West Park Historical Society in Cleveland, Ohio

08/27/2026

08/26/2026

A Life In West Park: An interview with Carol Thomas

For Carol Thomas, childhood in West Park meant the streets could be her playground.
“We’d play baseball in the street” she remembers. And when winter came the streets themselves could become skating rinks where water was allowed to freeze over the pavement and neighborhood children would strap on their skates and play hockey.

There were plenty of places for children to play. These were new developments, after all, so there were still numerous empty lots in the neighborhood, and a large open area near West 130th Street and Lorain Avenue served as a makeshift baseball field. Front porches were gathering places. Jefferson Park became an even fancier ice rink in winter.
It’s a West Park that one would barely recognize, today.
Carol Ann Neiger Thomas was born at Lakewood Hospital on November 4th, 1939. Her family's connection to West Park went back another generation. Her grandparents moved to West 135th Street in 1927, near San Diego Avenue, and Carol's father grew up in the neighborhood. Carol spent part of her early childhood on Ralph Avenue before returning to West135th around the fourth grade, when her family moved in with her grandparents.
Her father, William, spent approximately 35 years working for the Nickel Plate Railroad, eventually as a yardmaster. Her mother, Julia, was a homemaker. Extended family was an important part of Carol's childhood. Relatives came from Norwalk and Akron on old state and national routes, long before the interstates were built, and family gatherings could be large.
"Nothing like having 25 people for a Christmas dinner," she remembers.
Carol's father had watched West Park itself grow. She recalls him telling her that, as a young man, he helped with the move from the old John Marshall High School on Lorain and W. 152nd St. to the newer building on W. 140th. At the time, much of the surrounding land was still open.
That openness became one of the defining features of Carol's childhood.
Children played baseball and tag wherever they could find space. Walking was her main mode of travel. Carol remembers the paper-and-rags man making his rounds and the ice man delivering blocks of ice because her grandmother still used an icebox.
For the neighborhood children, an ice delivery brought a small treat. "I remember him bringing ice," Carol says. "He'd give us ice scraps off the truck.”
She was a small child during World War II and remembers blackouts in West Park. Her grandfather served as an air-raid warden, going through the neighborhood to make sure residents had their lights concealed and curtains closed. Carol was young enough that she didn't fully understand the war. She understood enough, however, to be frightened. Every time she heard an airplane overhead, she wondered if it might be coming to bomb them.
After the war, the neighborhood continued to grow and change.
One of Carol's favorite childhood baseball fields was the open land around West 130th and Lorain. Eventually the children lost it to development. A shopping center went up.
"We were very upset when they put that in there," Carol remembers.
Stores including Fisher Foods and Kroger arrived, along with Society Bank, Red Robin and Davis Bakery. The children had lost their play space.
Carol admits that her opinion changed as she got older. Having shops nearby became considerably more attractive than having another baseball field.
Before the era of large shopping centers, Carol remembers Bradnan's, a neighborhood store where families bought meat, vegetables and other groceries. Customers could buy on credit and settle their accounts at the end of the month. The Bradnan family also owned a bowling alley at Southland and a roller skating facility on Brookpark Rd.
Carol remembers walking to the Variety and Lyric theaters and occasionally going to the Riverside in the opposite direction. Her grandmother sometimes took Carol and her sister to the Variety for "bank nights," when moviegoers had a chance to win prizes before the feature began.
For trips downtown, there was the streetcar on Lorain Avenue.
Then a remarkable new form of entertainment arrived directly in Carol's house. Her grandparents won a television. It was the first television on their street. Suddenly, Carol's house became the place to be. Her friends would come over just to watch the test pattern.
Another institution running through Carol's memories is Christ United Methodist Church at West 138th Street and Lorain Avenue. Her grandparents joined the church in 1927. Carol remembers being told that the congregation's early home was little more than a basement before the large stone church was constructed.
Nearly a century after her grandparents joined, Carol still considers it her church.
John Marshall High School is a part of several generations. Carol attended the school, as had her father, and her own children later went there. Her father's diploma eventually became part of the collection of the West Park Historical Society.
Carol herself left John Marshall during her senior year when she married at 18, something far more common for young women of her generation than it would be today.
Her working years provide another glimpse of local history. As a teenager she worked at Abers Dry Cleaners. For a short time she worked in a candy shop inside the old Cleveland Hotel on Public Square. Later came jobs at an Open Pantry on West 130th and Tony's Diner on West 117th.
Through it all, West Park remained the center of gravity.
Carol eventually raised a family whose roots in the area continued into new generations. Asked what she is most proud of, she doesn't mention a place, a job or an accomplishment.
"My kids and grandkids and now great-grandkids," she says.
She has six great-grandchildren. Two of her grandsons became Cleveland firefighters.
Carol’s memories are that of the little things in life, a block of ice arriving at the house, a street frozen for hockey, a movie at the Variety, candy from Bradnan’s, the hypnotizing glow of a black and white TV. Quaint memories amidst the growth of a city all around her.
Asked near the end of the interview what she would want future generations to know about being raised on Cleveland's West Side, Carol's answer was simple.
"I thought it was a great place to grow up”, she stated.
More than eight decades later, she still calls West Park home.

