Charles W. and Alberta Walker French, a Family Tragedy, and Questionable Business Practices

Portraits of Charles Walker Wallace French and his wife, the former Miss Alberta Walker, were donated to the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center by a relative of Mrs. French. The photos were taken in Mansfield about 1902.

Charles W. French was born near Wakeman, Ohio in 1862. A lengthy biography of Mr. French appeared in the book A Centennial Biographical History of Richland County, edited by A. J. Baughman in 1901. In 1888, Mr. French worked in Sandusky, with an excavation contracting business. Alberta Walker was private secretary and bookkeeper for the business, which was operating in an upstairs floor of a building on Columbus Avenue. 

Tragedy struck the family on Thanksgiving morning, November 29, 1888, when Alberta’s father, Albert Walker, was killed in an explosion. Mr. French’s firm had been given a contract to excavate the cellar of the Odd Fellows building under construction on Washington Row. 

Mr. Walker was the foreman for the job. Albert had picked up six sticks of dynamite from Mr. French’s dynamite storage house on Perkins Avenue, and placed them on the stove of the office to thaw out. When the paper on the outside of the sticks of dynamite caught fire, Albert Walker rushed four of the sticks to the washstand to try to put out the caps. In the process, the dynamite exploded and Albert Walker was fatally injured. Mr. Walker died while on the way to the hospital.

On June 21, 1890, Charles W. French married Alberta Walker. By 1900, Mr. and Mrs. French were living in the Mansfield area, where he worked with several short line railroads (many of which failed), as well as serving as president of the Baker Stone Company; Mrs. French was the secretary of the company. 

About 1902, Charles and Alberta French moved to California, where Charles promoted a steel company and a railroad. He was involved with several schemes that did not come to fruition.  A New York Times article from August 25, 1921 reported that he was being investigated for securities fraud, and the September 3, 1921 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that he was arrested for fraud as a result of his failed schemes. He had been implicated in a widespread mail fraud scheme.

Mrs. Alberta French passed away in California in 1929, but to date we do not know when Charles W. French died. An article from the Los Angeles Times on August 31, 1921 stated that “Charles W. French is a financial hypnotist, wielding a strange, compelling power over a wealthy man, able to talk thousands of dollars out of a man against his own better judgment.”

Dance Party at the Odd Fellows Hall

N.J. Abele took this picture of a large group of people at a dance at the Odd Fellows Hall about 1912. A few people were identified in notes on the back of the original picture:

The couple at the bottom of this close up view appear to adore each other:

The people at the party were dressed in formal attire.

Some of the ladies wore flowers or ribbons in their hair.

The upper level of the Odd Fellows Hall was the site of many dances in twentieth century Sandusky.

Odd Fellows in Sandusky

The badge below once belonged to Frank B. Leake, who was a member of  Ogontz Lodge, No. 66 of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows (IOOF) in Sandusky, Ohio.

The principal emblem of the Odd Fellows is three links, with the letters F, L, and T, which stand for friendship, love, and truth. Other symbols on the pendant include a Bible, an hourglass, a heart in an open hand, and fasces. The open Bible represents a source of truth, while the hourglass reminds us of how quickly time passes by. The fasces represents strength in unity, and the hand holding the heart is an indication of love and mercy.

Sandusky's former Odd Fellows Hall, located at 231 West Washington Row, was built in 1889 by the Feick brothers. Lodge members met upstairs, and businesses and offices were located at the street level of the building. In 2003 the IOOF building was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

Now privately owned, and still home to offices, the Odd Fellows Hall hosted many lodge meetings, dinners, and dances, throughout most of the twentieth century. It remains a beautiful historic building in downtown Sandusky. The photograph below was taken at a dance at the Odd Fellows Hall about 1912.

To read more about the history and principles of the Odd Fellows, see the Odd Fellows Manual, accessible at Google Books.

Gainsborough Photographers

From 1931 until 1982, Gainsborough Photographers did business at 223 West Washington Street, on the street level of the Odd Fellows Temple in downtown Sandusky.

