HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY - 317 (RETURN TO THE TITLE PAGE) CHAPTER XXVII NOTABLE ORGANIZATIONS THE FIRST CHILDREN'S HOME By Mrs. Mary E. Buyer To the residents of our beautiful city the memories of 1849 have ever been those of a time of terrible sorrow, desolation and death, when hundreds of our citizens were swept from the earth almost without warning by that dread disease cholera, when many fled to save themselves, almost without a thought of those left behind, when ties of blood and friendship were broken in the mad race for life, and many who thought s themselves a necessity to the happiness of others realized their mistake when stranger hands, guided by charitable hearts, cared for their stricken bodies, wrapped their dead in winding sheets and gave them Christian burial. Noble Sandusky men and women of 1849, one-half of whose charity has never been told and which God alone can ever repay. The one great charity of which the writer of this sketch has never heard mention in later years, and in which all ought to feel an interest, was the home provided for hundreds of children bereft of their natural protectors, without the necessaries of life or means to prepare them ; families of little ones waiting in vain for mothers to attend to their daily wants, watching for fathers who returned no more. Their cry for help pierced the hearts and roused from their apathy our stricken people, and noble men and women responded with hearts filled with love and sympathy for God's little ones. Father Machebeuf, first pastor of Holy Angels' Church, afterwards bishop of Denver, Colorado, lost no time waiting for someone else to move in the matter, asked for and secured the use of a large, roomy, old homestead, still in a state of good preservation, lying southwest of Holy Angels' Church, then occupied by Doctor Akin, who opened wide its doors, reserving the use of only one room in which to store his books and personal effects. Soon beds and bedding, children's clothing of every kind and size were provided, food sent from our neighboring cities, Cleveland, Buffalo, and through the agency of Father Machebeuf a motherly French lady named Catherine Bissonette, from La Prairie, Sandusky County, gladly answered the summons to become matron of our first children's home, a home indeed for the little ones sadly in need of a mother's care. It is needless to say there was no distinction of creed or color, and well did this noble matron, assisted by many generous-hearted Sandusky 318 - HISTORY OE ERIE COUNTY women, who gave their services night and day to help along this work of love and mercy, hushing to rest the wailing infant or soothing to quiet the hysterical weeping of the older ones who were beginning to understand the great loss they had sustained, doing everything prompted by motherly hearts until, after many weeks, when all danger was past, relatives or friends came to claim their own. Orphan asylums in other cities opened their sheltering arms to receive the "unidentified," or everybody's children, and the doors of Sandusky's first children's home were closed; its work was done. This sketch would be incomplete without mentioning a strange dispensation. Catherine Bissonette, or "Miss Catherine," the orphans' mother in 1849, afterwards became Sister Ursula, the first mother superior of the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, whose daughters in religion, Sister George and her zealous co-laborers, as tenderly nursed back to life and health or helped our friends peacefully, hopefully meet the angel of death within the walls of our beautiful Providence Hospital, an institution of which we are all justly proud. Sandusky has ever had lovely; charitable women, ever ready to respond to the call for help for poor suffering humanity. Women who put aside all thought of self when charity demanded their attention, but particular mention ought to be made of the ladies in the family of Foster M. Follett, himself a leader in the charity work in that dread year, his gentle Quaker wife and lovely daughters, Helen mod. Sarah, were untiring co-workers with him in deeds of charity. THE SECOND CHILDREN'S HOME By Fred H. Zerbe On October 5, 1898, a petition was submitted to the commissioners of Erie County to have the question of building a Children's Home submitted to the voters for decision. A petition was granted, and on November 13, 1898, the question was voted on, with a total of 7,684 votes being cast, of which 5,033 voted for the home and 1,270 against it, and 1,381 voters expressed no opinion. In accordance with the decision of the voters five acres of land were purchased in the east end of the city on September 23, 1899, and the present Children's Home was erected thereon. The first board of trustees organized April 22, 1901, by