The Spirit of the Times

In the archives of the Sandusky Library is a bound volume of a newspaper called the Spirit of the Times. It was published in Batavia, New York, beginning in 1819. You might wonder why this library in Ohio is holding a newspaper from New York in its collections. if you look closely, you will find the answer on the newspaper's masthead: "Published every Friday by O. Follett." 

Oran Follett probably when he was around 45-50 years old

Oran Follett was a prominent resident of Sandusky for about sixty years, until his death in 1894, but he was born in New York state, and lived in Batavia and Buffalo in his younger days. He founded the newspaper in 1821, when he was 22 years old, and managed it until 1825, when he turned it over to his brother, Frederick Follett. He then moved to Buffalo to become a co-editor of the Buffalo Journal. Around 1834, Mr. Follett moved to Sandusky, where he had purchased land. He continued in publishing while in Ohio, as an owner of Follett, Foster, and Co. (publishers of the Lincoln-Douglas Debates) and as editor of the Ohio Journal, but he was involved in several other ventures as well. 

The article above, from the Spirit of the Times, reports on the wreck of the Walk-in-the-Water, the first steamboat on the Great Lakes.

Printers in Sandusky in 1900

An unidentified print shop, probably early 20th century

 Listed in the 1900-1901 Sandusky City Directory are eight businesses under the heading “Printers, Book and Job.” They are:

Alvord –Peters Company, at the northwest corner of Water Street and Columbus Avenue

C. C. Bittner at 622 Market Street

C.E. Chaney at 513 Market Street

I.F. Mack and Brother at 626 Water Street

Sandusky Printing Company, at 618 Water Street

W. & W.F. Senn at 742 Water Street

Star Publishing Company at 602 Market Street

Several of these print shops published newspaper as their primary business.

A.J. Peters and F.E. Alvord would go on to own and publish the Sandusky-Star Journal, which was a merger of three newspapers: the Sandusky Journal, the Sandusky Local, and the Sandusky Star. When A. J. Peters died in 1929, employees of the Star-Journal served as active pallbearers at his funeral.

In 1900, C. C. Bittner was the publisher and proprietor of the Sandusky Daily and Weekly Journal and Local. C.E. Chaney and the Sandusky Printing Company were primarily job printers. The Sandusky Star was published by the Star Publishing Co. in 1900, whose officers were Charles Bang, President, and E. C. Tierney, Secretary.

I.F. and John T. Mack were the proprietors of the Sandusky Register, but the company also did printing jobs, binding, and sold stationery. I.F. Mack was associated with the Register from 1869 until 1909, when his brother John T. Mack took over as the editor and publisher. 

(In 1972 Charles E. Frohman chronicled I.F. Mack’s years as editor in the book, Sandusky's Editor: Isaac Foster Mack's Blazing Forty Years as Editor of the Sandusky Register.)

Philip Buerkle and William F. Senn published the Sandusky Demokrat, the last German language newspaper in Sandusky.

To read more about newspapers in Sandusky, see the chapter about Erie County Newspapers in Hewson L. Peeke’s book A Standard History of Erie County.  Also available at the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center is a bound copy of the Twin Anniversary Celebration edition of the Sandusky Register-Star News, from November 24, 1947, which features an article about the history of newspapers in Sandusky, beginning from David Campbell and the Sandusky Clarion and continuing through 1947. Ask at the Reference Services desk to view this item.

Philip Buerkle, Mayor and Publisher of the Sandusky Demokrat

Philip Buerkle was born in Bergen County, New Jersey, to Mr. and Mrs. August Buerkle, who were both natives of Germany. When Philip was a young child, he moved with his family from New Jersey to Sandusky, Ohio. He learned the printing trade when in the office of the Sandusky Herald. He worked as a journeyman printer in several different cities throughout the U.S., and returned to Sandusky in 1879. Mr. Buerkle worked at the Sandusky Tribune, the Sandusky Register, and later he became president of the Sandusky Demokrat Publishing Company. In the picture below, he can be seen in the upper window of the Demokrat Publishing building on Water Street.

