August 21, 1980
Picture #1 – Dell’s eating place where it was one time, where Columbia Gas office is now. Reading left to right: John Dell and Jimmy Kintz, a popular figure around town back then.
Picture #2 – Mumma’s Busy Bee Restaurant, where Chapman’s is now. Park Stouffer, deceased, is in the left of the photo; the ladies names are unknown. Note clothes styles, and high button shoes.
Picture #3 – Interior view of Harbaugh & Mickey Drug Store.
One of today’s photos, left out of last week’s column about Main Street’s history because of space, shows John Dell’s Restaurant when it was located where the Columbia Gas of Ohio is now. The photo was taken in 1922.
Dell’s started where it is now, later moving to the location shown. Dell left the restaurant business for 10 years to work at the foundry, but eventually started again in his first location at South and Main Streets.
The Dell brothers, Ray and Joe, assisted by their wives and a competent staff, are carrying on the family tradition.
OLD DRUG STORE
The other photo, which many readers will remember shows the interior of the drug store which was once Harbaugh & Mickey, later Rowan’s and finally Johnson’s. That location is now part of the Tri-County Bank.
Fostoria had many drug stores back then, and a soda fountain was often part of the service offered. Times have changed.
READER FEEDBACK: REV. FUGE
Last year, Potluck presented two articles about Rev. F.T. Fuge, asking for books or articles he had written during his lifetime. Recently, Bruce Brown discovered one, “The Storm King”, among his family’s collection.
Published in 1923, it contains 31 separate articles on a variety of subjects. ..all with a religious flavor, but containing much scientific information, and presented as only Fuge was capable of doing.
In these days, his chapters on “The End of the Age” “The End of the World” “Lake of Fire”, and “Under the Sea” are instructive and worth reading. If I am able to have this book placed on loan at the Kaubisch Library, I will announce it in this column.
Again, if any readers have Fuge books, I will be interested in hearing about them.
UNION STREET SCHOOL BROOKS ARTICLE
In that recent article there appeared a photo of the Union Street School. A reader pointed out the photo did not show fire escapes on the building, believing it must have been a very early photo before they were added and before the addition was added to the rear.
Another reader, Kenny Knox, remarked that he attended Union Street School and his family lived at 113 Elm St., a house which was later demolished to make way for the school there now. He remembered the Kleinhen neighbors, but not the Eckerts, who possibly had moved to Florida.
Wayne McAlevy reported he was in the school room photo. He said, “the smallest boy in the center of the photo”.
Mrs. Homer Rhude West North Street, reported that when the Union Street School was demolished Whitta salvaged many of the good bricks to build his home at 706 Independence Ave. across from the country club. His son Bob lives there now, since Bert lives in Florida, returning to Fostoria for summer visits only.
The Union Street School article mentioned that Warren Eckert’s sister learned to roll cigars at Flabbs establishment when they had a cigar factory.
I was reminded that back in 1902-1903, Fostoria had seven cigar factories including:
Fostoria Cigar Co., Poplar and McDougal Streets; John Dodd, 743 Cherry Street; A. Glabb, 226 Elm Street; J.E. Kinnaman, 125 N. Vine Street; F. Schultz, 619 Lynn Street; S.C. Shoup, 385 Perry Street; W.P. Wicker, 133 W. High Street. In later years, Diesel Wemmer had a large cigar factory in the old armory at Poplar and McDougal streets.
In the Union Street School article, one photo showed a lineup of Brooks’ horsedrawn wagons, used for his drayage business. In the extreme right of that photo there was an old model car. I believe it was an International with a chain drive. Elize Angles, north Vine, told me he remembered Brooks driving it around town.
THE VESSEL FOSTORIA
In July 17, Potluck there was an item about the sailing vessel the Fostoria.
Dan McGinnis at Kaubisch Memorial Public Library, reported that according to a sailing vessels publication, The Fostoria sank May 10, 1901, because of an ice jam in the river (presumably the Black River). It was carrying a cargo of coal and two lives were lost.
The publication also reported two other sailing vessels were named in honor of other Foster family members.
The Charles Foster, a schooner of 997 tons, sank Dec. 9, 1909, in an unknown position in Lake Erie, with a cargo of iron ore. Eight lives were lost.
The Annie M. Foster Vessel of 77 tons sank Aug. 31, 1889, after colliding with the Siesta, 20 miles northeast of Charlotte.
ANOTHER POEM SURFACES
An article weeks ago dealt with poetry, which resulted in some readers expressing their interest in poetry.
One reader, Kenny Knox, a retired postal worker and farmer, stopped at my house recently to make a contribution. Older readers will remember the Robert Shields family who lived at the corner of Countyline and Elm. The property was demolished along with one or two others, to make way for the Tri-County Bank branch.
The elder Shields was a carpenter, and the son Bobbie was a well-liked but mischievous lad, which many readers will attest.
Back in 1929, Knox had Mr. Shields install kitchen cabinets in their house on Baird road. Recently, they decided to replace the old cabinets, and in the process of removing them they found an instruction assembly sheet on the back of a cabinet, upon which Shields had written the following poem:
If things don’t go to suit you,
And the world seems upside down,
Don’t waste your time fretting,
But drive away that frown.
Treat your neighbor kindly,
And do the best you can,
And look the whole world in the face
And try to be a man.
(Signed – R.E. Shields – Oct. 1, 1929)
That’s a good thought for every day. It sounds like one of Edgar Guests poems.
PRUDDEN ARTICLE
That article is proving popular with all the feedback not yet in.
Henrietta Croxford at The Review Times appreciated the article and told me she was a classmate of Purdden and sat close in homeroom.
Herb Ford, retired Fostoria school superintendent said he enjoyed the article very much and provided a name for another profile of a successful Fostorian.
Ed Weber, at Superior Pain Store, reported his mother, Mrs. Floyd Weber, lived near the home of Jack Prudden’s grandparents in Chelsea, Michigan, and they were acquainted with them.
Many others who went to school with Prudden in Fostoria were glad to hear about him.
The one report, which I especially appreciated, pertained to George Evans, a resident of Good Shepherd Home, who was named in the article.
I visited Good Shepherd recently to see Ed Hopkins, and at the same time had an opportunity to see and talk to Evans too. He too, enjoyed the article, recounting many other students he had in his classes when teaching at FHS, and what they did after graduation.
That same day, when I returned home I found a letter from Mrs. Evans: “I am in the age category to really enjoy the Potluck articles. The recent article on Jack Prudden was of much interest to George. I was at Good Shepherd Home when the paper came that afternoon. In checking, I found the article and read it to George. It brought a smile to his face. He asked last week for me to bring the article again and read it to him”.
(Photos from Ray Dell collection).