Esther Rose Miller, Educator and World Traveler

 Around 1912, Willard A. Bishop took this picture of Robert and Esther Rose Miller, who were the children of former city commissioner Charles  F. Miller and his wife Rose.  Robert C. Miller, about 15 years old in the picture, was an office supply salesman for the Denzer Company in Sandusky in adulthood. Esther R. Miller, about five years old here, became a teacher for Sandusky City Schools. In her later years of teaching,  she taught English and geography at Adams Junior High School. 

Miss Miller traveled extensively. Here is a travel document from Esther Miller’s trip to South America in 1961, retrieved from Ancestry Library Edition.

In 1963 she traveled to Greece and Turkey. In an article in the January 25, 1965 issue of the Sandusky Register, Miss Miller described her recent trip to Scandinavia, France and Germany. In the late 1960s, she traveled to Eastern Europe, Russia and Spain. On several occasions she gave presentations to the Sandusky Travel Club about her travels. After her retirement from Adams Junior High School, Esther Rose Miller worked as an assistant librarian at the Sandusky Library.  

Ivette Martin Miller, An Active Senior

In honor of National Library Week, we recognize a former library worker.

Mrs. Ivette Martin Miller, usually known as Betty, was a former employee of the Sandusky Library. For a time she was in charge of the circulating library at Viewpoint, where she was also a resident. An article in “The Elderlies” column by Karl Kurtz, in the August 14, 1976 issue of the Sandusky Register provides more information about Betty’s background and her determination. Betty started working in Sandusky in 1913, around 17 years old, at her uncle Fred Martin’s ice cream parlor in the old West House building. Kurtz wrote that he and his friends would try to confuse Betty when they ordered sodas or ice cream sundaes, but she always got their orders correct. When Fred Martin moved his ice cream parlor, along with a restaurant, to the Cooke Building, Betty became the manager of the bakery department. 

Later she worked for the B& O and New York Central Railroads, in the ticket office. In 1922, Betty married Edwin Miller, who passed away in 1952. By 1970 Betty had moved to the Viewpoint Apartments, where she was a neighbor to Karl Kurtz. Around 1974, Betty fell and broke her right shoulder. In spite of several operations, and complications, her arm remained in a sling for quite some time. Karl said that Betty should be given a medal for “cheerfulness in time of anxiety, suffering, unselfishness, and endurance in face of much tribulation and trial, while retaining steadfast faith in a higher power.” Throughout her health problems, Betty always tried to cheer up others, and kept a positive attitude. If you would like to read this article in its entirety, along with dozens of other human interest stories, you can see a three-volume compilation of Karl Kurtz’s “The Elderlies” columns at the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center. 

Below is a picture of Betty when she was a volunteer with the Women’s Auxiliary at Sandusky’s former Providence Hospital. Betty is in the front, on the left side. In this picture the ladies were modeling hats, some of which were made from pieces of hospital equipment.

A Military History of the Eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry by Franklin Sawyer

During the Civil War, Franklin Sawyer was the commanding officer of the Eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry from May of 1862 until the unit was mustered out. A prominent lawyer from Norwalk, he achieved the rank of Brevet Brigadier General. Mr. Sawyer wrote a book about his unit, called A Military History of the Eighth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry. It was published in 1881 by Fairbanks and Company of Cleveland, Ohio.

A copy of this military history, donated by Hattie Bretz, is housed in the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center. The book originally belonged to Hattie’s father, William Bretz, who served in Co. E of the Ohio Eighth Infantry. A reprint of this book, with additional photographs, was published by the Blue Acorn Press in 1994. This edition of Franklin Sawyer’s books is found in the Local History and Genealogy collection in Reference Services.

General Sawyer tells about the Eighth Ohio’s participation in many battles, including Antietam, Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Spotsylvania, and Cold Harbor. During the Battle of Antietam, a barn on a nearby farm was used as an operating room. Wounded and dying men covered the ground around the barn. Sandusky native Horace Harper Bill, who was then with Company K, died at Antietam. In the author’s preface, Franklin Sawyer stated, “There were many individual acts of bravery and fortitude, on the part of both officers and men.”

