Chevrolet on East 185th Street: A Look Back

The Chevrolet Lordstown Assembly plant shutting down March 6, 2019, is big news in Ohio and the rest of the country. GM cited cash flow as a reason for shuttering Lordstown and a handful of other locations and throngs of positions.

At around the same time General Motors, along with many other domestic car manufacturers, are eliminating the traditional sedan in favor of the increasingly popular SUV. Chevrolet will blow out 108 candles in November 2019, and for many of those years there were active Chevy dealerships proudly displaying next year's model for all to see on East 185th street in Euclid.

1936 Chevrolet bow tie

McCahan Chevrolet - 473 East 185th Street

Opened around 1933 on what is now a Rite-Aid drug store on the corner of East 185th and Lakeshore Blvd.

They were looking for salesmen in late summer 1933 for the "fastest selling car in the world".

I searched high, low, and every place in between but there's not much left of or about McCahan Chevrolet.

1936

1936

March 1937 - Euclid Village!

1942 Euclid city directory

A real ad! Unfortunately I found no photographic evidence of this dealership.

Perhaps your father purchased his new or used Chevy from McCahan? Or your father's father? Or your father's father's father?

1947 Chevrolet bow tie

D.E. McCahan continued slinging automobiles in Euclid under the McCahan name until 1949, when he was bought out by Ray Whyte.

He turned around and bought out Andy Evans Chevy-Cadillac business in Chardon, Ohio.

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By Christmastime 1949, 473 East 185th street was known as Whyte Chevrolet. Ray Whyte, owner, was also a popular and successful Chevrolet dealer in Detroit, Michigan.

 

Ray Whyte Chevrolet Keychain

Ray was president and Calvin Cutler was his general manager and secretary-treasurer. Cutler worked for Whyte in Detroit and moved with his family to Euclid. Carl Brunner was named sales manager and Clifford Smith remained service manager.

This isn't a bad image, Mr. Cutler was just made of huge pixels in real life

Whyte redecorated and re-equipped the dealership and incorporated a residential pick-up service.

December 1949, reflecting Whyte's ownership

Whyte Chevrolet advertising in Cleveland's Slovenian paper, ENAKOPRAVNOST (translated "Equality") July 1950.

Between then and 1953, the address changes to 543 East 185th Street. In Fall 1953, a young man named Walter E. Jackshaw was promoted to sales manager. Within 2 months, in winter 1953, he would be named general manager by Ray Whyte.

William R. Janes and Albert M. Poklar were to share the position of sales manager with Jackshaw's advancement. Walter Halmagy became truck manager, William Snider service manager, and Edward Jusko used car manager.

Winter 1953 promotions at Whyte Chevrolet

Jackshaw, only 32 years old, was the youngest GM of a Chevrolet agency in the area. He was also a hometown Euclid boy, graduating Euclid Shore High school and participating in numerous Euclid civic activities and organizations. He also served in the United States Air Force during WWII.

At the time of his promotion, he resided with his wife and daughter at 24560 Lakeshore Blvd., now apartments.

The 1954 Euclid directory has a nice line drawing of Whyte Chevrolet! I bet the whole place had that new car smell.

1955 Chevy bow tie

Ray Whyte ran Whyte Chevrolet Co. until late 1956. Guess who bought him out? It was none other than Walter Jackshaw, of course!

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Walter Jackshaw's high school photo. That face!

Walter "Wally" Jackshaw would go on to run Jackshaw Chevrolet (I want my name on a building now) from January 1957 until his death in 1989 and his name would stay all over the branding until 1998.

While it was still Whyte Chevrolet, Jackshaw was poking his head out from behind the scenes and enticing folks to the Chevy dealership with prizes and events.

Included in the festivities were lawn parties every Saturday for children in front of the showrooms, cake and ice cream was served at umbrella-covered tables and a different celebrity guest would make  an appearance every week! Cleveland Indians tickets were awarded to Euclid youths that excelled at athletics, academics, civic or other participation based-activities.

Grown ups were allowed to get in on Jackshaw's fun, too. Whyte Chevy awarded prizes weekly for the 10 most courteous drivers. Prizes were free automotive services such as lube jobs and oil changes.

Space was set aside inside the showrooms for school art shows, industrial and civic displays.

And for that special lady? Mrs. Euclid was open to all married women who reside in Euclid. Mrs. Euclid was run in cooperation with Euclid veterans organizations, who intended to make the event an annual one. Mrs. Euclid's winner received a two-week vacation with the use a brand new Chevrolet and a $200 cash prize.

