HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY - 224 (RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE) CHAPTER XVII COMMERCE OF SANDUSKY The Clarion of March 5, 1827, contained a detailed review of the commerce of Sandusky from the issue of the first number of that paper in April, 1822, to the former date. From that, it appeared that tee number of lake arrivals each year was as follows: 1822, 178; 1823, 190; 1824, 254 ; 1825, 286; 1826, 355. The latter were from the following named ports: Detroit, 150; Buffalo, 131; Black Rock, 40; Cleveland, 13; Maumee, 6; Erie, 3; Canada, 2; Michilimackinac (Mackinac), 2; Green Bay, 1; Ashtabula, 1. Of the arrivals, 168 were of steamboats (the Chippewa, Henry Clay, Superior, Enterprise, Pioneer, Niagara, and William Penn) ; and 178 of schooners. The shortest season was that of 1823—from March 31st to December 13th; and the longest, 1824from January 1st to December 29th—the bay being closed for two days only. In 1833 the boats that ran on Lake Erie were The Sandusky, Bunker Hill, Milwaukee, Chesapeake, America and Indiana. The Clarion of December 8, 1846, states that 60,000 bushels of wheat a week are shipped from Sandusky to Buffalo and Oswego. On October 30, 1850, 111,644 bushels of wheat were shipped from Sandusky. On November 10, 1851, the Register states that to November 1st, 2,017,548 bushels of wheat and 558,016 bushels of corn were shipped from Sandusky. On April 5, 1854, the Register states sturgeon are caught so plentifully that they could not be sold. As late as October 1, 1877, Linkenbach & Company caught a sturgeon weighing 125 pounds. THE HARBOR From the earliest days of lake navigation) Sandusky harbor has been considered the best on the chain of lakes. Practically landlocked, it offers a safe haven in time of storm and gives anchorage room for more vessels than any other harbor on the inland seas. In the early days of navigation, long before the age of steam 'vessels, this was the objective point of all vessels that sailed the lakes. From the upper lakes lumber and other products were brought down. From Sandusky, Venice and Milan were shipped in all directions tke wheat and corn grown on the fertile farms of interior Ohio. From the waters of the lake came the myriads of fish caught by hardy fishermen and to the north and west went the products of the coal mines of Central Ohio. Passenger packets from Buffalo landed thousands of immigrants in Sandusky to find homes in the new country. Vol. 1-15 226 - HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY With the advent of steam vessels of deepl draught, came a period when lake traffic fell off, as the harbor was too shallow to accommodate the larger vessels. But, through the efforts of the people of Sandusky and their representatives in Congress, wide and deep channels have been dug so that now the largest vessels on the lakes can not only enter and leave the harbor, but have plenty of room within the channel. The main channel, leading in from the lake, is 400 feet wide and 21 feet deep. At its junction with ,a lateral channel passing along the water front of the city, is a deep basin in which vessels can anchor or turn without danger. The lateral channel is 21 feet deep and 300 feet wide and gives access to all of the docks of the city's front. While traffic has not yet reached its maximum, the benefit of the new channel A shown by the constantly increased tonnage of vessels entering and clearing from this port. At one dock alone-the South Shore Dock Company's—the tonnage outbound increased from 253,237 in 1906 to 1,753,893 in 1911, and shipments thus far this year indicate that the 2,000,000 mark will be passed before navigation closes. Outbound shipments are mostly coal, while sand ,and lumber come in. Ten years ago the customs office of this port was operated at a loss to the Government and was maintained only because of the large enrollment of vessels in the district and the necessity for entering Canadian products, mainly not dutiable. Now it handles imports which bring its receipts far in excess of its expenses. During the fiscal year ended June 30, 1912, 1,166 vessels entered Sandusky from foreign ports and 1,590 from domestic ports. Clearances for foreign ports totaled 1,257 vessels and for domestic ports, 1,497 vessels. The value of the port's exports to Canada, mostly coal, was $1,434,009. Imports were received from Italy, Spain, France, Germany, England and Canada, and the entries of merchandise free and dutiable, were 713 in number. Both the importing and exporting business of the port have shown a steady growth for some years past and there is every reason to believe that before many years at the present growth, Sandusky will have reclaimed her old-time importance as a lake port. The establishment of new industries will contribute much toward that end. In 1853 W. W. Wetherell & Co. built large numbers of railroad cars for roads. On May 30, 1853, the Register notes their building two cars for the C., H. & D. Railroad Company. At one order they built fifty passenger cars for one