Edmund G. Ross: Sandusky Student, U.S. Senator

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Edmund G. Ross is best remembered as the Senator who cast the deciding vote against the conviction of President Andrew Johnson during his impeachment trial in 1868. He is also one of the Senators about whom former President John F. Kennedy wrote, in his best selling book, Profiles in Courage.

Edmund G. Ross was born in Ashland, Ohio in 1826. When he was 11 years old, he apprenticed as a printer at the Commercial Advertiser, an early newspaper in Huron, Ohio. By 1841, he had moved to Sandusky, where he worked at the Sandusky Mirror, a newspaper owned by his brother Sylvester Ross. He was a longtime opponent of slavery, and served in the 11th Kansas Volunteer Cavalry during the Civil War. He served as U.S. Senator from Kansas from 1866 to 1871.

Hewson Peeke included in his book The Centennial History of Erie County, Ohio (Cleveland Press Co., 1925) a letter from C. M. Eldis, which listed the names of the directors, instructors, and students in the class of Sandusky High School for the academic year 1845-1846. Edmund G. Ross was one of the 1846 graduating students, along with Richard Rush Sloane, later a Mayor of Sandusky, who was known as Rush Sloane in his adult life. Most likely the students who graduated in 1846 attended classes at the former Academy Building in Sandusky, which was located next to Emmanuel Church.

A program from an Exhibition by Sandusky school students in February of 1846 lists the names of both Edmund Ross and Richard Rush Sloane. Edmund’s oration was on the topic of Capital Punishment, and young Sloane’s topic was The Nineteenth Century.

Each of these young men went on to make history, Edmund Ross on a national level, and Richard Rush Sloane in the community of Sandusky. Rush Sloane was known as an ardent abolitionist. His paper on “The Underground Railroad of Sandusky” appeared in the July 1888 issue of the Firelands Pioneer.

Many students who graduated from Sandusky High School went on to make important contributions to our community, state and country. It shows us that early Sandusky leaders placed a great value on education.

C.S. Coler, Educator

Cyphrian Seymour Coler, often known as “Professor,” was the Principal of Sandusky High School from 1892 to 1897. He was born in Morgan County, Ohio in 1858. He put himself through college by working as a coach and tutor, earning degrees from Ohio University and Ohio State University, and later studied at Johns Hopkins University. After working for a time as an investment agent, he returned to the field of education. While in Sandusky, C.S. Coler and his family lived on Fulton Street. Professor Coler was a popular speaker at Teachers’ and Farmers’ Institutes. 

This is a portion of an address he gave at Sandusky High school in January of 1894:

In 1897, he wrote a book entitled Character Building: A Book for Teachers and Parents.

His book was based on several speeches he had given during his career as an educator. The full text of the book is available  at the Hathi Trust. The first chapter began with a discussion of discipline.

In 1897, Professor Coler moved to Upper Sandusky to be the principal of the public high school in that community. Eventually he moved to Coshocton County, Ohio, where he died in 1944 at the age of 85. He was buried in the Deerfield Cemetery in Morgan County, Ohio.

Women's History Month: Miss Emeline Baumeister, Educator and Author

Emeline Baumeister was the youngest child of Frank and Katherine Baumeister, born in Erie County, Ohio in 1895. She graduated from Sandusky High School and attended Kent State University, earning a lifetime teaching certificate. By 1919, Emeline and her sister Edna were both teachers at Campbell School, also known as the 8th Ward School. By 1927, she was the Principal of the school.

Between 1924 and 1936, Emeline Baumeister, along with school superintendent Frank J. Prout, and Nellie Mischler authored several reading textbooks that were published by the University Publishing Company. Several of the books authored by Dr. Prout, Emeline Baumeister and Nellie Mischler are still found in university libraries throughout the United States today.

An article in the March 14, 1936 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal reported that Miss Baumeister had special lessons with a youngster who had moved to Sandusky from Italy, and who did not speak English. Two-thirds of the way through the school year, young Mariana Cinquanta was speaking and reading English very well, with a slight Italian accent, after special attention from Miss Baumeister.

At the end of the school year in 1946, Miss Baumeister was promoted from Principal of Campbell School to the position of Elementary Supervisor for the entire Sandusky City Schools district. Students and teachers paid tribute to her with gifts and a dinner party.

Miss Baumeister was a popular speaker for women’s organizations in Sandusky. In 1953 she spoke to the Mothers’ Federation along with television star Paige Palmer ("The First Lady of Fitness"), when the ladies met at Osborne School. 

