Indie Local History
Was located on the southeast corner of Central Avenue and Moffat Rd. Later named Northern Keys Motel (1956). Demolished late ’70s/early ’80s. Site status: Brown Honda.
“Beautiful Sylvan Motel, 11 ultra-modern units. Soundproof, fireproof, private showers, central heat. Permastone buildings. AAA approved Motel. Excellent new restaurant adjacent, serving fine foods. Phone LU 2-3296. Three miles west of Toledo, Ohio, on Route U.S. 20 and Ohio 120.”
Formerly the Country Inn. Opened December, 1970. Closed September 30, 2006. Demolished.
“I treated everybody like Frank Sinatra when they came in that joint, said manager Elaine Nicolaidis, sister of owner Gus Nicolaidis.” – from Oaken Bucket gone after 36 year tenure, Toledo Blade, October 11, 2006
“Xanadu,” or Gibbs Bridge (over Tenmile Creek) on Gibbs Road just north of Sylvania-Metamora.”The victims of a nasty car accident haunt this bridge. Aside from the noises of their final moments (squealing tires, breaking glass), laughter is heard here at night, and dark figures will sometimes pursue people who walk across. Gibbs Bridge is also home to another legend. This one claims that a man was decapitated by two of his classmates, they drug a fishing line across the middle of the bridge during the 1970’s and waited for him to cross on his motorcycle. When he did, he was decapitated. Somehow this story became known as Xanadu and many people claim that by flashing your headlights three times, you’ll hear the sounds of a motorcycle quickly followed by a man screaming.”
Imperial Lanes 5505 W. Central (1963-2009 demolished) Corner of Reynolds and Central. Owned by Bob Rehkopf and later by Darrel Ducat. Imperial Lanes was designed by Cleveland architects Jack Alan Bialosky Associates. The Crown Room, a circular restaurant with floor to ceiling windows, was attached at the north end of Imperial Lanes.
Centre Supermarket was started by brothers Fred, George and Raymond Saba in 1951 at Stickney Avenue and Manhattan Boulevard. They had previously worked at their father’s grocery store Saba’s Market on Cherry Street. At its peak, the chain had eight supermarkets in the Toledo area, including one in Bowling Green. Centre Supermarkets closed in 1989.
“We were among the first stores in the area to have a full line of services. We always were good with produce, from working in our father’s store, but we learned as we went along. Our stores were among the first to have in-store deli’s and bakeries.” -Fred Saba
This location (next to Kmart) was a Kmart Food before it became Centre. After Centre it was a Food Town.
Release Date 1984. Focus Records. Info from the late Wilbur Strutt on YouTube regarding the song Bernadeane: “I was the leader and co-founder of Shyster in the 80s. Also the lead singer/co-songwriter of this song. Bob Brug: Bass Player, Jimi Goare: Guitarist, Kevin Nevious: Keyboards, Denny Gorsuch: Drums. Recorded at Beachwood Studios near Cleveland, Ohio. Hope you like it. Thanks to Bruce Huffman Guitars-Vocals, Ken Savage, Keyboards, Technician and a few other players as well. Carl Meduri, Producer.”
FM 104.7 WIOT was started in 1973 by former WGLN veterans after they had all been fired by WGLN’s new owner. Making money was one part of the reason for creating the station. The other part was for the love of music. A budding counter-culture icon, 104.7 played what Top 40 wouldn’t. Artists such as Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, Yes, Charles Mingus, and The Velvet Underground. Success followed and about a decade later the station was one of the highest-rated rock stations in the country. – Blade Media writer, Christopher Borrelli. “UNDERGROUND PIONEER WIOT CHANGES WITH TIMES.” Blade, The (Toledo, OH), February 8, 1998: 1. NewsBank: Access World News.
Located on the northwest corner of Central Avenue at Holland-Sylvania Road. In 1958 the property was owned by Charles and Martha Adams. Kmart opened in 1967. Closed in 2006. Originally had an attached Kmart Foods store that became Centre Supermarket, then Food Town. Also had a Kmart Cafeteria, and in the early ’80s, an arcade room. Demolished in 2012. This location also included a Kmart Auto Center, also demolished. Site is currently unoccupied.
Kmart Auto Continue reading “Kmart – 5956 West Central Ave.”
Central Avenue Snip, 6064 W. Central Ave on the northeast corner at Fairbanks. Early ’80s hair salon owned by hair stylists Wes and Lisa Clark. The salon featured a large waterfall in the front. Previously the home of Grover and Mary Houke. Demolished c1995. Small building directly next door was PDQ, a tennis racket shop/store.
Also at this location (late 80s/early 90s) was Love Leasing, First Midwest Leasing, Westwood Auto Leasing and Grogan Used Cars.
Oaks Feed and Pet Supply Company. Built 1942. Located on the north side of Central Avenue between Piero and Millicent. Founded by Norman and Dorothy Pieplow. Dorothy Pieplow actually began what became Oaks Feed and Pet Supply Co. in 1934 by building coops and raising chickens. Employee John MacDonald went to work for the Pieplow’s in 1959, married their daughter Pat and eventually bought the business in 1964. In 1997 the business was purchased by long-time employee Kevin Sieja. Sieja eventually relocated the business to 2032 N. Holland-Sylvania Road in 2017.
