Sandusky Then and Now

Ernst Von Schulenburg was both a minister and a physician in Sandusky, Ohio. He was born in Berlin in 1849, and settled in Sandusky in the 1870s. In 1872 he was the pastor of Emmanuel German Evangelical Protestant Church, and later he served as pastor of the St. Stephen’s German Evangelical Protestant Church. He is perhaps best remembered today as the author of the book, Sandusky Then and Now.

The author wrote the book in his native German language; the original title is Sandusky "Einst und Jetzt" : Mit Besonderer Berücksichtigung der Deutschen Localen Verhältnisse, which in English translates to Sandusky Then and Now: With Special Regard to Local, German Situations. In his book, Dr. Von Schulenburg discusses the political life of Germans in Sandusky, as well as German culture, customs, and business ventures. It includes biographies of several Sandusky German settlers, including their dates of migration. The book also provides a history of early Erie County and Sandusky, and includes an entire chapter on the cholera epidemics of 1849, 1852, and 1854.

In the preface to this book, originally published in 1889 , Dr. Von Schulenburg noted that “although the German population of Sandusky seems almost the same as that of the native-born and has become a powerful factor in the religious, political and social life of the city, yet it is surely striking that in all the local histories which I have seen, the German element was either completely ignored or at best treated as a step child.”

In 1959 Dr. Norbert A. and Marion Cleaveland Lange, chemistry professors who resided in Sandusky, translated Dr. Von Schulenburg’s book. It was published as Publication 114 of the Western Reserve Historical Society.

To read Sandusky Then and Now (in the English translation or in the original German) visit the Sandusky Library’s Reference Services area on the lower level of the Sandusky Library.

A History of the Coal Docks

Two centuries ago, Sandusky’s founders assumed that Sandusky’s protected harbor destined the city to become the leading port on Lake Erie. Unfortunately, this was not to be the case. The problem was simply that the entrance to the bay was blocked by shifting sand bars, and the bay itself was shallow and difficult to dredge because of the underlying limestone. The original channel into the bay followed the convoluted course of the Sandusky River bed in the direction of Johnson’s Island and then turned south to the city’s waterfront. The channel and the waterfront docks were shallow and poorly marked. Ships often ran aground or hit submerged rocks, and Sandusky soon earned a reputation as a port to be avoided. Cleveland, Lorain and Toledo thrived. Sandusky languished.

Recognizing the situation, improvements were continually made during the course of the 19^th and early 20^th Centuries. In 1889, the “Straight” channel 17 ft. deep was dug from the foot of Warren St. to the tip of Cedar Point and the channel was marked, but the “Dock Channel” along the waterfront remained unmarked and quite shallow. In 1895, construction was begun on a Jetty at the tip of Cedar Point in an ongoing effort to prevent sand from blocking the entrance to the bay. 

Iron ore, lumber, coal, and grain were shipped in large quantities from the B & O docks at the foot of Warren St. but as ships got bigger and bigger, these improvements proved to be  too little and too late. The mouths of the Maumee, Black and Cuyahoga Rivers were easy to dredge. Sandusky Bay was not. Sandusky prospered, but it was unable to attract heavy industries such as steel manufacturing that depended on deep water ports. One by one companies began to close their shipping operations in Sandusky in the early years of the 20^th Century with one notable exception – the Coal Docks.

In 1891, the Sandusky & Columbus Short Line Railroad Company opened a straight track from Sandusky to Columbus and constructed the original Coal Dock later known as Pier #1 at the foot of King St. The City of Sandusky helped fund construction of the pier and the cost of dredging to allow lake freighters access to the pier. The small freighters of the day were initially loaded by hand using wheelbarrows, but in 1893, Pier #1 was equipped with a steam driven loading apparatus known as the “Whirly.” Workmen loaded coal in buckets that were then whirled over the side of the freighter where they were dumped and then whirled back in a continuous circle. In 1898, the “Whirly” was replaced by a new ship loader that could lift a coal car to a level above a ship’s deck from where its contents could be dumped into the cargo hold. It could unload fifteen coal cars per hour which meant that a four and a half ton cargo could be loaded in just under six hours.

