Honoring Those Who Served in World War I

As we commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War I, it is time to take a moment to remember the soldiers from Erie County who gave their lives for their country during the war.

Harold Blancke

Harold Blancke was born on January 10th, 1900 in Perkins Township. He enlisted long before the United States entered the war. He enlisted in the 6th Ohio, a National Guard unit, on July 7^th, 1915. Once the war started the 6th Ohio was stationed around the state guarding railroad bridges and railroad yards. Harold was stationed outside of Port Clinton guarding the New York Central Bridge. On the night of April 15th, when Harold was relieving another soldier of guard duty, Harold was struck by a train and killed instantly. He was buried in Oakland Cemetery Sandusky, Ohio on April 17th. Harold Blancke was the first soldier from Erie County to die during World War I.

Elmer Reese

Elmer Reese was born in Niles, Ohio on August 12th, 1896. He eventually moved to Sandusky to work for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. He enlisted in the Marines on May 19th, 1917 and was assigned to the 6th Regiment, Company A. He was promoted to Corporal on November 30th, 1917. He was shipped to Europe with his units on February 20th, 1918. During the Battle of Belleau Wood Elmer was killed in action on June 8th, 1918. He became the first Erie County soldier killed in combat during the war. His family was notified of the death on September 20th, 1918. Corporal Reese was originally buried in France but in 1921 his body was returned to the United States to buried. His body arrived in Sandusky on September 12th, 1921 with funeral services and burial in Oakland Cemetery Sandusky, Ohio the next day.

John Risch

John Risch was born in Sandusky, Ohio on October 31st, 1891.  John enlisted in the Coastal Artillery on November 21st, 1913 long before the war even started. He was stationed at several forts on the west coast, but mainly in Washington state. On June 11th, 1918 he was discharged with a 100% disability due to an illness. After discharged he returned to Sandusky. In January of 1919 he was admitted to the Sandusky Soldiers' Home and was discharged on March 1919. John was the first soldier to be admitted to the Sandusky Soldiers' Home who served in World War I. He died May 12th, 1919 and was buried in Oakland Cemetery Sandusky, Ohio.

Edward Roth

Edward Roth was born in Sandusky, Ohio on May 24th, 1893. He enlisted in the regular army on October 5th, 1917. He was sent to Camp Sheridan in Alabama and stayed there until his discharge on June 19th, 1918. Edward was discharged with 100% disability due to a chronic illness. After discharge Edward returned to Sandusky and eventually died in Good Samaritan Hospital on June 24th, 1919. This marks the last soldier to die from Erie County whose cause of death was linked to his time in the service during the war. Edward’s funeral was June 27th, 1919 and was buried in Oakland Cemetery Sandusky, Ohio.

In total 56 soldiers died in the service of the country during the war from Erie County. Twenty-three soldiers died due to combat related injuries. The rest either died from illness (26), accident (3), or cause of death is unknown (4). Exactly half of these soldiers died during the month of October in 1918. There is no better way to honor these men than to remember them. Below is a list of the soldiers who died during their service.

