photographs of almost abandoned places

League Park. Cleveland, Ohio.

 

The park was built again in 1910, expanding seating from nine thousand to eighteen, and eventually over twenty-one. The ballpark was originally opened in 1891 at the end of a streetcar line that was also owned by the same man (this was in the age where taxpayers did not give ballparks away). The  Spiders played for the championship of the National League twice before the disastrous final season of 1899, when the owner stripped the team of its best players for his St. Louis club. The team was so bad, other teams refused to come to Cleveland, and Cleveland played almost half of their 'home' games away. In 1900 they became a minor league team, the Cleveland Lake Shores (such lame nicknames were common at the time). In 1901 the American League became a major league, and the team became the Bluebirds, and soon they were named Naps after their star Napoleon Lajoie.  From 1912 to 1915 they were the Molly McGuires (unionists in the coal fields), after which they became the Indians in 1915. The last major league game played here was September 21, 1946. The Buckeyes played here in 1943-8 and two months in 1950. Most of the park was razed in 1951, and some more in 2002. A restoration and building project are supposed to begin this year.[click]

 League Park Center (formerly ticket office), many broken windows.

wall on E. 66th going south (third base line)

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postscriptum: field is in operation, building rehabilitated

Faith Gym

 Superman emerges in front of an English telephone booth

A United Brethren Church in Barberton Ohio was built in 1892. In 1968, the national denomination merged with the Methodist Church and the church was renamed. After a merging of congregations with Barberton's St. Paul Methodist's congregation, the resultant congregation, St. Paul's Moore Memorial United Methodist Church eventually sold the former United Brethren property to a local man, Al Horvath, in 2005. Horvath was an internationally ranked bodybuilder, and local real estate businessman. In 2009, after much detailed re-modeling, he opened Faith Gym.  

with recut title stone

In front of the old entrance there is a new sign which refers people to:
I can do all things in him who strengtheneth me. — Philippians iv. 13.

Weight and exercise machines are rarely seen through sunlight filtered through stained glass.

for the love of drink

great saloon sign, Tremont Cleveland Ohio

elsewhere west side Cleveland

Guinness is an Irish stout. There are people who are extremely fond of this ale. Years ago, back at university, i met a fellow who was a wounded Viet Nam veteran. He had been in the tank corps, and was missing fingers on one hand that the burn scars gave witness. He took history courses. He was still shook up. He was proud of being ethnic Irish, and this was his brew of choice. He duplicated the beer at home, adding  minerals to duplicate the water used in Ireland. He collected Grolsch bottles from the saloons, (at the time) they were thick amber glass, with porcelain stoppers and a swinging metal brace attached.

Guinness has had truly good advertisements. Most of all advertising is horrid often through stupidity, or larceny; it is wretched and insulting. They want to separate you from your money and exchange it for schlock, trifles, rubbish and unnecessary crap, and even nothing at all. Drinks are manyn and their salesmen used to give advertising signs and trinkets out to promote the product. Somehow i see this beer gate not to have been a 'freebee', but an artistic devotion as promotion.

'Tis true the price is a bit dear, but it is almost a different category of liquid than the swill marketed as 'light'. That liquid is successful through selling an ersatz product to people that really do not like the real product, and it plays into the caloric counting fetish that has replaced food preparation.

Cogito, ergo Democrata.

I have pointed out this before, the Republican Party is a clear and present danger. The term 'conservative' in American politics to-day is, at best, an euphemism. It has absolutely nothing to do with Edmund Burke or Augustine. It is currently an argument between crazy, and outhouse rat crazy.

In 1964 Barry Goldwater was the Republican nominee for president. Lyndon Johnson had signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and lost five of the first six states of the Confederacy (and it has been difficult for any Democrat to win such states since). The only other state Goldwater won was Arizona, his home state. It was the closest state of the fifty, he won by less than 5,000 votes. The country was scared of a Goldwater conservative America. If Goldwater were to be a senator to-day, as he was then, he might be the second most liberal Republican in Congress. In 1996, speaking to Bob Dole, Goldwater said, “We're the new liberals of the Republican Party”. [click]

Reagan recharged the 'conservatives'. The party accelerated its political drift beyond that. The actual Reagan, to-day, would not be nationally acceptable to his party, his myth yes; and he was always more fantasy than reality.