In 1902, the Sandusky & Columbus Short Line Railroad was purchased by the Pennsylvania Railroad and the coal dumper on Pier #1 was replaced with one that could handle up to 25 cars per hour. Coal demand was high, and in 1914, a second dumper was installed on Pier #2 located just to the west of Pier #1. The coal shipped from the docks was originally destined primarily for power production, but the docks were beginning to supply more and more coal for steel production.  In 1937, with Piers #1 and #2 operating around the clock and larger and larger freighters being constructed, the Pennsylvania Railroad announced a mammoth project that was destined to transform the Sandusky harbor and finally resolve the issues associated with the harbor’s channels.

A new Pier, designated #3, was to be constructed west of Pier #2 that would be almost a mile long and 600 ft. wide. A new dock channel with a wider turning basin, and a “Bay Channel” that would permit ships to return to the lake to the north of the “Dock Channel” were part of the project.   Eleven million tons of steel sheeting and pilings and the 2.5 million cubic yards of silt and debris that were dredged from the bay were used in the construction of the pier. The crowning achievement was the construction of a giant new Coal Dumper which Sanduskians have enjoyed watching operate to this day as it lifts coal cars high in the air and dumps their contents into the holds of today’s huge lake freighters. The new dumper stands 172’ above water level and could dump 30-35 50 ton rail cars per hour.  In 1944 when the demand for coal peaked, a record 14.3 million tons of coal were shipped from Piers #1, #2 and #3.

People enjoy watching freighters enter and leave the bay and sometimes wonder why we don’t see as many freighters these days. The answer is simple. In 1955 Sandusky loaded 1123 lake freighters with 8.1 million tons of coal. It would only take 270 of today’s much larger freighters to haul the same amount.  Piers #1 and #2 could not accommodate the larger freighters which resulted in Pier #2 being closed in 1957, and Pier #1 being closed in 1969.

When the docks were sold to the Norfolk and Western Railway Company in 1964, plans were soon underway to add a coal stockpiling and reclaiming facility to Pier #3. It was designed to provide space for one million tons of stockpiled coal and incorporated nearly 2.56 miles of interconnected conveyer belts. Three silos were installed 40 ft. in diameter and 194 ft. tall each with a capacity of 3,500 tons. Two large pieces of equipment were constructed to move stockpiled coal of different grades to the silos or directly to a waiting freighter. The “Bucket Reclaimer” which stands 45 ft. tall and weighs over 320 tons can move 3,000 tons of coal per hour. The “Bandwagon” which stands over 90 ft. tall and weighs 310 tons can stack coal into storage piles and work in conjunction with the “Reclaimer” to transport coal from storage piles directly to vessels. These two pieces of equipment increased vessel loading capacity from 3000 to 7,000 tons per hour and on September 3, 1988, Pier #3 loaded a 989’ long freighter with 59,058 tons of coal, a record for the Great Lakes.

Now owned and serviced by Norfolk Southern and operated by Sandusky Dock Corporation, the Pier #3 coal dumper has been in operation for 79 years. Remarkably, it is able to efficiently handle today’s 100 ton rail cars that are 50 tons heavier than those of the 1930’s.  Today 95% of the coal shipped from Sandusky is used in the manufacture of steel.

Sandusky, like most cities in along the Great Lakes has lost much of its industry during the past forty years, but the Sandusky Dock Corporation continues to evolve and prosper utilizing ever more advanced equipment and technology. Orders for different grades of coal can be filled promptly and efficiently thanks in large part to the foresight of the men who designed Pier #3 many years ago. The Sandusky Docks are a tremendous asset for our community. The Pier #3 coal dumper ranks with the Top Thrill Dragster as one of Sandusky’s premier attractions.  Sandusky would not be the same without it.

Morris Link and Link’s Block

Morris Link was born in Baden, Germany, and emigrated to the United States in 1851. After settling in Sandusky, he became involved in the culture of grapes and manufacturing of wine. He also worked for several years as a foreman in the Mad River Railroad warehouse. 

In 1870, Morris Link built the Link Block at the corner of McDonough and Washington Streets in Sandusky. Dr. Ernst von Schulenburg wrote in Sandusky Then and Now, that Link’s Block on Washington Street was a “monument to his [Mr. Link's] spirit of enterprise.” In the 1886 Sanborn map, pictured below, you can see that Link’s Block had a drugstore, grocery and saloon on the street levels of the building, with a public hall on the upper level, and a dining hall in the rear of the structure.

