History of Sandusky County, Ohio : with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens and pioneers, Part 66

Author: Everett, Homer, 1813-1887
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : H.Z. Williams
Number of Pages: 1040

USA > Ohio > Sandusky County > History of Sandusky County, Ohio : with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens and pioneers > Part 66

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Richard Sears opened a store on the corner of Front and Croghan streets shortly after dissolving with the Olmsteds. He made a fortune trading with the In- dians, and in 1827 sold out to Sardis Birchard and left for Buffalo. Mr. Bir- chard's long and successful business life is traced in a biography elsewhere in this volume. Like his predecessor, he had a large trade with the Indians.

The first pork was shipped from this place in 1820 by the Olmsteds, and was marketed at Montreal. It consisted of one hundred and fitty barrels. The cost here was two thousand dollars for the lot. The venture cost the firm considerable loss, but pork afterwards became an im- portant and profitable commodity of trade. The first wheat was shipped from here in 1830, by J. S. Olmsted, and consisted i

of a lot of six hundred bushels. Mr. Olmsted's first venture in wheat was little more successful than the pork speculation of ten years previous. Forty cents per bushel was paid at the warehouse here and sixty cents the price received in Buffalo. Transportation was then so high that the margin of twenty cents per bushel was con- sumed. But the trade in pork and wheat from 1830 to 1850 was enormous. Every day the streets were filled with teams of four and six horses drawing great wagons with high wheels, making it almost im- possible to pass through town. About 1840 staves were in general demand, and stave wagons with high racks crowded among the produce wagons, altogether presenting a bewildering spectacle of busy life and business activity. Those scenes will never be repeated in this country. A vast net-work of railroads gives to every community the means of rapid transporta- tion, and consequently a steady market for all productions. Lower Sandusky and Milan were the main produce mar- kets west of Cleveland. Both at the time were small villages. One is now a deserted town, the other a prosperous city, made prosperous chiefly by the good fortune of securing early railroad facilities.

The largest store (one for general mer- chandise of all descriptions,) that ever existed in Fremont, was started in 1846, by two enterprising merchants from Elyria, H. K. Kendall, and O. L. Nims. The former, the elder member of the firm, never resided here, the business being carried on by Mr. Nims, then a young man twenty-six years of age. Possess- ing remarkable business qualifications, an exemplary character, and a winning dispo- sition, he soon built up a trade that ex- tended around for a radius of fifty miles into the counties of Erie, Huron, WVyan- dot, Seneca, Hancock, Ottawa, Lucas and Wood. The building occupied by this

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firm was then owned by F. I. Norton. It was a frame structure of two stories in height, and faced on Front street. The salesroom covered the space now occupied by Rice's dry goods store and Strong's clothing establishment, being forty feet in width and extended back into the ware- house that was soon afterwards added. This warehouse, at right angles from the original main building, extended in the rear of the old Lesher bakery building and Betts' corner store, and opened on Croghan street. It was used for produce, wool, and pork. The largest number of clerks employed, and the largest number ever employed by a single mercantile firm in Fremont, was twenty-one. Mr. Kendall died a few years after starting in business, and Mr. Nims remained sole proprietor until 1853, when Henry Zeigler and C. B. King removed their stock of goods from Findlay, where they had been in business a short time, and entered into partnership with Nims, under the firm name of O. L. Nims & Co. In March, 1854, this store, known as "Headquarters," together with Lesher's bakery and Betts' store, was entirely destroyed by fire. Mr. Nims im- mediately purchased the ground on the northeast corner of Front and Croghan streets, and removing the shaky frame ten- ements that covered it, he erected the brick building now owned by F. S. White. In the corner store-room the old "Head- quarters" store was opened anew by Henry Zeigler, David Garvin, and Michael Zeig- ler, under the firm name of Zeigler, Gar- vin & Zeigler, in the fall of 1854. Michael Zeigler died the same autumn, and soon after C. B. King resumed a partnership interest, the style being C. B. King & Co. Several changes were made from that time on to 1866, the firm name being success- ively as follows: King, Zeigler & Co .; D. Garvin & Co . Clark & Zeigler: D. Garvin & Co. Under the latter style

Garvin and Zeigler continued partners until 1875. At that date Divid Wagner, of Ottawa, Ohio, purchased Garvin's inter- est, and until 1878 business was transacted under the style of Wagner & Zeigler, when the latter sold out and Wagner be- came sole owner. Besides those already mentioned, a number of others, at present business men of Fremont, were clerks in the old "Headquarters," that is, S. P. Meng, H. R. Shomo, William A. Rice, and Dan- iel Al:affer, who are mentioned under their respective business heads.

