James "Bud" Smith in His Youth

In the picture above, James “Bud” Smith is in a homemade go-cart near his home in Sandusky, Ohio about 1914. James was the son of Freeland Smith and his wife, the former Nettie Schnaitter. His siblings were Betty, Frank, Polly and Patricia.  An earlier photograph shows James and his sister Betty sitting on a donkey.

James enjoyed ice boating on the lake during the winter of 1923.

He served as class president during his senior year at Sandusky High School in 1925; He and his fellow class officers, class secretary Helen Wiegand and class vice president Edgar Robinson, appeared in the Sandusky Star Journal on May 23, 1925.

James Freeland Smith graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in engineering. In the 1930s, Mr. Smith was the inspector in charge of dredging projects for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Buffalo, New York. He later became the chief engineer for Union Chain, and its successor Hewitt-Robbins. Later he was head of project sales and engineering for Hewitt-Robbins, and its successor Litton Industries. After retiring from Litton, he served as vice president of North Central Television, Inc., retiring in 1973.

On December 15, 1984 James F. Smith died at the age of 77.  An obituary in the December 16, 1984 issue of the Sandusky Register stated that he had been a member of Grace Episcopal Church, the Sandusky Yacht Club, past president of the Sandusky Sailing Club, and was chairman of the Sandusky Zoning Code Board of Appeals since its inception in the 1950s.

James F. Smith lived an active life, filled with many civic, recreational and educational pursuits. Thanks to the generosity of a Smith family descendant, several photographs of the Smith and Schnaitter families can be seen at the website of the SanduskyLibrary Historical Collections. Original copies of the photographs are held in the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center.

Sandusky School Children in 1919-1920

Pictured below is a group of children from classes 3-A and 4-B at Sycamore School in 1919. While the students have not been identified, we know that Polly Smith is among the children in the picture. Sycamore School was built in 1876; by 1984, the school was closed and the new owner re-purposed it as an apartment building.

The four young men below were on the second team of the Eagles basketball team in 1920. The surnames of the boys were listed on the back of the original picture. From left to right are: Meinzer, Schemenaur, Stephens, and Pusateri.

The next picture shows class 3-B from Campbell School in 1919. There are 45 children in the group, but only one person has been identified. Thomas Rotsinger, the donor of the photograph, is the fourth person from the left, second row from bottom.

Campbell School, designed by J.C. Johnson, was built in 1885 by Adam Feick and brothers. The former Campbell School is now home to Nehemiah Partners of Sandusky, a nonprofit group that benefits area youth.

The Cowell Family of Castalia

For many years Mr. and Mrs. Alvin T. Cowell resided in a home on South Washington Street in Castalia, approximately where the Castalia Branch of Civista Bank is now located. Mr. and Mrs. Cowell are in front of the house, and their daughter Frances Alberta Cowell, known as “Bertie” or “Fannie” is standing by a chair.

The book A Standard History of Erie County, Ohio, by Hewson L. Peeke provides biographical information about Alvin Cowell and his family:

Alvin T. Cowell was reared in Castalia, attended the public schools there, and was about seventeen years of age when the country was thrown into the confusion resulting from the outbreak of the Civil war. A few years later he responded to the call of his patriotism and enlisted on May 2, 1864, in Company I of the One Hundred and Forty-fifth Volunteer Infantry of Ohio. He was out about four months, and spent most of the time with his regiment in guard duty at Arlington Heights, just across the Potomac River from Washington. On receiving his honorable discharge he returned to Erie County, and subsequently .had the advantage of a brief attendance at the Notre Dame University in South Bend, Indiana. With this preparation for practical life he became a farmer, and for many years conducted a large farm of more. than 200 acres in the vicinity of Castalia. While a man who has been known for his strict attention to his business, he has at different times consented to serve in the public interest and for six years was a trustee of Margaretta Township. At the present time he is living in Castalia, and has all the conveniences and comforts he needs for the evening of life.

On February 28, 1910, Mr. Cowell was called upon to mourn tine loss of his faithful companion who had shared with him in the joys and sorrows of existence for nearly forty years. On December 26, 1871, he married Catherine Cooper, who was born in Mount Vernon,. Ohio, a daughter of Cyrus and Sarah (Mitchell) Cooper. Her father was for many years a resident of Knox County, Ohio, and came from there to Margaretta Township where he was a prosperous farmer, but finally sold his land and spent his declining years at Clyde, Ohio, but his body now rests in the cemetery at Castalia. Mr. and Mrs. Cowell became the parents of two children. Fannie A. is the wife of Rev. Charles J. Dole, who is pastor of the Congregational Church at Chelsea, Michigan. The only son, Philip C., is now deceased. Rev. Mr. Dole and wife have five children named Marie L. Catherine Irene, Alberta A., Edward C. and Charles R.

