Thomas Edison 125th Anniversary Editorial – Feb. 1972

Portrait of Thomas A. Edison by Ellis M. Silvette in 1926
(Postcard Courtesy of eBay)

Today is the 175th anniversary of the birth of Thomas Alva Edison.

Fifty years ago on the 125th anniversary, the Journal ran a special editorial tribute to the great inventor. It’s particularly well written and includes an interesting Lorain connection to the Edison family that many people might not be aware of.

A Man Who Changed the World

TODAY IS THE 125th anniversary of the greatest inventor the world has ever known, Thomas Alva Edison. He was born Feb. 11, 1847, in Milan, just 25 miles from Lorain.

His fame was international. His more than 1,000 inventions, including electric lights, the movies and the phonograph, remade the world.

Now, with the passing of time, his achievements are gradually being partially forgotten. But the memory will never completely fade. Helping to preserve it are the Edison National Historic Site in West Orange, N.J., and the impressive historical display at Edison’s former winter home in Ft. Myers, Fla.

The home where the inventive genius was born is preserved in Milan. Also, there is good cause for Thomas A. Edison to be remembered in Lorain because of the close family ties that existed here.

A cousin of the inventor, F. W. Edison, a hardware dealer, was mayor of Lorain in 1876-77 and again in 1884-86. His home, once a showplace of the city, was located on the 8th and Broadway site now occupied by the Ohio Edison Co. His store, located at 5th and Broadway, was purchased by C. E. Krantz, and became the Lorain Hardware Co.

A bit of history which can appropriately be reviewed on this anniversary is the story of why the Edison family happened to settle in Milan.

Thomas Edison’s grandfather, John (who was the great-grandfather of two second cousins of Edison who lived in Lorain), was a leading citizen of Vienna, Ontario, in the 1830s when Canada was divided over allegiance to the British crown. In 1837, the year Queen Victoria ascended the throne, rebellion was raging and Samuel (son of John and father of Thomas), then a young keeper of a hotel in Vienna, became a captain in the ranks of “McKenzie’s Insurgents,” embittering his father, who stood for the cause of the crown. The son, however, was fired with the spirit of a grandfather who had fought in the Revolution in the United States against the British. 

The cause of John Edison was victorious while that of Samuel met defeat. Faced with exile in Bermuda, Samuel, with his wife, the former Nancy Elliott who came to Canada from New York, fled to the United States. They finally settled in 1842 in Milan, then one of the most thriving communities in Ohio.

Thomas Edison was born there five years later and the world was on the threshold of the Age of Electricity.

****

I’ve written about Thomas Edison before, including this two-part series (here and here) about the 1947 Edison Centennial, as well as this post featuring a 1959 Edison Birthday article.

And don’t miss the profile of a man whose claim to fame was explored in this post entitled, “He Cut Edison’s Hair,” or this post about my family’s visit to Edison’s birthplace in 1962.

Edison Centennial – 1947 – Part 2

I went back and reviewed the Lorain Journals from February 1947 to see how the Thomas Edison Centennial was celebrated in Milan, Ohio where he was born. The Feb. 11, 1947 edition of the paper included this article (below).

****

Celebration for Edison
Reach Climax at Milan
Sleepy Little Town Hums With Activity as It Pays
Tribute to Its Most Famous Son
By Staff Correspondent

MILAN – This sleep little Ohio town took on a gala atmosphere today as it celebrated the 100th birthday anniversary of its most famous son – Thomas A. Edison.

The red brick house that was the birthplace of the famous inventor was thrown open to the public for the first time since his widow approved plans for its restoration 18 months ago; the post office prepared to cancel and mail thousands upon thousands of “first day covers” of the new Edison stamp, and the town’s churchwomen readied a huge banquet for this evening to top off the day’s activities.

Stamps Main Interest
The post office was the focal point of the celebration as a special staff of 50 postal workers prepared the stamp covers for collectors. Postmaster James Lavey said he had a full mail sack of requests from Australia alone, with the furthest request coming from the Bank of China in Hong Kong.

Famous persons who have asked for stamps include President Truman, and Queen Elizabeth and Princess Elizabeth of England.

Third Assistant U. S. Postmaster General Joseph J. Lawler presented the first sheet of the purple three-cent stamps to Mrs. John Sloane, Edison’s only daughter, prior to the opening of public sales.

