How Comedy Sold WWII War Bonds

Abbott & Costello Go to Medina                     

-Lisa Rienerth

Medina County Gazette, 18 July 1942, p. 1

It began when a group of volunteers built a small, white building to sell War Bonds, stamps and corsages here in Medina, Ohio. 

Medina Sentinel, 23 July 1942, p. 1

The completed building was placed on the west side of  Medina Square and a grand opening was held the 18th of July 1942.

The building would not have been built without the generosity of the local businesses.  

The opening program lasted a little more than 3 hours with speeches from Amherst Spitzer, the War Bond chairman, music by the Akron Defense Council band and a few short speeches by a few local veterans. 

On that first day, $1,900 in bonds were sold, along with $97 in stamps and $95 in "stamp corsages". Stamp corsages are exactly what they sound like, corsages made with saving stamps. 

One Month Later....

The Treasury Department of Cleveland saw that Medina County was one of the top sellers of War Bond funds and rewarded the county with a special visit from "The biggest singular attraction of Medina County...". 

On August 19, 1942, Bud Abbot and Lou Costello, a famous comedy duo of the time, were coming to Medina to help sell War Bonds! 

Abbott and Costello were known in the 1940's as the "Leading Laugh Team".  They worked in radio & film and became even more popular during the World War II era.

This must have been one of the most exciting things to happen to the area in years, because the Medina Gazette was estimating a crowd of 10,000 people. 

Medina Sentinel, 13 August 1942, p. 1

Plans were made to build a platform and wire the Medina Square with loudspeakers. The organizers of the event wanted to make sure the duo was seen and heard by all. War Bonds were to be sold just outside the beautiful, new War Bond building. 

There was also a contest between the townships to see who could sell the most War Bonds before the big day arrived. 

Medina County Gazette, 21 August 1942, p 1

The night of the program a large crowd filled the square. 

Abbott & Costello arrived at 7:40 p.m. and according to the papers "Pulled several spontaneous laugh provoking remarks..." and autographed the bonds that they sold that evening. 

Liverpool Township won the Bond contest by collecting $21,835 in War Bond sales. 

George Wolfe, chairman of the Liverpool township war bond drive committee, was congratulated by Amherst Spitzer and the two comedians

The evening was a great success. $8,000 in bonds were sold at the War Bonds building. The total amount collected by all of the townships for the contest was $225,291, which is equivalent to just a little more than (4) four million dollars today.

The county continued to raise large amounts of money throughout the war. According to Robert Hyde's Beyond the Storefronts, "This is the famous [War Bond] building that at one point raised over 3 million dollars towards the war effort and was also part of the reason why the government decided to film "Hometown U. S. A.”  in Medina.*

*This link will take you to a past blog on the film.

And here's the rest of the story...

After World War II, the small, white building was put into storage and then moved to the property owned by Dr. Frederick Fri, who served in the war. Dr. Fri's property was acquired by the Medina General Hospital and the building was left on the land.

In 2001, the Medina Jaycees refurbished the building. Elmer Zarney, who created the original sign, remade a new sign, because the old one was lost. Zarney was a fighter pilot in World War II. 

Medina County Gazette, 8 Nov 2001

      

The building stayed on the Medina Hospital, n.k.a. Medina Cleveland Clinic, property until this November. The Medina County Historical Society took an interest in it and on the fourth had it moved to the property of the McDowell-Phillips Home, which is also owned by the society.  

Historical Society's President, Brian Feron, says the building will be restored and used as a place to display local historical items. It will then be used for educational purposes and someday a "Victory Garden" may be planted alongside it.

This little, white building witnessed Medina's history for the past 80 years. Now, because of the Medina County Historical Society, it can not only be a witness to many more years, but will teach other generations about the history of the county and its contribution and dedication to our nation at a time of war. 

Please leave a comment if you were a witness to this spectacular night in Medina. We would love to hear about your experience! 

