William J. Schweinfurth’s Grocery Store

From about 1900 until his death in 1932, William J. Schweinfurth ran a small neighborhood grocery store at the northwest corner of Perry and Jefferson Streets. Mr. Schweinfurth and his family lived just around the corner, at 529 East Jefferson Street. You can see both the address of the grocery store, at 433 Perry Street, as well as the Schweinfurth residence on Jefferson Street in this close-up view from the Sanborn Map.

The Schweinfurth grocery store was one of several stores that were part of the Home Service Stores group. The Home Service Stores were a group of individually owned grocery stores which organized for the purpose of collective buying. This organization was in existence in the Sandusky area from 1923 through the early 1950s. On March 29, 1930, an advertisement in the Sandusky Star Journal featured several Easter specials on sale at local Home Service Stores, including the William Schweinfurth grocery.

In the window of the Schweinfurth grocery store in the photo above is a sign for Salada Tea, which was a popular product at that time. Salada Tea advertised heavily in newspapers in the twentieth century, including newspapers published in Sandusky. The ad below appeared in the Sandusky Star Journal of November 17, 1922.

Sebastian Schweinfurth Family

The Sebastian Schweinfurth family is pictured above in the late 1800s, in front of the Schweinfurth residence at the corner of McKelvey Street and Sycamore Line in Sandusky, Ohio. Sebastian had been born in Baden, Germany, and came to the United States in 1854. During the Civil War, Sebastian Schweinfurth served in Company D of the 128^th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, a unit which stood guard at the prison camp at Johnson’s Island. In 1865, Sebastian married Anna Elizabeth Horn, who was also a native of Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Schweinfurth had a large family of seven children. After working in the Klotz and Kromer machine shop, Sebastian Schweinfurth ran a grocery store with his son Fred. All four of Sebastian’s sons were educated in the grocery business and went on to have businesses of their own. For many years, Fred and Simon operated the Schweinfurth Brothers grocery store at the southwest corner of Hayes Avenue and West Park Street.  Later, John was a partner with Simon at the Schweinfurth Brothers grocery store, and Fred had his own business.

You can still just barely read the name of Fred Schweinfurth on the building at 428 Decatur which was at one time a grocery and a bakery.

After Fred’s death, other members of the Schweinfurth family ran the business until the early 1950s. Henry and John Schweifurth operated saloons in Sandusky in the early 1900s, and later they too were in the grocery business. Consult the historical Sandusky city directories to learn the specific dates and locations of the many businesses which were operated by the Schweinfurth family in Sandusky. Sebastian and Anna’s grandson, Gerald Schweinfurth, served as the Erie County Auditor from 1947 to 1982. Members of several generations of the Schweinfurth family contributed to their community through their businesses, church, and social affiliations. 

Interior Views of Groceries in Sandusky

As discussed in a previous blog entry, the neighborhood grocery store was the primary source of  provisions for Sandusky residents in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Below are some interior views of neighborhood grocery stores. 

Adam Helget had a grocery store at 2101 West Monroe Street from about 1915 through 1939. Mr. Helget’s grocery featured baskets of fresh produce and canned goods. Breakfast cereals carried at the Helget grocery included Quaker Corn Puffs and Washington Crisps Corn Flakes. An ice box, which kept perishables fresh, can be seen at the back of the store.

The Schweinfurth Brothers grocery was located at the corner of Hayes and Columbus Avenues for many years. A listing in the 1919-1920 Sandusky City Directory stated that John and Simon Schweinfurth were “dealers in staples and fancy groceries.” (Other members of the Schweinfurth family had grocery stores in other locations.) A wide variety of home and commercially canned goods can be seen on the shelves of the Schweinfurth Brothers store. Nabisco products were stocked on the upper back shelves.

In this interior view of an unknown grocery store, seven flavors of Jello were sold at ten cents per box, and the container which was holding Dernell’s GoldenCrisp Potato Chips stated that they were “always reliable.”

Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to view vintage photographs from Sandusky and Erie County. Historical Sandusky City Directories provide details about local businesses and residents from 1855 through the present time.

J.L. Bonn & Son Grocery

J. L. Bonn operated a grocery business during the late 1800’s at the northeast corner of Adams and Decatur Streets. After Mr. Bonn retired, two of his family members continued in the grocery business. The 1910 Sandusky City Directory lists Jacob Bonn operating a grocery store at the original Bonn Grocery location, while J. Bonn had a grocery store at the southwest corner of Hancock and Monroe Streets in Sandusky.

The Bonn family originated in Bavaria. By 1870 the family had emigrated to the United States. The 1870 U.S. Census for Erie County, Ohio, listed the children of J. L and Caroline Bonn as: J.L. Jr., Eugene, Josephine, William, Jacob, and Helen Bonn. All the Bonn children had also been born in Bavaria. J.L. Bonn, Sr., died on April 21, 1899. He was buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Sandusky. Mr. Bonn’s obituary, which appeared in the April 22, 1899 issue of the Sandusky Star, stated that J. L. Bonn had been one of those who “laid the foundations of Sandusky’s success.”

Church music played a key role in the Bonn family. Son J. L. Bonn, Jr., known as Louis, was a professor of music in New York. Jacob Bonn, who died in 1944, was considered an authority on Gregorian chant. Eugene F. Bonn was a composer of liturgical music, and a professor of music at St. Andrew’s and St. Bernard’s seminaries in New York State. Professor Eugene Bonn received the Papal decoration “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice” in 1930 in Rochester, New York. Helen Bonn Fox, the daughter of J. L. Bonn, Sr., taught music in Sandusky for 75 years, and she was the mother of the members of the well known local singing group the Fox Sisters.

While there is no longer a grocery store at the corner of Decatur and Adams Streets, in the photo below, an advertisement for Gold Medal Flour is still visible. The ad was painted on the building when Fred Schweinfurth operated a grocery store at the same location as the former Bonn Grocery.