Dodge Advertising Revisited

As a follow-up to my post a few weeks ago about Dodge advertising circa 1970, here’s an interesting article from the November 8, 1970 Journal about the Southern sheriff featured in Dodge commercials at that time. The actor’s name was Joe Higgins and he made the character so popular that he had appeared in 14 different commercials at that point.

Why was he so popular? As the article notes, “Higgins’s character also seems to have touched a nerve in Middle America. His fans view this swaggering, grinning, growling sheriff as a kind of symbol of law and order.”

Maybe it’s time to revive the character in these turbulent times when law enforcement could use a friendly, but authoritative, face.

Anyway, here’s one of those commercials courtesy of YouTube. It’s pretty funny.

Later the character evolved into the “Dodge Safety Sheriff” and Higgins made public appearances all over the country on behalf of Dodge, promoting safe driving.

It’s funny how much the Dodge Sheriff character seems to have inspired Jackie Gleason’s “Buford T. Justice” character in those Smokey and the Bandit movies.

Golden Crescent Map – November 1970

Recently I happened to read a ‘letter to the editor’ in one of the two local newspapers, and noticed the writer’s reference to the days when the area was referred to as the Golden Crescent.

It made me chuckle that someone else remembered it besides me.

Several times on this blog, I’ve featured the little graphic that used to run on the Journal’s editorial page, depicting a seagull soaring over the crescent-shaped map with Lorain marked with a star. 

I don’t think it ever really caught on outside of my lakefront home town, because the whole idea was too biased. Other cities included seemed to be an afterthought; I’m sure arch-rival Elyria didn’t buy into the concept.

Anyway, in 1970 the Golden Crescent theme was still in its early years. Thus it was the focus of the handsome full-page ad above, which ran in the Journal on November 22, 1970. 

It’s interesting that this version of the map is a little more fair to Lorain’s neighbors. Amherst’s name is typeset in the same size as Lorain. Elyria is a wee bit smaller – but it rates a star.

Meanwhile, Sheffield Lake is ignored, as well as Milan. Maybe they didn’t buy enough Journals there.

And no star for Vermilion, my present home.

Election Day Results – Nov. 4, 1970

Well, it’s the day after Election Day 2020. 

Fifty years ago, the Journal was still an evening newspaper – and thus had time to collect election results and actually print who won.

Above is the front page of the November 4, 1970 edition of the paper. It’s very nicely organized and it’s interesting seeing political names that you don’t run across too often these days. There’s even a strip of photos of some of the winners, which is a nice touch. 

Looking over the list of winners, I wonder if that was the beginning of the era in which anyone with the last name of ‘Brown’ was a shoo-in to get elected in Ohio? There’s no less than three of them in top level state government.

And I remember as a kid hearing newly-elected Ohio Governor John Gilligan’s name, and thinking only of the Skipper’s ‘little buddy’ on Gilligan’s Island.

Election Day Choices – Nov. 3, 1970

Today is Election Day 2020. Here’s hoping that you found some way of voting (by mail, using a drop box for your ballot, or even voting in person) to your liking.

Fifty years ago, we were still doing it the old-fashioned way. Remember the voting booths containing a machine with the little levers? In case you don’t know what I’m talking about, here’s an illustration from the October 31, 1970 Journal. It shows what you saw once you stepped inside the voting booth, and closed the curtain. (Click on it for a readable view.)

The candidates and issues that the Journal supported are indicated by the levers in the ‘down’ position.

I still think this was a pretty good way of voting. You had privacy (you were behind a curtain), and the names of the candidates and the issues were organized nicely and readable. You could take your time, look over all your choices at a glance, and change your mind right up until you pulled the big lever casting your ballot and opening the curtain.

Nowadays, if you're voting in person you have less privacy. Since you’re out in the open, you can’t help but feel a little bit of pressure to hurry up. And walking your printed ballot across the room to a table where it can be scanned seems kind of a step backwards.

Ah, but that’s progress.

Shinrock Elevator Demolished – November 1970

From October 30, 1970 Journal

Promotion ledger
(Courtesy of eBay)

Fifty years ago, Shinrock Elevator, a longtime Amherst landmark was demolished, and the city lost a link to its farming heritage.

Almost symbolically, the elevator was torn down by the technology company whose business success would give Amherst, Ohio global visibility.

A nicely written history that appeared on November 5, 1970 in the Amherst News-Times explained. “One of Amherst’s old landmarks is gone this week as Jerry Eschtruth, wrecking contractor, completes clean-up operations after demolishing the old grain elevator on Maple Avenue,” the article noted.

“Nordson Company has purchased the land, from its parking lot on Jackson street west to and including the old elevator. Also included were the old freight station, the old Mischka coal yard, the storage buildings and the buildings housing the laundromat.

