Hotel Kunzmann

The Hotel Kunzmann was operated by August C. Kunzmann, a native of Baden, Germany. August C. Kunzmann emigrated to the United States in 1879. When he first settled in Sandusky, he worked at the carriage shop of his uncle, who was named August K. Kunzmann. In 1882, August C. Kunzmann married Katie Link. Kunzmann’s Hotel was located at 125 and 127 Jackson Street in the late 1880s. A listing in the 1888-89 Sandusky City Directory indicated that fresh lager was always on tap, and the hotel provided "excellent accommodation and reasonable rates."

By 1898, the Hotel Kunzmann moved to 627, 629 and 631 Water Street, down the block from Fisher’s Hall. At this time the hotel featured modern improvements such as electric lights and hot water heating.

A popular drink at the Hotel Kunzmann was a large glass of beer, sold for five cents, known as the “high ball.” 

August C. Kunzmann died of pneumonia on March 14, 1905, at the age of 51. He was survived by his wife and four children. For a time after his death, Mrs. Kunzmann ran the hotel, and later non-family members took over management. An article in the October 11, 1919 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal reported that the Riccelli Cone and Candy Company had recently leased the three story building that was once the Hotel Kunzmann.  

You can read more about life in Sandusky at the time the Hotel Kunzmann was in business. Mrs. Katherine "Katie" Kunzmann collected newspaper clippings about prominent people and events that took place in Sandusky, Ohio between 1898 and 1919. This scrapbook has been microfilmed and can be viewed at the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center. 

Menu from the Townsend House from 1850

Pictured above is the “bill of fare” from the Townsend House for the evening of November 20, 1850. At this time, E.A. Huntley was the proprietor of the hotel, which was located at the northwest corner of Market and Decatur Streets. Roasts at this meal included spiced round of beef, boned turkey, roast turkey and larded chicken. Four different types of cake were offered for dessert, along with a variety of fruit. The menu was printed on cloth by Campbell’s Press.

    

The Townsend House, which opened in Sandusky in the 1840s, had several different proprietors and names throughout the years. Though the Townsend House suffered a fire in 1864, it did open again. In 1876 a notice the Sandusky City Directory stated that the hotel formerly known as the Townsend House would now be known as the Wiedemann House. 

From the 1930s through the 1950s, the hotel was known as the Chittenden House. The hotel building was razed in 1961 by the Sandusky Foundry.

Vintage Postcards from Hotels at Cedar Point

According to the book Cedar Point: the Queen of American Watering Places, by David W. and Diane DeMali Francis, the White House hotel was the second hotel at the Cedar Point resort. The smaller Bay Shore hotel had been constructed in 1899, and was used as a boarding house after the White House hotel opened in 1901 with fifty-five rooms. By 1903, the White House hotel expanded to one hundred twenty-five rooms. At the same time, cottages were available for rent at Cedar Point. In 1915, the White House hotel was expanded again, and became known as the Cedars Hotel.

        

The Cedars Hotel had seven sections that were connected by walkways. Here is a postcard that features a “cozy corner” of the Cedars:

 

Today, part of the former Cedars Hotel serves as employee housing. 

The Hotel Breakers opened in 1905, and remains as an important part of Cedar Point today.

          

The original lobby of the Breakers featured chandeliers and stained glass windows created by Tiffany artists.  You can read about the renovations made to Hotel Breakers in 2015 in an article from the Sandusky Register from May 4, 2015. Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to learn more about the rich history of Cedar Point.

The Colton House

From the early 1860s until his death in 1898, Harry Colton was the proprietor of the Colton House, a hotel located in Sandusky at the southeast corner of Lawrence and Water Streets. It was situated just across from the docks of the Big Four railway and its predecessors. A portion of the 1886 Sanborn Map shows the location of the business. There was a saloon and billiards hall on the portion of the hotel that faced Water Street, and the hotel’s rooms were located along the side of the hotel which faced Lawrence Street.

