Michael A. McAdams, Musician and Printer

Michael A. McAdams was born in Quebec, Canada in 1856. He came to Sandusky, Ohio in 1891 to play with the Cedar Point band. He can be seen with his tuba in the back row of the Ackley Band at Cedar Point in the picture below; he was a member of the band for more than twenty years.

During the winter seasons, Mr. McAdams traveled as a musician with several theatrical groups, including Howe and White’s Circus, the Buffalo Bill tent show, and Bailey & Myers tent show. 

Besides being a popular musician, Michael McAdams also was employed as a printer for several years by the Register Publishing Company. Around 1918 his eyesight began to fail. An article in the March 13, 1924 issue of the Sandusky Register featured an article about a benefit concert performed on his behalf by the Ackley Band. The article stated, in part, “From the moment the conductor raised his baton for the first note of the Sousa March ‘Fairest of the Fair’ till the echoes from the last notes of the ‘The Star Spangled Banner’ died away in the final offering, the program was one of artistic portrayal and mastery of detail.” Mr. McAdams surprised the audience by coming onto the stage and playing a tuba solo, “My Old Kentucky Home,” and “Asleep in the Deep.” This was his first appearance in a public concert in a number of years, and the audience was delighted with his performance. The Register article said that McAdams showed “old time expertness that always made him a favored player in the days of Sandusky’s crack bass bands.”  

On April 18, 1928, Michael A. McAdams died at the Union Printers’ Home in Denver, Colorado.  An obituary, found in the 1928 Obituary Notebook at the Sandusky Library, stated that McAdams had remained friends with E.B. Ackley and other Sandusky musicians throughout the years. The printers’ union as well as several benefit band concerts for Mr. McAdams, aided in making his last days more comfortable.

Charles Evans Hughes Made Campaign Stop in Sandusky

On September 26, 1916, Charles Evans Hughes campaigned for the U.S. presidency in Sandusky, Ohio. He had resigned from the Supreme Court to run for President. He is pictured above, speaking in front of the American Crayon Company, near the Hayes Avenue subway.  The factory was decorated with patriotic bunting and flags, and a large crowd came out to hear what the Republican candidate had to say.

                             

Because the train was an hour late, Ackley’s band entertained the crowds that had come out to hear the candidate speak. Once he arrived, Justice Hughes spoke for fifteen minutes, speaking about the power of progress, social justice, and the conditions of the American worker. Governor Myron T. Herrick and Erie County Auditor Hayes Adams also gave remarks.  In the November 1916 election, incumbent President Woodrow Wilson, the Democratic candidate, defeated Hughes.

During his 1908 presidential campaign, William Howard Taft spoke at the Ohio Soldiers' and Sailors' Home (now the Ohio Veterans Home), and Theodore Roosevelt gave a whistle-stop speech at the foot of Columbus Avenue to a large crowd of Sanduskians in May of 1912. Read an earlier blog post to learn more about other political campaigns in Sandusky

Who Are the Men in the Under the Baton Banner?

The Sandusky Library is pleased to announce the documentary film Under the Baton: Music at Old Cedar Point. The premiere screening will take place on Friday, November 1 at 7:15 p.m., with additional presentations on Thursday, November 7 at 6:30 p.m., Thursday, November 14 at 10:30 a.m., and Friday, November 15 at 1:30 p.m., all at the Sandusky Library’s Program Room. The television premiere will be on November 14 at 8:00 p.m. on WGTE, Toledo.

You may be wondering about the names of the men featured in the picture of Ackley’s Band, which appears on the promotional flyers related to the documentary:

This photograph of Ackley’s Band was taken in the early 1900s. From left to right in the back row are: Ed Senne, John Bauman, M. McAdams, A. Becker, William Hauser, J. Thomas, F. Ortman, and F.W. Bauer. In the front row are: N. Bergmoser, Elmer Center, W. Scott, J. Samsel, F. Bauman, George Godfrey, C. Schaufelberger, and E.B. Ackley.  We know more details about some of the band members than others. Ed Senne played in several local musical groups, including the Great Western Band, Dials Concert Orchestra, and in the orchestra of the Lakeside Association, besides playing in Ackley’s Band. William Hauser, an uncle of Dr. Norbert Lange, also played in several bands through the years, and survived the tornado of 1924; he was inside his home, which was seriously damaged, but he was not injured. There were three members of the Bauman family in Ackley’s Band. Elmer Center was in the plumbing business for over thirty years, and he also operated the Center Hotel. F.W. Bauer went on to serve as Erie County Auditor, and he was instrumental in the founding of Winnebago Park, now known as Lions Park.

George Godfrey conducted a series of free concerts at the Big Store in the spring of 1902.  Mr. Godfrey’s musical composition entitled Sandusky’s Big Store March and Two-Step was published by the C.L. Engels Company in Sandusky, Ohio.

 E.B. Ackley was well known as a band leader and musician.