In 1847 David Betts, who had clerked for J. K. Glen for six or seven years, rented the room formerly occupied by his em- ployer on Shomo's corner, and moving in a stock of goods, continued doing business on that site until June 7, 1849, when the building was destroyed by fire. The fol- lowing month Mr. Betts purchased of Frederick Wilks, the corner lot now oc- cupied by the Dryfoos block, and refitting the old building, made a new start that fall. The large fire of March, 1854, that destroyed the headquarters establishment and Lesher's bakery also burned out Mr. Betts. He rebuilt the same year, and, with' D. W. Krebs as a partner, engaged again in business under the firm name of D. Betts & Co. In 1856 the stock was sold to Edgerton & Wilcox, who discontinued the year after, when D. Betts & Co. repur- chased the whole interest. The next change was made in 1862, by Mr. Betts, who sold his interest to Krebs, Sargent & Price. Krebs & Boardman were the suc- cessors a year after.

The dry goods store of William A. & C. F. Rice was started at its present site some time in the fifties by P. C. Dean. In 1859 Dean sold out to William A. Rice. Alfred Rice, who was a partner for several years, closed out his interest in 1877.

Condit Bros. was the firm title of the

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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY.

original proprietors of the dry goods es- tablishment of their present successors, William W. Brandt & Co. In 1867 Wil- liam Brandt went into business with the first company, the Co. being added. Brandt & Condit succeeded William W. Brandt, following as sole proprietor, and continuing as such until the present co- . partners were admitted.

The present extensive clothing-house of Dryfoos, Bro. & Bach, consisting of Isaac and S. Dryfoos and S. Bach, was started by Isaac & M. Dryfoos, in 1852, on Front street near the corner of Garrison street. After a few years they removed to a room in Birchard block, where they continued do- ing business till 1873, when the block, now partly occupied by them, was pur- chased, and the stock transferred to the corner sales-room. M. Dryfoos sold out his interest in 1880.

The merchant tailoring establishment of Philip Gottron and Charles Augustus, lo- cated on Croghan street, was started three years since. The firm name is Gottron & Augustus.

The first exclusive drug and book store, an offshoot from the general country store for dry goods, boots and shoes, drugs, hardware and jewelry, was started in a room of the old headquarters building on the present site of Lesher's grocery, in 1840, by C. G. McCulloch. In 1847 C. R. McCulloch succeeded his brother and two years after removed his stock to the site of the store room now occupied by him, where he was ever since remained in business. Stephen Buckland was a part- ner for a few years.

On the dissolution of the partnership of C. R. McCulloch & Stephen Buckland, the latter, in 1856, went into rival drug business in the room now occupied by him and his son, Ralph P. Buckland, jr. The firm, until 1859, was Wooster & Buckland, when Wooster retired, and

Buckland's sons entered into partnership with their father.

The Thomas & Grund drug house was established by Dr. E. Dillon. & Son in 1860. Lanman & Thomas purchased the business in 1868, and in 1872 Thomas, Grund & Long succeeded. On the death of the latter member of the firm some few years since, the title was changed to Thomas & Grund.

Dr. L. B. Myers entered into the drug business in this city in 1876. His son, Kelley Myers, was a partner during a portion of the time. Previous to the above date, Dr. Myers was engaged with Strausmeyer and Kelley in the grocery business on Front street.

The cigar and tobacco store of Charles Barth was started by his predecessor in the business, P. Poss, in 1856, who com- menced the manufacture and sale of ci- gars in a small frame building, where Bur- ley's restaurant now stands. No changes were made in the firm until 1877, when Mr. Poss removed to Chattanooga and the present proprietor took possession. The store was moved to where it now is, on the block being opened for occupancy.

Where White & Haynes' office now stands the shop of the first harness-maker for Fremont, H. R. Foster, was started. J. C. Montgomery succeeded him, and in 1845 John Kridle, became a partner. In 1847 James Kridler, the present leading harness dealer and manufacturer, pur- chased the interest of Montgomery, and with his brother continued in business under the firm name of J. & J. Kridler, in .the old frame building covering the land now occupied by the Thompson & Com- pany hardware store. When the frame structure was moved further south on the street they removed their business with it. Mr. McNeal was a partner for a few years. In 1859 James Kridler bought in all the interest. For five years he carried on his

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HISTORY OF SANDUSKY COUNTY

business in the low brick building former- ly occupied by the First National Bank, and then moved, in the early part of Sep tember, 1881, to the postoffice building.

