Parking Lot Guard Tower

J

Jerry Leskovec

Aluminum

Joined

Jul 3, 2007

Location

New Philadelphia ,Ohio

• Sep 17, 2007

• #1

In the Cedar Rd lot there was a Guard Tower ( about 50 - 60 ft high )
Was anyone ever up in there ? What kind of view did it offer ?

JerryK

 

K

Ken Hlatky

Plastic

Joined

Mar 3, 2005

Location

CLEVELAND, OHIO

• Sep 17, 2007

• #2

JERRY
I HAVE BEEN IN THE TOWER AND IT MOSTLY VIEWED
THE CEDAR PARKING LOTS. IN THE LATE SIXTIES
THEY INSTALLED A TV CAMERA AND MONITORED THE
LOT FROM THE PROSPECT GATE. SOMEONE ACTUALLY
CLIMBED UP THE TOWER ONE NIGHT AND STOLE THE
CAMERA. KEN H

 

J

Jerry Leskovec

Aluminum

Joined

Jul 3, 2007

Location

New Philadelphia ,Ohio

• Sep 18, 2007

• #3

Ohhh Boy !!
I worked there in the mid -late 60's I guess that's why I never saw anyone up there ?

I use dto work day shift and it would start 5 or 5 :30 ? and sometimes I would park on that back city street ? ( Hawthorn maybe ? ) Every now and then a Hooker would come up and try to ply her trades . Now That I look back that was a risky thing to be doing as I would get there sometimes 10 -15 min early and take a short cat nap!!
I guess it's lucky that I woke up hahahahha.

JerryK

 

TurningHead

Cast Iron

Joined

Oct 9, 2006

Location

S.E. Ohio

• Sep 19, 2007

• #4

What an odd co-incidence. I was in Cleveland yesterday, (I moved away in 1976), and for some reason was thinking about W/S, the guard tower, and the walk to the car at the end of the day. I remember there were a few times, (especially when working late hours in Winter) when a Guard would escort you to your car. They probably did it out of boredom more than anything. Still the area could be dangerous. One of the Sales Engineers told me that he laid a revolver on his dash before he pulled out. He also advised you to never stop for a traffic light after the sun went down.

John

 

R

routlaw

Plastic

Joined

Apr 2, 2007

Location

atlanta, ga

• Sep 19, 2007

• #5

I remember leaving late one evening going to the lot just on the other side of the RR overpass; when a
young came toward me with a 22 rifle over his shoulder. I thought I had bought the farm but the
kid keep walking while I kept a close watch. Always
got the cop after that.

 

J

Jim Berkey

Plastic

Joined

Nov 1, 2007

Location

Richland, WA

• Nov 4, 2007

• #6

Since you guys (and ladies) want human interest stories here goes.... I worked in Dept 46 when W/S first started building the 1SC. There was a male scraper that always used to come up with excuses why he was absent or late or what ever. Well one day he told Chuck Mercurio that he was late because he was attacked in the parking lot by a giant green sea monster. I guess it is safe to assume that there must really be giant green sea monsters (or Charley did not want to fight that battle). See the tower was to protect us from nonhuman wildlife, you have all been looking at it wrong. I remember the story of the camera flying the coop, my father told me that one when I was in high school.

 

Johnny V

Cast Iron

Joined

Jan 19, 2005

Location

Mentor, Ohio

• Nov 23, 2007

• #7

My brother (Frank Valencic) worked there as a draftsman for a few years in the early 60's and had his '63 Corvette stolen from the lot he parked in (don't know the exact lot, but I recall it being off of Carnegie).

JohnnyV

 

K

Ken Hlatky

Plastic

Joined

Mar 3, 2005

Location

CLEVELAND, OHIO

• Nov 24, 2007

• #8

Johnny V;
There were a few lots off Carnegie, I do not recall the incident or Frank. I can relate though, my Ford truck was stolen from a lot across from the west gate on e.55th, next to ohio bell , electric controlled gate and TV monitored, truck had secret switch to ground points and secret hood lock, "they towed it", no recovery. KEN H

 

A

Al Webber

Aluminum

Joined

Feb 20, 2005

Location

Lakewood,Ohio

• Nov 29, 2007

• #9

I remember Frank Valencic and his Corvette!

Frank had his corvette stolen twice out of the E.63rd street lot. I think we used to call it the Oster Lot. Frank's Corvette got stolen out of the lot but was recovered shortly afterwards. A short time later he was going out to lunch and the theif stole it again and drove right past Frank. How is Frank doing these days? I remember he had a tough time keeping his weight down. He would go a week at a time not eating anything, just water!
Don't know how he did it.

 

Johnny V

Cast Iron

Joined

Jan 19, 2005

Location

Mentor, Ohio

• Nov 30, 2007

• #10

He's doing just fine. Retired a couple years ago from Lincoln and does a lot of hunting & Fishing.

 

P

Paul Selfe

Plastic

Joined

Jan 10, 2008

Location

Novelty, Ohio

• Jan 14, 2008

• #11

Giant Sea Monster

Bill, The fellow you are referring to was a guy named Bill Hughes, I worked with him in Slant Bed Assembly. He used to refer to John Martanovic as the "Grand Eagle". He said John used to stand behind the parts rack like he was waiting to pounce on his prey. He was a hilarious SOB.

 

P

Paul Selfe

Plastic

Joined

Jan 10, 2008

Location

Novelty, Ohio

• Jan 14, 2008

• #12

Jim Berkey

Sorry Jim, my message should have been directed to you. Guess I was thinking of the crazy stuff Bill H. used to pull.

 

K

Ken Hlatky

Plastic

Joined

Mar 3, 2005

Location

CLEVELAND, OHIO

• Jan 14, 2008

• #13

Giant Sea Monster

PAUL: I remember you talking about " Hughes", back then, but do not recall him, the excuses remind me of a lot of "sea monsters" you would recall if I would list their names.
KEN H

 

P

Paul Selfe

Plastic

Joined

Jan 10, 2008

Location

Novelty, Ohio

• Jan 14, 2008

• #14

Old memories

Ken: Good to hear from you again, and yes, there were a lot of "sea monsters" in those days. A lot of names popped into my head after reading some of the "threads". Stumbling onto this site (my son found it) brought back a lot of old memories, long forgotten. W&S was a great place to work, and I learned a lot of skills in the years I was there.