Ohio Fuel Gas Underground "Warehouse" – Feb. 4, 1955

Speedy, the Ohio Fuel Gas mascot (above), has something he'd like you to see: a 1955 article about his company's underground storage field in Wellington.

I first read about this underground 'warehouse' in my copy of Looking Back on Lorain County (1978) by Ernie Henes. In an article entitled, "Ready-Made Warehouses," Henes writes, "Nature has been kind to Southern Lorain County by providing just the right underground rock formations for storing tremendous volumes of natural gas needed to heat homes, commercial buildings, and for industrial purposes.

"When Mother Nature formed this earth, she buried layer upon layer of rock underground. Far under Lorain County she placed several layers of sponge-like rock. When combined with decaying organic material, these porous rocks soaked up natural gas produced by natural chemical reactions. The gas was there for man to drill and release.

"Gas became so popular that it took relatively few years before these reservoirs were emptied, at which point they were used for storage. Today, practically all of the gas used in Lorain and adjoining counties is brought in through large pipe lines from rich fields in the south and southwest.

"Wellington's field has 243 wells into which about 22 billion cubic feet of gas are stored The compressor station on West Road pumps the year around. In cold weather, not enough gas can be brought in to meet the demand, and storage gas is used to augment the pumped flow."

I remember reading this story and being somewhat confused as it was hard to visualize. Thus I was happy to see the article and photo below about the Wellington underground storage field. It ran in the Lorain Journal back on Feb. 4, 1955 – 70 years ago today.

So is the underground storage still in use?

Apparently it still is. The AI Overview (we know that's reliable) provided by Google notes, "The Columbia Gas Wellington Storage Field is a natural gas storage facility in Medina and Lorain counties, Ohio. The facility is part of the Columbia Gas Transmission system, which connects major natural gas basins to markets." 

TC Energy acquired Columbia Gas Transmission in 2016. Here's the link to its website about the underground storage.

Reddy and Speedy Ads – October 1, 1950

The weekly Lorain Sunday News always seemed to run a lot of ads for Ohio Edison and the Ohio Fuel Gas Company – perhaps to fill space. Not surprisingly, the October 1, 1950 edition included ads for both of these public utilities that, er, utilized their respective mascots: our pals Reddy Kilowatt and Speedy.

Both of these whimsical representatives has done their bit for the country during World War II (as noted in this post). But it was now the postwar era, so it was time for them to do what they did best: sell.

First up is the ad for Ohio Edison, promoting automatic electric blankets. 

"Why get into a bed that's cold and clammy?" the ad asks. "Why cope with cluttered covers – piles of them? Why sleep restlessly and cramped because you are too hot or two cold – often on the same night?

"Yes, why – when you can sleep better and be more comfortable all night long under just one Automatic Electric Blanket?"

I'm not sure how realistic the illustration is, of the woman in the lacy nightgown adjusting the settings for her electric blanket. No cartoonish hair curlers or cold cream there. But the sumptuous surroundings are marred somewhat by the framed, embroidered sign that reads, "SLEEP WELL UNDER AN ELECTRIC BLANKET." But Reddy is there in the ad to signal his approval.

In this case, I'm with Reddy. I use my electric blanket all year long, although mine didn't cost $317 – the 2023 equivalent (with inflation) of 1950's $24.95 price.

Next up is the ad with Speedy Gas Flame.

As someone who watches GRIT TV every night, I like this ad, with Speedy all duded up and promoting automatic gas ranges.

The ad copy encourages the reader to "get rid of your beat-up old cookstove during the Old Stove Round-Up." It wisely avoids a potential "range war" with Reddy and his gang by not directly attacking the electric variety.

Anyway, it's good to see both mascots having adjusted to peacetime activities.

But I wonder what Willing Water and Willie Wiredhand were up to at that time?

July 1942 – Wartime Reddy & Speedy

It’s been a while since I featured our two utility mascot pals – Speedy for Ohio Fuel Gas Company, and Reddy Kilowatt for the Ohio Public Service Company (later known as Ohio Edison).

To remedy this egregious oversight, here they are in a pair of wartime ads that ran in the Lorain Journal and Times-Herald on the same day: July 11, 1942.

Here’s the Ohio Fuel Gas Company ad. In this ad (which would probably be considered politically incorrect today), a man flame is shown operating a machine that cranks out bearings, while a female flame is canning fruit.

As you can see, Speedy was still evolving; it would take several more years before the various flame characters featured in the ads would be consolidated into just one mascot: Speedy.

