Dominick Cua, War Veteran and Businessman

Dominick Cua was the son of Salvatore and Maria Cua, born in Italy in 1890. He served in the Quartermaster’s Corps during World War I. In the 1920s, he operated a billiards hall in downtown Sandusky. Below is a page from his patent for a cue holder that he invented.

Later Mr. Cua ran a lunch room on Fulton Street, and from the 1930s to the 1950s, he was the operator of a concession stand at Battery Park.

As a Veteran of World War I, he was active in the American Legion. This is a medal he wore at an American Legion Convention held in Detroit, Michigan in 1931:

By 1959, Dominick Cua and his family moved to Florida. He died in Broward County, Florida in 1974. He and his wife June were buried at Lauderdale Memorial Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

The Paradise Inn on Venice Road

From about 1935 to 1939, the Paradise Inn was in business at 3301 Venice Road. The grand opening was advertised in the June 19, 1935 issue of the Sandusky Register. The Paradise Inn had formerly been known as the Boots Inn.

For several years, Urban J. Schwartz was the proprietor and Arnold “Arnie” Lieb was the bartender. The Sandusky Library Archives Research Center has a songbook from the former Paradise Inn. Here are a few of the songs from the songbook:

The building housing the Paradise Inn was listed as vacant in the 1941 city directory, and today it is a private home. Urban J. Schwartz died in 1966, and is buried in the St. Joseph Cemetery in Fremont, Ohio. An obituary for Arnold Lieb, who died in 1995, stated that he had worked at Union Chain for over forty years, retiring as a foreman at the plant.

Seele’s Restaurant, Later Hanson's Restaurant

In 1892, Charles J. Seele opened a restaurant at 724 Water Street between Columbus Avenue and Jackson Street, not far from the West House hotel in downtown Sandusky. In 1907 Seele’s sold fresh bulk oysters for thirty-five cents a quart (about $10.40 today). An advertisement from the December 17, 1909 issue of the Sandusky Register stated that Seele’s Restaurant sold pork sausage, buckwheat cakes, homemade mince and pumpkin pies, along with oysters and fish. Another listing from the June 4, 1919 Register offered a 21 meal ticket for $3.50 (about $55 today). The advertisement below appeared in the August 16, 1910 issue of the Sandusky Register:

In 1917, Adolph Stamm, who formerly worked for Mr. Seele, took over management of Seele’s restaurant. 

In the 1920s, Mr. Seele ran a grocery store on Hancock Street. In 1925, he moved to Florida, where he died in 1927. His obituary was in the Sandusky Register of September 2, 1927.

By 1927, Hanson’s Restaurant was in business at the site of the former Seele’s restaurant, at what became 140 West Water Street after 1915. Hanson's was in business at that location for about 30 years. A parking lot is now located where Seele’s and Hanson’s restaurants were in business long ago.

"All Aboard For Peters’ Restaurant"

 

From about 1873 to 1890, George Peters operated a restaurant and billiard parlor in the 600 block of Water Street in downtown Sandusky, Ohio (probably where the empty lot on the 100 block of East Water Street is today). He stated in an advertisement in the 1888 Sandusky City Directory that “meals were served to order at all hours of the day or night.”  Wine and beer were served in the saloon, and there was a private parlor for ladies. Women were allowed to patronize the business, but they weren't allowed to work there! 

The Sandusky city ordinances of the time prohibited women from working in a business that served alcohol unless they were the wife or daughter of the owner.

And if a woman did happen to work in a saloon, young men (under 21) were not allowed to engage in conversation with her, to help preserve "order" in the community. Rules were different in those days.

George Peters was a native of Germany. During the Civil War he served as a private in Company B of the 145^th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. In the early part of the twentieth century, he moved to Norwalk, Ohio. After his death in 1909, he was laid to rest in Sandusky’s Oakland Cemetery.

The Bijou Restaurant after a Snowstorm

A large group of individuals are pictured above in front of the Bijou Restaurant on West Water Street, next to the West House Hotel (where the back of the State Theatre is today) in downtown Sandusky in 1910 or 1911. The huge mound of snow behind the men (with an interesting statue on top) indicates that Sandusky must have recently had a large snowfall. An obituary for Charles W. Herzog, which appeared in the 1950 Obituary Notebook at the Sandusky Library, stated that Mr. Herzog operated the Bijou Restaurant and Café from 1908 until 1916. 

A woman and child can be seen in an upper floor window, just to the right of the restaurant sign. Could that be Mrs. Herzog and their daughter? Probably. A little genealogical research lets us come to that conclusion: According to the 1912 city directory, the Herzog family residence was at the same address as the business. Searching for Mr. Herzog in Ancestry.com, we find a record for the 1930 census that shows that Charles & Suzanna Herzog had a 22-year-old daughter named Mildred, as well as a 10-year old son Charles and a 3-year old daughter Rosemary. We know that the two youngest were not around yet in 1911, but with a little math we know that Mildred was born around 1908 or 1909. So, seeing the child in the photo who looks around 2 or 3 years old, it might be reasonable to assume that the people in the window are Suzanna Herzog and her daughter Mildred. Isn't genealogy fun?!

Clara Bock, Restaurant Proprietor

Clara Halawachs was born to Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Halawachs in Germany in 1856. She came to the United States in 1865, according to U.S. Census records. On October 27, 1874, Clara Halawachs married Joseph Bock, who was also a native of Germany. Joseph Bock died of consumption (aka Tuberculosis) in 1895, leaving Clara a widow with four children.

From about 1908 until 1938, Clara Bock ran a home restaurant at 312 West Water Street. Besides running the restaurant, she also catered dinners for the Sandusky Yacht Club and the Kiwanis Club. In 1930 on the occasion of Judge E.B. King’s eightieth birthday, Mrs. Bock presented him with a birthday cake at the July Kiwanis meeting.

On April 1, 1939, Mrs. Clara Bock passed away after a brief illness. Funeral services were held at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Henry Reutler. Burial was at Oakland Cemetery. Despite leaving her homeland at a young age, and losing her husband when she was just a young woman, she was the embodiment of the American success story.

While we do not have any photographs of Mrs. Bock’s home restaurant, below is a picture of the J. and F. Bock Barber Shop in the 1880s, at 812 Water Street, the address of Mrs. Bock’s restaurant prior to the 1915 street numbering changes in Sandusky. Most likely the children in the picture are extended members of the Bock family, and the man may be her husband Joseph.

The Century Buffet

This full page advertisement for the Century Buffet appeared in the book What: Souvenir of Sandusky and the Islands of Lake Erie, published by Hill and Bolly in 1903. According to the Sandusky Evening Star of October 14, 1902, William C. Klaes took possession of the Century saloon and café on Columbus Avenue, taking over the business from Fred Volk. Mr. Klaes is pictured in the center of the page. An advertisement from 1903 indicated that the business was thriving.

One of the favorite beverages on tap at the Century was Atlas Beer. An article in the December 31, 1903 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal reported that Mr. Klaes had been secured to be the manager of the African American boxer Jim Watts. 

By 1907, Charles T. Wolfe was the proprietor of the Century. Mr. Wolfe went out of business in 1909, due to poor business in general, as well as high liquor taxes. Because of its prime location in downtown Sandusky, a variety of businesses have been in operation at the site; Daly’s Pub now occupies the spot on Columbus Avenue that was once home to the Century Buffet.

Burger Chef in Sandusky

From the early 1960s until 1977, Sandusky area residents enjoyed hamburgers, French fries, and milkshakes at Burger Chef. The first Burger Chef was at 302 West Perkins Avenue. Manager Joe Brennan once presented Jacquelyn Mayer, Miss America of 1963, with a gold plated lifetime pass to Burger Chef.