“Present plans are to leave the laundromat and use the freight station and storage buildings for company storage. Because of unsuitability for storage and the danger of fire, the elevator building was torn down.

“The elevator was constructed some time between 1985 and 1900. Although Amherst histories list the start of many old local businesses and industries, including a cheese factory, shear mill, brewery, whiskey distillery, grist and saw mills, gas, water and telephone companies, the U. S. Automatic (predecessor to Nordson Corporation), and many downtown businesses, only slight mention is made of the start of the elevator and no definite date is given.

“For many years the elevator was run as a cooperative as the Farmers Elevator Company. Some six or seven years ago it was purchased and operated by the Shinrock Elevator Company, but then closed down about three years ago.”

Here are a few vintage ads from over the years, from the pages of the Amherst News-Times. As its ads indicate, the company offered a variety of goods, equipment and machinery to local farmers.

April 19, 1928 Ad

July 31, 1947

March 7, 1952

April 11, 1963

April 16, 1964

As noted in the Amherst News-Time article, the company closed in the 1960s. Here is the article from the January 26, 1967 edition of the paper.

And in the November 5, 1970 edition of the paper, this great series of photos of the demolition was published.

****

By the way, it has been pointed out to me that Nordson has a fine record of historic preservation. Click here to read about the historic Amherst Railroad Depot, which Nordson offers to local nonprofit organizations for business meetings and other uses.

Cavs Debut – October 28, 1970

It was fifty years ago this month that the new Cleveland franchise in the NBA played its home opener in the Cleveland Arena. The coach was Bill Fitch.

Unfortunately the Cavaliers lost to the San Diego Rockets, 110-99. 

Here’s the article that ran in the Journal the next day on Thursday, October 29, 1970.

For someone like me who never really followed the NBA too much, it’s kind of interesting seeing the names of some of the Cavaliers’ opponents back then. Their next game was against the Cincinnati Royals (who?). And the San Diego Rockets would relocate to Houston in 1971.

I can see why the team may have developed a ‘cavalier’ (heh-heh) attitude towards its name, eventually changing it in common usage to the shortened ‘Cavs.’ I never cared for the foppish musketeer mascot, and imagined him puncturing a basketball with his sword while babbling in French.

Hills & Kmart Halloween Ads – October 1970

From the October 23, 1970 Journal

Two department stores which are no longer in Lorain County – Hills and Kmart – ran the expected Halloween-themed ads in the Journal back in October 1970, featuring assortments of costumes, candy and other items.

The Hills ad (shown above) has pretty much the same layout as its 1969 ad (which I made fun of here) with exactly the same costumes. That blog post included the 1969 Kmart ad as well.

At least Kmart revised its ad entirely for 1970 (below). 

From October 21, 1970 Journal

Kmart had a varied collection of costumes designed to suit everyone’s tastes.

As you can see, there were the usual kiddie favorites: Bug Bunny, Casper the Friendly Ghost, and an assortment of generic characters (such as a bunny, a devil, a skeleton, a witch, a clown, a scarecrow, etc.). 

Too bad the Bugs Bunny mask didn’t match the lively rendering of the wascally wabbit on the pajama-like costume.

Casper fared a little better. 

Girls had the usual limited options: a public domain Cinderella, a princess, a fairy, a gypsy, etc. Kmart even offered the same terrible “The Spiderman” costume seen in the Gray Drug ad on yesterday’s post.

But to make things interesting, there were also costumes that reflected the tempo of the times. 

Man had just walked on the Moon the year before, so a “Man on the Moon” costume replaced the fictional Moon-dwelling Commander Matt Mason in the Kmart Lineup. 

(Perhaps these commercial “Man on the Moon” costumes, forced on trusting kids as an early age, planted the seeds of skepticism that later led to conspiracy theories expressing the belief that we never walked on Earth’s orbiting neighbor at all.) 

Yellow Submarine, the Beatles animated movie, had come out in 1968. Yet the psychedelic cartoon must have remained in the public consciousness enough to warrant the offering of a “Blue Meanie” trick or treat costume. 

The year 1970 had been a year of great unrest, with the country experiencing widespread protests not unlike what we’ve seen this year. For those pint-sized patriots that wanted to express their love of country, an “Uncle Sam” costume was just the ticket. 

Wholesome teenager Archie would be a good second choice for those kids happy with the status quo. Here’s a cute photo, courtesy of Flickr, with not only Archie, but also the Bingo costume from the Gray Drug ad from Wednesday’s blog post.

Lastly, the recession of 1969-1970 unfortunately may have made the hobo costume a timely choice.