It's That Guy Again

I found yet another appearance of my favorite 1950s clip-art guy (that's currently featured in Ed Tomko Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram ads). This ad is from the 1970s and proves that the little guy had some staying power over the decades.

The ad – for Roberts Specialty Shoppe in Sandusky – ran in the Journal on September 19, 1975. It's a take-off on the Let's Make A Deal game show, even using the same type font. The clip-art man has been slightly modernized with a semi-realistic body.

This particular digital version of him is still available for use through Getty Images®, although a shamrock has curiously been grafted onto his shirt, and he's been streamlined a bit. He's also on a retro-poster offered through www.postersguide.com.

I don't know much about Roberts Specialty Shoppe, since it was located in Sandusky, except that it is closed. (Here's a link to the obituary of Timothy J. Roberts, who worked at the family-run business for more than 30 years.)

Jackie Mayer's Reign as Miss America Ends – September 1963

Courtesy Sandusky Register

Everyone in Northern Ohio has heard of Jackie Mayer (at left), the Sandusky native who grew up to become Miss America 1963. It's hard not to think of her every time you travel on the "Jackie Mayer Miss America Highway" (Route 2) in Erie County.

Her post-pageant life and career is well-known as well. In 1970, she suffered a stroke at the age of 28, and spent the next seven years in rehabilitation, relearning how to walk and do simple tasks. After her recovery, she later became a successful spokesperson and is still a much sought-after motivational and inspirational speaker.

The big 50th Anniversary of her selection as Miss America took place back in November 2012. At the time, the Sandusky Register covered it with a great interview.

In the meantime, below is an article that ran in the Journal on September 6, 1963 – 51 years ago this month – as Jackie's reign as Miss America was winding down. It's a nice look at what she was thinking after spending an exciting and fulfilling year as Miss America.

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Jackie Sad To See Reign End

ATLANTIC CITY, N. J. (AP) "It's quite sad to see it come to an end."

Thus spoke Jacqueline Jeanne (Jackie) Mayer, the reigning Miss America who will relinquish her title about midnight Saturday to one of 52 girls who has been vying in beauty and talent competition for the past two days.

“It’s been a marvelous experience,” Jackie said as she recalled the past year which saw her travel over 200,000 air miles throughout the United States and England. "I just hope that girl I crown will have as wonderful a time as I had."

Courtesy Ohio History Connection

The 21-year-old brown-haired beauty from Sandusky, Ohio who plans to return to her studies at Northwestern University, spoke as she watched the contestants of this year's contest rehearsing their roles Thursday.

"It's very nostalgic to be here she said. "I'm very envious of them. I would like to go through the whole thing again.

"It's been a busy year. Sometimes we would make five to seven personal appearances a week but I've learned a great deal.

"Coming in contact with the outside world and the people in its has given me an education I couldn't get in a year's time at school,” Jackie said. "I've also made so many wonderful friends. It will be very sad not to see them again."

The reigning beauty will return to Northwestern as a sophomore and will major in radio and television. She had completed one year at the school before being crowned.

"I don't think I will have much trouble getting back into the swing of things at college,” Jackie said. "Maybe the first month will be awkward. Perhaps some of the students will stare at me, but they will learn to accept me.

"I know I want an education and will study very hard for it,” she said. "A woman must have an education these days."

From the Lorain Journal of September 7, 1963

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By the way, I was a little confused during my research for this post when I read that Route 2 in Erie County was only officially named the "Jackie Mayer Miss America Highway" in August 2002. I remembered "Jackie Mayer" signs many years before that – going back to the 1960s.

A little online research revealed that the shorter name "Jackie Mayer Highway" did indeed precede the current highway designation, dating back to the early 1960s. Jackie Mayer herself cut the ribbon in a ceremony opening the new Route 2 bypass from Huron through Rt. 250 on November 2, 1962.

 Miss America 1963 Jackie Mayer cuts the ribbon
opening the "Jackie Mayer Highway." The man 
whose face is adjacent to Jackie's in the photo is
Ohio Governor Michael DiSalle.

The Harts Signs on Lake Road in Avon Lake

Looking east on U.S. 6 this past weekend

Anyone who has commuted to Cleveland on Lake Road (U.S. 6) through Avon Lake during the last 20 years has undoubtedly noticed the homemade sign in front of the Hart family's property at 32842 Lake Road, just west of State Route 83.