Though this close up view is not very clear, you can see that at Gainsborough’s you could have portraits taken, or purchase a camera.

Samuel Barkan opened the Gainsborough photographic studio in Sandusky in October of 1931. There was a studio in Lorain as well. An opening day special included twelve 4 x 6 inch pictures in a folder, and a 7 x 9 inch color picture in an easel frame, all for $7.50.

In the 1940s, Sam Barkan resided on Fifth Street in Sandusky with his wife Ann, and their two daughters. During World War II, there was a patriotic display at the Gainsborough Studio during Sandusky’s fifth war loan drive. Every customer who purchased a $25 war bond received a picture of one of the panels of the Honor Board that was on display in Washington Park.

This undated advertisement shows the services available at Gainsborough’s, which included family and commercial photography, sales of photographic equipment and supplies, camera repair, and one day film finishing, as well as reprints and enlargements.

When customers picked up their developed film, the prints were inside a paper album that stated “Send a snapshot with every letter.”

In the 1950s, Sam Barkan wrote a newspaper column entitled “The Camera Column.” This column appeared in the May 12, 1954 issue of the Sandusky Register Star News.

This artistic picture of a championship bowling team was created by Gainsborough Photographers.

Sam Barkan’s name was associated with the Gainsborough Photography studio through the 1960s. In the 1969 Sandusky City Directory, he was listed as the president of Gainsborough, Inc. and Mrs. Ann Barkan was the secretary-treasurer. From 1970 through 1977, George A. Hassenplug was the proprietor of Gainsborough Photographers. Rick Abbott operated Gainsborough Photographers from 1978 until the studio closed in October of 1982. By 1970 Sam and Ann Barkan had moved to Columbus, Ohio. Mr. Sam Barkan passed away at the age of 67 on September 6, 1972. Ann Barkan died in 2006. Both Mr. and Mrs. Barkan were buried at Green Lawn Cemetery in Columbus. During their years in Sandusky, Mr. and Mrs. Barkan were active members of the Oheb Shalom Temple.

Small Bits of History on Sandusky’s Historic Buildings

The symbols, initials, and acronyms that can be seen on Sandusky’s older buildings provide us with clues to the historic past of our community.

The Sandusky Register building was originally built for the Star Journal, as evidenced by the initials SJ seen on the top corner of the building.

A series of Rs border the upper level of the Rieger Lofts help us remember the Rieger family.

When John Rieger opened the Hotel Rieger at the southeast corner of Jackson and Market Streets in Sandusky in 1912, it was Sandusky’s first “fireproof” hotel.

The letters I.O.O.F. and globe that are seen on the corners of the Odd Fellows Temple on Washington Row remind us that the building was first built for the fraternal organization known as the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

Sandusky’s Odd Fellows building was dedicated on March 18, 1890. Several attorneys and businesses are now located in the I.O.O. F. building on Washington Row in downtown Sandusky. Through the years, several other businesses have been in operation at the street level of the Odd Fellows Temple on Washington Row.

The building now home to Calvary Temple was constructed in the 1920s for the Commercial Banking and Trust Company.

The group of layered letters above the door on the west side of Calvary Temple feature the beginning letters of the words Commercial Banking and Trust Company.  The bank did not survive the Great Depression.

On the north side of Adams Junior High School, which opened in 1869 as Sandusky High School, is a trefoil and an equilateral triangle, which is a traditional Christian symbol that represents the Trinity.

Take note of the interesting architectural details found on the historic buildings in Sandusky and Erie County. Lots of history can be learned by observing closely the fine details in the buildings you may walk by every day.

Odd Fellows’ Festival in 1856

On March 25, 1856 the Odd Fellows’ Festival was held at West’s Hall in the West House in downtown Sandusky. The floor managers were John Youngs, Warren Smith, and Jerome Monroe. Twelve Sandusky men served on the Committee of Arrangements, including John W. Holland, a well-known local sign painter and businessman.

