Columbus Avenue in 1959

Columbus Avenue, as seen from the Cedar Point dock, is the view in this postcard, created by George Canalos, Inc. about 1959.  Businesses on the east side of the 100 block of Columbus Avenue include the Sunset Restaurant, Sherwin Williams Paints, the Amvets, Western Union, and Smith’s Drugstore. On the west side of Columbus Avenue, the James Cagney movie Never Steal Anything Small was playing at the State Theatre. Gray’s Drugs, the J.C. Penney store, and the LaSalle’s store are also visible in the postcard as you look past the State Theatre towards the south.  Note the vintage mailbox and automobiles.

Program Announcement: Cemetery Walk - Civil War Heroes, Part II - The North Ridge

Sorry, we forgot to announce in time for the first date, but there are still two seesions available, Thursday and Saturday. Sign up now!

Thursday, September 27, at 10:00 a.m.

Saturday, September 29, at 10:00 a.m.

Join Museum Administrator Maggie Marconi at Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery as we continue to examine the roles played by Sanduskians during the Civil War. This year we will explore the North Ridge of the cemetery. As this is a walking tour, please wear appropriate shoes and outerwear and be prepared to stand or walk for at least an hour. Registration is required; call 419-625-3834.

Sandusky’s Big Store March and Two Step

In the first decade of the twentieth century George Godfrey composed a march and two step in honor of Sandusky’s Big Store. The Big Store was located on East Market Street in downtown Sandusky. In 1882 Carl L. Engels was engaged in the dry goods business with Mr. Hasselbach. Later C.L. Engels became the sole proprietor of the business, and it was known as the C.L. Engels Company.

The C.L. Engels Company eventually became known as Sandusky’s Big Store. An advertisement in the September 18, 1903 issue of the Sandusky Register featured an advertisement for Sandusky’s Big Store. Above an image of the Big Store were the words: “The Heart of Sandusky.” In 1908 Mr. Engels disposed of his controlling interests in the store, and by 1910, the Herb & Myers Company bought out Sandusky’s Big Store.

George Godfrey was a Sandusky businessman and an accomplished musician. He was a member of the Great Western Band for many years. In the spring of 1902, Mr. Godfrey conducted a series of free concerts at the Big Store. Mr. Godfrey’s musical composition entitled Sandusky’s Big Store was published by the C.L. Engels Company in Sandusky, Ohio.

For a time Mr. Godfrey’s wife, Mary Schields Godfrey, sold hats at Sandusky’s Big Store.

Sandusky City Loan Baseball Team, 1941 Tournament Champs

On April 30, 1941, Wallace Deffenbaugh, manager of the City Loan Company in Sandusky, announced that City Loan would sponsor the former Clover Leaf Dairy baseball club of the Northern Ohio League. Edwin Sprau would serve as the business manager of the team. Games were to be played at the baseball diamond at the Ohio Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home. For seventeen years, the baseball team had been sponsored by the Clover Leaf Dairy.

An article in the September 22, 1941 issue of the Sandusky Register Star News reported that the Sandusky City Loan team won the city Class A tournament championship game played on Sunday, September 21, 1941 at Battery Park. City Loan beat the Soldiers’ Home players 8 to 4, and then won the final game against the Farrell-Cheek Foundry Team by a score of 11-5. The final game had to be ended in the seventh inning on account of darkness.

You can read a play by play account of the championship games played at Battery Park on September 21, 1941 in the Sandusky Register Star News of September 22, 1941, available on microfilm at the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center.

Mrs. Jane E. Castle’s Lecture Series at Carnegie Hall

From Monday September 20 to Friday, September 24, 1926, Mrs. Jane E. Castle gave a series of free lectures at Carnegie Hall in the Sandusky Library.

Mrs. Castle was known as the “Wonder Woman” and “The Radiant Psychologist.” Her lectures and demonstrations dealt with “Auto Science,” a system of mind-power, based on the teachings of Dr. Ernest C. Feyrer. She also demonstrated a character analysis of individuals, and read with success the leading characteristics of the participants. Some of the topics of Mrs. Castle’s lectures were: “The Power Within,” “Perfect Health and How to Create it,” “Your Mental Wireless,” and “The Power of Suggestion and Healing.” The Sandusky Star Journal of September 21, 1926, reported that Mrs. Castle was “abounding in vitality and enthusiasm," and "a woman of great magnetic power." One of her main premises was that the subconscious mind within each individual had the ability to stimulate latent power, to produce success in any line. Mrs. Castle also sang several vocal solos, accompanied on the piano by Mrs. Marguerite Palmer. From 1926 through 1929 Mrs. Jane E. Castle gave free lectures throughout the Midwestern United States. She was so well received in Sandusky that she visited the city again in 1927, when she gave lectures at the Women’s Building.