Send a message to learn more

08/11/2026

If you missed the memorial service, last week, to the four Cleveland firefighters who lost their lives on August 4, 1966 we just posted the complete ceremony on our YouTube channel.

Created by Cameron Drozdz ([email protected])West Park Historica...

08/05/2026

07/16/2026

This is the last in a series of three articles about four fireman serving at West Park Fire Station 33 on West 117th, who lost their lives in a fire on August 4, 1966.

By Julieanne Appleson Phillips, WPHS

*************
The West Park Historical Society is hosting a 60 Year Commemoration Ceremony, honoring these four neighborhood firefighters from local West Park Fire Station 33 on West 117' Street who made the ultimate sacrifice six decades ago. Eight others were injured in the blast, one of the worst fire disasters in Cleveland fire history.

This public event will take place on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 4:00 P.M. at 9801 Walford Avenue, Cleveland OH 44102, at the memorial on the corner of West Boulevard and Walford Avenue, the location of the fire. Look for CFD firetrucks.

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“When Duty Calls: CHARLES G DOEHNER, JOSEPH G. TOOLIS, JOHN A. PETZ, and RALPH E. SIMON Face Their Final Fire” The Families

CHARLES DOEHNER

She was doing the laundry when she got the phone call.

It was her father-in-law, asking Mrs. Charles Doehner if she had heard there was a big fire on the West Side and some firemen were hurt.

And she began to worry the way a fireman's wife always worries, despite the fact that she tells herself that her husband will be home, on time as usual.

Only yesterday, fireman Charles Doehner didn't come home. “I looked out of the window and saw the Fire Department car pull up in front of the house,” Mrs. Doehner said.

“And I knew something was wrong. Terribly wrong."

Firemen took Mrs. Doehner to St. John Hospital and there a doctor told her that her husband was dead.

Meanwhile, Eric Doehner, 5, and Jeffery, 3, were playing at the home of a neighbor, Mrs. Emery Strah, 4156 W. 160th St.

Mrs. Strah knew, but hadn't told the children. “But a fireman came," Mrs. Strah said, “and he sat down on the floor with the children and told them."

There were two more people who had to know. Otto Doehner retired after 43 years as a fireman. He and his wife lived around the corner from their son's home. Doehner has a heart condition, and his wife recently suffered a stroke. When they heard the news they had to be taken to Berea Hospital.

Now the words had all been said.
"Your son is dead."
“Your father is dead.
“Your hushand Is dead.”

JOSEPH TOOLIS

"What are we going to do?" the female voice cried.

"What are we going to do?" Her plea echoed outside the neat, brick, and frame home of fireman Joseph G. Toolis in Westlake. The driveway was jammed with relatives outside. His brother, Jack, also a fireman.

A neighbor remarked that Toolis had built the home about seven years ago. Many things still had to be finished.

“He took the kids to Cedar Point on Tuesday, the neighbor said. “And he brought his son and wife home on Wednesday from St. John Hospital."

Toolis left for work yesterday morning in bright spirits. He returned to work yesterday after two days off. His wife had given birth to their fifth child.

