When can we binge the story of Lawrence "Whitey" Benedict and George the Lion on Netflix? Not in the foreseeable future. So let me tell you about what I learned about Lancaster's very own Lion King... Lawrence Benedict always wanted to own a lion. When Benedict heard the story of George, a playful lion cub that was up for adoption, he made a phone call to the Oklahoma City Zoo Director Warren D. Thomas. George was refused admission to the zoo, because they already had too many lions. George was doing time in an Oklahoma City jail cell for tearing up his previous owner's draperies and upholstered furniture. Fortunately, Benedict was chosen over 2,100 applications and bailed George out of jail for $150. The lion arrived on train a few days later. High Companies furnished a concrete and steel cage which was placed at his new home: the 245 Park Ave Car Wash and Automatic Laundry. Everyone was happy except Mrs. Benedict, who declared with certainty, "I won't feed the lion." The then 65-lb lion cub had quite an appetite, he ate four pounds of horse meat for his first meal. Although the City fathers had rules for pigeons, chickens and dogs, they had overlooked a lion. I wonder if there is a law in the books today.
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Whenever I walked past Park Ave Apartments, I would look at the current building now housing affordable apartments, the warehouse turned into luxury condos, and an often empty parking lot behind. What was there? Now, I have a little more background thanks to Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps dating back to 1886 and a Lancaster New Era clipping from 6 January 1917. In one of the "biggest deals in Lancaster real estate", E.T. Fraim Lock Company purchased the entire row of 14 homes along what was the 200 block of Hamilton to double the capacity of the plant. The new building brought the grand total to 110,000 square feet, increasing production to 16 million locks annually. 600 men worked there. |
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