Trench Coats Were Popular in Sandusky in 1917

Inspired by military apparel, trench coats were sold by the Wilcox Company in Sandusky in the fall of 1917. An ad from the Fram read, in regards to military and trench coats for girls:

Here’s to the High School Girls that Want to be Thrifty,

Here’s to Those Who Like to Look Nifty,

Here’s Where We Sell at Less Than Fifty.

The Manhattan Men’s Outfitters carried trench coats for men, as seen in the ad below from the November 30, 1917 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal.

The Michaels-Stern trench coat carried by the Manhattan store featured “warmth without weight” and the “snap and zip of a military garment with the comfort and freedom of an ulster.” Read more about the rise of the trench coat in a Smithsonian article.

Christmas Gifts for the 1915 Holiday Season in Sandusky

By browsing through historical issues of the Sandusky Register, we can determine some of the popular gifts that were advertised to area residents in 1915. Mr. Bamberger carried winter scarves and hats at The Avenue Store on Columbus Avenue.

C.V. Baumgardner advertised pianos, while J.H. carried a wide variety of “talking machines.”

The Manhattan store sold suits, overcoats, and other men’s clothing.

Scheurer’s advertisement pictured toys, so that children could look at the newspaper and select a gift.

The Herb and Myers suggested that local residents purchase the unexpected gift of furniture as a Christmas present.

According to the December 17, 1915 issue of the Sandusky Register, many local stores planned to close by 6:00 p.m. on December 24, to allow the employees time off to spend with their families for the holiday. Several organizations proposed the early store closings, including the Business Girls Association, officers of the Trades and Labor Assembly, and every clergyman in the immediate area. 

Manhattan Clothing Store

Around the turn of the twentieth century Samuel Kaplan and Henry Isaacs were the proprietors of the Manhattan Clothing Emporium at the northeast corner of Market and Jackson Streets in downtown Sandusky. An article in the July 31, 1901 issue of the Sandusky Star, stated that the store was having a red tag sale. Both the original price and the sale price were on the tag, so that shoppers could see exactly how much they would be saving if they purchased the item. The proprietors of the Manhattan, which sold apparel for men and boys, brought out new stock every time the seasons changed. 

This baseball team was sponsored by the Manhattan store in the 1910s. They were known as the Manhattans, of course.

Here is an ad for the Manhattan store which appeared in the September 15, 1916 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal.

Samuel Kaplan was born in Lithuania and emigrated to the U.S. as a young man. He had no formal education, but he taught  himself how to read, and write, to speak English, and became familiar with American business practices. After Henry Isaacs retired in 1930, Kaplan ran the Manhattan Clothing Store on his own until his death in 1937, when the store was run by Alston V. Erckman and Leonard Sauer. You can see the sign for the Manhattan store in the picture below, taken during the Northwest Territory Celebration in April of 1938.

In 1953, Mr. Sauer retired and Alston V. Erckman became the sole proprietor of the Manhattan Clothing Store. Mr. Erckman was honored in 1955 for his fifty years of service with the Manhattan store. He had started as an errand boy around 1905. Eventually he learned all aspects of the business and became president of the company. After Mr. Erckman’s death in 1962, Ray Barman and Bud Dodge bought the business. Ray Barman became the sole owner in 1976. 

By 1983 the Manhattan store ceased operations in Sandusky, though it kept a branch store in Tiffin for a time. Below is a picture of the Manhattan store taken shortly after its going out of business sale.  The Manhattan was located at 238 Columbus Avenue in Sandusky during its last twenty years of operation.

      

The Manhattan store served men and boys in the Sandusky area for over 80 years. Do you have any memories of shopping at the Manhattan?