Posts filed under ‘history’
A rusty old boat and tale of the Lighthouse.
Lorain Lighthouse – Lorain 365 ( L. Miller)
Taking a break from the series of “healthcare USA” to tell the tale of a rusty old metal boat, not really wanted anymore , not much use, holes in the bottom,two or three paint colors interspersed with the rust. BUT she has a tale to tell this old girl , she carried the volunteers out into the lake and to the Lorain Lighthouse on many a day.
Lorain Lighthouse , the history of the previous and current lighthouses can be found here https://lorainlighthouse.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Lorain-Lighthouse-History-1917-2017.pdf on the webpage of http://www.lorainlighthouse.com .
1965 the United States Coast Guard had no further use for the “Lorain Light “and she was slated for demolition . Fate intervened and people rallied to Save the Lighthouse. 1966 the Lorain Light was decommissioned and a five year lease was given. Unfortunately , things didn’t go as planned, the lease expired and the Coast Guard turned the property over to the General Services Administration .
1974 and bids were put out to purchase the Lorain Lighthouse. A community rallied around , politicians , businesses , historical societies, local and state government got behind the saving of what has now become the ICON of ALL THINGS LORAIN. Ironic when you think just a few decades ago she was scheduled to be demolished. Now of course every where you look she is used in advertising, promotions, fodder for the photographers, she is Lorain!
But what of those volunteers mentioned in the “history ” the ones that took on a huge project to rehab , maintain and make her beautiful once again, they had to make the journey from the shore to the light. The history tells one such operation in the many years of restoration and bring in the “light” was “Operation Lighthouse”
“Operation Lighthouse” took about 17 days to complete with multiple delays due to inclement weather that made trips out to the Lighthouse risky.
and there it is our segue from land to shore and back again – a rusty old blue battered boat that has sat in many places over the years , in wind and weather no-one particularly caring for her. And yet it was this boat that took those volunteers time and time again safely to and from the Lighthouse in order to save her .
This rusty old tub has a new home , delivered by volunteers on Lorain Pride Day to between 2nd and 1st streets on Oberlin Avenue.
photo Lisa Miller
The area just west of Eric Barnes Heroes Walk, south of Settlers’ Watch , where a replica carved from a tree stands in the children’s garden
, north of Lorain Utilities parking lot and positioned pointing to the Lorain Lighthouse, near the Lighthouse shed
and the Lorain Portside sign.
photo Tracy Isenberg
She has been beached , and soon will be landscaped and loved once again.
Her contribution to the Lorain Lighthouse recognized, a reminder of those volunteers. In weeks to come she will be tied to granite pylons, sea grasses and plants will adorn her area , white gravel and blue glass mulch , roping, a lick of paint here and there and new lettering and love will anchor this old lady of the lake . The volunteers and people who saved the Lighthouse deserve such admiration and recognition. I hope they will remember the old blue boat with a fondness and smile as she settles in her new home promoting and recognizing the Lighthouse .
I often think if everyone who used the likeness of the Lorain Lighthouse and actually make money from her likeness would donate a few dollars to the Lorain Lighthouse Foundation they would never have to ask for any money again.
Photo Mark Teleha
Such is the tale of a Lighthouse in Lorain and an old rusty blue boat, together again …..
Photo courtesy of http://www.lorainlighthouse.com
The Lorain Lighthouse Foundation, Inc is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1989 by a group of civic leaders wanting to preserve Lorain’s historic lighthouse. The foundation is a volunteer group looking to preserve a unique part of our local history – the Lorain Lighthouse.
Your donation can help the Lorain Lighthouse Foundation, Inc. to maintain “The Jewel of the Port” as one of Lorain’s most famous landmarks. All gifts to preserve and maintain the Lorain Lighthouse are fully tax-deductible.
Lorain Lighthouse
319 Black River Lane
Lorain, OH 44052
Not forgotten- a reminder- and a Victory -Lorain
Photo Dan Brady
The lines of communication were broken and entangled, opinions of just what is “historic” and what is not – were bogged down in who “remembered ” and who forgot, who said what and who did what.