In 1891, he was elected Mayor of Sandusky, and he was re-elected to that office in 1893. After his service as mayor, in 1897 he formed a partnership with A.C. Lermann in the insurance and real estate business. 

Philip Buerkle died on March 26, 1926, after he suffered a stroke. An obituary which appeared in the March 26, 1926 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal read in part, “For many years Mr. Buerkle was a leading figure among those of German birth and descent in Sandusky, and was prominent in German organizations.” He was survived by his wife, the former Sophia Giedeman, and two daughters, Mrs. W. B. Moon and Mrs. Charles J. Neff, and five grandchildren. The two sons in law of Philip Buerkle were partners in the Neff-Moon Toy Company from 1923 to 1927.

To read more about the business leaders of Sandusky and Erie County, Ohio, visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center.

Poem about Sandusky in the Columbian Register in 1818

A poem enticing residents of New Haven, Connecticut to consider moving to the city of Sandusky was printed in a newspaper, the Columbian Register of April 25, 1818. Mrs. Evangeline Vinton Bouton presented a copy of this item to the historical room of the Sandusky Library in 1928. Unfortunately the original item has disintegrated, and only a photocopy of the poem remains in our collection.

A transcription of the entire poem reads:

Come on my good neighbors who live in the East,

Who wish for less winter and snow,

Come join with your friend, and we'll move to the West,

To Sandusky New City we'll go. 

If commerce you choose, where it's not overdone,

(And many like trading, I know;)

Come join with your friend, and prepare to go on;

To Sandusky New City we’ll go

If fishing and fowling your fancy should take,

The half of each summer, or so,

To find rich employment on Erie's proud Lake;

To the Bay of Sandusky we'll go.

 If farming should please us, and please us it must,

Where wealth, fame and luxury flow,

From tilling the soil as we find in the west,

To the Land of Sandusky we'll go.

Ye friends of good dairy, with your dairy wives,

Who like some fine cheeses and so,

To make up your fortune, and lead easy lives,

To Sandusky Prairies must go.

You who have no land, but have many fine boys, 

Tom, Andrew, John, Dick, Bob and Joe,

To get them good farms and increase your own joys,

To the Land of Sandusky should go.

To charming Ohio, by thousands are gone,

The best of our young men you know,

Who spurning dependence, by prospect led on,

To the new world had spirit to go.

Then we who have daughters, young, blooming and fair,

As roses and lilies can grow,

To marry them well and relieve tender care,

To the Land of Sandusky will go.

Now Mary, dear Mary, what think you of this?

Shall we move to the westward or no?

I’ll take a sweet kiss, while your lips answer yes,

To Sandusky New City we’ll go.

Readers of the Columbian Register were urged to consider moving to Sandusky for its fishing, wildlife, and business prospects. At that time, Sandusky, Ohio was considered to be in the west. Of course, thousands of residents of New England did move to northern Ohio in the early 1800s. You can see still the influence of New England in Ohio to this day. If you would like to read a first-hand account of a group of people who traveled from Glastonbury, Connecticut to Perkins Township in the fall of 1815, see the June, 1865 issue of the Firelands Pioneer, available online and at the Sandusky Library.

Historical Receipts from Sandusky Newspapers

In April, 1822, David Campbell issued the first copy of the Sandusky Clarion, a predecessor of the Sandusky Register. The paper was renamed the Daily Register after Earl Bill and Clark Waggoner took over as editors of the paper in 1851. Eventually Henry D. Cooke became associated with the business. The newspaper firm was owned by Bill, Cooke and Company when this receipt was issued to David Campbell in 1853.