Many social events, political meetings, and dances were held at this site. On July 4, 1873, the Bay City Dancing Club held a Grand Ball at Link’s Hall, with musical entertainment provided by the Great Western Band. Tickets were fifty cents. According to the book Sandusky Then and Now, in 1885 the Sandusky Liederkranz (Sandusky Choral Society) was reorganized and held rehearsals at Link’s Hall. In 1904, a Mr. Rissman and Schaefer served lunch there. Turtle soup was the special of the day on March 26, 1904. A roller skating rink was in operation at Link’s Hall in 1905. In the 1940s and 1950s, several wrestling matches were held there. Below is an advertisement from the October 18, 1952 issue of the Sandusky Register, for a match between Bert Silverman and Frankie Taylor.

A number of businesses have been in operation in Link’s block, including the Towne Tavern and Health Club in the 1960s and 1970s.

            

For a number of years, the State Liquor Store No. 181 was located in the 900 block of West Washington Street. When you pass by the corner of West Washington and McDonough Street, take a moment to reflect on the rich history of that location.

Ferdinand Geiersdorf, Former Mayor of Sandusky

Ferdinand Geiersdorf was born in Munich, Germany (then Bavaria) on December 5, 1831. When he first came to Sandusky he was a poor butcher’s apprentice, but eventually he became quite wealthy in the fish business. Mr. Geiersdorf’s image can be seen in the image above on the upper left, from Plate IV in the book, Sandusky Einst und Jetzt. Below is an advertisement which appeared in the 1869 Sandusky City Directory.

From 1863 to 1867, Geiersdorf served as Sandusky’s Mayor. He was the first individual of German descent to become Mayor of the city. In his inaugural address, which was published in the April 15, 1863 issue of the Sandusky Register, he stated that because of the ongoing rebellion (the Civil War), local residents would be taxed rather heavily until the war’s end. Mayor Geiersdorf called for immediate cleaning of the streets and gutters in town, to maintain the excellent health of the residents of Sandusky. He hoped to see that the principal roads coming in to Sandusky would be maintained in good condition, to ensure the ability of visitors being able to travel to Sandusky, to frequent its offices and businesses. Mayor Geiersdorf concluded his address with the words of President Jackson, “The Union must be preserved.” 

When Ferdinand Geiersdorf died on September 22, 1870, he was greatly mourned.  In a biographical sketch in Sandusky Then and Now, it was said about him that “His goodness and readiness to alleviate need with an open hand will live after him.” The former Mayor was buried at Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery.

A large letter G is at the top of the monument of Ferdinand Geiersdorf. The letters of his surname, appearing at the base of the monument, were designed to resemble tree branches.

Read Sandusky Then and Now, translated into English from the German version of Sandusky Einst und Jetzt, to learn more about the earliest German American residents of Sandusky.

Dr. F.R. Lange and Family

Dr. F. R. Lange is pictured above with his four children and his granddaughter Cora. The four Lange children, from left to right are Emily Lange (later Mrs. William Emrich), Adolph Philip Lange, Francisco Robert Lange, and Mrs. Jacob Greefelder, whose maiden name was Henrietta Lange. The little girl in the picture is Henrietta’s daughter Cora. In the book Sandusky Then and Now, we read that Dr. F. R. Lange was born in 1819 in Göttingen, Germany where he was a distinguished oculist. He came to Sandusky in 1848, and married Emilie Gaa in 1852. Records at Oakland Cemetery indicate that Emilie Gaa Lange drowned in October of 1861, when her children ranged in age from 3 to 8. While in Sandusky, Dr. Lange operated a pharmacy on Jackson Street for many years, until his death in 1891.

Adolph Philip Lange and his brother F.R. Lange owned a harness shop in Sandusky from the late 1870’s until the mid 1920’s. Henrietta Lange Greenfelder was one of the co-founders of the United Ladies Sewing Circle, which was a charitable organization made up primarily of women of German descent

Henrietta and Jacob Greenfelder moved to Cincinnati in 1897. Emily Lange Emrich died in September of 1933, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. William Senior, in South Euclid, Ohio. Emily was preceded in death by her parents and all of her siblings.

Dr. F. R. Lange’s grandson was Dr. Norbert A. Lange., who was a chemistry professor who is known for writing the classic text Handbook of Chemistry. In 1959 Dr. Norbert A. Lange and his wife, Marion Cleaveland Lange translated Dr. Von Schulenburg’s book Sandusky Einst und Jetzt into English as Sandusky Then and Now.