Frances Alberta Dole married a Congregational minister, Rev. Charles Joel Dole in 1891. In the late 1800s, Rev. Dole served as the minister of the Castalia Congregational Church. Two of the Dole daughters had long careers with the Sandusky Library. Miss Irene Dole was the librarian for the Castalia Branch Library from 1942 to 1968. During her time as librarian, the library was housed in the former Town Hall on Main Street in Castalia. The former town hall in Castalia is pictured at the left, in the post card below, about 1905.

Mrs. Alberta Dole Smith was the children’s librarian at Sandusky Library during the 1950s and early 1960s. Mrs. Smith’s picture appeared in the Sandusky Register during National Library Week, on March 19, 1958. The article stated in part: “Children’s librarians feel that none of their patrons will turn out to be a Johnny or Joan who “can’t read” as they are accustomed to having books around the home, and visiting a store house of wonderful and exciting book friends.”

Three Sandusky City School Officials in 1970

In the picture above, three Sandusky City School officials are looking over a magazine article explaining the art program for the school district in 1970. From left to right are: Frank Smith, Wallace Glenwright, and Thomas C. Gallagher.

Frank Smith was well known in art circles in Sandusky. He was an art teacher for Sandusky Schools, and eventually became supervisor of art instruction for the entire school district. Mr. Smith was the founder of the Sandusky Cultural Center, and he was a long time member of the Art Study Club.

Wallace Glenwright was associated with Sandusky City Schools for over thirty years, having been a coach of football, basketball and golf. He also served as Athletic Director, Assistant Principal, and Principal of Sandusky High School, and eventually became the School Superintendent.

Well known Sandusky Register Charles Wagner once said of Mr. Glenwright, “He was a gentleman’s gentleman.”

Thomas Gallagher was in the field of education for thirty five years, and was the Principal of Osborne School for twenty eight years. When he retired, the Sandusky Register of March 25, 1986 featured an article chronicling his career.

Many former students of these local educational leaders will have fond memories of these Sandusky educators.

A Look Back at 242 Wayne Street

Notes on the postcard above state that the Biemiller Garage was located at 240-242 Wayne Street around 1921. Later operators of the garage at this address were Harry Baldridge, Cecil Smith, and a Mr. Roberts. From the late 1920s to the mid 1960s, the Lee B. Keller Funeral Home was at 242 Wayne Street.

This 1963 image of 242 Wayne Street appeared in the March 10, 1991 issue of the Sandusky Register:

Virginia Steinemann and Helen Hansen wrote in an article titled “Growth Devoured Picturesque Homes” that this home was originally built for the Samuel W. Butler family in 1876.

The building was razed in 1968 when Frisch’s Restaurant built a drive in restaurant at this location. Later Charlie’s Waffle House was in this spot. Now the property formerly known as 242 Wayne Street is part of the Social Security Administration office and parking lot. Below is a view of the 200 block of Wayne Street in Sandusky, Ohio from Google Maps.

Erie County African American Soldiers in the First World War

 The book Honor Roll of Ohio: Erie County Edition is a compilation of Erie County residents who served in military or civilian activity during World War I. Soldiers and sailors who served during the war are listed in the book, with photographs, brief personal information, and service summaries included for each man. 

As in the service itself, the African American servicemen were segregated from the rest of the men into two pages of the book. Those pages are shown here.

 Although we do not have additional information for all of the soldiers depicted here, we are able to gather brief biographical data on some of these men. 

Reading the descriptions, you will notice that two of these men died in overseas service. Corporal Clarence Howard was featured in a previous blog post. He was noted as a star pitcher for the Sandusky Crescents baseball team before the war. He was killed by an accidental weapon discharge on October 12, 1918.

Private Robert Adkerson died in service in France on October 22, 1918, at age 25. He was initially buried in France, but in 1921 his remains were returned to his native Tennessee for reburial.

Three sons of William and Mary Alexander performed military service during the war. Sergeant Robert Alexander served overseas with Co. H of the 802nd Pioneer Infantry. Private Charles Alexander was in France with Co. L of the 365th Infantry, 92nd Division. The youngest brother, Private Earl Alexander, served in the Student Army Training Corps at the Ohio State University, beginning September 1918.

The Honor Roll of Ohio is available in the Genealogy book collection at the Sandusky Library.

Children at Play in Sandusky

Though the children have not been identified in the picture above, notes on the original item indicate that the photograph was taken on Reese Street in 1912 by an itinerant photographer who visited Sandusky. Around the same time, several of the Smith children, along with a friend, can be seen having fun at the beach. 

  

The little girl in the picture below is about to go for a wagon ride with her dog and a goat. 

 

This snapshot was taken at the former Erie County Children’s Home in the summer of 1942.