Today’s events climaxed a three-day centennial celebration giving this village of 700 persons more excitement than it has known since Edison as a boy set fire to his father’s barn and was publicly paddled for it in the town’s square.

The banquet tonight in the Presbyterian church will be served by women dressed in period costumes.

****

In that same edition of the Journal, a photo feature (below) showed the opening of Thomas Edison’s rolltop desk in his library in West Orange, New Jersey by his widow, son and daughter. The desk had been sealed since his death 16 years earlier.

Also in that Feb. 11, 1947 Lorain Journal, Ohio Edison took out a full-page ad honoring the inventor. (Note the tiny Reddy Kilowatt next to the company logo.)

The Feb. 12, 1947 Lorain Journal included a front page story about the celebration in Milan the day before. It noted, “This village was crowded to its limits yesterday as almost 4,000 visitors milled thru the streets and attended the re-opening of the restored Edison birthplace. The home had been out of the Edison family for some years.

“A high spot of the anniversary celebration was the presentation of the first sheet of the new Edison stamps to Mrs. Madeline Edison Sloane of West Orange, N. J., only daughter of the inventor, who was Milan’s honored guest for the occasion. 

“Mrs. Sloane represented the Edison family at the re-opening of the homestead.”

There was also a celebration in Cleveland. The article noted, “Edison was honored last night at Cleveland in an address by an old friend of his, Dr. Laurence A. Hawkins, consultant in the research laboratory of the General Electric Co.

“Principal speaker at a civic dinner in commemoration of Edison’s 100th birthday, Dr. Hawkins said that “Edison is the greatest inventor that the world will ever see.”

“I can conceive of the possibility, tho not the probability, of another Shakespeare,” Dr. Hawkins said. “I cannot conceive of the possibility of another Edison."

Edison Centennial – 1947 – Part 1

Back in February 1947 – 70 years ago this month – the country was celebrating the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Thomas Edison, often described as America’s greatest inventor. He was born Feb. 11, 1847 in Milan, Ohio.

The small article on the front page of the January 16, 1947 Lorain Journal mentions that Edison was to be honored with a stamp. The celebration in Milan also included the opening to the public of the Edison Birthplace Museum.

Here are some vintage postcards of Edison's Birthplace. We went there at least once when we were kids, like all good Ohioans.

Vintage postcard dated 1924

Vintage postcard dated 1937

There are several first day of issue covers featuring the Thomas Edison stamp available on Ebay right now.

It’s interesting how formal and dignified stamps used to be back when they were engraved and not produced by lithography as they are now. It makes a big difference in how they look.

I wonder if stamp collecting is still a popular hobby?

1959 Thomas Edison Birthday Article

Well, it’s February 11th – the birthday of Thomas Alva Edison – so it’s a good time to post the article below. It ran in the Lorain Journal back on January 15, 1959 in advance of Edison’s 112th birthday anniversary that year.

(Edison has been a favorite topic on this blog over the years. I posted a two-part series on the 1947 Edison Centennial here and here, and late last year featured an article about a barber who cut Edison’s hair. I even wrote about my family’s 1962 visit to Edison’s birthplace in Milan, Ohio here.)

Anyway, here is the article. It makes a few interesting points, including the observation that by 1947 it was estimated that his inventions had provided employment for 4,000,000 people.

****

In preparation for this post, I made a pilgrimage on Sunday to Milan (not that far a jaunt from Vermilion, where I live) for a quick photo.

****

On the way out to Milan on State Route 113, I passed Miller’s Ice Cream, which recently closed for good after 69 years. Here is the link to the now-shuttered business’ Facebook page.

Thomas A. Edison Birthday Tidbits

Today's the birthday of the great inventor Thomas A. Edison, who was born in Milan, Ohio on Feb. 11, 1847.

I'm not sure if his birth is even acknowledged any more in the media. The Lorain Journal used to occasionally honor the great man with front page news stories on his natal day, but not every year. The 100th anniversary of his birth in 1947 was a big deal, which I wrote about in a two-part post here and here.

Nevertheless, the seven blog posts I wrote about him have pretty much covered the big anniversaries (his 100th, and his 125th) and the restoration of his birthplace. But he still popped up in the Journal now and then, and I collected a few of these items and present them here today.

Edison was still alive on January 17, 1923 when this small item about him appeared on the editorial page as part of a series entitled, "Poor Boys Who Became Great."