Hewson Peeke wrote in A Standard History of Erie County, Ohio (Lewis Publishing Co., 1916) that the Register changed hands three or four times between 1855 and 1869. It was after Isaac Foster Mack became half-owner in the newspaper in 1869 that the local newspaper in Sandusky became known as the Sandusky Register.  In this 1872 receipt, signed by I.F. Mack, the paper was known as the Sandusky Daily Register, under the proprietorship of the Register Printing Company.

According to the letterhead on this receipt from August 3, 1889, at that time the Sandusky Register had a daily, tri-weekly, weekly, and Sunday edition. I.F. Mack and Brother were the publishers of the Sandusky Register in 1889.

 Though the names changed slightly throughout the years, the Sandusky Register has a long history with the residents of Sandusky and Erie County. Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to view historical copies of Sandusky newspapers on microfilm. There was you will also find  an interesting biography of I.F. Mack by Charles E. Frohman, entitled Sandusky's Editor.

Charles Merz, Editor of the New York Times, 1938-1961

Charles Merz was born in Erie County, Ohio on February 23, 1893, to Dr. Charles H. Merz and Sakie (Prout) Merz. While at Sandusky High School, Charles Merz worked on the school’s yearbook, the Fram. During the summers, he was a cub reporter for the Sandusky Register and the Star Journal. He graduated from Sandusky High School in 1911. The younger Charles Merz is pictured below with the Debating Team at Sandusky High School.

Charles Merz graduated from Yale in 1915 and moved to New York to work at Harper’s Weekly, eventually being named editor of the magazine. In 1916, he became the Washington correspondent for the New Republic, with a brief hiatus during World War I, when he worked in military intelligence. He and Walter Lippmann compiled a survey on the press coverage of the Russian Revolution, and were very critical of the coverage by the New York Times.  

In 1931 Charles Merz went to work for the New York Times, where he served as editor from 1938 to 1961.  During the McCarthy era, Merz was known for his opposition to Senator Joseph McCarthy in his editorials. He also wrote several books, including: The Great American Bandwagon, The Dry Decade, And Then Came Ford, and Centerville, U.S.A.  It is believed that Centerville, U.S.A. was based primarily on Merz’s upbringing in Sandusky, Ohio. 

Charles Merz passed away on August 31, 1977. He is still remembered for his long career in journalism and his devotion to the principles of American democracy.

The Alvord & Peters Company

The Alvord & Peters Company was formed in 1898 to engage in job printing. The map of Sandusky pictured above was published by Alvord & Peters in 1898. In 1904 this company was incorporated by A.J. Peters, F.E. Alvord, and Cornelius Nielsen. Prior to incorporating, Alvord and Peters had acquired the Sandusky newspaper known as the Star. In 1904, the company also acquired the Journal, and the two newspapers were merged, to form the Sandusky Star Journal.

While the Sandusky Register was known as a newspaper with Republican views, the Sandusky Star Journal promoted Democratic  politics. 

In 1914, Alvord & Peters published Sandusky High School’s Victory Song, which was written by Lloyd Weninger.

A new building was built for the Star Journal in the early 1920s.

Albert James Peters  died in 1929, at the age of 59. 

After the death of A. J. Peters, Mr. F. E. Alvord severed ties with the Alvord & Peters Company. Records on file at the Ohio Secretary of State indicate that the Alvord & Peters Company went out of existence in November of 1929. The Sandusky Register is now housed in the building that had originally been built for the Sandusky Star Journal. 

“Speaking Of” Columns by Harry Van Stack

From 1945 to 1963, Harry Van Stack wrote a column for the Sandusky Register entitled “Speaking Of.” He penned dozens of articles about local history, politics, and social issues. Mr. Van Stack, the son of missionaries, grew up in South Africa. During the 1920s to the 1940s, he lectured aboard the prison ship Success. In this column from the January 28, 1950 issue of the Sandusky Register, Mr. Van Stack discussed the 1869 Sandusky City Directory, and its information about the city of Sandusky and its banks and railroads.

In his column from June 21, 1958, he praised the floral designs in Washington Park. He pointed out that approximately 100,000 hand-set plants and floral units were included in the many displays in the park that summer, including a cupid, which was appropriate for the area’s many June weddings.

On October 19, 1963, Harry Van Stack died unexpectedly. After his death, his wife, the former Louise Beaulieu, donated several items to the Sandusky Library, including five notebooks containing copies of the “Speaking Of” columns from 1945 to 1963. Visit the Sandusky Library to view these interesting articles which may have been read by your grandparents or great grandparents.

This picture of Mr. and Mrs. Van Stack is located in the back of Notebook Five, taken in October 1956 at the Mound Studio in Sandusky, Ohio.

Remember the Eisenhowers?

An article from the Sandusky High School student newspaper The Sandusky Hi Lites from February 13, 1953 features a picture of four SHS students who wore hairstyles with bangs. The article began, “Any way it’s looked at, bangs seem to dominate the nation’s politics as well as hair styles this year. Whether they’re curled, brushed up, brushed down or just plain straight, it appears as if they’re here to stay.” The wife of newly-elected President Dwight Eisenhower, First Lady Mamie Eisenhower is pictured, along with Judith Maschari, Fran Sausser, Diane Williams and Kathy Murray. The photographer was Jerry Zellers.

Carl H. Stubig, Local Politician and Newspaper Man

Carl H. Stubig was born on October 5, 1886 in Sandusky, Ohio, to Christian and Catherine (Lanz) Stubig, who were both natives of Germany. After working for several years in newspapers in New York and Canada, Carl returned to Sandusky and worked briefly for the Sandusky Star Journal. Carl H. Stubig published a weekly newspaper in Sandusky entitled Stubig’s Weekly between 1915 and 1918. Stubig's editorials and his approach when describing political foes caused a great deal of controversy and agitation throughout the city's political circles.

In 1914 Carl Stubig lost the Republican nomination for mayor to Charles F. Mischler. Stubig's defeat and his support against a campaign to change the city's charter put him as a leading figure in Sandusky politics. Following the adoption of a new city charter, Stubig was one of twenty-seven candidates running to fill the five positions on the first City Commission, established by the new city charter. Despite the number of candidates and the ferocious nature of the campaign, Stubig won a seat and took office as a City Commissioner on January 1, 1916.

His service on the commission was often controversial. At one point during his term, the local Congregational minister assailed Stubig from the pulpit, referring to him as a demagogue and a reactionary. And on March 20, 1916, Stubig took it upon himself to have a “test run” of the city’s fire department. He pulled the fire alarm at city hall during a blinding snow storm. City streets were dangerously slippery, and Henry Rudolph, a veteran Sandusky fireman, fell from the No. 3 hook and ladder truck while answering the false alarm. Mr. Rudolph survived the accident for several months, but he died on February 23, 1917 as a result of the injuries he sustained.

An article in the December 22, 1917 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal reported that Carl H. Stubig was tired of the town of Sandusky. Stubig moved to Akron, where he was the courthouse reporter for the Akron Times. Then he worked at the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company as a member of the publicity department. Later, Carl H. Stubig was secretary to C.L. Knight of the Akron Beacon Journal. On May 2, 1930, Carl H. Stubig died suddenly of heart disease at his home in Akron, Ohio, at the age of 48. An obituary found in the 1930 Obituary Notebook stated that Mr. Stubig was to be buried at Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery. However, the Oakland Cemetery interment card for Carl H. Stubig has a note indicating that in July on 1930, the remains of Carl H. Stubig had been transferred to Marion, Ohio.

Carl H. Stubig was a dynamic individual, and he was passionate in his beliefs and goals. Though his life was brief, he made an impact on many people in several different communities. The picture of Carl H. Stubig below was taken in Albany, New York on April 14, 1912, when Mr. Stubig was with the Knickerbocker Press.

The Weekly Fly

 

The Weekly Fly was a small eight page newspaper published in the mid-1880’s. Harry Van Stack wrote in his column in the November 8, 1952 issue of the Sandusky Register Star News that the two young men who published this small weekly newspaper were Lucas J. Beecher and Lewis W. Lea, who were teenagers at the time they produced The Weekly Fly.

The paper featured news about local churches, clubs, sports, as well as editorials and advertisements from area businesses. It was printed at the Lea residence, at 1059 Columbus Avenue. (This address no longer exists.)

Lewis W. Lea was the son of Sandusky jeweler Lewis M. Lea. Sadly. Lewis W. Lea died in 1907, while he was not yet forty years old. Lucas J. Beecher went on to a successful career as a journalist, serving as a member of the editorial staff of The Toledo Blade from 1901 until his retirement in 1946. Lucas J. Beecher was named for his paternal grandfather, Lucas Beecher, a pioneer lawyer and abolitionist who was well known in Sandusky.

James A. Ryan: Journalist, Author, Postmaster

James A. Ryan was born in Sandusky in 1870, the son of Irish immigrants James and Ann Ryan. He began working in the composing room of the Sandusky Register when he was only eleven years old. By the time he was 21, he was a reporter for the Register. Mr. Ryan wrote a number of articles about the history of Sandusky and Erie County during the 1920’s and 1930’s for the Sandusky Register, the Star Journal, and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. On June 23, 1911, James A. Ryan wrote an article for the Register about his experience as a passenger in the Hydro-Aeroplane of aviator Glenn H. Curtiss.

In April of 1900, James A. Ryan became the press agent for Cedar Point. He assisted Manager G.A. Boeckling with both the Cedar Point resort and the Nielson Opera House. For about a year, Mr. Ryan was in the theatrical business in Michigan and Indiana, but he returned to Sandusky in 1903. On September 1, 1914, Mr. Ryan was appointed to be Sandusky’s postmaster. Serving in this position during the Great War, Mr. Ryan was one of the organizers of the Erie County Welfare League. He also handled publicity for the Liberty Loan Drive and the Red Cross during the wartime years.

Below is a page from James A. Ryan’s book entitled The Town of Milan. He dedicated this copy of his book to the Sandusky Library Association on May 10, 1928.

James A. Ryan passed away on September 16, 1939. He was buried in Oakland Cemetery. An obituary for Mr. Ryan is found in the 1939 Obituary Notebook, housed with the genealogical books at the Sandusky Library. A scrapbook compiled by James A. Ryan was bequeathed to the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center. The scrapbook contains newspaper clippings, letters, telegrams, photographs, and historical brochures which chronicle the life and career of Mr. Ryan. A very sad item in the scrapbook is the obituary for Wilson Ryan, the son of James and Caroline Ryan, who died at the age of two in 1897. An undated news article describes how James Ryan earned his first dollar. He saved money from his earnings at his first job with the Sandusky Register, in order to purchase a piece of furniture for his mother. It was a very happy event for young James when the furniture was finally delivered to his parents’ home.

To read some of the writings of James A. Ryan, visit the Sandusky Library. Over sixty local newspaper articles related to Mr. Ryan have been indexed in the Charles E. Frohman Index to the Sandusky Register and Star Journal, located on microfilm in the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center. Mr. Ryan wrote articles for the Firelands Pioneer, which is also available at the Sandusky Library. See the index to the Firelands Pioneer for references to James A. Ryan. A newspaper tribute to James A. Ryan reads in part, “Editor, historian, postmaster, Board of Elections clerk and a public spirited citizen. That well describes James A. Ryan, whose death Sandusky mourns. Few men have played a more prominent part in this community than Mr. Ryan. He was honored on many occasions by the citizens of his home city and always carried his honors well.”