Plattdeutsche Verein in Sandusky

Pictured above is a ribbon from the Plattdeutsche Verein of Sandusky (spellings of this organization vary widely.) This organization was a society made up primarily of German born individuals who wanted to preserve the language and culture of the Germans who formerly resided in the low lands of Northern Germany. An article in the August 18, 1890 issue of the New York Times reported that “Jungens Holt Fast” was the slogan of the Plattdeutsche Verein. Translated into English “Jungens Holt Fast” means “Youth Hold Fast.”

On New Year’s Eve in 1921, the Plattdeutsche Verein held a dancing party at Yontz’s Hall (in the Cable Block, on Market and Jackson Streets), which featured the Schoder Trio.

The 1925-1926 Sandusky City Directory has a listing for the Plattdeutscher Unterstetzungs Verein (Low German Mutual Aid Society) which met in Sandusky on the first Monday of each month at Fuchs Hall, located at 702 W. Monroe Street.

Dr. Ernst Von Schulenberg wrote extensively about the lives of Sandusky’s early German residents in his book, Sandusky Einst und Jetzt, which was later translated into English by Dr. Norbert A. and Marion Cleaveland Lange as Sandusky Then and Now. Visit the Sandusky Library to read Sandusky Then and Now, or you can view the original book Sandusky Einst und Jetzt online at Google Books.

Fred Kranz, Sandusky Businessman

Fred Kranz was born in Nassau, Germany in 1841; in 1848 he came to the United States with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Balthasar Kranz. The Kranz family settled in Perkins Township of Erie County, Ohio.  Fred was raised on the family farm, and at the age of fifteen he was trained in the tinner’s trade. 

In the 1860s, he worked for Flood, Geasen and Company, tinsmiths in Sandusky. By 1884, he was the senior partner in the company. The advertisement for F. Kranz below appeared in the 1884 edition of the R. L. Polk & Company’s Marine Directory of the Great Lakes.

A biographical sketch about Fred Kranz, which appeared in History of Erie County, Ohio, edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich, stated that Mr. Kranz had an extensive and well-equipped establishment, and he specialized in lime kiln work. In 1894, he had the contract for Faultless Furman boilers. also that year he installed a heating system in the Edward Jarecki residence on Central Avenue. Before that, in 1884, he installed a heating system at Holy Angels Church. There were two supply coils, and one-half coils under each seat, in a system which was devised by Mr. Kranz. 

By 1896 Fred Kranz was the proprietor of the Sandusky Metal Works.

The advertisement from the 1896 Sandusky City Directory indicated by F. Kranz was a wholesale and retail dealer in plumbers’ supplies; gas and steam fitter; and also did tin, copper, and sheet iron work. he seemed to adapt his skills as the needs of his customers evolved through the years. 

On May 5, 1899, Fred Kranz died at his residence at the age of 55. He left behind a wife, the former Caroline Traub, and four children. An obituary which appeared in the Sandusky Star of May 6, 1899, read in part, “During his long residence in Sandusky Mr. Kranz had won the esteem and respect of all who knew him. His private life and business methods had made many friends who will learn of his death with sorrow.”  To read more about the Kranz family and other Sandusky residents of German origin, see the book Sandusky Then and Now,  housed with the genealogy books at the Sandusky Library.

1867 Concert by the Sandusky Mannerchor

On Friday, October 18, 1867, the Sandusky Männerchor gave a vocal and instrumental concert at Norman Hall, on Water Street in downtown Sandusky. Norman Hall was eventually incorporated into property owned by the Hinde and Dauch Paper Company, and today no longer stands.

Many towns in the U.S. had a männerchor in the nineteenth century. It was a male chorus made up primarily of those of German descent. Members could socialize, enjoy music, and preserve elements of the German culture. The group was assisted by J.L. and E. Bonn, Miss B. Silva, and Cornelius Schnaitter. J.L. and E. Bonn had been born in Bavaria, and moved to Sandusky with their family, where they ran a grocery store not far from the Sandusky Library.

Cornelius Schnaitter was also a native of Bavaria. He moved to Sandusky in 1849, and ran a successful tailoring business.

It appears that many local businessmen could work at their jobs in the day, but still enjoy participating in singing societies during their time off at night and on weekends. An article in the October 19, 1873 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that a full house attended the männerchor concert. A song which brought the house down was a comic song called “Frog” in which several men wore costumes of green and ashen hues, and leaped around the stage like frogs. The performers were accompanied by a grand piano, and their numbers were well received by the audience. To read more about the musical societies of Sandusky’s early German-American citizens, see pages 160 to 173 of Sandusky Then and Now.

