Morris Link and Link’s Block

Morris Link was born in Baden, Germany, and emigrated to the United States in 1851. After settling in Sandusky, he became involved in the culture of grapes and manufacturing of wine. He also worked for several years as a foreman in the Mad River Railroad warehouse. 

In 1870, Morris Link built the Link Block at the corner of McDonough and Washington Streets in Sandusky. Dr. Ernst von Schulenburg wrote in Sandusky Then and Now, that Link’s Block on Washington Street was a “monument to his [Mr. Link's] spirit of enterprise.” In the 1886 Sanborn map, pictured below, you can see that Link’s Block had a drugstore, grocery and saloon on the street levels of the building, with a public hall on the upper level, and a dining hall in the rear of the structure.

Many social events, political meetings, and dances were held at this site. On July 4, 1873, the Bay City Dancing Club held a Grand Ball at Link’s Hall, with musical entertainment provided by the Great Western Band. Tickets were fifty cents. According to the book Sandusky Then and Now, in 1885 the Sandusky Liederkranz (Sandusky Choral Society) was reorganized and held rehearsals at Link’s Hall. In 1904, a Mr. Rissman and Schaefer served lunch there. Turtle soup was the special of the day on March 26, 1904. A roller skating rink was in operation at Link’s Hall in 1905. In the 1940s and 1950s, several wrestling matches were held there. Below is an advertisement from the October 18, 1952 issue of the Sandusky Register, for a match between Bert Silverman and Frankie Taylor.

A number of businesses have been in operation in Link’s block, including the Towne Tavern and Health Club in the 1960s and 1970s.

            

For a number of years, the State Liquor Store No. 181 was located in the 900 block of West Washington Street. When you pass by the corner of West Washington and McDonough Street, take a moment to reflect on the rich history of that location.

A Look Back at Sandusky Library Staff Members in the Twentieth Century

In the historic photograph collections of the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center are several vintage pictures of staff members of the Sandusky Library throughout the years. Pictured above are several employees of the library standing on the steps in front of the Adams Street entrance in 1914. In the undated picture below, staff members are enjoying a picnic outside the library.

In the picture below, three young women are reading books on the back of a truck on Adams Street, in front of the Sandusky Library, around 1926. They may be promoting reading for a community event.

This  picture of Sandusky Library employees in the 1940s included notes that listed their names.

In the front row are: Marjorie Owings, Esther Moreland (Rowland), Barbara Pitcher, Mary Zeitzheim (Tone.)  In the back are: Susan Stoffler, Eleanor Millott, Mary McCann, Ruth Schaefer, and Jane Murschel Andersen.

Below, Miss Mary McCann, longtime director of the Sandusky Library, is checking out books in the library’s Bookmobile in the 1940s or 1950s.

Today Sandusky Library patrons are able to download ebooks, music, and access movies on a computer or mobile device, and the Sandusky Library’s Facebook team  posts pictures from library events on the Library’s Facebook page. Visit the home page of the Sandusky Library to learn more about our many services.