Goldwater, as his party got crazier and crazier, criticised its leaders far more than Hagel has. There is something called the 'Goldwater moment', he told Nixon to resign. He supported Ford over Reagan in 1976. He had open contempt for Falwell, Robertson, and company.

The Republican party line has become very rigid. For the Democracy, it is best to sit and view the spectacle. If there is a Republican primary, or contest it matters nothing when a Republican is elected, he will be as the other one. The only benefit is if he is so nuts, that, the November electorate in some jurisdictions will choose the Democracy. These 'conservatives' have been very successful in securing a zombie like hold over many Americans, so that, they will never vote for the Democracy and only want the craziest available Republican to vote for. The creature that held Teddy's seat for awhile, vile and dishonest as he is, could be the Republican for Massachusetts and be one in Congress, but would have little chance in Texas of wining a primary.

The Republicans are already running candidates for 2016. They have forgotten the very existence of the bushes, and Romney. gwbjr was 'the Leader' [translate that in German, and Italian] of the 'conservatives', and some short time after 2006, he was not recognised by 'conservatives'. Explain that trick to me. Romney was forgotten 72 hours after losing the election. Somehow some are looking for an off-white candidate in Marco Rubio and Bobby Jindal. 

Jindal made the odd statement, three days after the public inauguration of Barack Obama, “We must stop being the stupid party”. In one way, strategically, that is true; but it was a doubly stupid thing to say. First he made an embarrassing admission, and second his party does not want to hear that. It is like with the Masons, their numbers have declined and continue to decline. They wanted to get new members, and were told to stop the emphasis on some of their silly ceremonies. They like their silly ceremonies, their numbers continue to drop.

Well, Rubio gave an anti-State of the Union speech after the State of the Union address by the president. It is best remembered for him being awkwardly thirsty during a five minute speech. Then they had 'Ron W.' Paul, the junior senator from Kentucky, give a second anti-State of the Union speech. He is both crazier and stupider than his old man. He is running for president, some think it may be under the title of a new party.

And i am sure, there are more idiots, and mendacious idiots, in the wing.  Other than their own malicious tribe, the only people they benefit are comedians.

• “In this world of sin and sorrow there is always something to be thankful for; as for me, I rejoice that I am not a Republican.” ― H. L. Mencken
• “Republicans stand for raw, unbridled evil and greed and ignorance smothered in balloons and ribbons.” ― Frank Zappa 
• “Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a Republican. But I repeat myself.” ― Harry S. Truman
• “Mr. Nixon in the last seven days has called me an economic ignoramus, a Pied Piper, and all the rest. I've just confined myself to calling him a Republican, but he says that is getting low.” ― John F. Kennedy 
•  “The strange alchemy of time has somehow converted the Democrats into the truly conservative party in the country—the party dedicated to conserving all that is best and building solidly and safely on these foundations. The Republicans, by contrast, are behaving like the radical party—the party of the reckless and embittered, bent on dismantling institutions which have been built solidly into our social fabric.”  ― Adlai Stevenson 1962
• “I do not understand a mind which sees a gracious beneficence in spending money to slay and maim human beings in almost unimaginable numbers and deprecates the expenditure of a smaller sum to patch up the ills of mankind.” ― Harry S. Truman

photographs of abandoned places #11

Joseph & Feiss >> Hugo Boss. west side Cleveland O.

14 February 2013

They made clothes here until 1997. The factory (grass area) was demolished in 2003-4, this was the warehouse building. The older administration building is still on site. Condominiums and townhouses were to be made and built on the eight acres. In 2008 decorative wording was added urging people to "Read more books". The graffiti artist is sometimes called 'the Reader'. Someone has applied to have the warehouse on the national Register of Historic Places.

 

25  August 2012

The company began as Koch and Loeb, in Cleveland, in1845 as merchants. They began manufacturing in 1897. After several owners, in 1907 the company became Joseph and Feiss. They moved, to the west side, to this building in 1920. In 1934 1800 employees unionised. In 1966 the company merged with Phillips-Van Heusen.  Hugo Boss bought the company in 1989. The company was the oldest American garment manufacturer.