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2018/11/10/lest-we-forget-lorain-administration-forgot/
A battle commenced in the hearts of those that not only have loved the “Dark Angel”, Miss Victory, Lorain’s Angel, whatever name she was known by. People rallied , historians, writers, council people who had voted NO to the sale of her place of honor, the possible movement to “monument row ” at nearby Lakeview park. Social media lit up with a resounding NO!!! Articles appeared in newspapers , on-line .
Photo Karen Ferraro
The consensus of the general population was the “Dark Angel” should remain in the place of honor in perpetuity . Lorain, in the past, has had a history of moving and get rid of its tangible history as if it is some “outdated décor” put away to be stored in pieces parts or demolished. But the latest ideas found a community saying not this time.
I am proud of those who stood up, researched, reached out to government, and wrote of their displeasure Matt Nahorn, Dan Brady , Diane Medina , Mary Springkowski , Jeff Sigsworth , and hundreds of people on face book pages.
I am glad to say that after not only was her “sentimental worth ” acknowledged but also her “historical” worth.
Thanks has to go to Mayor Ritenauer and Port Director Tom Brown because they came together ( as government should) to not only save that little park but to honor those that had kept her and this country free , through all the wars that followed the war to end all wars. It is a victory for common sense , historical worth and yes for sentiment.
Yesterday the Port of Lorain and The city of Lorain issued a joint statement saving the “lady”
Instead of angst and turmoil and he said ,she said, the coverage this morning is one of thanks , thanks to those with who served , are remembered and those whose passion fought for a Lady of Victory”
Thank YOU LORAIN!!!
.
Lest we Forget – Lorain Administration Forgot –
Well I finally am angry enough to write , because that is what it takes to get my fingers flying across a key board. This was not the Remembrance Day post I had planned .
Lorain’s tangible history is almost extinct. I have given up for the most part because the interest in tangible history is not a priority in Lorain. If it is not maintained, knocked down , bastardized or moved about , it becomes a photo in file at the Lorain Historical Society on 10th street.
Tomorrow is Armistice Day , all over the world but Lorain Ohio, the administration under Mayor Ritenauer, Safety Service Director Dan Given and Chief of Staff Phil Dore decided in their “wisdom” that a little park ” was not worth the upkeep and had no historical significance” . Now to fill in readers NOT from Lorain but elsewhere in the country and world that come to this blog.
In April 1922 this town decided to honor the Great War’s war dead and injured they put their heart , soul, money and pride into a little V shaped park , commissioned a statue and the town gave due honors :
Photos courtesy of Dan BradyPlease access Dan Brady’s blog for the “historical research ” and story about the little park that became Victory Park https://danielebrady.blogspot.com/2012/05/ninety-years-of-miss-victory.html
Photo Dan Brady
Apparently this little tiny memorial park demands too much upkeep and was lumped in with other “vacant and overgrown lots in their mind.
“The city’s position is that we own hundreds of parcels all over that we’ve acquired over time,” Given said. “Why are we sitting on these things, maintaining them, cleaning up junk when we can actually make it productive?”
Photo Lorain 365
So the wheels started going round and round and talks were ongoing between “Veterans Groups” not with any transparency apparently because I live with a veteran and I had to tell him what was happening .
Ironically it was to me “that woman” to whom Dan Given and the city came to get the information about the “historical significance” to that V and the statuary . I duly got them all the historical significance and the who is who and how a city remembered in 1922 and for the past 96 years.
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2013/08/25/victory-no-longer-empty-handed-v-for-volunteers/
How annoying then to read from the Morning Journal www. morningjournal.com today the Chief of Staff of the City of Lorain quote :
He said the city also went out of its way to ensure the property had no historical significance for WWI and found none.
“It just so happened, that whoever funded the statue, put it there,” Dore said.
Did this man read any of the information given objectively or did they just cut and paste to fit what the intended purpose to do away with a “nuisance” hand it over to someone else.
I can taste my anger at the moment. They reached out to Veterans groups after the DAV post reached out to them but not the community that Mayor Ritenauer was concerned about . The agenda for Monday Night’s City Council meeting slipped this item in
Item G- ord – authorizing the Safety /Service Director to advertise for bids for the sale of two parcels no longer needed for municipal purposes.
