Bellaire Road
History of the West Park
Neighborhood
Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio
Named Streets
THEN &
NOW
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RADIL'S DRIVE IN
12133 Bellaire Road
Photo c1960
January 2006 (by G. Swilik)
Radil's Drive In at 12133 Bellaire Road, at the corner of Matherson Avenue, was built in 1947 very likely making it the very first "drive-in" style diner in West Park, complete with car hops. This family business was planned and built by Frank and Mary Radil who lived almost next door at 12223 Matherson. Frank, an experienced ornamental iron worker, helped construct much of the building, particularly the rounded turret that makes the building so distinctive. At first they served only ice cream and frozen custard but soon added hamburgers, cheeseburgers, French fries and onion rings. They were open from 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. seven days a week! Frank did much of the cooking himself with the help of wife Mary and his two daughters. The nearby Linndale Train Station created heavy traffic past the diner and kept the place very popular for many years. The closing of the train station, along with Frank and Mary's advancing age, brought Radil's to an end in about 1963. The building, however, continued to serve as a restaurant off and on for many years. In fact, from 1971 to 1975 this was one of the very first Mister Hero restaurants, personally run by Robert Coulson, founder of the popular sub sandwich empire. When Mister Hero moved to another location the building began a long series of different owners and names: Stratton's Rib Palace, c.1977-81, The Friendly Place, c.1983-84, and Chicken & Ribs Isle, c.1984-1987. In 1988 it began a new career as a used car office which it has been, under different names, ever since. The building still stands today and appears to be in excellent condition.
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FRANZ RESTAURANT
12615 Elmwood Avenue
Photo c1969
2005 by Gary Swilik
Franz Restaurant, at 12615 Elmwood Avenue, between Berea Road and West 117th, is hidden away in an industrial area of West Park. In fact, when we first found an old photo of the eatery we assumed it had disappeared long ago. We were surprised to discover not only is the building still there but it had been an operating restaurant as recently as 2003!
It was built in 1929 by Lawrence Sr. & Elizabeth Franz who had living quarters in the back of the building. Operation of the restaurant was later taken over by Lawrence Franz Jr. and his wife, Margaret. Lawrence Jr. passed away in 1969 but his wife Margaret apparently continued to run the restaurant until shortly before her death at age 92 on November 17, 2004.
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Franklin Ice Cream
Puritas Plaza at West 140th Street and Puritas Avenue
Photo c1960. Photo January 2006 by Gary Swilik.Built about 1959, Franklin's closed in the late 1980's and the building became the West Park Medical Center until about 2000 when it was demolished and a new chain drugstore, CVS/Pharmacy, building was constructed on the site. Notice the column emlazoned with "Puritas Park" was left standing complete with flags.
Charles Wood Memorial Hospital.
18223 Rockland Avenue
(Click image to go to entry)
Now (2007) part of the Rae-Ann Center assisted
living facility at 4650 Rocky River Drive.
Zombek's
11939 Triskett
c 1955 Photo by Charles C. Chaney, April 2005"This place is now boarded up and either empty or being used as a residence. The name of the place in the photo is "Zombek's" but so far I can't find out when it went by that name. I think the photo is circa the mid 1950's.
1956 - Margie's Delicatessen
1960 - Anita's Delicatessen (Anita Jambor)
1965 - Ken's Korner Store Delicatessen
1968 - Ken's Korner Store Delicatessen
1970-71 Norman's Korner Store Delicatessen
1972 - Norman's Korner Store Delicatessen
1977 - Norman's Korner Store Delicatessen
1997-98 - Norman's Deli
1998 -99 - Norman's Deli"---Gary Swilik
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Manners Big Boy Restaurant
13101 Triskett Road
Photo c1961. Photograph by Charles C. Chaney. February 2005.Now George's Kitchen Family Restaurant.
The present structure incorporated the original building as it expanded.Return to top of page
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Weber Family Home
14209 Triskett Road
early 1900's c2006
both photographs provided by Daniel R. Weber
Ralph Weber was born in the 1890's and lived in this house as a child. Ralph told his son Dan that, in the early 1900's photo, Ralph is in the front row and the other three were brothers and pals.
The Weber Family of West Park
Compiled from recollections provided by Daniel R. Weber of Rancho Cordova, CA.(Daniel R. Weber, son of Ralph Weber.)
14215 (or 14213) Triskett. Built 1927, razed 1962. Home of Clarence J. Webber.
14335 Triskett. Built 1906, razed 1962. Home of Wm & Esther Steinbrick.
Ed's Superette
15233 Triskett Road
c 1960 Photo by Charles C. Chaney, April 2005Ed's Superette (Edward J. Baizer,) 15233 Triskett Road, corner Tudor Rd, just east of intersection of Warren & Triskett. Photo 1960. Built 1938.
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Dante Lavelli Furniture
15227 Triskett
c 1960
Photo by Charles C. Chaney, April 2005
The building was built in 1953.
Dante Lavelli was a Cleveland Brown. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1975.
The Sherman House
15500 Triskett Road
For more information on the history of the Sherman House, click here
Marquard House
3260 Warren Road
Photo c1961.
