Return to Ruggles Beach – Part 2

While out at Ruggles Beach, I decided to stop at the Berlin Township Oak Bluff Cemetery and pay a visit to Almon Ruggles' grave. But first I grabbed a shot of the Ohio Historical Marker (above) honoring him for his contributions as a surveyor of the Firelands, a member of the Ohio House, the Ohio Senate and also a judge of Huron County.

It was easy to find his gravestones, and I'm happy to report that they have received some much needed care since my last visit in 2011. They're in great shape.

A pair of Lorain Journal articles below, part of a series written by Wallace White, provide a detailed history of two surveys that included the Firelands in which Almon Ruggles participated. The first article tells how an uncalibrated chain likely led to an error during the 1806 Pease survey; the second article tells how they had to resurvey the area (in less-than-pleasant conditions) in 1808 with impressively accurate results. 

March 24, 1960

April 7, 1960

Return to Ruggles Beach – Part 1

Ruggles Beach is only a short drive away on U. S. 6 from Vermilion (where I live) so I paid a visit to this Vacationland neighborhood over the holiday weekend. Why? Because I wanted to post the nostalgic article below about Ruggles Beach that appeared in the Lorain Journal back on Sept. 24, 1956, and thought I would do a little field research.

The article provides a nice history about the area, including a mention of Almon Ruggles, who came from Connecticut to Ohio back in 1805 to survey the Firelands. (More on Mr. Ruggles tomorrow.) Ruggles purchased some of the land along the lakefront that he had surveyed, and today that area is known as Ruggles Beach.

The article makes reference to several local landmarks, including the Ruggles Dance Hall and the old Ruggles Boarding House. Who knew that both of them would be lost to fires within only a few years?

Ruggles Beach Dance Hall (Photo courtesy Rich Tarrant's Vermilion Views)

July 6, 1959 Lorain Journal

Today the building formerly home to the teen night club The Note occupies the dance hall location.

According to the 1956 article, the Ruggles Beach Boarding House was right next to the Old Farmhouse. The real photo postcard below, courtesy of Drew Penfield's "Lake Shore Rail Maps" website shows 'The Farm.' It's easy to recognize part of the structure as the apartments shown in the 1956 photo.

 

And here is the Journal's account of the apartment fire from its March 26, 1957 edition.

Today the former apartment property is the home of Vacationland Mobile Home Park.

Bobby Rydell at The Note – August 1963

The Note as it looks today (2024)

Teenagers growing up in the 1960s in the Vacationland area were pretty fortunate to have The Note. 

The dance hall in Ruggles Beach that catered to young adults was an incredible venue for them to enjoy popular music, whether it was a live performance by a pop band or top 40 records spun by DJs. And it was alcohol-free for most of the decade, meaning that parents could relax while their kids were there, since they were less likely to get into trouble. 

(I did an extensive post about The Note back here in 2019.)

Just last week, I posted an ad for a special appearance there in August 1963 by Ghoulardi of Cleveland late night TV fame. And here's another ad from that same month – this time for Bobby Rydell. The ad announcing his upcoming performance ran in the Journal on August 16, 1963.

Bobby Rydell was a popular teen idol, who enjoyed fame as both a rock and roll singer and an actor along the lines of Frankie Avalon. Here he is singing one of his big hits, "Wild One."

It's pretty amazing that he even appeared at The Note at that point, considering his national fame. Compare that to today, when young concert goers have to jam themselves into stadiums to see a favorite perform.

Coincidentally, Bobby Rydell had a role in the movie, Bye Bye Birdie, which I wrote about (on this post) just last month.

Ghoulardi at The Note – August 1963

Ghoulardi (Ernie Anderson)

Although I grew up in the 1960s, I was a little too young to be aware of late-night movie host Ghoulardi (played by Ernie Anderson) during his stint on Channel 8 from 1963 to 1966. (I only remember his successors in that time slot on Channel 8, Hoolihan and Big Chuck, and The Ghoul over on Channel 61). But it's well known that Ghoulardi was wildly popular during his time on the airwaves and, naturally, he made personal appearances in Northeast Ohio and the surrounding areas.

And sixty years ago, Ghoulardi made a one-night appearance at The Note, the dance hall in Ruggles Beach that catered to young adults. Below is the ad that appeared in the Entertainment section of the Journal, promoting his appearance the following day – August 4, 1963.

Ghoulardi has appeared on this blog before. This post told of his personal appearance at the Meyer Goldberg grocery stores in Lorain in November 1963.

And this post includes a photo of the now-demolished Ghoulardi's nightclub in Lorain.

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The Note was the subject of a post back in 2019 that featured many ads for the popular nightspot.

The Note – Ruggles Beach

Are you old enough to remember dancing at The Note at Ruggle's Beach, just west of Vermilion?

I'm not, but I remember seeing ads for it in the newspaper in the 1960s, and thinking it was the kind of place that the teenagers in those beach movies (like Beach Blanket Bingo) would go to.

Anyway, The Note opened in the summer of 1963. Here's an article that appeared in the Lorain Journal on July 10, 1963 that tells the whole story.

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Dance Hall Opens At Ruggles
By SARAH WELKER

VERMILION – There's a brand new "Note" in an old, old song... the dance hall at Ruggles Beach has been re-opened.

But the new cement and steel structure is as different from the old hardwood-floored dance hall as modern jive is from the jazz of the 20's and the swing of the 30's, albeit the short skirts, shifts, and teen-age hairdo's are reminiscent of the boy-bobs and cootie coops of the "dinosaur days."

Rising from the ashes (like the legendary Phoenix) of the old dance hall which burned completely July 3, 1960 is The Note, a recreation center designed especially for "young adults."