Well, it looks like the end of an era, because the property was recently sold – meaning that the sign will almost certainly be coming down.

For decades, James and Doreen Hart greeted passing motorists with their large, colorful sign, whose theme changed with the seasons. (The Thanksgiving version had a pilgrim hat, the July 4th had a firecracker, etc.)

Each sign has the family's "signature," THE HARTS enclosed in a red heart.

I've always watched for the Harts' sign during my commutes on Lake Road, going back to the 1980s. It was sort of a checkpoint that indicated what kind of progress I was making on my commute, since much of the route between Avon Lake and Bay Village looks much the same.

There was something reassuring about seeing that sign year after year, especially in an era in which people are constantly on the move, and lakefront properties are rapidly changing hands. Plus, it was fun watching to see which version of the sign was currently on display.

So, I'm going to miss those signs. They were not only a unique touch of roadside Americana, but also a reminder of a simpler, more innocent time.

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UPDATE (9-23-2014)
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Hart, and was informed by him that although the house on Lake Road has been sold, the tradition of the seasonal HARTS sign will happily live on. His son Jeffrey and his wife plan to install the sign post at their home on Deerfield Drive in Avon Lake and continue to offer curbside greetings to the community.

Lorain National Bank Grand Opening at Lorain Plaza – Sept. 8, 1961

I'm sure everybody remembers when Lorain National Bank had a branch at the Lorain Plaza. Well, here's the full-page Grand Opening ad for it. It ran in the Journal on Sept. 7, 1961, the day before the big event on Sept. 8th – 53 years ago yesterday.

The circus-themed ad has a nice rendering of the plaza branch, along with some very stylized cartoons of circus flunkies.

I used to bank at that LNB branch in the 70s, especially when I had my Money Mate card. Actually, I spent a lot of time at the plaza with friends while I was growing up, usually checking out the turtles and other pets at the W. T. Grant department store.

It's too bad that Lorain National moved out of the plaza when it did. I'm sure the space was much too small for it to stay, but the plaza was never the same as losing so many of its longtime anchor businesses.

Augie Kolyno's Barber Shop

Back here, I wrote about the small building at 1815 Oberlin Avenue that once housed the business of Lorain builder O. A. Hafely. Well, as regular Brady Blog reader and contributor Rick Kurish pointed out, the small building was better known later as the location of Augie Kolyno's barber shop.

The address first showed up in the city directory in 1930 as the office of O. A. Hafely. By 1937, however, August Kolyno's barber shop was sharing the address with Hafely.

1948 Phone Book Listing – the earliest I could find

The two companies would continue to share the address until the late 1940s.

According to Rick Kurish, Mr. Kolyno was very devoted to horses and horse racing. He not only had pictures of horses hanging on the walls of his shop, but owned several horses as well.

Here's a small article (courtesy of Rick Kurish) that appeared in the Medina County Gazette at the time of Mr. Kolyno's passing in June 1970.

As for the building, Holland Furnace Company replaced Hafely as the co-tenant of the building in the 1950 directory. It would continue to share the address until the 1963 book, when Augie Kolyno's Barber Shop had the building to itself.

In the 1964 directory, Canalos Vending joined the 1815 Oberlin Avenue address. It continued to appear in the book until the 1968 edition.

It was in that 1968 directory when Ellis Barber Shop replaced Kolyno Barber Shop. Ellis Barber Shop was by itself in the 1968 and 1969 book, before being replaced by another hair-related business, the Wig-Wam Shop (which sold wigs) in the 1970 book.

In subsequent years, tenants for 1815 Oberlin Avenue included Gumina Construction (1972 - early 80s), Lakeside Plumbing & Heating, Gold Construction, Nelson Teleclinic, and Gold Development.

As of the late 1990s, it appears that the building has been exclusively a residence.

Thanks to Rick Kurish for his help with this post.

Construction Update – Taco Bell & Dollar General

Well, Taco Bell has been open in Lorain now for several weeks, and appears to be doing a brisk business on Oberlin Avenue (above).

It was only about a year ago that the same location looked like this (below).

