Columbian Session of the Ohio State Grange

 

On December 12, 13, and 14, 1893, the 21^st Annual Session of the Ohio State Grange, Patrons of Husbandry met in Sandusky. It was called the “Columbian Session” in reference to the World’s Columbian Exposition, which was held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400^th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’s arrival in the New World.

Sessions for the Grange members were held at Biemiller’s Opera House in downtown Sandusky. Chairman of the evening session on December 12 was James D. Parker. According to the December 13, 1893 issue of the Sandusky Register, the Opera House was decorated with palms and sheaves of wheat. Mr. Parker told the audience that he had drafted some of the children of Erie County Grange members to participate in the entertainment portion of the evening’s events. His son and daughter, Eva and Jay Parker performed a vocal solo. Another daughter, Jessie Parker, played instrumental duets with Nellie Taylor and Will Gurley. Several other solos and recitations were performed.  Joseph H. Brigham, Master of the National Grange, gave the main address. Other speakers of the evening were Rev. Mr. Hart, J.F. Greene, F.A. Derthick, and S.H. Ellis, Past Master Ohio State Grange. Miss Hattie White recited “The First Settler’s Story” and Mrs. Emma Rood Tuttle recited “Mother and Poet” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

The Columbian Session of the Ohio State Grange was the topic of a lengthy front page article in the December 13, 1893 issue of the Sandusky Register.  The Register extended hospitality to all the visiting Grange members, and the headline stated that “brilliant oratory” had graced the opening session. Pictured below is the Nielsen Opera House, which had originally opened as the Biemiller Opera House in 1877. The Opera House was the site of many of the sessions held by Ohio State Grange’s annual meeting in 1893.

Eighty-First Annual Assembly of the Grand Lodge of Ohio

Nielsen Opera House

On October 15 and 16, 1890, the 81^st Annual Assembly of the Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons of Ohio convened in Sandusky, Ohio. The opening meeting was held at the Opera House, where Grand Master Leander Burdick gave the address. Masonic groups from all over the world sent greetings to the Ohio lodge members. Several committee reports were given, and officers were elected. During the evening hours, Lodge officers, members, and ladies were invited to a reception at the newly-built Sandusky Masonic Temple. Mr. W. G. Mellish gave a speech, and entertainment was provided by the Masonic Quartette and the Opera House Orchestra.

Sandusky Masonic Temple

Nearly 500 members attended the banquet on October 15, held at the Sloane House.

That same evening the Masonic Veterans Association of Ohio met at the Odd Fellows Hall in Sandusky. During their time in Sandusky, lodge members were invited to go fishing. Local lodge members arranged for boats and fishing tackle to be available to all visiting lodge members. 

You can read about the 81^st Annual Assembly of the Grand Lodge of Ohio in the October 16, 1890 issue of the Sandusky Register, available on microfilm at the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center.

Convention of the Funeral Directors’ and Embalmers’ Association at Cedar Point in 1919

Sandusky undertaker Charles J. Krupp, was in charge of local arrangements when the 89^th annual convention of the Funeral Directors’ and Embalmers’ Association of Ohio was held at Cedar Point in 1919. The convention met from June 18 to June 20. About 300 members attended the convention, along with several exhibitors of coffins, funeral cars, burial garments, burial vaults, and other items related to the funeral industry.

In preparation for the convention, a large number of coffins were transported to Cedar Point on board the G.A. Boeckling.

 

Meetings were held in the convention hall at Cedar Point. Rev. C.J. Alspach gave the invocation when the convention opened on Wednesday, June 18.

A reception was held on Wednesday evening in the Exhibit Hall, which allowed attendees to visit with the various manufacturers represented at the convention. Due to the large number of representatives, several exhibits were on display in the former Crystal Rock Castle, which had ceased serving food and beverages due to prohibition laws.

    

On June 19, Clifford G. Askin of Indianapolis gave an address entitled “Methods of the Funeral Director,” during which he encouraged members of the association to use better quality goods and adopt a stricter credit system. An article in the June 18, 1919 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that the convention featured one of the most extensive exhibits ever on display at any convention held at Cedar Point. The coffins, funeral cars, and other products on exhibit were valued at $100,000 (well over a million dollars in today's money).

American Legion Convention at Cedar Point, 1934

The sixteenth annual convention of the American Legion, Department of Ohio, was held in Sandusky, Ohio from August 18 to August 20, 1934. The Hotel Breakers was the headquarters for the American Legion convention, and meetings were held at the Convention Hall at Cedar Point.