In 1835, when the country closely sur- rounding the village of Lower Sandusky was still the veritable "howling wilder- ness " spoken of in the Indian and early settler romances, Edward Leppelman lo- cated in an old, yellow frame building that stood on the present site of Mrs. Heffer's block on Front street, and opened out a scanty stock of clocks, jew- elry and groceries. As a watch-maker he also repaired the stationary and portable time-pieces of the worthy villagers and backwoodsmen. Business in the three branches increased, and in the course of a few years he removed to a one-story frame structure, standing on the site of John Horn's grocerv. The next removal, was to the first frame building erected in Fremont, and occupied before the removal first as a hotel by Harrington, and imme- diately preceding Leppelman's advent by J. K. Glenn. Edward Leppelman here re- mained in the jewelry business until he was succeeded by his son, Lewis Leppel- man, the present proprietor. The old frame building was entirely destroyed by fire in February, 1857, and on a brick block being erected in its place, the busi- ness was resumed. It is now the largest jewelry house in the county ; business, both wholesale and retail, being carried on, and an organ and sewing machine store con- nected with the main salesroom.

The first regular hardware store started in Fremont was opened on the pike by George Camfield and James Mitchell in the year 1850. After several changes they removed to the store-room occupied by the present successors of the old firm. The first change in the firm was occasioned by the withdrawal of Mitchell, and Lewis Camfield taking his interest. Camfield,

Brother & Company succeeded this firm, and on the successive deaths of the two senior partners, George and Lewis Camfield, the company has changed to the title of Hedrick & Bristol (Fred Hed- rick and E. A. Bristol).

The corporation of Thompson & Co. hardware dealers, was formed in March, 1877, the being composed of Charles Thompson, John T. Thompson, John P. Bell, Robert Lucas, and Edward C. Gast. The original house, of which this firm has been the outgrowth, was started by Oliver Fusselman, on the east side of the river, in 1859. In 1860, Fusselman having in the mean time removed to the present location, Charles Thompson purchased the business, taking in as partners Orin England and John T. Thompson, in 1865. Charles A. Norton was a partner a few years. England and he retired in order, the latter in 1876.

Philip Dorr is the oldest of the boot and shoe merchants in Fremont. He commenced in 1841, on the east side of the river, and continued there a number of years, until he removed his stock and the tools of his trade to a store-room on the northeast corner of Front and Garri- son streets. The present store is on Front street, just south of the First National Bank. His sons, Fred, Lewis, and Henry, are partners.

In 1867 H. R. Shomo, immediately after the expiration of his term as post- master, opened a boot and shoe store and has continued in the business since that date, occupying for the last twelve years his present site.

The boot and shoe store owned and conducted by S. P. Meng, and now locat- ed on the northeast corner of Croghan and Front streets, was started in 1862, under the firm name of S. P. Meng & Co. A. Hoot was his partner until 1868. The original firm having dissolved, in

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1870 Mr. Meng again opened up a boot and shoe store under the style of Meng, Altaffer & Co. This continued for two years, when Mr. Meng bought out the en- tire interest.

A. Hoot, the early partner of S. P. Meng, is at this date engaged in the boot and shoe business in Buckland's new . block, on Front street.

Perry Close is the oldest representative grocer of the city, having followed that business entirely since 1850, when he commenced with a stock in the room at present occupied by John Horn. Mr. Close has had no partners, with the excep- tion of his son, Clarence Close, which partnership was dissolved a year ago. A glassware department is connected with the grocery proper.

Pork packing, as a regular business, was commenced by Andrew Morehouse, in 1846 or 1847. For a number of years he carried on the trade on the southeast cor- ner of Front and Garrison streets. He then removed to some buildings erected on Front street, near the railroad bridge, and continued there for ten or twelve years.

In 1859 Mr. A. Gusdorf entered into the pork packing business in the ware- houses where Rice & Co., and Strong are at present. Two years after he removed to the building still occupied by the firm, just north of the gas factory. The firm members are M. Gusdorf, A. Gusdorf, and S. M. Gusdorf, under the style of Gus- dorf Brothers.

Jacob Bauman is extensively engaged in the same business.

ARDENT SPIRITS.