Reddy’s ad promotes electric power for defense or for homes, but cagily sidesteps any sexist issues.

Reddy is still a little rough looking at this point in his career as well, with his beady eyes and ‘shockingly’ skinny frame.

Fortunately, both mascots would get makeovers in a few short years, making them more likable and guaranteeing them long careers as ‘power players’ in their respective utility company fields.

Feb 15, 1950 – Ohio Fuel Gas Company Ad

It's been a while since I featured this little guy, the gas flame mascot for the Ohio Fuel Gas Company. The above ad for an automatic gas water heater ran in the Lorain Journal on Feb. 15, 1950 – 67 years ago this month.

(I probably should have posted an Ohio Edison ad with Reddy Kilowatt since the last few days have been all about Thomas Edison. Oh well.)

You might remember that I had been on a unsuccessful quest to come up with the gas company mascot's name until I received an assist from the Michigan State University Library – who revealed that his name was Speedy. (I wrote about it in this two-part series, here and here.)

Anyway, old time hot water heaters are certainly something for me to be nostalgic about.

They used to last for 15 or 20 years, until you found the inevitable puddle of water on the floor – and then it was time to get a new one.

Nowadays they don't last half that long. And because of a change in building codes, mine has to be vented. Thus I have a fan on top of it that I hear almost every time I rinse off a crusty fork with hot water.

Ohio Fuel Gas Company Mascot's Name FINALLY Revealed – Part 2

It was back in May that I received an email clear out of the blue from Mary Kathryn "Kate" Ojibway, who works in the Cataloging and Metadata Services department of Michigan State University Libraries in East Lansing, Michigan.

It was the subject line of her email that intrigued me: I know the mascot name!

And indeed she did – solving a longtime mystery for me. She wrote, "I am in the process of cataloging a collection of recipes that includes lots of promotional blurbs from the Ohio Fuel Gas Company promoting the use of gas. Your little mascot appears in them and many lead off with the phrase “Speedy says…”  So there you have it. The little flame mascot is named Speedy. Specifically the Ohio Fuel Gas Company, Home Service Adviser offers “Betty Newton’s recipes” that fit 5 to a page that can be filed into recipes boxes in the convenient 3x5 format. On the back of each of these sheets is Speedy demonstrating the convenience of gas."

Kate went on to point out that Speedy appears in different guises and poses in the illustrations. She described them to me in her email. Sometimes Speedy wears a tuxedo, sometimes he's dressed like a magician, etc.

Meanwhile, the very recipe book she described – Betty Newton's Recipes – happened to be on Ebay that very day. I quickly bought it (it was only a few bucks) and I eagerly awaited its arrival. To my surprise, when I opened my much anticipated package, I discovered that the spiral bound cookbook consisted of only the cover and one or two pages of general kitchen advice – all of the recipes had been removed!

It was one of the few times I was actually ripped off on Ebay.

Fortunately, Kate was happy to send me photocopies of the missing pages in the mail so I could see Speedy in all of his various poses. Here's a few of them.

 There were even a few Christmas versions to rival that of Reddy Kilowatt's holiday appearances.

Anyway, that's the story of Speedy, the long-forgotten Ohio Fuel Gas Company advertising mascot. 

Special thanks to Kate Ojibway of Michigan State University Libraries for taking the time to contact me about Speedy and solve my mystery.

Ohio Fuel Gas Company Mascot's Name FINALLY Revealed – Part 1

Last week I did a post on the House of Enchantment, which featured all gas appliances. That reminded me that I had some loose ends to clear up regarding the anthropomorphic gas flame shown above that I've been putting off for literally months.

It all started way back in 2011, when I posted a 1958 Ohio Fuel Gas Company ad featuring him. At the time, I didn't know his name, or what the pronged thing was that he was holding.

As anyone who reads this blog for a while knows, I'm a big fan of advertising mascots and their history. I even have a small library of books on that subject – and this guy is not to found in any of them. So not knowing his name really bugged me.

Since that first post, I've collected and presented a variety of ads featuring him, including a whole series of ads with a circus theme – but still, none of them mentioned his name.

May 1947

May 1950

June 11, 1950

June 18, 1950

November 5, 1950 ad

October 1958 ad

Actually, the 1947 ad referred to him as the Tiny Gas Flame, and that's what I finally thought his name was. I even formally announced it on this blog (back here).

But, as it turns out – I was (groan) wrong. He has a real name – and it took the help of Michigan State University Libraries to come up with it.

Stop back tomorrow for the whole story – it's a gas!

