The Lorain Sunday News – May 1950

The Lorain Public Library has several different limited-run Lorain newspapers on microfilm that, unlike the Journal, haven't been put online. One of them is the Lorain Sunday News.

The Lorain Sunday News was a weekly. It was an odd little newspaper. It usually covered a few local stories on the front page, but much of the rest of the paper was an eclectic collection of ads and filler. Its main selling point was that it was the only paper published on Sunday.

Here's the front page of the May 14, 1950 edition of the Lorain Sunday News. 

There was a Buyers' Guide edition that came out on Thursday each week. Here's the front page of the Buyers' Guide for Thursday, May 4, 1950 – exactly 73 years ago today.

That's one prim and proper mother in that ad.

Here's another page from that same edition. 

As you can see, there's not much content, and what's there is mostly filler. The sports column is about quail hunting in Florida (not exactly pertinent to Lorainites), and there's a fun little quiz. The best feature on the page is the meager TV schedule, which featured a lot of puppet shows for the kiddies: Judy Splinters, Howdy Doody and Kukla, Fran and Ollie. 

Buffalo Bob Smith and Howdy Doody

Kukla, Fran Allison and Ollie, with puppeteer Burr Tilstrom

There's also Cleveland TV icons Dorothy Fuldheim and Linn Sheldon (who we know as Barmaby), as well as a show from Chicago hosted by a buckaroo (below) named Cactus Jim (Clarence Hartzell) .

And here's a page from the Lorain Sunday News of May 7, 1950. Once again, the page has a little bit of everything: two columns of filler, a Hollywood cheesecake photo, several ads and and local fishing news (although it's all about frogs, possible descendants of the inhabitants of the filled-in East Side frog pond).

For me, the best thing about the Lorain Sunday News is that it featured a lot of ads for the public utilities, including Ohio Edison. That meant – you guessed it – lots of Reddy Kilowatt ads!

Here's one from the May 14, 1950 edition.

That's a great rendering of our favorite electrical sprite posing in front of his transmission lines. But he seems to be dressed for war. We were still more than a month or so away from entering the Korean conflict. Maybe Reddy was preparing to do battle against his arch enemy, Speedy, of the Ohio Fuel Gas Company.

Sandy's Becomes Hardees – May 1973

Sandy's Hamburgers has been a favorite topic on this blog since its beginning.

Why? Because it was very likely the first fast food my family ever had, since it was only a few minutes away on Oberlin Avenue. The burgers tasted very much like McDonald's, which isn't surprising since the chain was founded by some ex-McDonald's executives.

But all good things come to an end. Seemingly after only a few years in Lorain, Sandy's was taken over by Hardee's – and it just wasn't the same. 

Maybe it was the loss of Sandy's cute Scottish lassie with the tam o'shanter, which lent a friendly face to the proceedings. Or perhaps it was the name change. "Sandy's" sounds much more friendly and personal than the nondescript "Hardee's."

Nevertheless, the change happened – and here's how the company notified the customers in the Lorain area. The ad below appeared in the Journal on May 3, 1973.

It's a clever ad. But charco-broiled or not, the burgers didn't taste the same – or as good, at least to me.

But it really didn't matter that much to my family, since we weren't eating there anyway. For years, Dad grilled out hamburgers almost every Saturday night, so we didn't eat fast food burgers very often. The only exception were the occasional Whoppers from Burger King on Leavitt Road.

The Hardee's on Meister Road lasted until the end of the 1980s. Today, the closest Hardee's is down on State Route 83 near beautiful downtown Burbank, Ohio.

Anyway, you know you're getting old when you talk about something like Sandy's that almost nobody else remembers.

Lorain Times-Herald Front Page – May 11, 1901

We'll spend another day in Lorain circa 1901, via this edition of the Lorain Times-Herald from May 10, 1901. Like yesterday's post, there's a lot to see on this front page if you're willing to squint at the fine print. As you'll see, everything wasn't just ducky in Lorain.