Many men from Sandusky and Erie County were in Company E of the Ohio Eighth Volunteer Infantry. Sawyer’s book lists the names of all the officers and soldiers in each company. The unit’s chaplain, Rev. Lyman N. Freeman, had served as rector of Grace Church in Sandusky from 1845 to 1850. Zenas W. Barker, Jr., the son of the former Mayor of Sandusky, died at Oakland, Virginia on August 28, 1861. Wells W. Miller, who was a Captain in the Ohio Eighth Infantry, went on to serve as Ohio’s Secretary of Agriculture. To read many more details about the Eighth Ohio, visit the Sandusky Library to view this historic accounting of the unit.

After the war Franklin Sawyer was elected to the Ohio legislature. He died in Norwalk, Ohio on August 22, 1892. Reunions of the Veterans of the Ohio Eighth Infantry were held for several years. A reunion was held at the Dixie restaurant in Sandusky on September 18, 1922. According to the Sandusky Star Journal of August 7, 1922, four of the former soldiers of Company E of the Ohio Eighth Infantry were living in Sandusky. Their names were E.E. Warren, William Braby, Charles Chapman and Romeo Foster.

Dr. H. J. Donahue

Dr. Henry James Donahue was born in 1828 in Washington County, Pennsylvania. After attending St. Joseph’s College and Ohio University, he obtained his medical degree from the Cleveland Medical College in 1853. Dr. Donahue also opened his medical practice in Sandusky, Ohio in 1853.  His office was on Columbus Avenue, not far from the office of Dr. R.R. McMeens. By 1860, Dr. Donahue had married Emily Miller. For over thirty years, Dr. Donahue and his family resided in a lovely home at the southwest corner of Decatur and Jefferson Streets, seen in the bottom right quadrant of the picture below.

Dr. Donahue had a successful medical practice in Sandusky for many years and served in leadership roles in several medical associations. In 1871 Dr. Donahue attended the convention of the American Medical Association in San Francisco, California, where he was named an honorary member of the California State Medical Society. During the Civil War, he was called into service after hearing news of the Battle of Shiloh. He gave both medical and surgical aid to the wounded soldiers. 

Besides being busy with his medical practice, Dr. Donahue served on Sandusky’s City Council, was an active member of the Board of Education, and served as Treasurer of the Sandusky Building and Loan Association for eight years. 

On June 23, 1891, Dr. H.J. Donahue passed away at his residence. He was buried at St. Joseph’s Cemetery. Mrs. Emily Donahue was 82 years old when she died in the summer of 1922.

Basketball Team Pictures from the Sandusky Business College

Sandusky photographer W.A. Bishop took two pictures of the Sandusky Business College basketball of 1913-14. The varsity team is pictured above and the junior varsity is below.

               

Several individuals have been identified in the team picture of the 1920-21 Sandusky Business College basketball team. Seated in the front are: Willard Grathwol, Fred Meinzer and Art Wintersteller. The second individual in the back row is W.O. Loudenslagel, president of the college at that time. Mr. Loudenslagel was once a student at Sandusky Business College, and later became an instructor.  In 1918, he purchased the college, and he served as president until it ceased operations in 1949. Harry Miller is also in the back row, but it is not known which of the other three men he is. 

Below is the 1928 basketball team. Though none of the students have been identified in this picture, President Loudenslagel is the man in the suit and tie at the far left.

        

We have one photo of the women’s basketball team from the 1922-23 season in our collection; none of the women are identified, however.

         

There are several names written on the back of the original photograph of the 1930-31 men’s basketball team of the Sandusky Business College. The team players were: Paul Scheid, Edward Hinde, Duane Rogers, Burrell Braver, Charles Zimmerman, Robert Smith, Abe Grathwol, Ralph Rhodes, James Kelley, Robert Holzmiller, and William Bluhm.  W.O. Loudenslagel is at the far left of the picture.

    

Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to learn more about the people and businesses who have made Sandusky and Erie County home.

