George and Almira Hoyt, Pioneer Settlers of Perkins Township

The names of George and Almira (nee House) Hoyt are seen above in the 1850 U.S. Census for Perkins Township, Erie County, Ohio, along with several of their children. An article which appeared in the January 12, 1894 issue of the Sandusky Register reported that George Hoyt and Almira House were married in Erie County, Ohio in 1834, and they had a total of ten children, five girls and five boys: Philo, Charles, James, William and Isaac; Jemima, Celia, Lucretia, Sarah and Phebe. George Hoyt was born in Franklin County, Vermont in 1808, and he moved to Ohio in 1833. He worked for a time on the Erie Canal in New York. In Huron he worked for Tower Jackson. He resided briefly in Sandusky, before finding employment on the farm of William Bush in Perkins Township. Miss Almira House was born in East Glastonbury, Connecticut in April of 1815. When she was quite young, she traveled with her parents, Lazarus and Hannah House, to Perkins Township in Erie County, Ohio, where her family lived on a farm. Two of the sons of George and Almira Hoyt, Phili and Charles, died before the outbreak of the Civil War. Sadly, William and James Hoyt both died of disease while they were in military service during the Civil War.

Mr. George Hoyt endured long hours of continuous labor on the farm. It is said that he once cut four cords of wood in four hours. "He was an early figure in the early history of Yankee Street, and did his full share in directing and shaping the future destiny of the township." George C. Hoyt died on December 31, 1893. He was buried in the old Perkins Cemetery. (No stone remains for either Mr. and Mrs. George Hoyt in the present Perkins Cemetery.)

Mrs. Almira Hoyt delighted in recalling incidents that took place in her family's journey to Ohio from Connecticut, according to her obituary which appeared in the Sandusky Register of August 11, 1897. She joined the Perkins M.E. Church when she was age 15, and was a member of that church for sixty-seven years. When she was widow, she enjoyed that her children lived nearby. Daughters Mrs. Ewing and Mrs. Minkler lived in Berlin Heights, and Mrs. Hill resided in Florence Township. Mrs. Celia Johnson made her home with her mother. Her son Isaac Hoyt remained devoted to his mother as long as she lived. Almira House Hoyt passed away on August 5, 1897. She was laid to rest in the old Perkins Cemetery. During World War Two, the old Perkins Cemetery, along with several farms, was purchased by the U.S. Government for the construction of a munitions factory, for the war effort. Local residents removed the tombstones and caskets of hundreds of their ancestors to the site of the present Perkins Cemetery.

Obed and Dosha Keeney

According to the book, Hale, House, and Related Families by Donald Lines Jacobus, Theodosia “Dosha” Hale was the daughter of Eleazur Hale and his wife the former Rebecca Woodruff. Dosha married Obed Keeney, of Glastonbury, Connecticut, in May of 1823. Page 587 of History of Erie County, edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich, states that Obed Keeney was born in Glastonbury, Connecticut on August 16, 1800. He and his family settled in Perkins Township, Erie County, Ohio in 1843. Obed Keeney died on December 28, 1858. Obed and Dosha had a family of seven children, but only two were living in 1889, Elizabeth, born in 1829, and Edwin, born in 1832. Mrs. Dosha Hale Keeney died in 1889.

The final resting place of Obed and Dosha Keeney is Perkins Cemetery, in Erie County, Ohio.

Icsman Monument at St. Mary's Cemetery

Several members of the Icsman family are remembered by this obelisk at St. Mary's Cemetery in Sandusky, Ohio. The Sandusky Register of August 4, 1873 reported that Benedict Icsman was born on September 15, 1818 in Alsace, near Strasburg. He emigrated to the United States as a youngster, and moved to Sandusky, Ohio in 1840, where he worked for the Moss Brothers Bank. After working on the construction of the railroad bridge across Sandusky Bay, Benedict Icsman purchased a saw mill. His first sawmill was in the Western Liberties portion of Sandusky. Later, he built a new sawmill at the foot of East Washington Street. Mr. Benedict Icsman died on August 1, 1873. His obituary stated that he was honest in his business dealings, and very generous and social in nature. He left behind a large family, many of whom were employed at Icsman sawmill.



One side of the monument bears the name and birth and death dates of Benedict Icsman. When he died, he was aged 54 years, 10 months, and 16 days of age. An inscription below his name and age reads "May he rest in peace."

Benedict Icsman's wife was Mary, nee Schnecke. Mary was bron December 26, 1822, and died April 21, 1890.