In the previous edition of the paper, Mr. Fesler 'fessed up' to shooting a duck that he said was already wounded, and basically criticized the game warden for arresting him. Well, in this paper, the game wardens took some potshots of their own in a Letter to the Editor. 

The letter reads, "The piece put in THE HERALD yesterday, May 10th in regard to August Fesler shooting a wild duck on the Black River was very much exaggerated. Now the fact of the case is, Mr. Whitford and Mr. D. Sutton, both Deputy State Game Wardens, saw the duck lite in the river and a young man came along in a boat, whistled and pointed to the duck. He did not attempt to pick up the duck as was represented in the paper, neither was the duck wounded until Fesler wounded it. He shot twice at the bird, first time wounding it. The second time he shot he killed it.

"It is out of season to shoot ducks, and contrary to law and anyone that violates the State Law is not a good citizen. How can a man's good name be injured when he is a violator of the state law. Mr. Fesler is fishing in the Black River with nets, as has been reported to us. After he shot the duck Mr. Whitford and Mr. D. Sutton both wardens, approached him and told him they would have to put him under arrest. He refused to go without a warrant; so we went and swore out a warrant. There was no running or flying as was represented in the HERALD."

Disease seemed to be a big problem in Lorain at that time. Under "Local News" there were several items: "The small-pox situation is improving."; "Mrs. Conrad Krantz is very ill with an attack of grip" (which is an old-time name for the flu)."; "Three cases of scarlet fever were reported at the Henson home at 2004 Oakdale avenue this morning."; "The quarantine was raised from the Hurst home on Myrtle street this morning. Chickenpox was the contagion."

Speaking of ducks and disease, we learn that the East Side of Lorain had a pond that was home to some of the web-footed rascals. One news item notes, "The East Side duck pond should be drained at once before an epidemic of disease results therefrom. The pond is very large and deep and filled with dirty slime and refuse. Houses in the vicinity have platforms and railings around them to keep children from falling into it. The affair is not a trifling one and needs attention at once."

The city apparently agreed, because the first item under "Local News" notes, "The East Side frog pond is being filled today." Frog pond, duck pond... what's the difference?

For Lake Shore Electric fans, there was one news item of interest. Under the heading "Will Build a Bridge at Vermilion," there is a small article that reads, "On Thursday the commissioners of Erie County granted permission to the Lake Shore Electric Railway Company to build a bridge across the river at Vermilion and to tie the abuttments to the wagon bridge abutments. The bridge will be 180 feet long. The material for it is about completed and work on the abuttments will be started at once."

Lorain Times-Herald Front Page – May 10, 1901

The Lorain Times-Herald from 1901 are the oldest Lorain newspapers on microfilm at the Lorain Public Library. I thought it'd be kind of interesting to see what was going on in Lorain a hundred and twenty-two years ago this month – so here goes.

Here's the front page of the paper from May 10, 1901. (Click on it for a larger, hopefully readable version.)

There's some interesting stuff. The first item is about the shooting of... a duck.

Under the heading of FESLER'S STORY: "Mrs. August Fesler raised the money necessary to pay her husband's fine for violating the game laws and he was released today. While Fesler was technically guilty of a misdemeanor under the law and pled guilty, and while it is true the mayor could do nothing but impose the lowest fine named in the statute, which is $25 and costs, it is also true that Fesler's story seems to put a different phase on the case from that which appeared first. Fesler is an industrious man, although on account of sickness, he is not able to do hard work. He had made a living such as it was, by fishing and taking pleasure parties out in his sailboat. He says he shot the duck, but the bird was already wounded, and a man in a row boat was trying to pick it up. Finally the other man told Fesler to shoot it and he did so.

"Then came near being a tragedy when Game Warden Whitford first went to arrest Fesler. Fesler refused to go, and had a hammer. Whitford drew his revolver and Fesler got his shot gun. Mrs. Fesler got hold of the gun and Whitford skipped out. That is, he did not exactly skip; he just flew. This is Fesler's story for it, and he feels very badly to think he had to be locked up when he did not intend to do any wrong. He fears his good name has suffered as a result of the trouble."

