Garment Care in Sandusky

The 1896 Sandusky City Directory lists a variety of businesses which advertised services that helped area residents maintain their clothing. While we not know the specifics of what types of renovation were offered, four individuals were listed as "Clothing Renovators": John Conley, Louis Dietz, John M. Fox, and Mrs. Otto Peter.  Businesses which offered to dye clothing in 1896 were: Burt Moskovits, C. F. Rathke, and Waibel & Knoebel. Three laundries appeared in the 1896 City Directory: Beilstein & Pfanner, Henny Frank, and Till & Wagner. Ten merchant tailors and dozens of dressmakers were also included in the 1896 Sandusky City Directory.

By 1919, C.A. Rathke had expanded his business to a dry cleaning and dyeing works. Mr. Rathke also made suits to order. Mr. Rathke was a tailor in Sandusky for many years.

In 1906 Henry Beilstein and Philip Pfanner were the proprietors of the Beilstein Steam Laundry at 630 Market Street. In later years, there were Dry Cleaning establishments owned separately by the Beilstein and Pfanner families.

The people in the photograph below are not identified, but notes on the back of the photo state that some of the last names of the people pictured are: McLaughlin, Ryan, McCann, and Conley. The Sandusky Dyeing and Cleaning Works was on East Park Street in the 1890s.

By the 1950’s, there were several dry cleaners in Sandusky. The Sun Way Dry Cleaners offered “One Hour Martinizing” at its East Market Street location in the Hubbard block.

There were many more laundries and dry cleaners in Sandusky for which we do not have photographs. The Mahala Steam Laundry operated in Sandusky for many years, with various owners and locations. Visit the Archives Research Center of the Sandusky Library to view historical city directories. The historical city and county directories will provide information about the citizens and the businesses of Sandusky and Erie County dating back to the nineteenth century.

Former Fire Stations at Market and Lawrence Streets

The first fire station at the corner of West Market and Lawrence Streets was built about 1873. For many years this station was known as Fire House Number 2. The large iron numeral that was on the building is now a part of the historical collections of the Follett House Museum. You can see the numeral 2 over the door in the picture above.

A new fire station opened in November of 1915 at West Market and Lawrence Streets, at the site of the former station.  Some of the stone from the old city hall on Market Street, which had been partially destroyed in a fire, was used in the building of the new station, helping to offset construction costs.  H.C. Millot was the architect for the new fire station, and Schnurr and Walsh Brothers were the contractors. The city greenhouse loaned flowers from the greenhouse for its grand opening. You can read all about the opening of the new fire station in the Sandusky Register of February 26, 1915.

      

Mound Photographers took this picture of the fire station at the northwest corner of Market and Lawrence in June, 1944. In the picture, from left to right, are: A. Boesch, W. Herb, L. Seitz, G. Rehfuss, Capt., S. Bickley, electrician, Wilson McLaughlin, Fire Chief, C. Owen, assistant chief, L. Speir, Lieut., W. Collumb, C. Keller, Lieut., A. Hansen, and M. Johnson. Chief Wilson McLaughlin was well known and respected in the city of Sandusky. He had a long career with the Sandusky Fire Department, from 1919 to 1959.  In 1945, Chief McLaughlin was awarded the second annual award of the Sandusky Safety Council.

An article in the February 27, 1945 issue of the Sandusky Register Star News reported that “Chief McLaughlin has given of himself without thought of renumeration or recognition and contributed mightily to the success of our campaign to make Sandusky and Erie County a safe place in which to live and work.”  The former fire station at Market and Lawrence Streets no longer serves as a fire station, since the opening of the new Sandusky Fire Station at 600 West Market Street in 2002. It is now privately owned. Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to read more about the history of the Sandusky Fire Department.

When the VFW Post 2529 was on Water Street

Before the Lowell C. Hein Post 2529, V.F.W.  opened its new home at 604 West Perkins Avenue in 1958, for a time in the 1950s the Post was located at 603 East Water Street, at the northeast corner of Water and Perry Streets. This spot had formerly been occupied by the Sandusky office of the Kelley Island Lime and Transport Company, and in the 1940s by the Billman Boat House. Much later the Surf’s Up Wave Action pool was built at the location; the site is now known as the Sandusky Bay Pavilion. In 1950, Robert Frank photographed  the officers of the V.F.W. for the 1950-1951 term.

An article in the April 7, 1950 issue of the Sandusky Register Star News reported that the new officers for the Lowell C. Hein Post 2529, V.F.W. included: Richard Heinz, Commander; Frank Silvania, Senior Vice Commander; Elroy Wild, Junior Vice Commander; Carroll D. Sartor, Adjutant-Quartermaster; Marvin Evans, Post Advocate; A.A. Moore, Surgeon; Richard Butler, Chaplain; and Alvin Adams, Trustee.

