Sandusky Business College and Its Students

The Sandusky Business College was founded in 1865 as the Buckeye and Great Western Business College and educated students until its closing in 1949. First located in Union Hall (part of what became the Cooke Block) on Columbus Avenue, in the 1890s, the school moved to the Mahala Block on East Washington Row. After the big 1909 fire that destroyed the Mahala Block, the college moved to the Feick building on East Market Street. 

Below is the Sandusky Business College men’s basketball team from the 1914-1915 academic year:

This post card showed the confidence that the Cleveland based Bourne-Fuller Company had in eight former students from the Sandusky Business College:

The Protectograph, an early business machine that allowed for forgery-proof check writing, was used by students at the college in the first half of the twentieth century. This machine is now in the historical collections of the Follett House Museum.

Beginning in 1923, the Sandusky Business College was in operation at 403 East Adams Street, at the former residence of Rush Sloane. It was its final home, because declining enrollment forced the school to close in 1949.  

A Look at a Classroom at Sandusky Business College in 1908

     

This picture post card of a young woman in a classroom at the Sandusky Business College was created in December of 1908 when the school was in the Mahala Block on Washington Row.  At the front of the classroom was a large calendar from Buerkle and Lermann, a local insurance and real estate company. At the top of the chalkboard is the date December 17, 1908.

Vintage light fixtures -- probably only recently converted from gas jets to electric light -- are suspended from the ceiling, and shorthand characters are visible on the chalkboard. Instead of individual desks, the students in this class sat at sturdy wooden tables and chairs.

While today's students often use computers and tablets, students in 1908 used books, paper and pen as their main educational tools. 

The Sandusky Register of December 17, 1908 featured articles about President-Elect William Howard Taft, who had recently been elected. Employees of the Enterprise Glass Company were negotiating for higher wages. The suffragists were planning a convention to continue their quest to earn the right to vote for American women. Also in the Register was an ad for Hood's Sarsaparilla, which claimed to be helpful for troubles of the blood, liver, stomach and kidneys. Locally, Frank Schnaitter sold suits at his tailor shop for prices ranging from $25 to $50. The Manhattan men's store carried a full line of "union suits." Grocer Herman Bremer gave out Eagle stamps at his grocery store at the corner of Monroe and Clinton Streets with every cash sale. The Donahue Hardware Store on Water Street offered several suggestions for Christmas gifts, including pockets knives for twenty cents, skates for sixty cents, and sleds for fifty cents and up. By viewing this post card, and the local newspaper of the day, we can get a good idea of what was happening in Sandusky on December 17, 1908. Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to view microfilmed copies of Sandusky newspapers dating back to 1822.

A Postcard Scene of Washington Row in the Late Nineteenth Century

            

In the collection of historical postcards at the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center is a postcard which features a view of East and West Washington Row in the late 1800s. In the close up view below, you can see two men looking toward the west down Washington Row from the doorway of Charles J. Krupp’s Funeral business in the Mahala Block:

The Sandusky City Business College, later known as the Sandusky Business College, was in operation in the middle of the Mahala Block.

On the left side of the picture, you can see the Kingsbury Block, at the northeast corner of Washington Row and Columbus Avenue.  At the northwest corner of Washington Row and Columbus Avenue was the Sloane House hotel. In the distance, you can see the former home of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel B.Caldwell, next to the Presbysterian Church, which is hidden by the trees. Horse and buggy was the normal mode of transportation at this time.

On November 18, 1909, a massive fire destroyed the Mahala Block, with losses estimated at approximately $250,000.

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.

First Anniversary of the Buckeye Business and Telegraph College

A lengthy article in the November 27, 1867 issue of the Sandusky Register reported on the first anniversary celebration of the Buckeye Business and Telegraph College. The school was founded in Sandusky by Professor E. A. Hall, and began as the Buckeye and Great Western Business College. Eventually the name was changed to Sandusky Business College. In the 1860s the school was located at Union Hall, on Columbus Avenue, between Water and Market Streets. The first anniversary celebration was held at Donahoe’s Block, with the Great Western Band providing musical entertainment. A.C. Van Tine, proprietor of the college, called the audience to attention.  M.F. Cowdery, the superintendent of Sandusky City Schools, gave an address.

The Register article summarized his remarks: “He said that next to religion, morality and intelligence must be ranked the claims of trade and commerce of the world. He referred to the effects of commerce in settling new countries, opening seaports and stimulating enterprise. He alluded to the fact that our American Independence was achieved in a war begun on account of commercial oppression, and closed by discussing the importance and value of a strict and unyielding integrity in all the walks of a business life. He paid a very handsome tribute to the energy and enterprise of the proprietors of the Buckeye College, and foresaw for it a career of great usefulness to the young of our city.”