World War II Civilian Defense

In 1982, a scrapbook was donated to the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center which features newspaper clippings about Civilian Defense activities in Sandusky between 1941 and 1943, during World War Two. The Civilian Defense Council in Sandusky was established by a city ordinance on December 15, 1941, following the Office of Civilian Defense having been created as a national agency on May 20, 1941. Leland Spore was coordinator of the Sandusky Civilian Defense in the early stages of the organization. When Mr. Spore left for active service duty Vincent F. Schubert took over. Earl C. Krueger served as the third coordinator of the Sandusky Civilian Defense Council.

The entire community joined in the activities of Civil Defense. In December of 1941, Dr. A. R Grierson, chief of the Medical Services Division, began voluntary enlistment for local men and women for the National Red Cross Volunteer Nurse’s Aide Course. Instruction was given so that volunteers had practical experience in hospital wards, kitchen, laboratory, x-ray, and surgery, should a major medical emergency arise. Dr. Grierson emphasized that the program was “no place for weaklings.” Local educator W.E. Weagly stated that “In the time of peace we go our separate ways. In time of war, we act together.” Members of the Erie County Ministerial Association voted unanimously that all members would lend their wholehearted to the Sandusky Civilian Defense Council in connection with work in public relations and civilian morale. In 1942 Fire Chief Wilson McLaughlin and Police Chief R.G. Bravard saw to it that area residents were trained as auxiliary firemen and policemen in case of an emergency. A Civilian Defense WWII Auxiliary Police helmet is now in the collections of the Follett House Museum.

A group of firemen and auxiliary firemen who were trained by the Sandusky Civilian Defense Council during World War Two are pictured below.

The “Salvage for Victory” campaign sponsored by the Sandusky Municipal Defense Council, asked Sandusky residents to save waste paper, rags, rubber and scrap metal. Items were collected by the Volunteers of America and then sold, with all proceeds paid to the Sandusky Municipal Defense Fund. In the fall of 1942 the Lions Club and Commodore Perry Post of the American Legion donated automobiles for the Sandusky Scrap Harvest campaign. Tire and specific food items and other goods were rationed.

The Sandusky Register Star News ran a full page advertisement on What to do in an Air Raid.

Civilian Defense movies were shown at the auditorium of Jackson Junior High School. A Civilian Defense and Flag Day Parade was held on Flag Day in June, 1942. Marching in the parade were members of the State Highway Patrol, Navy Mothers, VFW drum corps, Sandusky High School band, policemen, policemen, fireman, horsemen, ambulances, air wardens, and Civil Defense officials. Representing the War Plant division were Farrell Check, Brightman Nut, Plum Brooks Ordnance Works, and the Civil Air Patrol. The local U.S.O. provided hospitality for servicemen. On December 15, 1942, the Office of Civil Defense conducted a “dim-out” in Sandusky. Residents were asked to turn out all lights in their home. Automobiles were asked to place their headlights on dim, and travel at 15 miles per hour. They were not to use their telephone unless absolutely necessary. Once the “all clear” signal was blasted, lights could be used again. On March 2, 1943, a blackout drill was conducted simultaneously by 29 northern Ohio counties.

To view the World War Two Civilian Defense Scrapbook, inquire at the Reference Services Desk of the Sandusky Library. A concise summary of Civilian Defense activities in Sandusky appears in the Monday, May 7, 1945 issue of the Sandusky Register Star News, in the Victory in Europe edition, available on microfilm.

The Martin Eldis Family

Martin Eldis (originally Itlis) was among the earliest of German born residents to settle in Sandusky. In 1828 he opened a bakery and provision store on Water Street, next to a hotel. The hotel had many different names through the years, including the Exchange Hotel, Hotel Wayne, the St. Lawrence, and much later the Porterhouse. His bakery was located on Lot 29, bounded to the north by Water Street and Wayne Street to the west.

Pictured below is the Hotel Wayne, which was at one time next door to the Eldis property. The structures that once were the Eldis bakery and this hotel no longer stand. Where they once stood is now a parking lot for Civista Bank.

In the fall of 1852, Martin Eldis died, leaving Mrs. Louise Eldis a widow with several children. According to the History of Erie County, edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich, Mr. Eldis left his wife and children “an abundant share of earthly goods.” Louise carried on the bakery on Water Street for several years.