Pictures from a Play by the Harlequins in 1948

On November 15 and 16, 1948, the local dramatic group the Harlequins presented the play You Can’t Take it With You. The play was a comedy written by George S. Kaufman and Moss Hart. Some of the individuals in the picture above are: Carl Miller, Fran Miller, Eldon Rosswurm, Carroll Post, Lois Meyer, Shirley Carpenter, June Palmer, Ralph Hoffhines, Dorothy Lalond and Jack Mayer. The play was about the fun-loving Sycamore family. In the local production featured June Palmer as Alice Sycamore and Ralph Hoffhines as Tony Kirby. Below is another scene from the play.

Carroll Post and Orson Kniseley built a model boat for the play.

An article in the November 16, 1948 issue of the Sandusky Register Star News reported that “good performances were given by all.” Jack Mayer stole the show as a Russian ballet master, sporting an eagle tattoo and a Russian accent. Someone in the cast created a holiday greeting card with a picture of the set from the play.

These photographs were donated to the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center from the Kniseley family. Orson Kniseley played Grandpa Vanderhoff in the local play.

Kerber’s Marine Grocery on Tiffin Avenue

Now home to Divine Awakenings, the former Kerber’s Marine Grocery was in business on Tiffin Avenue in Sandusky for many years. Lorenz Kerber built this building in 1888 as a grocery store that took supplies to coal, ore and grain boats in Sandusky, Huron and Marblehead. Ellie Damm wrote in her book Treasure by the Bay that Kerber’s sent out supply boats to meet the grocery needs of the big freighters. For a few years, Lorenz Kerber was in a partnership with Charles Miller. Sadly, Lorenz Kerber died at the age of 30 in 1892. His sons continued in the family grocery business. An article in the Sandusky Register of February 6, 1911 stated that the partnership between Charles F. Miller, F.A. Kerber and O.J. Kerber was dissolved, but the business apparently continued. 

This earthenware jug was a holiday item from the 1910s, when F.A. and O.J. Kerber were running Kerber’s Marine Grocery:

The grocery business remained in the hands of the Kerber family until the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, the business was known as the Sandusky Marine Grocery. After the grocery ceased operation, a children’s clothing consignment shop was in the building for several years. In 2018, the Divine Awakenings shop is now at 1006 Tiffin Avenue. When you drive down Tiffin Avenue, you can still see the name L.A. Kerber at the top portion of the storefront, reminding of us of the roots of this long standing place of business in Sandusky

Sandusky Day, Sponsored by Retail Merchants in 1935

In June of 1935 members of the Sandusky Merchants’ Association mailed invitations to all residents of Put in Bay, Lakeside, Middle Bass Island, North Bass Island and Kelleys Island asking them to bring their families to downtown Sandusky for “Sandusky Day” on Saturday, June 15.  The Merchants’ Association paid for tickets for the steamer Chippewa. Put in Bay residents left South Bass Island at 7 a.m. and proceeded to the other locations, and arrived in Sandusky at 9 a.m. The Chippewa took the guests home at 9 p.m.

All day long Sandusky merchants offered special sale prices. Raffle coupons were issued to each shopper for every 25 cent purchase. Local residents as well as those visiting from the Lake Erie Islands area participated in Sandusky Day. Prizes were given away at Jackson Junior High School on June 17, and a listing of the prizes won, along with the names of the winners, were reported in the Sandusky Register on June 18, 1935

William Smith, of Putnam Street, won a dressed chicken from the Libhurt Market. Victor McKillips, from Kelleys Island, won a pair of slippers from Nobil’s Shoe Store. Louise Miller, of Columbus Avenue, won a fancy basket of fruit from Riccelli’s produce store.

To read the names of all the prize winners, see the June 18, 1935 issue of the Sandusky Register, now on microfilm. An article in the June 14, 1935 issue of the Sandusky Register stated that it was believed the free excursion provided by Sandusky’s Retail Merchants was “an important factor in the maintenance of the pleasant relations existing between the Islands and Sandusky.”

The Graduating Class of Sandusky High School, 1872

Pictured above are several members of Sandusky High School’s graduating class of 1872. In the front row are: Lula Hayes; Sarah Lawler; Charles McLouth and Antonia Springer. In the middle row are: Hattie Miller; Frank Barker; Emma Hages; Robert Walsh and Eunice Williams. In the back row are: Ella Rayl ; Alex Camp; Emma Alder; Hattie Keech; Henry Moore; Laura Wetherell; Alice Kinney and Ella Kelham. 

