1879 Fair of the Erie County Agricultural Society

According to the Premium List for the Fair, the twenty-first annual fair of the Erie County Agricultural Society was held in Erie County at the Fairgrounds from September 23 to September 26, 1879.

Entries in the Annual Premium List provided the amount of cash awards to be given to residents of Erie, Sandusky, Ottawa and Huron Counties who competed at the Fair in a wide variety of categories, including livestock, farm implements, manufacturers’ products, fruits, vegetables, handmade clothing, quilting, embroidery, photography, and flower arranging. In the Educational Department, students and teachers were awarded diplomas for excelling in such fields as spelling, reading, attendance, and record keeping. Scattered throughout the Premium List are advertisements from local companies.

The Adams’ Buckeye Land Roller was manufactured by the Sandusky Tool Company at the time of the 1879 Fair. This particular piece of equipment was known for its durability, though simple in design.

The Sandusky Register provided excellent coverage of the activities at the Fair. A large article on page 4 of the September 26, 1879 paper reported on the events of September 25, when it was estimated that fifteen thousand people attended the Fair.

On Thursday, there were horse races held at the Fairgrounds, as well as several teams that competed in a Hook and Ladder Tournament. John Krupp, who exhibited several pieces of furniture, also had on display a burglar-proof air-tight grave vault which was designed for protection against grave robbers.

At the fair, William Dilger had a display of plants that included an orange tree, a rare philodendron and a bridal bouquet of rare beauty. Photographer A.C. Platt featured a life size crayon portrait of President Hayes and Dr. I.B. Massey in his exhibit. D.C. Richmond stated that at the 1879 fair was the largest and best display of apples he had ever seen at any fair. Henry Lange, a grape grower from Kelleys Island, showed fair visitors a five foot stem of Concord grapes which contained over sixty bunches of grapes. During the wheat binding competition, local businessman J.A. Hosmer attempted to place a live pig inside a hot air balloon. It turned out that the young pig became too restless, so it was removed from the balloon. It was decided instead to place business cards from area merchants, as well as a copy of the Sandusky Register and a publication from the Erie County Agricultural Society inside the hot air balloon. Fair crowds grew excited as the hot air balloon headed to the north, toward the Marblehead peninsula. To read much more about the exciting 1879 Fair, visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center where you will find decades of local newspapers on microfilm, dating back to 1822.

The Wedding of Cora H. Arndt and George F. Hagenman

 On Thursday afternoon, December 29, 1881, Rev. L.S. Osborne officiated at the marriage of Cora H. Arndt and George F. Hagenman at the bride’s home on 410 Adams Street in Sandusky, Ohio. A listing of the gifts that were presented to the bride was printed for the friends and family of the newlyweds.

 Cora H. Arndt was the only daughter of David M. Arndt, superintendent of the Sandusky Water Works, and her groom, George F. Hagenman, was a young lawyer from Reading, Pennsylvania. An article which appeared in the December 30, 1881 issue of the Sandusky Register gave a lengthy description of the wedding.  Cora wore a brocade cream dress with satin shirrings, and a magnificent set of diamond earrings, which had been a gift of her bridegroom. William Dilger, proprietor of the Hayes Avenue Conservatories, decorated the Arndt home with flowers and vines. A floral archway took the place of the traditional wedding bell. Music was provided by the Great Western Orchestra, who played an arrangement of Lohengrin’s Wedding March that had been rendered by Eugene Baetz especially for the wedding. Wedding gifts included several items of silver and crystal.

Sadly, the marriage did not last. Erie County Probate Court records indicate that on February 17, 1885, Cora married lawyer George Henry White. The couple moved to Chicago, and had two children. Cora Arndt White died on January 26, 1914, following a lengthy illness. Her obituary, which was in the January 29, 1914 issue of the Sandusky Register, stated that Cora had been one of “Sandusky’s charming young ladies.” She had been an active member of the community, especially in the parish work of Grace Church. Cora Arndt White was buried in the White family lot in a cemetery in Harvard, Illinois. George F. Hagenman died in 1907 when he was in a tragic railway accident during a Shriner’s trip to California.

W. H. Dilger, Vaudeville Entertainer

William H. Dilger was born on July 23, 1880 in Sandusky, Ohio. His father, also named William H. Dilger, was a landscape gardener and florist in Sandusky in the 1880’s and 1890’s. The book Sandusky of Today credits William H. Dilger, Sr. with beautifying the city parks of Sandusky. By 1900 William H. Dilger, Sr. had moved to Michigan, where he continued work as a landscape gardener.

The younger William H. Dilger was in show business for many years. He lived for a time in New York, but then moved to Sarasota, Florida, and later to Miami, Florida. In correspondence with former Follett House curator, Helen Hansen, Mr. Dilger wrote that he had appeared in illusion shows at Cedar Point, and performed an original illusion entitled “The Moth and the Flame” at the Biemiller Opera House in Sandusky in 1910. He claims to have originated many magic tricks and illusions for professional magicians when Vaudeville was at its height. W. H. Dilger performed in Vaudeville from about 1908 through 1913.

The following article, from the April 1909 issue of Popular Mechanics, illustrates the remarkable “Safe Escape Act” of W.H. Dilger.

According to the Social Security Death Index, William H. Dilger passed away in Florida in June, 1968. You can read an article written by W. H. Dilger in the February 21, 1963 issue of the Sandusky Register, in which W. H. Dilger details his father’s career as a florist, landscape gardener, and consultant.