Benedict Iscman's son, George W. Icsman, was born on July 1, 1846, and he died June 15, 1889 at the age of 42. He had been employed at the family sawmill.

Barbara Icsman was the wife of George W. Icsman. She was born May 8, 147, and died on December 3, 1923, at the of 76 years, 6 months, and 25 days.

D.R. Keenan, Died in a Rolling Mill Accident

According to his death record on file with Toledo Diocese records, available at FamilySearch, Daniel Keenan died in an accident at a rolling mill in Chicago, Illinois. Father R.A. Sidley officiated at his burial.

Mr. Keenan's remains were returned to Sandusky, Ohio,  for burial at the St. Joseph Cemetery. Mr. Kennan died on December 18, 1889, at the age of 37 years, 4 months and 6 days. Rest in peace, D.R. Keenan.

"The Air Tingles with Christmas" Ad from Sandusky Star Journal in 1916

Above is just a portion of an advertisement from the Herb and Myers store which appeared in the Sandusky Star Journal of December 19, 1916. Some of the items sold in Sandusky at that time were red cedar chests, Donatello art ware, and the Frantz Premier Electric Cleaner, which is said to have been a popular gift for Sandusky area ladies at that time!

John J. Butler, 1840 - 1906

According to U.S. Census records, John J. Butler was born in Ireland.  In 1880, He was residing in Sandusky, Ohio with his wife Lizzie, and four young children. In the 1904 Sandusky City Directory, John J. Butler's occupation was the assistant clerk of the Sandusky Water Works.  On Sunday, December 16, 1906, John J. Butler went with several other members of the Knights of Columbus to a service at the St. Mary's Church at Clyde, Ohio. Mr. Butler fell to the floor suddenly. A physician was called, but it was too late to save Mr. Butler. He had died of apoplexy. His remains were returned to Sandusky, where he was buried at the St. Joseph Cemetery. John J. Butler had been a member of Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church. 
He was survived by three sons and five daughters. An obituary for John J. Butler appeared in the December 17, 1906 issue of the Sandusky Register.

An inscription at the bottom of the tombstone honoring the memory of John J. Butler reads:

May he rest in peace

A cross adorns the top of his tombstone.

Mrs. Carrie Annie Corell, Died in 1870

Mrs. Carrie Annie Corell, wife of William J. Corell, died from typhoid fever early on December 6, 1870. She was not yet 18 years old at the time of her death, which took place the same year that she got married. Mrs. Corell's maiden name was Carrie A. Gamble. An article in the Highland Weekly News of December 22, 1870 stated that Carrie had formerly resided in Highland County, Ohio. She was a member of the M.E. Church, and her deep faith had supported her in her final hours. Immediately before her passing, she recited Psalm 23, and sang hymns. Carrie A. Corell was buried in block 8 of Sandusky's Oakland Cemetery. Carrie's husband William, re-married, and moved to Detroit, Michigan, where he worked at the Fisher Body Company. A verse is inscribed on Carrie's tombstone, but it is too weathered to read. At the bottom right of her stone is the signature of the monument maker. It too is quite weathered, but I am reasonably certain that it reads P. Hornig.

Thomas Dyar, Keeper of the Marblehead Lighthouse, 1861-1865

Thomas Dyar was listed in the 1850 U.S. Census as a farmer, age 54, and birthplace of Connecticut. He resided in Ottawa County, Ohio. From 1861 to 1865, Thomas Dyar was the keeper of the Marblehead Lighthouse.  He died on December 3, 1865, and was buried at Oakland Cemetery. A lovely rendition of the Lighthouse is still visible on his tombstone.  The Marblehead Lighthouse is one of my favorite places in Ohio, so I was delighted to find this tombstone of someone who was associated with the lighthouse so long ago.

When Grandpa Roy Wrote an Essay about an Ear of Corn

Recently, while I was looking through the "Schools" collection at the Sandusky Library Archives Research Center, I came across the title of an essay written by my great grandfather, Roy Parker (also known as Leroy Parker)  in  1895. The essay was for the Sophomore Literary Class of Sandusky High School. It was entitled "What an Ear of Corn Told Me about Itself." 

Grandpa Roy was born and raised on a farm in Perkins Township, so he was definitely well acquainted with vegetable crops. How I would love to have heard his essay!! 

If your local library has an archives, check it out - -you may find information about your ancestors there! I have a difficult time imagining Grandpa Roy as a high school sophomore, since he died when I was quite young. Here is a picture of my great grandparents from the 1950s.