Thanksgiving in Lorain – 1930

Detail of a Hughes Provision Co. ad - Nov. 25, 1930

Thanksgiving is only a few days away. So, as usual here on the blog, we'll look back and see how the holiday was observed in the Lorain Journal in years gone past.

Let's start with Thanksgiving 1930 – just one year into the Great Depression.

A few days before the holiday, the Journal presented an interesting look at local turkey farms, including that of "Doc" W. G. Schaeffer of Amherst (of Beaver Park fame) and Mrs. L. A. McClellan of LaGrange. The article was written by John Love and appeared in the paper on Nov. 25, 1930.

In that same edition of the paper, it was reported that the cost of a typical Thanksgiving feast had dropped to $6, lower than previous years.

Also in that same paper were the grocery ads with everything needed for the big day. No multiple pages of store ads in 1930; they all fit on one page! (Yes, there's an unflattering caricature of a Black waiter toting a turkey in the A&P ad.)

But what if you wanted to enjoy a meal at a local restaurant that day? Perhaps because it was hard times, there weren't very many ads offering a special Thanksgiving meal. Here are two that I did find, both in the November 26th edition of the paper. Both had quite a menu.

That same November 26, 1930 had a special illustration on the front page.

Lorain was preparing for a 'quiet Thanksgiving' with businesses closed and church services scheduled. The prisoners at the city jail were going to enjoy roast chicken, dressing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pie. I wonder – did anyone got themselves deliberately arrested so they could enjoy that feast?

Lastly, the editorial page had a fine selection of Thanksgiving-themed columns, including a nice one by the Editor. 

Be sure to read the one by A. M. Hopkins (whose column I believe was nationally syndicated, as opposed to being a local one) – it's pretty well-written, and captures what it was like to spend a Thanksgiving with grandparents perfectly.

Detail of a Standard Home Utitlies ad – Nov. 24, 1930

Muir's Thanksgiving Ad – Nov. 20, 1945

Thanksgiving 1945 was only two days away when this full-page ad for Muir's Original Cut Rate Drug Store ran in the Lorain Journal on Tuesday, November 20, 1945 – a mere 80 years ago this week. As you can see, our old pal the Thrifty Scot was shown busy carving himself a turkey leg at the top of the ad.

It's interesting seeing all of the obscure brands in the ad, including Wildroot Cream-Oil Hair Tonic (before Fearless Fosdick became their spokesman), Lydia Pinkham Vegetable Compound and Minipoo Dry Shampoo.

There are plenty of products that are still popular today, including Similac and Gerber's Baby Foods, and Aqua Velva. 

Toni Home Permanent is there; I still remember the unpleasant smell when Mom was giving herself a permanent. Do they even make the Toni product anymore?

Then there are the really odd products in the ad, like K. R. O. (for killing rats). 

1946 magazine ad

At least the company that manufactured it was an Ohio business.

There aren't too many toys in the ad. Speaking of rats, the one toy that really stands out is the Mickey Mouse Drummer for 49 cents. These things are pretty collectible today. There are several for sale on eBay right now, with prices ranging from $14 (broken, with only two wheels) to well over a hundred.

The famous rodent looks pretty good here. It's an attractive, modern-looking rendering.

It looks much better to me than the current version of the cheese-eating Disney symbol, seen in a series of popular online shorts. 

The rest of the Disney menagerie (especially ex-orange juice salesmen Donald Duck) didn't fare so well either.

Charles Schulz United Way Campaign – 1965

The Peanuts comic strip by Charles Schulz was very likely the most popular comic strip in America back in its heyday of the 1960s. Even though the strip wasn't even in the Lorain Journal, my siblings and I were well acquainted with Charlie Brown, Snoopy and the rest of the gang through the TV specials, as well as the paperbacks featuring reprints of the strip dating back to its earliest days.

Even with their incredible popularity, the Peanuts characters back then weren't merchandised to death like they are now. They didn't turn up everywhere you looked, and it was kind of special when a photo promoting one of the TV specials appeared on the television page of the Journal. (I've posted a few of them, here and here.)

Since I was always on the lookout for any appearance of the Peanuts characters in the print media, I'll tell you about something that has haunted me for almost sixty years. I seemed to recall seeing one of the Peanuts gang – perhaps Charlie Brown – in a small ad in the back of an issue of Life magazine or something similar. The cartoon character was an angel, and I had no idea what he was representing. Did it have something to do with Trick or Treat for UNICEF? Did I imagine this?

Well, imagine my surprise when I recently recognized the angel character at the top of a Journal TV page for October 20, 1965.