Marriage of Annette Kuebeler and William Dehnel

On September 18, 1894, the only daughter of Mr. and Mrs. August Kuebeler, Annette, married William Dehnel, the son of Sandusky jeweler Henry Dehnel.

An undated Sandusky Register article on file in the biographical files of the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center, reported that the couple was married at the Tiffin Avenue home of Mr. and Mrs. August Kuebeler. August Kuebeler and his brother Jacob Kuebeler were associated with the Kuebeler Brewing and Malting Company. The Kuebeler brewery was one of the largest businesses in the city, and later became part of the Cleveland and Sandusky Brewing Company.

August and Jacob Kuebeler built identical homes on Tiffin Avenue. (You can see one of the homes in the image above.) The August Kuebeler home, now privately owned, still stands at 1319 Tiffin Avenue.

The wedding was officiated by the Rev. A. H. Dornbirer. The ceremony took place “in the presence of the immediate families of the high contracting parties.” After the ceremony, the newlyweds took a trip to New York City and Niagara Falls. The article about the Kuebeler-Dehnel marriage concluded with, “Mr. William A. Dehnel is a highly respected young business man, and his bride is a young lady whose excellent personal qualities have endeared her to a host of friends, all of whom will extend hearty wishes for the future welfare of the newly married couple.

William A. Dehnel passed away at his home at 1319 Tiffin Avenue on November 22, 1931. His funeral was held at his home on November 24, 1931, and burial was at Oakland Cemetery.  Mrs. Annette Dehnel died on June 19, 1952, and she was buried in Oakland Cemetery. At the time of her death in 1952, Mrs. Annette Kuebeler Dehnel had been residing with her daughter Lucile Dehnel Burch.

Memorial Ribbons in Honor of President McKinley

Author and local historian Hewson L. Peeke donated two memorial ribbons which had been issued in honor of President William McKinley, who died on September 14, 1901, after having been shot by Leon Czolgosz on September 6, 1901. The body of William McKinley lay in state in Buffalo, New York and at the White House in the nation’s capital before being returned to Canton, Ohio for funeral services and burial. In Sandusky impressive funeral services were held at the Opera House on Thursday, September 19, 1901. A Masonic parade took place in downtown Sandusky, while businesses closed out of respect for the deceased President. Many government offices and places of business were decorated with patriotic and mourning bunting.

Speakers at the Sandusky Opera House memorial service in honor of President McKinley included Judge Charles Reed, Mayor J. J. Molter, T.W. Bookmyer, E.B. King, H.M. Linn, John T. Mack, Theodore Alvord, the Rev. Clement G. Martin, and the Rev. Winfield Baer. Hymns sung at the service were “Nearer My God to Thee” and “Lead Kindly Light.” Thousands of individuals also attended the funeral in Canton, Ohio. The entire National Guard of Ohio was mobilized to participate in the funeral, including Company B of the Sixth Regiment, Ohio National Guard, of Sandusky, under the command of Captain C. B. Wilcox.

Two years after the death of President William McKinley, a statue of the former President was unveiled in front of the Lucas County Courthouse in Toledo, Ohio. 26,000 residents of Toledo raised funds for the statue through subscriptions. According to an article in the September 15, 1903 issue of the Sandusky Register, the men of Company B of the Sixth Regiment, Ohio National Guard, from Sandusky were present at the unveiling of the monument on September 14, 1903.

The Battle of Lake Erie Centennial

In the summer of 1913 the people of Sandusky came together to celebrate the centennial of the Battle of Lake Erie. The celebration went on for weeks and included a flight demonstration, shooting matches at Camp Perry, a parade, and a multitude of other activities. The town was visited by historic ships, and decorated in style. The celebration was also attended by many dignitaries of the day. The celebration included moving the graves of the sailors killed in the battle.

In the weeks leading up to the celebration multiple notices were put in the newspaper. The first was a request that flags be flown at half mast for the centennial in remembrance of those who died. Also, the Library Association put out a call in the newspaper for people to donate War relics for displays and collections. At the beginning of September a notice was put in the Register for boys to come help string lights up along the parade route.

Oneof the earliest events was on August 30th, when power boat races were held. On August 31st some of the more prominent attendees were announced. President Taft came and stayed a few days and also gave a speech on September 10th at Put in Bay. The governors from Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Michigan attended. A doctor from Toronto, staff from the U.S. Navy, as well as ambassadors, judges, the Daughters of the American Revolution, and the Daughters of the War of 1812 also were there. On September 7th it was announced that people from the Camp Perry training center would be attending the festivities.

The flagship Niagara arrived in Sandusky on September 8th. The ship was raised and rebuilt for the centennial; the Navy had sunk the ship, as well as many others, after the war ended.