"We don't call them kids. We treat them as young adults and they have not disappointed us," said Kermit Price, president of the Hallmark Corporation, a group of Sanduskians who own and operate The Note.

Price is also the general manager and has memories of Ruggles as it was in the late 40's.

There is some 15,000 square feet of floor space in the dance hall, which includes an area under cover and a large patio for open air dancing.

There is a snack bar for soft drinks and sandwiches but The Note is"dry" alcoholically.

Music is provided by records. Speakers are installed throughout the building in the ceiling and also on the corners of the patio.

Disk jockeys handle the records and include Dave Parks of Sandusky's WLEC and George Mayer, who helps part time. He is manager of the South Shore Branch of the Erie County Bank.

The music is usually selected from the top 40 records of the week and several of these are given away as prizes during the evenings when the dance contests are held.

In addition, The Note features live "combos." Price said the aim of the management was to provide about half each of recorded and live music.

The picnic grove has been cleared of several years growth of brush and debris and a fence erected – this has a dual purpose  – to keep the young customers of The Note from straying to nearby private beaches, and as a control for would-bee intruders.

Auxiliaries from the Erie County Sheriff's Department are on hand to lend protection if needed.

While The Note is primarily a "young people's" center, Price said parents were welcome to stop in to see what sort of place it actually is.

An open house is planned for mid-July and at that time the public will have an opportunity to visit.

Future plans call for the development of the picnic area and beach – Ruggles was once the mecca for Sunday School picnics, family reunions and other types of group picnics.

The name "Ruggles" will always bring back many "Do you remember's?" and even as the older generations shed a nostalgic tear for their lost youth, they cannot help but rejoice that "Ruggles is open" once more.

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Advertisements for The Note appeared in all of the local papers. Some ads included the illustration of the unusual building or its sign; others were more generic.

July 2, 1963 ad from the Lorain Journal

July 17, 1963 ad from the Lorain Journal

July 31, 1963 ad from the Sandusky Register

October 3, 1963 ad from the Chronicle-Telegram

June 5, 1964 ad from the Sandusky Register

August 28, 1964 ad from the Sandusky Register

August 29, 1964 ad from the Sandusky Register

Nov. 20, 1964 ad from the Sandusky Register

January 29, 1965 ad from the Sandusky Register

April 2, 1965 ad from the Sandusky Register

January 19, 1968 ad from the Sandusky Register

Feb. 2, 1968 ad from the Sandusky Register

Sometime around 1969, management of The Note changed, and the ads seemed to reflect that a change had taken place, both at The Note and culturally as well.

June 19, 1969 ad from the Fremont News Messenger

July 3, 1969 ad from the Fremont News Messenger

Sept. 25, 1969 ad from the Sandusky Register

I’m not sure when The Note closed. The distinctive building is still there on U. S. Route 6 in Ruggles Beach, with no evidence of its former life as a popular teen hangout or its link to the earlier dance hall. Today the building is home to Sportside Storage.

The Note as it looks today (2024)

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Judging from the ads, one of the regular local bands at The Note was Ronnie and the Rainbows. Click here to read about Ron Zehel and his bandmates on the buckeye beat.com website. On its “Venues” page here, the website also notes (no pun intended) that The Note apparently went through some name changes and lasted into the 1980s.

Almon Ruggles' Tombstones

If you've ever taken Lake Road (US Route 6) from Lorain to Sandusky, then you've passed through the community of Ruggles Beach. What you may not know is the story behind the Ruggles name.

This article below (and accompanying photo and caption) tells a little bit of the story. It was written by Sarah Welker and appeared in the April 22, 1958 Lorain Journal.

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CONFLICT – These two tombstones in a little cemetery west of Ruggles Beach
differ on the date of birth of Almon Ruggles, who made a remarkably accurate survey of
the Firelands in 1806 and took a section of land for his pay.

Tombstones Disagree on Ruggles' Birthday
By SARAH WELKER

VERMILION – When Almon Ruggles, who was later to be the first postmaster of Vermilion, completed his survey of the Firelands in 1806, he took for his pay a section of land on the shores of Lake Erie in Berlin Twp.

Ruggles was the fourth person employed to survey the area which was to include 500,000 acres as a grant for the "Sufferers" of Connecticut. Three persons before him had tried and failed. His survey, made carefully, and taking into consideration the irregular shoreline of Lake Erie was just 27 acres over the grant, which considering the implements with which the 1806 surveyors worked, and the other limitations of the day, was a truly remarkable survey.

That Ruggles was a man of vision cannot be denied. While he probably did not foresee the steady stream of trucks and cars that now roll over the old road, he picked for his place of residence land with a potential for development.

Two markers in the little cemetery on a knoll just west of Ruggles Beach mark the resting place of Almon Ruggles. On each the date of death is given as July 17, 1840; but on one the age is given as 68 years, 4 months and 24 days, while the other lists it as 69 years, 4 months, 25 days.

No matter which date is right, the people of the Firelands are still in the debt of the man who made the survey.

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This past Saturday I decided to drive out to the Berlin Township Oak Bluff Cemetery (just west of Ruggles Beach) and see for myself what the markers look like. A helpful cemetery worker directed me to them.

You can still make out the Ruggles name pretty clearly, but little else, as both stones have weathered a bit. They also need a good cleaning.

I was actually pretty amazed that 170 years later, that the markers are still legible (assuming they were erected when he died). Here's hoping that some historic organization out that way gets involved and ensures that the markers are cleaned and preserved. It'd be nice to erect a sign to honor Almon Ruggles' memory as well.