The 1870 U.S.Census lists all the residents of the Colton House in Sandusky on July 25, 1870, which included Harry Colton, his wife Susanna, and several children. An article in the July 1, 1905 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal reported that the Colton House was a leading hotel in Sandusky at one time, due to its proximity to the shipping docks along Sandusky Bay. In its later years, it became known primarily as a boarding house and café. 

Harry Colton died on May 8, 1898. After his death, the Colton House was operated by his wife, and later by his sons. By the early twentieth century, other owners had taken over the business. In 1905 the hotel became known as the Hotel Lawrence. The building was razed in the fall of 1932.

Harry and Susanna Colton and several of the extended Colton family are buried in Block 60 of Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery.

Vintage Views of the Sloane House Hotel

According to volume one of From the Widow's Walk, by Helen Hansen & Virginia Steinemann, the Sloane House hotel opened November 17, 1881 and was razed in the early 1950s to make way for the Lasalle’s store. The four story brick building was located at the northwest corner of Columbus Avenue and Washington Row, now the location of Erie County offices.  It was named for its owner, Rush Sloane, a well-known lawyer and abolitionist who served as Sandusky’s Mayor in the 1880s. When it opened, the Sloane House furnished accommodations for one hundred fifty guests.

 The Sloane House was a popular gathering place for business meetings, wedding receptions, and family gatherings. Several businesses were in operation at the street level. A drugstore was the anchor store at the Sloane House for several years. Below, you can see a portion of the H.K. Henkelman and J.H. Bechberger drugstore in a picture from a wintry day in 1909.

 An article in the October 25, 1915 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that a play entitled “Emma McChesney and Company” used an exact replica of the lobby of the Sloane House as part of its scenery.  A traveler told Sloane House Manager Charles T. Gauvey that when he saw the play, he was tempted to go on stage to go through the swinging door into the bar room, because it looked so much like the Sloane House lobby.

This postcard from the Alexander Manufacturing Company shows a view of side of the Sloane House that faced Washington Park.

 By the time this postcard was created by E.B. Ackley, visitors to the Sloane House could reach the hotel by automobile instead of horse-drawn vehicles.

 Several items from the Sloane House hotel can be viewed at the Follett House Museum, including this china water pitcher.

The Commercial House in 1898

Pictured above is a wagon from the Consumers’ Ice Company in front of the Commercial House hotel in 1898 on the west side of Jackson Street, between Market and Water Streets. Theodore Schleicher was the driver of the wagon.  In the 1898 Sandusky City Directory, Mrs. J. Reuter was listed as the proprietress of the hotel, which had formerly been known as Reuter’s Hotel.

Room rates were $1.00 to $1.50, and meals were twenty five cents apiece. There were bathrooms and electric fans in the Commercial House. Due to the close proximity to the Opera House, special rates were offered to theatrical people. In the 1893 Sanborn Map, you can see the exact location of the former Reuter’s Hotel and the Opera House.

AdWriter, Inc. is now at the former location of the Commercial House at 165 Jackson Street in downtown Sandusky.

Scott’s American Hotel

In 1865, Voltaire Scott and his father Jacob Scott bought a two story frame hotel on the southwest corner of Water and Wayne Streets. The hotel was originally known as the Steamboat Hotel, and was later known as Verandah Hotel. In the pioneer days of Sandusky, Water Street was the most northern street of the city. Sometimes the waves on Sandusky Bay were so high that they almost touched the entrance to the hotel. The old strap railroad ran right past the hotel. According to the advertisement pictured above, from the 1874 Sandusky City Directory, guests could request a feather bed, and the table was “always supplied with the best the market affords.” When Jacob Scott moved to Wisconsin in 1876, Voltaire Scott took over as proprietor of Scott’s American Hotel. An advertisement which appeared in the 1878 Sandusky City Directory stated that “Strangers and the public will find Scott’s American a pleasant home, every comfort and accommodation extended to all its patrons.”

