March 13, 1980
The north side of East Tiffin Street is colorful, maybe more so, than the other side of the street 50 to 75 years ago.
From before the turn of the century, it had a great variety of business establishments…hotel, clothing store, livery stable, doctor, veterinarian, grocery, many saloons, automobile agencies, filling stations, and more…with many fine old homes farther east
For the years 1915, 1930, 1950 they are listed below. And in between those periods there were others, but space does not permit other listings.
PETER CLOTHIG AND THE FAMILY
Let’s start at the corner of Main and look backward through words and pictures. First, there was the clothing store at the corner, shown in Photo No. 1, where Preis store is now. Many readers remember it as Peter Clothing or Peter Bros. Started by Peter and Fruth before 1900, and it was originally called The Red Star Clothing Store.
Mr. Peter, one of the original founders, was the great-grandfather of the present Carl Peter Jr. Later, the business was sold to Peter’s two sons, John and Phillip, who conducted the business for many years under the name of Peter Bros.
After the death of Phillip and John, the business was operated by Carl Peter Sr, and son Carl Jr. Still later, Carl Jr. moved the business to the southwest corner of Main and Tiffin, where it remained until 1967 when it closed.
In the earlier days of Peter Bros., they also operated a store at North Baltimore.
I remember being outfitted for winter at Peter Bros. when a lad. One of these winter items was fleece-lined underwear, which were warm for outdoor wear, but in the schoolroom it was unpleasant.
A stairway access on Tiffin led to quarter above the store where the labor union hall was. And, in later years, the back part of the Peter store was partitioned off and “Pete” Odenwiler’s furniture store occupied it in about 1924.
“112” WAS GROCERY AND SALOON
Another Tiffin location that has been prominent since 1894 is at “112”. Today it is Doug’s Tavern. In 1894, Charles G. Histe opened the Earl House saloon there. He was known around town as the “Judge” and operated a business considered as respectable.
For a period of a few years, The Basket Market (see Photo No. 2) had a grocery store there, and it was after then that Doug Weimerskirch opened Doug’s Tavern, now owned by David Faber and Michael Smith. The building is still owned by Weimerskirch.
OLD HOTEL CLAIMS LONG LIFE
The business with the longest life in that area was the hotel, which in more recent years was The New Ohio, owned and operated by Dick Abowd, deceased.
Originally it was The Earl House and was part of a hotel chain, according to Robert Fruth, whose father worked there. The original hotel must have been established in the 1800s, since in 1893 it was purchased by Frank Engstrom and M. B. Waldo and completely refurnished. How long it was operated by them is unknown, but by 1915 it was listed as the Hays Annex.
Older Fostorians will recall that Carl Ghaster married Mr. Engstrom’s daughter; also that the Ghaster family was involved in outdoor advertising for many years in the Fostoria area.
That period of time is when The Hays House Hotel on Main was owned by Charles Bevard, so it is presumed that Bevard also acquired the Earl House and renamed it the Hays Annex. The rear of each property abutted, separated only by an alley.
The next owner of the hotel was Dick Abowd, purchasing it in 1919 and renaming it The Ohio Hotel, (see Photo No. 3). In about 1934 Abowd assumed active management of the hotel, remodeling, refurnishing it and calling it The New Ohio. He sold it in 1973 to C.G.D. Realty of Fremont.
Today, approximately 100 years old, the old hotel building is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Doe and is known as the Doeshire. It has been remodeled to provide apartments and rooms but is not operated as a hotel for transients. The Does also operate the Book Store in the building and the lunch room where Kelly’s Hot Dog stand was for so many years.
Photos No. 4 and 5 show the area covered by today’s story, showing the only places of business…Doug’s Tavern, Fish’s Ceramics, Doeshire property and Touch of Class Beauty Salon…all others are vacant except the rear of the property on the alley which is used as a warehouse by The Review Times.
OTHERS AND RECOLLECTIONS
There were many other businesses having locations on Tiffin from Main to the first alley. Many of them in the list below, but here are a couple comments:
One older Fostorian told me when I was researching this story that the glassworkers hung out at “Big George” Gerlinger’s saloon where they got the biggest beer in town, as well as free lunch with limburger.
One of the directory listings that caught my attention was for the saloon at “114,” operated by Cloyce Yerger. Those of my age will remember him and his daughter Dorothy. The family lived in an apartment in the Botto Block on East North Street.
DIRECTORIES LISTINGS
North side of Tiffin (from Main to first alley)
YEAR 1915
110–Peter Clothing Co. (side entrance)
110 1/2–Labor Union Hall
112–Earl House Saloon (“Judge” C.G. Histe)
114–Cloyce Yerger Saloon
116–Hays Annex Hotel
118-122–Smith & Shuman Garage
122–Fostoria Transfer Co.
124–Gerlinger Saloon
YEAR 1930
110–Peter Clothing Store
112–Basket Market
114–Star Lunch and Pool Room
116–(No listing)
118–H.L. Miller Restaurant
120-122–Geller Buick Co.
124–(rear) Trafalet Machine Company
YEAR 1950
112–Doug’s Tavern
114–New Ohio Hotel
118–Brent’s Dry Cleaners
120–Kelley’s Hot Dogs
122–Little Folks Shop
124–Horner & Pell Barbers
126–Myer’s Cleaners
128–Bus terminal
(Continued next week)