Clock’s Band provided music for the evening’s entertainment. Rev. Samuel Marks addressed the Daughters of Rebekah, the women lodge members, who attended the festival in full regalia. An article in the March 26, 1856 issue of the Sandusky Daily Commercial Register reported that the Odd Fellows’ Festival was “one of the most brilliant and admirably conducted entertainments ever given in Sandusky.” After Rev. Marks’ address, the crowd enjoyed a dance and music. Several amateurs sang throughout the evening. Dinner was served at eleven o’clock p.m. One hundred seventy people attended the banquet, which featured three tables “loaded down with all the luxuries and substantials the most craving appetite could demand.” The Independent Order of Odd Fellows is a fraternal organization. The I.O.O.F. symbol features a three link chain, which represents Friendship, Love and Truth. The I.O.O.F. building in Sandusky was dedicated on March 18, 1890. Several attorneys and businesses are now located in the I.O.O. F. building on Washington Row in downtown Sandusky.

Christmas in Sandusky in 1950

A series of pictures featuring holiday decorations in Sandusky’s Washington Park in 1950 is found in the historical collections of the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center. The Industrial Nut Corporation sponsored this Santa Claus decoration.      

A large group of singing carolers is seen here in front of faux stained glass windows.

Hinde and Dauch sponsored this candy cane display.

Rudolph and a sleigh full of gifts were sponsored by the Lyman Boat Company.

You can see the Ohio Edison office in the Odd Fellows building behind this large candle display in Washington Park.

The New Departure Division of General Motors sponsored this display of singers.

 Looking through microfilmed issues of the Sandusky Register Star News from 1950, we learn that at the Sears store in downtown Sandusky, shoppers could purchase a recording of their child’s conversation with the store’s Santa Claus. An ad from Cooper Chevrolet on Cleveland Avenue stated that the new 1951 Chevrolet was “America’s largest and finest low-priced car.” The Jaycees encouraged everyone to put a light in every window for the holiday season. Bing’s Furniture sold a wide variety of small and large appliances for the holiday season. The Frankel’s store offered a lay-away service, offering to “keep secrets safe” until the week of Christmas, and the J.C. Penney store in downtown Sandusky was selling men’s bomber jackets for $8.90. Herman’s Furniture advertised Lane hope chests for “a gift that starts the home.”  

Carl L. Osberg’s Drug Store

In the early part of the twentieth century, for over twenty years Carl L. Osberg operated a drug store on the street level of the Odd Fellows building on Washington Row in downtown Sandusky. You can see row after row of bottles lined up behind the counter in the pharmacy.

 The soda fountain was a popular feature at Osberg’s.

After selling his business, Carl L. Osberg worked for a time in real estate in Detroit. In 1931 Mr. Osberg started the Estmont Company, a manufacturing chemists business which specialized in cosmetics. The Estmont Company was started in Detroit, but moved to Vermilion in 1932, where Carl L .Osberg ran the company with his sons Carl and Leonard Osberg. On April 21, 1947, Carl Osberg died in a nursing home in Lorain. He was buried in the family lot at Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery. The Sandusky Library Archives Research Center is fortunate to have been given several vintage pictures of the former Osberg Drug Store. The interior views of the store remind us of a time gone by.

John F. Renner, Piano Dealer

For over thirty years, John F. Renner was associated with the music business in Sandusky, Ohio. On June 1, 1890, he began work in the music store of R.J. Rife, then worked for John Schoepfle after Mr. Schoepfle purchased Mr. Rife’s interests in the store. In 1897, Renner formed a partnership with George J. Doerzbach. They ran the music store for eight years, after which time Renner became the sole proprietor.

From the late 1890s until Mr. Renner’s retirement in 1929, the music store was located on the street level of the Odd Fellows’ Temple on Washington Row. John F. Renner sold pianos, organs, and musical merchandise. An advertisement in the June 28, 1911 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal, stated that there is a “longing in every heart for music.” Mr. Renner’s store offered payment plans for musical instruments, so that families could play music or listen to music any time of the day or night.

