Mr. and Mrs. F.W. Alvord

Frederick Wakeman Alvord was born on September 28, 1836 in Fairfield, Connecticut. By 1850, he and his parents Elisha and Louisa Alvord had moved to Sandusky, Ohio, where his father worked as a carriage maker. On July 19, 1866, he married Caroline Sprague in Erie County, Ohio.

By 1869 F.W. Alvord was engaged in the wholesale fish business with his father. The E. Alvord & Son wholesale fish business was on the south side of Water Street east of Wayne Street in downtown Sandusky. According to proceedings from the American Fisheries Society, in 1883 Alvord & Son caught over 23 tons of whitefish, and in 1884, they caught 30 ½ tons. During this time, from 1878 to 1885, F.W. Alvord also served as Clerk of Courts in Erie County. Mr. Alvord continued in the wholesale fish business until poor health caused him to disband the business in 1898. 

Mrs. F.W. Alvord was an early member of the Board of Trustees of the Library Association of Sandusky, serving in the 1870s and 1880s. Mr. and Mrs. Alvord had three children, Katharine Sprague Alvord, Frederick E. Alvord, and Sophia Louise Alvord Gawne. Katharine Sprague Alvord served as DePauw University's first dean of women, from 1915 to 1936.

Their son, Frederick E. Alvord, along with A.J. Peters, operated the Alvord-Peters Company for many years. The Alvord & Peters Company owned and published the Sandusky Star Journal from 1904 to 1929. F.W. Alvord died in Sandusky in 1908. Mrs. Alvord survived until 1917. Both were buried in the Alvord family lot at Oakland Cemetery.

Picnickers at Cedar Point in the Early Years

A group of family and friends gathered for this group photograph while at a picnic at Cedar Point in the 1890s. It was probably taken in a photo studio on the park grounds. The names of the individuals in the picture were listed on notes with the original item. In the first row are: Lee A. Woolsey, Jessie Anthony, Louise Alvord and Charles Schuck. In the second row are: Frank Sawyer, Ida Woolsey, Minnie Sawyer, Martha Anthony, and M. Scranton. In the third row are:  Jessie Jay, J.L. Anthony, Elsie K. and Lydia Scranton. After looking through several genealogical databases and obituaries, we have determined that Ida Woolsey, Minnie Sawyer, Martha Anthony, and J.L. Anthony are all children of Lorenzo Dow Anthony, the first commandant of the Sandusky Yacht Club. Most likely the individuals not related to members of the Anthony family are close family friends. Though this picture is not of perfect quality, it is interesting to see a group of people gathered together from an era long ago.

The picture above (taken circa 1906) probably represents a typical picnic scene at Cedar Point during that era. The people in this photo are unidentified.

Katharine Sprague Alvord, First Dean of Women at DePauw University

Katharine Sprague Alvord was born in Sandusky, Ohio in 1871 to Mr. and Mrs. F.W. Alvord. Katharine’s father was engaged in the wholesale fish business, and was a partner in the Alvord-Peters publishing company. After graduating from Sandusky High School in 1889, Katharine earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan, and a Master’s degree from Columbia University. She studied for a time at Cornell University as well. 

She taught for several years at Oshkosh State College in Wisconsin in the late 1800s and early 1900s.  While at Oshkosh, a student made this sketch of Katharine, which is now housed at the Follett House Museum.

          

Katharine Sprague Alvord was DePauw University’s first Dean of Women, serving in that role from 1915 to 1936. A student duplex on the campus of DePauw was named in her honor. She is credited with starting most of the women’s organizations on campus at DePauw, and she encouraged dozens of female students to pursue advanced degrees. You can read a bit more about Ms. Alvord in this college publication.

When Katherine Sprague Alvord retired, she moved to Gaylordsville, Connecticut, where she died in 1960 at the age of 88. Miss Alvord’s final resting place is in the Alvord family lot at Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery.

The Alvord & Peters Company

The Alvord & Peters Company was formed in 1898 to engage in job printing. The map of Sandusky pictured above was published by Alvord & Peters in 1898. In 1904 this company was incorporated by A.J. Peters, F.E. Alvord, and Cornelius Nielsen. Prior to incorporating, Alvord and Peters had acquired the Sandusky newspaper known as the Star. In 1904, the company also acquired the Journal, and the two newspapers were merged, to form the Sandusky Star Journal.

While the Sandusky Register was known as a newspaper with Republican views, the Sandusky Star Journal promoted Democratic  politics. 

In 1914, Alvord & Peters published Sandusky High School’s Victory Song, which was written by Lloyd Weninger.

A new building was built for the Star Journal in the early 1920s.

Albert James Peters  died in 1929, at the age of 59. 