He also published postcards, operated a billiards parlor, was director of music at Cedar Point and served as the instructor of the Sandusky Band and Orchestra. He wrote the Cedar Point March in 1902, the first piece of music dedicated to the resort. Ackley’s Band contributed greatly to the cultural heritage of Cedar Point and Sandusky. Many of our grandparents and great grandparents had the pleasure of hearing them play, when live music was a significant form of entertainment, before radio and television brought music to the masses.

Music and Musicians at Cedar Point

(Reposted) The premiere of the video presentation, Under the Baton: Music at Old Cedar Point, will be at the Sandusky Library on Friday, November 1, at 7PM; a lecture on the subject by Dr. Steven Plank, Oberlin College, with a question & answer session, will follow. 

Since the late nineteenth century, a variety of bands, orchestras, and singers have been associated with Cedar Point.  Highlighted in this post are just a few of the individuals and groups associated with the resort's long, rich musical history. Charles Baetz an early general manager at Cedar Point, founded the Great Western Band in 1867. Baetz was born in Renghausen, Germany in 1836, where he learned the violin and cornet as a young man.  In 1854 he immigrated to the United States. He was the principal musician for Company A of the 128th Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War.  He participated in seven battles, and then returned home where he directed the military band at the federal prison on Johnson's Island, which was just across the bay from Sandusky.

The Great Western Band performed at Cedar Point for concerts and dances until about 1892.

The Ackley Band, founded by E.B. Ackley, was the successor to the Great Western Band.

E.B. Ackley came to Sandusky in 1893. He was the instructor of the Sandusky Band and Orchestra, and he also worked as the director of music at Cedar Point. Several members of Ackley's Band appear in the picture below, taken at Cedar Point.

In 1902, E.B. Ackley published the Cedar Point Two-Step. The music was arranged for Band, Orchestra, Mandolin and Guitar, and was dedicated to the Cedar Point Pleasure Resort Company.

Other compositions of sheet music dedicated to Cedar Point include Cedar Point March, by Francesco P. Russo (1910), the Cedar Point March composed by T. J. Martin (no date listed),  and Cedar Point That’s the Place, composed in honor of G.A. Boeckling by J. Otto Martin in 1922.

Charles Bauman was a member of both the Great Western Band and Ackley's Band.

From 1914 to 1919, Leopold Adler was the popular director of the orchestra at Cedar Point. He conducted hundreds of concerts in the Coliseum.

 Leopold Adler composed the G.A. Boeckling March in 1916. The G.A. Boeckling March was played in the Coliseum at every concert directed by Leopold Adler.

During the Great Depression and World War Two, big bands performed in the Coliseum's Grand Ballroom. Bands included: Woody Herman, Blue Barron, Guy Lombardo, Benny Goodman, and Ozzie Nelson’s band.

Today several venues at Cedar Point offer live musical performances throughout the park's season. To read more about the history of Cedar Point, see the book Cedar Point: The Queen of American Watering Places, by David W. and Diane DeMali Francis (Amusement Park Books, 1995), available at the Sandusky Library.

William Hauser, Musician

William Hauser was born in 1858 to John and Margaret (Schmidt) Hauser. When he was age 15, he became a member of the Great Western Band in Sandusky. When the Great Western Band disbanded, he became associated with Ackley’s Band. William Hauser can be seen on the far right in the back row, in the picture of Ackley’s Band below.

Mr. Hauser was among the musicians who took part in the dedication of the first Water Works in Sandusky in 1876.

When the 1924 tornado struck in Sandusky, William Hauser was inside his residence at 622 East Market Street in Sandusky. Though the house was destroyed, he survived the tornado with just a few minor injuries.

William Hauser continued as a musician throughout his life. When the Sandusky Musical Union put on a performance of Max Bruch’s oratorio Odysseus, he played the viola in the orchestra.

On November 13, 1928 William Hauser died after suffering a heart attack, at the home of his sister Mrs. Emma Wirth. He was survived by two sisters and a brother. He was laid to rest in the family lot at Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery. A nephew who survived him was Dr. Norbert A. Lange, a chemistry professor at Western Reserve University, who is known for writing the classic text Handbook of Chemistry. Dr. Lange and his wife were the benefactors for The Norbert A. and Marion Cleaveland Lange Trust of Sandusky Library, which has provided cultural and educational programs for Erie County residents for over twenty five years. Dr. Norbert Lange and Marion Cleaveland Lange translated into English the book Sandusky "Einst und Jetzt" which was originally written in the German language by Rev. Ernst Von Schulenburg. Members of both the Hauser and Lange families contributed greatly to the rich cultural heritage of Sandusky and Erie County.

The Historical Pageant of Sandusky and Erie County

On June 28 and 29, 1933, the Camp Fire Girls presented “The Historical Pageant of Sandusky and Erie County” at Esmond Field near the corner of Columbus and Perkins Avenues. The pageant was a John B. Rogers Production, and was directed by Hazel Anderson. Music was provided by Ackley’s Band, with Bruce Clarks at the piano. The general chairman of the event was Earl Krueger. The cast was made up of hundreds of area adults and children.

