Reunion of the Third Ohio Cavalry

On August 24, 1892, Veterans of the Third Ohio Cavalry met at the library building of the Ohio Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home in Sandusky (now the Ohio Veterans Home.) An article in the August 25, 1892 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that General Manning F. Force, commandant of the Home, gave a “short but eloquent” address.

Capt. E. J. Colver thanked General Force, and praised him “for his excellent management of so grand an institution, a noble monument of the great struggle for the perpetuity of the Union.”

Other speakers for the day were John M. Lemmon and P.F. Graham. The Home quartet sang the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” After the morning program about two hundred people, including Veterans and their wives and daughters, had dinner on the porch of the railroad depot, followed by a tour of the grounds of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home.

At 2 p.m. the Veterans met at Cedar Point for a business meeting. An election of officers was held, including Capt. J.B. Luckey as president, Conrad C. Finkbeiner as treasurer, and vice presidents from each of the twelve regiments of the Third Ohio Cavalry. After the business meeting, a camp fire was held at which more addresses were given, interspersed with songs and stories.

Reunions of the Veterans of the Third Ohio Cavalry were held in Sandusky in 1880, 1889 and 1892. Former Second Lieutenant Isaac Skillman donated two ribbons from Annual Reunions of the Third Ohio Cavalry to the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center. Also available at the Sandusky Library Research Center is a microfilmed copy of Isaac Skillman’s personal recollections from his Civil War service with the Ohio Third Cavalry.

Several men who were with the Third Ohio Cavalry are buried in Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery, including Darius E. Livermore, Elisha M. Colver, Isaac Skillman, Leonard Winkler, and Clark Center.

Update: I have recently been informed that there is a new book about Kelleys Island history (Kelleys Island 1862-1865-the Civil War, the Island Soldiers & the Island Queen), which has first-hand accounts from several soldiers who served in the Third Ohio Cavalry. It is not in the library's collections yet, but will be soon.

Letter from Jay Cooke to George R. Butler

On October 25, 1901, Jay Cooke wrote a letter to George R. Butler, owner of a manufacturing firm in Sandusky, Ohio. George R. Butler and Jay Cooke shared grandchildren, since Jay Cooke’s daughter, Sarah Cooke, married John Butler, the son of George R. Butler. In the 1901 letter, Jay Cooke wrote that he caught one hundred fifteen fish at East Sister Island, one hundred of them black bass. He instructs Mr. Butler to give two fish to Elly Kieffer, six fish to I.F. Mack, six fish to George Tollack, and to keep sixteen for himself. The letter was written on stationery from Jay Cooke’s home on Gibraltar Island in Ottawa County, Ohio

Jay Cooke, pictured above in a portrait taken by Philadelphia photographer Frederick Gudekunst, was the son of Sandusky’s first lawyer, Eleutheros Cooke. Born in Sandusky on August 10, 1821, Cooke was well known as a Civil War financier. Several photographs of the Cooke and Butler families can be viewed at Lake Erie’s Yesterdays, a collection of historic photographs from Northwestern Ohio.

The Wedding of Miss Leona Flint and Harry Krawetzki

When this wedding portrait, taken by W. A. Bishop, was given to the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center, only five names were listed on the back. However, an article found in the November 17, 1921 issue of the Sandusky Register has allowed us to identify all the persons in the photograph.

Miss Leona Flint became the bride of Harry Krawetzki on Thursday, November 17, 1921. Rev. Theo. J. C. Stellhorn performed the 4 p.m. ceremony at Zion Lutheran Church. Leona wore a white satin gown with a long tulle veil, and carried a bouquet of roses. Her bridesmaids were her sister Miss Martha Flint, and the sister of the groom, Miss Viola Krawetzki. Miss Eunice Flint served as her sister’s flower girl. The groom’s attendants were Ruel Flint and William Koehler. Clara Schoewe is also in the back row in the picture. At the wedding, Clara sang “Oh Promise Me” to the accompaniment of organist Fred Wiechert. After a wedding dinner at the home of the bride’s parents, the newlyweds took a brief wedding trip, and planned to make their home on Pearl Street in Sandusky.