The business of whiskey distillation, commenced at a very early date in Fre- mont, was entirely discontinued before the year 1838, and has never since been revived. The earliest distiller was William R. Coates, who came here from New Orleans, and about the year 1820

erected a great hewn-log building on the old Glenn farm, between the spring that still wells up there and the Edgerton prop- erty. He carried on quite an extensive distilling business, keeping two sets of hands at work, one for the day, and one for the night. The whiskey was barrelled and shipped by boats to eastern markets. It was not the pure, unadulterated article; the proprietor was intent on making money, and used a good deal of water to dilute, then drugs to strengthen the weakened extract. Coates, when he came here, was considered very well off finan- cially, and was coining money with the dis- tillery, but he became entangled in a series of lawsuits in relation to his mill property above Ballville, which consider- ably embarrassed him, and he at length discontinued distilling, and left the coun- try. Weed & Wilder afterwards occu- pied the vacated buildings, but after a few years the business ceased altogether, and the buildings were left to gradually rot and crumble away.

Ammi and Ezra Williams began op- erations in 1825, in a log building stand- ing where Ammi Williams, jr., now re- sides. Nothing now remains of the struc- ture or the apparatus of the still, the last vestige-a great, heavy, black-walnut trough, into which the still swill was poured-having been chopped for firewood only two years since. Ammi Williams, sr., died suddenly in 1826. In the following year Ezra Williams, having completed a building at the foot of the east side-hill on the south side of State street, moved his still therein, and continued operations.

The building was a substantial, un- painted frame one, of two stories in height. It was close to the foot of the hill, and afforded a fine basement in which the high-wines and whiskey were stored. The furnace and steam tubs were also below. On the main floor was

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located the mash tubs and worm, and the second story was used as a grain floor. This structure was afterwards torn down in 1839.

Ezra Williams was a very conscientious man. The whiskey he manufactured was absolutely pure, and although even preach- ers drank in those days, no cases of de- lirium tremens were ever known to result from even an over-load of this early-day liquor. The whiskey jug had its place with more necessary articles of consump- tion in the cabin of the settler, and at meal time helped set off the table. The Indians were great imbibers of " fire- water," and bought it at the distillery by the pint, quart or gallon. They were generally very much excited under its in- fluence, and Williams avoided selling to them as much as possible, this course being agreeable to the old chief, Hard Hickory, who was desirous to altogether prevent the sale to them.

The article manufactured was distilled from corn and rye-two thirds of the for- mer to one-third of the latter. Copper boilers were not used, but to render it better it was distilled by steam in air-tight wooden tubs or casks. Joseph Edwards was the head distiller, and under his ex- perienced management one bushel of grain produced from eleven to thirteen and one- half quarts of whiskey. From twelve to thirty-three bushels of grain was distilled per day, the distillery running generally all the year round, with from two to three men in attendance. In those days corn was worth fiom twenty-five to fifty cents per bushel, and rye from sixty to ninety cents. The whiskey retailed at from thirty- five to fifty cents per gallon, and from twenty-eight to forty cents per gallon by wholesale. It was of the color of purest spring water, and held a good bead for the length of a minute. Burnt sugar was the only foreign material used in its composi-

tion, and this was introduced to give it the rich, yellow color, indicative of mellow old age.

A tread-mill, to do the grinding, was connected with the establishment. Wil- liams also occupied himself with farming, and was necessarily a butcher, as he raised large numbers of hogs and kine on the refuse matter of the still.

It seems that the subject of temperance was little discussed, at least not openly, in those days, and no demonstrations of a crusade nature ever disturbed the serenity of these primitive distillers; but about 1830 a temperance society, known under the name of the Washingtonians, began to exert some influence in the county. Re- ligious revivals were held here in ensuing years, and with this movement the tem- perance organization grew stronger. In 1837 Ezra Williams joined the church, and the same year, deeming that spiritual and spirituous matters (in spite of the seeming paradox), could not consistently blend together, he, in keeping with his recent profession of faith, abandoned a pursuit which was opening to him a sure road to wealth.

The manufacture of whiskey was of con- siderable benefit, in a commercial light, to the county. It was the chief source of revenue to the farmers. Corn was then the principal production, and the rates of transportation were so high that any under- taking to convey it to the markets of the East assured financial failure on the part of the operator. The distillery acted as a medium. The corn was sold to the dis- tillers; the whiskey was exchanged for goods with the traders and merchants, and then easily shipped to the metropolis.

BREWING INTERESTS.

The first Fremont brewer was Sarius Young, who, in 1851, built a frame brew- ery on the east side of Ohio avenue, be- low the brow of the hill. In the fall of

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1853 Anthony Young went into partner- ship with him. One year later the original proprietor sold out his interest in the business to Lawrence Romer, who con- tinued with A. Young until the spring of 1855, when the latter sold out. During 1856 and a portion of 1857, the Youngs, who still owned the building and property, rented it to Charles F. Giesin and C. Doncyson. After the withdrawal of the latter firm, Fred Iler purchased the prop- erty, who, after continuing brewing for a few years, sold it to John Paulus, who built the present brick building. For several years it has not been in operation, and at a sheriff's sale some time since, it was purchased by the Fremont Brewing Company.