Edison passed away in 1931. A mere five years later, his birthday was being commercialized to sell light bulbs! (The 'Mazda' brand here was a trademarked name used by General Electric.)

Ten years later, Ohio Edison ran this ad on Feb. 9, 1946, featuring some interesting quotes by the great man.

And ten years after that, Edison popped up in two unlikely places: the "Stranger than Science" column by Frank Edwards, and humorist Bennett Cerf's "Try And Stop Me" column!

Aug. 27, 1966

Nov. 1, 1966

I celebrated Edison's birthday by replacing not one, but two bulbs in the overhead light/fan in my bedroom. They both burned out yesterday. Weird!

Bradymobile at Thomas Edison’s Birthplace – 1962

Remember last week when I mentioned that my family had visited Thomas Edison’s Birthplace in Milan at least once?

Well, here’s the photographic proof: a 1962 photo of my parent’s 1958 Plymouth Savoy parked right in front of the house! Dad found a good parking space that day.

Here’s a closer look without the photobombing Beetle driver.

Seeing the photo of that car brings back a lot of memories. It was red, and not easy to forget with those huge fins.

Here’s another photo (below) of the Savoy from about the same time, along with my brothers and me. (I’m on the left.) Note the trailer in the back, as we were tent camping in those days.

Around 1964 or so, my parents got rid of the Savoy and bought a new Oldsmobile F-85. From then on, we were a loyal Oldsmobile family.

But I still link that 1958 Plymouth Savoy to some of my earliest and happiest memories of childhood.

Thomas A. Edison Birthplace To Be National Landmark – Jan. 14, 1965

Sixty years ago today, the birthplace of Thomas Alva Edison in Milan was declared eligible for National Historic Landmark status by the U. S. Secretary of the Interior. Below is the article making the announcement that ran in the Journal on January 14, 1965.

I would have thought that since the small brick home of the inventor had been a tourist attraction (and subject of picture post cards) for decades, that it had already had such a designation. But that's not the case.

Postmark 1908

Postmarked 1943

1950s

1966

1970s

It did receive approval of its official historic landmark designation fairly quickly.

January 18, 1965 Lorain Journal

****

You might be wondering (like me) about those postcards that show Edison's home with a large, unsightly roof overhang. Apparently it was added some time between the early 1900s and the 1940s. So when was it removed? When the house was restored by the Edison family to its original appearance at the time of Edison's birth, just in time for the 100th anniversary in Feb. 1947.

This article from the Feb. 11, 1946 Lorain Journal explains.

Thomas A. Edison Bridge to Open – Nov. 29, 1965

It's always a little exciting for me to drive over the Thomas A. Edison Memorial Bridge.

Why? I guess it's because the sheer size of it and magnificent view of Sandusky Bay. I always feel like I'm on vacation in New England when I'm cruising over it. Plus, it's the pathway to fun: to Cheesehaven, Port Clinton, Marblehead, East Harbor State Park, Catawba Island, Put-in-Bay, etc.

And it was only back around this time in November 1965 that it was getting ready to open to traffic for the first time.

Below is an article that ran in the Lorain Journal back on November 29, 1965.

It's pretty incredible to me that it was built in less than a year and a half. 

The bridge was a godsend to both locals and tourists. As the article notes, "Opening of the bridge to traffic will receive traffic congestion caused by the old, two-lane drawbridge now in use, especially during summer months when the area is haven for tourists and outdoor recreation buffs.

The official opening was planned to be a gala event, with Governor James A. Rhodes and even some descendants of Thomas A. Edison present, as noted in this Journal article from Dec. 6, 1965.

And here is the Journal coverage from Dec. 16, 1965, the day after the ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Feb 15, 1950 – Ohio Fuel Gas Company Ad

It's been a while since I featured this little guy, the gas flame mascot for the Ohio Fuel Gas Company. The above ad for an automatic gas water heater ran in the Lorain Journal on Feb. 15, 1950 – 67 years ago this month.

(I probably should have posted an Ohio Edison ad with Reddy Kilowatt since the last few days have been all about Thomas Edison. Oh well.)

You might remember that I had been on a unsuccessful quest to come up with the gas company mascot's name until I received an assist from the Michigan State University Library – who revealed that his name was Speedy. (I wrote about it in this two-part series, here and here.)

Anyway, old time hot water heaters are certainly something for me to be nostalgic about.

They used to last for 15 or 20 years, until you found the inevitable puddle of water on the floor – and then it was time to get a new one.

