of Service Director Snell and former Councilman John J. Baird.”

And by the way, the same article noted that “Mayor William F. Grall arose from a sick bed to be present while thousands trudged from all sections of the city to witness the birth of that which is the personification of liberty, equality and honor.”

Ninety-six years later, Lorain’s Mayor Ritenauer is on board with the sale of the park as long as it doesn’t result in a “nasty storm,” and Lorain’s Safety-Service Director Given regards the park as an unproductive parcel. 

How times have changed.

Lorain: please don’t sell the park. Maintain it proudly. It’s the right thing to do.

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UPDATE (November 12, 2018)
It was great to read in the Chronicle-Telegram (here) that a plan is now in place for the Lorain Port Authority to take control of Victory Park pending approval of Lorain City Council. The city would make improvements to the sidewalks and right-of-way, and the Big V and statue would remain in place.

Congratulations to Mayor Ritenauer, the Lorain Port Authority and everyone involved in this proposal for making this a Happy Veterans Day indeed.

An Editorial: Why?

Why does the City of Lorain think it's a good idea to sell the small, iconic park that pays tribute to its sons who served and died in World War I?

I’m at my wit’s end trying to understand this decision.

According to the coverage in the Morning Journal, a veterans group has expressed interest in purchasing the park property.

Consequently, Lorain City Council voted to sell the two parcels of land that make up the small park. The sale includes the “Big V” and the winged Miss Victory statue.

So that’s all it takes? An unnamed group wants to buy the park, and the city is more than willing to put it up for sale in order to make that happen.

Why?

It can’t be because of the cost of maintaining the park. It’s tiny! A two-man city crew could probably mow and edge it in about a half hour. And the Lorain Elks – to their credit – have been maintaining the Big V for years. So the park is hardly a drain on city workers or finances.

What is going on here? Why is this park – a small, charming green space in a historic neighborhood – an issue at all? And why now?

To make matters even worse, it has been suggested that the winged victory statue could be moved to Lakeview Park.

That’s a terrible idea. It’s bad enough that several monuments and markers have been already been relocated and unceremoniously grouped together, totally out of historical context, down at Lakeview Park. The last thing that is needed down there is yet another historical marker.

Anyway, the winged victory statue was dedicated with great fanfare ninety-six years ago in a community and civic celebration unrivaled in its day. It would be a disgrace, and an insult to all the soldiers who were wounded or died in World War I, for the City of Lorain to sell the park.

The dedication, April 6, 1922

Miss Victory – Everything Old is New Again

Last week – in case you missed it – there was a nice article in the Morning Journal (here) written by Richard Payerchin about the newly refurbished Miss Victory statue at the park at West Erie Avenue and W. Fifth Street.

Thanks to Ed Ferraro, owner of Buckeye Sheet Metal, Miss Victory once again holds her sword and palm frond – hopefully for a long, long time. Mr. Ferraro did an incredible job of recreating the palm frond using old photos.

Here's a side-by-side comparison (below). On the left is a vintage photo from the archives of the Black River Historical Society, and on the right is the statue as it looks today.

Seeing the statue looking like it did when it was first unveiled to honor Lorain's sons who served in World War I really makes a Lorainite proud.

Stop by and pay the old gal a visit.

Special thanks to Richard Payerchin, who was kind enough to mention my blog as one of the sources of the historical information used in his Morning Journal article.

The County Fair/Miss Victory

Ever notice how real pigs look nothing like cartoon pigs?

Well, it was another great Lorain County Fair. The spouse and I made it out there on Friday night, and the weather was perfect for one of my favorite days of the year.

Also perfect were our Rutana's Hot Apple Dumplings – the best we've ever had at the fair. In fact, the dumplings were so fresh, hot and delicious that we decided to add them to our "best ever" list.

For dinner, I enjoyed my usual Midway Oh Boy, while the spouse traitorously opted for a stromboli for the second year in a row. Fortunately, she couldn't finish it, so Ol' Vacuum (me) finished it off.

We walked around the whole fair at least three or four times. I still get a kick out of examining the artwork for the banners of the International Palace of Illusion (below).

Back in 1976 when I spent a few weeks at the Ohio State Fair in Columbus as a member of the All-Ohio State Fair Band, I saw a few of these same freak (is it politically correct to call it that?) shows. One of them I remember was the woman with the body of a large snake. She looked ludicrous, and I'm ashamed to admit that a bunch of us band members acted like wise-guys, heckling the poor performer. To her credit, she ignored us completely to keep the illusion alive.

Anyway, here are a few more sights from the 2013 Lorain County Fair.

Good to see Captain Frosty was there at the Fair as usual!

Now that's what I call "togetherness."

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Miss Victory is Armed Again!

A week and a half ago, Loraine Ritchey (of That Woman's Weblog) tipped me off to something big-big-BIG!

She told me that plans were in the works for the statue of Miss Victory down at the little park at West Erie and Fifth Street to get her sword and palm fronds back, thanks to the efforts of Buckeye Sheet Metal and the Lorain Elks.