In 1857, Charles Giesin purchased the old packing-house below the gas works, and fitted it into a brewery. A few years after he sold the building to the Gusdorf Brothers, and in 1862 he built the brick brewery now occupied by the Fremont Brewing Company. In 1876 he sold out to Felix Stienley, William Mefort, Frank Hiem, Joseph Stuber, and Barney Casper. Mr. Casper has since died. The com- pany is known under the style of the Fremont Brewing Company. They are making many improvements, and doing a considerable business.

THE LIVERY BUSINESS.

The first livery stable in the village was opened by David W. Gould in 1842. The primitive stables of this first proprietor were located on Water street close to the bank of the river, and at the foot of the alley between Croghan and Garrison streets. In 1847 Mr. Gould removed his horses, carriages, and provender to a frame building on the site of the brick building now occupied by Charles Close. Three years after he commenced carrying the mail between Toledo and Cleveland, and, using his stock for that purpose, he

was obliged to discontinue the livery busi- ness. In the old stables vacated in 1847 by William Gould, Ira Smith and Henry Sweet carried on the livery and horse- trading business for a number of years. About this time Reuben Wood kept a rival establishment on Arch street, below the old Dickinson property that faces on the pike.

The most prominent livery proprietor of Fremont is Timothy H. Bush, who came to this city in 1840. In 1855 he purchased John Pitman's entire interest in the business, at that time located on the river bank and facing on Front street, below the former Kessler House. William Bush became a partner in 1862. The death of the latter occurred six or seven years later, and Daniel Bunnell was taken in as an equal partner, under the firm name of Bush & Bunnell. Their business was carried on in the original stables until in 1875, when they removed to the brick building in the rear of the former Cooper House. These stables were built for the livery business in 1855, by Charles W. Moore, and run by him until his death, when Frank Gurney carried on the busi- ness in connection with his hotel. Charles Close purchased Bush & Bunnell's inter- est in 1879 and has continued there since. Mr. Bush is the only extensive horse dealer in the county, and also the only one who has made a comfortable fortune in that line.

Besides Close's the present stables are : Doncyson's, located on State street, near the bridge, and Bunnell's, in the rear of the Ball House. Dr. G. O'Harlan is the proprietor of the Fremont hack line.

MANUFACTURING.

The manufacturing interests of this city, as well as that of the county, like those of all other communities in a new and unsettled country, commenced with the erection of grist-mills and saw-mills

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on the banks of the streams. These mills, necessary to supply food first, and then convenient shelter, were, very natur- ally, succeeded by the factories for the making of cloths, then by the foundries for manufacturing articles needed in an agricultural section of country, and so on, as the increase of population and variety of pursuits gave rise to different and more varied wants, or the peculiar situation and facilities for a certain branch of man- ufacturing induced enterprising men to engage in it.

In 1818, the same year that the Olm- steds brought on their large stock of mer- chandise and erected their frame store- house, Thomas L. Hawkins and Thomas E. Boswell, full of the spirit of the early pioneers, and with an eye to business, dug the race that at the present day runs the water flouring-mill, built the dam, and erected, where the mill now stands, a diminutive, well ventilated grist-mill, which in every way merited the appellation of a primitive "corn-cracker." Here came the settlers for miles around, and patiently waited from sunrise till evening twilight for the slow-running mill-stones to empty the hopper and grind out their bushel of meal. In the course of time Boswell sold out to Elisha W. Howland. Here, as it is told in a happy manner by the oldest inhabitants, Howland, who was a cabinet- maker and joiner, a man of good humor and made the best of all things, manufactured coffins, and often of evenings, with boon companions, played cards on these last re- ceptacles for the dead. Some ghastly pic- tures might well be drawn with graphic pencil, either of artist or writer, of the rude interior of a primitive mill. A work- bench in one corner, the rafters overhead, the rough, white-coated mill-stones, all lighted up by a flickering, unsnuffed can- dle, and the light of this candle flaming in the faces of a group of good natured

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History of Sandusky County, Ohio : with portraits and biographies of prominent citizens and pioneers, Part 66

Author: Everett, Homer, 1813-1887 Publication date: 1882 Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : H.Z. Williams Number of Pages: 1040

Author: Everett, Homer, 1813-1887
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio : H.Z. Williams
Number of Pages: 1040