Photograph by Charles C. Chaney. October 2004.
Built as a moderate-sized, brick-and-frame farmhouse sometime before 1900, the place didn't develop growing pains until it was purchased by Philip Marquard in 1912. Father of twelve children, Mr. Marquard needed lots of space and began adding rooms and wings until the house reached a mansion-like 52 rooms! Click here for more information.
Wagenknecht Grocers & Meats
13330 West Avenue, on the northeast corner at West 134th Street
Photo c1961. Photograph by Charles C. Chaney. November 2004."Wagenknecht Grocers & Meats, at 13330 West Avenue, on the northeast corner at West 134th Street, was opened in about 1930 by Mrs. Emma Wagenknecht.
Emma, the widow of Harry Wagenknecht, was raising two children, Erwin and Diane. As the years passed Erwin took over the store,running it for many years after his mother, Emma, passed away in 1972.
Erwin, with the help of his wife Evelyn, operated the store for the rest of his life. All the way up to his death in December,1990. This family business survived for at least 60 years! Evelyn Wagenknecht survived her husband by 14 years, passing away in April, 2004.
Today, as with so many old neighborhood groceries, what used to be a store is now serving as an apartment."Gary Swilik.
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WESLEY FOOD MARKET
13209 Wesley Avenue
Photograph by Gary Swilik. 2006 (now demolished)
The Wesley Food Market is certainly not a terribly significant part of the history of West Park. Neither is there anything architecturally unique about the small wood-frame building which housed it. In fact, it's almost certain the market would have escaped the author's attention completely had he not come across an old photo of the place. Since it was close to the author's childhood home he became curious about it.
After a quick drive-by, the author concluded the building no longer existed. A conclusion which turned out to be wrong and illustrates why the study of neighborhood history can sometimes bring surprise and a sense of discovery – at least for a bookish history fanatic!
The small grocery store which stood for so many years at 13209 Wesley Avenue was built in about 1927, in an era when small neighborhood grocery stores were scattered throughout the city and "supermarkets" did not yet exist. Wesley Avenue is three blocks long and runs from West 130th Street to West 134th. It is south of Lorain Avenue.
The grocery was originally owned and operated by Louis J. Jarolimek, Jr., who seems to have learned the business from his father, Louis Sr., who owned a grocery store on West 117th Street. Louis Jr. operated the Wesley Avenue grocery from 1927 to about 1930.
Then the property begins a long succession of owners and names changes, alternating with periods of vacancy, but always serving as a grocery or delicatessen:
1931 John & Margaret Fargo, meats
1932 William & Adda Holmes, grocery
1934 Sarkin Bros, grocery (John & Peth Sarkin)
1937 Marie Rabatory, grocery
1938-40 William Vassilaff, grocery
1942-54 Walter B. Washtock, grocery
1955-56 Wesley Foods, John Kornfeld
1957-63 Wesley Foods, Joseph E. & Francis Ash
1964 Wesley Food Market, Chester E. GabelIn 1965, John and Carrie "Wesley" became proprietors of the Wesley Food Market. In spite of their name, there does not seem to be any reason to believe John and Carrie were in any way connected with the street name other than by fortunate coincidence.
The Wesley's kept the grocery open from 1965 to about 1973. By 1974 the building was vacant and had seen its last days as a commercial establishment.
Since the author found no building with the address "13209 Wesley Avenue" he assumed the market had been demolished. A more careful inspection, however, revealed this is not the case. Carefully compare our photo of a garage currently standing (January, 2006) on Wesley Avenue with our circa 1959 photo of the Wesley Food Market, especially its position relative to the house on the right. A neighborhood historian loves little discoveries like this!
NOTE: A few months after this article was written, the garage that had once been the Wesley Food Market was torn down and the site is now empty.Return to top of page
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WOODBURY AVENUE AT WEST 15Oth STREET
Parking lot area of the present Puritas Rapid Station at 4200 West 150th Street
View to the west in 1939 View to the west in April 2007
View to the east in 1939 View to the east in April 2007Woodbury Avenue looking west (upper left photograph) toward the New York Central railroad tracks in 1939. Today this section of Woodbury Avenue is gone. Interstate 71 runs through the field on the far left. The West 150th Street Rapid Transit station now occupies the area along the tracks. The current entrance to the rapid station from West 150th runs a short distance to the right of this site. Photograph courtesy of Robert E. Baus.
The same view in April 2007. (Upper Right) Looking west from West 150th Avenue toward the RTA Rapid Station toward. Photograph by Gary Swilik.
Woodbury Avenue looking east (lower Left photograph) toward West 150th Street in 1939. This part of Woodbury Avenue is gone. The spot from which the photograph was taken is now the parking lot for the West 150th Street Rapid Station. The current traffic light at the West 150th Street entrance to the rapid station is located about where the houses are seen at the left. Photograph courtesy of Robert E. Baus.
The same view in April 2007. (Lower right) Looking east from the RTA Rapid Station toward West 150th Avenue. Photograph by Gary Swilik.
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Email Charles Chaney and Gary Swilik
Created by:
Charles C. Chaney
29 August 2007
