Conference Presentations& Events
Pre-Conference Activities
DaNite Sign Company Tour
A guided tour of a full-service sign shop involved with a number of
roadside signage programs.
Walking Tour of German Village
A guided tour of one of the premier historic neighborhoods in Columbus.
Signs of Downtown Columbus
A self-guided tour of some of the great signs found in downtown Columbus.
Opening Reception
Wendy's Original Restaurant, Broad Street.
Keynote Address
"White Castle to Wendy's: Why Ohio is a Chain Restaurant Mecca"
Philip Langdon, author of Orange Roofs, Golden Arches: The Architecture
of American Chain Restaurants.
Presentations
"Isaly's Innovations"
Brian Butko, author of Pennsylvania Traveler's Guide: The Lincoln
Highway and a recently completed history of Islay's Dairy, now awaiting
publication. Once based in Mansfield, Ohio, Isaly's is the originator
of the famous Klondike bar.
"Porcelain Enameling in the U.S. - Its
History and Products"
Woodrow Carpenter, ceramic engineer with a 60 year career in all phases
of the enameling industry. Founder of the Enamelist Society, an international
organization (1986).
"America's Castles for America's Food:
The Rise of the White Castle System"
David Gerard Hogan, Associate Professor of American History at Heidelberg
College in Tiffin, Ohio, and author of Sellen 'em by the Sack: White
Cast/e and the Creation of American Food.
"Lustron, the Revolution that Failed"
Dr. Ray Luce, Interim Director of the Historic Preservation, Division
of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. A noted Lustron authority,
Dr. Luce was the Ohio State Historic Preservation Officer for fifteen
years. He helped establish the Lustron archive and inventory at the
Ohio Historical Society.
"Lessons Learned with Prefabricated
Structures: The Lustron Homes at Quantico"
Martin J. Reddy, AlA, architect for the comprehensive renovation of
60 Lustron homes at the U.S. Marine Corps base in Quantico, Virginia,
will discuss the practical aspects of Lustron home repair and restoration.
Lustron Panel Discussion
Moderator: Jim Morrow, Director of the Alt-Steel Historic Home, a Lustron
House Museum (now closed) in Chesterton, Indiana. Conference participants
(especially Lustron owners) are encouraged to bring questions to this
open discussion.
Conference Banquet at the Kahiki
An evening at the Kahiki, "the world's most elaborate Polynesian supper
club." This fabulous 1961 tiki paradise, listed in the National Register
of Historic Places in 1997, was featured in a re-cent issue of the SCA
Journal.
Saturday Bus Tour
This all-day tour featured a visit to the White Castle System
headquarters to view a collection of historical artifacts; several Lustron
homes, including one interior tour; the Longaberger Company's corporate
headquarters, a giant basket-shaped building; and a variety of vintage
motels, tourist cabins, gas stations, and 19th century markers along
the National Road.
SCA gratefully acknowledges contributions from DaNite Sign Company, German Village Society, Jeff and Kristine Kidorf, Wendy's International Inc., The Westin Great Southern Hotel, and White Castle System Inc made in support of this conference.