The Building at 604 West Washington Street Has Served Many Roles

Before the Erie County Chamber of Commerce moved to its location at 604 West Washington Street, this building was home to the Frey-Groff Funeral Home for several decades.

According to the Ohio Historic House Inventory for Erie County, in 1906 R.E. Schuck, a partner in the Gilcher and Schuck Lumber Company, built a house in the 900 block of Washington Street (later the 600 block of West Washington Street, after street numbers changed in 1915). He had the former Spencer-Phelps home razed in order to make way for his fine, sturdy house built from limestone. After the deaths of Mr. and Mrs. Schuck in 1910, publisher A. J. Peters resided in the former Schuck home. Later, Herbert Farrell, founder of the Farrell-Cheek Steel Company lived at this address. 

Fred Frey, Jr. moved his funeral home from Market Street to this location in the mid-1920s. F. Leo Groff joined the business in 1939, and in 1973 the name changed to the Frey-Groff Funeral Home. Now the later generations of the Groffs operate the Groff Funeral Home on East Perkins Avenue. The former downtown chapel is now home to the Erie County Chamber of Commerce. 

This old hitching post reminds us of the early days of this building and before, during the era of horse-powered transportation.

Chamber of Commerce Photos from the 1950s

In the picture above, several individuals are standing in front of an information booth, which was a service of the Sandusky Area Chamber of Commerce, now known as the Erie County Chamber of Commerce. It appears that the Cookie House, which was home to Santa when local youngsters visited him in December, served as a location for the distribution of Vacationland tourist information during the summer months of the 1950s.  

An article in the August 26, 1955 issue of the Sandusky Register Star News reported that the Sandusky Chamber of Commerce was kicking off an expansion campaign known as “Let’s Go Sandusky.”  Chamber members used a chicken to demonstrate a point during one of their meetings. You can read the entire article about this campaign in the Sandusky Register Star News, now on microfilm at the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center.

The Merchants Division of the Sandusky Chamber of Commerce sponsored this  large poster at a trade show.  It stated that Sandusky is in the heart of Ohio’s Vacationland. 

 

Listeners to WLEC Radio in the 1950s and 1960s often heard the phrase “another great day in Vacationland” when their radio dial was turned to 1450 AM.

The Sandusky Chamber of Commerce in 1919

 On June 25, 1919, members of the Sandusky Chamber of Commerce posed in front of the old Sandusky High School with their hats on. The picture was taken by photographer Ernst Niebergall. Mr. Niebergall also snapped a picture of the group after the gentlemen took off their hats.

According to an article in the June 8, 1919 issue of the Sandusky Register, George A. Boeckling served as the president of the Sandusky Chamber of Commerce at that time.

Mr. Boeckling gave a very thorough report on the activities and accomplishments of the Chamber of Commerce from June 18, 1918 through May 31, 1919. Some of the things that the Chamber of Commerce had accomplished during that time were: purchasing necessary street signs; improvements to Venice Road and other roads in Sandusky; improvements in telephone service; cooperated with the Department of Health to fight the influenza epidemic; improvements to the harbor of Sandusky; compilation of information on the building of a bridge across Sandusky Bay; and using every means possible were used to call attention to the “opportunities and advantages of Sandusky.”  If you would like to read the complete report by G.A. Boeckling on the activities of the Chamber of Commerce from 1918-1919, visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center, where historical copies of the Sandusky Register can be found on microfilm.

A Plan in 1945 to Drain Sandusky Bay?

Known as the Post-War America Beautiful Commission Project No. 2211411, an interesting plan was set forth in which Sandusky Bay was to be drained, and a concrete wall was to be built from Sandusky Bay to the Sandusky River. Another sea wall was to connect Cedar Point to the eastern end of the Marblehead Peninsula. The result would be the draining of underground caverns from Sandusky to Bellevue. Once the Sandusky Bay was drained, there would be room for a gigantic parking lot for all the visitors to Vacationland. Sound preposterous?

