Otto Schimansky, Member of the Grand Army of the Republic

In 1890 Otto Schimansky (sometimes spelled Shimansky) was the General Manager of the D. J. Brown Manufacturing Co., a company which manufactured hoops for barrels.

He was born in Germany, and settled in Oak Harbor, Ohio. He served in the Third Ohio Cavalry during the Civil War. In 1884, the Schimansky family moved to Sandusky. Otto held several patents, including a patent for cutting hoops, planing hoops, and pointing hoops.

Otto Schimansky and his wife Elizabeth were married for fifty-seven years. They were the parents of Dr. C. A. Schimansky and O. K. Schimansky, former publisher of the Cleveland Leader and Times. Otto was a member of the McMeens Post of the G.A.R. (serving as Inspector General), the Perseverance Lodge, and the First Congregational Church. 

When he died in November of 1928,  his sons received a condolence telegraph from General G. M. Saltzgaber, past commander-in-chief of the G.A.R. It began with “My heart was filled with grief on learning of the death of your noble father. He served with me during the great Civil War in the Third Ohio Veteran Volunteer Cavalry. Under the great Lincoln he was one of those fine young Americans who endured suffering and gave his great strength to recement our glorious union…”

Otto Schimansky and his wife and sons are buried in the family plot in Oakland Cemetery.

Here is a photograph of the 24th Reunion of the Third Ohio Cavalry held at Cedar Point:

1938 Map of Sandusky created by Sandusky High School Art Students

Miss Marian Yocum's art students at Sandusky High School created a map of Sandusky in 1938. The student artists were: Warren Diebold, Velma Giusti, Mary Hazen, Anita Holland, Allen Kubach, Betty Kneisel, Martha Luscombe, Richard Morey, June Zeiher, George Neese, Richard Oswald, Jean Perry, Marilyn Renner, Yvonne Shimansky, John Shaw, Betty Till, and Joyce White.

In the Sandusky Bay portion of the map, students created drawings of fishermen, swimmers, and boats, including the G.A. Boeckling, which ferried hundreds of tourists to Cedar Point during the summer months. In 1938 the Erie County Fairgrounds and dog pound were located off Perkins Avenue, between Putnam and Camp Streets. The Catholic Cemeteries now known as St. Joseph and St. Mary's Cemeteries were called the Irish Catholic and German Catholic Cemeteries. Otto's Ice Cream was located at 2434 West Monroe Street. (In later years, Toft's sold ice cream at this location.) Businesses which employed many of our grandparents can be seen on the map, including Lyman Boats, Farrell Cheek, Esmond Dairy, Holland-Rieger (later known as Apex), Brightman Nut, Hinde and Dauch.

A drawing of a truck on which the letters CCC and an arrow appear, represented the freight business Cleveland, Columbus, & Cincinnati Highway Inc., on 1231 First Street. Maschari Brothers features a man with a fruit cart saying "Nicea de Banan" to let customers know that the bananas were fresh. The coal docks on the west side of Sandusky were associated with the Pennsylvania Railroad at this time. Bicycles, trains, trucks, cars, and campers are all found on the map. Directional signs show the way to Bay Bridge, the Blue Hole, and Cedar Point. Viewing the student map is like stepping back in time.

Allen Kubach went on to become an artist and an art instructor. Mr. Kubach taught drawing and painting at Kansas State in the 1940’s and taught and lectured at Northwestern University. Paintings by Allen Kubach can be seen at The Painting Affiliates of the Art Center of Northern New Jersey.

Visit the Archives Research Center of the Sandusky Library to view the map created by Miss Yocum’s art students.