Saturday, September 10, 2011

Frank Stible, Civil War Veteran, Newspaper Publisher, and Detective













Frank Stible, a Veteran of the Civil War, is buried in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System lists Frank Stible as having served with Company M in the First Ohio Heavy Artillery. Records on file with Erie County Probate Court indicate that Frank Stible married Christine Graves in Erie County, Ohio on September 26, 1876. The 1880 U.S. Census for Erie County shows that Frank Stible was residing on Hancock Street at that time. He was age 36, and his wife Christine was 30. They had a three year old little girl named Aggie, and Frank stated that his occupation was Superintendent of the State Arsenal. Sadly, Aggie died in 1887 when she was only nine years old. Hewson Peeke wrote in his 1916 book A STANDARD HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY that Frank Stible was the publisher of the Sandusky Journal, a Democratic newspaper, from March of 1886 until January of 1887. The Journal was a a rival newspaper of the Sandusky Register, which was Republican in its view, and was published by another Civil War veteran, I.F. Mack.

According to news headlines in the Chicago Tribune, Frank Stible moved to Chicago where he worked as a detective from 1896 until his death in 1901. The Chicago Tribune of August 10, 1901 reported that Frank Stible, assistant superintendent of the Bureau of Identification, had died suddenly on August 9, 1901 as a result of heart problems. The article stated that Frank Stible was known in the Police department as "Grover Cleveland's double",due to his uncanny resemblance to Grover Cleveland. The remains of Frank Stible were taken to Sandusky, Ohio, where he was buried in Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. A Masonic emblem decorates the grave marker of Frank Stible. Mrs. Stible survived her husband for several years. She died on September 23, 1938, and she was also buried at Oakland Cemetery.

3 comments:

Kathleen said...

I stumbled upon your blog tonight while searching for info on my grgr grandfather who is buried in the veteran's home cemetery in Sandusky. Do you hire out to take photos of veteran's graves? I'm not able to make the trip but would be happy to pay someone to take a photo of his headstone.

Dorene from Ohio said...

If you leave your email address, I will be in touch. Thanks!

Kathleen said...

Thanks! Email is kmmeeker@comcast.net

Kathleen