The Sandusky Register Star News of March 14, 1945, reported that the project was the subject of a skit put on at the annual dinner of the Chamber of Commerce, held at Jackson Junior High School. Judge G.W. Collinworth, an employee of the Trojan Powder Company, portrayed the character of secretary of the Post-War America Beautiful Commission. Members of the audience asked him questions. The news article reported that the humorous skit was “a big hit.” Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to read more about this skit, which of course was never meant to be taken seriously.

Note: There were several obvious mistakes on the fictitious map, including the placement of Elyria on the Marblehead peninsula and Perry Memorial on Kelleys Island.

Sandusky Held a Fall Festival in the 1950s

In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Sandusky held a Fall Festival in September. In 1950 it was held at Cedar Point from September 7 to September 10. The co-queens of the 1950 Fall Festival were Arline and Darline Landin, twin daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Warren Landin. The Landin twins are pictured below with Jay Wagner and Dan Apel, from the Chamber of Commerce.

An article in the September 23, 1950 issue of Billboard magazine reported that 40,000 people attended the Fall Festival in 1950.  There were fifty indoor displays and twenty outdoor displays, including an exhibit of cars, trucks and farm implements. Livestock, poultry, dogs and rabbits were also on display by area 4-H members. Below are the queen and her court from the 1951 Fall Festival.

Karl Kurtz, charirman of the Festival committee is pictured with Queen Lee Gregg, and members of  her court, which included Delight Furst and Marlene Sue Trueman. A leading attraction of the 1951 Fall Festival was the steer auction, held on Saturday night of the festival weekend. Local 4-H and FFA members brought their steer to Cedar Point to be auctioned off on September 8, 1951. Below is an undated group picture of the members of the Fall Festival Committee from the late 1940s or early 1950s.

Most of the men have been identified in notes found on the back of the original picture, which was a gift from Karl Kurtz.

Sandusky Chamber of Commerce Members in 1918

Members of Sandusky’s Chamber of Commerce are pictured in front of the Masonic Temple in Sandusky in 1918. A sign that reads “Keep Sandusky at the Front” is at the front and center of the group. At this time the United States was fighting in World War I, and at the same time an influenza epidemic had swept through the entire world, infecting millions. Many of the men in the Chamber of Commerce took leadership roles in Sandusky during the war. The Honor Roll, 1917-1918, Erie County Edition features pictures and information about the men and women on the home front who took part in supporting the war effort. Some of the local organizations and activities that existed locally during World War One were the Erie County War Industries Committee, Erie County Chapter of the American Red Cross, Erie County War Leagues, Erie County food Administration, Liberty Loan Drives, War Savings Stamp Committees. People of all ages and economic groups contributed their time and energy to the war effort. Pages 281-287 of The Honor Roll give a detailed description of the home front during this time. In spite of the fact that approximately forty per cent of the population of Erie County was of German descent, the community pulled together in a joint cause. One paragraph reads, “From the very first the people of Erie County, almost to the last person, put everything aside and labored tirelessly with but one object in view, that object being the winning of the war. They gave their sons and daughters. They surrendered their means, depriving themselves, to a more or less extent, of even the ordinary comforts of life in a great many instances. They contributed valuable time without thought of compensation other than that which victory held. Best of all they lent their moral support.” 

Group Photographs on the Steps of Sandusky High School

Sandusky photographer Ernst Niebergall took many images of people and places in and around Erie County during most of the first half of the twentieth century. He was a native of Germany, and during times of war, he had his cameras confiscated, as government officials considered him a potential threat to the country. (Read more about Mr. Niebergall at the April 2004 edition of Paper Trails, from the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center.) 

A popular location for some of Niebergall’s group pictures was on the steps of the old Sandusky High School, later Adams Junior High School.  Below is a photograph of the War Bond Group of the Sandusky Chamber of Commerce, taken on May 27, 1918. A large American flag is hanging over the middle door on the western portion of the school building.

Two more group photos of members of the Sandusky Chamber of Commerce were taken by Mr. Niebergall on June 25, 1919. In the picture below, the men are all wearing hats.

