September 2, 1982
Picture #1 – One view of the library in the Emerine home, now Green Manor. Looking through the door is a view of the entrance hall reached via the front porch. The stairs lead to the second floor apartments.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Last week’s story about the Emerine house at 935 N. Main St., now known as Green Manor, was concluded in one installment, except for additional photos shown here. It is unusual to be able to exhibit indoor photos from another era, showing the furnishings of these days.
Willis Wyant, 237 W. South St., a regular reader of “Potluck” and a first- rate area historian, telephoned to express his appreciation of the Emerine house article. He also revealed that the Bair and Long families, named in the article were ancestors of he and his wife.
READER FEEDBACK ICE DAYS STORY
The first installment of that story brought immediate response soon after publication. It turned up more readers who were also involved in ice cutting in this area.
The first telephone call came from Clarence Luman, 204 Vickie Lane. He said he too worked at the ice cutting operation at Reservoir No. 2 from 1910-1915, when he was just a young boy. His job was to keep the steam engine running to operate the conveyor which moved the ice into the storage houses.
It seems strange that young boys were allowed to work at such dangerous jobs.
The most important information received from Clarence was that Harry Clore, who with Ralph Clink owned the Fostoria Ice & Coal Co. in later years, was either the owner or one of the principal stockholders in the ice cutting operation.
He also recalls that the horse used at the work site fell in the reservoir one day and they had quite a time getting it out.
Luman said the tools showed in the photos looked familiar and that he still had a few of them from back then.
Eugene Peiffer, 432 College Ave., also telephoned to say that the village of New Riegel had three ice houses back in that period.
One of the ice houses at New Riegel was used by Mike Marks, restaurant owner; anotber by the Convent; and the third by Smith’s Butcher Shop. He said the ice houses were demolished in about 1951.
The ice at New Riegel was cut from man-made ponds.
Mr. Marks, according to Peiffer, in addition to using ice from his pond also hauled it to Tiffin by wagon. He put layers of sawdust between the load of ice cakes to keep it from melting during the trip.
Peiffer helped with ice cutting in New Riegel when he was about 12 or 13.
Louis Zirger, 734 S. