Monday, December 30, 2013
Military Monday: Waldo Swander
Waldo E. Swander was born in York Township, Sandusky County, Ohio in 1887 to William and Emiline Swander. During World War One, Waldo Swander served as a Sergeant in Company B with the 308th Engineers of the American Expeditionary Forces. Mr. Swander passed away in Fremont, Ohio on December 23, 1923 at the age of 36. He was survived by his wife Carrie. Waldo E. Swander was laid to rest at the Castalia Cemetery. The Corps Castle, logo of the Army Corps of Engineers is inscribed on the center of his tombstone.
Thursday, December 26, 2013
Lawrence Moore, 1880-1919
Lawrence Moore was a graduate of Sandusky High School and the Princeton University. During World War One, he served as captain in the Motor Transport Corps. After the war's end, Lawrence Moore worked as an engineer for the Westinghouse Electric Company. While working for Westinghouse in England in December of 1919, Mr. Moore became sick and died in a hospital in London, England. He was not yet 40 years of age. His remains were returned to the United States, and he was buried in the North Ridge section of Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. Lawrence Moore was survived by his mother, Mrs. Mary Moore, of California, and formerly a Sandusky resident. Lawrence was the grandson of Judge Walter F. Stone, who had been a Supreme Court Judge for the state of Ohio. An obituary for Lawrence Moore appeared in the December 26, 1919 issue of the Sandusky Register.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Charles Albert Peters, 1864-1932
Charles Albert Peters was born in Sandusky in 1864, to Jacob and Salome Peters. He was a printer by trade, being connected with the Acme Printing Company in Sandusky for several years. According to the Sandusky Register of December 25, 1932, Charles A. Peters died at Lakeside Hospital in Cleveland on December 23, 1932, after an illness of six weeks. Mr. Peters was survived by his wife Ada, and a brother, William F. Peters. Another brother, A.J. Peters, preceded him in death. Charles A. Peters was buried at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Sentimental Sunday: When Santa Wore a Beard Made from a Mop
Pictured above are my husband and I with our cousins Mary Clyde and her husband June, who live in Georgia. Since I married into the Paul family, Mary Clyde has been so very kind to share lots of the Paul family heritage with me. Below is a story that Mary Clyde recently told me. It involves a Christmas time spent in Germany, when her father, Clyde Paul, was serving in the Army during World War Two. To set the scene, here is a picture of Uncle Clyde and Aunt Mary, when Uncle Clyde was still in military service.
Here is the story of the Christmas in 1944, as retold by Clyde Paul's daughter, Mary Clyde.
Another Christmas story was when Daddy was in the middle of the Battle of the Bulge during WWII in Germany - the Christmas of 1944. On Christmas Eve Daddy & several Army buddies were holed up in a bombed out home that still had the family living there. The children of the family asked the soldiers to celebrate Christmas with the family which they did. Daddy said Santa visited the children that night - he was wearing an old red suit with a beard made from a mop and all he brought the children were cookies made with NO sugar (since sugar was in short supply). The children gladly shared their cookies with the soldiers. Daddy said that was the best cookie ever.
Correction: Uncle Clyde's grandson Andy informed us that his grandfather was serving in France in 1944, not in Germany. Thanks for letting us know, Andy!
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Saturday Night Genealogy Fun: December 21, 2013
Randy, at GeneaMusings, invited us to make a surname Christmas tree today! Visit GeneaMusings to read more about this edition of Saturday Night Genealogy Fun! Here is my Christmas tree made of surnames, including my current last name.
The way I made was tree was to use WordPad, and I centered all the words. I changed the colors of the font to green and brown for the Christmas tree. For the gifts, I used the letter "e" in Webdings font, and changed the colors of the gifts along the bottom of the tree.
Thanks for such a fun activity so close to Christmas!
The way I made was tree was to use WordPad, and I centered all the words. I changed the colors of the font to green and brown for the Christmas tree. For the gifts, I used the letter "e" in Webdings font, and changed the colors of the gifts along the bottom of the tree.
Thanks for such a fun activity so close to Christmas!
Clement Clark, Marine Engineer
Clement Clark was born in Sandusky, on December 21, 1856. Mr. Clark lived his entire life in Sandusky, where he was employed as a marine engineer. Through the years Clement Clark worked on several different Great Lakes boats. On October 31, 1911, Clement Clark was issued a patent for an emergency brake. The full text of this patents is available at Google Patents.
On December 10, 1932, Clement Clark passed away suddenly. He was buried at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery next to his wife Mary, who had died in 1926. An obituary for Clement Clark appeared in the December 11, 1932 issue of the Sandusky Register. Mr. Clark was survived by three daughters, eight children, and a brother who was living in New Rochelle, New York.
Labels:
Clark,
Oakland Cemetery
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Tombstone Tuesday: Sheldon White Neill, 1902-1927
Sheldon White Neill's lifespan only covered twenty five years. His name represents three different family names from his family tree. Of course Neill is the surname of his father, J.J. Neill. White was the maiden name of his mother, Harriet White Neill. Sheldon was the maiden name of his paternal grandmother, Catharine Sheldon Neill, wife of W.H. Neill. Sheldon White Neill was born on June 2, 1902. He died on December 13, 1927 from myocardial disease and typhoid fever. An obituary for Sheldon White Neill, which appeared in the December 13, 1927 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal, reported that Sheldon had graduated from Ohio State University in 1924. He was survived by his father, two brothers, and five sisters. Funeral arrangements for Sheldon White Neill were handled by Marquart and Keller, and he was buried in the family lot at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. He left this earth much too soon.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Major Apollos Comstock
Apollos Comstock was the son of Watts and Nancy (Hoyt) Comstock, in New Canaan, Connecticut on October 18, 1836. When the Civil War broke out, Apollos Comstock was active in recruiting sharpshooters for military service. Apollos Comstock was named Captain of the Thirteenth Regiment of the Connecticut Volunteers on February 18, 1862, and he was promoted to Major on November 5, 1863. After the war's end, Apollos Comstock served as a representative in the Connecticut Legislature. Major Comstock earned a Doctor of Medicine degree from Columbia in 1873. On October 22, 1878, Apollos Comstock married Julia Bouton in Toledo, Ohio. Dr. Comstock practiced medicine in the state of New York in the 1870s, until his health began to fail. He traveled to the west, and for a time he was a surgeon for the U.S. Pension Office. Later, he and his wife lived in Toledo, Ohio, where Dr. Apollos Comstock died on December 15, 1889. He was buried in Oakland Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio, where Mrs. Comstock had several relatives. Mrs. Julia Bouton Comtstock passed away in 1927, and she was buried beside her husband at Sandusky's Oakland Cemtetery.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Mrs. Ada K. Stippey, 1883-1912
Ada K. Linkenbach was born in 1883 to Charles and Dora (Knopf) Linkenbach. On June 15, 1904, Ada married George Stippey, the son of Henry and Magdalena Stippey in Erie County, Ohio. Mrs. Ada K .Stippey died on December 11, 1912, at the age of 29. She left behind her husband George, and four very young children. Funeral services for Mrs. Ada K. Stippey were held at the residence of her sister, Mrs. Joseph Hingerle. Burial was at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. An obituary for Mrs. Stippey appeared in the December 13, 1912 issue of the Sandusky Register.
Sunday, December 8, 2013
1863 Map of Erie and Ottawa Counties in Ohio from Surveys by Philip Nunan
Recently I ran into a wonderful 1863 map at the website of the Library of Congress. The map was created from actual surveys by Philip Nunan. It was printed by Fred Bourquin of Philadelphia, and the engraving was done by Worley & Bracher, who were also from Philadelphia. The map shows landowners, and also shows the various townships in Erie and Ottawa Counties in Ohio. Engravings of several residences are found along the border of the map. A helpful business directory is found along the bottom of the map. I was delighted to locate several ancestors on this vintage map. My third great grandmother, Lorinda Stevens Sexton Steen was living in Florence Township of Erie County, Ohio in 1863. At this time, she had been widowed twice. Lorinda Steen's name was listed simply as "Mrs. Steen," and you can see her name between the letters F and L in the word Florence on the map.
My fourth great grandfather, Julius House, who settled in Perkins Township in 1815 is found in the Perkins township section of the map. His name appears on the lower right quadrant of the image below, just to the right of the letter I in the word Section.
The name of Henry Milner is also found in Perkins Township in the 1863 map. Henry and Huldah Milner were the adoptive parents of my great great grandmother, Sarah Nodine Milner Steen. The Milner family lived close to families with the surnames House and Lindsley. Of course, my lineage includes lots of members of the House family, and on both my father's and mother's side, my ancestors married a Lindsley family member. The name of Henry Milner is found just under the I in the word Perkins on the map.
