Charles A. Cross was my third great granduncle. The advertisement above appeared in the September 13, 1894 issue of the Sandusky Register, when C. A. Cross had a photography studio at 134 Tiffin Avenue in Sandusky. I especially enjoyed reading a portion of his ad which was written in verse:
From all parts of the city on railroad track
The car will take you there and bring you back.
No stairs to climb unto the top.
No elevator to brake and let you drop.
But on the ground right level with the street,
You step within, your journey is complete.
Mr. Cross informed his potential customers that they could reach his studio easily by the streetcar, and than once they arrived, they would not have to use any elevators or stairs, since his gallery was on the ground floor of the building. In the book ARTISTS IN OHIO, 1787-1900: A BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY, published by the Kent State University Press in 2000, we find a brief entry for Charles A. Cross. The sketch informs us that Mr. Cross was active in photography in Sandusky from about 1873 through 1900. He started out as an assistant to A. C. Platt, and then had his own studio on Columbus Avenue. According to the 1894 advertisement that appeared in the Sandusky Register, it appears that for some time the photography studio of C.A. Cross was located at 134 Tiffin Avenue.
Charles Amedius Cross, according to his death certificate, was born on May 24, 1847 to Charles Cross and Patience Manning.
Church records from Holy Angels Church in Sandusky, Ohio list Charles Amedius Cross's christening date as June 11, 1848. He was christened by the pioneer priest Father Joseph Projectus Machebeuf. The Catholic parish records from the Toledo,Ohio Diocese, 1796-2004 can be browsed online at Family Search Records Labs.
Charles A. Cross died on March 14, 1912, as a result of heart disease. While his death certificate indicates that he was buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery, no stone has been located for Mr. Cross. It is very possible that he is buried in the Cross family lot in Section D of St. Joseph's Cemetery. A few photographs taken by C. A. Cross are found in the holdings of the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center, but I have never seen any pictures of Cross family members taken by Mr. Cross. Oh how I would love to see those family photos!
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