New London RR Depot on the Move – May 1972

It's always good to see old railroad depots that somehow managed to survive in this day and age, in which passenger train travel (with the exception of Amtrak) has largely gone away. 

Many cities (like Lorain) no longer have their depots or train stations; other cities (like Vermilion) managed to hold on to them. Often the key to keeping the depots from getting demolished is to move them, like Avon did.

And here's another example of just that. Above is a newspaper article about New London's former Akron, Canton & Youngstown Railroad depot and its move to a new home in the New London's Recreation Park.

The story by Journal Staff Correspondent Jim Van Sickle ran in the paper on May 10, 1972.

Ironically, the move was held up by – what else? – a train. Four of them, actually, that kept the depot from crossing the tracks on East Main Street for a while.

Anyway, here's a great photo of the depot as it looks today in its new home, courtesy of Bob McGilvray Jr. and his Flickr site. Visit it here; Bob has a nice history of the station as well as some other great photos.

Courtesy Bob McGilvray Jr.

Memorial Day 1972

Well, it's Memorial Day – a day of remembrance on which we honor those who have died in service of the United States of America. (Click here for a well-written history of the holiday.)

Fifty years ago, we celebrated Memorial Day on May 29, 1972. Above is the traditional full-page ad that the Journal used to feature, with various local businesses and organizations as sponsors. 

As usual, it's interesting seeing who is still around. There's a few: Discount Drug Mart; Bob-O-Link Golf Course; The Journal; Amber Oaks; and, of course, the nursing homes and cemeteries.

Have a safe holiday and please don't forget the real meaning behind it.

At the Movies – May 31, 1962

So what was playing in the local theaters back at the end of May 1962 – sixty years ago? Leave us take a look at the Lorain Journal movie page from May 31, 1962.

Why, none other than Elvis was starring in two features – Wild in the Country at the Lorain Drive-in and Blue Hawaii at the Carlisle Drive-in.  Also on the bill at the Lorain Drive-in was Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961).

Here's the trailers for Wild in the Country and Blue Hawaii.

Over at the Tower Drive-in was an odd double feature: Walt Disney's Nikki - Wild Dog of the North (1961) and the un-Disney-like Sail a Crooked Ship (1961) with Robert Wagner, Dolores Hart, Carolyn Jones, Frankie Avalon and Ernie Kovacs. Maybe the theater was counting on the kids to fall asleep after Nikki.

In Lorain, there was a pretty good flick at the Tivoli: the classic Cape Fear (1962) with Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck.

At the Dreamland, there was a quite a double bill: Roger's and Hammerstein's Flower Drum Song and Everything's Ducky (1961) with Mickey Rooney and Buddy Hackett. (Hey, those two also performed as a comedy team in It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.)

And finally – (I'm saving the best for last), over at the Avon Lake Theatre was one of my favorite classic Westerns, with two of my favorite Western stars: Ride the High Country (1962) with Joel McCrea and Randolph Scott.

I'm a big Joel McCrea fan thanks to GRIT TV, and this one is a fitting cap to his long career (although he made a couple of films after it). If you've never seen it, you're in for a real treat – and a few shocks as well. It's terrific!

Here's the trailer.

"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.

Lorain Community Hospital Groundbreaking – May 1962

Vintage postcard of Lorain Community Hospital

Sixty years ago this month, the groundbreaking ceremony for Lorain Community Hospital took place. Above is the front page of the May 9, 1962 Journal with the story.

It's kind of nice seeing former Mayor John C. Jaworski and current Mayor Woodrow Mathna doing the honors with the shovels. Nowadays, you don't always see that acknowledgment that major projects span through different administrations – of different political parties. 

Anyway, who could have known that what we would have considered to be Lorain's 'other' hospital would some day be the only hospital in town after the merger with St. Joe's. 

And we're lucky to have it.

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Click here to visit my other post about Lorain Community with an aerial 'then and now.'

Sawmill Creek Article – May 28, 1972

Artist's rendering of the renovated Sawmill Creek Resort
(Courtesy Cleveland.com)

Sawmill Creek Lodge was in the news in 2019 when Cedar Fair, the parent company of Cedar Point, purchased the resort in July of that year. Cedar Fair began a major renovation of the property, including its rooms and public spaces, and is set to reopen it on June 13th.

So it's a good time to look back at when the year-round luxury resort was first under construction – fifty years ago. Here's a great article from the May 28, 1972 Journal by Staff Writer Barb Jones with the story.

As the article noted, "The resort is nestled along the shore of Lake Erie and will provide rooms for 225 guests in its initial building phase. Three restaurants and at least a dozen conference rooms will house the conventions.

"At least 700 investors are taking part in funding the giant luxury resort which will offer a wide selection of entertainment and activities.

"Lodge guests are in for a special treat if golf is their bag... a million dollar course designed by George Fazio, prominent golf course architect, is under construction and will be open to golfers by the '73 putting season.

"It's hard for the local resident who remembers the former grape farm, with the barefooted pickers plucking the fruit, to imagine the splendor of the $6 1/4 million dollar resort under construction.

"Plans to restore the once grand old brick farmhouse to its former splendor have been shelved for the more utilitarian plan of housing staff offices. The huge red barn and workshop will be retained and will house a dress shop and an antique store.

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Although I don't remember ever staying at Sawmill Creek, I performed there several times on New Year's Eve as a member of a local big band.

Over the years I've also been in the aforementioned store in the front of the property.

And in more recent years, I've visited the resort to see the Firelands Festival of Lights, a drive-through holiday light display that is also a fundraising event.

Planters Peanut Butter Ad – May 2, 1962

Planters is arguably the most well-known name in peanuts. So it's only natural that the company would introduce its own peanut butter.

And so it did, sixty years ago. Above is a national ad that ran in the Journal back on May 2, 1962.

I like how the monocled Mr. Peanut is shown, about to take a bite out of a piece of bread slathered with (shudder!) his own kind.

Here are a few vintage containers and lids of the stuff, poached from eBay. They don't quite match the illustration in the ad.

Surprisingly, the product is still around, although I've never seen it in stores.

Mr. Peanut has been through a lot of abuse over the years. His design has been tweaked a few times, and he was needlessly given a celebrity voice (Robert Downey Jr.) around 2010. The classic ad mascot was even killed in a 2020 Super Bowl commercial and 'reborn' as a baby version of his former self.

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So what's your favorite peanut butter?

My mother – like all choosey mothers – always chose Jif. 

Peanut butter was the staff of life in our house. I probably brought a peanut butter sandwich for lunch every day through all four years of high school. I still bring it to work every day now. 

However, I drifted away from the Jif brand as an adult. I've tried all of the peanut butters, and I finally settled on Peter Pan Honey Roast Creamy Peanut Butter as my favorite. It's one of the few times I don't care about the mascot or the packaging – I just like the taste.

And speaking of Jif, I'm annoyed that its advertising team has resorted to the popular trend of using a profanity-based phrase, in its That Jif'ing Good campaign. 

Ugh.

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One last reminisce. Remember Koogle (not Google) Peanut Butter in the early 1970s?

Courtesy Reddit

We tried it and liked it in our house. It came in a variety of yummy flavors, including chocolate, cinnamon and vanilla (my favorite). But it was gone within a few years.

Read all about it here on the Gone But Not Forgotten Groceries website, where you can also see a vintage commercial and peruse some great reminisces by people who loved the product.