John Schact

John Schacht passed away on December 4, 1873. He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The chain with three links is often seen on the tombstones of members of the Odd Fellows Lodge,
signifying friendship, love, and truth. The clasped hands represent bidding farewell to the deceased.John's first name is listed as Johann, the German name for John.

In the 1870 Erie County, Ohio Census, John Schacht is found residing with his brother Simon Schacht. Both men gave Holstein as their birthplace, and listed their occupation as "fish packer." The November 7, 1867 issue of the New York Times carried an article which reported on the thriving fish business in Sandusky.

In the Sandusky Register of December 5, 1873, a lengthy obituary is found for John Schacht. The Register reported that the funeral of John Schacht took place at his brother's home on Hancock Street, according to the rites of the Order of Odd Fellows. The article continued: "The corpse was presented to view in front of the house, and then the procession to the cemetery was formed. In front was the Great Western Band, and immediately following were members of the German lodges in this city, and then a long line of carriages. The marching dirge was finely played by the Band, and as the procession moved along many expressions of sorrow and many praises for the deceased were heard on every hand."

John/Johann Schacht is buried in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. A sketch of Simon/Siemon Schacht's business if found in the HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY, OHIO, edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich. It reads:

Siemon Schacht—The business of which Mr. S. Schacht is sole proprietor was established in 1865 by the Schacht Brothers. The trade at that time was the usual wholesale business of frozen, fresh and salt fish for home consumption and distant cities. Schacht Brothers were succeeded by Schacht & Co., and these in turn were succeeded by Schacht & Fruechtnicht. On the retirement of Mr. Fruechtnicht in 1880, Mr. S. Schacht became the sole Owner.

The building occupied by This firm is one hundred and eighty feet in length by twenty-five in width. The firm gives employment to fifteen men, and during the busy season often more. They send out four thousand packages of fresh, six thousand of salt, and sixty or seventy tons of frozen fish annually. Their trade is mainly located in Ohio, Indiana and New York.