Lincoln's Birthday 2013

 a good application graffiti
READ MORE BOOKS !!!

trains and tracks

 Cleveland steel blast furnaces

 Cleveland, East 45th

 

 Cleveland, Ashland Rd.

Vermilion Ohio

Cardinal Mahony, Stay Home

Just before Pope Benedict’s surprising announcement of resignation, Archbishop Gomez of Los Angeles announced that his predecessor, Cardinal Mahony would not be allowed to participate in public ministry in the archdiocese. This is due to recently released documents that further implicate the Cardinal in a cover-up in the Church’s sex abuse scandal.

If a Cardinal is stripped of public ministry in his diocese, why should he be rewarded with being allowed to vote for the next pope? Cardinal Mahony would further increase the scandal and shame in our Church by attending the Papal Conclave. Sign our petition today asking Cardinal Mahony to stay home during the Papal Conclave.

Dear Cardinal Mahony:

Your further implication in the Church sex abuse scandal and being barred from public ministry in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles should be an indication to you that you should not attend the next Papal Conclave.

As faithful Catholics and people of faith who love the Church, we ask that you refrain from attending the Papal Conclave and recuse yourself from voting for the next Pope.

Please do not bring further scandal to our Church that has already been rocked by the sex abuse crisis by attending the Papal Conclave. You have been disciplined and you have lost your ability to have a voice within our Church.

  This is from a petition to sign [click]:

http://www.catholics-united.org/civicrm/petition/sign?sid=17&reset=1

Catholics United

P.O. Box 33524
Washington, DC 20033
United States

PRESS RELEASE: Catholics Respond to Tone-Deaf Statement from Archdiocese

Posted February 15, 2013

Archbishop Gomez endorses Cardinal Mahony’s church-sponsored trip to Vatican despite growing call to stay home
WASHINGTON – The Archdiocese of Los Angeles released a statement this afternoon supporting Cardinal Roger Mahony’s participation in the upcoming papal conclave, despite recent revelations of child sex abuse cover-ups that occurred under his tenure as leader of the archdiocese. Catholics United is leading a nationwide effort to encourage Cardinal Mahony to do the right thing for the victims of child sex abuse and recuse himself from the conclave.
The petition can be found at http://www.Catholics-United.org/mahony-petition
CU Executive Director James Salt released the following statement:
“Archbishop Gomez’s support for Cardinal Mahony’s participation in the papal conclave demonstrates the crisis of leadership within American Catholicism. Instead of defending the dignity of abuse victims, Archbishop Gomez has chosen to protect the hierarchy first. He clearly does not understand the pervasive hurt and anger within his flock.

State Road Parma

a while back (May 2011), a couple of these signs on State, and a Polish scene on Ridge were 'tagged' [vandalised] by someone upset about the non-American character presented

 Saint Josaphat Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral 

on the wall: Saint Sophia Cathedral Kiev

 somehow, i doubt that Parma is so pious

Saint Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral

Lorain Ohio

Churches in Tremont

The big dome is Annunciation, its ears are St. Vladimir (now a Spanish language Pentecostalist)

It is written in several places that Cleveland Ohio's Tremont section has the highest density of churches in America. There is a small street called Tremont, that has a school named Tremont. Other names for the area had been South Side, Lincoln Heights, University Heights. The neighborhood had 35,000 people in the 1920s; and now under 9,000. This is where the colorful home neighborhood of the film 'Deerhunter' was shot.

 10 April 2009. St. Michael. Tremont Cleveland. 
 perhaps the best stone ornament in the city

 

22 December 2010. SS. Peter and Paul. Tremont Cleveland.

In the antebellum XIXth century, there were Yankees, and then the Germans, and Irish. Before the century was over, and until the Great Depression many central Slavs (Poles, Ukrainians, Slovaks and the Lemko, and Carpatho-Rusins (Ruthenes), and Syrians. These people were Orthodox, Greco-Catholic (Byzantine) and Roman Catholic. Each brought their own faith, which necessitated their own church buildings. As some groups built new churches, other groups bought their old temples. There was a neat poster [click] printed with the churches of Cleveland. Some of the housing, and a Slovak Lutheran church, was removed for highway building, and it is on going. The current innerbelt bridge (I-71) kisses Annunciation. While driving upon it several of the churches are seen.

