View of Columbus Avenue from Sandusky Bay, Circa 1938

The picture above was taken from an unidentified boat (possibly the Chippewa) as it was approaching the dock from Sandusky Bay about 1938. At that time, the Moose and VFW both had their club rooms in the building at the northeast corner of Columbus Avenue and Water Street, in the former Post, Lewis and Radcliffe building, now home to the Water Street Bar and Grille.

Buses can be seen transporting people to the busy downtown and waterfront of Sandusky. In the early 1940s, two bus lines were in operation in Sandusky, the Greyhound line and the Lake Shore Coach Company. The Lake Shore buses succeeded the interurban trolley line that disbanded in 1938; their office was at 129 Columbus Avenue, in the former interurban station.The Greyhound station was across the street, at 124 Columbus Avenue.

Jay Meek ran a drugstore in the old Graham drugstore building, at 102 Columbus Avenue, now home to Daly’s Pub. Across the street were the Seitz State Theatre building and the Stone’s Grill Restaurant just to the north of the theater.

When the VFW Post 2529 was on Water Street

Before the Lowell C. Hein Post 2529, V.F.W.  opened its new home at 604 West Perkins Avenue in 1958, for a time in the 1950s the Post was located at 603 East Water Street, at the northeast corner of Water and Perry Streets. This spot had formerly been occupied by the Sandusky office of the Kelley Island Lime and Transport Company, and in the 1940s by the Billman Boat House. Much later the Surf’s Up Wave Action pool was built at the location; the site is now known as the Sandusky Bay Pavilion. In 1950, Robert Frank photographed  the officers of the V.F.W. for the 1950-1951 term.

An article in the April 7, 1950 issue of the Sandusky Register Star News reported that the new officers for the Lowell C. Hein Post 2529, V.F.W. included: Richard Heinz, Commander; Frank Silvania, Senior Vice Commander; Elroy Wild, Junior Vice Commander; Carroll D. Sartor, Adjutant-Quartermaster; Marvin Evans, Post Advocate; A.A. Moore, Surgeon; Richard Butler, Chaplain; and Alvin Adams, Trustee.

Officers for the Dads of Foreign Service Veterans were: Leo Watters, Sr., President; Alfred Uhl, Senior Vice President; James Shut, Junior Vice President; George Stan Smith, Secretary-Treasurer; Bernard McGory, Chaplain; Wilson McLaughlin, Judge Advocate; and William Wiedeman, Trustee. You can read more about the first fifty years of the Lowell C. Hein Post 2529, V.F.W.  in the September 19, 1982 issue of Sandusky Register.