Midwest

Bill Knapp's was an American family restaurant chain founded by Clinton B. Knapp in 1948 in Batttlecreek, MI. At its peak it had 60 locations in Michigan, Ohio, Florida, Indiana, and Illinois. The last location closed in 2002.

From 1971 to 1982, Swingos, at the corner of Euclid Avenue and east 18th Street in downtown Cleveland, was the place where rock & roll royalty stayed and partied--- hard. Everyone from Elvis and Led Zeppelin to Cher and Kiss stayed there. Even Frank...

Based in Cleveland, Millbrook Bread was sold throughout the Midwest in the 1970s and 1980s. In the 1990s, it's parent brand opted to go with another name nationwide in an apparent attempt to have a more consistent feel in product offerings.

The Ohio Glory played one season, 1992, in the World League of American Football (WLAF). The team was established to replace the Raleigh-Durham Skyhawks who had gone 0-10 and folded at the end of the 1991 season. After the 1992 campaign, the NFL, who...

Media Play was an attempt by The Musicland Group to compete with so-called big box retailers such as electronics stores Best Buy and Circuit City, who sold CDs at near cost to lure customers in. In addition to music, Media Play also carried books,...

Before the Cincinnati Swords, Stingers, Cyclones, and Mighty Ducks, Cincinnati had the Mohawks. They were a member of the American Hockey League (AHL) from 1949 to 1952, before moving to the International Hockey League (IHL), where they won 5 straight championships. Their home ice was the??Cincinnati...

In 1963, the Omaha Knights of the International Hockey League (IHL) moved to Toledo and became the Blades. In 1970 they became the Hornets. They moved to Lansing, Michigan in 1974 where they spent one season as the Lancers before folding.

The Savoy Grill is part of the historic Savoy Hotel and Grill complex in Kansas City, Missouri and is the oldest continuously operating hotel west of the Mississippi.

The Sheboygan Redwings were members of the Central States Football League from 1964 until 1971.

The Imperial Brewing Company was founded in Kansas City, Missouri in 1902. It's two main offerings were Mayflower and Imperial Seal which it brewed until the mid 1980s when it closed.??

Hooks Bar-B-Que was a Dayton icon located on Gettysburg Avenue. It was known not only for its BBQ, but its awesome cheesesteaks.

To a certain generation of Cleveland baseball fans, it will ALWAYS be The Jake!

Founded in 1912 as Standard Oil of New Jersey after the breakup of the larger Standard Oil corporation, Esso gas stations were found all over the Northeastern United States and parts of the South starting in the 1930s. In 1972, most were re-branded Exxon....

There's no doubt in our mind,??Johnny Bench??is the greatest catcher of all time. In his career, all of it spent with the Reds, he had??2,048,??a .267 career batting average with 389 homers,??and 1,376 RBIs. He is third on the career homeruns list for catchers,...

The Coral Court Motel began welcoming travelers along U.S. Route 66 in Marlborough, MO in 1942. However, when I-44 was completed in the 1960s, the motels fortunes declined. In 1993, after years of neglect, it closed. OS2013

The Big Dipper was the classic coaster at Geauga Lake amusement park. Built in 1925 as the Sky Rocket, it was designed by famous coaster designer John A. Miller. It became the Clipper in 1947 with the name changed to the Big Dipper in...

Just as every major city had at least one horror movie host, they also had a children's show host. In the 1960s, in Cleveland, it was Captain Penny, but for kids growing up in the '70s it was Barnaby portrayed by Linn Sheldon. The...

A mall staple in the 1970s and 1980s, Chess King was founded in 1968 in Boston. At its peak it had over 500 stores. However, it was so closely identified with those two decades, soon into the 1990s it was no longer considered hip.

The Arena Football League was founded in 1986 by Jim Foster, who had gotten the idea from watching a Major Indoor Soccer League game earlier in the decade. After two test games in 1986, the league kicked off in 1987 with four teams travelling...

Crispy golden fries in two minutes was the promise made by MicroMagic, a line of frozen foods that appeared in the late '80s. "Give 'em MicroMagic now," went the jingle.