road. They failed in the '60s because the Illinois Central owed them over $200,000 and the road went into insolvency. Their plant was the corner of Fulton and Washington streets. At the same time and for many years' later the firm of Thorpe, Norcross & Thorpe used as a furniture factory the building now used as a post- office annex. In 1865 Gregg, Ockoback & Co. operated a wood factory in Sandusky. They had a main building 300 feet long by 80 feet wide and two stories high with painthouse and storehouses in addition. Besides making HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY - 227 wheels and various kinds of woodwork, they were engaged in manufacturing a sulky hay rake of J. Hollingsworth & Co. for which they were then filling an order for 1,000 to be sold at $60 apiece. They then employed over 100 hands. Their plant covered four acres of ground. In the season of 1907, 1,500,000 tons of coal were shipped from two docks at Sandusky. On August 31, 1912, the Register stets 200,000 tons of sand and 5,000 of fish had been shipped that season from Sandusky. On July 1, 1913, Sandusky becomes a sub-port and Charles P. Caldwell is placed in charge. MODERN TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES Sandusky's transportation facilities consist of five trunk line steam railroads, one electric line and by vessels to all points on the Great Lakes. Of the five railroads, Sandusky is the terminal of four, and furnishes direct and quick transit to all points east, west and south. Freight loaded in Sandusky on Monday, is delivered to consignee on, Tuesday as far east as Cleveland, as far west as Toledo and south to Columbus. "Next day" deliveries are also made to Newark, Alliance, Lima and Dayton and intermediate points. Second day deliveries are made at Buffalo, Pittsburg, Chicago, Detroit, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Portsmouth and Wheeling. All five railroads have modern facilities for handling shipments, whether in carload lots or less and the rates are as favorable as at any point in this territory. The Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway is the great east and west highway passing through Sandusky. It handles very much of the city's traffic and its service is prompt and efficient. The Lake Erie and Western, now a part of the New York Central system, has its northern terminus at Sandusky and brings to the city much of the grain and farm products of the rich agricultural country through which it passes between Sandusky and Bloomington, Illinois. Its traffic is handled at the offices and warehouses of the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern. The Baltimore and Ohio makes Sandusky one of its leading lake terminals. The line entering the city was formerly thee Sandusky, Mansfield and Newark Railway, the second oldest railway in Ohio and extends south to Newark, but meets the two main lines crossing Ohio at Chicago Junction, where close passenger and freight connections are made, The Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis enters Sandusky over the tracks of the first railway line built in Ohio. Originally it was the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad and extended from Sandusky to Springfield. This line is now the lake division of the system and passenger and freight connections are made with other parts of the system at Bellefontaine, Springfield, Dayton and Cincinnati. Good passenger and freight service is given and the road does a heavy business in and out of Sandusky. 228 - HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY The Pennsylvania enters Sandusky over the tracks of what was originally the Sandusky and Columbus Short Line. It operates as one division between Sandusky and Columbus and makes connections with its other lines at Carrothers, Bucyrus and Columbus, giving quick service over all of the lines of the system. Over this line the Pennsylvania and. Norfolk and Western railroads transport the bulk of the coal destined to upper lake ports and the traffic during the navigation season is very heavy, aggregating about 2,000,000 tons. In connection with the Pennsylvania, the South Shore Dock Company operates the docks at the west end of the harbor over which the coal is handled. The largest vessels of the lakes are loaded at these terminals at the rate of 1,000 tons per hour, and during the season, often three large vessels are loaded daily. Passenger traffic service, including express shipments, is exceptionally favorable to the traveler and to business. Frequent and well equipped trains are operated on all of the steam lines entering the city, while the Lake Shore Electric Railway operates a car every hour, each way, to points reached by its lines and fast limited trains every two hours. Except the Twentieth Century Limited, all through trains on the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern stop at Sandusky. The schedules are so arranged that the passenger can leave for either the East or West at almost any time of the day he finds most convenient. In all, seventeen passenger trains