Avon Lake Teens Speak Out – June 1966

Did you have a favorite place to hang out with your friends when you were a teenager?

I had to think about this for a minute. Before we were of the drinking age, my high school pals and I seemed to drive around a lot, just to get away from home and out from under the watchful eyes of our parents. Like many young adults, we went down to Lakeview Park and hung out. If we were hungry, we would hit the Burger King on Route 58 (which is still there) or the Hardees on Oberlin Avenue.

It was during one of those visits to Hardees that we were briefly bullied by some older kids that were there; just some minor menacing and implied violence – but nothing really happened. Which reminds me that in Lorain, each of the public schools had their 'own' hangout. The McDonald's on West Erie was under Lorain High's domain; Admiral King had the Burger King. I'm not sure where the Southview kids hung out. But you stayed on your own turf.

When we were old enough to drink (3.2 beer) in our senior year, we usually went to DiSimones in the same shopping strip as Willow Hardware. Sometimes we went to Tommy's Rec in Amherst. One time for laughs we went into Super's Tavern (just a short walk from DiSimones), which was a much older crowd of hard drinkers. We didn't fit in at all and had to skedaddle.

Anyway, this is all leading up to an interesting article about Avon Lake teens which ran in the June 1, 1966 edition of the Journal. Staff Writer Eleanor Gottschalk interviewed a nice group of Avon Lake High School students to find out "what made them tick." It's a great story in which the kids share their thoughts about their teachers, their opinions about their city, and their desire for a place to "hang out."

First Babies of 1946, 1956 and 1966

I like to start off a new year with a roll call of First Babies – in this case, 1946, 1956 and 1966.

First up is 1946. Here's the front page of the Lorain Journal for January 2, 1946 – 80 years ago today.

There's a lot of tragedy on that page, including a headline story about the large number of violent deaths that occurred during the holiday. Other stories of a somber nature include the ongoing War Trials at Nuremberg and the impending hanging of Lord Haw Haw for treason.

But there's also the happy story of the first baby born in Lorain. The proud parents of the "lusty, six-and-a-half pound baby boy" were Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Palumbo.

Exactly ten years later on January 2, 1956 this was the front page of the Lorain Journal.

Janet Louise Becker was the First Baby of 1956, with Mr. and Mrs. Herman Becker of F Street the proud parents. Other interesting stories on the front page include the sad passing of Mrs. Isabel Teemer on the eve of her 91st birthday; and the sale of Johnson's Island, which was a Civil War prison for Confederate soldiers and still has a Federal cemetery for prisoners who died from wounds or illness.

Lastly, the First Baby of 1966 was Noel Figueroa, son of Mr. and Mrs. Luis Figueroa of E. 34th Street. 

From the Jan. 3, 1966 Journal

Here's the spread listing the goodies for Noel and his parents, which ran in the Journal on January 4, 1966.

There's some great gifts, including five 'guest cards' for Free All American Meals at McDonald's. which would certainly be welcomed today.

Journal Entertainment Pages – July 1964 and 1965

As we head into the holiday weekend, you might be wondering: besides going to see fireworks, what else is there is to do for fun?

Nowadays, it's hard to think of where you can look to see a virtual snapshot of all of the various entertainment options. The Cleveland TV news programs usually offer a few suggestions, but there is nothing quite like the jam-packed entertainment pages that used to run in the Lorain Journal. 

It seemed like every local restaurant, nightclub, shopping center, social club and ethnic organization had an ad. In addition, Journal readers were made aware of every fair, circus or special community event within an hour's driving distance. The choices were impressive.

Below are the Journal entertainment pages for July 2nd and 3rd, 1964. It's hard not to feel a little wistful, seeing how just about every ad is for something that is no longer around (except for McDonald's of course).

Nevertheless, it's fun to study the pages and see what you remember. It sure was an exciting time in the Lorain area back then.

And here's the entertainment page from a year later, July 2, 1965.

It seems that after more than 15 years of doing this blog, I've done at least one post on almost every business shown. Some of them include the Paul Miller Circus, Manners, Chicken Delight, Sherwood Inn, The Note, Lake Haven Park, the Castle-on-the-Lake, even Zsu Zsa!

And I featured the comely 1962 Miss Firebelle back here on a July 1963 entertainment page.

Sandy's Grand Opening – June 18, 1965

Sixty years ago today, Sandy's Hamburgers celebrated the Grand Opening of the Meister Road restaurant that was part of the Lorain Plaza shopping center. Above is the large ad that ran in the Journal on June 17, 1965.

