"Near Oberlin" Elyria by grandmaR

When my Dad and Mom drove us out west in 1948, we stopped in Elyria to visit some friends of theirs. Later, when I was a student at Oberlin, Elyria was a sign that I was near to my home away from home. When we could get a ride, a friend and I would occasionally go to Elyria to church because neither of us found a church home in Oberlin.

Elyria was founded in 1816 at the location of two Black River waterfalls on an old Indian trail. Mr. Herman Ely build a sawmill here. It's now the county seat of Lorain Co., maybe because Mr. Ely donated land for the courthouse. That courthouse is now listed on the National Historic Register. Also in Elyria is the Hickories Museum, the restored home of industrialist and pioneer automaker Arthur Garford. His mansion is the headquarters for the Lorain County Historical Society.

Bottom of the water tower

We arrived at the Super 8 Motel and checked in at 1534 after a day's trip of 246 miles. This Super 8 was supposed to have a heated pool, and it was a bit more expensive than last night's motel in Morgantown as it was $75.54 with tax. I checked the pool temperature, but I do not think it was heated. The motel itself was better built than the Super 8 in Morgantown, but it wasn't a purpose built Super 8.

The hotel was in a depressed looking area, right off I-80, and the girl on the desk did not seem to know how to give directions when I called, but we found it anyway.

We went out to find a place to eat dinner, and apparently turned the wrong way and had an unenlightening tour of the industrial and residential part of Elyria for 9 miles before we found our way back to the shopping center/eating area. We ate dinner at Fazoli's for $11.61.

At 0930 Saturday, after a free breakfast, we checked out. After we got fuel (9.6 gals at $1.71/gal) we set off for Oberlin.