Voltaire Scott established a park across the street from his hotel. In 1895 he installed the “Boy with the Boot” statue, along with statues of dolphins and maidens. In the evening hours, colored lights illuminated the park. The electricity was controlled by a switch in the hotel.

Mr. Scott willed the contents of his park to the city of Sandusky, along with funds to maintain it. The tornado of 1924 severely damaged Scott Park, and the statues were stored at the city greenhouse. In 1935, the “Boy with the Boot” was given a new home in Washington Park. After being damaged by vandals, the statue in Washington Park was replaced by an identical one made of bronze. The damaged statue was repaired, and is now on display at the City Hall building on Meigs street.

The hotel at the corner of Wayne and Water Streets had several different owners after Voltaire Scott’s death in 1899. The building was razed in 1923. An interesting story from the January 12, 1911 issue of the Toledo Blade reported that in 1911 a plumber who was working at the former Scott’s American Hotel found $1,300 in currency in the basement of the building. The article reported that Voltaire Scott did not have much faith in banks, so he kept his money in an old vegetable can in the basement. Eventually the money was turned over to descendants of Voltaire Scott living in Michigan at that time. Ironically, the property at the southwest corner of Wayne and Water Streets is now home to the Citizens Banking Company.

The Murschel House

For a century, the Murschel House was located in the 1200 block of North Depot Street close to the train station in Sandusky. Ellie Damm wrote in Treasure by the Bay that Jacob Murschel built a saloon and hotel in 1876, opposite the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad depot. The hotel and saloon were convenient for both railroad workers and travelers. (The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway later became a part of the New York Central Railroad.)

After the death of Jacob Murschel, his son William Y. Murschel ran the hotel for many years. By 1902, John Sinerson was listed in the Sandusky City Directory as being the proprietor of the Murschel House.

A full page advertisement in the book What: Souvenir of Sandusky, Ohio and the Islands of Lake Erie, features interior views of the bar, reading room, dining room, and barber shop of the Murschel House.

The Murschel House was often mentioned on the society pages of the Sandusky Register and the Sandusky Star Journal, as it was the location for many banquets, meetings, family gatherings, and even wedding receptions. An article from the Star Journal of September 3, 1911 reported that Alice Cherry, who weighed 450 pounds, was “the largest and most impressive guest” in the history of the Murschel House. Alice Cherry had been appearing as the “Fat Lady” at the county fair. Her visit to the Murschel House caused local excitement. In July of 1916, a troop train from the New York Central Railroad stopped in Sandusky. Several servicemen from Maine, all clad in khaki, stopped at the Murschel House for coffee and sandwiches. Newspaper reports state that the cash register bell was “working over time for a while.” In 1925, the Murschel House was a polling location for voters in the Third Ward of Sandusky. Murschel House sponsored a bowling team in Sandusky’s Industrial League during the 1930’s.

Through the years, the Murschel House had several different owners. It was still listed in the 1981 Sandusky City Directory, but by 1991 the city ordered the building to be demolished for safety concerns. Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to learn more about the Murschel House and other historic hotels and businesses in Sandusky and Erie County.

Ira C. Jordan, Hotel Proprieter

An article in the August 14, 1919 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal reported that the Hotel Laural at Wayne and Water Streets was to open on Saturday, August 16, under the management of Ira C. Jordan. Formerly affiliated with the Employees' League of Columbus, Ohio, Mr. Jordan was one of the best known caterers in the state. The conclusion of the newspaper article stated: "For some time Afro-Americans of Sandusky have felt the need of a first class hotel and their need will be realized when Mr. Jordan opens the Hotel Laural to the public." The Sandusky Register featured an article about Mr. Jordan and the Hotel Laural in its March 28, 1920 issue. While every employee from the manager down to the clerk was a person of color, Mr. Jordan welcomed customers of any race.