Toolis passed out ci**rs to fellow firemen, and then his squad was called to the fire.

JOHN PETZ

Fireman John A. Petz
was described by neighbor as “a very nice man." His modest home was on a tree-lined street. Petz and his wife had five children.

"John always called home at about 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m.," Mrs John Petz said. When he didn’t call by 12:30, I called the engine house and didn't get an answer. So I knew both companies must be out on a fire."

She turned on the radio, heard there had been four firemen killed. “And I knew it was John," she said, shaking with sobs.

“Then I heard all the families had been notifed and I hadn't been so l thought maybe there was some hope - but then I saw the two cars pull up in front so I knew I had been right.”

“They have no father," she blurted out, grief seizing her face. She pounded the table with her hand, jarring the coffee cups. "That lousy small pay they get. He had to work another job and he couldn't spend the time he wanted to with his children. He was such a hardworking man."

She cried for awhile, head down. Then she looked up.
"I have to cry now. I can't cry when the children are up. When they're up I'll be a mother, but right now I'm John Petz's wife”

RALPH SIMON

Simon had a son, Douglas age 23, and a daughter Mrs. Sandra Goldwater, age 26.

"He never talked about quitting." said his son "in fact, he was always trying to get me to be a fireman." Douglas added: "I thought about being a fireman, but I didn't think it was worth it. Today, I know it wasn't worth it."

***********
Findings: An investigation later revealed that the fire was started when sparks from a workman's torch ignited metal dust.

Plant employees then attempted to fight the fire, resulting in a 30-minute delay in notifying the fire department.

The fire was relatively small, however on a landing 50 feet overhead were the four firemen when burning aluminum powder exploded killing them.

The explosion occurred about 45 minutes after the arrival of firefighters.

80 firemen manning 14 pieces of equipment were needed to battle the blaze

********
The Bluecoats, Inc., serving families of fallen Cuyahoga County safety officers, made immediate contributions to the families and continued steps for the future comfort and well-being of the families.

“John Didn’t Call and Then I Knew”
Aug 5, 1966, CP

“This Time He Didn’t come Home”
Aug 5, 1966, CP

“12 Children Fatherless in 4 Grieving Homes”
Donald Sabath
Aug 5, 1966,

“Welder’s Torch Spark Blamed for Fire, Blast that Killed Four”
Wally Guenther
Aug 7, 1966, CP

07/15/2026

This is the second article in a series about four fireman serving at West Park Fire Station 33 on West 117th, who lost their lives in a fire on August 4, 1966.

By Julieanne Appleson Phillips, WPHS
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“When Duty Calls: CHARLES G DOEHNER, JOSEPH G. TOOLIS, JOHN A. PETZ, and RALPH E. SIMON Face Their Final Fire” Part II- The Funerals

It was said in so many ways

In spoken words..
In tears and sobs.
In silent, military salutes.

But it all added up to a grateful community's tribute to four city firemen who gave their lives protecting the property of others.

The four men who died August 4, 1966 in an explosion during the fire at Metallurgical Inc., 9801 Walford Ave., were buried on August 8.

More than 300 city firemen - many of them off-duty or on vacation-gathered at Engine Co. 33, at W. 117th and Linnet Ave. at 8:30 a.m. to begin a day of tribute and of sorrow.

Fireman Thomas Bagne
28, the "rookie"of Rescue Squad Two, was among them.

"One of the lucky ones," Bagnell said. He had gone to the fire with co workers Charles G. Doehner,
38; John G Petz, 42;
Lt. William Ruddy and Firemen Francis Rooney and Richard Kutz.

Doehner and Petz did
not come back from that run. Ruddy was badly burned and hospitalized.

Two other men who worked out of that station, Joseph G. Toolis, 43, and Ralph E. Simon, 52, also were killed.

The firemen divided into three groups to attend the morning funerals of Petz, Doehner and Toolis. Most of them also went to Simon's funeral in the afternoon.

Outside the Corrigan Funeral Home, W. 148th St. and Lorain Ave., the firemen, flanked by the white-gloved, flag-bearing Fire Department Drill Team, stood motionless as the caskets of Petz and Doehner were carried out.

