The Scoop on the Loop – Part 1

The Loop, circa 1905

If you grew up in Lorain like me, then you undoubtedly heard your parents refer to the intersection of Broadway and West Erie as the Loop.

I don’t recall my parents explaining why they called it that. They just did.

It wasn’t until I learned a little local history that I got an explanation. It was called the Loop because that’s where the northbound streetcars used to turn around via a big loop in the tracks before heading south on Broadway again.

It’s kind of neat to see vintage postcards of the actual Loop itself, with the tracks forming a big circle right in the middle of the intersection. The postcard at the top of this post was postmarked 1905.

And here’s one in color (below), circa 1907. (It’s actually the same composition as the 1905 view, only with color added, and with the ugly wires and poles retouched out.)

And this (below) is a slightly tighter view, circa 1910.

And here's a view circa 1911.

So why am I bringing this up now? Because it was back in June 1919 that the streetcar tracks for the original Loop were removed. And it was quite a historic occasion.

How did it play out in the newspapers? To stay in the loop, stop back here tomorrow!

1970 Vermilion Festival of the Fish: Wrap Up

The Vermilion Photojournal of June 25, 1970 had a wrap-up of the Fourth Annual Festival of the Fish. As I noted a few days ago, unfortunately the Sunday parade was rained out.

The front page featured yet another nice photo of Festival Queen Linda Vasitas. There’s also a nice photo of one of the Nolan Carnival rides, the “Round-Up.”

The photo caption of the band concert needs one correction, though: the American Federation of Musicians chapter in Lorain was Local 146. I know, because I was a member of it in the 1980s. (Sooner or later, some of my reminisces from those musical days will make it onto the blog.)

I read in the Photojournal a few days ago that there’ll be no Festival of the Fish this year due to the Coronavirus and that’s a shame. I like a festival where a fish is guest of honor because he's tasty – not something to set on fire.

1970 Vermilion Festival of the Fish: Nolan Shows Carnival

Here’s a nice full-page ad for the Nolan Shows carnival featured at the 1970 Vermilion Festival of the Fish, which ran June 19 through the 21st – 50 years ago. The ad ran in the Vermilion Photojournal on June 11, 1970.

The carnival, set up at the shopping center, had a two-day jump on the festival itself.

I like posting ads for carnivals and circuses. Their old employees often go online to locate co-workers and reminisce about the owners and performers. I’ve written about the Cristiani-Wallace Circus, the Adam Forepaugh and Sells Brothers Circus, and the Paul A. Miller Circus (that our friend Bill Nahm remembers so well).

As the ad notes, Nolan Shows operated out of Zanesville with two units traveling independently of each other.

And here’s a great profile of the man behind Nolan Shows: Fred A. Nolan. The article appeared in the Zanesville Times-Recorder on Sunday, August 21, 1966, and sheds some light on the life of a "carny.”

Next: More 1970 Vermilion Festival of the Fish Fun

1970 Vermilion Festival of the Fish: Cleveland Indians and Royalty

Although the 54th Annual celebration has been postponed due to the Coronavirus, the Fourth Annual Vermilion Festival of the Fish back in 1970 came off as planned (although rain resulted in the cancellation of the Sunday parade). The Festival ran June 19 through the 21st.

Part of the fun back in 1970 was the special appearances of some Cleveland Indians players as part of a promotion sponsored by Lorain National Bank. Above is an ad that ran in the Vermilion Photojournal on June 18, 1970.

That’s quite a lineup of Indians players slated to appear: “Sudden Sam” McDowell; Ken “The Hawk” Harrelson; Ray Fosse; Dean Chance; and Tony Horton.

While I was familiar with some of the other players (my brothers and I had “Hawk” Harrelson autographed photos), I didn’t know the sad story of Tony Horton’s short baseball career until I read his Wiki entry. Here’s hoping he’s doing well today.

Horton did have the honor of posing with the lovely duo of 1970 Festival of the Fish Queen Linda Vasitas and Attendant Debbie Wakefield though.

Photo courtesy Vermilion Photojournal
June 18, 1970

Queen Linda Vasitas and Attendant Debbie Wakefield were also featured in an ad for Erie County Bank that ran in the June 18th Photojournal.

Tomorrow: More 1970 Vermilion Festival of the Fish Fun

Fulper’s Sohio Service Ad – June 9, 1970

Here’s a nice full page ad from the June 9, 1965 Vermilion Photojournal for Fulper’s Sohio Service promoting the Vermilion Lions Club fundraising effort.