Emeline Baumeister retired from her long career in 1959. She passed away on September 25, 1980. An article in the Sandusky Register of January 9, 1982 reported that she left the Sandusky City Schools over $95,000 in her will (worth about $312,000 today). Miss Baumeister cared about the children of Sandusky during her lifetime, and she made provision for Sandusky students even after her death.

Sister Mary Aloysius Molloy, President of the College of Saint Teresa

Image of Sister Mary Aloysius Molloy courtesy College of Saint Teresa Archives, Winona, Minnesota

Mary Molloy was born in Sandusky in 1880 to Mr. and Mrs. Patrick Molloy, who were both Irish immigrants. She graduated from Sandusky High School in 1899, and during her senior year won a silver medal from the Ohio Society of the Sons of the American Revolution for her essay on “The Causes of the American Revolution.” Mary attended the Ohio State University, earning a degree in Philosophy in 1903. She earned a Master’s Degree in English Philology from Ohio State in 1905. In 1907, Mary Molloy got her PhD from Cornell University. Her doctoral thesis was entitled “The Vocabulary of the Old English Bede.” After leaving Cornell, Mary began teaching freshmen courses at the Winona Seminary. Soon she began teaching higher level courses, and eventually became the dean of the college in 1911, which by then had become the College of St. Teresa. A brief article about Mary Molloy appeared in the August 1, 1920 issue of the Sandusky Register, which reported on several local residents whose names had been listed in the book Who’s Who in America.

In 1922 Mary Molloy entered the novitiate of the Sisters of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis of the Congregation of Our Lady of Lourdes, in Rochester, Minnesota, and she became a Franciscan Sister in 1923. After a fire had done serious damage to Sister Mary Aloysius Molloy’s home parish of Saints Peter and Paul Church in Sandusky, Ohio, she contributed $5000.00 to the renovation.

The generous gift was designated for two new side altars and a communion railing made from Italian marble. These gifts were given in memory of her parents. 

Sister Mary Aloysius Molloy was devoted to excellence in parochial education. In 1928, she was named president of the College of St. Teresa. She wrote several books, including: Give Us Teachers, The Parochial Schools, Catholic Colleges for Women, and The Lay Apostate. Sister Mary Aloysius was the first woman to be appointed to the executive committee of the college department of the National Catholic Educational Association. She retired from the college in July, 1946. 

On September 27, 1954, Sister Mary Aloysius Molloy died in Rochester, Minnesota at the age of 74. She was selected as an honoree of the National Women’s History Project in 2006, for her contributions to education. A biographical essay about Sister Mary Aloysius Molloy is found in the book Women of Minnesota. You can read more about Sister Mary Aloysius Molloy in a book published when Saints Peter and Paul Church celebrated its 125th Anniversary, available in the local history section in the Lower Level of the Sandusky Library. Though the College of St. Teresa is no longer in existence, Sister Mary Aloysius Molloy will long be remembered for her leadership and her contributions to parochial higher education.

Marjorie Anderson: Professor, Librarian, Poet and Author

Dr. Marjorie Anderson was born in 1892 to George F. Anderson and Mary Kingsbury West Anderson. She was the great granddaughter of Dr. George Anderson, an early Sandusky physician who died of cholera in 1834.

Marjorie Anderson graduated from Sandusky High School in 1909.

Marjorie received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Smith College in 1913, and her Master’s degree from Columbia University in 1916. She then studied at Johns Hopkins University, and obtained a Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of Chicago in 1923. 

Dr. Anderson taught in the Department of English at Hunter College from 1927 until her death in 1954. She was considered an expert in Chaucerian literature, and wrote several magazine articles on Chaucer. Marjorie collaborated with Blanche Colton Williams in writing An Old English Handbook, published in 1935.

In 1920 Marjorie was an Assistant Librarian at the Carnegie Library in Sandusky.

Below is a poem entitled “In a Public Library,” from her book A Web of Thoughts.

In a tribute to her in the New York Times, Lillian Gottesman said that Dr. Anderson was as great a teacher as she was a scholar. She continued “I shall always remember the brilliant mind, gentle voice, smiling face and sweet humility which combined to make the beloved Marjorie Anderson.”

Dr. Anderson’s book is part of the local authors collection of the Archives Research Center of the Sandusky Library.

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.

R.E. Offenhauer, Educator

From 1909 to 1914, Roy E. Offenhauer was Principal of Sandusky High School. In 1914 he was named Superintendent of Sandusky City Schools, a position he held for four years. Mr. Offenhauer is pictured in the center of the top row of the composite picture of the Sandusky High School Class of 1914, by W.A. Bishop.

