Sandusky Taxicab Advertisements in 1919

Arthur L. Pietschman ran the Pietschman Transfer & Taxi Company in Sandusky in 1919. He offered taxi service during the night or day, and also moved baggage, theatrical items and pianos. In 1923 he changed the name of his business to Pietschman’s Yellow Cab. 

The Cadillac Transfer and Taxi Company was operated by Oscar G. Biehl and Harry J. Andres.

The Cadillac Transfer and Taxi Company offered rides day or night, with a “big, roomy limousine or touring car.”  The advertisement below indicates that the Cadillac Taxi provided speed with safety, and the owners suggested customers call for an appointment for the best service.

E.H. Schlessman, best remembered as a commercial photographer in Sandusky for several years, ran the Buick Taxi Company. This advertisement from the December 31, 1919 issue of the Sandusky Register, states that the Buick Taxi Company offered “high class” cars that were clean and equipped with heaters.

Group Photos on the Erie County Courthouse Steps

Though we do not know the names of the people in this group, we do know that this photograph was taken by commercial photographer E.H. Schlessman in the first quarter of the twentieth century. The men, and one lady, are posed on the steps of the Erie County Courthouse, prior to the 1930s Art Deco renovation. Most of the men are in jackets and ties, and several are holding their hats. Many of the gentlemen are wearing a small pin on their lapel, which may indicate membership in a local fraternal organization.  This picture was taken in the same location as the ladies of the first jury of women in Erie County on August 26, 1920.

E.H. Schlessman, Commercial Photographer

During the first quarter of the twentieth century, Edward H. Schlessman was a commercial photographer in Sandusky. On his World War I Draft Registration card, Mr. Schlessman stated that he was self-employed as both a photographer and a taxi driver.

Though he made his living by taking pictures, no known picture of him is in the historic photographic collections of the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center. 

Mr. Schlessman’s photos and postcards chronicled the everyday life of area residents. Ice workers and friends were captured on Sandusky Bay in this postcard from December, 1909.

     

In 1912  Schlessman took a picture of the Shamrocks, who were the champions of their baseball league that season.

Sandusky newsboys who were promoting the Saturday Evening Post were captured in this 1916 Schlessman postcard, near the stand of Norman Holzaepfel.

A young lady feeding two horses is the subject of this undated photograph.

          

When a tornado struck Sandusky in 1924, Schlessman took a series of photographs that showed how much damage the tornado had caused to the Sandusky area. You can see that many buildings were reduced to rubble.

       

The National Guard can be seen near their supply area in this photo taken on June 28, 1924.

By 1934 Edward H. Schlessman had left Sandusky. A legal notice which appeared in the September 22, 1934 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal stated that his last known address had been in Detroit, Michigan, and his wife, Mrs. Josephine Schlessman, had filed for divorce. Though Edward Schlessman moved away from Sandusky, he left us with a better understanding of local life in our community. Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to view over one hundred photographs taken by E. H. Schlessman.

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.

Horse-Drawn Fire Engines in Sandusky

Photographer Edward H. Schlessman took the picture below of a horse drawn fire engine traveling down Central Avenue in the first part of the twentieth century.

Another picture by Mr. Schlessman features a fire engine rushing to a fire on Market Street. The office of E.R. Hinkley, Veterinarian and the jewelry store of Charles A. Bogert are visible in the background.

These fire fighters are standing in front of the old Number Four Fire Station, located on the northeast corner of Central Avenue and Osborne Street in 1910.

Ellie Damm noted in her book Treasure by the Bay that the city of Sandusky used horse-drawn equipment for fighting fires until 1919. Several early fire stations were built of limestone, with space for the horses at the ground level, and quarters for the fire fighters and their equipment on the upper floor.