The pageant began with Janet Munce, queen of the pageant, appearing with “Miss Columbia” and several attendants who represented the Camp Fire Laws: Beauty Trust, Work, Knowledge, Health, Service, Happiness and the Spirit of Camp Fire. Beginning with the dawn of civilization, the pageant proceeded to re-enactments of several key events in the history of Sandusky and Erie County. Included were: early Native American camp life, settlers of Sandusky, circuit riders, the cholera epidemic of 1849, early education in Sandusky, the Underground Railway, the Civil War, and a wedding celebration and ball. At the end of the pageant was a mammoth spectacle which symbolized the Spirit of Camp Fire, in which the cast members were dressed in the costumes of several different nationalities.

An article in the June 29, 1933 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that the early history of the area was well portrayed in the Camp Fire Girls pageant. A wagon which had actually been used to transport the dead bodies during the 1849 cholera epidemic was used in the scene which portrayed that event. The wagon was owned by Lee B. Keller, who played the role of Father Time. The article pointed out that many items of clothing used in the pageant were heirloom garments from ancestors of current area residents. A cow was seen in the wagon train scene, and dog who sat by his master in the wagon scene, added to the authenticity of the pageant. The pageant committee thanked these individuals who provided historical background information for the production: Mrs. Marjorie Loomis Cherry, Mrs. George Doerzbach, Miss Jessie Wilcox, Hewson L. Peeke, and James Ryan. The book History of Erie County, Ohio, edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich, was also consulted when the committee was researching the history of Sandusky and Erie County.

Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to view the program from the Historical Pageant of Sandusky and Erie County put on by the Camp Fire Girls in 1933. If anyone has photographs from this event, please contact us so that we may possibly scan the items to include in our historical collections.

Charles Bauman was born in Ehrenstetten, Baden, Germany in 1835, and came to Sandusky when he was eighteen years old. Mr. Bauman was engaged in the wall paper and decorating business in Sandusky for forty-nine years. During the Civil War, Charles Bauman enlisted in Company F of the 107th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.

Music was important to Charles Bauman. He was a member of the old Great Western Band, and was leader of the Germania Reed band. For a time he was also associated with Ackley’s Band. On August 17, 1902, the Sandusky Register reported that Ackley’s Band serenaded Mr. Charles Bauman on the occasion of his sixty-seventh birthday. The band arrived at the Bauman residence on South Decatur Street shortly after midnight. After the band played several selections, they were invited in for refreshments. When Mr. Bauman and his wife celebrated their golden anniversary on December 7, 1906, Charles was quite ill. Although he was sick, his wish was gratified.

Charles Bauman died on December 16, 1906. He left behind his wife, five sons, and six daughters. Charles Bauman was buried at Oakland Cemetery. In the photograph above, Charles Bauman is wearing a uniform. He had been a member of the I.O.O.F. as well as the G.A.R., but the uniform does look similar to the Knights of the Maccabees uniforms of the 1890’s. If you know the exact type uniform pictured in the portrait of Charles Bauman, please leave a message in the comment area of this blog post.

"Sandusky: Swept by Lake Breezes"

In 1902, as a result of the efforts of local citizens, Sandusky was host of the Ohio State Democratic Party Convention.

At the State Central Committee Meeting of the Ohio Democratic Party in June, 1902, the choices for the State Convention’s location were narrowed down to two: Columbus or Sandusky. The Sandusky Register of Thursday, June 5, stated that “Columbus with her usual amount of lifelessness is making no effort to land the great gathering.”

On June 10, 1902 in Columbus, Ohio, it was announced that by a vote of 17 to 3, the Central Committee chose Sandusky to be the host city for the State of Ohio’s Democratic Convention, to be held September 2 and September 3 at Cedar Point in Sandusky. The slogan that helped secure the win was “Swept by Lake Breezes.” It was coined by Captain C. B. Wilcox, pictured below.

In Columbus when Judge George Beis extended the invitation for the convention to be held in Sandusky, the crowd applauded. The crowd cheered when W. B. Starbird made a similar request. During the voting, there were loud yells for Sandusky. A brass band played and the delegation from Sandusky carried brooms with the inscription “Swept by Lake Breezes.” The newspapers in Cincinnati and Columbus gave coverage to the story, mentioning Capt. Wilcox’s phrase “Swept by lake breezes.”

The Sandusky Star Journal of June 10, 1902 said that “For the first time in its history, it is to entertain a state political convention, and from now on there will be doings. Sandusky is on the map.” An article caption stated "The Slogan, 'Swept by Lake Breezes,' Won Out Before the Committee Today."

G.A. Boeckling sent orders for the Ackley Band to greet the delegation on its arrival home from Columbus.
When the Convention met in September at Cedar Point, newspapers accounts indicate that the decorations were elaborate and attendance was large. The crowds were indeed fanned by lake breezes as the Convention Hall overlooked the sandy beach at Cedar Point.