U.F.O. Research Bureau of Lorain – April 1971

Do you believe that UFOs are space vehicles from another planet, piloted by creatures that are possibly here to learn more about us?

I think it’s possible. (Nothing would surprise me these days, when you never know if you’re getting the truth about anything from the media.)

While growing up, I used to think about UFOs a lot. It’s probably because my parents had told me about the War of the Worlds radio broadcast and the chaos that followed.  

The Journal also helped fuel my interest (or anxiety, as the case may be) with the small feature about UFOs that ran on the comic page. And we even had a paperback book about the Incident at Exeter around the Brady household. 

Today, there are all sorts of forums on the internet for those who believe we are not alone in the universe, to share their thoughts, theories and stories with others who feel the same way.

But that wasn’t the case fifty years ago – which is why I find the story below from the April 3, 1971 Lorain Journal about the U.F.O. Research Bureau of Lorain so interesting.

It took a lot of guts for the two gentleman in the article to share their views about their beliefs about flying saucers so freely (and allow themselves to be photographed by our pal Gene Patrick).

And like I said, I think just about anything is possible today – so perhaps the saucer buffs mentioned in the article were well ahead of their time.

****

I wrote about a 1964 UFO sighting over Lorain back here.

Norfolk & Western Derailment – April 1, 1971

Fifty years ago this month, the small item above appeared in the Lorain Journal on April 1, 1971. The derailment of seven Norfolk and Western railroad cars wasn’t particularly big news (compared to the April 1891 Great Kipton Train Wreck, or the even more tragic 1916 New York Central Railroad Wreck near Amherst) but it was a dramatic scene nevertheless. 

The photograph was by none other than our good friend Gene Patrick.

A 1952 View showing the Wye 

Although the photo caption said that the derailment occurred east of the Harris Road crossing, I still wasn’t quite sure where it happened. So I consulted historian and archivist (and all around good guy) Dennis Lamont. His special area of interest is the Lake Shore Electric Electric, but he knows a lot about just about everything as it pertains to area history.

So where did this derailment occur? Dennis noted, “It is over by what is now the huge Ford yard. 

“Before all that happened, there was nothing there except a wye junction leading down to the French Creek Yards.

"That was a normal "way" freight that somehow derailed, and caused the slow speed pileup. Most embarrassing, which is why the railroad didn't want to talk about it!”

During the many years I lived on the east side of Lorain and then Sheffield Lake, I frequently ran into problems trying to get from my house to the I-90 interchange in Avon. It seems that no matter what road I took to get to Colorado Avenue – Root Road, Lake Breeze, Harris Road, Miller Road, etc. – I could count on a stopped train blocking it sooner or later. I almost always was able to trace the stopped train all the way to the Ford yard in Avon Lake. These incidents were frequently written up in the Avon Lake Press.

Thus it was quite the godsend when the massive overpass at Abbe Road was constructed (although I missed how peaceful and ‘countrified’ that area was before it was built).

Lorain’s 1971 Shipping Season Opens – April 5, 1971

There’s a classic 1970s Columbo episode in which the good lieutenant is vacationing on a cruise ship with his wife but ends up having to investigate a murder that occurred onboard. During the entire show, Columbo repeatedly mixes up the use of the two words: ‘ship’ and ‘boat’ and is corrected by the ship’s crew, much to his frustration.

For some reason, I think of that episode every time I write about one of the large ore carriers or vessels coming into Lorain’s harbor. I guess I’m trying not to make the same mistake.

And with that introduction, here’s a photo and caption annoucing the arrival of the first ship in the Port of Lorain during the 1971 shipping season. It appeared in the Journal on April 5, 1971.

It conjures up a lot of nostalgic feelings of the days when Lorain was an active port and a steel city, with ships coming and going regularly, and forcing us to wait on the opened Bascule Bridge until they were out of the way. It reinforced Lorain’s nautical and industrial heritage and made it an interesting place to live.

Now, when you get trapped on the bridge, it’s often just a little motorboat with an unusually tall mast, putt-putt-putting on its way. It’s just not the same.

Former Westgate Shopping Center Begins Its Ride Off Into the Sunset

Last week, I noticed some demolition work taking place at the old Westgate Shopping Center at W. 21st Street and Leavitt Road. As it turns out (and according to an article in the Morning Journal), the portion of the shopping plaza that was once home to Stars Disco and Monoplies was being removed due to some damage from a fire.