First Name	Last Name	Date of Death	Cause of Death
Harold E.	Blancke	4/14/1917	Killed by Train
John	Knupke	5/31/1917	Scarlet Fever
Harry J.	Colvin	1/21/1918	Pneumonia
Elmer A.	Reese	6/8/1918	KIA
Lowell C.	Hein	7/20/1918	KIA
Millard M.	Moore	7/28/1918	KIA
Charles W.	Scott	7/29/1918	Died of Wounds
Charles A.	McCormick	8/11/1918	Illness
Joe	Horvath	8/14/1918	Died of Wounds
John	Leaver	8/14/1918	Died of Wounds
Herbert Le Roy	Stanton	8/16/1918	Unknown
Rufus R. D.	Smith	8/30/1918	Illness
Thomas C.	Curtis	8/31/1918	Died of Wounds
Charles J.	Reilly	9/6/1918	KIA
J. Ralph	Cookson	9/18/1918	KIA
Archie	Birch (Burch)	9/29/1918	Unknown
Archie F.	Burch	9/29/1918	KIA
Anthony	Dantonio	9/29/1918	KIA
Fred	Ritz	10/3/1918	Pneumonia
Lee P.	Magill	10/4/1918	Bronchopneumonia
James H.	White	10/4/1918	KIA
Nelson C.	Geise	10/5/1918	Pneumonia
James H. (Hall)	Friday	10/6/1918	Influenza
Walter T. (Walter Theodore)	Hall	10/6/1918	Labor Pneumonia
Russell E.	Miller	10/6/1918	KIA
Edward O.	Miller	10/6/1918	Typhoid Fever
Morris J.	Platte	10/9/1918	Spanish Flu
Carl A.	Salzman	10/9/1918	Bronchopneumonia
George H.	Feiszli	10/10/1918	Died of Wounds
Ralph B.	Quackenboss	10/10/1918	Pneumonia
Chester P. (J)	Herb	10/11/1918	Pneumonia
Joseph	Orcutt	10/11/1918	KIA
Clarence A.	Popke	10/11/1918	Tetanus
Ralph T.	Saunders	10/11/1918	Unknown
Joseph F.	Baier	10/12/1918	Pneumonia
Clarence P.	Howard	10/12/1918	Accident Overseas
August W.	Meyer	10/12/1918	Influenza
John	Sattler	10/13/1918	Influenza
Joseph	Dewhirst	10/14/1918	Pneumonia
Fred	Dale	10/18/1918	pneumonia
Lester C. (Lester Conrad)	Kautz	10/20/1918	Labor Pneumonia
Carl A.	Link	10/21/1918	KIA
Max	Schnittker	10/21/1918	KIA
August H.	Speer	10/23/1918	KIA
Robert	Adkerson	10/27/1918	Unknown
Austin J.	Atwood	10/31/1918	Accidental Drowning
Carl F.	Fedderson	11/4/1918	KIA
John A.	Michel	11/8/1918	KIA
Emil	Strickler	11/11/1918	Died of Wounds
Albert F.	Schlett	11/21/1918	Influenza
George A.	Scheid	12/10/1918	Unknown
Charles H.	Parker	12/20/1918	Pneumonia
Gaius (Gains)	McDowell	1/19/1919	Flu
Ernest H.	Wankey	3/2/1919	Died of Wounds
John A.	Risch	5/12/1919	Illness
Edward Frank (F.)	Roth	6/24/1919	Illness

Harlequins Production of Journey’s End

On February 27, 1939, the Harlequins performed the play Journey’s End. The play, written by R.C. Sherriff, took an honest look at the horrors of war. It was first performed in London, England in 1928, starring Laurence Olivier as Captain Stanhope, an officer in a British infantry unit during World War I. The play was an instant stage success, and went on to have several revivals on the stage and as a motion picture. 

In the Sandusky production of Journey’s End, Earle Seidner played the role of Captain Stanhope. On the cast picture, some of the performers autographed the bottom of the photograph, while the character they played is listed along the top of the picture. November 11, 2018 marks the one hundredth anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting on land, sea and air in World War I between the Allies and the Germans. Sandusky residents in 1939 must have reflected upon the events that took place during the Great War as they watched the play. 

To learn more about Sandusky’s participation during World War I, in the war as well as the home front, visit the Sandusky Library to see the reference book Honor Roll of Ohio, 1917-1918, Erie County Edition. This volume provides photographs, history, and biographical information about the many local residents who were involved in the war effort.

O.S. Alcott and the "First Presidential Voters’ Club" of 1888

O.S. Alcott donated this 1888 ribbon from the First Presidential Voters’ Club of 1888. The members of this club supported the Republican Presidential candidate Benjamin Harrison, who defeated the incumbent Grover Cleveland on November 6. 

First voters’ clubs were popular in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. At that time, only men could vote. The club members were anxious to exercise their duties as citizens to make their voting choice count. 

Mr. Alcott ran a men’s clothing shop in the Kingsbury Block from about 1900 to 1930. He took the business over from his father, L.D. Alcott.

O.S. Alcott was the topic of the “Who’s Who and Why” column in the December 14, 1911 issue of the Sandusky Register.

Election of November 3, 1891

On October 12, 1891, Erie County Sheriff Christian Wiedel posted a proclamation which notified area residents that the November election of 1891 was to be held on November 3, 1891. The Sandusky Register of November 4, 1891 listed a tabulation of election results.

Governor McKinley won “by a handsome plurality.” Of course he would later win the Presidential election, and he served as U.S. President from March of 1897 until he was assassinated in 1901.

A local election winner was Dr. B.R. Hubbard, who was chosen to serve as the Erie County Coroner:

You can read much more about Erie County’s elected officials in the book Elected to Serve: Erie County, Ohio, 1838-2003, by Patty Dahm Pascoe, available in the library's Genealogy collections.