By 1876, Ella Kelham was an elementary school teacher for Sandusky City Schools. Frank Barker became the city clerk of Sandusky, and he married Laura Cooke, the niece of Civil War financier Jay Cooke. (Barker Street in Sandusky was named for Frank Barker’s ancestors.) Hattie Keech was the daughter of Sandusky businessman and philanthropist, C.C. Keech. She would go on to marry Edmund H. Zurhorst, who was very active in politics in Sandusky. Alice Kinney was the daughter of newspaper publisher J.C. Kinney, and Alex Camp’s ancestors were instrumental in the founding of the city of Sandusky. These students were all born before the Civil War, and most lived well into the twentieth century.  They saw many changes in technology in their lifetimes. 

To see more historical photographs from Sandusky and Erie County, visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center, on the lower level of the Sandusky Library.

The “All Nation’s Pageant” in 1932

Several ladies from the Sandusky and Erie County Federation of Women’s Clubs participated in the Cleveland Plain Dealer’s “All Nation’s Pageant”, held at Cleveland’s Public Hall. This event was part of the International Exposition presented in Cleveland from November 19 to 28, 1932. While thirty-eight women participated, only sixteen were present for the photograph above. 

Pictured are: Back Row: Ada Parker, Leona Love, Carrie Beatty, Nettie Beatty, Ms. Drummond, Emma Phillips, Dorothy Drummond, Adeline Rosekelly, Florence Wright. Front Row: Mary Louise Blanckey, Annette Lockwood, Lois Miller, Attie Hawley, Harriet Ruggles, Virginia Caswell, and Marie Harris. 

Several scrapbooks, membership lists, secretary’s record book and photographs from both the Erie County and Sandusky Federation of Women’s Clubs are housed in the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center.

Frau Miller’s Saloon

Here is a ledger sheet written on letterhead stationery from Frau Rosina Miller’s saloon known as the Deutsches Wirtshaus, which in English is German Inn. Rosina Miller, often listed in city directories as Rosina Mueller, was the widow of Julius Miller, who operated the saloon before Rosina took it over. In the 1886 Sandusky City Directory, she is just one of the many individuals who ran a saloon. There were 172 saloons listed in Sandusky at that time; with Sandusky's population about 18,000 at the time, that comes to roughly one saloon for every 100 persons,  Below is just a portion of the page from the directory listing for saloons.

Rosina Miller/Mueller ran the saloon in the 900 block of Columbus Avenue until about 1906. She died on September 14, 1914, following injuries she received in an automobile accident. Mrs. Miller was survived by a son and two daughters, and six grandchildren. She had made Sandusky her home for fifty years. Rev. J.H. Holdgraf officiated at her funeral services and burial was at Oakland Cemetery.

The building where Frau Miller's saloon operated still stands. You can see it as it appears today on Google Maps.

Eighth Grade Graduates of Saints Peter and Paul School, 1922

According to an article in the June 13, 1922 issue of the Sandusky Register, a large crowd attended the graduation exercises of Saints Peter and Paul School, which was held in Sidley Hall on June 12, 1922. Father William F. Murphy gave an eloquent address at the graduation ceremony. John McCrystal gave the valedictory address, and Lenore McGory gave the salutatory address. The graduates stood on the stage in front of a trellised arch which was decorated with roses. The evening’s entertainment included skits, songs, and drills performed by elementary school students. 

The names of the graduates were: John E. Gosser, Richard Hiltz, Norbert Keeley, Richard Ludwig, Louis Lindsley, John F. McCrystal, Russell Payne, Gilbert Steinen, Joseph Shaw, John P. Ryan, John Walsh, Mildred Conley, Lucille Casaver, Thelma Falk, Lucille Grathwol, Agnes H. Miller, Lenore McGory, Dorothy McNulty, and Thelma Wonder. Though there were eleven young men and eight young ladies in the class, at the time this picture was taken, only ten of the boys were present. 