Finding this map was just like solving a puzzle. I could see the proximity of my ancestors to each other. I still have questions, of course! How did Charles Steen find his way from Florence Township to Perkins Township, where he met and married Sarah Nodine Milner Steen? What brought my Parker relatives from Monroeville in Huron County, to Perkins Township in Erie County, Ohio? Had the Parkers not moved, George Parker may not have met and married Marian House. Visit the maps section of the website of the Library of Congress, to find historical maps that may feature the names of your ancestors. Happy hunting!
James N. and Frances Aust, Natives of Wiltshire, England
According to records at FamilySearch, James Norris Aust was born in 1834 to Richard and Emma Aust. From a collection of English Marriage records at FamilySearch, we learn that James N. Aust married Frances Aust on October 12, 1864 in Wiltshire, England. In an 1871 Census for England and Wales, James Norris Aust is age 36, residing in Wiltshire, England. Also in the household are:
Frances Aust, age 36
Mary Jones Aust, age 4
Daniel James Aust, age 2
Ellen Allen, age 12, (servant)
and
John Henry Aust, infant
Moving forward to the 1900 U.S. Census for Erie County, Ohio, we find James Aust, a farmer, age 65, residing in Perkins Township, Erie County, Ohio. His wife Frances is also aged 65. Their son George is 25 years of age. The year of immigration for James, Frances and George Aust is listed as 1890. James Aust died at the home of his son George on December 8, 1906. He was survived by four sons, and a daughter, Mrs. Joseph Shepherd, of Wiltshire, England. Rev. Romig officiated at the funeral of James N. Aust, and burial was at Perkins Cemetery. Mrs. Frances Aust had predeceased her husband in 1904.
Mr. and Mrs. Aust left their homeland in 1890, and resided in Ohio for less than 20 years. I am sure they often had fond memories of the many years they spent in Wiltshire, England.
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Ella Warden Gawne, 1850-1887
Ella Warden was born on February 12, 1850 to H.P. and Elizabeth Warden. In 1860 census, Ella was age 8, and resided with her parents and siblings in Mount Vernon, Knox County, Ohio. The family later moved to Sandusky, Erie County, Ohio. On June 28, 1877, Miss Ella Warden married Dr. Augustus J. Gawne in Erie County, Ohio.
Sadly, Ella Warden Gawne died on December 5, 1887, when she was just a young woman. Though Dr. A.J. Gawne married again, after his death in 1910, he was buried at Oakland Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio, next to his first wife Ella. Dr. and Ella Gawne's flat stone is in the North Ridge section of Oakland Cemetery.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Mrs. Hulda Schemenauer
According to marriage records accessed at Family Search Labs, Hulda Goschnick was born in Germany to August and Konradine (Felsky) Goschnick. One record stated that Hulda was born in 1869, but her tombstone and census records indicate that Hulda Goschnick was born in 1862. Hulda's first husband was Henry Frey. Henry Frey and Hulda Goschnick were married in Erie County, Ohio on September 15, 1885. Henry and Hulda Frey had several children, including Johanna, Cora, Hulda, and Henry. In 1902 Henry Frey took his own life, by laying down under a freight train.
In 1904, Hulda Frey, now a widow, married Robert Henry Witt. They were married in Erie County, Ohio. In 1912, Hulda found herself widowed again, as Robert Witt died at the age of 43 at St. Anthony's Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. An article in the March 12, 1947 issue of the Sandusky Register Star News featured an article which reported on the celebration of the 85th birthday of Mrs. William Schemenauer. At this time, Hulda was the wife of William Schemenauer, and they lived at 1522 Columbus Avenue. Hulda was given many lovely birthday cards and gifts, and was honored with a cake and flowers. Mrs. Hulda Schemenauer died on December 2, 1949, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Maurice Marsden, in Oak Park, Illinois. Mrs. Schemenauer had been a lifelong member of the Emmanuel Evangelical Church, and the Ladies Aid Society. She was survived by her daughters, Mrs. Maurice Marsden, Mrs. Willard Earl, and Mrs. Harry Hummel, and a son, Henry Frey of Genoa, Ohio. The Quick Funeral Home handled funeral arrangements, and burial was at Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery.