It appears that Mr. Niebergall was a stickler for detail, or he had an unusual sense of humor, as another picture of the same group is nearly identical, except that the men have removed their hats.

Several years later, Niebergall took this picture of the Sandusky High School Band on the steps of Sandusky High School. Over sixty members of the band are pictured with their instruments in 1935.

The steps at the old Sandusky High School, facing the Erie County Courthouse look virtually the same today as they did when Mr. Niebergall took the group pictures many years ago.

Air Progress Show Held in Sandusky in 1958

The Air Progress Show, sponsored by the Aviation Committee of the Sandusky Chamber of Commerce, was held in Sandusky on August 16 and 17, 1958.  Colonel Roscoe Turner was the Grand Marshal of the event.

Special events during the show included parachute jumps, a model plane contest, an F-86 military fly-by, a display of private aircraft, and an awards and recognition program. Major General Russell A. Ramsey was the Master of Ceremonies for the program held on Sunday, August 17, 1958. The first plaque awarded at the presentation program was dedicated to the memory of the “Early Birds.”  The August 18, 1958 issue of the Sandusky Register reprinted the inscription of the plaque:

Dedicated in memory of those early aviation pioneers "The Early Birds.” Between the years 1910-1917, aviators Weldon B. Cooke and Tom W. Benoist had aeroplane factories and flying schools in Sandusky which had a very important part in early aviation. Also, aeroplane engines, manufactured in Sandusky by the Roberts Aviation Motor Company, were used throughout the world. To these pioneers and others who helped produce and fly these early aircraft, we do herein give honor. Awarded by The Sandusky Chamber of Commerce, Sandusky, Ohio, August 17, 1958.

The plaque honoring the Early Birds is now located in Washington Park in downtown Sandusky. Plaques were also awarded to Reinhardt N. Ausmus and FrankP. Lahm, pictured below.

Reinhardt Ausmus built and flew airplanes in his youth, and he trained pilots for the United States Army during World War I. He was named the first Erie County Veterans Service Officer in 1949, and served in that position until 1969. Frank P. Lahm was known as the “nation’s first military aviator,” having served with the United States Army Air Corps and Army Air Forces from 1916 to 1941. The Lahm Airport in Mansfield, Ohio was named for him. Following the presentation of the special awards, Colonel Roscoe Turner and Ohio’s Attorney General William Saxbe gave remarks. Several high schools bands performed during the Air Progress Show, and it was estimated that attendance for the two-day event was approximately 15,000. More details about the Air Progress Show of 1958 can be found in the Official Program, housed in the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center,  as well as in several issues of the Sandusky Register from August 1958, now on microfilm. Inquire at the Reference Services Desk to view these items.

Sandusky's Community Song Book

In April, 1922 the Sandusky Chamber of Commerce published a song book which sold for fifteen cents. Local song leader George W. Wiles wrote in the preface that the intention of community singing was “to inspire good fellowship.” He stated that the real worth of community singing “lies in its power to lift all classes out of sordid and selfish thinking, and to create an atmosphere of courage, good cheer, and receptivity.”

Many patriotic songs were included in the song booklet, as well as traditional songs and regional favorites, such as “Dixie” and “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary.” Comical songs were also included, in which new lyrics were sung to a well-known tune. For example, “The Old Family Toothbrush” was sung to the tune of “The Old Oaken Bucket.”
George W. Wiles served as the Erie County Treasurer from 1918 through 1923. It was said that during his campaign, he literally “sang himself into office.” During World War One, George was active in leading community singing, and he voice was greatly admired. After leaving office, Mr. Wiles was associated with the Zerbe-Wiles Real Estate Agency. On June 6, 1927, at the age of 45, George W. Wiles took his own life, after becoming despondent over a lingering illness. He was missed greatly by his family and friends. He had been a member of the Elks Lodge, Eagles, Loyal Order of Moose, Independent Order of Foresters, Perseverance Lodge, and the Sandusky Kiwanis Club. Burial was in Oakland Cemetery. An obituary for George W. Wiles is found in the 1927 Obituary Notebook in the Archives Research Center of the Sandusky Library.