Another interesting item concerns what I believe was a fraternal organization called the Red Men. Under the heading "Indian Village," the article states, "It is estimated that there will be at least 6,000 Indians in Lorain on the Fourth of next July. The Red Men have received notifications from tribes with a membership aggregating 2,000 and letters are being received from new ones every day, so that 5,000 is a low estimate of the number of Indians who will be here on that day. The Public Square will be turned over to them and the entire park will be covered with teepees. They will cook, eat and sleep in their tents for at least a couple of days and the fun they will have will fill a book. The Indians will come from all parts of the state.

One item of interest to me concerns the Lorain City Band, which appears under 'Local News.' It notes (no pun intended), "The members of the Lorain City Band, 26 in number, met at the band room last night and under the direction of J. W. Shirk, district representative of the American Federation of Labor, organized a branch of the American Federation of Musicians."

By George, Lorain was and still is a Union town. And I used to be a member of the American Federation of Musicians Local #146 for a time in the 1980s. (BTW, 'Shirk' is a terrible name for a labor executive.)

Also on the page are some pretty good examples of women getting the short end of the stick. Under the heading "Says His Wife is to Blame," a man named James Foley, in jail for being drunk, blamed his wife for the breaking up of his family and his children being turned over to the county. According to him, "She was stubborn and at times refused to listen to reason."

Another nugget guaranteed to offend appeared under "A Brilliant Idea." It reads, "A young man, who is employed in a bank in this city, who is very fond of dancing and loves a game of cards occasionally received an idea this morning. He drove a tack in it and it was found to be like this: "I believe that some of the ladies who devote most of their time to playing cards, etc., could do more good by holding afternoon parties and visiting the lawns of their friends. They could do much good by picking off the dandelions and weeds growing in the grass."

Saddle Inn Article – April 26, 1965

To close out the week (and April as well), here's another one of those advertisements masquerading as a news article that the Journal used to feature under the heading of "Lorain County Business and Industrial Review." It appeared in the Journal on April 26, 1965 and promotes the Saddle Inn, located in the shopping center in Avon Lake on Lake Road. (I've inserted a similar photo of the too-dark vintage one in my transcription below.)

It reads, "The story of the historic Saddle Inn, Avon Lake's famous restaurant and tavern, might well be captioned, "from carbarns to canapés."

"The handsome building of today was once the storage barn for the interurban streetcars that traveled between Cleveland and Toledo.

"The building, erected in 1893, has been, since 1939, the center of hospitality in the most pleasant of atmospheres for people from all over the world.

"The Saddle Inn offers more than a gourmet meal and accommodations to industry and business for conferences, luncheons, dinners and social occasions. Also available are motel accommodations which are not only comfortable but plush.

"The decor of the Saddle Inn's interior has changed little, despite the fire that struck the building in September, 1957. The building, as it is today, is the result of the modernization program that followed the fire. However, the Saddle Inn retained its charm and historic flavor, and today patrons may still sit in the saddles which form the bar stools, and gaze on the antiques which commands their attentions.

"These include the saber taken from a British officer at the Battle of Bunker Hill, and a more than 200-year-old scale model of the Santa Maria, flagship of Christopher Columbus' tiny fleet.

"Notables from all over the world stop at the Saddle Inn Motel. The motel registry reads like a map of the world, with far-off places like Japan, Australia, South Africa, Republic of Panama, Pakistan, Alaska and India appearing often.

"Host and Hostess of the Saddle Inn are Mr. and Mrs. Phil Tanner – known to almost everyone as Phil and Audre. Together, they create an atmosphere of congenial friendliness that is hard to match. Their long experience in the restaurant and tavern business assures all who stop at "The Saddle" of the best possible experience in dining out.

