Lake Shore Electric Railway Tracks on Columbus Avenue

These pictures from the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center show work being done on the Lake Shore Electric interurban railway tracks on Columbus Avenue in the 1920s.

Large piles of crushed stone can be seen in the picture below next to the tracks.

Taking a closer look at the images allows us to see what stores were in operation at this time in Sandusky. Area residents were still sending telegrams at the Western Union station in downtown Sandusky.

The J.C. Penney store was relatively new to Sandusky at this time. Matthes Coal had a large advertising sign above the People's Loan and Savings Company at the northwest corner of Columbus Avenue and Market Street. You can see the sign for the State Theater in the first block of Columbus Avenue, towards the waterfront.

The Eugene Close shoe store and Bamberger’s millinery shop, both on the east side of Columbus Avenue, were popular places for local residents to visit in the 1920s.

A large group of people is watching as the crew continues their work on the Lake Shore Electric tracks, near Ritter’s Cigar Store and Holzaepfel Brothers Sporting Goods.

Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to view these and hundreds of other historic photographs from Sandusky and Erie County.

George C. Matthes Coal and Supply Company

The postcard above was sent to customers as a reminder to order coal from the George C. Matthes Coal and Supply Company in Sandusky, in order to stay warm in the winter months. The company was founded by George C. Matthes in 1900, and was located at 642 North Depot, at the Hayes Avenue Subway. The Matthes Coal and Supply Company dealt in both wholesale and retail coal. Because of the popularity of coal as a fuel for businesses and homes, in 1916, there were six wholesale coal dealers in Sandusky, and ten retail coal distributors. 

In 1921, Matthes Coal was one of several Sandusky coal dealers that shipped their coal on the New York Central Railroad. Four huge silos for storing coal were built at the Matthes coal yards. The four new silos, along with another smaller silo, the company had the capacity for 1,250 tons of coal. You can see the coal silos at the Matthes Coal and Supply Company in this aerial picture, taken by photographer Thomas Root in 1955.

In 1929, Matthes Coal and Supply provided the enamel brick for the new swimming pool at Jackson Junior High School. Mr. Matthes was active in the National Retail Coal Merchants’ Association and in state coal organizations as well. The advertisement below appeared in the September 9, 1940 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal.

This receipt from the Matthes Coal and Supply Company dates back to the 1950s.

As the demand for coal declined, when more modern methods of heating became popular, Matthes Coal and Supply branched out into more types of supplies, such as patio brick, cast stone, and parking blocks. 

George C. Matthes died on May 21, 1973. The Matthes Coal and Supply Company continued for a time in Sandusky, under the leadership of Alvin W. Beverick, vice president and treasurer of the company. By 1976, the Matthes Coal and Supply Company was no longer listed in the Sandusky City Directory. Though the George C. Matthes Coal and Supply Company is no longer in existence, for many years, the company helped keep “the home fires burning” in the Sandusky area.