Labels:
Schemenauer
Sunday, December 1, 2013
OUR YOUNG FAMILY IN AMERICA at the Internet Archive
A book which I have read many times, in search of information on my Young ancestors, is available full-text at the Internet Archive! OUR YOUNG FAMILY IN AMERICA was written by Professor Edward Hudson Young. It was published in Durham, North Carolina in 1947.My 4th great grandparents were Noah and Anna Young. Information about Noah Young is found on pages 44-45 of OUR YOUNG FAMILY IN AMERICA.
Information about Anna Young is found on page 53.
Noah and Anna Young were first cousins once removed.
There is an image of Noah and Anna Young in the special section of pictures in book, following page 30.
See pictures of the tombstone of Noah and Anna Young in a previous blog post at the Graveyard Rabbit of Sandusky Bay. They were buried in New Haven, Ohio in Huron County. Explore the Internet Archive to see if there are books about your family that have already been digitized in this valuable collection.
Tuesday, November 26, 2013
Tuesday's Tip: Westchester County Archives Digital Collections
Online access to hundreds of historic maps, atlases and photographs from Westchester County, New York, are found in the collections of the Westchester County Archives Digital Collections. The main categories are:
- 1929-1931 Atlas of Westchester County
- County Clerk Historical Maps
- Veterans WPA Cemetery Records
- Bronx Parkway Commission Photograph Albums
- Park Commission Photograph Collection
While I personally do not have ancestors from Westchester County, New York, what a wealth of information awaits family researchers who do have ties to this county. Happy hunting!
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Mrs. Lucy Allen, My Second Cousin Six Times Removed
Recently I came across this very old tombstone for Lucy Allen, wife of Jesse Allen, at the Perkins Cemetery in Erie County, Ohio. After doing some digging, I discovered that Lucy is my second cousin, six times removed! From the book The Hollister Family of America, available at the Internet Archive, I learned that Lucy was born Lucy Hollister, to Israel and Sarah (Skinner) Hollister, on May 17, 1791, in Glastonbury, Connecticut. (Lucy and I both descend from Lieut. Thomas Hollister.) Lucy first married Benoni Buck, Sr., a man who was originally from Connecticut, but who died in Perkins Township, Erie County, Ohio, on March 6, 1823. In 1828, the widowed Lucy and her five children all went west and settled in Perkins Township, Erie County, Ohio. On May 17, 1829, Lucy Hollister Buck married Jesse Allen. They had one son, Justice Israel Allen. Justice died in a fire in February 1851, at the age of 21. Lucy Allen died on November 24, 1849. She was buried in the old Perkins Cemetery. Jesse Allen, the second husband of Lucy, died of cholera on August 8, 1852. He too was buried at the Perkins Cemetery.
An open book, or possible Bible, adorn the tombstones of Jesse and Lucy Allen. I was delighted to learn that I am connected to this couple who lived so long ago in the same area as my House, Parker, and Hollister ancestors.
Friday, November 22, 2013
Morgan Monument at Oakland Cemetery
This large monument at Oakland Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio honors the memory of several members of the Thomas Morgan family. In the book HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY, OHIO, eduted by Lewis Cass Aldrich, we read that Thomas Morgan and his wife Mary came to the U.S. from Ipswich, England. By 1860, Mrs. Morgan had passed away, and Thomas was living on a farm in Perkins Township, Erie County, Ohio.
George H. Morgan was born George Hamilton. Because his parents died when he was very young, George was adopted by Thomas and Mary Morgan. George H. Morgan was raised on his family's farm, and eventually he purchased property adjacent to his adoptive father's land. An engraving of the George H. Morgan residence is found on page 32 of the Stewart & Page 1874 Erie County Atlas.