An article in the January 14, 2002 issue of the Sandusky Register stated that Mrs. Eldis received compensation for losses which occurred when the 103rd Regiment of the New York Volunteers occupied her building from November 1863 to May 1864 during the Civil War. Mrs. Eldis died on December 19, 1888. She was thought to be the oldest resident of Sandusky at the time of her death. 

Martin and Louise Eldis and their children are buried in Lot 8 of Block 9 at Oakland Cemetery. As you view the Eldis monument, you can read the names of their ten children on the panels of the tombstone. 

There are also individual stones for several members of the family.

You can read about the Eldis family and many other former Sandusky residents of German heritage in the book Sandusky Then and Now, available at the Sandusky Library in both the German language (Sandusky Einst und Jetzt) and its English translation.

Sandusky Turngemeinde Concert

On Thursday evening, October 31, 1889, the Sandusky Turngemeinde sponsored a concert at Fisher’s Hall in Sandusky. There were two portions of the concert, each with six numbers. Following the concert, a dance was held. The Sandusky Turngemeinde was created from the merging of two separate groups, the Active Turners and the Social Turners. The Turners were a social organization, usually made up of individuals of German descent, who were devoted to physical fitness. Over 350 individuals were members of the Sandusky Turngemeinde. According to the book, Sandusky Then and Now, the officers of the Sandusky Turngemeinde in 1888 were: John Molter, first speaker; Otto Baumeister, second speaker; Jacob Dietz, first turner warden; Charles Guenther, second turner warden; C.A. Kuebeler, first corresponding secretary; William Dilger, second corresponding secretary; William Allendorf, financial secretary; Charles Zimmermann, treasurer; George Dolch, janitor; and George Müller, color bearer. Trustees were R. Krudwig, J. Mertz and Charles Baumann.

An article about the Sandusky Turngemeinde Concert, which appeared in the November 1, 1889 issue of the Sandusky Register, read in part:

The concert given by the Sandusky Turngemeinde at Fisher’s Hall last evening attracted a large crowd that enjoyed the affair to the utmost. The mixed, female and male choruses were excellent and showed the thorough training of Prof. Berger. The quintette by Messrs. Moos, Haecker, Engels, Baumeister, and Berger was fine, and the same can be said of the piano solo of Miss Wiedel, the duet by Mssrs. Berger and Engels, the clarinet solo by Fred Bauman and numbers rendered by the Great Western Orchestra.

Poem about Sandusky in the Columbian Register in 1818

A poem enticing residents of New Haven, Connecticut to consider moving to the city of Sandusky was printed in a newspaper, the Columbian Register of April 25, 1818. Mrs. Evangeline Vinton Bouton presented a copy of this item to the historical room of the Sandusky Library in 1928. Unfortunately the original item has disintegrated, and only a photocopy of the poem remains in our collection.

A transcription of the entire poem reads:

Come on my good neighbors who live in the East,

Who wish for less winter and snow,

Come join with your friend, and we'll move to the West,

To Sandusky New City we'll go. 

If commerce you choose, where it's not overdone,

(And many like trading, I know;)

Come join with your friend, and prepare to go on;

To Sandusky New City we’ll go

If fishing and fowling your fancy should take,

The half of each summer, or so,

To find rich employment on Erie's proud Lake;

To the Bay of Sandusky we'll go.

 If farming should please us, and please us it must,

Where wealth, fame and luxury flow,

From tilling the soil as we find in the west,

To the Land of Sandusky we'll go.

Ye friends of good dairy, with your dairy wives,

Who like some fine cheeses and so,

To make up your fortune, and lead easy lives,

To Sandusky Prairies must go.

You who have no land, but have many fine boys, 

Tom, Andrew, John, Dick, Bob and Joe,

To get them good farms and increase your own joys,

To the Land of Sandusky should go.

To charming Ohio, by thousands are gone,

The best of our young men you know,

Who spurning dependence, by prospect led on,

To the new world had spirit to go.

Then we who have daughters, young, blooming and fair,

As roses and lilies can grow,

To marry them well and relieve tender care,

To the Land of Sandusky will go.

Now Mary, dear Mary, what think you of this?

Shall we move to the westward or no?

I’ll take a sweet kiss, while your lips answer yes,

To Sandusky New City we’ll go.

