Memorial Day: Memorials to Local Soldiers

 

The archival collections at the Sandusky Library contain a number of items that memorialize soldiers of the United States. The poster above is dedicated to Company I of the Third Regiment Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, which was organized in Monroeville.

The paper above gives the order of a ceremony (possibly in 1932) in honor of Spanish American War veterans. George Schiller, who contributed to the program, was the last surviving local veteran of that war by the 1950s. 

In 1945, a temporary memorial to those from Erie County who died in World War II was erected in Washington Park:

These First World War era Boy Scouts have assembled to honor the dead on Memorial Day:

Boy Scouts Celebrated Twelfth Anniversary in 1922

An article,“Whole Nation Celebrates Scout Birthday,” appeared in the February 8, 1922 issue of the Sandusky Register, reporting on the anniversary of the founding of the Boy Scouts of America in 1910. Sandusky celebrated along with the rest of the U.S. 

To mark this twelfth birthday, Sandusky scouts took a hike to the Plum Brook Country Club. The photograph above shows the Scouts and their leaders on the steps of Sandusky High School, just before they left for the anniversary hike. Some of the boys are holding their sack lunches. In the Register article, Paul R. Savanack, the Scout executive for Sandusky said, “The normal boy has over 3000 hours of unorganized time on his hands in a year to use as he thinks best. That is the reason the scout work is filling such a place in the lives of the boys from 12 to 20 years.” 

In 1922 there were twelve local scout troops in Sandusky, with over 200 members. Dr. Charles E. Stroud had started the first Sandusky Boy Scout troop in December 1910.

Memorial Day 1911 with the Boy Scouts

This postcard from the 1911 Memorial Day parade in Sandusky was sent from Lea Marsh to R. Edward Goodwin shortly after the Memorial Day holiday. Sandusky area Boy Scouts are marching in a group near railway tracks.

The message on the post card reads:

Sandusky Boy Scouts, Memorial Day. About 85 boys in line. First time we have had them together for tramp. About 75% of them turned out. Lea

The Boy Scouts in Sandusky were busy that season. On June 17, 1911, the Boy Scouts, newspaper carriers, and Children of the Republic were in a Flag Day parade in Sandusky. Though the day of the parade took place during a downpour of rain, the public praised the participants of the parade.

The Boy Scouts Have Been Active in Sandusky for Many Years

The Boy Scouts of America have been active in Sandusky since shortly after the organization was founded in 1910. Pictured above is a group of Boy Scouts in Washington Park in Sandusky about 1916, with a young lady dressed in a patriotic costume. After the flood of 1924, several troops of Boy Scouts met at Grace Church in Sandusky, to report for duty to aid in the clean up effort in Sandusky. In 1936, Sandusky Boy Scouts co-operated with the American Red Cross to collect clothing and food for flood victims in Southern Ohio. 

A Sandusky Boy Scout once made national news for his act of heroism. On January 30, 1926, Henry Sherman Potter, saved Omar E. Meyer, Jr. from drowning. Omar fell through the ice while skating on Sandusky Bay. Henry crawled on thin ice, and tossed his sweater to Omar, and pulled him to safety. For his heroic deed, Henry Sherman Potter was awarded the Carnegie Hero Medal for saving the boy's life. 

In the summer of 1937, area Boy Scouts marched in a parade before they departed for the first National Jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America, which was held June 30 to July 7, in Washington D.C.

Here is an undated photograph of Troop Number 4 from Sandusky:

Another undated picture shows a large group of Boy Scouts gathered in Sandusky.

If anyone knows the identity of the Scouts in the unidentified photos, please contact the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center, so that the names can be recorded for history.

Dr. Charles E. Stroud

Charles Edwin Stroud was born in Palmyra, New York in 1859 to Charles Taylor Stroud and Lucy Fidelia Allen Stroud. The family settled in Sandusky about 1865. Both father and son were dentists. Charles E. Stroud graduated from Sandusky High School in 1877 and from the University of Michigan in 1880. Dr. Charles E. Stroud practiced dentistry in Sandusky for almost fifty years, before he became Inspector at the Ohio Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Home.

During the Spanish American War, Charles E. Stroud served as Captain of Company B of the 6th Ohio Regiment. Dr. Stroud is seen seated in the center of the group of soldiers pictured below.

Dr. Stroud was a pioneer in the Boy Scout movement in Sandusky. He organized the fist Scout troop in the city, and serve as president of the Firelands Council from 1924 until his death in 1929.

Through the years, Dr. Charles E. Stroud was very active in community affairs of Sandusky. He served as Vice Mayor of Sandusky and was on the board of the Erie County Visitors Bureau and the Erie County Children’s Home. He frequently attended military reunions and he was held in high esteem within the Masonic fraternity. Dr. Charles E. Stroud died on October 7, 1929 at the age of 70. He was survived by his widow, the former Jennie Davis, and two sons, Ira T. Stroud of Michigan and Edgar J. Stroud of Indiana. Burial was in Oakland Cemetery.

Dr Charles E. Stroud was considered an authority on Native American relics. He bequeathed many historical artifacts and photographs to the historical room of the Sandusky Library. Now the Stroud Collection is shared between the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center and The Follett House Museum. The silk hat pictured below was worn by Dr. Stroud in the 1890’s. It was purchased from Harry E. Nason, who ran a clothing store for gentlemen on Columbus Avenue.

Grand Opening of the A&P store on West Market Street

On June 28, 1937, the A & P opened a new “super-service food market” on West Market Street, opposite the Hotel Rieger. The Sandusky Star Journal reported that “the new store will operate as a self-service unit with every item on display on tables plainly price tagged and easily accessible to the customer. Customers entering the store will be provided with either a hand basket or a push-basket on wheels in which to gather their purchases.”

The 1937-1938 Sandusky City Directory listed a total of six A & P stores, located at 232 Columbus Avenue, 901 Columbus Avenue, 600 Hancock Street, 182 East Market Street, 231 West Market Street, and 933 West Washington Street. There were still over fifty small neighborhood grocery stores in Sandusky at this time, as well as a total of seven stores operated by the Kroger Grocery and Baking Company.
In the right corner of the photograph above, a portion of the theater marquis is visible. The Ohio Theater was playing “I Met Him in Paris” with Claudette Colbert and Robert Young. Area Boy Scouts were marching in a parade preceding their trip to the National Jamboree of 1937 (as reported in the previous blog entry).

The Boy Scout Jamboree of 1937

The first National Jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America was held June 30 through July 7, 1937 in Washington D.C. at the invitation of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Total attendance was 27,232 representing 536 councils of Scouts. Scouts arrived by bus and train, and set up tents over 350 acres. The Scouts listened to speeches, participated in drills and flag ceremonies, and toured the nation’s capital. There were 200 physicians and 250 cooks on hand for the big event. The cost for the National Jamboree was over $500, 000.

A highlight of the Jamboree was when President Roosevelt rode in a motorcade down Constitution Avenue as he reviewed the thousands of Boy Scouts and leaders lined up for two miles. Time Magazine featured an article about the National Jamboree in the July 12, 1937 issue.

Pictured below are Boy Scouts from the Firelands area marching down Jackson Street and Market Street in Sandusky before they left for the Jamboree:

The Scouts all carried camping equipment, and were led by the Sandusky High School band. Eleven Boy Scouts were from Sandusky. Assistant Scoutmasters Ernest and Paul Marchus accompanied the Scouts to Washington D.C. The Scouts took with them a replica of the entrance and fence of Camp Lake Shore.