In 1854, George H. Morgan married Mary Jane Monfort. They had two children, Thomas Theron Morgan and Mary Julia Morgan. On November 22, 1902, George Hamilton Morgan died suddenly at his home in Perkins Township. An obituary in the November 25, 1902 issue of the Sandusky Register stated about George H. Morgan, "He was one of the staunchest farmers of Erie County and was well liked by all who knew him. He was a man of integrity, of character, a good neighbor and a devoted head of his household." Funeral services for George H. Morgan were held at the family home, with Rev. Gray and Rev. Oswalt officiating. The Morgan monument lists the years of death of several others members of the family:
Thomas Morgan died in 1889
Mary Morgan died in 1859
Mary Jane (Monfort) Morgan died in 1909
Mary Julia Morgan died in 1927
Miss Mary Julia Morgan had this monument erected and placed at Oakland Cemetery. To read more about the Morgan family, and many other early residents of Erie County, Ohio, see HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY, OHIO, eduted by Lewis Cass Aldrich, found in many northern Ohio libraries, and also available full-text online.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Sentimental Sunday: Program from the Sandusky Theatre
On Saturday night, November 18, 1916, the musical comedy "Katinka" was presented at the Sandusky Theatre, at the southwest corner of Jackson and Water Streets in Sandusky, Ohio. The operetta was composed by Otto Hauerbach and Rudolf Friml. The producer was Arthur Hammerstein."Katinka" had made its Broadway premiere on December 23, 1915 at the 44th Street Theatre. When the show appeared in Sandusky, the Sandusky Theatre was almost completely filled. An article in the November 20, 1916 issue of the Sandusky Star Journal reported that, "The company was excellent, the music tuneful, the costumes beautiful, the stage settings gorgeous, and the lighting effects artistic." The comedy was said to have been delightful. Alice Ryan played Katinka, and Burton Lenihan played Ivan. Two pages of photographs of the cast are found in the center of the program.
The play is centered on a young woman stuck in a loveless marriage in Russia, but the Katinka is really in love with Ivan. As the plot moves along, there are scenes from Russia, Turkey and Austria.
The number "Rackety Coo" was one of the play's most popular songs. While I do not know if any of my Sandusky area ancestors were able to attend this performance, I was delighted when a local collector allowed me to browse through this lovely vintage program. The full text of the vocal score of "Katinka" may be viewed online at the Internet Archive.
Labels:
Katinka
Saturday, November 16, 2013
Polly Picket, 1804-1883
Mrs. Polly Picket is buried at Venice Cemetery, outside the former village of Venice, Ohio in rural Erie County, Ohio. In the 1850 U.S. Census for Margaretta Township, Erie County, Polly Picket was listed as Mary Picket. She stated that her birthplace was Canada, and she was age 45. Three other people were listed in the household: Elenor, age 21; Nelson, age 29; and Charles, age 9. In the 1880 U.S. Census, Polly Picket was a widow, age 75. Mary "Polly" Picket died on November 16, 1883. Her death record is on file at FamilySearch. Polly Picket's tombstone was made by A. Montgomery of Sandusky, Ohio.
An inscription on Polly's tombstone is very worn.
The inscription may read:
Blessed are the dead
which die in the Lord.
Rev. 14:13
but I am unable to be certain of the inscription, due to the weathering that has taken place. It is interesting to note that the tombstone of Adam and Eleanor Montgomery, at Oakland Cemetery, features the same verse from Rev. 14:13. Perhaps that was a favorite passage of scripture for Mr. Montgomery, the monument maker.
Rest in peace Polly Picket!
Friday, November 15, 2013
November 22, 1963: Where I Was on the Day JFK Died
On November 22, 1963, I was in the seventh grade at Margaretta Junior High School in Castalia, Ohio. Our class was just leaving Mrs. Arheit's music class, and on our way to Mr. Bracy's mathematics class when we heard rumors of President John F. Kennedy's assassination. It seemed unreal. I remember that we were asking Mr. Bracy if it was true, and he was visibly shaken, and he didn't really know any more than we did. After we got home from school, the television was broadcasting all the news, and it really was true that our President had been slain. That evening was supposed to be the lighting of the Christmas lights in downtown Sandusky, and I can remember thinking that I would surely rather be at a happy Christmas event, than hearing this tragic news. Later that weekend, our family went up to our great grandparents' home for Sunday dinner after church. Great Grandma and Great Grandpa Orshoski had asked us for dinner. Because our family was big (we had five children in our family at that time), we set up a card table in the living room for the children.
As we were eating dinner, on the television screen, we saw someone shoot Lee Harvey Oswald! It was unbelievable! I had always been sheltered from "adult" topics and violence, and I could see the shock on my parents' face when they realized what had happened. It seemed like the end of the world to me, and I was sad about the death of the president, and the violent death of Lee Harvey Oswald too. It was a turning point in my life, marking the end of innocence. Everyone in my seventh grade class certainly remembers that November afternoon in 1963.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Bader
Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Bader are buried in the North Ridge section of Oakland Cemetery. The following listing is found in the "Family Register of German Settlers" of the book SANDUSKY THEN AND NOW:
Bader, Joh, Georg, scissors sharpener, b. 1804, d. 1879; his wife Caroline, b. 1804, d. 1876
The 1860 U.S. Census for Erie County has the name of a George Baden in 1860. His wife Caroline was 58, and the children were: Kate, age 18; Elizabeth, age 16; and Rosina, age 12. All family members were born in Baden, Germany. George's occupation was given as scissors grinder.