Readers of the Columbian Register were urged to consider moving to Sandusky for its fishing, wildlife, and business prospects. At that time, Sandusky, Ohio was considered to be in the west. Of course, thousands of residents of New England did move to northern Ohio in the early 1800s. You can see still the influence of New England in Ohio to this day. If you would like to read a first-hand account of a group of people who traveled from Glastonbury, Connecticut to Perkins Township in the fall of 1815, see the June, 1865 issue of the Firelands Pioneer, available online and at the Sandusky Library.

Nearly All of the Loeffler Family Died in the 1849 Cholera

St. Joseph's Cemetery, Sandusky

According to the book, Sandusky Then and Now, in the course of a few days, John Loeffler, his wife Catherine, and four children all died from cholera in the summer of 1849. The only member of the family to survive was the youngest child, Johannes/John Loeffler, Local residents took the young child in, and the younger John Loeffler lived in Sandusky until his death in 1928 at age 82. He never married, and he worked as a gardener, tending to gardens and lawns all over Sandusky.

The elder John Loeffler came from Rentheim, Baden, Germany to Sandusky in 1835. He married Catherine that same year. Eventually, he ran a tailoring business, in conjunction with a tavern and grocery store at the corner of Fulton and Market Streets. John Loeffler was the first in the family to die from cholera, on July 24, 1849. On July 26, Catherine, Frank and George died. The last child to die was Conrad, who passed away on July 28, 1849.

John Loeffler, the young child who survived the deadly epidemic, made a career as a caretaker of lawns and gardens, and was buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Sandusky in 1928.

Though no stones have been located, St. Joseph’s Cemetery records list all six members of the Loeffler family as having been buried in Section B at St. Joseph’s Cemetery. A total of 357 persons died from cholera in 1849, and smaller epidemics took place in 1852 and 1854. While many have tombstones at Oakland Cemetery and St. Joseph’s Cemetery, most victims were laid to rest at the Cholera Cemetery on Harrison Street. An historical marker was placed at the Cholera Cemetery in 1966.

You can read more about the cholera epidemic in Sandusky in Hewson Peeke’s book, A Standard History of Erie County, Ohio (Lewis Pub. Co., 1916.)

Lawrence Cable, Originally Known as Lorenz Kobul

Lawrence Cable, also known as Lorenz Kobul, was born in 1824 in Siegen, Alsace-Lorraine, which was then a part of France, but later was incorporated into the German Empire. Laurence emigrated to the United States in 1843, and he first settled in Indiana, where his brother was living. After attending college classes at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, he moved to Sandusky. 

In the spring of 1848, he married Miss Josephine Zuercher. She died of cholera in 1849, leaving behind a young daughter named Josephine. That year he began working for the Mad River Railroad. For a time in the 1850s he worked with Ben Icsman, to furnish timber for the railroad bridge across Sandusky Bay. He worked in the shoe business from about 1856 to 1867. In 1872, Mr. Cable was named president of the newly formed Third National Bank, and he stayed in this position until his death in 1904. Ernst Von Schulenburg wrote in Sandusky Then and Now, that Cable and the bank’s treasurer, F.P. Zollinger, protected the Third National Bank “with the eyes of an Argus.” In 1904 he purchased the site of the old fairgrounds at the end of Wayne Street with the intent of building an upper middle class neighborhood. After he died, his sons Edward and Frank Cable continued the development of Cable Park, located at 1103-1234 Wayne Street.

Mr. Cable had married Victoria Stoll in 1852, and they had five children. Mrs. Victoria Cable died in 1874. Laurence married for a third time in 1880, to Miss Mena Walter. In 1880 he built a two story home at 910 West Monroe Street, which still stands today. After his death, his wife stayed at this home until she died in 1930.

       

Lawrence Cable was known for his generosity. He, along with two other parishioners, donated three bells to the St. Mary’s Catholic Church, when the current church building was in its early days. In 1902 Mr. Cable donated money to buy the former residence of C.C. Keech on Hayes Avenue for use as a hospital under the direction of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine. This home eventually became Providence Hospital, which later became a part of Firelands Regional Medical Center.

    

Lawrence Cable died on October 16, 1904; he was buried at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Sandusky. In a long life, beginning in Europe and ending in Sandusky, he became one of the community’s most respected residents. You can read much more about him in the book, History of the Western Reserve.  The Cable Family Collection is housed in the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center.  This collection documents some of the business activities of Cable and his sons Edward and Frank in the late 1800s and early 1900s.