At Our Lady of Angels
Church, the men in blue again lined up as the silver casket, followed by grieving relatives and friends, was taken into the church.

Similar solemn processions were formed at St. Patrick Catholic Church (for Doeh-
ner), St. Bernadette Catholic Church (for Toolis) and Schuster Funeral Home (for Simon).

Doehner, Petz, Toolis were buried in Holy Cross Cemetery and Simon at Crown Hill, Twinsburg, OH.

Back at Engine Co. 33, an
American flag flapped at half-staff below an overcast sky, and four firemen, transferred from other stations, took their new posts.

Bluecoats Inc. presented
$1000 checks to each family and promised to continue its aid to the wives and children

Sources-
“Services To Be Held For Four Who Died on Duty” Aug 6, 1966, CP

“Final Honors for Four Fire Heroes”
Aug 8, 1966, CP

Next: The Families

07/14/2026

This is the first article in a series about four fireman serving at West Park Fire Station 33 on West 117th, who lost their lives in a fire on August 4, 1966.

By Julieanne Appleson Phillips, WPHS
************************

“When Duty Calls: CHARLES G DOEHNER, JOSEPH G. TOOLIS, JOHN A. PETZ, and RALPH E. SIMON Face Their Final Fire”

“The example of these men leaves as a heritage the ideal of social service that eventually all society must be imbued with if man is to reach his fullest stature and society is to live in peace with God and itself."

The Rev. Fr. Henry Freiburg, pastor of Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church, officiating at the funeral of John G. Petz.
August 6, 1966
CLEVELAND PRESS

It was nearing noon...•

At Engine House No. 33, home of the Third Battalion at W. 117th St. and Linnet Ave., the air was filled with the aroma of liver and onions sizzling in a big frying pan.

Firemen were busy at their daily tasks scrubbing walls, polishing the already brilliant red fire trucks, glancing enviously at children splashing in Halloran Pool next door as the 11:45 a.m. sun heated up the day.

Suddenly the alarm bell clanged....

Less than a mile away at Metallurgical Inc. 10 men were at work in the plant which makes manganese and aluminum brickettes to be used in the manufacture of alloy steel.

At the top of the building a construction crew of four were using a welder to erect a second large aluminum dust collector.

The one in use - 18 feet high and perhaps a dozen feet wide-gathered the aluminum dust from the brickette-making process by a vacuum system and had to be emptied about every 10 days. It had been emptied about a week before.

“To the best of our knowledge the fire started in the aluminum dust in the bin from a spark of the welding torch," said Les Gicei, plant superintendent.

Assistant Fire Chief David Grant agreed. “It seemed a routine fire, nothing big.

The four who died, along with Lt. William M. Ruddy, 50, of 4052 W. 166th St., were up on a catwalk, playing water on the burning dust, cooling it down.

Twenty feet back from the blaze Firemen Richard Kutz, 40, and Tom Bagnell, 28, also were manning fire hoses.
"I was engulfed in a ball of fire," Kutz said. "Tom and I ran for the door, then we stopped. We both knew the others needed help but we couldn't get back to them through the heat and flames."

Fireman John Monyak, 39, who helped carry out the bodies of his friends, was another witness to the stunning tragedy.

Their hearts heavy, the firemen doggedly fought the blaze and put it out. Damage to the building and contents was estimated at $75,000.

Ironically, as they were finishing their work, word came from Washington that the Economic Development Administration had approved a $720,000 loan to the Walford Industrial Park, where Metallurgical is located, for renovation and expansion of the property.

Confined at St. John Hospital were Ruddy and Fireman Brendan J. Kehoe, 50, both in good condition despite their burns.

Six other firemen were treated at the hospital for burns or injuries and re-leased. They were:
Battalion Chief Edward J. Tuhacek, 50; Assistant Fire Chief James W. Michaels, 52; Firemen James E. Talzrow, 46; Richard W. Miller, 27; Fred Carque, 43, and William C Blynn, 35.

This incident remains one of the worst single-day tragedies in the history of the Cleveland Division of Fire.

