December 4, 1980
Picture #1 – Workers in the Trimming department at Peabody Buggy. Those identified are C.G. Cook, superintendent, far right, standing; Harry Cook, far right sitting; William Cook, third from left, sitting. (Photo from Ray Dell collection).
Picture #2 – One of the early Methodist churches which was located on Summit Street where Summit Chapel is today.
Marie (Vogel) Harrington, Lytle Street, upon reading that article, remembered about the boy at Whittier School who got his tongue stuck on the cold pump. She said as soon as she read the article she recalled the incident. “It was Wilbur Francis”, She even recalled that Mr. Hill assisted Francis, and that some of his tongue remained on the pump and how the girls got sick to their stomach.
Francis has been a resident of Bettsville for many years.
Marie recalled some of her schoolmates at Whittier. Jane Emerine, Alvira Williams, Irene Noble, Gladys Kirby, Ralph Darling, George Roberts, Dorothy Shallenberger, Orfan Parmenter, Wilbur Shultz, Ken Know, Ray Myers, and his twin brother Leola Henry…and also some teachers, Mrs. Hatfield, Miss Schuhart, Francis McCormick, Ethel Mowery, Marie Whitman.
“I had to walk a mile and a half from the south part of town to school, we had no school buses”, remarked Marie.
MAIN STREET STORY
Many months ago, in there was a photo of Wade Bros. Clothing Co. Recently, Ray Gwiner, approached me and said he had been meaning to show me something that came from that store. We walked to his car and he produced a wooden pants hanger which belonged to his father and which came from Wade Bros., where he bought clothes. The hanger was labelled “Wade Bros. – 1915”. Ray still uses the hanger.
METHODIST CHURCH
The most important finding as the result of that article was a photograph of one of the early Methodist churches which was located on Summit Street where Summit Chapel is today.
Mrs. Marion (Martha) Hall, 610 Walnut Street, telephoned to tell me that she had a number of old photos which were the possessions of Duanne Gear, prior to his death, and which she had inherited. Mrs. Hall worked for Gear when he had the grocery on North Main Street. The old church photo was among them. It accompanies today’s column.
The church building was later (1860-62) used as a school. Gear’s father started to school there in 1868. It was torn down when the Brethren Church was constructed. When that church was built on Columbus Avenue, their old location was taken over by another group for church services.
The Rev. Floyd Fought, Wesley Methodist minister, told me he had favorable comments from church members about the history of the Methodist Church.
Blake Myers, a Nazarene, thought it was a good article. He remembered the revivals the Methodists had many years ago when he was a Methodist too.
BUGGY INDUSTRY
Helen Wright told me that the Columbia Buggy Co., named in the article about the buggy industry in Fostoria, was originally located in Hamilton Ohio, and that her husband Ed and his father were associated with it. With the decline of the industry it went out of business and eight families of the people associated with it came to work at Peabody here in Fostoria…two of the families being the parents of Mrs. R.E. Jacoby.
She (Wright) did not recall that Peabody ever made any buggies under the name Columbia. It is this writer’s opinion that they (Peabody) probably used the name for awhile after starting, to capitalize on it.
LeMar Cook, son of William, who was named in the buggy article, wrote and provided additional data. He informed me that his grandfather, C.G. Cook was foreman of the trimming department at the Peabody Buggy Co., and his father William, worked in that department too. After Peabody closed, C.G. Cook became foreman in the trimming department at the newly formed Allen Motor Car Co.
About Cook Cariage Co., LeMar said it was formed by C.G. Cook, Harry Cook, an uncle, William Cook, his father, Charles Stewart and H.M. Hahn, the latter being a heavy stockholder.
Cook Carriage was started in Bloomville, but came to Fostoria to expand in 1917, and bought out Fred Eissler on E. Center Street. The Fostoria shop, at first, was a frame building on the front half of the lot, but later a tile block building was built on the back. Feb. 4, 1939, it burned to the ground, according to LeMar. It started back up again on Sandusky Street east of the alley that extends north to Fremont Street. But, again burned to the ground in 1947.
The accompanying photo shows various members of the Cook family who were associated with Peabody Buggy Co., as well as Cook Carriage.
LeMar Cook, associated with the upholstery business in this area for 54 years, retired July 1, 1980 and moved to Wilson, N.C. where he now lives. LeMar’s son, Warren, also lived in Wilson, and works for Dinner Bell meats.
MERGENTHALER BUGGY SHOP
Mrs. Henry Gary telephoned to say that her sister Mildred Mergenthaler, upon reading that article remarked that there was another Mergenthaler, William in the buggy business too. He was some of Mildred’s husband’s family.
REMEMBER PFAU’S BAKERY?
Leighton Brown, Nye’s Trailer Court, owned a piece of memorabilia, which he passed on to me. It is a metal token put out by Pfau’s Pure Food Bakery, here in Fostoria, about 60 years ago.
The one side of the token reads – “Good for 5 cent loaf of bread”. Just imagine a 5 cent loaf of bread.
Readers will remember the pecan rolls Charlie Pfau, the owner made for the trade. They were loaded with pecans and all covered up with a delicious maple frosting.
Pfau was an avid R&R football fan. Their son, Charles Jr., was my age. When the Pfaus left Fostoria, Charles Sr., became a sheriff in one of the western states.