Embedded Files
By Dan Chabek
About Lakewood Lore
About Lakewood Lore
Welcome to Lakewood Lore Online. These columns by Dan Chabek began as a series in 1989 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Lakewood's founding. They appeared in the Lakewood Sun Post under the heading Lakewood Lore.
Dan Chabek was a reporter for the former Cleveland Press and a public relations representative for the Ford Motor Company prior to his retirement in 1980. He lived in Lakewood and served as a trustee of the Lakewood Historical Society.
Be sure to visit Mr. Chabek's other feature, The Buckeye Chronicles (coming soon), on the Historical Society's page. Also, check out the Lakewood Files for more Lakewood history and look for Dan's book in our gift shop on the museum store page.
All articles reprinted with permission.
Full Table of Contents
Full Table of Contents
- "Mr. Jingeling" has lifelong love of fantasy
- Freakish explosion strikes city in 1953
- Street names tell a tale
- "Lakewood" moniker was a natural for city
- Bicycles patrols have 'wheelie' long history in our city
- Mahall's retains fame as a fun neighborhood center
- Once upon a time, secret handshakes reigned at LHS
- Born Loser proves to be a winner for local cartoonist
- Lake Shore Towers was Gold Coast's 'mother lode'
- Kirtland's prescription was good for growth
- Love, money create murder mystery
- Founding father's cemetery gave way to city parking
- Dinosaur of stores nears extinction
- Hall of Fame recalls city's sports greats
- Templar was exemplar car with Lakewood birthplace
- Water tower filled the gap
- Printer puts his distinctive imprint on all operations
- A house full of history (Old Stone House)
- Sale of Victorian farmhouse does stand a ghost of a chance
- "Sticky bun" originators enjoy their retirement time
- From its origin in a garage, dairy just keeps growing
- Elks Field shed light on softball for the first time
- Old toll house remains
- From bygone days comes watery tale
- Swing and Sway started right here
- Memories of Birdtown soar through the pages of time
- Movie theaters suffered ignoble fate in our city
- Marvelous make-believe made Mack radio legend
- Meredith's Lakewood memories are mostly unhappy
- Residential 'gem' to get appropriate holiday setting
- One horse-drawn wagon was city's first fire unit
- Ice skaters found fun, romance at quarry
- Old stairway leads to many memories
- Winton was pioneer in car manufacturing
- Graber's dream became city's 410-bed hospital
- Crusading Seltzer was compassionate dynamo
- 'Mac' is still king of electric guitar
- Cohassett is named after a town in New England
- Streetcar memories ring bell with many old-timers
- Lamplighter truly made night a bit brighter
- Christmas memories warm the cockles of our hearts
- Carl Klamm's creation made 'Lucky Lindy' leakproof
- We learn that 'Mars' not named for planet
- Old trees rooted deep into city's beginnings
- Famed city naturalist remained humble person
- Book remembers Kundtz as inventor and industrialist
- Lakewood man was savior of the seals
- Grace Avenue mansion lives on in Christmas wreath
- Beauty of written word graced Lakewood Street
- Sidewalk runners excel olden days' speed limit
- Old-time ailments vanish as years pass
- Music man had fans all over Cleveland
- Lakewood man recalls morning of bedlam
- Railroad no dummy at cheering up passengers
- Shanty and owner bring back colorful memories
- There's nothing long lost about this Dr. Livingstone
- Dashing Elwell was true legend in and out of city
- Gardner Oakes supplied music, color to community
- Good old days were desirable for old settler
- Road named Bunts by the luck of the draw
- Nothing keeps postmen from completing rounds
- If mansion could talk, it would tell of a brutal murder
- Fun was name of game at the new Clifton Park
- Nature delivered a knockout 40 years ago (1950)
- Native son recalls days of 350-pound ice blocks
- Homes of early settlers rest in quiet seclusion
- Civil War soldier became the fourth mayor of city
- Old-timer recalls when city was rural
- For more than 70 years, Bob Hitz has seen it all
- When longtime resident cuts the rug, look out!