He received his Bachelor of Science degree from Marion Normal College (in Indiana) in 1903. In 1917 He received a Master of Arts degree from Columbia University. In 1932 he obtained a degree of Doctor of Pedagogy at Ohio Northern University. 

Before working in Sandusky, Mr. Offenhauer taught in the Mercer County School system, served as superintendent of Mendon School, and was principal of Mount Vernon High School. After leaving Sandusky City Schools, he became principal at Lima Central High School. In 1937, he became the second president of Bowling Green State University. 

Sadly, Roy E. Offenhauer was killed in an automobile accident in December of 1938. (After his unexpected death, another former Sandusky educator, Frank J. Prout, was named President of Bowling Green State University, the third consecutive Sandusky Schools Superintendent to hold the position.) Offenhauer Towers, residence halls on the campus of B.G.S.U., are named in his honor.

Lange's Handbook of Chemistry, Published by Handbook Publishers

For over twenty years, Norbert Lange's Handbook of Chemistry was published by the Handbook Publishers in Sandusky, Ohio. The officers of the Handbook Publishers, which was founded in 1934, included: Norbert A. Lange, Orwell Schoepfle, J.M. Costello, and Richard and Randolph Dorn. In the 1937 Sandusky City Directory, Orwell F. Schoepfle was listed as the president and Norbert A. Lange served as vice president. The publishing company was located at 116 Columbus Avenue at that time, though the Handbook of Chemistry was actually printed in Tennessee, using high-grade paper. In 1945 the company moved to 309 West Water Street. In 1958 Handbook Publishers was acquired by McGraw-Hill, with Dr. Lange and Mr. Schoepfle being named as editorial consultants. 

The Handbook of Chemistry was a popular chemistry resource, and was intended for use by students, educators, chemists, and manufacturers. It was widely used in universities all across the United States, and was considered a standard reference book for chemists and scientists. A copy of the Handbook was microfilmed, and included in the contents of the Crypt of Civilization time capsule at Oglethorpe University in Georgia.  

Norbert A. Lange and Orwell Schoepfle had been classmates at Monroe Elementary School, and both were 1910 graduates of Sandusky High School.

In 1918, Norbert A. Lange earned his PhD from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Lange became an instructor of chemistry at the University of Michigan, the Case School of Applied Science, and the Western Reserve University. He was the primary compiler and editor of the Handbook of Chemistry. Eventually the book became known as Lange’s Handbook, even after his death in 1970.

In 2005 Lange’s Handbook of Chemistry was in its 16^th edition, a 70th anniversary edition. Copies of the Handbook of Chemistry are housed in the bookcase in the Quiet Reading Room at the Sandusky Library, as well as at the Follett House Museum. Copies of this valuable guide to chemistry are also available for loan through the CLEVNET system. Inquire at the Reference Services Desk of the Sandusky Library if you would like to borrow a copy of the Handbook of Chemistry.

Homer B. Williams, Educator

Homer B. Williams was born in 1865 to John and Mary (Secrest) Williams in Mt. Ephraim, Ohio. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Ohio Northern College, and he earned graduate degrees from Baldwin-Wallace and Columbia University. He was given an honorary doctor of law by Bowling Green State University. After teaching in rural Ohio schools, he served as school Superindent of schools in Caldwell, Kenton, and Cambridge. In August, 1898, Sandusky City Schools selected Homer B. Williams as Superintendent of Sandusky Schools. An article which appeared in the August 8, 1898 issue of the Sandusky Star reported that Williams was considered one of the leading educators in Ohio. His annual salary in 1898 was $1,800.  During the annual session of the Ohio States Teachers’ Association, which met at Cedar Point from June 27 to June 29, 1911, Mr. Williams gave the opening address, entitled “Intellectual Habits.”  The text of his address was reprinted in Volume 60 of the Ohio Educational Monthly.

In 1912 Homer B. Williams went to Bowling Green to become the first president of what was then the Bowling Green Normal School. The school had an enrollment of 100 when classes met in 1914. At the time of his retirement in August of 1937, Bowling Green State University had an enrollment of 1,876. Williams Hall, on the campus of BGSU, was named in his honor in 1917. 

Dr. Homer B. Williams died on September 22, 1943, at age 77. Funeral services were held at the auditorium of Bowling Green State University. Dr. Williams was survived by his wife, a daughter, and three sons. He was buried at the Oak Grove Cemetery in Bowling Green. An obituary for Dr. Homer B. Williams appeared in the September 23, 1943 issue of the Sandusky Register Star News.