I've written about 20 posts devoted to Sandy's.

The problem is, these days, it seems that very few people remember Sandy's. That's because it wasn't around very long in our area. By May of 1973, it had been taken over by Hardee's and the restaurants were going through a makeover. 

Hardee's isn't all that well remembered either, even though it is still around (and the subject of two blog posts of its own).

Anyway, a few weeks after the Grand Opening, this ad appeared on July 1, 1965.

A day later, this short article appeared in the Journal on July 2, 1965.

Sandy's kept the excitement going the following month when it celebrated the 7th anniversary of the burger chain's opening with a special promotion. Below is the ad that ran in the Journal on August 26, 1965.

I really miss those early days of fast food in the 1960s. The unique architecture of the restaurants, the memorable mascots (like Miss Sandy) and the regular scheduling of special events made fast food fun. Today there is much more variety and heathier choices across the fast food spectrum, but the food is not cheap. The restaurant buildings are designed to be generic as well (and easily re-purposed), and there is no longer any fun in the restaurant experience. But fast food chains like McDonald's are doing better than ever, even without balloons and visible mascots.

Yum! The Yumbo! – May 1970

Remember the Yumbo?

No, that's not a little known battle cry from the Spanish-American War. I'm talking about the Yumbo – a sandwich that was once offered at Burger King. According to the ad above, which appeared in the Lorain Journal on May 21, 1970, it comprised "a generous portion of thinly sliced smoked ham with American cheese on a special egg roll, served piping hot."

I guess that makes it a hot ham and cheese sandwich – which usually sounds pretty good to me. Here's an illustration of one, courtesy of Retroist.com, which has a nice writeup about the Yumbo. 

The article notes that the bun was eventually changed to a more conventional sesame seed one.

(Unfortunately, the name "Yumbo" makes me think of "Dumbo" and/or "Jumbo," two famous elephants. And while elephant ears are a tasty treat, elephants in general don't exactly have a positive effect on my appetite, thanks to their dry, leathery skin.)

The Yumbo remained on the Burger King menu until 1974. 

But then a funny thing happened. It seems to be one of those sandwiches – like McDonald's McRib – that just keeps coming back. It returned to the menu at participating restaurants in 1988. Here's a commercial that ran on a Toledo TV station.

More impressively, the Yumbo made a full-fledged comeback in December, 2014 – 40 years later after it was retired in 1974 – thanks to popular demand. Of course, the price went up – to $3.69. And it looked a lot different.

I don't think the Yumbo is still on the Burger King menu, but I wouldn't be surprised if it made another yummy comeback.

Vermilion Burger Chef Ad – April 1, 1975

The rise of the hamburger as a fast food item in the 1960s continues to be a source of interest to me on this blog. I've devoted many posts to McDonald's and Burger King, as well as both national and regional wanna-be's (Sandy's, Hardee's, Kelly's, Casey's and Burger Chef) that hoped to dethrone them.

And speaking of Burger Chef, did you know that there was one in Vermilion? I didn't, until I saw the ad above, which ran in the Lorain Journal back on April 1, 1975. I was aware of the one on 28th Street near Broadway (a girl I was dating worked there) but had no idea that my current town of Vermilion had one.

The ad reflects that it was under different ownership that the one in Lorain. The Vermilion ad is pretty unique, and seems to be channeling Wendy's old-fashioned shtick. Here's an ad for the Lorain Burger Chef from a day later on April 2, 1975 for comparison.

Alas, by 1975 Burger Chef and Jeff appear to have been put out to pasture (somewhat appropriate as that's where Burger Chef steers were grazing) and replaced by the insipid Smiley face logo.

What's that? You don't remember Burger Chef and Jeff?

They were the animated cartoon mascots for Burger Chef, featured in TV commercials and ads, and doing battle against Ronald McDonald and the Burger King. Here they are on a plastic hand puppet that somehow survived over the last 50 years, currently on eBay. The duo seem to be joined at the hip.

Since the happy, waving partners weren't on the Burger Chef sign in front of the Lorain restaurant on W. 28th Street (as seen on this generic vintage postcard, I used to wonder who the mustachioed chef was.

Anyway, how long was the one in Vermilion open? Here's the Grand Opening ad that ran in the Journal on July 12, 1973. Hmmm... I see Jeff and Smiley in the ad. Where's the Chef himself?

