A View of the Foot of Columbus Avenue in 1932

In 1932 the parking area at the foot of Columbus Avenue was paved with bricks. (The Schade-Mylander Plaza is on this location today.) A small portion of the steamer G.A. Boeckling can be seen at the left side of the picture above. The steamer Chippewa is in the center of the picture. A vessel from the Neuman boat lines is docked at the right side of the picture. 

You can see Hansen’s fish market on the far right side of the picture. In 1932 dressed catfish sold for thirty cents; fresh haddock fillets were twenty cents; and halibut sold for a quarter. According to the Sandusky Star Journal of April 7, 1932, Hansen's would deliver any order over fifty cents (equal to about $9.50 today). 

Note the vintage automobiles parked near the dock. If you look very closely, above the Hansen’s fish sign is a small billboard which features a Pontiac automobile, and the slogan “Chief of Values.”  The 1932 Sandusky City Directory listed eighteen automobile dealers. Browsing through the historical city directories, as well as looking through our many vintage photographs, can give one a sense of what life was like for residents of Sandusky and Erie County in years gone by.