February 7, 1980
Picture #1 – Cover of Paul Sprout’s life story which includes much about his boyhood in Fostoria.
Paul V. Sprout, born and raised in Fostoria, has written an autobiography, about his life, and the interesting happenings in his lifetime while living here and elsewhere.
The title for this homey, down-to-earth mini-book, “First Quarter…20th Century”…was dedicated to Sprout’s grandchildren, “big” Mike who urged him to write it, and Toby, Linda, Jeff, Judy, Barry and “little” Mike.
The book starts, “They told me it snowed on Oct. 11, 1898. It is unusual to snow that early in October, even in Northwestern Ohio. That happened to be the day I was born.
“That was the same year people were shouting ‘Remember the Maine’ and the short Spanish-American War was fought.
“Born in the 19th Century, I believe my generation has lived during a period of more changes of a life-span than any other in history of man.
“The telephone and electric light came a little while before us, but they were just beginning to be used by the average family, along with the many other inventions electricity had provided.
“We saw the introduction of the automobile, the aeroplane, radio, tractors, television, satellites, computers, self-propelled missiles, rockets.
We were born in the age of the horse and saw this worthy animal relegated to
riding and racing.
YOUTH ENTERTAINED DIFFERENTLY THEN
“Our youth were entertained by natural pleasures, many of our own inventions. Our grandchildren find their thrills in man-made contrivances. Their spare time is consumed by television, movies, trips to amusement parks. Thank goodness, there are still athletic games, baseball, golf, that build their bodies and keep them healthy.
“But they will never know the exhilaration on a frosty fall morning of hitching up one of grandpa’s old “nags” to his old two-seated surrey with the frayed fringe on top. Four boys, with lunch with a brown paper bag on the floor, setting out to hunt hickory nuts in the country. The excitement of being chased by the farmer out of his woods, and the carefree of being on our own.
“Because they would never know about his and all the other boyhood pleasures that were part of our youth, this story is written.”
Sprout’s book is full of interesting events that happened when he was growing up in Fostoria. The games which all of us of kids played back then…the names of people back then which older Fostorians will remember…the business men of that era. He tells about his dad L.O. Sprout who had a bicycle shop in Fostoria for many years.
PARTS OF BOOK TO BE REPRINTED
Sprout has given POTLUCK permission to reprint any parts of the book, which I will do by excerpting certain information from time-to-time.
The Kaubisch Memorial Library also has a copy of the book and it is available on loan.
In 1927, when he was coaching football at Marion, his team beat Fostoria 6-0. That same year he left Marion and accepted a job at Frigidaire, Dayton, where he continued until his retirement in 1959.
It is with great pleasure that I reintroduce Paul Sprout to Fostorians again after so many years. EDITOR’S NOTE: Vacationing over the holidays resulted in a buildup of much “feedback” from readers of POTLUCK. The following items will clean up some mail, but lack of space will not permit all of it in today’s column.
NORTH MAIN STREET STORY
The Dec. 13 column which provided still more photos about Main Street, and comments from readers, prompted others to call or write.
Mrs. Carl Rinebolt, formerly Violet Stephans telephoned to say she worked as bookkeeper at the Oldsmobile dealership shown in the one photo. She is shown in the left of the auto, next to Harry Stroman, owner of the agency. Rinebolt says the man next to Harry Richards in the center of the photo was a Mr. Hook. The man directly back of the car is still unidentified.
Carl Rinebolt came into the salesroom to look at cars and that is how he and Violet Stephans met and were later married.
Lester Kisabeth wrote too about the Main Street story. He recalled that the building now used as a church, was the Nestlerode garage at one time. He said when Dillon had his car agency there he had work done there, and that Pius Bloom worked there at one time. Kisabeth also said he purchased an Oldsmobile from Harry Stroman, similar to the one shown in the photo, except it was a sedan.
Mrs. Harry Stroman, still living, was the sister John Yeasting, deceased, who married Ruth Kisabeth, sister to Lester.
In the article I mentioned the old mill that showed up in the background of the one photo, but I didn’t name it. Kisabeth remembered it was the Bushman Mill.