The city council then went into executive session to discuss this with council members – of course not only can’t the community at large attend this session but Council members in their wisdom just voted on the matter when they came back to the floor.
Dissenting Votes,
Mary Springkowski, Greg Argenti and Josh Thornsberry. the rest could not apparently decide to send this to at least a committee so the “community could have its say?
NO! in their impeccable timing of the Administration and Dore and Given one week before NOVEMBER the 11th they decided this little park ” Dore: had no historical significance for WWI and found none. LOOK AGAIN PHIL!!!!!!
Well I beg to differ, there are still relatives of the American Legion Commander instrumental in organizing those honors ( see the article from 1922) who take pride in the Historical Worth of that little Park. Once the city sells it to whomever the Veteran Organizations decide that park can be torn down ,statues moved to monument row at Lakeview Park where they are totally out of context. or destroyed . We Only have “their word” this won’t happen in the future and forgive me but that isn’t good enough
The plan isn’t to go in and disrupt the entire community and move monuments,” he said. “But when we have veterans groups that their sole purpose is to honor the people who lead us in war with their bravery, it’s our obligation to listen to them.”
Been down that road before : Once bitten twice shy!!!!!! and so glad Mr. Given when YOU were on City Council you didn’t “listen to the Vets Council” when they wanted to give away the 200 year old park on 4th to make way for “Condos”
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2013/08/01/veterans-memorial-park-thanks-for-the-memories/
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2013/07/31/veterans-memorial-park-faulty-memory/
The mayor said ‘hey, I don’t want a nasty storm over this whole issue. If it’s good for the community, it’s good for the community,’” Given said
quotes from www. morningjournal.com article Lorain Clarifies Victory Park Plans .
Well maybe if the “Community” had been informed though discussion there would not be the blog post, the social media outrage at this “deal”
Never has so much blather been uttered by so few to cause outrage to so many!!!!
There is a “shame in this ” that shouldn’t be forgotten. Oh it will be forgotten yesterdays news!!! Lorain and her “non historical worth will move on” BUT as long as there is an internet and this blog is archived ” the “memory” of this debacle of decisions” will live on!
NOTE: I welcome any op ed for the city administration…. and this situation has earned the not so coveted Notorious Opponents of Exactitude Award
A tale of two “city” houses – downing of quality
Durand Map 1834
Many, years ago in a place called Lorain the settlers, pioneers of their day, in those early 1800’s built a foundation for this city of hard work, diligence and pride.
Families followed to work in the ship yards and steel industry. How wonderful for the immigrants to this country , state and city to have a living wage and able to “own” a home , dreams coming true. Neighborhoods grew , log houses became wood sided houses with porches and designed not for shelter only but for home and hearth, curtains hung , window shades drawn to be even with the next window, grass planted , sidewalks made an appearance , and bricked roads replaced wooden planks. The homes loved and admired.
Captain Wilford Home -416 Washington ( take a drive by today )
Ladies proud of their part in the growth of the community , starched white blouses , the very ladies who kept the those homes shining with pride, the daughters of the founding fathers . 
2nd row no 7 – Mrs. Fannie Wilford – wife of Captain Wilford – Gillmore Civil War letters
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2011/04/13/civil-war-letters-fannie-gilmore-lorain/
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2008/02/12/capt-wilford-a-hero-of-the-inland-seas/
There has been a plethora of history of those same homes on this blog and others . However, as you drive around these same streets today , you will notice missing windows instead of lace curtains or even window shades, you will see homes not kept with pride but hanging on to their last gasping breaths of “being”.
Did people and values change , that is up for debate, did the plethora of social service agencies located in a cluster in this area cause problems , again up for debate, administrations , city councils that came and went , did we suffer from party politics or lack of forward thinking and the consequences of one’s administrative actions?
One thing is not debatable is that in the 44052- and the old neighborhoods in what is called South Lorain something happened or ,in my opinion, didn’t and hasn’t happened – property accountability. So where does that leave us , those who are now stranded by economics and age who are still trying for a quality of life, homes built with love for “home” now home to heroin dealers and fences not surrounding gardens but “fencing the stolen goods”.