During the evening’s program business students presented Professor Jarrett with a Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary. Lieutenant Governor John Lee spoke to the audience, advising them: “You do well to patronize and encourage an enterprise so fraught with good to the youth of your city.” Mr. John Delamater presented a gold-headed cane to Professor S.P. Hare. Rev. W.D. Godman of Cleveland told the audience that education was important not only for business, but for any vocation to which one is called. Judge Taylor pointed out that the prospects for the winter term were promising, as a large number of students had already enrolled. The evening concluded with the presentation of the engraving “Irving and His Friends” to Mr. A.C. Van Tine. 

The college had a variety of locations and proprietors throughout its existence. The last proprietor of the Sandusky Business College, then located in the former residence of Rush Sloane on Adams Street, was William O. Loudenslagel. The college closed in 1949, due to declining enrollment.

J.J. Dauch

J.J. Dauch, co-founder of the Hinde and Dauch paper company, graduated from Sandusky Business College, and at one time owned the college. Hinde and Dauch was known for hiring graduates of the local school. For over eighty years, The Sandusky Business College and its predecessors played an important role in training young people for their careers in banking, finance, and many manufacturers in Sandusky.

J.J. Hinde and J.J. Dauch, the Men behind the Hinde and Dauch Paper Company

Image of James J. Hinde courtesy of the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, Fremont, Ohio

James J. Hinde was born in Huron Township, Ohio on March 31, 1855 to Mr. and Mrs. William J. Hinde, who were both natives of Ireland. Jacob J. Dauch was also born in Huron Township, on July 2, 1857, to Philip and Mary Dauch, who were of German descent. In the 1880 U.S. Census, both J.J. Hinde and J.J. Dauch were residing in Huron Township of Erie County, and they both listed their occupation as farmer. In 1888, Hinde and Dauch formed a partnership to harvest and bale straw to be used in paper making. One of their customers was the Sandusky Paper Mill, which made butcher wrapping paper from straw. The paper mill ran into financial difficulty, and after leasing it for a time, in 1892 Mr. Hinde and Mr. Dauch purchased the mill. The company eventually became known as the Hinde and Dauch PaperCompany.  In its early years, the business was not very profitable. After  developing corrugated paper, Hinde and Dauch Paper became a leading company in its field. 

An article in the March 2, 1986 issue of the Sandusky Register stated that J.J. Hinde was the inventor, and J.J. Dauch was the business man in the partnership. Below is a drawing from Patent Number 1,005,836, for a machine for making paper board, designed by James J. Hinde in 1910. The patent was issued on October 17, 1911.

 Eventually the Hinde and Dauch Company became the largest manufacturer of its kind in the United States. There were box factories in several cities of the U.S. and Canada, and paper mills as far west as Iowa. 

In 1910, J.J. Hinde left the Hinde and Dauch Company, in order to pursue other interests. Among his later business interests were the Sandusky Automobile Company, the Hinde Paper Company, and the Hinde Brick and Tile Company. Unfortunately none of these ventures proved to be successful.  Mr. Hinde died from pneumonia on February 22, 1931. In his obituary, found in the 1931 Obituary Notebook at the Sandusky Library, we learn that Henry Ford visited J.J. Hinde, where he showed Ford the first tractor that he had ever seen. Mr. Hinde was known as an ardent conversationalist, and he often spoke fondly of Ireland, the birthplace of his ancestors.

J.J. Dauch became the president of Hinde and Dauch after Mr. Hinde departed.  In the image below, J.J. Dauch is with a group of Hinde and Dauch employees, who were all graduates of the Sandusky Business College; the photo was featured in a promotional booklet for the school. The picture was accompanied by a letter of endorsement for the college on stationery from another business Dauch owned, the Dauch Manufacturing Company.

Mr. Dauch had been a graduate of the college in 1876, when it was known as the Buckeye Business and Telegraph College. In 1881, he purchased the Sandusky Business College, but sold it in 1884. 

Sadly, Mr. Dauch died in an automobile accident on August 15, 1918, at the age of 61. His chauffeur, Harry Hicks, also died in the accident, and Dauch’s wife and daughter were injured. Another injured passenger in the car was J.W. Wellington, the president of the Matthews Engineering Company. 

An article by Tom Twitchell which highlighted the life and career of industrialist J.J. Dauch appeared in the March 2, 1986 issue of the Sandusky Register, available on microfilm at the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center.  In the article appeared a quote by local historian Gordon Wendt, about J.J. Dauch, “He was the wealthiest man in town, and the most important.”  

In 1953, Hinde and Dauch was acquired by Westvaco. For most of the 1980s, the company operated as Displayco Midwest, which was bought out by the Chesapeake Corporation in 1989. The factory closed in 1997. The former Hinde and Dauch building at 401 West Shoreline Drive is now home to Chesapeake Lofts. An article which provides the history of the development of Hinde and Dauch is available online. Tom Jackson wrote an excellent article for the Sandusky Register covers the Paper District in Sandusky.