Nowadays they don't last half that long. And because of a change in building codes, mine has to be vented. Thus I have a fan on top of it that I hear almost every time I rinse off a crusty fork with hot water.

He Cut Edison’s Hair

Every once in a while, the paths of common citizens from our area crossed with those of famous historical figures.

I like those types of stories and have featured a few on my blog. You might remember my post entitled, “The Woman Who Saw Lincoln Twice” and “They Both Saw Lincoln.”

Well, here’s another instance of the same kind of occurrence. Read all about Milton H. Austin from Berlin Heights, the man who once cut Thomas Edison’s hair, in the article below. It appeared in the Lorain Journal on November 4, 1968. (Give it a click for a larger version.)

Vacationland

Here's a undated travel brochure from my collection that fits in with my current blog theme of summer fun up here by the lake. It describes the Lake Erie Vacationland region. (I know, I'm straying outside my blog's "Lorain County" theme again!)

Before I picked up this brochure, I thought "Vacationland" was some ad man's recent creation, probably because I had seen signs for the Vacationland Credit Union and assumed it was just some catchy name.

It wasn't until I acquired a copy of Lake Erie Vacationland in Ohio that I learned the name had been around a long time. The book is a reprint of a 1941 travel guide that was part of the Ohio Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration, designed to give writers, editors and researchers some work during the Great Depression.

The book defines Vacationland in its very first paragraph:

The traveler following State 2 over the monotonous farm land east of Toledo, or US 6 along the lake west of Cleveland, soon enters a region unlike any other in Ohio. It is made up of both land and water. Sandusky Bay is as much a part of it as Lake Erie; two long peninsulas jutting into the lake offer extraordinary surprises; and a few miles to the north are celebrated islands and fishing grounds. The region can be accurately spotted on an Ohio road map. The neat quadrangle formed by drawing straight lines between Vermilion on the east, Norwalk on the south, Toussaint Creek on the west and North Bass Island in Lake Erie embraces all the area known as Lake Erie Vacationland.


Anyway, the Vacationland map (shown at left) is one of those that are a lot of fun to look at, with plenty of tiny cartoon images sprinkled throughout. Unfortunately it is printed on super strength paper slightly thinner than plywood, making it tough to wrangle onto a scanner. I can only imagine trying to navigate with this thing in your car!

But I did manage to scan a few chunks of it, folds and all and piece it together. Here's a portion showing Cedar Point (with no Causeway) and the old Bay Bridge across Sandusky Bay (that preceded the Thomas Edison Bridge). (Click on it so you can navigate around!)

And here is a close-up of another part of the map.

It shows an area that was a favorite of my family, Marblehead and particularly East Harbor State Park. East Harbor had (and has) a great beach and was a good place to set up the old trailer for some camping fun. And after looking at the map, I now know that there is a West Harbor too!

****

Incidentally, to visit a terrific blog by the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center dealing with Vacationland and many, many other historical topics, click here. It's got tons of fascinating archival photos and is well worth the visit!

Vacationland Postcards

Here's a few more vintage postcards from Vacationland.

This (below) is the original 1929 two-lane Sandusky Bay Bridge (which was later replaced by the Thomas Edison Memorial Bridge that we all know so well). You can still drive on part of it today, since it is still in service as two separate fishing piers. A better blog than mine tells the whole story of this bridge with some great pictures, if you click here. But be sure to come back!

Here's a vintage postcard of downtown Huron. I picked up this postcard at the Wileswood Country Store (remember it?) back in the 1980's. I was going to try and do a 'then and now' treatment, but I believe that most, if not all of this is gone now. I've driven up and down the street here and have been unable to do a positive I. D. on any of the buildings. If I'm ever in a library out there, I'll get the address of that Food Center from an old city directory and see if any of the buildings are still there.

Here's a postcard of a place that is on the way to Prehistoric Forest (which I mentioned a few days ago.) It's Fort Firelands. I've driven by here several times each summer, wondering what it is. Its website reveals that it is actually an RV resort that just happens to have a full-scale replica of a frontier fort as part of the complex. This page of the website has some great vintage photos of the fort as it looked through the years.

Lastly, here's one from downtown Port Clinton of the Island House. According to the 'history' page on its website, it was built in 1886. It's now a condo-tel, with 38 rooms that are individually owned. I love its long-gone triangular sign!