In this series I am going to look at what is, in my opinion, an issue that is one of the major concerns as to how we got this way. The tale of two homes – their paper trail – and conclusions………
As one official stated at a meeting ( paraphrasing) – There are people in the west side of Lorain complaining their neighbor’s fence is leaning on their property but in ( what is called old Lorain neighborhoods) we have people complaining the next door house is falling onto their property…
To be continued
What is their story and the story tellers- Lorain
I have lived in this old neighborhood of Lorain since we purchased our “starter home”- it will hopefully be the home where we “finish up”.
I know a few facts about the people who lived here through the 1/2 century before we became its caretaker. I certainly hope that someone will enjoy this home after we are gone BUT I don’t hold out much hope the way things go in Lorain.
too many examples to show…. this is the latest poster child 3620 Clinton and YES! it too has a story.
Local bloggers, council people such as Dennis Flores,
https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=dennis%20flores%20city%20of%20lorain%202nd%20ward%20councilman
have been trying to fight the blight of non enforcement of building codes for years. They have tried the name it and shame it until there were just too many to name. The outing of mega landlords with 300 such properties and those that followed him in his “business” plan. I went to housing court and another story. https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2015/10/22/housing-court-and-you-lorain-continued/
However recently Lisa Miller of Lorain 365 Blog – (a blog https://lorain365.com/ that photographs the good and sometimes quirky in Lorain every day) posted a picture of a little building on Colorado Ave. Lisa , had her curiosity tweaked by the name on the top of the little building . “Giuseppino”.
I remember another “version” of that building from when I first came here. The building was right next to the Royal Canadian Legion ( no longer there) It was getting a little jaded even then but still someone still cared . This is how (with the help of picmonkey https://www.picmonkey.com/ ) I remembered this little building – original photo Lisa Miller.
The building changed hands through the years and at one point looked like a facsimile of what I remembered – this photo from the Lorain County Auditors site
and now of course Lisa’s photo of this week – SIGH
Lisa followed through researching the story behind the name on the building
A tornado memory – revisiting the Giuseppino 1924 building
This name and date stone turns out to be a memorial
to a 9-year-old boy who was killed in the 1924 tornado.
A family member reached out:
“That building was built by my Grandfather, Sam Garbo.
It was constructed with salvaged bricks after the tornado.
That stone, in fact, does say Giuseppino and is the child you reference.
His parents were Sam and Josephine Garbo, My Grandparents.
-Susan Garbo”
My genealogy search had ended with one Lorain connection,
a deceased 9-year-old child named Giuseppino Garbo. No relatives were listed.
Update 4/29/17:
Reader and contributor Rick Kurish picked up the search:
“You are on the right track in the research of this building. The nine-year-old child, Giuseppino Garbo, who is buried in Calvary Cemetery, is associated with the building. Giuseppino (English version Joseph) Garbo lived at 311 Colorado Avenue and was killed in the Lorain Tornado of June 28, 1924. He was buried in the children’s section of Cavalry Cemetery on July 1, 1924. While the grave marker lists the Italian version of his name, the cemetery records list him as Joseph Garbo. The marker also indicates that he was killed in the tornado. He is also listed in the Official Souvenir and Memorial Book of the Lorain Tornado, under the heading “Killed in Lorain Tornado”, as Joseph Garbo, 9, 311 Colorado Avenue.”
Much thanks to Rick and Susan for helping to fill in the blanks of Giuseppino’s story.
Memory Lane – The Ladies who lunched and accomplished
I received a phone call yesterday from Barbara MacGregor and memories of good times in Lorain surfaced. I wrote about some of them in this post
https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2009/07/21/ladies-of-lorain/
I was in my very early twenties when I first arrived, a Mrs. Osmundson of the “Lorain Chapter of the Welcome Wagon” knocked on our apartment door and there followed the introduction to the Ladies of Lorain.