"The Saddle Inn, which will celebrate its 25th anniversary in May, today stands as the hub of a large shopping center, which includes a variety of shops and stores."

The former Saddle Inn building today

****

The Saddle Inn has been the subject of numerous posts on this blog over the years.

To learn more about the Saddle's Inn's previous life as the Beach Park station of the Lake Shore Electric, click here to visit the Lake Shore Rail Maps website.

Chronicle-Telegram Front Page – April 18, 1953

I've written a few times about how Lorain repurposed its old U. S. Coast Guard life-saving tower for civil defense uses in the 1950s, specifically by the Ground Observer Corps. The tower sat behind Lorain City Hall for many years until being removed in the early 1970s.

Well, here's a photo showing the installation of the City of Elyria's civil defense tower. It ran on the front page of the Chronicle-Telegram on April 18, 1953.

It notes, "NEARLY READY FOR SKYWATCHERS – Yesterday afternoon the Ground Observer Corps skywatch shelter was put into place on its supports and now all that is needed are a telephone and power facilities and the skywatchers, part of the civil defense program, can go to work.

"At the base of the tower, which is located at Elyria's new recreation field on West street, are left to right, Douglas Nichols, supervisor of the Post; Dan W. Kothe, Elyria Safety Service Director; G. Ralph Terry, president of City Council. Directly in front of the tower is Paul Rouse, Chief Observer, who donated the crane and crew to put the shelter in position on the supports."

You never know, we may need to revive that Ground Observer Corps program someday.

Anyway, the front page has many other items of interest: unusually cold weather for Ohio, including several inches of snow; part of the profile of Charles W. Scheide, a photographer who recorded much of life around Elyria over the decades; a report on an atomic bomb test at Yucca Flat near Las Vegas; and a report of truce talks with North Korea in an effort to end the Korean War.

Sunnyside Golf Driving Range

Back when I was learning the game of golf, I used to supplement my lessons at Bob-O-Link Golf Course in Avon with stops at various driving ranges. It was kind of fun to hit a bucket of balls on the way home from work – even when the ball sometimes ricocheted around the small stall from where I was driving.

Back then, the driving ranges seemed to be all over the place. I remember one across from the Aqua Marine bowling alley; one on the west side of Abbe Road south of State Route 254; The Range at Avon on Route 83 where the huge shopping center is now near Chester Road; Hillcrest Golf Range in Westlake on Detroit Road; and many more. The aforementioned ones are all gone; the land they were on was too valuable to be used by golfers to practice driving. (I did a post on disappearing golf ranges back here in 2019.)

Add to the list of long-gone driving ranges one that was located in Vermilion: Sunnyside Golf Driving Range. It was located right on U.S. Route 6, just east of Sunnyside Road.

Here's a sampling of ads from over the years. The earliest I could find was from 1950.

From the July 28, 1950 Lorain Journal

Here's the 1952 version of the ad (below). A 1952 aerial from the HistoricAerials.com website is right below it, showing the location of the range. It's strange to see nothing in that area (which today is home to the Vermilion Farm Market) but the driving range.

From the May 9, 1952 Lorain Journal

Here's the 1953 ad.

From the April 22, 1953 Lorain Journal

Here's an ad from the mid-1960s. By then it was Jonick's Sunnyside Golf Driving Range.

From the April 16, 1965 Journal

And here's a 1969 aerial, courtesy of the HistoricAerials.com website.

By the 1970s, it appears that advertising for the golf range was scaled back, limited to a classified ad listing.

From the May 29, 1975 Journal

I'm not sure, but perhaps it was because the driving range wasn't as an important part of the property any more. The Jonick trucking business had started there in the late 1960s, and the tavern even earlier (dating back to the early 1960s).

An ad for the Jonick tavern from the Journal of October 17, 1975

By the way, the name 'Jonick' came from the first names of Jo and Nick Morog, who owned the tavern. Their son William began the trucking business in 1968.