Gas-o-Rama seems to have been (and may still be) a popular Lions Club promotion all over the world.

I’m assuming Lions Club members manned the pumps at the station that day, with some sort of profit-sharing agreement that would benefit the club. Tickets were also sold in advance for perhaps a fill-up or some service. Anyone know for sure?

Courtesy Ritter Public Library

The Fulper station was located on the southeast corner of West Liberty Avenue (U. S. Route 6) and Grand Street. Rich Tarrant’s Vermilion Views website (here) says that a Standard Oil station at that corner dated back to 1936. If you follow the link, there is also a terrific color photo of the station as it originally looked, before it was expanded to the building seen in the 1970 ad.

At left is a photo of the original station circa 1942, courtesy of the Ritter Public Library website. This link will take you to the Ritter Public Library page with four vintage photos of the station, including one when it sold Dyna-Gard brand gasoline before it closed for good.

Today the corner is empty. A February 12, 2020 Morning Journal article noted that it was recommended to be a new parking lot, and that seems to be the way it's being used now.

Vermilion Bandstand Razed – June 1965

Vermilion's old brick bandstand which was located
in Victory Park (Photo Courtesy of Ritter Library)

Local landmarks found in a public park, like statues, monuments and fountains, are a funny thing.

Residents get used to seeing them all their lives. But these iconic structures are man-made, and don’t last forever. Unless they get maintained or rehabilitated, they often get removed.

If the local newspaper didn’t document the removal with an article or photo, the exact date of the landmark’s passing into history is often lost to time.

And that’s why when I do find a nice article about the demolition of an important landmark, I like to post it and get it online for interested parties to find.

Once such landmark was Vemilion’s old bandstand, which was located in Victory Park. The bandstand's demolition was of historical significance, and the Vermilion Photojournal devoted the entire front page of the June 30, 1965 edition to it.

The article provided a history of the structure as well as the surrounding area. It noted, “About 1919, after the New York Central Railroad tracks were raised, closing off Exchange and Toledo streets, and the railroad station remodeled, the brick and stone bandstand was constructed. Commodore F. W. Wakefield is said to have donated the brick which was used in the construction.

“There was a basement with a center cement block wall dividing the basement area. Two outside stepped entrances were provided to the basement.”

One of the photos accompanying the Vermilion Photojournal article shows the basement being filled.

Today the park (located south of the railroad tracks with Main Street as its western border) has an attractive gazebo as its centerpiece.

Beulah Beach

I’ve been driving by Beulah Beach just about all my life and never really knew too much about the place. It’s located about halfway between Vermilion and Huron on West Lake Road (U. S. Route 6).

Here’s what it says in my copy of Lake Erie Vacationland in Ohio - Revisiting a 1941 Travel Guide to the Sandusky Bay Region:

BEULAH BEACH, 6.9 m, is a summer camp (R) and convention site for members of the Christian Missionary Alliance. Cottages and dormitories accommodate students who come here to get training for home and foreign religious work.

For a more up-to-date description, I consulted its Wiki entry. It said that Beulah Beach is an unincorporated community located in the western part of Vermilion Township, and confirmed that it is still true to its roots after all these years.

"Beulah Beach had its start in 1920 as a Christian commune," it notes. "It currently has a summer camp and retreat center, Beulah Beach Camp and Retreat Center, affiliated with the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination and a member of the Christian Camp and Conference Association.”

But can anyone go there?

The Beulah Beach website notes that it is open to families as well, with a variety of programs. "As a ministry of the Christian Missionary Alliance, amid the demand of the frantic pace of today’s world, Beulah Beach Camp and Retreat Center has been a place of rest, relaxation, & spiritual renewal for guests since 1921,” the website states. 

"Open year round and overlooking the beautiful shores of Lake Erie, Beulah Beach offers guests a relaxed and comfortable place to retreat and be revived in body and spirit. We serve groups of all sizes, the location is ideal, the rooms are comfortable, the food is phenomenal, meeting rooms are spacious and well equipped, and we are within minutes of great attractions.”

It’s kind of nice to know that the camp has been around as long as it has.

Here are some vintage postcard views.

I’ve only been on the grounds of Beulah Beach once in my life. Back in the 1960s, we bought my pet hamster (Rufus) from a resident there who raised them as a hobby.

Beulah Beach has only been mentioned on this blog once before. Peck’s Cottages (subject of a multi-post series) is now part of the Beulah Beach complex.