Learn more about World War II War Bonds from Abbott & Costello by watching a Public Service Announcement from that era by clicking on the highlighted link. 

 

Breathe Life Back into Your Research

No birth, death or marriage records? No problem!

We have all been there…. You need a vital record but you can't seem to find them on Ancestry and FamilySearch or the records were not kept for that time period. 

There are many other ways to find this information. It may not be a government-created record, but these resources can still be helpful in answering those vital date questions and maybe a little more.

Cora Munson, Medina County Historical Society

Let’s use Cora (Munson) Blakeslee, a life-long resident of Medina County, Ohio, to show how using different types of resources will help fill in Cora’s vital dates and places and even some interesting information that will help her “come to life”.

We know that Cora was born in 1857 and died in 1956 in Medina County, Ohio. In Ohio, no government office kept birth records for this time period. 1956 Ohio death records exist, however they are not available digitally online and there is a fee to obtain them from the state or from Ohio History Connection.

Here are a few vital record substitutes you can turn to in order to find and confirm your ancestor's vital information. 

Newspapers are one of the best sources to search when coming up empty using the typical online family history search sites. Always check the local libraries and archives to see if they have digital images of their local newspapers. Some libraries have databases, such as Newspapers.com & Newspaper Archives, which you can use either in the library or at home with your library card. 

Since Cora lived most of her life in Medina County, searching the Medina County newspapers is a good place to start. The Medina County District Library has a searchable Digital Archives of the local county newspapers. You can learn more about the archives in this blog spot "Introducing the Digital Archives of MCDL" .

Cora’s obituary was found in the Medina County Gazette, 18 February 1956, page 6.

Look at all the information found in the obituary. 

Her birth date and place:

• 10 February 1857, River Styx, Medina County

Her Father’s name:

•  Albert Munson

Her death date and place:

• 14 May 1956, Medina, Medina County

Her Spouses' name:

•  Charles O. Blakeslee

Her address:

•  233 East Washington

Her political affiliation:

• Republican

Her religion:

• Spiritualism

This obituary is a gold mine of information. Unfortunately, not all of them are this thorough, but there is always something you will glean from your ancestor’s obituary. Even if it is just the date they died. 

Another article about Cora was found in the Medina County Gazette using the NewspaperArchives database

. 

Medina Gazette, 13 April 1979, pg 6

We don't find any dates in this article, but we do learn the Munson family was interested in Spiritualism and Cora would set a place at the dinner table for her father & brother after they were deceased. The Munson family also held séances in their kitchen. 

 

It is also noted Cora married Charles Blakeslee, a choir director from St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. The article continues saying "...the couple went on a honeymoon and Mrs. Blakeslee returned home alone and Mr. Blakeslee was never seen again."

By using another newspaper database, Newspapers.com, this rumor can be investigated. This database is also available through the Medina County District Library's website. 

The trail of Charles O. Blakeslee can be followed out west and it doesn’t really look like anything nefarious happened to him.

Evening World Herald, Omaha, Nebraska. 8 Oct 1906, p. 8

1906 - Charles traveled from Indiana to Nebraska

Twin Falls (Idaho) Weekly News, 28 May 1909, p.10

1909 - Charles is giving a concert in Idaho

Freeport (Illinois) Journal Standard, 2 Nov 1945, p. 12 

1945 - Charles dies in Rockford, Illinois. There is no mention of Cora in the obituary. Only his parents and sister are listed. It seems he continued his music career even after he and Cora parted ways, for whatever reason.

Find a Grave is another resource that is underused. This is a volunteer-based site, where the volunteers take the photographs and upload them along with adding information to the deceased memorial page. Below is Cora (Munson) Blakeslee's gravesite memorial found on Find a Grave.

Findagrave.com. These are copyrighted images.

Listed here is her birth and death date and where she is buried. Additional images of Cora and a wedding notice for her and Charles' were also added. 