stop at Sandusky every day—eight eastbound and nine westbound. The Lake Erie and Western runs four passenger trains daily and in the summer season this is usually increased to six. The Baltimore and Ohio, Pennsylvania and Big Four operate three trains each way daily. In addition to these regular trains all of the roads run numerous special excursion trains in the summer season, bringing over 800 people to the city to enjoy the summer resorts, to which Sandusky is the gateway. Steamers ply daily between Sandusky, Put-in-Bay, Lakeside, Detroit and Cleveland. The service on these lines is fast and of high character and the boats are usually crowded with excursionists and pleasure seekers during the summer months. The Lake Shore Electric Railway has two lines into Sandusky— the main line between Cleveland and Toledo and the Sandusky-Norwalk branch. On the former, a car leaves in each direction every hour. Every other hour is a limited car which stops only at important stations and lands the Sandusky traveler in Cleveland in a trifle over two hours and in Toledo in a little less than that time. The cars are roomy and comfortable and the service first class. A car leaves every hour and a half on the Sandusky-Norwalk line, except in the summer season when an hourly schedule is maintained. Connection is made at Norwalk with the southern branch of the Lake Shore Electric and with cars through to Shelby and Mansfield. HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY - 229 MADE IN SANDUSKY These articles are made in Sandusky and sent all over the world : Auto trucks, auto axles, auto motors, auto transmissions, auto wheels, aeronautic motors, air compressors, baskets, bitters, boilers, bolsters, brass castings, brick, building tile, buggies, barrels, billiard chalk, blinds, carriages, carriage' wheels, cigar boxes, corrugated bottle wrappers, corrugated paper boxes, corrugated paper bolsters, candy, cement, cement blocks, cider, crayons, chalks, champagne, dray wheels, doors, engine mufflers, friction clutches, frictionless ball bearings, frictionless roller bearings, fish barrels, fire escapes, fish oil, farm motors, fertilizers, gas engines, gasoline engines, glass, glass blowing machines, gloves and mittens, grape juice, hollow tile, hydraulic machinery, inner casing for auto tires, iron castings, iron fences, ice tools, jail cells, kraut barrels, lime, machinery bearings, marine motors, nuts and bolts, ornamental iron work, oil engines, proprietary medicines, power boats, paints, paper mill machinery, pulleys, paper boxes, pumps, planes, row boats, school crayons, sashes, screens, skirts, soap, steel castings, truck wheels, tailors' chalk, thread cutting machines, underwear, vises, wagons, wagon wheels, wines, wine machinery, wine casks, wood working machinery, wooden boxes, window glass, washing machines. INDUSTRIAL SANDUSKY When the up-to-date native of the Island of Java now takes his dusky sweetheart out for a boat ride, in these advanced days, he uses a motor boat, and the chances are that the motor which propels the little vessel through the tropic waters was constructed in Sandusky. Marine motors are being shipped from Sandusky factories to Java, China, South Africa and other far away parts of the world. Other Sandusky products have an equally wide distribution. The merchant tailor of Cape Town uses chalk made in Sandusky to mark his goods for cutting. The traveler on Australian-New Zealand steamers, growing thirsty, finds his favorite vintage packed in corrugated paper wrappers made in Sandusky. The traveler in Japan and China sees Sandusky made engines doing many kinds of work and the automobilist touring Europe, if he looks closely, will likely find that some important part of his machine has been made in Sandusky. Sandusky boxes, Sandusky carpenters' and farmers' tools, Sandusky barrels, Sandusky washing machines, Sandusky roller bearings, large and small, will be found all over the United States and in many foreign lands. No claim is made that Sandusky is a great manufacturing center compared with cities where the steel industry has gaineda strong foothold, but neither is Sandusky a "dead" city, industrially speaking. The products of its factories are noted everywhere for their high quality and every concern is doing a good, substantial business. A personal canvass during the past few weeks of a large majority of the manufacturing plants of the city revealed the fact that nearly all are 230 - HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY running to their capacity, while some are overcrowded with orders. There were few complaints of dull business, and these cane only from concerns whose products are out of season at this time of the year. The newer industries and plants located largely through the efforts of the Business Men's Association, without exception, report growing business, and the prospects are bright for steadily increasing business, and already plans are being put into operation to run these concerns to their full capacity in anticipation of increased demands for their products. Our