Other conventions were held in Sandusky at the same time. The American Legion Auxiliary, Department of Ohio, had their headquarters at the Hotel Cedars at Cedar Point, and meetings were held at Cedar Point’s Coliseum. Other groups which convened were the Grande Voiture D’Ohio, Le Societe Des Quarante Hommes et Huit Chevaux, La Boutique Des Huit Chapeaux et Quarante Femmes, and the National Organization of American Legion Nurses. Each of the separate organizations held meetings, had speeches, special music, and reports from various committees.

The headline of the August 19, 1934 issue of the Sandusky Register read, “American Legion ‘Takes’ Sandusky.” An article on the front page reported that twelve thousand Legionnaires were in Sandusky and Cedar Point. Several more thousand former U.S.  service men and their families were expected for the parade held on Monday afternoon. An article in the August 21, 1934 Register stated that 60,000 individuals witnessed the American Legion parade, led by Colonel Robert L. Denig of the U.S. Marine Corps.

The parade passed through 34 city blocks of Sandusky. Both the parade and the American Legion Convention had been quite successful. The convention in 1934 was the first American Legion Convention held in Ohio since the Prohibition era, and record liquor sales in Sandusky were recorded. Local merchants also fared well with the influx of tourists to Sandusky. Many special events were held in the area from August 18 to August 20, 1934, including yacht races, a water carnival, a golf tournament, and reunions of veterans associations.

Visit the Sandusky Library to view the commemorative program from the 1934 American Legion held in Sandusky, or to read newspaper accounts of the 1934 convention featured in the Sandusky Register and Sandusky Star Journal, now on microfilm.

Ohio State Medical Association's Annual Meeting at Cedar Point, 1907

From August 28 to August 30, 1907, the Sixty-Second Annual Meeting of the Ohio State Medical Association convened at Cedar Point. Attendees had the choice of staying at the Breakers Hotel at Cedar Point, or at hotels in the city of Sandusky.

      

Physicians could travel to Sandusky by four different railroads, the Lake Shore Electric Railway, or by the Steamer Eastland, which traveled between Cleveland and Sandusky every day.

                

The Steamer Hazel connected visitors from Toledo, Port Clinton, Marblehead to Cedar Point and Sandusky every two hours. The House of Delegates was called to order at 10 a.m. General meetings were held at the Convention Hall at Cedar Point. Other meetings were held at the Opera House and the Breakers.

  

Several lectures were delivered,  election of officers and committee members were held, and section meetings were held throughout the several days of the Annual Meeting. Dr. George W. Crile of Cleveland, Ohio spoke on “The Surgery of the Stomach” at the Symposium on Diseases of the Stomach. Dr. Charles H. Mayo, of Rochester, Minnesota, gave a special address on “Goiter.” Several pages of The Ohio State Medical Journal of August 15, 1907 were devoted to the proceedings of this meeting. 

The August 31, 1907 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that “The meeting was without doubt the most successful in every way ever held.” Members of the Erie County Medical Association assisted in making preparations for the  Annual Meeting. Dr. Carrie Chase Davis was head of the committee in charge of Entertainment of Visiting Ladies. Besides the regular sessions at the Annual Meeting of the Ohio State Medical Association, there were opportunities for the members to go boating on the lake and attend the theater. On Friday evening, a ball was held at the Coliseum at Cedar Point.

Annual Convention of the National Association of Dyers and Cleaners at Cedar Point

During the summers of 1914 and 1915, members of the National Association of Dyers and Cleaners met at Cedar Point for several days for their annual convention. Members had committee meetings and banquets, and enjoyed free time at Cedar Point and the Lake Erie Islands.  In 1914 one of the exhibitors at the convention was from the “Re-Movo” company of Chicago, Illinois. Several different colors of Steiner’s slipper dye were available for viewing in the exhibition area. Former president of the Association, William Forger, went for an airship ride with aviator Tony Jannus during the convention of 1914.

An article in the Cleaning and Dyeing World journal told prospective attendees that each of the hundreds of rooms available at the  Hotel Breakers had windows that could be open to let in the fresh lake air, and were equipped with electric lights and running water in each room.

In 1915 one of the topics of discussion at the convention was the shortage of dye products, caused as a result of the war in Europe. About three hundred people attended the 1914 convention, and four to five hundred people attended the convention in 1915. Special entertainment was provided for the Association members during each night of the convention. The Ladies’ Auxiliary to the National Association of Dyers and Cleaners held their own meetings during the convention.  