Here's a closer look. Note the "Cartoon by Charles Schulz" credit line

So the angel was the mascot for a special United Way campaign that dates back to as early as 1963 and was still running as late as 1969.

The 'good guy' angel got a lot of use beyond printed ads, appearing on buttons, awards and displays.

There's another United Way 'angel' award on eBay that is attributed to Schulz. I'm not convinced that's the case. It might have predated his involvement with the charitable organization.

At any rate, I'm sure the United Way campaigns using the 'Good Guy" angel by Schulz were a big success.

And once again, the internet has helped me solve a mystery from my childhood (like it did with this one and this one).

Hills Ads – November 1965

Nov. 4, 1965

The ads for the well-remembered and beloved (by local Baby Boomers) Hills Dept. Store never really developed a specific design look. As long as the oval Hills logo appeared in an ad, apparently that was enough for it to conform to the corporate brand.

An ample sample of Hills ads from November 1965 follows that marketing strategy, with a variety of illustrations in the ads, including renderings of people, line art of products and cartoony holiday clip art. 

The attire of formally dressed shoppers depicted in the ad at the top of this post is surprising, seeing as we were halfway through the 1960s at this point. Although President John F. Kennedy (assassinated two years earlier) changed mens' styles forever with his shunning of headgear, the man in the ad is still wearing a fedora. Likewise, the woman shopper in the foreground wears a Jackie-inspired pill box hat. Within a few years, things would be getting groovy style-wise and this look would be abandoned.

The Hills ad from November 10, 1965 is interesting because it features popular long-playing records.

The list includes: Boots Randolph, Living Strings, Eddy Arnold, Roger Miller, Jim Reeves and Skeeter Davis. 

It reminds me that my parents had a stereo (a full-size piece of furniture) in our formal living room that was closed off from the rest of the house. We hardly ever used the living room, except at Christmas or when we had visitors (which was not too often). We kids weren't allowed to touch the stereo, either. I do remember Mom playing it sometimes during the day while she cleaned. The 1960s Brady playlist: Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, Jules Wechter and the Baja Marimba Band, Sergio Mendes & Brasil '66, and The Sound of Music soundtrack. Sometimes a few of my sister's Beatle albums made the playlist.

A favorite record of my parents at Christmas time was Something Festive, which is not too surprising since it had the A&M Records stars like Herb Albert, and the Baja Marimba Band on it.

Anyway, let's head for the Hills and get back to the ads.

The November 11, 1965 ad launches the first volley of the Christmas season with an ad devoted mostly to toys. Hills always did have a great toy department. 

And the November 18, 1965 ad takes aim at adults, reminding them that Hills carried artificial trees and everything you need to trim it.

The 'Thanksgiving' ad for Hills ran on November 19, 1965 and featured some holiday clip art at the top. The ad itself was devoted to things that might be of aid to a hostess (like a can opener or waffle-grill) or merely a gift suggestion (like a GE portable tape recorder).

After Thanksgiving, of course, it was time for Santa to make an appearance at the store. The November 24, 1965 ad featured some great art of Santa arriving by a helicopter (which was piloted by a diminutive look-alike 'helper.'

In view of my own happy memories of my family shopping at Hills (such as being turned loose in the toy dept., or the possibility of Mom buying us a Frozen Coke® or popcorn), I kind of feel sorry for today's kids. With online shopping preferred over brick and mortar stores, I'm skeptical that kids will be able to look back and conjure up happy memories of their shopping experience.

But then again, every generation prefers their own era and experiences, and think theirs are the best.

Lewis House in Avon

The Lewis House circa 1936

The Lorain Journal often featured old houses in its pages back in the 1940s and 50s, providing the history of a landmark that its readers might find interesting.

The Lewis House in Avon was one of those landmarks. As noted in the article below that ran in the paper back on June 14, 1940, "On a knoll shadowed by huge pines stands the "Lewis House," one-story stone building which in 1941 will celebrate its one hundredth birthday.

"From all the old and interesting buildings in Avon this one was chosen by the National Advisory committee of the historic buildings survey as "possessing exceptional historic and architectural interest worthy of most careful preservation for the benefit of future generations."

"Now reposing in the Library of Congress in Washington, D. C., is a record of its present appearance and condition. 

"Howard and George Lewis, brothers and sole inhabitants of the old homestead, are proud of its reputation and cherish a certificate from the department of the interior signed by Harold Ickes marking their home as one of great historic value."

The house was built around 1843 with sandstone from the Amherst quarries. It was originally located on Center Road. 

