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.