An Early Kindergarten in Sandusky

The young students of a Kindergarten class which was held at Grace Episcopal Church are posed for a picture in front of the church. While we do not know the exact date of the photograph, it is likely that it was taken sometime between 1900 and 1920. The Sandusky Star Journal reported that a private Kindergarten conducted by the Misses Grace Devine and Viola Link was to open at the parish house of Grace Church on September 10, 1916. In 1925, Miss Geraldine Wagar taught Kindergarten at the Grace Parish House, for children aged three to five years. Songs, games and other educational activities were featured for the youngsters between the morning hours of 9 and 11 a.m. during weekdays.

The word Kindergarten means “Children’s Garden” in German, and refers to the education of a child before the beginning of education in a more formal setting. To read more about Kindergartens in Sandusky, see Article 43 in Volume II of From the Widow's Walk, by Helen Hansen and Virginia Steinemann.

Teacher’s Institute in Sandusky, 1845

The first Teachers’ Institute in Ohio met in Sandusky on September 2, 1845. Hewson L. Peeke wrote in his book, A Standard History of Erie County, that Ebenezer Lane, Rev. Leverett Hull, and C. B. Squires were active in securing lecturers for the Institute. The purpose of the Teachers’ Institute was for the improvement of common schools. Any Ohio teacher was invited to attend the Institute. Those who attended the Institute were not charged any fees, except for their own paper and paying board while in Sandusky. Private homes were opened to the teachers for a fee of not over $2.00 a week.

The main speakers of the Teachers’ Institute were Salem Lord, a teacher from New York State, Asa Lord, and M.F. Cowdery, who would later serve as Superintendent of Sandusky’s school system. Asa Lord was a teacher of mathematics, while M.F. Cowdery specialized in geography. Over ninety Ohio teachers attended the Teacher’s Institute. The Catalogue of the Instructors and Students of the Teachers’ Institute held in Sandusky, Ohio in 1845 was printed by W. S. Mills and Sylvester Ross. Sessions continued for two weeks, with instruction during the day, and lectures and general discussion held during the evening hours.

The names of the teachers who attended the Teachers’ Institute were listed in the Catalogue. Usually known as Rush R. Sloane, Mr. Sloane’s name was given as Richard Rush Sloane in the catalogue. Rush Sloane became well known as an abolitionist and served as Mayor of Sandusky from 1879 to 1880. Daughters of another Sandusky Mayor, Foster M. Follett, also attended the Teacher’s Institute. Helen and Sarah Follett worked along side their parents in attending to the sick during the 1849 cholera epidemic in Sandusky. Sarah and Emily Townsend were daughters of pioneer Sandusky resident, William Townsend. Sadly, Sarah Townsend and both her parents died in the cholera epidemic in 1849.

Several resolutions were adopted at the closing of the Institute. One encouraged the continuation of Teachers’ Institutes so that teachers could obtain practical instruction on subjects connected with teaching and governing schools. Another resolution demanded that the business of teaching be made a distinct profession. A significant resolution recommended “the introduction of vocal music into the Common Schools of this state, as an aid in mental and moral improvement, and an agreeable relaxation from study.” Paul D. Sanders wrote about this early support of vocal music education in Ohio in an article in the October 2001 issue of the Journal of Historical Research in Music Education. (subscription required)

The Eclectic System of Penmanship by L. S. Thompson

Langdon S. Thompson was a teacher of penmanship in the Sandusky schools in 1863. The 1867 Sandusky City Directory lists Mr. Thompson’s residence as 9 Meigs Street. In 1876, L. S. Thompson wrote an elementary course in penmanship, published by Wilson, Hinkle & Company. A series of three books included examples of letters, words, and short sentences, along with blank lines for elementary students to practice their writing skills.

Mr. Thompson felt that whole letters and whole words should be taught to even the youngest of children, instead of the traditional teaching of lines as a first step in the elements of handwriting. In Freddie Bauer’s school book from the West Market Street School, the phrases “Strive to excel” and “Love the good” are meant to be an object lesson as well as to help the student practice his or her penmanship.

Later, L. S. Thompson taught in Indiana and in Jersey City, New Jersey. An article in volume 15 of the journal School Arts, reported that Dr. Langdon S. Thompson had retired after sixty years of continuous service in art education. He had served as a grade school teacher, school principal, supervisor of drawing, college professor, and director of art education. He also had a wide reputation as an author and lecturer, and was active in several professional organizations, including the National Education Association.

The young student Fred Bauer was a lifelong resident of Sandusky. He was an expert in municipal finance, and served as Erie County Auditor from 1916-1918 and 1922-1928.