electing Sidney Kilbourne, president, and Fred H. Zerbe, secretary of the board of trustees. The remaining members of the board were L. S. Van Scoten, of Berlin Heights, and I. W. Hoover, of Milan. The trustees chose Eugene Peake as superintendent, and Mrs. Eugene Peake as matron, and Dr. F. W. Morley as the first physician. Mr. and Mrs. Peake continued to serve until October 1, 1910, when Mr. and Mrs. H. O. Hahn were appointed to succeed them, and are still serving. In 1902 a hospital and boiler room were added to the Children's Home at a cost of $6,787. Drs. R. H. Hubbard, G. H. Boehmer and Fred Schoepfle have since acted as physicians. The average annual number present forty-three children in the home. One hundred and sixty boys following purposes : 1. To find dependent and neglected children. indentured. On April 1, 1915, the trustees added a child's welfare agency for the HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY - 319 of boy inmates has been eighteen, and of girls, seventeen. There are at present forty-three children in the home. One hundred and sixty boys and 159 girles have been admitted to the home. Two boys have died and five girls. One hundred and thirty-three boys and 143 girls have been indentured. On April 1, 1915, the trustees added a child’s welfare agency for the following purposes: 1. To find dependant and neglected children. 2. To help unfortunate parents to keep their children. 3. To find foster homes for the children of the home. 4. To visit the foster homes of the children three times a year. This department has been a decided success. At the end of the year 1914 the Children's Home was examined by Carl M. Browman, state examiner, who checked all the bills of the home and found its affairs efficiently and economically managed and commended the appointment of the visiting agents. CEMETERIES The first cemetery was located in the rear of the Star Theater on Columbus Avenue, but was not used after 1810. A small lot is said to have been used near the foot of Shelby Street as early as 1817, and closed about the year 1820. The Register of July 15, 1873, contains a letter from F. D. Parish, correcting several errors in the 1873 directory published by the Register. As to the Sandusky cemeteries, he says : "I settled here in May, 1822, and burials were made in the battery for several years after my advent. As late as Nov., 1829, my first wife died and rather than bury her remains in the Battery I interred them in my own lot, No. 4 Washington Row. When the second burial ground was established the remains were removed to that cemetery, and when the present one was opened they were again removed to their present resting place. The date of the deed from D. H. Tuttle to the corporation of the second cemetery fixes the date. . . . As late as May, 1822, when I appeared in Sandusky there were then 23 erections, no more no less. My memory enables me at this day to point out the precise locality of each building." In the year 1849 a committee of the council consisting of F. T. Barney, John M. Brown and Foster M. Follett was appointed to select a location for a larger and appropriate cemetery tract. In 1850 another committee was appointed for the selection and purchase of a tract of land for the purpose of a cemetery and city poor farm. The negotiations resulted in contracting for a tract in Perkins Township and 136 acres in extent, with Jane S. Williams, at the price of $4,701.90, and on this tract beautiful Oakland Cemetery was laid out. The first sale of lots was April 29, 1850. THE COUNTY INFIRMARY In the Township of Perkins, a short distance from the south boundary of Sandusky City, is located a farm of goodly proportions and in a finely improved condition, and upon which is built a large stone structure. 320 - HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY This is the home for aged, indigent persons of Erie County, and is known as the County Infirmary. This building was erected in the year 1886, by George Phillip Feick, under a contract made with the commissioners of the county. Mr. Feick was the lowest bidder for this work, his proposal being $24,168. An engine house and smokestack were subsequently erected by John H. Smith, at an expense of $1,537.50. The building that previously occupied this site was burned during the latter part of November, 1885, and with its. destruction five inmates were burned to death. The early proceedings for the establishing of a county infirmary were had in the year 1855, and on the 29th of June of that year Walter D. Beall, John W. Sprague and John G. Pool were appointed a board of infirmary directors, who, with their successors in office, have ever since had control of that arm of the county government. THE SOCIALIST MOVEMENT By W. H. Watts Socialism in Erie County dates from the early '70s, when Philip Burkle, now of the firm of Burkle & Lehrman, but then working at the printer's trade, induced some of his German neighbors to subscribe for the New York Volkzeitung. As the result of their reading, Philip Burkle and his father, August Burkle (now deceased), 'Jacob Schmidt, George Schmidt (deceased), Nicholas Niessen, Adolph Figlestahler, August Kuhmann (deceased), Joseph Loth (deceased), Barney Seitz (deceased), Anton Holtzmiller, Christian Beigmann and D. M. Brodersen organized a German section of the socialist labor party, which flourished for several years during the early '80s. These men are worthy of honorable mention as having stood for a principle at a time when to be known as a socialist was to be looked upon almost as a criminal or a lunatic. They were soon joined by Charles Buddenhagen, who is still a staunch and active supporter of the socialist organization. During the early '80s there was also organized in Sandusky a German speaking and an English-speaking section of the Knights of Labor, which was a socialistic organization, with socialists among its active members. During a strike of the coal miners in the Hocking Valley the German section of the socialist labor party in Sandusky called a meeting at which a dance was arranged to raise money for the strikers. The various labor unions were invited to send delegates to this meeting, which they did, with the exception of the Knights of Labor, whose constitution forbade their co-operating with other labor organizations. As a result of this meeting the present Trades and Labor Assembly of Sandusky was organized. Both the Knights of Labor and the socialist Tabor party organizations afterwards lapsed, but when "Golden Rule" Jones, of Toledo, was candidate for governor of Ohio in 1899, a number of socialists organized the Golden Rule Club and supported Jones. The present socialist' party held its first national convention at Indianapolis in 1900, and it HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY - 321 was not long before a local was organized in Sandusky, and in the election of 1904 Erie County socialists had a ticket in the field. Local Sandusky is one of the strong locals of the socialist party, and in one municipal election polled about 900 votes for Theodore Miller, its candidate for mayor. By means of lectures, street speakers, books contributed to the Sandusky Library, incessant canvassing for subscriptions to socialist papers and article in the daily press, Sandusky socialists have influenced the intellectual life of the entire county far beyond the reach of their political activities. During the opening years of the twentieth century Thomas Cowan, later of California ; Isaac Poling, who afterward moved to Columbus; William H. Watts, for some time a member of the staff of the Christian Socialist, of Chicago; George E. Gensirt, and Charles Litz wrote occasional articles for the Sandusky newspapers, thus bringing socialism to the attention of people in remote places in the county who would never otherwise get any understanding of the subject. Many of the ablest and foremost exponents of socialism have spoken in Sandusky. Some of the earliest speakers invited here were Dr. Karl Leibknecht, of Germany, father of the present representative in the Reischstag by that name ; Dr. Aveling, of England; and Eleanor Marx Aveling, daughter of Karl Marx, the father of scientific socialism, who were introduced at the Sandusky Theater the night of the election of 1886, when Henry George was candidate for mayor of New York, Philip Burkle acting as chairman. Among others who are or have been active in the socialist party in Erie County may be mentioned Fred S. Hannen, a teacher in the Sandusky Business College and now a practicing physician in the West ; Edward Weis, now of Cleveland; Charles Schaub ; Morris Nobil, Sandusky 's well-known shoe dealer ; Ciro Ricelli ; William S. Collins, and Dr. G. P. Maxwell. A few socialists are to be found in nearly every community in the county, and Martin Darrow, caretaker of the cemetery at Milan, and George Shadduck, banker of Vermillion, have stood almost alone for socialism in their respective communities. Local Sandusky, socialist party, maintains its own headquarters and has a circulating library for the perusal of all who wish to make use of it. THE CARNEGIE LIBRARY In an address given by Mrs. Fannie Boalt Moss before the Firelands Historical Society in 1900 she makes the following statements: Mr. Parish, in one paragraph of early happenings in this city, says Sandusky had a library association founded in 1826 called Portland Library Association, possessing a small number of volumes. I have never seen a book belonging to this early library. In 1840 the books were transferred to the Sandusky Lyceum, or Sandusky Literary Society. About 