There have businesses in Sandusky related to the care of garments for many decades. In the 1855 Sandusky City Directory, F.R. Comstock placed an ad as a dyer and clothing renovator.

Both the Pfanner and Beilstein Dry Cleaning businesses had begun as steam laundries in Sandusky in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Pictured below are some employees from the Sandusky Dyeing and Cleaning Works in Sandusky from the 1890s.

Annual Session of United Commercial Travelers, Grand Council of Ohio in 1906

The seventeenth annual session of the Grand Council of Ohio, United Commercial Travelers, was held in Sandusky, Ohio from June 7 to June 9, 1906. The United Commercial Travelers was organized in Columbus, Ohio in 1888 by a small group of traveling salesmen. The purpose of the group was to provide insurance and other benefits for its members. The Sandusky Council, No. 278 of the United Commercial Travelers was active for many years.  An article in the June 8, 1906 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that three thousand traveling men arrived in Sandusky and took the city “by storm.  Big bands accompanied the visitors, most of whom arrived by train. Many of the commercial travelers stayed at the Hotel Breakers at Cedar Point.

          

On June 7, a band contest was held at Cedar Point, followed by a boat ride on a steamer. The Cedar Point Band gave a concert for the commercial travelers in the evening. On June 8, the day opened with an invocation by Rev. A.P. Higley, welcome address by Sandusky Mayor John J. Molter, and an address by William Homer Reinhart, who was the chairman of the general executive committee of the Sandusky Council of the U.C.T.

Several more sessions of the United Commercial Travelers were held during the annual meeting. On Friday evening, June 8, a dance and a progressive dinner were held at the Coliseum at Cedar Point. On Saturday, Van Doren’s Band from Toledo gave a concert in Washington Park. A huge parade commenced at 1 p.m. in downtown Sandusky. At 3:30 p.m., the Columbus and Akron United Commercial Travelers played a baseball game, with $25 awarded to the winning team. 

The annual session of the United Commercial Travelers, Grand Council of Ohio concluded with a grand concert at Cedar Point.  The Sandusky Register of June 9, 1906 stated that the U.C.T. convention in Sandusky was “without doubt the largest in point of attendance and best in every way in history of organization.” Inside the back cover of the souvenir program from the U.C.T. convention is a list of the members of the Sandusky Council, No. 278 of the U.C.T.

Convention of the Association of Ohio Cemetery Superintendents Held in Sandusky

On June 23 and June 24, 1909, the eighth annual convention of the Association of Ohio Cemetery Superintendents was held in Sandusky, Ohio. The first session of the convention was held on June 23 at the Sloane House hotel. After the opening address, roll call, and the annual report, the group went by trolley to Oakland Cemetery, where another brief meeting was held at the chapel.

 The group toured Oakland Cemetery after the meeting ended.

Evening sessions of the convention continued at the Sloane House. Frederick Green of Cleveland presented a paper on “Digging Graves,” illustrated with lantern slides. A paper by John Perrin of Toledo was entitled “The Seven Rs – Refractory Relatives Require Resolute Reasonable Restraining Rules.” Meetings on Thursday were held at Cedar Point. Topics covered included “Underground Drainage in Cemeteries” and “ Revenues of Cemeteries.” Twenty years after the 1909 Convention of the Ohio Cemetery Superintendents Association, the Sandusky Register stated in its “Twenty Years Ago” column that a good time was being had by all, in reference to the convention attendees.

Knights of St. John Convention in Sandusky

The Knights of St. John, a Catholic fraternal organization, held their convention in Sandusky, Ohio from June 19-26, 1910. Special services were held at St. Mary’s church, while business sessions took place at Cedar Point. A Grand International Parade was held in downtown Sandusky on June 20 at 3 p.m.

The Knights of St. John wore military style uniforms.

Rev. John Cavanaugh, president of the University of Notre Dame gave an address at the Grand Banquet at Cedar Point on June 23. On Friday night, a grand military ball was held at the Coliseum at Cedar Point, with the Knights of St. John in full uniform.

The field and staff officers for the 1st Battalion, 5th District of Ohio, were all residents of Sandusky. William Busam served as Colonel; Emil Meyer was Senior Major; Joseph Meyer was Junior Major; Lieutenant Colonel was Carl F. Joerger; Anthony Joerger was Commissary; and Adjutant was Benjamin Erney. The Sandusky Commandery of the Knights of St. John, No. 49, had their photograph taken on the steps of the Sandusky Library.