In April of 1921, during National Player Piano Week, Mr. Renner ran an advertisment for player rolls for player pianos. “County Kerry Mary” and the “Missouri Waltz” were two of the many featured selections. Mr. Renner often sponsored community musical events. In February, 1922, concert pianist Herma Menth gave a program at Carnegie Hall at Sandusky Library under the auspices of John F. Renner. In the winter of 1924-1925, Renner supported the Cleveland performance of the dramatic production The Miracle, which played at the Cleveland Public Auditorium during the holiday season, after a successful run in New York City.

John F. Renner died on April 27, 1930. He was survived by his wife, the former Cora Feick, four sisters, one brother, and his mother, Mrs. Josephine Renner. Funeral services for Mr. Renner were held under the auspices of the Perseverance Lodge, No. 329, and burial was at Oakland Cemetery.

Dr. Alta F. Cook

Alta Fremont Cook was born in Huron County, Ohio in 1850 to Dr. Thomas M. Cook, and his wife the former Mary L. Cole. Dr. T.M. Cook had been a regimental and brigade surgeon with the 101st Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. Alta F. Cook followed in his father’s steps, and he too became a physician, having graduated from the University of Michigan in 1881. The 1888 Sandusky City Directory listed both Dr. T.M. Cook and Dr. A.F. Cook, physicians and surgeons, as having offices in the Sloane Block in downtown Sandusky. After the elder Dr. Cook’s death, Dr. Alta F. Cook relocated his medical office to the Odd Fellows’ Temple on Washington Row (shown below, circa 1965). For several years, Dr. Alta F. Cook served as the Acting Assistant Surgeon for the Marine Hospital Service in Sandusky. The Marine Hospital Service had locations in cities with ports throughout the United States, to provide medical service to sailors in the Merchant Marines, Coast Guard, and other federal workers working as seamen.

In 1881, Dr. Alta F. Cook married Alice Gilmore in Ypsilanti, Michigan. They were the parents of a son named Ralph C. Cook. After Alice passed away in 1898, Dr. Cook married Miss Etta Zimmerman. They also had a son, Kenneth Cook. On May 14, 1909, Dr. Alta F. Cook died suddenly at his office from heart disease. He was only 58 years old at the time of his death. Dr. Alta Cook had been prominent in the medical profession in Sandusky for many years. He had been active in the Erie County Medical Society and the American Medical Association. Dr. Alta F. Cook was buried in the family lot at Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery.

A View of Washington Row in 1906

Pictured below is a portion of Washington Row around 1906. The Odd Fellows Hall was built in 1889, by members of Ogontz Lodge No. 66. Like other lodge halls of this era
the Lodge met upstairs, and businesses rented space on the ground floor. John J. Marquart’s Undertaking Business is seen at the left of the photograph. George J. Doerzbach and John F. Renner were dealers in Pianos, Organs, and Musical Merchandise. Each gentleman’s name was featured above separate windows.

To the east of Renner & Doerzbach, was the Central Union Telephone Company. A small bell is barely visible in the lower left window. The telephone company building had previously been the home of Lucas Beecher, a well known lawyer and abolitionist. This building has been identified as a station on the Underground Railroad. A “hair dressing parlor” was in operation on the floor level of the Sloane Hotel, immediately to the east of the telephone company.

Below is a page from the Sanborn Fire Maps containing the Washington Row block between Jackson Street and Columbus Avenue.
By gathering information from the Sanborn Maps, city directories, and local history books of the area, we can learn more about everyday life at the turn of the century in Sandusky, Ohio. The telephone was a relatively new device. Transportation modes included bicycles and the horse and buggy. The store selling pianos and organs lets us know that music was of cultural significance to community residents. A large hotel indicates that the city of Sandusky was frequented by out of town visitors.

Visit the Archives Research Center of the Sandusky Library to learn more about the people and businesses of Erie County. The Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps and Heritage Quest are two of the Research Databases which are accessible from home through the Ohio Public Library Information Network.