John W. Stevenson, Pioneer Merchant

 

John Wesley Stevenson was born in Maryland in 1825 to Mathew and Jane (Gilson) Stevenson. Mathew Stevenson was a pioneer physician in Ohio. The photograph above was taken by Sandusky photographer Willard A. Bishop, who was his brother-in-law. 

In the summer of 1853, Mr. Stevenson opened up a dry goods store in the Reber block of downtown Sandusky. An advertisement which appeared in the September 8, 1853 issue of the Sandusky Daily Commercial Register indicated that the store had just received a new shipment of goods from the east. The store sold fancy and staple dry goods, boots and shoes, groceries, hardware, willow ware, and other merchandise. The ad stated that the assortment and stock at Stevenson’s dry goods store was not excelled by any other business in Sandusky.

By 1867, he listed his occupation in the city directory as produce merchant. 

John’s wife was the former Caroline Converse Mathews. They married in July, 1853 in Worcester, Massachusetts. The couple had two children, Frederick Boyd Stevenson and Mary Stevenson, who married John Sweet. Frederick Boyd Stevenson had a long career in newspapers. He was on the staff of the Brooklyn Eagle in New York for twenty-seven years.

John W. Stevenson died on May 22, 1910, at his home at 921 Washington Street, at the age of 85. Rev. Ashton Thompson from Grace Episcopal Church conducted funeral services for Mr. Stevenson, and burial was at Oakland Cemetery. From 1865 until his death in 1910, John W. Stevenson and his wife resided at what is now 603 West Washington Street, a home originally owned by George Reber.

Gilbert Harris, Dry Goods Merchant

Gilbert E. Harris was born in Sandusky in 1848, to Gilbert Harris, and his wife, the former Almira Belknap. The elder Mr. Harris died in 1849, leaving his widow to raise two small children on her own. The younger Gilbert Harris started out his long career as a clerk for the dry goods store of Charles and George Cooke. Later Mr. Harris went into a partnership with Henry Schumacher and John Bredbeck. In his final years in business, the dry goods store would become simply Harris and Schumacher. In 1900, this store was at 131 Columbus Avenue, just down the street from the West House.

This advertisement appeared in the Sandusky Register of March 13, 1900:

Mr. Harris and Mr. Schumacher were so enthusiastic about the closet sets they carried at their store that they took out an advertisement, along with many others, in volume 28 of Scribner’s Magazine in 1900.

The hangers provided in the Goodform Closet Set were supposed to keep garments in good condition, while also providing more space in one’s closet.

Mr. Gilbert E. Harris died from a bout with pneumonia on April 15, 1905. His obituary, in the April 16, 1905 issue of the Sandusky Register, stated that he was one of Sandusky’s “prominent, popular and progressive citizens.” He had been a deacon and trustee of the Congregational Church.  Mr. Harris was survived by his wife and two daughters. His obituary reported that his many friends were filled with sorrow. Mr. Harris was buried in Block 59 of Oakland Cemetery. Henry Schumacher carried on the dry goods business as sole proprietor.

D.C. Powers, Pioneer Merchant

Dewitt Clinton Powers was born in 1844 in Jefferson County, New York. After he came to Sandusky in 1865, he began working as a clerk in the dry goods store of Charles E. and George A. Cooke. After working with C.L. Wagner in dry goods, he began a partnership with William Zollinger. The Powers and Zollinger dry goods store was located at 142 Columbus Avenue and 629 Market Street, in the Cooke block of downtown Sandusky.

By 1890, Mr. Powers was in business on his own with D.C. Powers and Company. He continued in this business until his retirement in 1914. Hewson Peeke wrote in his book A Standard History of Erie County (Lewis Publishing Company, 1916), that D.C. Powers and Company “was recognized as a landmark in the shopping industry of Sandusky.” Mr. Powers is the third individual from the left in the picture of the interior of the D.C. Powers and Company store, according to notes on the original photograph.

On April 23, 1919, Dewitt C. Powers died at the age of 75, after suffering a heart attack. His wife, the former Mary Alvord, had died in 1909. Mr. Powers was survived by a son, Royal A. Powers, and a daughter, Mrs. M.J. Bender. Funeral services were held at the Powers residence, with the Rev. R.J. Beard and A.H. O’Brien officiating. Burial was at Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery.

Rollin M. Wilcox, "An Honest Merchant"

Rollin Merritt Wilcox was born in 1836 in Rock Creek, Ashtabula County, Ohio to Harmon Wilcox and his wife, the former Maria Mabel Hubbard. Rollin’s uncles were well known Sandusky businessmen, L.S. and R.B. Hubbard. Below is an undated daguerreotype of Rollin and his brother E.H. Wilcox.

In 1859 Mr. Wilcox married Martha Newton, and they had a daughter named Jessie. Mrs. Martha Newton Wilcox died when she was not yet age 30. In 1870, Rollin married again, to Helen M. Smith. Rollin and Helen also had several children, Laura, Merritt, and Mabel. Mrs. Helen Smith Wilcox was a member of the Board of Trustees of the Library Association of Sandusky, from 1875 to 1877.

For many years, Mr. Wilcox was connected with the Wilcox Company, a dry goods and department store, in operation in Sandusky from 1886 until 1929.

            

In the first days of operation, the store was called Hubbard and Wilcox. Later it became March and Wilcox. The third name of the business was E. H. and R. M. Wilcox. (Edward Harmon and Rollin M. Wilcox were brothers.) After the death of Edward H. Wilcox in 1886 his son C. B. Wilcox entered the firm, and the firm became known as the R. M. & C. B. Wilcox Company.  