It is a good idea to identify the individuals in your own family photos, so that future generations will know more about their family heritage.

Hand Tinted Prints by C.W. Platt

Clayton Winfield Platt was the son of prominent Sandusky photographer A.C. Platt. Upon the death of his father in 1883, C.W. Platt took over his photographic gallery at the northeast corner of Columbus Avenue and Water Street. A.C. Platt had a fondness for the natural beauty of the Lake Erie Islands area, according to an article by Merlin D. Wolcott in volume 34 of the Inland Seas. It seems that C.W. Platt also enjoyed capturing scenes of the Lake Erie Islands area.

Several hand tinted matted prints of scenes from the Lake Erie Islands area were donated to the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center by Allene Schnaitter, granddaughter of C. W. Platt.

The print below features the shoreline of Kelleys Island.

The steamer Lakeside is seen out on Lake Erie.

The Marblehead Lighthouse is a favorite destination for visitors and local residents.

A news article in the August 18, 1903 issue of the Sandusky Evening Star reported that C.W. Platt had sold his business to his former employee, C.G. Wildenthaler, due to declining health. C. W. Platt passed away in Cleveland, Ohio on January 4, 1914. He was buried in Oberlin, Ohio.

The Acquittal, presented by the Singara Grotto

On October 22 and 23, 1923 the Singara Grotto presented The Acquittal at the Sandusky Theatre. The George M. Cohan Mystery Drama, written by Rita Weiman, was produced, staged and directed locally by George J. Lehrer. An article in the October 16, 1923 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that in the original Broadway production of The Acquittal George J. Lane was in the cast, under the stage name of Norman Lane.

The character of Madeline Winthrop was played by Maybelle Hinkey. The newspaper article stated that Miss Hinkey was “fully capable of playing this part”….which called for “wonderful repression of the emotions and great power to sustain dramatic situations.” In the play the character of Mr. Winthrop, played by Sam Cunningham was just acquitted of murder. Beryl Starr played the role of Mr. Winthrop’s secretary. Due to popular demand the performance played again on Thursday evening, so more area residents could see this popular play.

Some of the advertisements in the play’s program were interesting. The Sandusky Butter & Egg Company recommended that you could protect your health by drinking Budweiser. The C.S. Garretson Lumber Company featured an ad that said “We would like to C-U-B-A customer of ours.” The letters C-U-B-A represented the phrase see you be a. Hoffman Motor Sales sold Hupmobile vehicles at 801 Hancock Street.

Program Announcement: Early Businesses that are No Longer Around, Part 2

As our needs and desires change, and as technology advances, businesses come and go in response to these changes. Some businesses become obsolete; some just move on to different things. Join Archives Librarian Ron Davidson for a review of a few of the businesses that flourished in the past in Sandusky but are no longer here.

On Saturday, November 20, at 2:00 p.m. we will discuss retail businesses and service companies of the past, including Sandusky’s Big Store, livery companies and other transportation businesses, cigar stores, butcher shops, neighborhood saloons, and others. The program will be held in the Library Program Room. Registration is requested.

Bella Lehman, Woman Candidate for Board of Education

Even though women did not legally get the right to vote until August 26, 1920, on occasion women ran for an elected position. On Tuesday, November 2, 1909, Bella Lehman’s name appeared on the ballot as an independent candidate for the Board of Education of Sandusky City Schools.

Bella Lehman pledged to local parents that she had no partisan principles, and that her interests were in the “welfare of our children and the cause of proper education, under normal, healthful and moral conditions.”

The Sandusky Register of November 3, 1909 listed the winners of the race for School Board as Paul H. Sprow, H. H. Lockwood, Chris J. Strobel, and Lee B. Kellar.