Ulysses Thompson Curran, Educator and Judge, and His Son Charles, Artist

Ulysses Thompson Curran was the superintendent of the public schools in Sandusky from 1872 through 1880. After leaving the field of education, U. T. Curran practiced law in Sandusky. He served as Erie County Common Pleas Judge in the Probate Division, from 1899 to 1905. He was a lifetime member of the National Education Association.
Under Mr. Curran’s leadership, the “Sandusky Training School” was founded in 1874. New teachers were mentored by more experienced teachers to prepare them for their profession. Miss Mary Alice Chenoweth was the lead teacher at the training school. Mary Alice later changed her name to Helen Hamilton Gardener. She was a suffragist leader, an author, and was appointed to the U.S. Civil Service Commission by President Woodrow Wilson in 1920. (She willed her brain to Cornell University for medical research.)

On February 28, 1914, Ulysses Thompson Curran died at the home of his son Charles Courtney Curran in New York City. Charles Courtney Curran graduated from Sandusky High School in 1879. After high school, Charles Curran attended the Cincinnati School of Design, and later the Art Students’ League, and the National of Academy of Design in New York City. In 1888, he won the Academy’s Hallgarten Prize for his painting, A Breezy Day. Also in 1888, Charles Courtney Curran married Grace Winthrop Wickham, daughter of Huron County Judge Charles Preston Wickham.

After his marriage, Charles Curran studied art in Paris, where he developed his impressionistic style. Three works by Charles Courtney Curran can be seen at the Follett House Museum, including Laurel Among the Rocks, pictured below.

Charles Courtney Curran painted a portrait of his father, which is also on display at the Follett House Museum. Local author Patty Pascoe wrote about both U. T. Curran and Charles Courtney Curran in the book, Elected to Serve, available from the Sandusky Library.

Prout's Station

The town formerly known as Prout or Prout’s Station is located in the north central portion of Oxford Township of Erie County.

A. W. Prout settled in this location in 1833, purchasing land from George Hollister and Isaac Mills for four dollars an acre. A. W. Prout was an agent of an early railroad line that operated in Oxford Township, and also served as the Postmaster of Prout’s Station. A Post Office was first established as “Wheatsboro Post Office” in 1812, and later operated as Prout Post Office (among other names) until Nov. 14, 1905.

In 1885 a mission church from the St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Milan was started at Prout’s Station. A school is found at Prout’s Station in the 1896 Erie County Atlas. In the 1920’s the Central Erie Supply and Elevator did a thriving business, handling an estimated six hundred thousand dollars in 1927.

James A. Ryan, in a 1928 Star Journal newspaper article called Frank J. Prout “one of Prout’s Station’s best known sons.” Frank J. Prout (shown below) was Superintendent of Sandusky City Schools from 1921 to 1939. Dr. Prout was appointed to the presidency of Bowling Green State University in 1939, and continued in that position until 1951. Prout Chapel on the BGSU campus is named for Dr. Frank Prout, while a women’s dormitory was named Alice Prout Hall, for his late wife.

Another Prout descendant, Charles Merz, son of Sakie Prout Merz, was the editor of the New York Times from 1938 until 1961. His editorials in opposition to Senator Joseph McCarthy in the 1950's were influential on American thinking.

You can read James A. Ryan’s history of Prout’s Station from the October 6, 1928 Star Journal at the Archives Research Center of the Sandusky Library, where the Star Journal, Sandusky Register, and other newspapers are available on microfilm.

Professor Moses True Brown

Born in Deerfield, New Hampshire, in 1827, Moses True Brown was the first professor of oratory at Tufts University, serving in that capacity from 1866 to 1890. Prior to teaching in New England, Moses True Brown was superintendent of Toledo Public Schools (1861-1866), and was a literary critic. In 1884 Moses True Brown established the Boston School of Oratory, acting as its president until he moved to his wife's home town of Sandusky, Ohio in 1890.

Professor Brown had married Cora B. Barney, daughter of George Barney, in 1863. Mrs. Cora Barney Brown died in 1886 in Atlantic City, but she was buried at Oakland Cemetery in Sandusky. When Professor Moses True Brown died on September 11, 1900, his obituary in the Sandusky Daily Star stated that he was an "eminent educator, a highly respected citizen, and a man of high attainments."

Professor Brown was a mentor to Pulitzer Prize winning author Hamlin Garland. Several well known orators had studied with Moses True Brown, including Anna Morgan, the Chicago dramatist. In his will Moses True Brown left his personal library to the public library of Sandusky which was under construction at that time.

To learn more about about Moses True Brown and other early residents of Sandusky and Erie County visit the Archives Research Center at Sandusky Library.