1852 a public meeting was held in the Euterpean Block for the purpose of securing a course of lectures. These societies gradually evolved into the Young Men's Christian Association, which established Vol. 1-21 322 - HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY a circulating library in 1867. W. V. Latham was first president, James Woolworth, vice president, and George J. Anderson, secretary and treasurer. This library had a room over the Moss National Bank (now the Donahue hardware store) until 1870, when the gentlemen suggested the organizing of a library. Twelve women were given the authority and received from the Young Men's Christian Association the books turned over to the library association. The board of managers first met at the residence of Mrs. Lester Hubbard, March 3, 1870. A second time at the residence of Mrs. A. H. Moss, on March 17, and a third time a week later at the high school, when the organization was completed. The board of education set aside a room in the High School Building for the 400 books then on hand free of charge. In 1870 Sandusky had 13,000 population, but only 114 subscribers to the library. In 1882 the association had 3,170 volumes on its shelves. In that year the council voted an allowance for the library association, and the Sandusky Library Association was incorporated and became a free library, and for a long time maintained its rooms in. the Masonic Temple, and later in the residence of Oran Follett on Wayne Street. About 1886 a building fund association was begun to procure funds for a building, and in 1897 the association had in its control $7,500, of which $2,500 had been bequeathed by Mrs. George Thornton, of Cincinnati, an old Sandusky resident. With this money the association purchased from James Woolworth and transferred to the library association the lot where the Carnegie Library now stands, which has been in operation for several years. The Carnegie Library was opened to the public July 2, 1901, and dedicated July 3, 1901, in the presence of a large audience, including Governor Nash, Hon. E. O. Randall, Dr. W. O. Thompson, and others. ART IN SANDUSKY Many artists of high rank were born, or at some time were connected with Sandusky. Among those are the following : John Jay Barber, born in Sandusky. From a child Mr. Barber showed remarkable talent for drawing. Being fond of animals, he went to the fields and woods and studied cattle, making portraits of cows which looked out from his pictures with such lifelike earnestness that his friends persuaded him to send some of them to exhibitions in the East. Mr. Barber's cattle pieces are in nearly all the best collection's in the United States, and one of them was awarded a diploma at the World's Fair in New Orleans. One of his most interesting pictures is owned by the Sunyendeand Club of this city. Charles C. Curran, the noted artist, came to Sandusky with his parents in 1872, an.d received much of his early education here. He is a figure painter, but also paints landscapes as a setting for his pictures: He is a good draughtsman and seems to be equally expert in painting animals and the human figure. He was elected as a member of the National Academy of Art and of the Society of American Artists in New HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY - 323 York City. He has received many prizes for his work, including the Clark prize and many medals, both silver and bronze. His pictures have sold readily and are owned by many private citizens and picture galleries. George Starr Elwell developed a decided artistic bent in childhood, which his parents encouraged by placing him under the tutelage of the well-known artist, Henry Mosler, of Cincinnati, later of Paris. Mr. Elwell paints in both water-colors and oils, but his decided preference is for the latter, in which he finds his best expression of pastoral scenes. Several of his pictures adorn some of Sandusky's best homes and one hangs in the Carnegie Library. Elizabeth Nourse, when but a young girl, went to Paris and entered the Julian School. Her strong, vigorous drawing astonished the artists who criticised the student's work. "Since your drawing is so good, Mademoiselle," said Bowlanger, "it is better for you to rent a studio and work alone ; you will then develop your own style, uninfluenced by academic training." Following his advice, she remained but three months in the atelier of Julian. The royal academies of London, Berlin and Copenhagen have exhibited her work, which has been reproduced in the leading art journals of the Old World as well as in our own. One of Sandusky 's women who ranks high in art is Mrs. Emma Matern Weaver. At an early age she manifested a great talent for painting, which had undoubtedly been inherited from her parents. Miss Matern's first earnest