The Burger Chef restaurant was air conditioned, but customers often ate in their automobiles. In 1966 hamburgers at Burger Chef cost fifteen cents.  In 1974, Burger Chef offered larger sandwiches, like the “Big Chef” and the “Super Chef.” By 1974 there were two Burger Chef restaurants in the Sandusky area, the original on Perkins Avenue and the other at 3002 Milan Road. By 1975, the first Burger Chef had closed, and the Brew and Watcha took over the property on West Perkins Avenue.  According to the July 3, 1976 issue of the Sandusky Register, “Burger Chef and Jeff” were to appear on the Burger Chef float in the Bicentennial parade. In an article which appeared in the December 17, 1977 issue of the Sandusky Register, the last Sandusky Burger Chef was scheduled to close on the following day. Burger Chef expressed its appreciation for customers having patronized the restaurant for the past seventeen years.

The Kewpee and Markley's

When the Kewpee Hotel opened on September 14, 1939, several area businesses offered their best wishes in the Sandusky Register. A regular hamburger sold for ten cents, and a deluxe hamburger cost fifteen cents. The advertisement stated that the restaurant was “Sandusky’s Only Hamburg Shop.” Besides hamburgers, the Kewpee featured malted milks, a full line of beverages, pies, rolls, and cereals. Kewpee Hotel restaurants were started by Sam Blair in Flint, Michigan in the 1920s. Soon Kewpee Hotel restaurants opened in nearby states.

By the late 1940s, the restaurant was known as the Kewpee Lunch; in 1954, it was sold by owners Carl and Helen Ruth to Lyle Mayhew. The new name of the restaurant was the Whitehouse Restaurant, and Lyle’s brother in law Roger Markley was the manager. Eventually Mr. Markley acquired the restaurant, and it became known as Markley’s. In the 1960s, the doorway was moved from the corner of the restaurant to the Market Street side of the building. Many a young person went to Markley’s after Sandusky High School sporting events. The chili was very comforting after sitting out in the cold weather for a football game. A longtime staff member of the Sandusky Library fondly recalls the Little Sister sandwich from Markley’s.

   

Markley’s closed about 2010, and now a Subway shop and Amarone Italian Restaurant share the site.

Advertising Fan from the Tavern Restaurant and Service Station

A young lady wearing a bathing suit is pictured on this fan that was once a promotional item given away by the Tavern Restaurant and Service Station. (Hand fans were a popular promotional item in the days before air conditioning was common.) On the reverse side, more information is given about the business, which was located at 2350 Cleveland Road West, on Sandusky’s east side.

The Tavern Service Station sold Shell products and provided oil changes. The Tavern Restaurant gave special attention to parties with "no cover charge." An article in the July 22, 1931 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal reported that the “super service” station and restaurant was to officially open on July 23, 1931. The article stated that it was “perhaps the finest filling station and restaurant on the highway between Cleveland and Detroit.” The site was chosen because of its location on a state route between Cleveland and Toledo, and automobile transportation was expected to be on the increase at that time. 

In 1931, Theresa Fuchs was in charge of the kitchen, under the direction of Frank Burich. J.J. Kaman was the proprietor of the service station.

The public was invited to inspect the “ultra modern station - - dedicated to the service of the traveling public.”

By 1945, the business became known as the Red Gables and was managed by Del Noyes. Today, Jack’s Deli and the Red Gables Mesquite Grill are in business at the location of the former Tavern Service Station and Restaurant. If you look carefully you can still see the spot where the gas pumps once stood.

The Pelican Restaurant

Pictured above is the Pelican restaurant about 1928 in the 100 block of Columbus Avenue, next to the R.M. and C.B. Wilcox Company.  The Pelican Restaurant and Confectionery opened in March of 1928, with George Poulus and Michael Pappas as the proprietors. An article from the March 22, 1928 issue of the Sandusky Register stated that customers could purchase candy, or just a sandwich, or cold drinks, or a full dinner at the Pelican.  The soda fountain featured nickel fittings, and was located on the left side of the front section of the restaurant. The right front  window of the Pelican showcased the candies made by the confectionery. An ad in the Register lets everyone know that John C. Klee installed the plumbing for the Pelican.