Father William F. Murphy served the parish of Saints Peter and Paul for thirty-eight years, having begun his long career in Sandusky in September of 1905. He saw the congregation through two world wars and the Great Depression, and was well respected as a community leader by local residents from all walks of life and religious denominations. 

Agriculture Has Played a Key Role in the History and Development of Erie County

Before the 1800s, nearly all Ohioans earned their living through agriculture. Even as industrialization expanded in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, agriculture remained and continues to play an important role in our economy. A 2012 Census of Agriculture indicated that there were over 300 farms in Erie County, Ohio, with over 83,000 acres of farm land in the county. The market value of agricultural products sold was worth more than $88,000,000 dollars. The top crops in Erie County were listed as soybeans and corn. 

Several items in the Sandusky Library Archives Research and Sandusky Library reflect the importance of agriculture to our area. This is a ribbon from the Erie County Fair held in 1856:

             

The 1874 and 1896 historical Erie County atlases show the locations and property owners of the farms in rural Erie County. In the holdings of the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center are several ribbons and premium booklets from past Erie County Fairs, primarily from the nineteenth century. 

Man local citizens have been recognized over the years for their agricultural skills and innovations. Erie County resident Wells W. Miller served as Ohio’s ninth Secretary of Agriculture, from 1894 to 1906. The medal below was presented to Charles J. Messer for his corn sheller at the 1858 Ohio State Fair, which was held in Sandusky. Mr. Messer’s threshing factory was located at the corner of Water and Warren Streets. An early annual report the Ohio State Board of Agriculture reported that Messer’s power corn sheller had no superior.

The Hero Reaper was manufactured by the Sandusky Machine and Agricultural Works in the 1880s.

The well-known Hoover Potato Digger was made at the same time in Avery, just a short distance south of Sandusky. Using the wealth derived from the invention, the Hoover family became prominent investors in the Lakeside Chautauqua community in Ottawa County. 

In 1911 the National Corn Exposition was held in Columbus, Ohio from January 30 to February 11.  Milton Earle donated this ribbon from the Corn Exposition to the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center.

The National Corn Exposition of 1911 featured exhibits from thirty five states. Scientific displays were exhibited by over twenty agricultural colleges and agricultural experimental stations. The National Corn Banquet was held on February 3, 1911, and President Taft spoke at the Exposition on February 10. 

If you would like to learn more about the history of agriculture in Ohio, there are many books available for loan through the ClevNet system on the topic of farms in Ohio.

Schnaitter-Smith Families on Perry Street

A recent donation of materials to the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center helps to bring family histories to life. Two houses on Perry Street tell the story of the Schnaitter and Smith families, whose lives played out on their front porches during the early 1900s. Although most of the photographs from the Howard collection were unlabeled, we became history detectives to discover more about the pictured families.

Merchant tailor Frank Schnaitter married Christina. Their five children were Antoinette (Nettie), Frank (1880-1913), Edward (see previousblog entry), Gertrude, and Florence. The children were raised in a beautiful Victorian house at 812 Perry Street.

The Schnaitter home prior to 1920

Bicycles were popular at the turn of the century when Nettie Schnaitter, at around age 20, began spending time with Freeland Smith. She enjoyed riding with Freeland and his sister, Lottie.

Freeland Smith and Nettie Schnaitter. The two boys could be her brothers Edward and Frank. March 28, 1897.

Left to right: An unidentified woman, Lottie, and Nettie pose with their bicycles in front of Nettie’s house. The two boys talking on the porch could be Nettie’s brothers Edward and Frank. March 31, 1897.

Freeland Smith worked as a bookkeeper at Donahue Hardware at 735 Water Street, and he and Nettie Schnaitter were married around 1903. Nettie soon gave birth to Elizabeth “Betty” Smith, James “Bud” Smith, and Frank “Pink” Smith.

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In 1910, a house was built at 808 Perry Street, beside Nettie’s childhood home where her parents and siblings were still living. Soon after, Freeland opened Smith Hardware, which he and Adam Smith later managed. The Smiths lived with the Schnaitter family for several years, and Nettie’s daughters, Margaret “Polly” Smith and Patricia Gertrude Smith, were born in 1911 and 1917, respectively.