The restaurant lasted until the 1980s, when a fire struck the outlet on April 1, 1984.

Apparently the restaurant did not reopen. This article from a few months later on July 25, 1984 indicated that a new Rax restaurant would be built on the site of the former Burger Chef.

Today the location is home to Fiesta Cancun Authentic Mexican Food & Cantina.

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For a time, Burger Chef featured the Fun Burger, apparently designed to compete with McDonalds' Kids Meal. Here's a commercial with Burger Chef and Jeff introducing it. (Note that the Burger Chef is voiced by none other than Paul Winchell, the voice of Tigger in the Winnie-the-Pooh movie features, Dick Dastardly on Wacky Races, and Gargamel on The Smurfs.

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Here's the Grand Opening ad for the Rax Restaurant that replaced the Burger Chef in Vermilion. It ran in the Journal on October 30, 1984.

Kelly's Hamburgers Becomes Casey's – March 1965

Casey's Drive-in, the defunct Northeast Ohio hamburger chain that had restaurants in Lorain, Vermilion, Elyria, Rocky River and North Royalton has been a favorite topic on this blog. As I've noted before, there's not much on the internet about this chain that had hoped to mimic McDonald's success. 

There's not much about the short-lived chain that preceded Casey's – namely, the Dania, Florida-based Kelly's Hamburgers – either. I did a post about the 1962 Grand Opening of the Kelly's restaurant on North Ridge Road across from the O'Neil - Sheffield Center back here.

Is that a McD-like arch as part of the sign?

Well, here’s another piece of the puzzle. The defunct-brands.fandom.com website notes, “Kelly's Hamburgers (going under the corporate name of Kelly's Jet System) was established in 1958 with the opening of a restaurant location in Hallandale Beach, Florida. It was a division of Continental Franchises, Inc., a company which (as the name suggests) specializes in franchises and leasing. Said company planned to open around 50 restaurants under the Kelly's name throughout the United States.

"By the early 1960's, Kelly's operated several hamburger stands throughout the states of Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Virginia, and Wisconsin. 

"In 1964, Kelly's merged with competitor chain Mr. Moe Drive In. This caused a small number of Kelly's locations to close and re-open as Mr. Moe a year later. Despite this however, Kelly's continued to operate under their own name throughout the following years.

"Not much is known about the Kelly's chain, with it being assumed that most of the chain disappeared in 1974, with the chain’s final locations closing sometime in 1976." 

Apparently, the merger with Mr. Moe must have muddied the waters for the sole Kelly's restaurant in Lorain County, and the owners decided to switch their affiliation to a brand new chain: Casey's Drive-in. This article from the March 6, 1965 Lorain Journal tells the story.

In that same edition of the Journal, an ad on the restaurant page sought to reassure existing customers that only the name was being changed – not the staff, food or service.

It's interesting that the mustachioed Casey baseball mascot hadn't been created yet by the ad agency, or it wasn't provided to the Journal for use in the ad.

The people behind Casey's wasted no time expanding. Within a few months, construction began on the Vermilion restaurant, as noted in this Journal article from the May 12, 1965 outlet.

For a while there were only three restaurants: the one on North Ridge, the one in Vermilion, and one on Center Ridge in Rocky River.

Oct. 28, 1966 Journal ad

The restaurant on W. 21st Street in Lorain held its Grand Opening on December 14, 1968.

Unfortunately, the Casey's Drive-ins in Lorain and Elyria seemed to be a favorite for stickup artists. Here's a news item about the restaurant on North Ridge Road being robbed, from the May 14, 1970 Journal.

The Casey's restaurant on North Ridge was vacant by the time of the 1970 city directories, but the one in Lorain stepped up to the plate to keep the chain alive during that decade. In time, the mascot was dropped, in favor of making room in the ads for more food specials and promotions.

Sept. 24, 1970

Aug. 28, 1975

The Casey's restaurant on W. 21st Street remained open up until the latter half of the 1980s, when Pine Garden Restaurant replaced it at that location.

March 17, 1988

Pine Garden was a hit with the Journal, who gave it a hearty thumbs up in its restaurant review columns.

Pine Garden is still in business at the W. 21st Street location. Sadly, the former Kelly's/Casey's North Ridge Road location remains boarded up after a series of subsequent eateries tried to make a go of it there.

The view from yesterday

The days of the small, regional burger chains designed to challenge the big boys (both literally and figuratively) are apparently over. Nevertheless, the 1960s remain a fascinating time for fast food, during which many of the now-biggest names experienced massive growth, and the little ones like Kelly's and Casey's struck out.