👈 Cora Munson

Local history books are another valuable resource. Since Cora’s father, Albert, was a local judge and successful shop owner, his short biography is found in the History of Medina County Ohio, 1881.

In the Historic Tales of Medina County, Ohio by Stephen D. Hambley, PHD, Cora's photograph is not only on the right-hand-side of the cover, but a whole chapter can be found about her. 

Both  of these books are available at the Medina County District Library. 

 







Along with the local libraries, don't forget to look for Historical & Genealogical societies and archives in the place your ancestor lived. They may have exactly what you are looking for or something you never expected to find. 

Here are just a few items found at the Medina County Historical Society. 

Munson House, built in 1877 (That is Albert on the front stoop)

Munson Papers, Munson Family file, Medina County Historical Society

The Munson Family file contained the following:

• Papers and index cards which give an outline of the lives of Albert, Lyman (Cora’s brother) and Cora Munson.
• A letter talking about the marriage of Cora and Charles Blakeslee.
• A typewritten transcription of Cora’s notes she took during one of the séances held at the Munson home.
• Information on the Munson Home.

Another item found in the Munson file was this book about a spiritualist and his experiences.

 





















These resources filled in Cora’s vital information and quite a bit more. They are just a few of the more unique places to look for vital information. Just remember, not all records are online and do some research on where to find such resources in the area where your family members lived.

Take this time to find these records so you can breathe life into your ancestor’s story.  Life, which according to the Munson family, continues after our time here on earth.

Albert Munson, "Spirit Photo", Medina  County Historical Society.

Get to Know Your Local Historical Societies

 

We’re continuing our series to highlight the unique societies and resources in our area.  With Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur both in September this year, this month we’re looking a little beyond Medina County to the Jewish Genealogy Society of Cleveland (JGSC).  The JGSC vice president of programming, Deborah Katz, kindly answered our questions about the society. 

If you are researching Jewish ancestry or are interested in Cleveland History, read on to learn more about the resources JGSC offers to non-members and members!

 

MCDL Librarian: Tell us a little bit about yourself...  How long have you worked with the Jewish Genealogy Society of Cleveland?  What sparked your interest in family history?

JGSC Deborah Katz: I moved to Medina about 5 years ago after 30 years in Columbus in law school and a career as a professor and consultant in sports law and college athletics compliance.  Health issues pushed me into disability and early retirement.  Looking for quieter and sedentary activities, I was able to refocus on genealogy.

I joined the Jewish Genealogy Society of Cleveland (JGSC) in 2019.  Cleveland was my hometown (proud 1980 graduate of Hawken) and the destination of the original Katz relatives immigrating from Podzelva, Lithuania in the 1880’s.  The International Association of Jewish Genealogical Societies (IAJGS) annual conference was held in Cleveland that year which made it the ideal time and place for a family reunion.  Within a 6-month period, a small, afternoon family gathering became a 3-day event with 200+ Katz relatives from 15 states.  My 2020 presentation to JGSC, “Reflections on the 2019 Katz Family Reunion: Lessons Learned or the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly!,” was well-received, and the Board asked me to serve as the vice president for programming in 2021.

My genealogy journey began about 30 years ago with the discovery of how little I knew about my family and a strong curiosity.  When my paternal grandmother passed away, I discovered the “Red Book,” the printed family tree curated by Ruth Katz and developed from the original log of the family of Aron Katz in Cleveland in 1905.  Ruth became a treasured genealogy mentor, and the rest is history.  The understanding of my family roots, connections to family near and far, medical history discoveries, meeting new friends, and the history and skills learned through genealogy research continue to engage me.

 

MCDL Librarian: I read that the JGS Cleveland has a research library.  What resources does it include and who can make use of the collection? 