After the death of A. J. Peters, Mr. F. E. Alvord severed ties with the Alvord & Peters Company. Records on file at the Ohio Secretary of State indicate that the Alvord & Peters Company went out of existence in November of 1929. The Sandusky Register is now housed in the building that had originally been built for the Sandusky Star Journal. 

Tenth Annual Reunion of the Sandusky High School Alumni Association

The tenth annual reunion of the Sandusky High School Alumni Association was held on June 17, 1890 at the Sloane House.

Charles F. Selkirk, a graduate of SHS in 1884, was the President of the Sandusky High School Alumni Association in 1890. After the orchestra played, Mr. Selkirk welcomed the banquet attendees.

Emily Forster recited a poem entitled “A Dream.” Miss Katharine S. Alvord presented an essay on “Higher Education of Girls.” Miss Alvord would go on to become DePauw University's first dean of women. Jessie Wilcox paid a memorial tribute to deceased members of the organization. Mr. A. J. Peters gave the banquet’s oration, which was entitled “Facts.” Albert James Peters was one of the co-founders of the Alvord & Peters Co., which published the Star Journal newspaper for a number of years in Sandusky.

The menu at the banquet was extensive, including spring chicken, Westphalia ham, pressed veal, buffalo tongue and sardines with lemon. Desserts included several types of cake, a variety of fruit, ice cream, and French confectionery with Edam and New York cream cheese.

Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to view yearbooks, historical photographs, alumni publications and graduation programs.

Dr. Augustus J. Gawne, Inventor

Augustus James Gawne was born in 1843 to Charles and Alice Gawne. From about 1880 to 1910, Dr. A. J. Gawne was a physician in Sandusky, Ohio. He had his office at several different locations in Sandusky. In the late 1890s and early 1900s, his office was on the second floor of the Graham building at the southeast corner of Columbus Avenue and Water Street.

On January 12, 1897, A.J. Gawne was issued a patent for a medical device called a Static Generator.

In an 1898 news article, the Portsmouth Daily Times described the Gawne Static Electric Generator as "one of the greatest inventions of the age." The machine was sold to physicians, and was used for the treatment of acute and chronic aches. Dr. Gawne claimed to have success with the static generator in treating rheumatism, neuralgia, headaches, nervousness, and muscle spasms.

Dr. Gawne was married twice. His first wife, the former Ella Warden, died in 1887 when she was only 39 years of age. In 1893, A.J. Gawne married Sophia Louise Alvord, but according to his death record, that marriage ended in divorce. On June 1, 1910, Dr. Gawne died at Good Samaritan Hospital. Funeral services were held at his residence on Decatur Street, with the Rev. W. Ashton Thompson officiating.

Dr. Gawne was buried next to his first wife in the North Ridge section of Oakland Cemetery.

Woodcut Prints in the 1930 FRAM

During the 1929-1930 school year, Miss Yocum’s art students at Sandusky High School assisted the members of the Journalism A Class in the publication of the 1930 FRAM. Several woodcut prints are found at the beginning of the various sections of the yearbook. Charles Sallee, Aloys Sacksteder, Dorothy Lonz, and Elinor Alvord, four of the young artists who contributed prints to the yearbook, appear in the FRAM photograph of the Art Club. The woodcut prints reflect the Art Deco style which was popular from 1925 through 1939.

Six woodcut prints are pictured below in the order in which they are found in the 1930 FRAM. Visit the Archives Research Center of the Sandusky Library to view historical yearbooks from Sandusky High School, St. Mary’s High School, and Perkins High School. While we do not have a complete set of yearbooks from these schools, there are five shelves devoted to the yearbooks. By browsing through the old yearbooks, you can learn details about the high school activities in which your ancestors may have participated. It is interesting to view the changes in hair styles and clothing throughout the years.

Charles Sallee, Jr. went on to become a mural artist for the WPA. His many achievements have been discussed in an earlier blog post. Elinor Alvord Little Sidnor studied art at Ohio Wesleyan University, and she was known as a local artist and art collector. Elinor donated a significant portion of her art collection to the Cedar Point Center of Firelands College. Elinor also gave many artifacts to the Follett House Museum.

Aloys Sacksteder was known for her work in sculpture, design, and ceramics. Her art work was on display at the National Arts Club and in Paris Salons, according to the website AskArt. Dorothy Lonz married Norbert Keeley, and she taught ceramics in Lucas County.

Louis Lombardy, who was only a freshman in 1930, enlisted in the Army Air Corps in World War Two, and moved to California. Karl Kruger’s obituary appeared on the front page of the Sandusky Register shortly after his death on May 6, 1966. Karl had been a standout athlete at Sandusky High School, and he was a Veteran of World War Two.