In November of 1928, Michael Pappas became the sole proprietor of the Pelican. Here is a picture of the Pelican in 1931:

The Holzaepfel Brothers store and Rosino’s shoe store are just south of the Pelican, and to the north are the New Sandusky View restaurant, with dentist Dr. Edwin Butterworth upstairs; the Uthe and Hiltz drugstore; and the Interurban Office. Across the street, a group of youngsters were getting off the Lake Shore Electric railway car, and soon would head to the dock to catch the ferry to Kelleys Island. 

By 1941, Paul Mellio and Philip Pappas were the proprietors of the Pelican Restaurant.  On March 22, 1948, on the occasion of its twentieth anniversary, the Pelican was serving roast turkey dinners for sixty cents.

On Thanksgiving Day of 1954, Paul Mellio of the Pelican Restaurant saw to it that the prisoners at the city jail were served a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. The Pelican had the contract for daily coffee and sandwiches for the prisoners, but the dinner served at the jail on Thanksgiving was extra special. By 1960, Thomas Pappas was listed in the Sandusky city directory as the proprietor of the Pelican Restaurant. George Lenos  was listed as the proprietor of the Pelican in the 1966 and 1967  city directories By 1968, there was no longer a listing for the restaurant in Sandusky city directories.  Later  businesses which were at the location of the Pelican Restaurant, at 145 Columbus Avenue include a shoe store, a family bookstore, and most recently, the Crush Wine Bar. Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to learn more about the history of the people and businesses of Sandusky and Erie County.

Stadium Diner

From 1941 until the late 1980s, the Stadium Diner was in business at 1019 West Perkins Avenue in Sandusky, close to the Sandusky High School’s football field (now Strobel Field at Cedar Point Stadium.) The postcard above states that Stadium Diner was “the world’s largest diner.”  The main structure of the Stadium Diner was made from two former Lake Shore Electric interurban cars placed end to end.

        

Nat Sherrard was the proprietor of this popular restaurant for many years. In 1941, the Stadium Diner was open 24 hours a day, and specialized in steak, chicken and fish dinners. Many business luncheons, dinner meetings, and other special events were hosted there. Of course it was a popular spot for a meal before or after a high school football game as well. 

In 1952, the Stadium Diner was remodeled. This advertisement, which appeared in the August 21, 1952 issue of the Sandusky Register Star News, indicated that the new owner of the Stadium Diner was H.S. Gamber, with A. Lack working as the manager.

Many local businesses offered their congratulations on the opening of the newly remodeled restaurant. In 1952, a Lake Erie perch dinner could be purchased at Stadium Diner for one dollar. Members of the Berardi family purchased the Stadium Diner in 1989, and now operate the popular restaurant, Berardi’s Family Kitchen. 

A cloth napkin from the Stadium Diner, from the collections of the Sandusky Library

      

Hanson’s Restaurant

In 1927 William H. and Martha Hanson established Hanson’s Restaurant at 140 West Water Street in downtown Sandusky. Mr. Hanson learned how to cook when he lived in New York. As a young man he was a cook aboard Great Lakes steamers, where he earned a good reputation. He was known as “Bill” to all who knew him. This advertisement for Hanson’s Restaurant, from the May 28, 1927 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal, features fresh frogs (apparently a popular entree at the time). Special Sunday dinners were served for seventy-five cents.

 Hanson’s was a popular location for business meetings. Several traditional glass bottles of steak sauce, hot sauce, and ketchup can be seen on the table in the lower right section of the picture below. The restaurant was decorated in the fish and wildlife theme.

 After the death of Mr. Hanson in 1936, Mrs. Hanson continued operating the restaurant. In the 1940s, for several years, a Hanson’s Annex was at 240 West Water Street, and the original Hanson’s was still at 140 West Water Street. From 1948 through the late 1950s, Daniel Hanson, son of the original owners, took over proprietorship of Hanson’s Restaurant. By the 1960s, various owners operated a restaurant at the former Hanson’s location. Later in the 1960s and 1970s, the building served as a private residence, with an apartment on the upper level. Now a parking lot is located at the site of the former Hanson’s Restaurant, just west of the State Theater. Below is an undated postcard from Hanson’s Restaurant, from the historical postcard collection of the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center. 