On May 1, 1902, Rollin M. Wilcox died at his home on South Columbus Avenue, after a brief illness. An obituary in the May 4, 1902 issue of the Sandusky Register featured the headline, “A Good Man Gone.” The article went on to declare that he was an honest merchant, and maintained that excellent reputation throughout his long career. Mr. Wilcox was buried at Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery in the family lot. After his death, his son Merritt S. Wilcox began working for the company.

Isaac D. Everett, Sandusky Merchant

Isaac D. Everett was born in 1830 to Adam and Mary (Wolverton) Everett. In 1862, he married Lavinia Nettleton, who was fondly known as Fanny. He was the brother in law of Leonard B. Johnson, the owner of Johnson’s Island at the time. 

In the 1867 Sandusky City Directory, Mr. Everett was in a partnership with Andrew Zerbe and E. and F. Nicolai in a dry goods business on Water Street between Columbus Avenue and Jackson Street.

By 1876, Isaac and his son had their own store on Columbus Avenue. They sold china, glass and queensware, which was a cream-colored earthenware.

An advertisement which appeared in the April 16, 1890 issue of the Sandusky Register announced the opening of a new store, run by Isaac D. Everett and his son Lu. The store sold groceries, fruits, and candies, and was located at 234 Columbus Avenue.

On the day of the grand opening, the Everetts provided coffee and a light lunch to all who stopped in. The ad stated that “We do not care whether you spend any money or not.” In 1892, I.D. Everett and Son moved to 226 Columbus Avenue. By the time of the 1900 U.S. Census, I.D. Everett had retired, and he was living with his daughter Nellie Nason in Columbus, Ohio. Mr. I.D. Everett passed away on October 30, 1907 at the home of his daughter Mrs. Nason, who by then had moved to Chicago, Illinois. Burial was in the family lot at Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery

The Albert Popke Family

From about 1898 to 1902, Albert and Maude Popke ran a store at 623 Hayes Avenue. (This location is now in the 1500 block of Hayes Avenue.)  The store carried “gents’ furnishings” and other dry goods.  Mr. Popke can be seen in front of the store, which has several men’s shirts on display in the window.

Maud and two of the Popke children are pictured on a porch on the side of the business, which is also where the Popke family resided.

Albert Popke came to the United States from Germany in the early 1880s. He married Maud Capman on December 21, 1893, according to records at Erie County Probate Court. Mr. and Mrs. Popke had three children, Charles Popke, born in 1896; Irene Popke, born in 1896; and Clarence Popke, born in 1897.  By 1915, the Albert Popke family had moved to Perkins Avenue, and Mr. Popke was a foreman at the American Crayon Company. 

Tragedy struck the family when Clarence Popke died of tetanus while he was in military service during World War I, just one month before the end of the war.

Sadly, tragedy struck the Popke family again on August 17, 1934. Three members of the Popke family were killed when an automobile driven by Mrs. Popke collided with a Lake Shore Electric Railway passenger car. Irene Popke and her niece Virginia Popke died instantly, and Mrs. Maud Popke died at Providence Hospital a short time after the accident.  

Albert Popke went on to work for fifty years at the American Crayon Company. He passed away on February 16, 1945, and was buried at Oakland Cemetery where so many of his family had also been interred. Albert Popke must have had an amazing strength of character. He left his homeland, started a business, lost his wife and two of his three children in untimely deaths, and worked well over fifty years. 

If you have ancestors in Sandusky or Erie County, please visit the Sandusky Library and its Archives Research Center, where you will find a variety of print and online sources. City directories, county histories, census records, old yearbooks, obituaries, and many other resources can help you trace your own family roots.

Businesses in the 600 Block of Hancock Street in 1888

In 1888, three different businesses were in operation at the southeast corner of Hancock and Madison Street in Sandusky. The proprietors of the businesses, along with family members and employees are seen standing in front of their stores.

August M. Koegele had a dry goods store at 600 Hancock Street. “Gents Night Shirts” sold for fifty cents, and yards of percale fabric sold for under $1.00:

John L. Rieger, who also built the Rieger Hotel in 1912, sold boots and shoes at 602 Hancock Street:

Claussen Bros. Grocery was located at 604 Hancock Street. Canned goods can be seen in the window, and brooms and baskets were for sale outside the store. An advertisement on the door read “Drink Grain-O.” Grain-O was a cereal based coffee substitute, popular in the late nineteenth century.

A variety of businesses were in operation at this location throughout the years. Wholf Hardware was in business at the 600 block of Hancock Street from 1952 through the mid-1990’s. This property is now privately owned.

The Wilcox Company

Pictured below is the R.M. and C.B. Wilcox Company in the first part of the twentieth century.

The Wilcox Company was located in the 100 block of the west side of Columbus Avenue in Sandusky from 1886 until it closed in December of 1929. The store was a dry goods and department store, and it was known for selling carpets. (It was incorporated in 1902.) A newspaper ad in 1911 indicates that the Wilcox Company also cleaned carpets and rugs. They utilized a “sanitary system” of cleaning carpets.

Here is an advertisement from the 1924 Fram:

The December 28, 1929 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that the Wilcox store had been continuously operated by one family for more than eighty one years, and was considered Sandusky’s oldest mercantile establishment. In the first days of operation, the store was called Hubbard and Wilcox. Later it became March and Wilcox. The third name of the business was E. H. and R. M. Wilcox. (Edward Harmon and Rollin M. Wilcox were brothers.) After the death of Edward H. Wilcox in 1886 his son C. B. Wilcox entered the firm, and the firm became known as the R. M. & C. B. Wilcox Company. After the death of R. M. Wilcox, his son Merritt S. Wilcox began working for the company. The Register article stated that, “The Wilcox store was always noted throughout the Sandusky retail section as an establishment handling quality goods.” The store closed its doors permanently at 9 p.m. on Saturday, December 28, 1929.

(The Wilcox Store near the end of its existence.)