JGSC Deborah Katz: The Society maintains its own research library and encourages the collection of genealogical material and family histories. The research library, open to any researcher, is housed in the Sam and Emma Miller Library of the Arthur J. Lelyveld Center for Jewish Learning at Anshe Chesed Fairmount Temple, located at 23737 Fairmount Blvd in Beachwood, Ohio.  Most of our collection is now included in the Library Catalogue, which can be accessed by clicking here: http://temple.acftlibrary.org.  Currently due to COVID, the Library is open by calling (216) 464-1330 to make an appointment.

 

MCDL Librarian: If an individual needs help with research -- or if they live too far away to visit the research library -- how can they get assistance from the society?

JGSC Deborah Katz: There are several ways the JGSC can provide assistance.

http://jgscleveland.org:  Our website is a user-friendly, public genealogy resource with JGSC databases as well as Cleveland, Cuyahoga, and Ohio research tools.

 

MCDL Librarian: Tell us about your upcoming programs?  Where/when does the society meet?  Do people have to be members to attend?

JGSC Deborah Katz: Our programs are currently on Zoom, and we anticipate that will continue through the winter of 2022.  Pre-COVID, we met in two different locations in Beachwood, OH, and are reviewing our options for when we return to in-person meetings.  Our programs are open to the public, and currently, there is no charge for non-members except our annual November program presented in partnership with the Case Western Reserve University Laura and Alvin Siegal Lifelong Learning Program.  The October 6th program, “The What and When of U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Records,” will be presented by Marian Smith, a former historian for the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) and later US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).  Steve Morse, creator of the One-Step Website will present the 2-part November 14^th program, “One-Step Webpages:  A Potpourri of Genealogical Search Tools” and “A Complete Genealogy Starting from Nothing.”  Data scientist, Scott Genzer, will join us on December 1^st to present, “Using Facial Recognition Tools to Identify Unnamed Ancestors for Genealogical Research.”  Check http://jgscleveland.org  for registration details.

 

MCDL Librarian: How can an individual join the society?  What benefits do society members receive?  

JGSC Deborah Katz: We offer different levels of membership with multiple benefits.  Go to http://jgscleveland.org/join.asp for more information.

 

MCDL Librarian: Is there anything else you'd like everyone to know about the JGS Cleveland at this time?

JGSC Deborah Katz: Our membership is diverse including Jews and non-Jews.  Some members have Jewish relatives, an interest in Cleveland history, an interest in eastern European history, or a general genealogy skills and tools.  We invite you to join us at a program or use our resources.  A basic research tool for Cleveland Jewish genealogy is the Cleveland Jewish News Archive at http://digital.olivesoftware.com/Olive/APA/ClevelandJewishNewsFree/default.aspx#panel=home.  It includes more than 130 years of Jewish history in Cleveland as reported by the CJN and its predecessor newspapers.  If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact me at programming@jgscleveland.org. 

Name The Landmarks...Win A Prize....

 

According to Chase’s Calendar of Events 2021 May is Mystery Month! 

To commemorate this special month we are having a Medina County Landmark Contest. Below there are several photographs of landmarks located throughout Medina County. Some are of the complete landmark and some are just a peek. The photographs have been contributed by the Medina County’s local Historical and Genealogical Societies* and by me, Lisa Rienerth, and my co-worker, Kathy Petras. 

All you need to do is identify the landmark and the township where it is located. After viewing all the images you will click on a link to a form which you need to fill out and submit by May 31st! The winner will be the recipient of some awesome library swag so get those entry forms in!

You must be a resident of the Continental United States to enter. 

Have Fun and Look for the winner and the answers posted in our June 9th BLOG!

A. 

B.                                                 C.

                         

   

                    D.        

          E.

  F.                                                                G.

             

           H.

I. 

                J.

K.                                                      L.

          

                M.

         

      N.

    O.                                          P.   

           

                    

                    Q.

R.

         S.

The  photographs will also be on the entry form. 

Click here to enter ➤➤ ENTRY FORM

GOOD LUCK ! 

*Contributing Societies will be named along with the photograph they submitted when the winner & answers are posted.