Though J.J. Hinde and J.J. Dauch were associated with the Hinde and Dauch Paper Company for a relatively short time, their names live on in the history of Sandusky and the paper making industry. 

N.J. Abele and Charles A. Bogert

From about 1915 through the 1930s, Nicholas J. Abele and Charles A. Bogert shared a building at 205 West Market Street in downtown Sandusky. Nicholas J. Abele was a photographer and photo finisher. Nicholas J. Abele continued in the photography business in Sandusky until 1949.  An advertisement in the July 1, 1916 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal stated that customers would be delighted when Nick Abele was finished with their pictures.

These postcards of Sandusky area basketball teams were created by Nicholas J. Abele during the winter of 1912-1913. The first postcard features the Holzaepfels basketball team.

This postcard shows the basketball team from the Sandusky Business College in 1912-1913.

Although the handwritten note on the postcard reads 1922-23, a closer look at the markings on the basketball reveals that the image is from 1912-13.)

 Charles A. Bogert operated a jewelry store at 205 West Market Street. Later, Mr. Bogert was the proprietor of the Sandusky Recreation Center. He was a nationally known trapshooter. For a time he managed the Camp Perry National Rifle matches during the summer months. Mr. Bogert died in 1945, and Nicholas J. Abele passed away in 1953. Both men were well known and respected in Sandusky’s business circles.

A Closer Look at a Photo of the Feick Building in 1910

Sandusky photographer E.H. Schlessman took this photograph of a portion of the Feick Building in 1910. Though the picture is torn, it is interesting to see a slice of life from an earlier time in our community. From about 1910 to 1915, the Mayer Lebensburger Company, which sold men’s clothing, and the Sandusky Business College both were in operation in the Feick Building on East Market Street. The Mayer Lebensburger store occupied the street level of 154 to 162 East Market Street. The Sandusky Business College held classes on the third floor of the Feick Building, which only had three stories at that time. The automobile in from the Mayer Lebensburger store had a convertible top, and the tail light and headlights were lanterns, possibly fueled with kerosene.

The poster in the store window was advertising an event to take place on Thursday, August 10. The lady pictured below is looking at another poster in the men’s clothing store, where several pairs of trousers are displayed.

On the second floor, we can see a man, presumably working at his desk.

By 1916, the Mayer Lebensburger Company went out of business, and the Sandusky Business College eventually moved to 403 East Adams Street. Of course, the Feick Building later had a total of eight stories, and many other businesses were in operation there. The Citizens Banking Company was in business at the Feick Building for several decades. Because of the generosity of many donors, the Sandusky Library Archives Center has a rich collection of historic photographs, scrapbooks, books, and other primary resources which help us learn about the past residents of Sandusky and Erie County.

Former Home of Rush R. Sloane

Now privately owned, the house at 403 East Adams Street once was home to former Sandusky Mayor and abolitionist Rush R. Sloane.

According to the book At Home in Early Sandusky,  by Helen Hansen, the house was built for Samuel W. Torrey about 1850. Rush Sloane purchased it about 1854, and made additions to it. When the Sloane family lived there, a fountain and statues decorated the lawn, and there was a terrace on the east side of the house. It is believed that this home was once a “safe house” on the Underground Railroad.  From 1923 until 1949, the Sandusky Business College operated at 403 West Adams Street.

For several years, this structure served as a nursing home. To read more about the home at 403 East Adams, see Article Number 14 in At Home in Early Sandusky.

Sandusky Business College

First known as the Buckeye & Great Western Business College, the school was founded in Sandusky in 1865 by Professor E. A. Hall. By 1867, the name was shortened to Buckeye Business College. The school was located at Union Hall, on the left side of Columbus Avenue, between Water and Market Streets.

In the 1870’s, James D. Parker, grandfather of Drs. Watson and Lester Parker, was the proprietor of the Buckeye Business College. A copy of a 1915 brochure from the Sandusky Business College is in the holdings of the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center. Roy D. Mitchell was the principal and proprietor at this time. of the A brief history of the Sandusky Business College, appears on page five of the brochure. The historical sketch reads in part: “Distinctively a pioneer in commercial education, for half a century the school has served the needs of the business community. Its former students dominate the leading business and financial interests of Sandusky. Hundreds of them are engaged in business pursuits in our sister cities of Ohio.” The Sandusky Business College had a variety of proprietors and locations through the years. The school moved to the Mahala Block in the 1890’s. After the Mahala Block fire of 1909, the school moved to the Feick Building on East Market Street. At that time the Feick Building had only three stories.

The final home of the Sandusky Business College was the former Rush Sloane residence, located at 403 East Adams Street. The school was in operation there from 1923 until 1949, when the school closed due to declining enrollment. William O. Loudenslagel was the last owner of the Sandusky Business College.

The Sandusky Library Archives Research Center is fortunate to have several photographs from the Sandusky Business College, dating from about 1908 through 1928.