The Christmas Season in Sandusky, 1891

This was the menu for Christmas time at the West House, a large hotel in Sandusky:

A variety of game and seafood were the main course, along with cold ham, chicken and tongue. Desserts included mince pie, lemon pie, cake, ice cream, and English plum pudding with brandy sauce.

Local companies advertised in the Sandusky Register for several weeks in December of 1891. The Fair, a store managed by M.N. Sisenwain opposite the Sloane House, sold dolls, books, mechanical toys, jewelry, china cups, glassware, pictures, and a wide assortment of gift items of “Christmas delights.” J. Krupp and Son sold books cases, beds, rockers, tapestries and furniture for the home or office. M. & A. Lebensburger, a leading Sandusky clothier, sold several styles of overcoats. The Bazar at 615 and 617 Market Street slashed prices just a few days before Christmas Day.

D.C. Powers ran a lengthy poem advertising the many items for sale at the D.C. Powers dry goods store at 142 Columbus Avenue. The first three stanzas, which appeared in the December 18, 1891 issue of the Sandusky Register, were:

Mother Christmas’ Answer

Santa came to “Mother Christmas”-
“Dear,” said he, “I’m sore perplexed!
Knotted was the kind old forehead,
One might almost think him vexed.
“Where I’m going to get my sleighful
of the rarest, brightest, best,
Prettiest things to please this worldful
Grown so captious, can’t be guessed!

Said his Dame, “I wonder at you!
Must be you’ve forgotten Powers;
I have found there gifts to rapture
These expectant bairns of ours.
For, you know, with all the worldful-
Stockings large, and stockings small,
You must cram form out your sleighful-
Nothing’s left for ours at all!”

“Then the quaint, delightful boxes-
Filled, the yare, with daintiest things-
Charming souvenirs, cards and booklets –
Everything the season brings,
Kerchiefs, hemstitched, plain, embroidered,
Silk and linen, grave and gay-
Finest values for the prices –
In bewildering display!”

The poem concludes with Santa deciding to fill his sleigh with items from D.C. Powers’ stock. This photograph, which shows an interior view of the D.C. Powers store, was taken in the latter part of the 1800s:

Ferback’s Rathskeller

Ferback’s Rathskeller was owned by John A. Ferback. The photograph for the postcard of Ferback’s Rathskeller was taken by Paul Gundlach, and George H. Tremper was the publisher.

Ferback’s Rathskeller was located at the corner of West Madison and Harrison Streets in Sandusky. In 1935, a local newspaper advertisement for Ferback’s featured plate lunches for fifteen cents. The ad below appeared in the March 9, 1935 issue of the Sandusky Register.

In the 1940’s, Clarence Nagel operated a furnace, air conditioning and sheet metal business at 536 Harrison Street. In the 1950’s and 1960’s Helen Nagel taught ceramics classes at Helen’s Hobby Shop at this address.

Visit the Sandusky Library to view several decades of historical city directories, which can provide details about the residents and businesses of Sandusky in days gone by.

May's Dinette

On August 25, 1939, at midnight, May’s Dinette was formally opened. The diner was located on West Washington Street, between Jackson and Decatur Streets. An advertisement in the August 25 Sandusky Register boasted that “We Never Close.” Lunch prices began at twenty five cents. On the outside of the diner was a sign that read “Food cooked in butter.” The restaurant was air conditioned, and the soda fountain was always open for sodas and sundaes. Their specialty was steak dinners, served to the customer’s liking. Rolls, pastries, pies and cakes were baked fresh daily at May’s Dinette.

No listings were found for May’s Dinette in historical Sandusky City Directories. By 1941, Hilda’s Dinette had an advertisement in the buying guide of the City Directory. Hilda’s Dinette was located at 408 W. Washington Street, so it is possible that Hilda’s Dinette took over the business formerly known as May’s Dinette.

Here is an inside view of May’s Dinette from August of 1939.