Meet the Tiny Gas Flame – 1947

Longtime readers of my blog might recognize the above advertising mascot for the Ohio Fuel Gas Company. Waaaay back here and here, I posted some 1950s ads featuring the friendly flame.

At the time, I asked if anyone knew his name. Unlike his electrical rivals Reddy Kilowatt and Willie Wired Hand, this poor guy must have had a terrible agent, because his name was never featured in his ads. He simply did his solo act in the Ohio Fuel Gas Company ads throughout the 1950s before apparently "flaming out."

Anyway – although it took me a mere three years – I finally found an early ad (below) that gives the flame a name. It ran in the Lorain Sunday News on May 11, 1947 – 67 years ago this month.

Apparently he goes by the name, "the Tiny Gas Flame." And in this ad (which may very well be his first appearance), he has some lookalike brothers.

It's not that surprising that his appearance would eventually change. The artist who gave him his distinctive look must have realized that it was rather limiting having him go around with no clothes, and with his arms and legs sprouting out of his plump body. Plus, he looks a little too mischievous, like he's having fun running around loose.

So the flame was given the corporate makeover shown at the top of this post.

I still don't know what he's holding, though.

****

UPDATE (10-7-2014)

Hey, I was wrong! His name isn't the Tiny Gas Flame! It's something else! Click here for the story.

"Reddy" for Thanksgiving?

Here's an ad featuring our old pal Reddy Kilowatt riding shotgun on an electric range. The ad, which appeared in the Lorain Sunday News around Thanksgiving 1945, suggests making an electric range part of your "post-war kitchen plans," since they weren't quite available yet.

And as long as I'm featuring Reddy on this post, in the interest of equal time I might as well include our other utility company mascot buddy: the nameless little gas flame guy who appeared in all those Ohio Fuel Gas Company ads (featured on this blog here and here).

In this Thanksgiving-themed ad (below) that appeared in the November 5, 1950 Lorain Sunday News, he's peddling those newfangled gas refrigerators.

I'm still not crazy about the idea of having to light the pilot light of a refrigerator – or wondering if it might explode.

I guess the first Thanksgiving wasn't as harmonious as we thought, seeing that arrow through the Pilgrim's hat!

Ohio Fuel Gas Company Mystery Mascot

You first saw him – the Ohio Fuel Gas Company mascot – on my blog in the 1958 'Welcome to Lorain' Ford ad from a few days ago. Here he is again in a 1950 newspaper ad from the Lorain Journal, sporting a snappy moustache as a circus ringleader. (Give it a click so you can read it.)

I don't know if I like the idea of a gas refrigerator. At least I don't have to worry about my present refrigerator exploding. But the fact that a gas refrigerator is totally quiet is definitely an attribute. Ours makes so much noise that sometimes I wonder if it's haunted.

Unfortunately, there is nothing about this flame mascot in any of my advertising mascot books, or on the internet. It's pretty bad when the only thing that Google can find about him is my posting from a few days ago! I guess he will remain a nameless mystery until I can find some ad that hopefully reveals his name (if any).

When the Lorain Assembly Plant was New

On the way home from Brownelm Township last Sunday, we were passing the shuttered Lorain Assembly Plant when my wife asked, "Are they tearing down the old Ford plant?"

Looking over at the huge complex, I saw that it looked like a giant had sat down on a small portion of it and squashed it (above). It's a fairly shocking sight to behold for a Lorainite, even after all these years.

It's sad to drive by the old plant, a little more than five years since it closed. None of my family ever worked there, but plenty of neighbors while I was growing up, plus fathers of a few boyhood chums. These loyal families supported their company by exclusively buying their products and thus I spend a lot of time in my friends' various Ford vehicles, including old Mavericks, Pintos and LTDs.

Thinking of the Ford plant reminded me of this October 30, 1958 Ohio Fuel Gas Company ad that I had printed off the microfilm in the library. It's a 'Welcome to Lorain' ad that the gas company ran to honor Ford upon its arrival in town. (Click on it for a closer look.)

(As I've said before, I'm a big fan of these old-time advertising mascots from the 1950's, and I like this guy in the ad. Can anyone figure out what it is he's holding?)

Anyway, the gas company ad is a wistful reminder of the days when Lorain was an industrial powerhouse with a future full of prosperity and promise.

Back then it would have been unthinkable to imagine a day when the Ford plant would be closed. Hopefully Industrial Realty Group and Ohio Realty Advisors will be successful in their efforts to market and repurpose the property.