It’s odd seeing straight through to the railroad tracks and the houses beyond. 

According to the Journal article, it is unclear what the current owners of the property have in mind.

Those of us that grew up on the west side of Lorain remember the shopping center as a vibrant place and a symbol of the growth taking place on that side of town. I wrote about the April 1958 Grand Opening back here.

Fisher Foods had already opened its outlet there in February 1958 (which I wrote about here).

It’s sad of course seeing the building in its decrepit shape. When I stopped to watch some of the demolition, I enjoyed a brief conversation with two of the workers. We were all reminiscing about which stores and businesses were located there.

Here’s hoping that this strategically located gateway property finds some new life and use.

****

UPDATE

Here are a few more shots showing the progress of the demolition. I understand that the damage done to the left portion of the remaining buildings was an unfortunate accident. (By the way, I got my souvenir brick!)

The Hipp Family’s Easter Gift to Norwalk

Taking pictures in front of the Easter Basket in Lakeview Park has long been a holiday tradition for many families. But for many years, there was another Easter tradition for many Northern Ohio families that deserves to be remembered: a visit to the huge holiday celebration held annually on the lawn of Mr. and Mrs. Walter Hipp, just outside of Norwalk.

It was actually a full-blown Easter Party –  complete with an Easter egg hunt, free easter baskets, a costumed Easter Bunny and helpers, live rabbits and wonderful decorations – all free and open to the public.

The whole thing had started out as a family Easter egg hunt in 1949, a way for Mr. and Mrs. Hipp to make the holiday special for their grandchildren. But it grew into so much more, drawing visitors from well beyond Norwalk. And it was all for free.

Read all about this incredible celebration in the article below, which appeared in the Sandusky Register on April 15, 1954.

Back in the mid-1950s, my parents spent the afternoon on Easter Sunday visiting relatives in Norwalk, so a stop at the Hipp family’s Easter Party became a cherished part of the day. 

My sister was only about a year and a half old when my parents took her to her first visit to the Hipp celebration in 1956. That’s Vince Hipp, Mr. Rabbit himself, holding her.

Grandma Brady made the trip to Norwalk that year as well. Here she is with my sister.

And here’s a photo from Easter Sunday 1957. This time, Dad got into the photo, posing with my sister behind the seated Vince Hipp.

And here’s my sister checking out the display of live bunnies that same year.

Beginning the next year, our family began to expand, with the addition of my older brother, then me, followed by my younger brother a few years later. The trips to Norwalk on Easter Sunday came to an end.

I’m not sure just how many years the Hipp family was able to keep their Easter Party going. But it was a wonderful gift to the community while it lasted, and a true expression of the joy and happiness associated with the meaning of the holiday.

Easter Greetings – 1971

Here’s wishing all of you a Happy and Blessed Easter.

As is the custom here, above is yet another one of those full-page ads with sponsoring companies. It ran in the Journal on April 11, 1971.

Alas, I quickly scanned the listings and failed to find even one company or organization still around fifty years later with exactly the same name. But at least a few of their successors (mainly banks) are still in business in some form. (Ohio Vending Machine, Inc. has evolved into Ohio Vending League Systems.)

Nevertheless, have a great Easter and don’t forget to get that photo down at the Easter Basket of your choice (Lakeview or Oakwood Park).

Pic-Way Shoes Easter Ad – 1971

Are there still Easter Parades?

That’s a good question. It seems that the traditional Easter Parade – an Easter Sunday procession in which participants show off their Easter finery – is still something that occurs in a few major cities. 

My mother has long told me about Easter Parades in Lorain. Although I was skeptical at first, they are even mentioned in old articles (such as this 1954 one).

Anyway, ‘Easter Parade’ is the theme of this Pic-Way ad that ran in the Journal on April 1, 1971.

It’s an interesting ad in that it reminds us how black and white illustrations used to be sufficient to represent a store’s style selection to the consumer. The ad above has a nice layout that very cleanly communicates what is available.

I’ve written about Pic-Way before (such as this 1964 Easter ad), and how it was a pioneer in the self-serve shoe business. Now it’s hard to find an old-fashioned shoe store where someone fits you properly and waits on you hand and, er, foot to find a shoe you like (such as the service you received at Januzzi’s.