These ladies , some of whom have passed away , then introduced me to the “volunteer aspect” that was and is Lorain. The ladies that saved the Palace Theatre, built Lorain Community Hospital, literally ran the entertainment for Lorain International , planned the ” Hospital Follies” and fundraisers, celebrated the “anniversaries” and gently bullied administrations, newspapers and public servants to join in and refused to take No for an answer . They organized their projects and committees with a battle plan and strategy that would have made any General proud.
Ruth Calta, Jean Schaeffer, Marylou Connone, Lori Hoke, Barbara MacGregor, Corky Bruck, Charlotte Zakowski, Jane Baran, Jane Norton, Lou Kepler, Alice Weston, Phyllis Pfaff, Sally Bobel , Lilly Yuzon, Sally DeLuca , Mirium Schneider , Jean Anne King , Lee Mattei, Darlene Brown , Mrs. Robert Bostwick, Mrs. Dave Herzer , Carol Kramer, Frances Cellozzi, Marie Bonaminio,
and so many others whose names have faded with my memory . Some of these ladies are still volunteering and making a difference in Lorain everyday.
Barb had called to tell me of the 40th anniversary celebration of the Palace Theatre and of burning the mortgage
http://lorainpalace.org/theater/
“December 10, 1977 was a landmark date. On the stage of the theater that night following a Christmas musical program, the mortgage was burned ceremoniously, thanks to the generosity of many groups and individuals.”
Oh those were the days before the mortgage could be burned though fundraising took place at 319 Broadway ( the annex)
” Forty civic groups participated in this week long street fair, Stores soon to be torn down were converted as if by magic into an old fashioned ice cream parlor, a “Second-Hand Rose” shop, a casino, a book and plant store, an open air barbecue, international shops, etc. The Saturday night “Great Gatsby Party” at the Palace climaxed the week’s activities.
Civic Center Madness – Oh and it was, the ladies served lunches , painted poppies on pianos, sold artifacts-
I still have a little chair -was left after one auction in a terrible state – it was headed for the dumpster when Ruth Calta decided I should buy it for a dollar – and you didn’t say no! – rehabbed and upholstered is still with us – a memory of can do!
I was just a young newly married transplant when Jean Schaeffer decided I needed to be introduced.
There was so much joy- energy – a pushing ahead through problems- these were the “can do ladies” and they did and they pulled each volunteer along with them in their net of enthusiasm. These ladies who saved a theatre and built a hospital. The Great Gatsby Party – what great fun – The Palace Players and Henry 8th night- not to be forgotten-
Cover Arcade MJ
As Barb and I talked, I remembered a time of energy and of loss of those ladies no longer with us- 40 years of life tends to do that. Still the Palace is there a testament to perseverance and pride- still needed in this old town.
Lorain -History Mystery- In conclusion – Clara
Part One https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/12/27/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara/
Part Two https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/12/28/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara-pt-2/
Part Three https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2016/12/29/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara-pt3/
Part Four https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/01/05/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara-part-4/
Part Five https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/01/13/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara-pt-5/
Part Six https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/01/16/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara-part-6/
Part Seven https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/01/24/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara-pt-7/
Part Eight https://thatwoman.wordpress.com/2017/01/25/lorain-history-mystery-her-name-was-clara-pt-8/
ED NOTE Please click on any of the photos to enlarge
The consensus of opinion is the pages found tucked away on top of the beam in the basement of 212 W. 18th Street are in all likelihood the writings pertaining to a “novel” or story. Clara, a character in a writer’s fertile imagination. The research turned up similarities of place names but nothing that could be traced either in Lorain or in Oklahoma. Just the intriguing Lorain Lumber letter head
However, we were able to track the history of the home – and the family that probably built it “The Greggs”. Renee Dore and I were fortunate to have spent a lovely afternoon on Thursday with Mrs. Margaret Gregg. This gracious lady allowed us to look through family photos and documents to see if we could unravel just who may have been the author of the pages.
Frederick S. Lamb’s painting of William Penn at the Brooklyn Museum
The Gregg family has a long history in these United States, one of the documents from the Gregg family was a completed family tree from the 1930’s. The family traced its roots from Ireland and eventually to arriving in the “colonies” along with the group accompanying William Penn. http://www.ushistory.org/penn/bio.htm
A quick search found
Thomas Coulson Gregg born in 1794 and deceased in 1878 in Belleville Ohio –
His son William Alan Gregg born 1823 -1873 also from Belleville
However it was his son Emmett Gregg who was born in 1860 in Belleville but eventually found his way to Lorain where he passed in 1938.