Florence Knaus handing in her Mrs. Euclid entry

It's clear Jackshaw had a lot of pride and love for Euclid. I remember the Jackshaw name from my childhood, and searching for remnants and pieces of Jackshaw on the internet, a lot of people ordered a very special car from Jackshaw directly. It's nice to see that many people fondly remembering picking up their brand new Corvettes so many years ago.

1956 brought with it some new appointments within the company. Jackshaw was, of course, president. He made his brother Stephen A. Jackshaw vice-president and general manager. Stephen Jackshaw had experience general managing (and vice-president...ing) in a clothing environment in Detroit, Michigan. At this time, both brothers and wives all lived together at 23930 Effingham Blvd., Euclid.

Stephen A. and Walter E. Jackshaw

Albert Poklar remained sales manager and lived right next door to his bosses, at 23950 Effingham Blvd., Euclid. Yikes ok.

Named service manager was William Janes who lived with his family at 377 East 214th St., Euclid.

A new used car manager named Robert Schultz was appointed. He lived in Willowick so you know, good for him. He was actually used car manager at Whyte then went to Milt Miller Dodge before rejoining the crew at Jackshaw in Euclid.

Jackshaw Chevrolet Euclid dealership 1957

1961

1962

1964

A Thanksgiving 1966 ad shows the whole staff and an illustrated caricature of Jackshaw, aka "Mr. Chevy".

Listed are Gene Pringle, Tony Demarco, Bill Ruckstuhl (with a big Dodge sign in the background), Ben Yessler, Eli Malbasa, Bob Stahl, Gary Pringle, Harold Petsche, Chuck Rates, Mickey Budan, Al Stoffer, A. Poklar, Casey Latek, Neale Grove, Bill Janes, Joe Petsche, Pat O'Patrny, Angelo Trombetta, Frank Demell, and Noel Barber.

1969 Chevy bow tie

1969 new car manager Ken Cichra.

1974 Chevy bow tie

For what the earlier dealerships lacked in advertising and coverage Jackshaw more than makes up for, with almost 5,000 mentions in the Cleveland Plain Dealer alone.

1982 Chevy bow tie

And they operated for decades. When you consider that Jackshaw was eventually dealing in 1989 Geo's, it really puts the longevity into perspective.

While in the early 1990's Stephen Jackshaw was president, the company's civic-mindedness still showed. The company helped found the annual E. 185th St. Festival along with Tony Petkovsek, Slovenian radio announcer, and Carl Bork, veteran merchant.

1995 Chevy bow tie

 Walter Jackshaw died in 1989. Stephen Jackshaw died in 1996.

"Dyno Don" Nicholson's Jackshaw Chevy Impala. Photo by Robert Genat.

Jackshaw keychain

Jackshaw Chevy called it quits in 1998. But what a run and what a lasting reputation they had on car lovers the country over.

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In 1998 Lakeshore Chevy moved in to 543 East 185th street.

In 2001, a dipshit named Jason Caldwell from Willowick stole a 1999 Grand Am (I kid you not) and when he was caught by police, reversed it and tried to run them over. He was unsuccessful at killing the officers, but did almost plunge to his own death. He was a mere 15 feet away from a massive drop at the end of a cliff.

At Lakeshore Chevrolet, this genius broke a plate glass window, drove through a closed garage dealership door, hit a chain link fence gate and also left a hole in the brick dealership. Mr. Thinking Cap was spotted only a few blocks away with a blown out tire and a damaged front end being dead giveaways. They caught him and he went into the pokey. Haha.

2004 Chevy bow tie

Now Lakeshore Chevy itself was a bit, um... run down, if memory serves.

It closed in 2008. But so did a lot of things. They cited an inability to pay back GMAC loans on the new cars sitting on the Lakeshore lot. The owner claimed that just 2 years prior business had been very good. There was talk of Lakeshore relocating to a different location previously, but it was difficult for "territorial" reasons with other GM dealerships.

Me-ow.

So I suppose they did the next best thing and shut down the whole thing. The existing inventory was auctioned off to other Chevrolet dealers.

The shiny Chevy's may have been gone, but the remaining structures, now old, were quickly deemed an eyesore, and really, they were. The city acquired the buildings, behind on taxes of course, through foreclosure. They were purchased in 2014. They were demolished soon after.

2013 Chevy bow tie

It's nice to see anything but a tired, boarded up used-to-be.

Here's a shot of the brick building across the street at 536 East 185th in August 2018.

Lastly, here's a comparison of 185 in the 80's versus a few years after Lakeshore closed up shop. The structure to the right is the empty lot pictured above. I know cities loathe, hate, mash and destroy big obnoxious signs, but I gotta admit, I kind of miss them and all their garishness.

I'd LOVE you to share any memories or photos or items you have from McCahan, Whyte, Jackshaw, or Lakeshore Chevrolet.