older and well established plants report business steadily increasing and the outlook good. One healthy indication in the local industrial field is the effort to bring here concerns for whose product there is a demand the year around, and older concerns, formerly making products for which the demand varied with the seasons, are taking on new lines to insure a steady business all the year, so that men may be assured of regular employment. This tendency is noticeable in all lines of manufacture and its influence has already been felt among our wage workers. There is room in Sandusky, however, for more factories. Sites, suitable for either large or small concerns, are to be had for the asking, provided the concern is of good standing, and our transportation facilities are not excelled by any city in Ohio. There is room, especially, for such industries as can utilize the products of existing concerns which are developing the natural resources of this territory. Any concern that can manufacture a marketable product using cement, stone, lime, sand or gypsum will find it especially advantageous to locate .here.„ It is believed in some quarters that a factory that could utilize the immense fruit crop of this territory would do well. Other natural resources are capable of development and there are hundreds of good opportunities for enterprising men who have the ability, with moderate capital, to grasp them. While labor is now well employed, Sandusky has always been remarkably free from labor troubles and strikes. Employers and employes keep on good terms, one with another, apd there is every reason to believe this wholesome state of affairs will continue indefinitely. In compiling the statistics which form a part of this article, no account has been taken of the wine, stone, fish, cement, sand and ice industries, for the reason that each of these, based upon some natural resource, forms the subject of separate articles which appear in other parts of this issue. The figures do, however, cover as accurately as possible all industries making products of iron and steel, textiles, wood and paper, together with the glass industry as now constituted, but not including the new factories which are soon to be in operation. In these industries, forty-seven in number, there is employed $4,449,500 of capital. They give employment to an average of 2,488 people and there is annually paid out for labor-not including office and executive payrolls—$1,261,900. The number of people employed and the aggregate pay includes both male and female and those classed as skilled and unskilled. It was HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY - 231 found impossible to separate the figures as to these classes. It may be said, however, that skilled workmen in Sandusky are able to command from $3 to $5 per day, and common labor is as well paid as in the larger cities of the neighborhood, while the wages of women workers, as a rule, are better than in the larger cities. THE BREWERIES There is no man more familiar with the brewing business in this city than John G. Strobel, with the exception that he does not remember the building where the Phoenix Brewery of C. S. Higgins, as first advertised by the Clarion,, to have been located April 24, 1851, on lot 1, Water Street. The following statement is by him : "The first brewery in the city was the Phoenix brewery, which is now used by John G. Dorn as a wine cellar. The next brewery was the brewery of Winson & Fox which was established in 1849 at the foot of Harrison street and later became Ilg's brewery until 1864 when it was conducted by Sorgel, Dorn & Raible until 1871 when it was purchased by Strobel and Ilg, and later by Ilg & Co. who conducted it until it ceased business in the 80's." The directory of 1873 shows George Baier conducting a brewery on the south side of Jefferson Street, between Putnam and Harrison. This was a small brewery which later ceased doing business. At this time Winson & Fox conducted the Bay City Brewery, where Frank Stang later conducted a brewery. Kuebeler & Co. then conducted a brewery at the same location as at present. The directory of 1874 mentions Nicholas Wagner as having a brewery, but who he was or where the brewery was located is not known at present. On March 8, 1896, the Kuebeler and Stang breweries consolidated as the Kuebeler-Stang Brewing Co. On January 1, 1898, the KuebelerStang Brewing Co. became part of the Cleveland & Sandusky Brewing Co., and both of the breweries are still operated by the Cleveland & Sandusky Brewing Co. under the management of John Stang as the local vice president. On January 1, 1883, the Register states that there were at that time 321 saloons in the county and 244 in the city, which, with 16,000 population, gave a saloon to every sixty-five of the population. There has been for many years a small brewery at Milan, originally conducted by John Scholl.. In 1914 the Joseph Herb Brewing Co. was organized. FISHING INDUSTRY From its earliest beginnings, Sandusky has been the center of the fresh water fish supply of the