Indie Local History
“It felt like the sort of place that had existed for decades...”
Stepping outside of Toledo to capture this one. Madhatter Music Company was opened by Billy Hanaway and Ed Cratty in 1988. The store was named after their band, Madhatter.
Continue reading “Madhatter Music Company, 143 E. Wooster St.”
Opened in 1979. Originally the location of Hygiene Products Company (c1946). It was John Nuding’s Mobile Home Center (c1960) and O’Henry’s Old Toledo (1976). Was later incorporated into the adjacent Sweet Water Cafe and renamed Sweet Hall. Has also been: Mr. Roberts (1984). C.J. Barrymore’s (1986). China Gate by Wang (1988). Demolished 1997.
Continue reading “Nirvana, 4962 Monroe St.”
Head-Quarters opened in 1969 and was located on the north side of Sylvania Avenue between Jackman Road and Berwick Avenue, former site of Sylvania Avenue Hardware. Head-Quarters was owned by Rick Campbell who also owned the Dry Mouth Cafe (formerly Firehouse). Campbell later relocated/reopened his store to 3340 Dorr Steet in 1974 in the former Tabard Inn. The 1638 building was demolished in 1999.
Continue reading “Head-Quarters, 1638 Sylvania Ave.”
Originally the Trilby Volunteer Fire Station located on the west side of Secor Road just north of Alexis Road. The Firehouse, a live music venue, opened in the former fire station in early 1969. In 1970 it was renamed the Dry Mouth Cafe, operated by Rick Campbell who was the owner of Head-Quarters. It then became Half-A-Sixpence clothing store in 1971. In 1981 it was the Sawmill Lounge. In 1986, Rosie’s. The former fire station was demolished in 2005 to make way for a Walgreens.
Continue reading “Firehouse, 5815 Secor Rd.”
In 1987 Steve Mason from WRQN camped out on a billboard sign at Westgate. Seems like this was big deal at the time, but there is little discussion about it in the news archives.
The Westgate Ponderosa opened in late 1969. It closed in c2007 and was replaced by El Nuevo Vallarta Mexican Restaurant. The building was demolished in 2014. El Nuevo Vallarta relocated.
Continue reading “Ponderosa Steakhouse, 3330 W. Central Avenue – Westgate.”
The Crystal Theatre opened on June 4, 1906 and “quit” in November that same year. The Temple Theatre replaced it on January 13, 1907 but quickly called it quits on January 23, 1907. The Interurban Union Station moved in that same year. Newspapers show it was also the location of the Orpheum Theater c1910s and the State Theatre in 1921. In 1922 the Royal theater relocated to 421 Superior from 425 Summit Street. The Royal went through a few name changes over the decades, keeping Royal in the name. The Royal closed in 1968. The block on which it stood is now a parking lot, with the exception of one office building on the northwest corner of Adams and Superior that houses the Noir Hybrid Lounge and Bar on the first floor. Where the Covert House used to stand.
Continue reading “Crystal Theatre, 421 Superior Street.”
The State theatre opened in December 1927. It was located on the east side of Collingwood Boulevard, between Machen Street and Delaware Avenue on the site of “the old skating rink.”
The Agora concert club network was launched in 1966 by Henry LoConti as a small members-only dance club in Cleveland before rapidly expanding into a major force in live rock music. By the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Agora had become known for showcasing rising national acts such as Bruce Springsteen, Kiss, and The Velvet Underground, while also pioneering live concert radio broadcasts that helped define the era’s music scene. As its popularity grew, the brand expanded into a nationwide network of venues, bringing its influential concert format to multiple cities. One of these was the Agora in Toledo, which opened in 1972 and became a key regional stop for touring acts, cementing its place in Toledo’s live music history. The Agora in Toledo was managed by Mark Howard (c1975).
Continue reading “Agora, 3415 Dorr St.”