- Diary provides key to mystery for Lakewood woman
- 62-year hardware store survived many city storms
- Cows once grazed where young men now are raised
- Marbles were Mario of yesterday's youth
- Weldon has wielded magic wand since his childhood
- Local sports, music, news were offered by pioneer radio station
- Is there faith in the city's future? You can bank on it
- Barton seniors recollect highlights of good ole days
- Old hair styles don't disappear, they just 'fade' away
- Vintage valley overpass linked exciting memories
- Bunker Hill echoes along old Indian trail
- Resident was in the stands as Wamby made diamond history
- Cream of the crop rises to the top of recollections
- Lois Welsch left her mark on education in Lakewood
- Diary of early resident tells of babbling brook in city
- Top mob-buster was once a Lakewoodite
- Big stores once thrived in city
- Stuff of romance novel found to be true story
- Death stood at shoulder of pioneer family
- Paint king's mansion kept elegant by granddaughter
- 'Four Lads' ladle out hits to fans at Swingos' eatery
- From mountains to oceans, local grad has done it all
- Erie tale reveals demise of local Indians
- McGorray Funeral Home continues family tradition
- Oh chute! Milk's hole-in-the-wall angle is modernized
- Lakewood Hospital 'birthplace' becomes ornamental
- Long life is too busy to puzzle meaningless statistics
- Old sayings bring back sweet memories of childhood
- Daniels planted shovel here, to city's fortune
- Local four-generation business celebrates 100 years
- What's in a name? For streets, there's a bit of history
- First settler wedding a gala occasion for all
- Early settlers coped with crude health care
- Color guard still stepping proud after all these years
- Many little old ladies got a charge out of electric cars
- Movies, radio drew them in during Great Depression
- Mine-sweeping tale of high seas surfaces with trunk
- Golf courses providing a 'link' with Lakewood's past
- Memories galore fill Oldest Stone House
- Car was fond memory for many
- Life has its new priorities for well-known auto dealer
- Historic mansion is being restored
- Lifelong resident refuses to let illness get him down
- Four brothers have been witness to changing times
- He crafted 'necklace' that adorns Greater Cleveland
- City's fine educators put heart into their jobs
- Military oversight finally is rectified for Lakewood vet
- Nineties are a fine decade for lively senior volunteer
- In a doughnut business, some always go to waist
- Local makeup king chose movie queen to move ads
- Dinosaur discovery managed to keep museum Happy
- St. Augustine nuns faced many hardships
- Hard work still the keystone for monument business
- Early mover, shaker lends name to busy thoroughfare
- 'Flight of the Bumble Bee' was music to Engel's ears
- Classic axioms smooth troubled waters with a smile
- What goes around, comes around in building the spirit
- Lakewoodite is recognized as great Western writer
- Putting in your two cents worth about penny candies
- 'The Group' of extroverts ready to spring into action
- Realtor responsible for selling city on the idea of a home show
- Fond memories of first cars are revved up
- Stormy demise of dirigible shocked many Ohioans
- City had top secret role in WWI's underwater doings
- Rich stores of memories are treasured by resident
- Pastor Balliet's proclivity for verse sure isn't a curse
- Special words from days of yore stir up excitement
- Town really heated up when lumberyard burned down
- Oldtime party center had real country atmosphere
- Legendary letter writer seeks home for yet another invention
- Gorgeous film stars of old still put stars in their eyes
- If the shoe fits, it must be from Cerny's
- Top school staffers to be honored with their own hall of fame
- Memories bubble up from fountain photo on new wall
- Junior Board members keep city's history alive
- Wind storms wreak havoc on city
- No watering holes barred in history of our fair city
- Today's prime land once laid an egg
- Letters from Guam were 'best present' for publisher
- Lakewood organization celebrates 75th anniversary
- Dentist works to help poor in El Salvador
- Paint, wallpaper store renewed as Victory Technical
- Depression memories are anything but depressing
- Lakewood loses a respected leader in Mitch Darling
- Teens provide Key to performance
- Doggerel verse helps her recall, for better or worse
- Cinema's history recognized on ornament
- Five LHS graduates to be inducted into Hall of Fame
- Fond dance hall memories live on in verses of song
- Old sweet melodies stir memories of days gone by
- Life on Mars in 1908 was full of love, nickel matinees
- Hardship, tragedy a part of life for the area's earliest pioneers
- Stouffer family's prominent role here is remembered
- Newly published diary shows city in its early years
- Time stops for no man -- or city, as the case may be
- Travel back to the days of old when knights were bold
- Latest technology helps fulfill longstanding dream
- Key to piano queen's popularity is a heart full of hits
- Block parties showing friendly side
- They came from a land down under to visit our city
- Social swirl centered on the elegant Cliff House
- Bell cosmetics paid off in promised land
- Watching the world go by was great porch pastime
- Holiday wreaths to honor first church in Lakewood
- Friends make library resources available to everyone
- Store's closing leaves hole in this town
- Gas boom brought fuel but touched off problems in the city
- Lakewood's Baker was king of electric automobiles
- Friendly neighbor makes waves while catching sun
- Carrie can remember when orchards flourished here
- A bit of reminiscing gives us a Freese frame of past
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