So, on Saturday while crisscrossing Lorain on my usual jaunts, I noticed some activity at the park (at left). The scaffolding surrounding Miss Liberty confirmed what Loraine said.   

I drove by a few times in mid-afternoon to check their progress, and on my final drive-by an hour or so later, I was able to see the almost-finished result. 

Miss Victory didn't have her palm fronds yet, but it was sure nice to see her once again brandishing a sword.

But I still don't know who put up the original Big V – or when! Anybody got any ideas?!?

Ninety years of Miss Victory

A little anniversary came and went quietly last month – the 90th anniversary of the dedication of the soldiers monument (Miss Victory) at Victory Park at West Erie Avenue and Fifth Street.

April 6, 1922 Lorain Times-Herald

It was on April 6, 1922 that Lorain paid tribute to her sons who served and died in World War I.

As the article on the front page of The Lorain Times-Herald (shown at left) explained, "Two hundred wounded and forty-two dead were eulogized together with those who sacrificed their personal interests in the interests of Democracy when ex-service men and their friends and relatives unveiled a soldiers' memorial on West Erie-av. at 5th-st.

"With the colors flying at full, civic, patriotic and fraternal organizations, together with their auxiliaries, paraded on Broadway to the scene of the memorial, preliminary to the day's chief event."

On the following day, the newspaper described the festivities. The front-page article stated, "Unveiled with all the honors a grateful city could pay, a memorial to the gallant deeds of Lorain soldiers in the World War was bivouacked late yesterday afternoon on Erie-av. at 5th-st.

"The highest honors of the American Legion, department of Ohio, did homage; nearly a score of gold-star mothers and close relatives of Lorain's forty-two dead witnessed the granite and bronze composition typifying the city's reverence and respect. Mayor William F. Grall arose from a sick bed to be present while thousands trudged from all sections of the city to witness the birth of that which is the personification of liberty, equality and honor."

The scene at the dedication of the memorial, April 6, 1922

The Miss Victory Mystery

Here's a photo of Miss Victory that appeared in the Lorain Sunday News on Sunday, August 17, 1947. As you can see, the statue was still missing its sword and palm frond.

What's interesting is the fact that the weekly newspaper had no idea how the statue got there or when! Above the photo was the headline "Statue is Mystery" and under it was the following caption:

Faintly reminiscent of the famous Winged Victory of Samothrace, although that poor lady is without a head, this symbolic figure stands in the tiny v-shaped park at the intersection of 5th Street and West Erie avenue. Although inscriptions on the four panels of her base dedicate her to the Lorain men who served in the first World War, who caused the statue to be erected and when it was done seem to be lost in city records. Perhaps some Lorain citizens with a good memory or complete diary will solve the mystery.

The lesson here is that if you're going to erect a monument or memorial, it's a good idea to include a plaque that includes the dedication date, as well as the name of the organization responsible for it! The above incident took place a mere 25 years after the dedication.

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Recommended Blog Reading
Be sure to drop by Loraine Ritchey's That Woman's Weblog for her great multi-part comprehensive series on Admiral Ernest J. King, currently underway!

Loraine and the Charleston Village Society are working hard to get the Admiral Ernest J. King birthplace memorial park ship-shape in time for Pride Day. The weather has not cooperated but they are making progress. Don't forget, it's not too late for a donation! Click here for details.

Miss Victory With Her Sword

Seeing as how I was talking about the Big V yesterday, I might as well stay in Victory Park for this post as well. Here's something I never thought I would see: a photo of Miss Victory with her sword!

The photo comes from the amazing photo archives of the Black River Historical Society. (If seeing this kind of thing interests you, please consider becoming a member! They would love to have new volunteers to help maintain their ever-growing collection of photos, research and memorabilia!)

I'm pretty sure this photo shows the winged statue after it was repaired by August Nabakowski in 1948. There were no trees at all behind the statue when it was dedicated in April 1922, judging by photos of the event. And a mere two years later, the sword and palm frond were lost in the 1924 Lorain Tornado.

Unfortunately, I understand that vandalism claimed the new sword and palm frond later.

You might be saying, "Palm frond? I thought that was an olive branch!" Well, a 1949 article from the Lorain Journal explained that it was a palm frond – a symbol of victory – as opposed to an olive branch, which is the symbol of peace.

And one look at this statue with her sword tells you that she's no peacenik!

Anyway, Lorain's winged victory monument isn't the only one from the 1920's that seems to be losing the battle against vandalism. Click here to read about a similar one from the same time period in Brooklyn, New York.

Victory Park in Winter

For my out-of-town readers, this was the scene in Lorain this past Sunday. As you can see, it's been a rough winter this year.

If something in this picture of Victory Park looks different to you, there's a good reason. The shrubs and brush at the back of the park were removed last fall, exposing the neighboring building.

Quite a different weather scene than last June (below)!

Incidentally, watch for my special blog series on the history of Victory Park in early April. The park's been there since 1922, and the hoopla around its unveiling that year is well-documented and worth revisiting.