Miss Olive Logan’s Lecture in Sandusky

Miss Olive Logan gave a lecture on “Girls!” on February 25, 1870 at Fisher’s Hall in Sandusky, at the northwest corner of Wayne and Water Streets. The lecture was sponsored by the Van Tine Business College of Sandusky, also known as the Buckeye and Great Western Business College. Olive Logan was the daughter of actor Cornelius Logan. She was an actress, journalist, and author, and she was popular as a lecturer in the latter half of the nineteenth century.

Six types of girls were the subject of Miss Logan’s lecture. The November 18, 1869 issue of the New York Times featured a story about Olive Logan’s lecture on “Girls.” Speaking of the Yankee and Western girls, Olive stated: “The Yankee girl has strong opinions, and expresses them too. She has also a keen sense of humor. The Western girl is nothing but the Yankee girl let loose.”  Olive said that her favorite of all girls was the strong-minded girl, who “believes in the power of the ballot.” She concluded her lecture by mentioning her trip to England where she saw women performing vile songs and indecent dances. She encouraged her listeners to have “courage for the right.” Sadly, Olive Logan suffered from mental illness in her later years.  She was almost destitute at the time of her death in 1909 in England.

The building formerly known as Fisher’s Hall is now located at 163-165 East Water Street in Sandusky. Ellie Damm wrote in Treasure by the Bay, that John Fisher built this structure in 1866. The first floor was used as an express office for the railroad, and a theater was located on the second floor. Historical newspaper articles report that Fisher’s Hall was renovated in the 1930’s, and many wrestling matches were held here. Former  Follett House Museum curator and local historian Helen Hansen took the photograph below in 1991.