In October 1921, Ira C. Jordan advertised a one-half fried chicken dinner at the Hotel Laural to be served every Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Regular lunch every day cost thirty five cents.

Below is an advertisement from the Hotel Laurel which appeared in the December 9, 1921 issue of the Sandusky Register. Ormonde A. Forte, a Cleveland newspaper man was to be the speaker at a banquet at the Hotel Laurel.

Ira C. Jordan’s wife passed away in February of 1920. While Mr. Jordan is listed as the proprietor of the Hotel Laural in 1922 newspaper advertisements, it appears that he moved away from Sandusky in the mid 1920’s.

The Hotel Laural was known as the Steamboat Hotel in 1842, when Charles Dickens stopped to spend a night in Sandusky. Other names the hotel was known as include: Porter House, Verandah Hotel, Scott’s American Hotel, Hotel Crystal Dome and the Ideal Hotel. (The frequently-told story that the porterhouse steak had its origins in Sandusky is a myth. According to an article in the New York Times, the name of the porterhouse steak had its origins in an establishment located at 327 Pearl Street in New York City in about 1814.)

The West House Hotel

Owned by brothers W.T. and A.K. West, the West House hotel was opened to the public in 1858. It was the first building credited to architect Sheldon Smith. At one time the West House was the largest hotel between Cleveland and Toledo. It was five stories high, and was located at the corner of Columbus Avenue and Water Street, in downtown Sandusky, not far from the docks at Sandusky Bay. Over two thousand guests stayed at the West House during the Ohio State Fair, which was held in Sandusky in 1858. Charles E. Frohman wrote in his book Rebels on Lake Erie, that during the 1860’s the West House “was the center of the social and business life of the bustling city of 25,000.”

Many organizations, businesses, and associations held their conventions and annual meetings at the West House. The August 7, 1912 issue of the Sandusky Register announced that veterans from the 128th Ohio Volunteer Infantry would meet at the West House for their thirty seventh annual reunion. James A. Garfield wrote in his diary that he once met an associate at the West House. In 1877 the United States Signal Service was established in Sandusky and had its station on top of the West House.

In 1864, a Confederate agent, Charles H. Cole stayed at the West House. Cole, along with John Y. Beall and other Confederates, planned to free several prisoners housed at the Civil War prison at Johnson’s Island. Ultimately Cole was arrested before the plan could be successfully carried out. The website of the C.I.A. features a page on this conspiracy.

Volume 21 of the Firelands Pioneer reported that the West House was dismantled in March of 1919. The article concluded…..“for 55 years, until 1913, it was Sandusky’s principal hotel, housing from time to time many of the most notable men of the nation. From its upper stories could be commanded on a clear day a notable view of the Lake Erie island region, which always appealed to travelers and attracted transient visitors.”

"Mystery Photos" Returns

We promised that "Mystery Photos" would be a regular feature of the blog -- where we show you images from the collections that might not be easily recognizable to you, and of unknown origins. We haven't had a mystery photo on the blog in quite a while, so here is one for you:

Looking at the reception desk and the pigeon-hole cabinet behind the desk clerks, it seems rather clear that it is the lobby of a hotel. (You may not be able to see it, but a sign above the cabinet is addressed to "guests.") But which hotel is it? We have no information with this photograph as to where it was taken. Any ideas?

We do know that one of the ladies in the photo is Miss Mary Spier -- it might be possible, with a bit of research, to learn more about Miss Spier -- using the Ancestry genealogy database, for example. We can make a reasonable "guesstimate" of the time period of this photo by looking at things such as the "candlestick" telephone on the counter; these phones were popular mainly in the 1910s and 1920s. A map expert might be able to date the photo by the map on the wall. (Not me.)

Remember: just because you don't know all the details about a photograph, it doesn't mean it's worthless. Every image offers a description of life; it's just up to you to figure out what they are saying.

So where was this hotel? Your ideas are welcome.