Jay Vaughn McFall, Artist

Elementary student Vaughn McFall was listed as number 35 in the class photograph from 1883, taken on the steps of the old Sandusky High School on Adams Street. Jay Vaughn McFall was born in Sandusky, Ohio on December 4, 1877 to Mr. and Mrs. Jay Calvin McFall. His father worked in the family business, which was a men’s clothing store in Sandusky in the 1880s and 1890s.

After the death of  her husband, Mrs. McFall moved the family to Toledo, Ohio. In the 1900 U.S. Census, Jay Vaughn McFall listed his occupation as newspaper illustrator. In 1908, he married Adelaide Eddleman, and by 1910, he had his own art studio in Manhattan.  During his career as an artist, Jay Vaughn McFall did illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post, the Sunday Magazine of the Philadelphia Press, and the Chicago American. He died in 1912 from tuberculosis. His obituary (below) appeared in the New York Times:

Detroit Michigan, Dec. 5, 1912

Jay Vaughn McFall 34 years old, of New York, artist and magazine Illustrator died here today at the home of his mother of tuberculosis. McFall was a native of Sandusky, Ohio but began his Art work here. He went to New York as a member of the Art Students League and then to Chicago as an Illustrator for the Chicago American. Seven years ago he returned to New York and opened a studio illustrating for several magazines. His work was particularly known in the Saturday Evening Post.

Here is an illustration he did, from the January 19, 1908 issue of the Sunday Magazine of the Philadelphia Press:

This illustration appeared in the book, Prince or Chauffer? written by Lawrence Perry. (A.C. McClurg, 1911):

Research Resource: Record of Discharge of Civil War Soldiers

The Sandusky Library Archives Research Center has microfilmed copies of the discharge records of Erie County Civil War soldiers. These records were originally filed at the Erie County Recorder’s Office. An index which lists the soldiers’ names alphabetically by surname aids in locating each soldier’s information.

Thomas McFall, a private with Company B in the 145th Regiment of the Ohio National Guard was discharged on August 24, 1864 at Camp Chase, Ohio.

Alexander Hornig served as a private under Captain Harvey E. Proctor in Company D of the 41^st Ohio Volunteer Infantry. He was discharged at Pulaski, Tennessee on December 2, 1864. Pvt. Hornig’s discharge record listed his place of birth as Germany. A physical description is also provided, stating that he was 20 years old and 5 feet 5 inches tall. He had a light complexion, blue eyes, and brown hair, and his occupation was marble cutter.

Christian Stubig was discharged at Johnson’s Island on February 28, 1865. He had served with the 128^th Ohio Volunteer Infantry.  He was a native of Germany, and his occupation was shoemaker.

Elijah Brown was with Company I of the Massachusetts 55^th Infantry, comprised of African Americans. (At that time, Ohio did not allow African American men into military service, although the policy changed shortly after, but only for the remainder of the war. It was not until 1870 that black men were allowed to serve in Ohio state militias.) He was discharged at Charleston, South Carolina on August 29, 1865. Mr. Brown was eighteen years old, having been born in Sandusky, Ohio. His occupation was farmer. Elijah Brown’s military unit was led by Captain George T. Garrison, brother of well known abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison.

By browsing through these government records, a great deal of personal information can be learned about the men who served in the Civil War. Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research to view these military discharge records. Several book sources and online databases available at Sandusky Library can also aid in the research of Civil War soldiers.

J.D. McFall Men’s Clothing Store

In 1890 and 1891, Jasper Dean McFall operated a store in Sandusky at 121 Columbus Avenue. He sold clothing and gents’ furnishings.  The business was begun by J.D. McFall’s father, William H. McFall, Sr. In 1882 there were two men’s clothing stores operated by the elder Mr. McFall, one at 107 Columbus Avenue, and one at 708 Water Street. 

From about 1886 to 1888, the store was run by the McFall brothers, three sons of the elder Mr. McFall. J.D. McFall was the manager of the McFall Brothers store in 1888, and by 1890, he was the proprietor. This advertisement for J.D. McFall’s store appeared in the March 31, 1891 issue of the Sandusky Register. The surname McFall surrounds the advertisement which highlights spring suits and overcoats.

According to an article in the February 25, 1922 issue of the Sandusky Register, in 1897, J.D. McFall moved from Sandusky to Detroit, where he studied music.  He moved to Washington D.C. and later to the state of Oregon. While in Washington D.C., he was the director of music at the Sunnyside Methodist Church. He served in a similar position at the Arleta Baptist Church, until poor health forced him to retire.  At a memorial service for President William McKinley, held at Chase’s Theater on October 6, 1901, J.D. McFall was in charge of the music for the service.

J.D. McFall died at his home near Jennings Lodge, Oregon on February 5, 1922, at the age of 52. He was fondly remembered by Sandusky residents, who recalled his fine baritone voice.

How They Earned Their First Dollar

In the first half of the twentieth century Sandusky newspapers often featured articles which gave an account of how prominent area residents earned their first dollar. Eugene McFall told reporters in the Dec. 17, 1904 Sandusky Daily Register that he earned his first dollar at A. J. Mowry’s general store in Milan. McFall was general manager of the Sandusky Steamboat and Peninsula Steamboat companies in 1904.

“My First Dollar: How I Earned It” was title of a column by F. Holt for the Sandusky Star Journal in 1921.
Sheriff John B. Taylor, pictured above, went to work at a Sandusky wheel company at the age of 13, where he received payment of forty cents a day. Most of his money went to help support his mother and the rest of the Taylor family. Sheriff Taylor later introduced the science of fingerprinting to Erie County.
John Himmelein was Mayor of Sandusky in 1921 and owned three theaters. He told Mr. Holt that his first job was washing bottles for the Kelleys Island Wine Company. He spent his first dollar at the county fair. F. Holt reports “Probably it was the thrills he experienced in every show on the fair grounds that put the show business bug in his ear…”
G.A. Boeckling, who managed Cedar Point in the twenties, said his first dollar was earned in Michigan City, Indiana, where he was the bookkeeper and janitor of a dry goods store. Boeckling said that “the proudest moment of his life” came when he bought Mother Boeckling a kerosene lamp with the first money he ever earned.

You can read many more human interest stories about Sandusky residents at the Archives Research Center of the Sandusky Library, which houses several decades of Sandusky newspapers on microfilm.