work began at the Adelphi Academy of Brooklyn, New York, where for the first year she ranked among the prize winners, although there were many more advanced students in her class. Since her marriage in 1897 she has been very active in her art work, producing some of the most successful pictures during these years. Wilder M. Darling, son of Joseph B. and Wealthy Darling, lived his early life in Sandusky. When fourteen years of age he went to the Cincinnati Art School and there was noticed especially by the world renowned artist, Henry Mosler, who took Mr. Darling to Munich with him and gave the lad a father's care and attention. The last ten years' work shows his interest and sympathy in Dutch conditions and studies of life in Brittany. To the delight of the American colony, of the eleven pictures which he recently sent to the salon, all were accepted and seven "hung on the line." Katherine W. Darling, a sister of Wilder M., was born and reared in Sandusky, graduating from the high school in the class of 1881. She attended Oberlin College for several years, and while there made a specialty of art. She went to New York, where she took the complete course in art at Cooper's Institute. Then she entered the Art League of New York City and was a pupil under William Chase, and studied nature with Mrs. Frank Scott, the noted flower painter. She became intensely interested in mission work and it was while teaching a Sunday school in the slums of New York that she became infected with scarlet fever, and in two weeks was brought to her home for burial. Her strong life was cut off just at the time when she had finished her work in this country and was about to join her brother in Paris, where 324 - HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY they hoped to lead an ideal life, both devoted to the love and study o the highest ideal of their beloved art. A very bright future in the field of art is before Miss Ruth Deik daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John R. Deike, of this city. Miss Deike is a student at the Cleveland School of Art, and though she will not complet her course of study until the coming year, her diligent working and hard study have not been unrewarded, for four of her paintings were recently chosen by Mr. Keller, of this school, for exhibition at the Panama Exposition. This is indeed a beautiful compliment to Miss Deike, and there is no doubt but that the future holds many bright things in store for her. AMUSEMENTS On June 7, 1845, June & Turner advertised their circus to exhibit June 18th in Sandusky with an admission fee of 30 cents. This was the first circus to exhibit at Sandusky, and the show probably looked like thirty cents. March 10, 1846, there was a concert given by the choirs of the Congregational and Episcopal churches, with an admission fee of 25 cents. On July 14, 1846, Raymond & Warring's circus was advertised to exhibit in Sandusky on the 28th day of July. It had a band wagon drawn by four elephants. The first amusement hall of which there is any record in Sandusky was Philomathean Hall, where the Clarion advertises a vocal concert by Mr. Covert on September 1, 1846. In 1847 there was a concert by the Ogontz Band at the courthouse H. D. Ward, Ed Stapleton and E. Bell were the committee. Mr. Lewis Was the teacher, and Mr. Laurence was the pianist. On May 16, 1848, Welch, Delavan & Nathan's circus exhibited at Sandusky, with an admission fee of 25 cents. On June 28, 1848, Alexander, the magician, exhibited in Doll's Hall on Water Street. On July 9, 1848, a concert is advertised by Anna Bishop at Doll's Hall. The location of the Philomathean oHall and Doll's Hall cannot now be ascertained. The Euterpean Hall is the first hall of which old residents at present have any knowledge. Later the Norman Hall which occupied part of the present site of the Hinde & Dauch factory was built and about 1868 Fischer's Hall was finished over the room now occupied by the Wells Fargo Express Company. The Euterpean Hall was on the third floor over the American Express Company ; later William T. West used as a theater and amusement hall the' room now occupied the R. M. & C. B. Wilcox Company as a carpet room ; and the Cooke Brothers had a hall which is now the room occupied by the Knights of Pythias and was called Union Hall. There was also in the '50s and early '60s two or three small German theaters on Water and Market streets. HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY - 325 On November 21, 1848, the Hutchinsons sang at the Congregational Church. On January 1, 1849, the Empire Minstrels, the first minstrel show in Sandusky, performed at the Sandusky Theater, as West's Concert Hall was called at that time. A vaudeville performance by J. H. Hall was advertised at West's Hall on the 9th of July, 1850, which