____________________________

partial list, unofficial dates (completion date is not equivalent to cornerstone date):

• St. Augustine Catholic [Irish], formerly Pilgrim Congregational. Building 1865, Congregation 1860. 
• Immanuel Evangelical Lutheran [German]. 1880.
• Zion United Church of Christ formerly United German Evangelical Protestant. Building 1884, Congregation 1867.
• St. Michael Catholic [German]. Building 1891, Congregation 1883.
• former St. Matthew Lutheran [German] 1900. Congregation 1884.
• Scranton Road Baptist. 1892.
• St. George Antiochian Orthodox [Syrian], formerly Lincoln Park Methodist [German]. Building 1892, burned 1933, redone 1935, Congregation 1928.
• Pilgrim Congregational United Church of Christ. Building 1894, Congregation 1859.
• Mega Church 1991, formerly South Presbyterian Church 1905.  
• El Calavario Pentecostal 1994, formerly Cleveland Baptist Temple 1968, formerly Emmanuel Evangelical United Brethren [German]. Building 1908.
• Holy Ghost Byzantine [Ruthene]. 1909.
• SS. Peter and Paul Ukrainian Catholic. Building 1910. Congregation 1902.
• St. Theodosius Russian Orthodox (and Greco Catholic) [Ruthene]. Building 1911. Congregation 1896.
• St. Andrew Kim Catholic [Korean], formerly Sacred Heart of Jesus Polish National Catholic. Building 1915. Congregation 1988, began 1978.
• Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation. Building 1919. Congregation 1912.
• St. John Cantius Catholic [Polish]. Building 1925, Congregation 1898.
• Spanish Assembly of God 1952?, formerly St. Vladimir Ukrainian Orthodox. Building 1932. Congregation 1924.
• Our Lady of Mercy Catholic [Slovak] Building 1949, Congregation 1922.

photographs of abandoned places #9&10

Two E. 86th and Euclid churches from the same congregation.

Cleveland's Landmarks Commission voted 8-1 on 14 February to allow the razing of this building. The last occupant, Euclid Avenue Church of God, left in 2011 and applied for the demolition three times. You can see this was built an handsome building, the last owner did not keep up the property. There is a little added interest by culture vultures in this building on the account that a window is rumoured to be of Tiffany manufacture. I hear Corning Glass Museum has records. I have only seen a photo on the Plain Dealer website. It is of the Annunciation.

 

                                       

This  congregation split from the Episcopal parish across the street. Emmanuel Episcopal Chapel began in 1871, moved to Millionaire's Row (Euclid Avenue) outside the city. In 1876 its status was increased. In 1902, a new building began. In 1991 Incarnation Church merged into Emmanuel, and a new name was selected. The Anglicans closed the parish in 2011.

Cleveland Clinic which owns much of Euclid Avenue east of these properties has already offered a half million dollars for the smaller plot of land on the odd numbered side of the street. They are the largest employer in town, and have much institutional prestige. It would be very odd if their desires are not acquiesced to. The Anglican property is still also for sale.

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postscriptum: buildings are gone, Cleveland Clinic gobbled them up

John XXIV, John Paul III ?

 An interesting moment in church history is happening. Benedict XVI is resigning in a few days. This is news. Certainly, this is headline news. It is not unprecedented. It has been rumoured for years that Pope Benedict was considering retirement.

Pope St. Celestine V was chosen as an aged monk to become pope in 1294. He resisted the decision and resigned in five months. Benedict visited his tomb in Aquila on 29 April 29 2009, and left behind his pallium (a stole that [in the West] the pope, and archbishops wear as sign of office). He visited again to pray on 2 July 2010. After both visits, some people thought Benedict was showing a public message of similar considerations to follow Celestine's path. There had been other popes that left office, but for different reasons, and not willingly. The pope is the Bishop of Rome, and all bishops can resign.

Benedict is now past 85 and frail, his predecessor was very ill for years. They made different decisions, and both are valid. John Paul gave example of the dignity that all people aged and weak and suffering had merit. Benedict is showing politically that the office deserves a man of full competencies, and that the office and the man are separate.

It is true, the Church has great troubles now (and it and the world always have had). Much of the trouble is self-inflicted. A great deal of that is predicated by unchecked clericalism. There is extremely little accountability of management, and the higher up, the more so.