By 1915, Freeland and Nettie’s family had moved into the house at 808 Perry Street . That same year, the address numbering system changed, so 812 became 810, and 808 became 806 Perry Street.

Nettie’s children spent happy times playing on the front porches of both houses.

Children, likely Elizabeth, James, Frank, and Margaret Smith stand near the Perry Street homes.

Elizabeth and James Smith, Seymore Bloker, Roy Seebeck, and Frank and Margaret Smith pose on the porch of 808 Perry Street.

Margaret Smith plays with a doll and buggy on her front porch of 808 Perry Street. February 15, 1914.

Even though Nettie was about 7 and 19 years older than her younger sisters, they seemed to be close. Many photographs show Nettie’s children spending time with their next-door neighbors, Aunts Gertrude and Florence Schnaitter.

Left to right: Gertrude and Florence Schnaitter stand beside Nettie Smith. Frank and Margaret Smith, holding a doll, stand in front. All are bundled in winter clothes. The photo is probably dated around 1915.

Likely Elizabeth and Margaret Smith standing with their Aunt Gertrude Schnaitter.

Around 1920, the front half of the house at 810 Perry was moved to 5^th Street.

House at 810 Perry Street after the front was moved.

Gertrude married A. R. Warner and moved to Deerfield, IL, while Florence married Claude Miller. Then the elder Frank Schnaitter died in an ice boating accident in 1928. By 1930, Florence and Claude were living alone at the 810 Perry Street house.

In 1939, Freeland was working as the vice president of Smith Hardware. By 1940, Florence and Claude had moved to Cleveland, and Claude’s brother, Edmund Miller, was renting the 810 Perry Street house for his family. The next year, Freeland, Nettie, and their three youngest children, now adults, had moved back into the old Schnaitter home at 810 Perry Street.

Freeland passed away in 1949 and is buried in Oakland Cemetery. Nettie lived in the 810 Perry Street house until her death in 1967.

Elizabeth married Harold Stockdale, and their family settled in Sandusky. She died before her mother, in 1959. James Smith married, settled his family in Sandusky, and worked as chief engineer at Union Chain. He passed away in 1984.

Frank Smith went on to study art. He supervised art instruction in the Sandusky school system and founded the Sandusky Cultural Center. He died in 1999. Margaret Smith worked as a dental hygienist, spent several winters helping Florence and Claude with the charter dishing business, and was active in several local organizations.  Patricia Smith married Dean Howard and settled in Peoria, Illinois. Both Margaret and Patricia passed away in 2009.

Today, both homes on Perry Street are still standing.

The 806 Perry Street house today.

The 810 Perry Street house today.

Sandusky High School Band in 1925

Here is the Sandusky High School band from the academic year of 1924-1925. The band is seated in front of the steps at Sandusky High School, now Adams Junior High. Mr. Byron Aldrich served as the director of Sandusky High School’s band from 1923 until his retirement in 1955. Below is a picture of the band from the 1925 Fram.

On Monday, November 3, 1924, the Sandusky High School band led a parade of over two thousand students through the streets of Sandusky in support of an upcoming levy. The band gave a concert at the high school auditorium on Friday, December 12, 1924, to a near capacity crowd. The musical numbers played by the 58-piece were so popular, that several encores were requested. Special numbers included a baritone solo by Wayne Pfaff, a coronet duet by Arthur Lange and Richard Smith, and a clarinet trio consisting of Marion Bailey, Wade Miller, and Charles Fettel. Though they didn’t place, the Sandusky High School band went to a State High School Band Contest in Akron, on May 21 and 22, 1925. The Sandusky Star Journal of May 23, 1925 indicated that “Sandusky gave a splendid account of itself” at Akron. Fostoria’s band took first place, with West High School of Akron finishing second. Earl Cheetham, a sousaphone player in the Sandusky High School Band, was selected to perform with the All-Ohio High School, which performed at the Ohio State Band in the summer of 1925 under the direction of Professor Wainwright of Fostoria, Ohio. Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to learn more about the history of past residents of Sandusky and Erie County, Ohio.