Lee Rand at the Aloha Lounge – October 18, 1963

Regular readers know I like posting vintage Entertainment pages from the Lorain Journal dating back to the 1950s and 60s. Lorain had such a vibrant nightclub scene back then, with something going on every night. 

Above is the page from the October 18, 1963, with the clubs, restaurants and other entertainment options.

There are the usual ads, for restaurants like Heilman's, Manners, Kenny King's, Vian's, Sherwood Inn, Golden Dragon, Tropicana, and McDonald's. New ads (to my eyes, anyway) include Pool Palace (at 710 Broadway).

It's always fun to take note of the entertainers appearing at the various venues and try to find out if they ever hit the big time or not (such as Woody Earnhart and Zsu Zsa). The ad for Colony Lounge above features Grecian Dancer Katina. I'm not sure if she was a local performer or on a tour.

But at least we know that Lee Rand, appearing at the Aloha Lounge at 651 Broadway in Lorain, enjoyed a fine career as a vocalist during the 1960s and 70s.

One of his early breaks occurred when he appeared on the Jackie Gleason show in October 1962. The story below from the Journal of October 18, 1962 tells the tale. (The article also reveals – Shhhhhh – his real name.)

And this article (below) from September 29, 1962 provides some additional information behind the Klak-Stik (which I first wrote about back here) and how having Lee Rand provide the vocals on the "Klak-Stik Kick" record led to his appearance on Jackie Gleason's show. 

Anyway, here a few of Lee Rand's recordings found on YouTube, including Stagger Lee (1963), You're a Song Within My Heart (1963), Today's Lament (1967) and Love & Her (1962).

Although I was unable to find out what became of Katina, a couple years after the 1963 ad, she was in very good company during an appearance at Benny's.

Feb. 10, 1965 Journal ad

Restaurant Page – October 12, 1962

I like posting vintage Lorain Journal pages that showcase the various restaurants and social clubs. The pages are fun to look at and they provide a snapshot of the city when it was still a hotbed of eateries, nightclubs and organizations associated with various nationalities or veterans.

The above page from the October 12, 1962 Journal is dominated by the large ad announcing the change in management at Miraldi's Spaghetti House at 900 Broadway. I think it's interesting that the restaurant was serving Rosie's Pizza at its Tuesday Pizza Party. 

Miraldi's became The Corner Restaurant & Lounge by the mid-1980s, and Scorchers in the early 2000s.

Elsewhere on the page are ads for some old favorites that I've written about before: Kenny King's; Vian's; Lincoln Park; Lorain Arena; McDonald's; and Sherwood Inn. And this post included an ad for Ye Old Hen House.

Articles on the page include one that reports on the progress of autumn color throughout Ohio, including Lorain County. It's a nice feature.

Grand Opening of Ridgeview Drive-in – August 13, 1954

Before McDonald's, Burger King, Sandy's and the rest of the national chains came to Lorain County starting in the early 1960s, if you wanted a quick, casual meal then you probably visited a local drive-in. The 1950s were their heyday, before they were largely crowded out by the fast food giants.

One of them that I'd never heard of before held their grand opening this week, 70 years ago. Ridgeview Drive In was located on the corner of North Ridge Road and Clinton Avenue.

Above is the ad that ran in the Lorain Journal on August 13, 1954 on the eve of the opening.

A few weeks later, the drive-in was included in the New Telephone Numbers update that ran in the paper on August 27, 1954.

Ridgeview Drive-in wasn't around very long, as its success and good location apparently caught the attention of restaurant entrepreneur Richard Head. Within a few years, Ridgeview Drive-in became the second unit (and Southside location) in Head's Hoop Drive-in empire. Below is the ad announcing the change that ran in the Lorain Journal on June 29, 1957.

The Manners Restaurant organization eventually began buying up the Hoop Drive-ins, converting them to Manners outlets, and Richard Head joined the organization. The only Hoop Drive-in that did not become part of Manners was the one at N. Ridge and Clinton. Later in the 1960s, a brand new Manners opened down N. Ridge to the east near Route 57. 

The former drive-in building at Clinton and N. Ridge Rd. disappeared in vintage aerial views by the late 1960s

Today, the 2017 N. Ridge Road location is home to Urban Legends Tattoos & Piercings, with its N. Ridge Road neighbor to the west being the Lorain County Board of Elections.