What of Vatican II and its critics? This has not been resolved. And many of these critics are guilty clericalists.

The reporter, John Allen, brought this very, cogent, following point up. This conclave will be remarkably different. It will be absent of funereal tributes, and mourning. The emotional grip and shock will be absent. The extreme outpouring of feeling for the passing of John Paul can not be forgotten. "Santo Subito" the crowds implored, not so this time. Benedict has not passed, he has remained.

Now, when the story broke Monday in America, reporters jumped to ask, and to find people to speak, on how a new pope would be different for Catholicism. The issues all had some relation to sex (married priests, women priests, birth control, abortion), as if those are the only issues that exist in the Church. Those are not my issues (per se).

Then the talk went to handicapping the field, as do gamblers and bookmakers. People continue to chatter nonsense, and we live in the US, so a papal conclave of cardinals is going to convene their electoral convention. An American pope? Timothy Dolan, you got to be kidding, or you are stupid. Besides being a windbag that likes the camera, what is Dolan's heft? Is there an American cardinal that speaks much more than English? Is there one that is a scholar? The American bench is weak, and even if it was not, who outside of the United States would consider an American?

Now, there are many issues. One extremely important one, that the press and much of the public does not consider, and oversees all the things they are interested in:  is the relationship between the People of God, and the structure of the Church.

Here is the great opportunity. This conclave, this college of cardinals, can consider in clearer concentration their candidate. A negative liability is that the last two popes have chosen all these men, and their combined perspective might be narrow and inadequate. We will need the active intervention by the Holy Spirit. Perhaps these imperfect men may come to an excellent choice.

After the white puff of smoke is seen, and the new man is introduced on the balcony to the world, we will be given his mini-biography. In those few details his most attractive salient experiences and characteristics will be presented. That may hint, but we will see in his actions his virtue for the office.
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postscriptum 13 February 2014:  Well, i guess this answers it:
 
....“John, I would have called myself John, like the Good Pope; I would have been completely inspired by him,” Bergoglio told Cardinal Francesco Marchisano, according to a new book by longtime Italian Vaticanista Gianluca Barile.

(“Giovanni, mi sarei chiamato Giovanni, come il Papa Buono, mi sarei ispirato completamente a lui.”)....
[click]

Fish fry Fridays

 Sacred Heart of Jesus. Cleveland, Ohio. Fish Fry 1982-2010.

This is no longer. Parish cancelled by Richard Lennon. Such events have two benefits for a parish. One is as a fund raiser. The other is more important. It builds community. The people involved become 'regulars'. The workers get to know each other as comrades, and often will use the experiences as anecdotes. People as customers look forward to the event. Sometimes neighborhood people, who are not parishioners, become a little acquainted with the parish. By all accounts, Sacred Heart had an active fish season. Concurrently, they were running raffles of small prizes in the church's basement. Being a Polish parish, pierogies were available with the fish.

Holy Name of Jesus is also in Cleveland's Newburgh section. Their fish fry had real potatoes, cut on site with the peel producing a proper fry. Lennon chose to keep Holy Name open, because they were two things that Sacred Heart, and Saint Lawrence (which were in the same 'cluster') were not. Holy Name was a territorial parish, and in debt. 
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Postscriptum 6 pm: Occasionally, i look at other websites. Some people 'blog' about lenten fish fries. Nearby, Poise in Parma has tackled the subject. Others too have, some compare the menu and take fotos of the food; not my forté, but informative. 
Postscriptum II: Now, the meals offered vary from place to place. These Lenten sites overwhelming are Catholic and Orthodox parishes, many have a predominant ethnicity. Parma's Pokrova (Protection of the Mother of God) Ukrainian Catholic fish are available with pyrohy and borsch. For those not familiar, or willing to use a dictionary, a pyroh (Ukrainian spelling, is a semi-lunar shaped filled dumpling) and borsch is red beet soup. America is more than McDonalds, and Jack's Bar and Grill.
Postscriptum III: I wonder if there are Japanese parishes serving sashimi.

Hram Svetog Save. Parma Ohio.

  electronic addition to sign, replaces wheeled sign

lakewood park

 2006 Lakewood Ohio finished a brick path, and other stuff at Erie's edge

the park has a war service memorial, ball field, swimming pool, stage, other buildings, and black squirrels