Wichman & Sons Grocery

 

Beginning in 1890, F. Wichman and sons operated a grocery store at the southeast corner of Washington and Shelby Streets for many years. An advertisement in the 1890-1891 Sandusky City Directory stated that Wichman’s, operated by Frederick, Gustave, and George Wichman, sold groceries, provisions, fruits, confectioneries, cigars and tobaccos. After the death of Frederick Wichman, his son Gustave took over the business, and later generations of the family ran the business after Gustave’s death in 1938.

In her book, Treasure by the Bay, Ellie Damm wrote that Wichman’s Grocery had been built in the Eastlake style, and is an outstanding example of a commercial establishment in the 1890’s. The picture below was taken about 1980, when the business was known as Wichman’s Food Market, at 1118 West Washington Street.

By 1990, the building was owned by Variety Beverage.