country. It has been the largest and most important source of this necessity of life. For many years fishing was regarded as the city's principal industry and the product of the nets spread in every direction from this port was 232 - HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY shipped to all parts of the country. With the development of the supply in other fresh waters, through artificial propagation, the market territory for the Sandusky caught product has necessarily been somewhat restricted, but the quantity caught in these waters and shipped out from Sandusky has diminished comparatively little. Lake Erie whitefish, pickerel, herring, perch and catfish have long been regarded as choice delicacies everywhere and the demand for them, particularly in the eastern states, is as heavy as ever. The greater part of these fish are caught in the vicinity of and marketed from this city, where five companies do a prosperous business. Last year over 10,000,000 pounds of these fish were shipped from Sandusky alone, going to all parts of the East and Middle West. It is not easy to say to how many people the industry gives employment. The five companies operating here employ constantly nearly 200 men, nearly all of whom live in Sandusky. But there are many others who own and operate their own nets and do their own lifting and carrying to port, who sell their catches to these companies. The number of men and boats so engaged varies so much from time to time that any figures would be misleading. In addition to the fish brought directly into this port, those taken at Vermilion, Huron, Port Clinton and other neighboring ports are largely distributed from here, the orders passing through our local offices. Some ten years ago, for a series of years, catches were very light and it was feared by many that Lake Erie had been. "fished out." But since then the supply has increased and the business has again become one of the most important of our local industries. Some of the species of fish, formerly caught plentifully, have almost disappeared, but the supply of the best varieties— whitefish, pickerel, herring and perch— seems to be growing greater from year to year. This is attributed, in large part, to artificial propagation at the Put-in-Bay hatchery, which annually hatches out billions of these fish, and when they have grown to suitable size, places them into the water of the lake. Sanduskians are benefited by the plentitude of fish by the fact that the retail price here is much lower than anywhere else and the supply comes to the tables of the people in much fresher condition than is possible elsewhere. This latter is not so great an advantage as it was at one time, for the modern methods of packing and storage and the quick transportation facilities of these days enable shippers to deliver their product to distant points within a day or two from the time of lifting the nets. Within the past few years the once despised carp has grown much in favor, both with the public and with fishermen. Up to about ten years ago this species was regarded as a nuisance and a destroyer of other and more profitable grades of fish. For some years they were caught in great numbers and destroyed, or sold for fertilizer. Markets were found for them, however, and now there is a demand which sometimes exceeds the supply. They are sold mostly in eastern cities, but people in this section are becoming accustomed to using them and they HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY - 233 are growing in favor where the finer kinds of fish are available. A considerable number of fishermen devote their efforts exclusively to this species and find it highly profitable. Like all other lines of business the fishing industry has become systematized within the past few years. The old-time free and easy methods of buying and selling have given way to modern methods, with the result that there is a much steadier supply. SAND INDUSTRY Sandusky furnishes building sand for the greater part of Ohio and a considerable part of other nearby states. The sand of Lake Erie, particularly that found in the neighborhood of Pelee Island, is of superior quality and is much in demand. Four companies, operating six large sand-suckers, are engaged in the business and about 200,000 tons of the material is shipped out annually. The business gives employment to sixty-six people and during the summer season is very active. Lake sand is used almost entirely now in building operations, though about 10,000 tons annually go to railroads and electric lines for use on engines and cars. The sand so used is of a specially fine grade and brings a better price than that used for building purposes. By the 1915 directory the City of Sandusky has 28 attorneys, 13 bakeries, 35 barber shops, 2 breweries, 56 building contractors, 13 cigar factories, 23 churches, 16 dentists, 14 drug stores, 22 dry goods stores, 8 wholesale fish dealers, 4 foundries, 76 groceries, 11 hardware stores, 13 hotels, 33 factories, 24 doctors, 2 hospitals, 4 undertakers, 4 newspapers, 8 theaters and 45 saloons.