Emmett Gregg married Barbara (Reiff) Gregg 1857-1937from Maytown Pennsylvania
Photos scanned from the original tintypes
Why Emmett and Barbara ended up in Lorain is anyone’s guess but more than likely came for employment.
What is known is that the Sanborn Fire Maps for 1900 show what is now 212 W 18th as being 314 Forest and the dwelling footprint was very different on the 1900 Sanborn Fire Map
but that can be explained, as in amongst the Gregg family photos was a photo ( enhanced) of the Greggs home a small cottage – written on the reverse.
Was this the dwelling shown in 1900 Sandborn Fire Map? When we spoke to Margaret Gregg she remembers the home was added onto ( or possibly rebuilt??) early on .
In June 1905 according the Sanborn maps more changes had been made – it looks like the garage ( outbuilding) had been added.
1905 Sandborn Map
What we do know is that by 1910 the footprint had changed again
1910 Sandborn Map
The 1918 Sandborn Fire Map and 1926 through 1940 see minor changes
1912 Tax Map for the city we have Emmett and Barbara Gregg listed as the owners of the property.
Emmett and Barbara had a son George in 1882 he passed in 1947
George married Cora (Dyce) who was from Florida –
Cora followed her husband George back to Lorain and back to 212 18th Street. Cora was exquisite- the head and shoulders shot ( complete with Marcel Wave hairstyle) from the family album shows such. Unfortunately, we were scared to remove the photo from its folder due to the condition of the album fearing we might do damage . We do have a picture of her with her young son Donald ( Margaret’s eventual husband ) in 1932/3
George and Cora ( thanks to the research by Rick Kurish) listed themselves in the 1930 census as to their occupation as Lecturer in a Traveling Show.
Audience photo source River Time Players
http://www.rivertimeplayers.org/tent/tentshow.asp
These shows were extremely successful in the US and elsewhere .George and Cora it seems were quite the artistic couple – a life of audiences and stories . George seen here posing was quite the “dapper” gentleman 
The vocation of George and Clara also is confirmed by family history. George and Cora were heavily involved with the Circus and Traveling shows of the 20’s and thirties . Margaret told us that Cora would love to tell how she had visited all 48 states and the provinces in Canada.
Don’t I wish I could talk to Cora of those days?
However, back to the pages and the mystery as to the author. Margaret, Cora’s daughter -in- law, doesn’t remember anyone ever mentioning anything like the story or writing .
Renee and I sat on the couch and poured over old writings, photos and family papers hoping to find a similarity in the penmanship.
Cora’s hand was very different to the hand that wrote the pages. Just when we felt all was lost we came across another picture of Cora – The Florida girl and the snow circa 1927
It was with a great deal of excitement we found written on the back of the photo
“It took as great deal of coaxing to get the Florida Girl to sit right down in the snow for this picture but she did”
And there is was the same handwriting as the pages, comparing the style of the words to those of the delicate pages, the “d’s” the a’s the I”s the B’s the “she” and the girl with the capital G- there was no doubt the writer of the pages was the same person as the writer on the back of the photo.
The conclusion was reached by myself, Mrs. Margaret Gregg and Renee, after comparing writing styles , the writer was not Cora but Barbara Gregg. Cora’s mother – in- law.
Barbara Gregg passed away in 1937 – was that the reason we will never know who murdered Bob Sandford? What was the rest of Rose Flemming’s story? Who was Clara and what was her mother’s secret? . Why were the pages tucked away all those years ago? We will never know unless somewhere in that old house there are other pages.
Barbara Gregg’s pages have now been published , the story forever on the internet , her life and times documented and along with her writing has taken us all on a “history tour”
Many thanks to the Gregg family for their permission to continue the story, the photos and a special thank you to Margaret Gregg who was so charming and helpful.
And a thank you to Dennis Flores , who showed up at my door with a file of very, very special writings.
The End???????????????
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