Out on Colorado Avenue in Shefffield, the new Dollar General is now open as well. It's a nice looking building, but it seems out of place in that church and cemetery setting to me.

Here's the view from last Saturday morning (below).

And here's roughly the same view from last February (below). You can barely see the Root house hidden behind the trees.

By George, these development companies didn't waste any time getting their new buildings up!

I suspect that both of these "before" views will be quickly forgotten.

I'm still glad I was able to participate in Dr. Charles Herdendorf's "guerilla archeology" team's visit to the house.

September 1961 – Fallout Shelters Part 2

Illustration courtesy of the book Bomboozled: How the U.S. Government Misled Itself
and Its People Into Believing They Could Survive a Nuclear Attack (2011)

Here's the second article about fallout shelters that ran in the Journal in September 1961. This one profiles Price Brothers Co., an Amherst firm that took advantage of the local concern about nuclear attack to announce that they were manufacturing the shelters for the general public.

The article ran in the Journal on September 23, 1961.

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Amherst Firm Is Making Family Fallout Shelters
By CHARLES GRAY

NUCLEAR SHELTER – Harry Brecha, office manager of Price 

Brothers Co. at its Amherst location, demonstrates the size of 

an eight-door section of concrete steel-reinforced drainage 

pipe. Its walls are nine inches thick. Individuals have been 

buying such sections and converting them into bomb shelters. 

Now the company has announced that it is manufacturing 

and selling bomb shelters, using its own pipe in the fabrication. 

This section of pipe sells for $500 and is the largest size pipe 

made at the Amherst location.

AMHERST – The people of Amherst and vicinity who wish, may now order a bomb shelter without leaving the area.

The Price Brothers Co., manufacturer of concrete pipe, who located one of its plants in Amherst three years ago, has announced that it is now manufacturing fallout shelters for the use of the general public.

Concrete pipe made by Price Brothers is used in the manufacture of the shelters which are being designed and fabricated for Price Brothers by Lifemaster, Inc. of Columbus, O. Lifemaster will also distribute the shelters in Ohio for Price Brothers.

Here and there an individual may be found who has started to build or is building a shelter for himself and his family. The Price Brothers Co. was awakened to this fact by the purchase of large sections of concrete pipe by individuals in the Cleveland area.

The people were buying sections of pipe eight feet in diameter and converting them into nuclear bomb shelters by sinking them into the ground and adding detail work in the form of floors, ceilings, entranceways, bunks, storage space, etc.

Harry Brecha, office manager at the Amherst office of Price Brothers, said that no sales of prefabricated bomb shelters had been made so far from the Amherst location but that many inquiries were being received.

A typical shelter, Brecha said, has an eight-foor inside diameter, is eight feet high, contains 402 cubic feet of air space and has more than 50 square feet of usable floor space.

The entranceway is 30 inches in diameter and has a full-length ladder for fast, easy ground-level entrance and exit. On the top of the shelter are two feet of dirt, covering a nine-inch thick radiation shield.

The unit is equipped with a hand-operated blower system for replacing stale air with fresh by means of exhaust and air intake vents.

Brecha pointed out, however, that fallout shelters can be as elaborate as the owner wishes and that many different types are available.

That the Federal Government of the United States is interested in fallout shelters is indicated by FHA law which provides complete financing assistance to purchase, install and equip the shelter.

The Ohio State Legislature has also shown that it approves the shelters. In 1957 the Assembly provided tax exemption by passing an act providing that no burden of state or local taxes shall be incurred "as a consequence of measures taken for the better protection of persons and property against enemy action."

Leo A. Hoegh, director of the Office of Mobilization, Civil Defense, stated: "In the event of nuclear attack on our country, fallout shelters offer the best, single, non-military defense measure for the protection of the greatest number of people."

Christian A. Herter, former secretary of state said recently, "A capacity to retaliate will be reinforced by an effective capacity to survive. And only thus can our defense posture serve as a convincing deterrent."

Not many Americans, who have breathed free air all their lives, are in a hurry to spend money so that they can burrow into the ground. However the necessity of the times may soon make the fallout shelter as commonplace to the landscape as the cyclone cellars of the Midwest region of the United States.

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Price Brothers Company was acquired by Hanson Pipe & Precast in March 2007 according to this article.