In the summer of 2002, it was moved to a new location in the Olde Avon Village shopping district by the shopping center's owner, Ron Larson. He explained his philosophy in an article written by Chrissy Kadleck for Cleveland Magazine in April 2004. ""We create a sanctuary here for old buildings," says Larson, who lives in Avon Lake with his family. "It's my project and I'm totally absorbed in it. I'm married to it."

Since its relocation to Olde Avon Village, the Lewis House has been the home of Details, an upscale gift shop.

Avon Isle - Site of French/Indian Battle

Nov. 10, 1933 ad in the Lorain Journal

Today, Avon Isle Park Pavilion is an events center available for rent located at 37080 Detroit Road in Avon. Pretty much hidden from the road, it's a cozy venue for parties and weddings.

It has a lot of history, mainly as a dance hall dating back to at least the 1920s.

But did you know that its location was also the site of a bloody battle between Native Americans and French soldiers?

That's the story told in the article below which appeared in the Lorain Journal back on November 25, 1940. 

It notes, "Avon and its historic French Creek was once the scene of a "battle to the death" between French soldiers and desperate Indians.

"Excavations have revealed human skeletons in positions indicating violent death. Near them were French military buttons and rusty remains of ancient guns.

"Most of this evidence of violence and strife was found on what is now Avon Isle-pk. Old timers in Avon still tell the story of the crude stone, circular embankment which runs along the bank of the creek thru the entire village.

"The tale runs that this embankment was thrown up by one powerful Indian tribe as protection against marauding bands of other tribes – all this long before white settlers set foot on the soil.

"The wall stood from eight to ten feet high and many of the stones can still be found around Avon. Avon is also the site of numerous Indian mounds which are thought to have been burial grounds because of the many human bones found in them.

"Early tillers of the soil have leveled most of these. When Avon was founded in 1819 as Troy many of these mounds were still in evidence.

Judge Pierpont Edwards

"Originally owned by Pierpont Edwards, a famous Revolutionary soldier, congressman and judge of Connecticut, Avon for a time was also known as Xeumma. It has been called Avon since 1825."

The story of Avon's name was recalled in the article below, which appeared in the Lorain Journal on October 22, 1926. 

As the article notes, "It was named in honor of the birthplace of William Shakespeare. The village was once known as French Creek.

"But the name of Avon was not given it without a struggle, and many people still think of the village and talk of its as "French Creek."

"When the township was organized in 1818, it was named Avon. Then they tacked on it the monicker "Troy." Before 1818 they called it Xeumma.

"However, six years after the organization of the township, Shakespeare students achieved their wish, and it has been "Avon" officially ever since.

The article explains why Avon was once called "French Creek." It notes, "Among the first settlers of the vicinity were a colony of French who erected their cabins on the creek early in the 18th century, a century before the township was organized.

"For generations they continued on this site, and the place acquired the name "French Creek." Now, however, none of the descendants of the old French now remain.

"Years ago there was a circular embankment of stone from seven to eight feet high, along French Creek.

"The embankment appeared to have been thrown up by the natives as a protection wall before the settlers came and without regard to the size of the stones.

"Mounds in the vicinity that were opened up years ago contained human bones. Most of these mounds, near which is situated the Avon Park dance hall, have been leveled."

Interestingly, the 1940 Lorain Journal article referenced at the beginning of this blog post appears to have its roots in another article (below) that appeared in the paper on January 11, 1927. It's the same story with a few tidbits not found in the 1940 version.

Sparky's On the Job in Oberlin

Fire Prevention Week 2025 may be over, but it was a nice surprise a few weeks ago to see a banner on the front of the Oberlin Fire Department station on S. Main Street featuring none other than Sparky the Fire Dog.

Here's a better look at what the banner looks like (below). The artwork, with its message of safely buying, charging and recycling Lithium-Ion batteries in your home, is very visible on the internet.

Here's the National Fire Prevention Association's Charge into Fire Safety: 3 Steps

Buy only listed products. When buying a product that uses a lithium-ion battery look for a safety certification mark such as UL, ETL, or CSA. This means it meets important safety standards. 

Charge devices safely. Always use the cords that came with the product to charge. Follow the instructions from the manufacturer. Buy new chargers from the manufacturer or one that the manufacturer has approved. Charge your device on a hard surface. Don’t overcharge your device. Unplug it or remove the battery when it’s fully charged. 

Recycle batteries responsibly. Don’t throw lithium-ion batteries in the trash or regular recycling bins because they could start a fire. Recycle your device or battery at a safe battery recycling location. Visit call2recycle.org to find a recycling spot near you.