Also on the 8th was a parade along the streets of Sandusky. The people of the city decorated the parade route and came out in style to watch. The library has multiple photos of the event. On the 9th a small craft boat parade occurred in the harbor which was followed by fireworks. The next day President Taft spoke at Put-in-Bay; he also spoke later at a banquet held at Cedar Point.

The most significant event of the commemoration took place on the 11th, with the reinterment ceremony at the monument for sailors who were killed in the Battle of Lake Erie. 

The final event of the centennial celebration was a flight competition over Lake Erie.

Overall the town was decorated in bunting, lights, and flowers. Floral mounds in Washington Park were decorated to commemorate the event. Citizens enjoyed the fun.

Next year at this time will be the bicentennial of the Battle of Lake Erie.

Ohio State Firemen’s Tournament, September 1868

The Ohio State Firemen’s Tournament was held in Sandusky, Ohio on September 10, 1868. Firemen who traveled to Sandusky by railroad were issued half fare tickets, and their engines and other equipment were transported at no cost, according to the Committee of Arrangements. Bells rang at 6 a.m. for the gathering of the firemen. Twenty three fire companies from all over Ohio attended the Tournament, with an estimated total of eighteen hundred firemen in all. A reception for visiting firemen was held between 7 and 9 a.m., and the parade began at 9 o’clock. Chief Marshal was John H. Williams.

The Great Western Band, along with the Sandusky Fire Department, Chief Marshal, Sandusky Mayor and other elected officials met at East Washington Street, near Columbus Avenue to form the First Division of the Parade. Representatives from Rochester, Buffalo, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and Naugatuck, Connecticut were also with the First Division. The Second Division, which met on West Market Street, included Assistant Marshals, the Sandusky City Band, and representatives from Fire Departments from Elyria, Norwalk, Oberlin, Delaware, Fredricktown, Mansfield, Newark, and Zanesville. The Fremont Band, and firemen from Fremont, Dayton, Kenton, Urbana, Tiffin, Toledo and Clyde made up the Third Division. Prizes were given for several classes of steam fire engines, hand engines, hose companies and hook and ladder teams. A moonlight excursion to the Lake Erie Islands was held in the afternoon aboard the Evening Star. In the evening a Firemen’s Ball was hosted by the Hecker Hook and Ladder Company at Norman Hall. The Sandusky Daily Register of September 11, 1868 reported that the event was “the finest Firemen’s Tournament ever held in Ohio….The shining machines decked with flowers and evergreens, the gay uniforms and clanging bells, the numerous bands, stirring music, waving banners, martial step, and crowds of cheering spectators altogether formed a pageant at once imposing and attractive.”

In August of 1871, the Sandusky Fire Department was awarded this silver speaking trumpet as a prize at the Firemen’s Tournament held in Norwalk, Ohio. The trumpet is now in the collections of the Follett House Museum.

Company 3 of the Sandusky Fire Department won a trophy on June 22, 1910. (For what exactly the trophy was given is unknown.)

Sandusky Fire Department Youth Competition(?)

We don't have any specific information about the pictures below, taken by C. W. Platt, but it appears that it could be a friendly competition between two different stations of the Sandusky Fire Department in the late 1890’s. In each photo a daring young man is atop a ladder, while the other boys are all holding onto a fire hose. The top photograph was taken at the Central Fire Department on West Market Street.

Another team is standing in front of Fire Station No. 4 at the corner of Central Avenue and Osborne Street. The boys are wearing shirts labeled “Globe Clothing.”

Several vintage photographs and a history of the Sandusky Fire Department, as well as information about significant fires fought in Sandusky, are found in the historical collections of the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center.

Sandusky High School Victory Song

In 1914 Sandusky High School senior Lloyd F. Weninger wrote both the words and music to the Sandusky High School Victory Song, published by the Alvord Peters Company.

For a time, Lloyd Weninger co-owned the Lloyd-George Studios with George J. Lehrer. Lloyd F. Weninger was a graduate of the School of Drama, Carnegie Institute of Technology, now known as Carnegie Mellon University. Mr. Weninger was professor of Dramatic Arts at Carnegie Tech for thirty one years, retiring in 1961. While at Carnegie Tech, Weninger designed more than five hundred stage sets. Frank Smith stated, in an article in the March 29, 1973 issue of the Sandusky Register, that Lloyd Weninger was ahead of his time. He used black light technology before anyone else. He wrote a Harlequins play in 1949, entitled “619 Portrait of the Polish Family,” based on his experiences of living with a Polish family. During the summer months, and after his retirement, he resided in Sandusky. For several holiday seasons Mr. Weninger played Santa Claus at the Hill’s Department Store in Sandusky. After contracting pneumonia, Lloyd Weninger died on December 23, 1971. He was buried at Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery.

The Lloyd Weninger Award for Stage Design is awarded to a Junior or Senior at the Carnegie Mellon School of Drama.