shows that vaudeville is not as modern an institution as some might think. On October 14, 1850, at Enterprise Hall the Ravels performed in pantomime and were followed by the great Hutchinsons who traveled over the United States as singers in the '50s. On May 14, 1851, Raymond & Company and Vanamburg Company circuses exhibited at Sandusky. On February 1, 1851, the Buckeye and Ogontz fire companies had a festival in Euterpean Hall. On May 27, 1853, Mr. Dempster, a ballad singer, sang at Euterpean Hall. On June 28, 1853, Adelina Patti sang at Euterpean Hall. On March 22, 1854, Bayard Taylor lectured on Japan in Euterpean Hall, and was followed on March 30th by Mrs. Annabel Bloomer who lectured on woman's rights and wrongs. Mrs. Bloomer was the originator and inventor of the costume known as "bloomers." On October 9 and 10, 1854, Uncle Tom's Cabin exhibited for the first time in Sandusky. On November 2, 1854, Ole Bull and Adelina Patti gave a concert in Euterpean Hall. This was the second appearance of Adelina Patti in this city. On December 16, 1854, Horace Greeley lectured on Henry Clay in Euterpean Hall. On January 17, 1855, P. T. Barnum lectured in Sandusky. On November 21, 1861, there was a concert at Norman Hall to aid the soldiers. L. H. Latham was the director ; Sallie Reber and Miss Wetherell, Miss Banks, Mrs. S. Minor, Miss Follett and Mr. Weston all sang. On December 1, 1862, Gottschalk, the pianist, gave a concert at Norman Hall together with Madam Patti. On March 13, 1863, Murdock Read appeared, and on April 11, 1863, Artemus Ward again lectured at Norman Hall. On February 10, 1863, the Peake family of bell ringers appeared at Norman Hall. On April 21, 1865, Camille Urso sang at Normal Hall, and on May 4, Artemus Ward lectured at the same place. On August 4, Grau's Italian troupe performed at Norman Hall. On October 3, 1866, Ben Butler spoke at what was then the old B'. & O. depot on Market Street. On November 16, 1866, the Siamese twins exhibited at Norman Hall, and on April 27, 1869, Tom Thumb exhibited at the same place. On January 29, 1869, Anna Dickinson lectured at Norman Hall. She 326 - HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY was one of the prominent woman's rights advocates of that period and perpetrated the only real bright piece of repartee that to the author's knowledge has been perpetrated up to this time. When Horace Greeley asked her if women voted what she would do if war should be declared, she answered in a sweet feminine way, she would do just as Mr. Greeley had done and send a substitute. On March 5, 1869, Camille Urso, the great violinist, gave her second concert at Norman Hall. On November 13, 1869, Blind Tom gave a concert at Fischer's Hall, On February 26, 1872, the Black Crook performed at Fischer's Hall. The Black Crook probably created more sensation than any spectacular play has since. It was an allegory of the strife between good and evil and it was the first play in which any number of women appeared in tights, and when Pauline Markum at the head of 250 Amazons marched down the stage every preacher in every little country village sat up and took notice and some of them went to see the play so that they could learn just how wicked it was. On October 27, 1877, Emma Abbott played in Sandusky. She was supposed to be the owner of an excruciating form of kiss that would make everybody in the audience sit up and gasp, and when she played Cleopatra to somebody else's Anthony it aroused considerable newspaper criticism. On January 11, 1874, Wilkie Collins lectured in the opera house which had just been erected, and on November 19 of that year Maggie Mitchell performed at Fischer's Hall. On March 29, 1879, Mrs. Siddons, the great tragedian, performed at Fischer's Hall. On April 17, 1880, Mary Anderson appeared in Sandusky as Parthenia. On January 2, 1882, Anna Dickinson appeared at the opera house as "Hamlet" and was followed by Janauschek as "Lady Macbeth" on March 1, 1882. From this time the entertainments seem to have been given in the opera house. In 1883 McCullough played "Virginus." In 1884 Minnie Hauk, the great alto singer, gave a concert; Schuyler Colfax lectured and Margaret Mather played "Juliet." Maggie Mitchell, then sixty years of age, played "Little Barefoot" with wonderful skill and came tripping down the stage like a girl of sixteen. Hazel Kirke came to Sandusky ; Joe Jefferson played "Rip Van Winkle ;" Kate Claxton played "The Two Orphans ;" T. W. Keene appeared as "Richard III.'' Bob Ingersoll lectured. Rhea gave "Much Ado About Nothing." In later years Clara Louis Kellogg sang. Salvin and Robert Downing acted. In music Sandusky has always had a large amount of talent. Among those names can be mentioned Frank Church, Marion Miller-Beare, Anna Lockwood, Professor Bonn and Hald Anderson.