The Many Talents of Winifred Waye

The book Artists in Ohio lists Winifred Waye as a painter, musician, and newspaper woman, active in Sandusky at the turn of the twentieth century. Winfred Lee Waye was born in March 1874 to Dr. and Mrs. Edgar Waye. Dr. Waye was a dentist in Sandusky. In the 1900 U.S. Census, Winifred states her occupation as an artist, and her sister Adelaide was listed as a musical student. This drawing was created by Winifred L. Waye in 1899 when she was a student in the Sandusky Public Schools.

Winifred Waye was on staff at the Sandusky Star Journal for a number of years. She wrote a widely read column for the newspaper under the name “Mollie Lee.” The column appeared on the Women’s Page of the paper, and was also syndicated to magazines. An article in the January 25, 1916 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal was entitled: “Don’t Always Say What You Think, For It’s Embarrassing; Tact a Very Necessary Quality.” A column which appeared in September of the same year suggested that two families cannot live in the same house if the bride or her mother-in-law become too critical. The article below by Mollie Lee discusses Mothers’ Sunday:

After working for several years as a newspaper woman, Winifred Waye left journalism to become superintendent of the Associated Charities. She also served as the organist for several area churches, and took a deep interest in working with the blind. Teaching citizenship classes was another one of her many community contributions. Miss Winifred Waye passed away on September 16, 1943. Her obituary is found in the 1943 Obituary Notebook at the Sandusky Library. An excerpt from her obituary reads: “All her life Miss Waye has been a charity worker and no one perhaps is better informed as to who are the truly needy and why they are in need, for she has practically made charity work the study of a lifetime.” At the time of her death, Winifred Waye had no immediate family members still living. She was buried at Oakland Cemetery. Visit the Follett House Museum to view two pieces of art created by Winifred Waye. One is a painting of a floral arrangement, and the other is an illustrated Family Tree done in needlework.

James W. Taylor: The American That Canadians Loved

James Wickes Taylor was born in Yates County, New York on November 6, 1819. After graduating from Hamilton College and studying law under his father, he moved to Cincinnati. In 1842 he became associated with the law firm of Salmon P. Chase and Flamen Ball.

Turning next to journalistic endeavors, James W. Taylor established the Cincinnati Morning Signal. In 1852 Taylor became editor of the Sandusky Democratic Mirror. He was the Erie County delegate to the Ohio Constitutional Convention, 1850-1851.
From 1852 to 1856 Taylor was the State Librarian for Ohio. During his tenure he took measures to “preserve every pamphlet printed in the State, no matter the topic.” He authored a book on the History of the State of Ohio as well as a manual on the Ohio School System, and several other books and reports.

From 1859 to 1869, Taylor served as a special agent of the U.S. Treasury. In 1870 he was appointed American Consul to Winnipeg. He held this position until his death in 1893. He was a staunch supporter of the province of Manitoba, promoting trade, railways, and natural resources. When he died in April 28, 1893, Queen Victoria directed that the British flag be placed at half mast at Windsor Castle.

Charles J. Stark, Newspaper Man

Charles J. Stark was born in Wooster, Ohio in 1882. He was a graduate of Ohio State University, and served as President of Penton Publishing Co. in Cleveland for many years. About 1911, Charles J. Stark married Penelope Mack, daughter of Sandusky newspaper publisher, John T. Mack. Charles J. Stark came to the Sandusky Register in 1942, serving as Vice President. Later he was General Manager, and served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Sandusky Newspapers until his retirement in 1965.

In the 1960’s, Charles J. Stark was President of The Robert A. Taft Memorial Association of Erie County. The purpose of this non-profit organization was to “perpetuate the ideals” of the late Senator, Robert Alphonse Taft. The group had annual dinners, and donated books on constitutional government to local school libraries. During some years, honor students from the various public and parochial schools in Erie County were invited to attend the annual dinner. By the end of the 1970’s, The Robert A. Taft Memorial Association was dissolved. Charles J. Stark died on December 17, 1978. He and his wife, Penelope Mack Stark, who died in 1974, are both buried in Knollwood Cemetery, Mayfield Heights, Ohio.