Sources:

“Welder's Torch Spark Blamed for Fire, Blast That Killed Four”
Wally Gunther
Aug 5, 1966, CP

“Explosion Kills 4 Fireman”
Thomas J Monahan
Aug 5, 1966, PD

“4 Firemen Die, 8 Hurt in Blast, Fire”
Aug 6, 1966, CP

“Final Honors for Four Fire Heroes”
Aug 8, 1966, CP

Next article:
The funerals.

07/13/2026

Sixty years ago, four firefighters from our own West Park Station 33 gave their lives in the line of duty while protecting our community. On Tuesday, August 4, at 4:00 PM, please join the West Park Historical Society, Cleveland firefighters, surviving family members, and neighbors as we honor their sacrifice with a special memorial ceremony featuring a Cleveland Fire bagpiper and wreath-laying. Together, we can ensure these West Park heroes are never forgotten.

What: 60th Anniversary Line-of-Duty Death Memorial Service.

When: Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 4:00 PM
(Rain or shine umbrella weather; canceled only for severe weather/lightning.)

Where: 9801 Walford Ave, Cleveland, OH 44102.
(Look for CFD firetrucks.)

07/12/2026

Ellie Mapson, Jr. (November 29. 1937 - August 4. 2022) was a dedicated life-long West Park resident who worked tirelessly to make his community a better place through community action, outreach programs, local history, and goodwill in all aspects of our society.

Ellie was a 1956 graduate of John Marshall High School and was inducted into the John Marshall High School Alumni Hall of Fame in 2007

He was a member of the first commercial arts class in the Cleveland Schools. After graduation from JMH, he enrolled in the Cleveland Institute of Art and then transferred to the Cooper School of Art. After graduating from college in 1959, Ellie worked at American Greetings in the Graphic Arts area.

Ellie volunteered tirelessly in West Park in a variety of areas to improve our society. He served as the first African American President of the West Park Kiwanis and the West Park Community Council, and was a long-time member of the Second Calvary Baptist Church.

Ellie also was an organizer of the West Park baseball leagues, and founding member of the West Park Historical Society.

He became the first African American to run for Cleveland City Council in a seat located west of the Cuyahoga River. He finished second out of five candidates.

Ellie left his generous spirt on so many aspects of our West Park life. It was an honor to have him in our community. His presence is missed

Ellie was also honored in the US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES for his West Park community devotion.

HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH
OF OHIO
IN THE US HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Wednesday, September 28, 2005

Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor and recognition of Ellie Mapson, Jr., community leader, activist, artist, dedicated family man and friend and mentor to many, as he is being honored by the West Park Community Coalition, Inc., for his grace, focus and tireless efforts in raising our Westside community into the light of possibility for everyone.

Mr. Mapson’s steadfast commitment to his community mirrors his unwavering focus on family and faith. Mr. Mapson’s wife of 47 years, Maggie, their children, Daryl, Kimberly and Dana; the loving memory of David; and their four grandchildren remain central to his life.

Mr. Mapson and his family are long-time members of the Second Calvary Baptist Church and the West Park Community Coalition, where he also serves on the Board of Directors. Mr. Mapson has devoted countless hours at his church as layman, program vice-president, past chairman of the board and Sunday school teacher. He also led the effort to develop a college scholarship program for member families.

Mr. Mapson is known as a local historian and ironically, his own life became part of Cleveland history. In 1972, Ellie Mapson Jr. became the first African American to run for Cleveland City Council in a seat located west of the Cuyahoga River. He finished second out of five candidates. He went on to serve as president of the predominantly white West Park Community Council, and he was also the first African American member of the West Park Kiwanis Club and eventually served as its president.

Mr. Speaker and colleagues, please join me in honor and recognition of Ellie Mapson, Jr., whose integrity, warmth, faith and concern for others continues to pave the way for strength and renewal throughout our Westside community. Mr. Mapson's professional talents and spirit of volunteerism have fortified all aspects of the West Park Community Coalition, Inc. and the Second Calvary Baptist Church. His activism on behalf of our entire community offers light, hope and the promise of a better day for people of the l Westside, and for our entire Cleveland community