B.P. Sexton Company

Idlewood Rye was just one of the products that was carried by the B.P. Sexton Company in Sandusky, Ohio. The company was incorporated in November of 1898, and was dissolved in 1920. Signers of the Articles of Incorporation were: J.C. Scheufler, C.L. Wagner, C.C. Bittner, Fred Beier, and George W. Zimmerman. The purpose of the company was buying, selling, and dealing in foreign and domestic beers, wines and liquors…and all other kinds of delicacies. The business was at 530 Market Street, near Wayne Street.

The namesake of the company, Burton P. Sexton was born in Catawba Island, Ottawa County, Ohio in 1866, to Mr. and Mrs. Philander Sexton. He married Viola Wolfe in 1890, and they had a son and three daughters. He was a superintendent at the American Crayon Company when his company was founded.

 Another brand the company distributed was Atmore Rye.

An advertisement in the April 10, 1916 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal said about Atmore Rye whiskey, “It is just like anything else – if you use it to excess, it’s harmful – used properly it’s beneficial.” A pint of Atmore Rye whiskey sold for 25 cents at local taverns (equivalent to about $6.37 today).

A third brand from Sexton was Cream of Kentucky whiskey. The slogan was “Next time you take a trip, put a bottle in your grip.”

In February of 1919, President Wilson passed a revenue bill which greatly increased taxes on liquor. At that time, the B.P. Sexton Company decided to halt liquor sales. By January of 1920, Prohibition was enacted in the United States with the passage of the Volstead Act. In 1921, Burton P. Sexton moved his family to England. He passed away in Bedforshire, England on February 15, 1931. His obituary appeared in the Sandusky Star Journal of February 19, 1931.

Homecoming Parade for Veterans of the Spanish American War

On May 26, 1899 a special train brought the soldiers of Company B, Sixth Ohio Infantry, from Cincinnati to the Big Four Station in Sandusky, Ohio. According to the Sandusky Register of May 25, 1899, the men who served in the Spanish-American War left on April 26, 1898 as “soldiers of the state” and they returned on May 26 as citizens. The front page article in the Register stated that “Welcome Company B” was the heartfelt expression of every patriotic citizen of Sandusky. Flags and red, white and blue bunting decorated homes and businesses all over Sandusky. 

A parade was held to honor the homecoming of Company B on May 26. Crowds of people gathered  at the train depot to meet the soldiers, who soon were lined up by Captain Charles E. Stroud. The Register account of the homecoming indicated that the scene was a spectacle “never to be forgotten.”  Hats were flying in the air, and cheers and yells added to the ringing of church bells. The parade proceeded from Columbus Avenue to Monroe Park. Several men on horses and horse drawn vehicles took part in the parade.

A group of marchers in formation held swords aloft.

In the 200 block of Columbus Avenue, spectators watched the parade from the second and third floors of downtown businesses.

The Great Western Band, the Sandusky Brass Band, the Soldiers’ Home Band, and a drum corps made up of employees of the Standard Wheel Company all participated in the parade, along with several lodges, veterans’ organizations, and a platoon of policemen. Mayor Christian Zimmerman welcomed the crowds at Monroe Park, where Major E.B. King spoke on behalf of the citizens’ committee. Professor Luse of the Sandusky City Schools arranged for a vocal chorus of 1,000 voices to sing patriotic songs. 

It is estimated that 15,000 people gathered at the park. A reception and banquet was held at the West House for the returning soldiers on Monday, May 29.  Details about the homecoming of Company B, Ohio Sixth Infantry, can be read in the May 26-May 30, 1899 issues of the Sandusky Register, now on microfilm at the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center.

Basketball Team Pictures from the Sandusky Business College

Sandusky photographer W.A. Bishop took two pictures of the Sandusky Business College basketball of 1913-14. The varsity team is pictured above and the junior varsity is below.

               

Several individuals have been identified in the team picture of the 1920-21 Sandusky Business College basketball team. Seated in the front are: Willard Grathwol, Fred Meinzer and Art Wintersteller. The second individual in the back row is W.O. Loudenslagel, president of the college at that time. Mr. Loudenslagel was once a student at Sandusky Business College, and later became an instructor.  In 1918, he purchased the college, and he served as president until it ceased operations in 1949. Harry Miller is also in the back row, but it is not known which of the other three men he is. 

Below is the 1928 basketball team. Though none of the students have been identified in this picture, President Loudenslagel is the man in the suit and tie at the far left.

        

We have one photo of the women’s basketball team from the 1922-23 season in our collection; none of the women are identified, however.

         

There are several names written on the back of the original photograph of the 1930-31 men’s basketball team of the Sandusky Business College. The team players were: Paul Scheid, Edward Hinde, Duane Rogers, Burrell Braver, Charles Zimmerman, Robert Smith, Abe Grathwol, Ralph Rhodes, James Kelley, Robert Holzmiller, and William Bluhm.  W.O. Loudenslagel is at the far left of the picture.

    

Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to learn more about the people and businesses who have made Sandusky and Erie County home.

When the Auditor’s Office Issued Bicycle Licenses

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, bicycle licenses were issued in Ohio, to provide funds for the construction and repair of bicycle paths. This blank bicycle license was issued by the Erie County Auditor’s Office for the fee of one dollar (about $30 in today's money). In the late nineteenth century, bicycles became popular for both transportation and recreational purposes. 

Below is a picture of a young man named Lloyd Gaa, standing with a penny-farthing bicycle at the Lloyd Studio in Sandusky in 1882.

We are unsure if the bicycle in front of the Beilstein Laundry belonged to an employee or a customer.

These young men are getting ready for a local bicycle race in 1919:

         

Here is a copy of the Bicycle Laws that were passed by the General Assembly of the State of Ohio on April 21, 1898:

And if you want to know about today's bicycling rules, follow the link for a column from the Ohio Bar Association that discusses current guidelines about the Law of Riding a Bicycle in Ohio.

East Side of Columbus Avenue in the Early Twentieth Century

The picture above shows the east side of Columbus Avenue between Washington Row and Market Street in the first decade of the twentieth century. At the southeast corner of Columbus and Market is the Mayer Lebensburger Company, which sold men’s clothing and hats. The overcoat department was on the upper level of the store. John A. Giedeman’s shoe and boot store was next to Lebensburger's. Mr. Giedeman had a shoe store in Sandusky for several years, with a variety of locations and business partners. The bookseller S.T. Lemley took over the bookstore that was formerly owned by Mr. Huntington. S.T. Lemley sold books and stationery, and offered a picture framing service.  According to the 1908 Sandusky City Directory, Amelia Homegardner and Helen Zimmerman sold art and needlework supplies at the A. Zimmerman & Company. S.D. Arvanite was a manufacturer and jobber of confectionery and ice cream in the building just north of the Kingsbury Block. Oliver Marble, architect, had his office in the upper level a storefront on Columbus Avenue, and so did two dentists, J.E. Herman and H.S. Rogers. In the Kingsbury Block, Doctors D.D. Smith and J.K. Douglass also had busy dental offices. The Kingsbury Block was located at the northeast corner of Columbus Avenue and Washington Row from 1894 until the early 1920s. We do not know positively what band is playing in the parade down Columbus Avenue. At the time this photograph was taken, the streetcar was a popular mode of transportation, but area residents still used the horse and buggy as well.

Visit the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center to view this and several thousand more vintage photographs of Sandusky and Erie County.