Harlequins Production of Journey’s End

On February 27, 1939, the Harlequins performed the play Journey’s End. The play, written by R.C. Sherriff, took an honest look at the horrors of war. It was first performed in London, England in 1928, starring Laurence Olivier as Captain Stanhope, an officer in a British infantry unit during World War I. The play was an instant stage success, and went on to have several revivals on the stage and as a motion picture. 

In the Sandusky production of Journey’s End, Earle Seidner played the role of Captain Stanhope. On the cast picture, some of the performers autographed the bottom of the photograph, while the character they played is listed along the top of the picture. November 11, 2018 marks the one hundredth anniversary of the armistice that ended fighting on land, sea and air in World War I between the Allies and the Germans. Sandusky residents in 1939 must have reflected upon the events that took place during the Great War as they watched the play. 

To learn more about Sandusky’s participation during World War I, in the war as well as the home front, visit the Sandusky Library to see the reference book Honor Roll of Ohio, 1917-1918, Erie County Edition. This volume provides photographs, history, and biographical information about the many local residents who were involved in the war effort.

The Combined Corrugator and Double Facer at Hinde and Dauch

The invention of the Combined Corrugator and Double Facer used by the Hinde and Dauch Paper Company was attributed to Solomon Sylvester Knisely, who was a mechanical engineer at the company. He began working at H&D in 1905, and retired in 1949 after 44 years of continuous service. Mr. Knisely is the man on the right in the picture below.

      

Two female employees of the Hinde and Dauch Paper Company are pictured at the Combined Corrugator and Double Facer in the 1920s or 1930s.

      

For most of the twentieth century, the Hinde and Dauch Paper Company was a leader in the manufacturing of corrugated paper boxes. Hinde & Dauch Paper Co. was incorporated April, 1900. At the helm of the company in the early years were James J. Hinde and Jacob J. Dauch.  In 1953, Hinde and Dauch was acquired by Westvaco. For most of the 1980s, the company operated as Displayco Midwest, which was bought out by Chesapeake in 1989. The factory closed in 1997. The former Hinde and Dauch building at 401 West Shoreline Drive is now home to Chesapeake Lofts. An article which provides the history of the development of Hinde and Dauch can be found online. Additionally, Tom Jackson wrote an excellent article for the Sandusky Register in May 2010 about Sandusky's Paper District.