George C. Matthes Coal and Supply Company

The postcard above was sent to customers as a reminder to order coal from the George C. Matthes Coal and Supply Company in Sandusky, in order to stay warm in the winter months. The company was founded by George C. Matthes in 1900, and was located at 642 North Depot, at the Hayes Avenue Subway. The Matthes Coal and Supply Company dealt in both wholesale and retail coal. Because of the popularity of coal as a fuel for businesses and homes, in 1916, there were six wholesale coal dealers in Sandusky, and ten retail coal distributors. 

In 1921, Matthes Coal was one of several Sandusky coal dealers that shipped their coal on the New York Central Railroad. Four huge silos for storing coal were built at the Matthes coal yards. The four new silos, along with another smaller silo, the company had the capacity for 1,250 tons of coal. You can see the coal silos at the Matthes Coal and Supply Company in this aerial picture, taken by photographer Thomas Root in 1955.

In 1929, Matthes Coal and Supply provided the enamel brick for the new swimming pool at Jackson Junior High School. Mr. Matthes was active in the National Retail Coal Merchants’ Association and in state coal organizations as well. The advertisement below appeared in the September 9, 1940 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal.

This receipt from the Matthes Coal and Supply Company dates back to the 1950s.

As the demand for coal declined, when more modern methods of heating became popular, Matthes Coal and Supply branched out into more types of supplies, such as patio brick, cast stone, and parking blocks. 

George C. Matthes died on May 21, 1973. The Matthes Coal and Supply Company continued for a time in Sandusky, under the leadership of Alvin W. Beverick, vice president and treasurer of the company. By 1976, the Matthes Coal and Supply Company was no longer listed in the Sandusky City Directory. Though the George C. Matthes Coal and Supply Company is no longer in existence, for many years, the company helped keep “the home fires burning” in the Sandusky area.

Sandusky Coal Company

In the early 1890’s, the Sandusky Coal Company had its offices at R. B. Hubbard & Son. Mr. Rollin B. Hubbard and his son were wholesale lumber dealers, located at 903 Water Street in downtown Sandusky.

The 1890 Sandusky City Directory lists R. B. Hubbard as president of The Sandusky Coal Company, as well as the proprietor of R. B. Hubbard & Son. Rollin’s son, Shannon B. Hubbard was the treasurer and manager of The Sandusky Coal Company.

An article that appeared in the November 21, 1889 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that Jackson Hill coal was being transported by barge from Sandusky to Port Huron, Michigan, for the Sandusky Coal Company. The “Big Four” railway transported Jackson Hill Coal from southern Ohio to the railway derricks in Sandusky. Jackson Hill Coal was considered one of the best domestic and steam coals mined in the state of Ohio.

At some point in time the Sandusky Coal Company was called the Hubbard Coal Company. The ruler below advertised that Jackson Coal was the "Best Steam Coal Mined."

Besides running the lumber business, Rollin B. Hubbard was also associated with the Second National Bank in Sandusky. His son S.B. Hubbard died at the age of 37, in 1894.

Daniel Hoffman and Family Businesses

Beginning as Hoffman Coal and Milling Co., the Hoffman Coal Company served the Sandusky area for sixty-five years. In the 1890 city directory, Daniel Hoffman advertised as a dealer in coal and wood at the corner of Scott and Hancock Streets. Later he also sold feed and grain. Daniel’s sons Charles J. and William H. Hoffman took over the business when Daniel retired. Brothers Fred and Daniel Hoffman, Jr. were also associated with the family coal business through the years. Charles and William Hoffman also owned the Electric Glass Cleaner Company in Sandusky.

Below, we see Daniel Hoffman, Sr. with his five sons, at their Masonic induction ceremony.
Charles J. Hoffman obtained a patent in 1901 for an elevating truck. The Sandusky Evening Star of August 31, 1903 stated that the handy combination truck is said to be a fine device, “combining all the requirements of elevator, store, mill and warehouse trucks.” This truck is featured prominently in an advertisement for his company, in the 1903 publication What (which also features stereotypes of the era).
The patent for this truck can be viewed online at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The Hoffman family was well known in the Sandusky area. Charles J. Hoffman ran an ice cream and sandwich shop on Scott Street in the 1920’s and 1930’s. The figure “Puck” was located at this site. (You can see views of the shop with Puck on the roof, along with images of the Hoffman Coal Company, at a site operated by a private collector here.) Carlyle Hoffman grandson of Daniel Hoffman, Sr, was a lawyer with the Veterans Administration in Cleveland for many years, and granddaughter Dr. Kathryn E. Hoffman was a physician and surgeon in Cleveland.

Visit the Archives Research Center of the Sandusky Library to learn more about early area residents.