John T. Mack, father-in-law of Charles J. Stark, began his association with the Sandusky Register, first working with his brother I. F. Mack.
In 1874, John T. Mack bought an interest in the paper, and he became the business manager of the Sandusky Register. In 1909, I. F. Mack withdrew his connection with the Register, and John T. Mack became publisher and editor of the Sandusky Register. Son Egbert H. Mack was secretary and business manger, while another son, John D. Mack served as treasurer. John T. Mack remained at the helm of the Sandusky Register until his death on July 8, 1914.

To learn more about the Mack family and its longtime connection with the Sandusky Register, see Sandusky's Editor, by Charles E. Frohman, which focuses on I. F. Mack. This book is available at the Archives Research Center of the Sandusky Library.

Sandusky Newspapers on Microfilm

Two men are reading the Sandusky Register in December 1914. The front page headline story was about the fire which destroyed Thomas Edison’s factory in West Orange, New Jersey on December 9, 1914.

In the Archives Research Center at Sandusky Library you will find hundreds of reels of microfilmed copies of local newspapers, including the city's first newspaper, the Sandusky Clarion, founded in 1822, and its descendant, the present Sandusky Register. While there is no comprehensive index, you can view the “Charles E. Frohman Index to the Sandusky Register and Star Journal”, which is a selective index to our newspaper collection, covering roughly 1840-1975. Since the films are arranged chronologically, searching the newspapers by date is easily done.

You can find details about the social, political, business, and educational activities of area residents from the years in which they lived here. Interesting facts about your ancestors can help add human interest to the genealogical data you already have collected.

In old newspaper ads, it is fun to note how the styles and prices have changed throughout the years.

New Collection of Twentieth-Century Newspapers on Microfilm

Thanks to a generous contribution from the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, subsidized by the generousity of the Sidney Frohman Foundation, the Sandusky Library has received a microfilm collection of the Sandusky Daily News, a short-lived newspaper founded in 1934.There are ten reels of the newspaper available for viewing in the Archives Research Center, covering from August 16, 1934 to December 31, 1937. Additional reels may become available in the future. Although this newspaper is not indexed, it offers a unique source of information, presenting another perspective on life in Sandusky during the Great Depression.

To read this newspaper, come and visit the reference department!

German Newspapers in Sandusky

Some of you may not know that there once was a large, active German community in Sandusky, one large enough to support German-language newspapers. Many native Germans migrated to the United States in the nineteenth century; some chose Sandusky (and many other midwestern towns) as their point of settlement. Ernst von Schulenberg's book about the German influence in Sandusky (written in German, and translated into English as Sandusky: Then and Now) claims that there were about 300 German-speaking people in Sandusky by the 1830s -- out of a total population of about 1000.

In 1851, the first German-language newspaper in Sandusky began publication. The Intelligenz-Blatt was founded by Herman Ruess (left) and August Ruemmele (right). By 1860, the newspaper had ceased publication.

Another German newspaper began publication in Sandusky in 1856. Founded as the Baystadt Demokrat ("Bay City Democrat"), the newspaper later called the Sandusky Demokrat operated until 1919, when anti-German pressure as a result of World War I forced the paper out of business. (During the war, German-language publications were required to seek a government permit to publish; additionally, popular sentiment made it difficult to support German heritage at that time.)

These newspapers help us to understand a part of our culture that no longer exists. Unfortunately, the Sandusky Library has very few copies of these newspapers, and there does not appear to be a complete run of these newspapers in any public institution. Could there be copies of these newspapers in your attic, or in some other storage place? If you find any of these newspapers, please consider donating them to the Sandusky Library, or loaning them for microfilming, so that we might preserve our city's heritage.