Oakland Cemetery interment cards state that Johan Bader was buried on January 29, 1879, and Caroline Bader was buried on November 14, 1876.
A closeup of the inscription reads:
ERECTED
TO THE MEMORY OF
JOHAN GEORGE & CAROLINE BADER
BY THEIR DAUGHTER BEV (or BESS)
Bader, Joh, Georg, scissors sharpener, b. 1804, d. 1879; his wife Caroline, b. 1804, d. 1876
The 1860 U.S. Census for Erie County has the name of a George Baden in 1860. His wife Caroline was 58, and the children were: Kate, age 18; Elizabeth, age 16; and Rosina, age 12. All family members were born in Baden, Germany. George's occupation was given as scissors grinder.
Oakland Cemetery interment cards state that Johan Bader was buried on January 29, 1879, and Caroline Bader was buried on November 14, 1876.
A closeup of the inscription reads:
ERECTED
TO THE MEMORY OF
JOHAN GEORGE & CAROLINE BADER
BY THEIR DAUGHTER BEV (or BESS)
Labels:
Baden,
Bader,
Oakland Cemetery
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Links to Information about the Civil War Soldiers Buried at Johnson's Island
Below are some links which provide information about the Confederate soldiers, including many officers, who died and were buried at the cemetery at the site of the former Civil War prison at Johnson's Island, which is not far from Sandusky, Ohio. (Click on the links highlighted.)
*Information housed at the R.B. Hayes Presidential Center about soldiers buried at Johnson's Island Civil War Confederate Prison Cemetery, researched by Roger Long.
*Table of soldiers buried at Confederate Stockade Cemetery at Johnson's Island.
*Information about the Confederate Cemetery of the prison at Johnson's Island, which appeared in Southern Historical Society Papers, volume XXVII, Richmond,Va. Jan. -Dec. 1899.
*Confederate dead buried at Johnson's Island, from an Appendix in the book The Story of Camp Chase: A History of the Prison and Its Cemetery, by William H. Knauss.
*Information about the Confederate Stockade Cemetery from the National Park Service.
*POW listings from 1864, a joint project of the Sandusky Library and the Friends and Descendants of Johnson's Island Civil War Prison.
Monday, November 11, 2013
Military Monday: Dedicated To and In Honor of the Mothers and Wives of Erie County, Ohio
This plaque in Veterans Memorial Park in downtown Sandusky, Ohio is dedicated to the mothers and wives who lost sons and husbands in World War One. The names of Erie County men who died in the Great War are listed. The plaque was given by the Women's Building and Rest Room Association in 1922.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Those Places Thursday: There Was Once a Margaretta School in Bay Bridge
From 1917 into the 1920s, there was a Margaretta Township primary school in the small unincorporated area of Erie County known as Bay Bridge. This small community was the location of the Medusa Cement Company. Many of the employees were immigrants from Europe. In the 1920 U.S. Census, the heads of household of over sixty families in Margaretta Township stated that they had been born in Hungary. This news article below, which appeared in the February 8, 1917 Sandusky Star Journal, listed the names of youngsters in the Bay Bridge school who were on the Honor Roll, including the names of my great uncles Frank and Andrew Orshoski.
In this article, from the Sandusky Register from April 2, 1922, Frank and Andrew Orshoski had perfect attendance.
So far, I have not found any pictures of the old school. By the 1930s, the children of Bay Bridge attended the Margaretta elementary school in Venice, Ohio. The map below shows the location of the Bay Bridge school from the 1920s.
Andrew and Frank Orshoski are among the young men who are standing around the casket of their mother, Julia Herzog Orshoski, who died in 1919, leaving Great Grandpa Joe Orshoski a widower with six young sons.
The old Margaretta school in Bay Bridge filled a need for the growing population of that small community. In the early 1960s the Medusa Cement plant closed, but the descendants of many former Medusa employees still live in the area.
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