Bella Lehman died in Hollywood, California. An obituary for Mrs. Lehman appeared in the September 22, 1938 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal. Mrs. Lehman had been active in charitable work during the years she spent in Sandusky, giving freely of her time to aid stranded Americans in Germany. She worked towards establishing the Women’s Building and Rest Room Association in Sandusky, and was a member of the Business Women’s Club and the Community Chest. After the death of her husband Henry L. Lehman, Bella moved to Europe and was connected with the U.S. Embassy in Germany. She moved to California in 1929, and lived there until the time of her death in September, 1938. Bella Lehman was survived by three children, Mrs. Jack Zinkand, Mrs. Ralph Freeman, and Henry L. Lehman, Jr., all of California.

See an earlier blog post to read more about Women’s Suffrage in Sandusky.

Dial's Concert Orchestra

Pictured below is the Dial’s Concert Orchestra.

Back: Walter Ely, Charles Trone, William Ely, Edward Senne
Front: Frank Montgomery, Roy Ely, Alex Osterman, William Dials, Charles Schrenk, John Schaub, and Charles Abele

The Dial's Concert Orchestra was made up of all male members. The orchestra played in Sandusky about 1902-1905. Not much is known about this particular group, except that several members also played with other musical groups. Frank Montgomery’s obituary, which is found in the 1929 Obituary Notebook stated that he was the last living member of the Great Western Band at the time of his death. According to a Sandusky Star Journal, Ed Senne had spent much of the summer of 1905 playing in the band and orchestra at the Lakeside resort. The Sandusky Star of June 13, 1904 reported that Walter Ely was member of the Cedar Point Band in 1904. (He had his watch stolen on the steamer Wehrle that summer!)

The Sandusky Library Archives Research Center own two copies of this photograph. One was donated by Norbert Lange, and the other by Robert Frank. If anyone has more information about the Dial’s Concert Orchestra, please leave a message in the Comments field of this blog posting.

Record of Proceedings of the Firelands Historical Society in October, 1895

On October 10, 1895, Rush R. Sloane opened the meeting of the Firelands Historical Society. Mr. Sloane was Vice President of the Society, which met in Sandusky for that particular meeting. Several persons attending the meeting had resided in the Firelands area for fifty years or more, and Judge Sloane asked those individuals to stand. The group sang a “Pioneer Song,” which had been written by General L. V. Bierce, and was sung to the tune of Old Lang Syne. Judge Sloane commented on the great work that the pioneers of the Firelands had done in recording their early history. Judge Sloane said, of the Firelands Pioneer, “I want to say to you that any one who has in his library a bound volume of the Pioneer, published by this Society, has a work of great value.”

The first meeting of the Firelands Historical Society took place in 1857. Each of the thirty-two townships of the Firelands region had chosen two individuals to gather and report the history of their township. Eleutheros Cooke and F.D. Parish were the two individuals chosen to record the history of Sandusky. Parish was also elected to be secretary for the Firelands Historical Society. In the October 10, 1895 proceedings, several individuals discussed historic items that they donated to the Firelands Historical Society. The discussions held by the members of the Firelands Historical Society were recorded in the many volumes of the Firelands Pioneer.

The key speaker at the Fall 1895 meeting of the Society was James M. Richardson, of Cleveland, who was president of the Western Reserve Society of the Sons of the American Revolution. Before he gave a patriotic address, Mr. Richardson stated that the members of the Firelands Historical Society were doing a noble work in preserving the history of the Firelands. He continued, “You are not only a product of civilization, but you are one of its most potential agents; you are architects of fate, working in the walls of time: you are a part of that full force which underlies our nation.”

Several volumes of the Firelands Pioneer are available in the Reference Services area of the Sandusky Library. These include the “Old Series,” the “New Series” and the “Third Series.” There is both a general index to this set of journals, as well as an Obituary Index. Many personal stories, portraits of individuals, chronicles of settlers, and numerous other accounts of the early pioneers of Erie and Huron Counties can be found in this important resource for local history. Artifacts from these early settlers may be viewed at both the Firelands Historical Society Museum in Norwalk, Ohio and the Follett House Museum in Sandusky, Ohio.