Kisabeth also added some information unknown to me, “One of the buildings, back of The Times was once owned by Merton Gray who had a wholesale paper business in it for a short time.”
RAILROAD, BAND AND FRUTH STORY
Charles Hunt, who grew up in Fostoria, wrote recently: “Dear Paul: I have been meaning to write you for quite some time to let you know how much we enjoyed a number of your articles in the Review Times. Particularly, I have enjoyed the article about the railroads and the one about Fostoria High School Band. Those brought back many memories. Your article about the Fruth home was of interest since their home was close to my folks place on Jackson street. My sister, Isabel sends these articles to us from time to time.”
Hunt was a member of the FHS band and later worked for The Nickel Plate Railroad, which accounts for his interest in those articles.
ALLEN, FAKALIS ARTICLE
More than a year ago I wrote about Blanche Allen and her intown missionary activities. A photo of Mrs. Allen, furnished by Clara Allen Swedenborn, was borrowed from Allen L. Swedenborn, and used in the article.
Before the article got published Clara Allen Swedenborn died, and I did not have her son’s address to return the photos. Many months passed and after much sleuthing I got his address and returned the photos and copy of the article.
The following is the interesting letter received from the descendent of the once prominent Allen family:
“Dear Mr. Krupp: It was very kind of you to return the snapshots of Blanche Allen to me. I appreciate the effort it took to track me down. The article was very interesting, and I’m glad you sent it.
“You asked if I had ever been in Fostoria. Yes, I merely passed through once, probably 1946 or ’47 and stopped in front of the old Allen home, which Clara had told me so much about. Even then it had been converted into a funeral home, but very well kept up.
“And I wish I could say that I was the owner of the old Allen automobile you inquired about. If there is only one in California then it belongs to a distant cousin of mine, name of John Allen, who lives yet I believe in San Rafeal, near San Francisco.
FOSTORIA FOUNDRIES
In that article I mentioned there was reported to be an old foundry that was located in the west part of town back in the latter 1800s or early 1900s.
Recently, Cloyd Lott told me that when he was a lad of 6 or 7, the man who then canvassed our town in a horsedrawn vehicle, selling ice cream cones, told him that there was an old foundry on Lunt Street and that he had worked there when he was young. He had pointed out to Lott the location, and in later years pieces of foundry metal were found on the site.
Other readers may remember the old ice cream vendor. He was a very heavy man, crippled, and I believe he was bald. He required crutches to walk. I recall he always had quite a time getting in and out of his vehicle. I don’t remember his name but it seems like it was Schreiner.
CORRECTION
In the POTLUCK article about the Fruth Heritage House, I mentioned Carl Driver, but inadvertently said he lived in Tucson. Don Kinnaman wrote to correct me that he lived in Phoenix, the same city where Don resides. Don looks like Diver, who is 86 and resides in a rest home. Anyone wishing to write Diver should send the letter c/o Don Kinnaman, 6746 N. 10th Ave., Phoenix, Ariz., 85013.
Diver, Kinnaman reports, often talks about the old Fostoria High School which he attended. Ruthie and Bill Daub, the Balmers and others mentioned in the Fruth article.
FRUTH HOUSE AND PERRY STREET
Dorothy Tong, Wharton, wrote about several POTLUCK articles. Dorothy was one of my schoolmates graduating with our class of 1923. Her brother, living in Wayne is a RT subscriber and passes the articles on to her.
She was interested in the story about the Fruth Heritage Home. Bill Daub’s mother, according to Dorothy, grew up close to the Tong residence near Wharton. Dorothy’s next door neighbor, Mrs. Ward, was a cousin to Bill Daub, and visited in the North Union Street resident many times.
Another POTLUCK article which interested Dorothy was the Perry Street story, which included a photo of the Church of God. She remarked, “I attended that church when I was a child; we came by horse and buggy from near Bascom. Loved the picture. I descended from Church of God folks. My great-uncle Wagner taught Greek at Findlay College long ago.”
Dorothy was also interested in Karen Hayes’ story about the Valentine log cabin…made trip to see it but didn’t find them home.