Officers for the Dads of Foreign Service Veterans were: Leo Watters, Sr., President; Alfred Uhl, Senior Vice President; James Shut, Junior Vice President; George Stan Smith, Secretary-Treasurer; Bernard McGory, Chaplain; Wilson McLaughlin, Judge Advocate; and William Wiedeman, Trustee. You can read more about the first fifty years of the Lowell C. Hein Post 2529, V.F.W.  in the September 19, 1982 issue of Sandusky Register. 

Michael and Wilson McLaughlin, Sandusky Fire Fighters

Captain Michael McLaughlin and his son Wilson McLaughlin are both pictured below, in the photograph of Fire Station No. 5 located at Tiffin Avenue at West Madison Street for many years. (This building is now privately owned.)

Sandusky’s Fire Station Number Five was built around 1906. Ellie Damm pointed out in her book Treasure by the Bay, that since the city fire fighters still used horse-drawn equipment at this time, the fire station was designed for use by both men and animals. The lower portion of the building housed the horses which were used to carry the fire fighting equipment and firemen.

On Thursday, February 8, 1934, Captain Michael McLaughlin died in the line of duty while fighting a fire on Perry Street. He was overcome with smoke while battling the blaze, and was carried out of the burning building by his son, Wilson. He was taken to Good Samaritan Hospital, but efforts to revive him were fruitless. Capt. McLaughlin had been a member of the Sandusky Fire Department for 32 years. He was a friend of the community, and he originated the idea of repairing broken toys at Christmas time, and giving them to children in need. He worked at Fire Station No. 5 for 28 years. You can read the resolution by the City Commission of the City of Sandusky which honored Captain Michael McLaughlin on page 15 of the 1934 Obituary Notebook found in the Archives Research Center of Sandusky Library. It read in part: “Having been with the fire department for a great many years both as a member and a captain, he displayed a keen interest in the duties before him his every act and decision was marked by sincerity, courage and integrity which fact was demonstrated when he lost his life while serving his community in his line of duty.”

Wilson “Slip” McLaughlin, son of the Captain, was also a longtime Sandusky fire fighter. He died in November of 1984, after having served the community for fifty years. He had been the state fire marshal for four years, and was formerly an Erie County Commissioner. Wilson McLaughlin started the annual Fireman's Shoe Fund for needy children. He was an honorary life member of the Sandusky Safety Council and the State and National Association of Fire Chiefs.

Visit the Archives Research Center to learn more about the many men and women who have served Sandusky and Erie County throughout the years. Newspapers, county histories, and many other reference sources can assist you in researching the many past and present residents of our community.

Pictured below is Fire Station No. 5 in the 1980s.

The Irish in Erie County

During the first half of the nineteenth century thousands of Irish emigrated to the United States. The potato famine of 1845 left devastating conditions in Ireland. The Irish immigrants had hopes of starting a new life in the United States. Often the only jobs available were among the least desirable. As a result many Irish born workers built the canals and railways of America and worked in dangerous mines. Besides working difficult jobs, the Irish often faced discrimination. They encountered signs that said “HELP WANTED – NO IRISH NEED APPLY.” As a result the Irish found solace in churches and community organizations. Eventually the Irish were assimilated into American culture, along with thousands of other immigrants from many other countries. Today Americans of Irish descent are still known for their humor, love of family, and their sometimes feisty personalities. St. Patrick’s Day has been celebrated in America since 1737.

One of the earliest Irish immigrants in Erie County was John Beatty, who was one of largest land owners of the Firelands. John Beatty led a group of fourteen families from Connecticut to Perkins Township in 1814. He was Mayor of Sandusky from 1833 to 1836. His brother-in-law was Rev. William Gurley, an early Methodist minister was licensed to preach by John Wesley, the “father of Methodism.”

Father R. A. Sidley (below) was born in Ireland in 1828. He was the priest of Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Sandusky from 1863 until 1871. Father Sidley oversaw the building of the church which still stands today at the southeast corner of Columbus Avenue and Jefferson Street. Father Sidley left a bequest of over $13,000 for the building of a new school, which was completed in 1907. The auditorium of the new school was named “Sidley Memorial Hall” in honor of Father Sidley. For many years Sidley Hall was used for concerts, commencements, as well as amateur and professional dramatic productions.

Leonard Johnson, another local Irish immigrant, bought Bull’s Island in 1852. The name of the island was later changed to Johnson’s Island. During the Civil War there was a Prisoner of War Camp located on Johnson’s Island.
Wilson “Slip” McLaughlin, who was Chief of the Sandusky Fire Department for many years, was the grandson of Irish immigrant, Michael McLaughlin. “Slip” is in the center of the group pictured below at the fire station located at the corner of Meigs Street and Sycamore Line. Mr. McLaughlin’s obituary in the November 24, 1984 stated that he was a “champion of the underprivileged and public” and a public servant for fifty years.
Descendants of Irish immigrants to Sandusky and Erie County still live and work in Sandusky today. A walk through St. Joseph’s Cemetery will bring to mind many of those Irish Americans who have gone before us.