While technically a Delphos Ohio company, Myers Cleaners had 5 locations in Lima, Ohio. Hence this wonderful photo picturing one of the Myers dry cleaning stores, with 1940-ish GMC delivery truck. Note the Lima AAA is next door.
The address for Myers Cleaners was 126 W. North Street, and the AAA was at 124 W North St. That puts the AAA in the still-standing famous OHIO THEATER building, just west of Lima's Court House (which sits at Main and North and is also visible in the google maps photo below).
First, let's look at Myers Cleaners, then I'll add some info about Lima's AAA, and the Ohio Theatre.
DELPHOS INDUSTRY ON PARADE 38 Years Experience Stand Behind Myers Cleaners And Furriers, Inc.
Today Myers Cleaners and Furriers Inc. is an independent organization headed by Mr. Jack Myers, son of the company's founder. It is controlled by Jack Myers, Mrs. Charles H. Myers and Betty Myers.
Charles H, Myers, founder of Myers cleaners in 1922, established the organization in a business room of an old building situated at the site of the present post office. At that time Mr. Myers operated a tailor and press shop. From there he moved into the spot Vogt and Vogt Restaurant occupies today and specialized in cleaning and pressing and ladies ready-to-wear items. His next move was into the location of Credo's Furniture store. In 1933, Myers Cleaners was moved into its present site on North Main St. At that time the company occupied the building where only pressing is done today. In 1938, Mr. Myers rented the Mox building which bordered the other. There he went into the fur storage business and opened the first portion of his storage vault. Three years later in 1941 a large vacant lot on that same block was purchased from Standard Oil Co. and built up as part of Myers. Already in 1932. Myers had eight delivery trucks which went from house to house soliciting business in this area. By December, 1941 approximately 20 routes represented the local Cleaners. After that time operations were changed from house to house solicitation over to cash and carry branch store operations. With the war in 1945 Myers boasted of 15 branch stores and still had 4 routes left out of 20. The organization picked up its volume business however with the cash and carry idea. Today, 1950, Myers has 20 stores, 2 routes (which still solicit from house to house in this area) and a self-serve laundry in Lima. All processing work is done here at Delphos for Myers' 20 branch stores. Garments are received at the stores and taken back there for delivery. Myers' stores are located in Indiana (3) Auburn, Decatur, New Haven; in Ohio at Bucyrus, Celina, Defiance, Fostoria, St. Mary's, Tiffin, Van Wert, two at Findlay, five at Lima and three at Marion. All garments received at Myers are given full attention and are put through the complete cleaning cycle. First they are put into large dry cleaning washers filled with a cleaning solvent. From there they are placed in a large extractor where all excess solvent is removed. Lastly, the clothes are moved to the tumblers or dryers for the final step of the cleaning process. A recent addition to the dry cleaning machines at Myers was made in 1958. This machine is completely automatic and is a combination washer-extractor. (Their other machines are manually timed.) At capacity the washer-extractor holds 450 lbs. of garments per load. Myers boasts of having the only automatic machine of this size in Ohio. It is also one of three machines like it in the state.
[Photo in the newspaper article shows: The 8 original trucks of Myers Cleaners are viewed in front of their garage in the Edwards Bldg. located where Hanshumaker Motor Sales is today. The date is 1932.]
Source: July 6, 1950 Delphos Daily Herald from Delphos, Ohio · Page 5
Charles Myers passed in 1952 (obit).
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The Lima Automobile Club
The Lima Automobile Club was organized in 1907. In 1918 the address 126 W. North St. belonged to a storage company, but AAA was in there by 1930. They moved out of the location in 1965, into their new 635 W. Spring St. address. [Source] They then moved to their current location [on date: ?] at 2115 Allentown Road.
The Lima Auto Club is, of course, part of the national American Automobile Association. Read about the History of the AAA.
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SCHINE'S OHIO THEATRE
Built in 1927, it is a historic building, designed by architect Peter M. Hulsken. Hulsken was born in the Netherlands, then lived in Lima, Ohio. His firm(s) designed several movie theaters for the Schines chain, as well as many local buildings.
"Mr. Hulsken had been in the architectural profession in Lima for 40 years. His associate, Robert A. Helser, and Mr. Hulsken designed the new Elks lodge in Lima, the Elks home in Bexley, W. Va., and telephone buildings at Delphos, Ottawa, Shelby, Bucyrus and Mt. Vernon. The firm was the associate architects on the new Lima Greyhound bus terminal.
He formerly was co-partner in the Hulsken-Lyman T. Strong firm for 22 years. The organization drafted plans for Coldwater high school, Celina court house, Ohio Power Co. in Lima, Ohio theatre in Lima, theatres in Kenton, Bellefontaine, Wooster, Sandusky and in New York and West Virginia for the Schines Theatrical Co., Inc., and the First National Bank in Findlay.
Previously, Mr. Hulsken was in partnership with T. D. McLaughlin. They drafted plans for Lima South high school, Findlay Elks club, and Portland, Ind. courthouse." -- Excerpted from Peter Hulsken's obituary [here in full]
"The Schine family created one of the largest movie chains in the history of our country, opening movie theaters across the nation beginning in Fulton County in 1916. Louis and J. Myer Schine bought the Glove Theatre in 1920 and got into the vaudeville business. Junius "Myer" and Hildegarde Schine bought the Boca Raton Hotel in 1946 and eventually owned 15 hotels across the United States. Thus, the Schines, pioneers in the nation's entertainment and movie business..." [Source]
More on Junius Schine here and on Schine Enterprises.
More on Peter Hulsken.
Click the pic to read -- or read the entire 1928 Motion Picture News magazine here.
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Note: These items are part of my ''Collecting Lima Virtual Museum''. They are not for sale.
If/when I find more information on these items, I will add it to the post.
Read the Introduction to my ''Collecting Lima'' Virtual Museum Project, all about my Lima Ohio Bottles, Advertising, Antiques collection.
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Ms. Dow Antiques Blog 'Tique Talk is published by msdowantiques.com
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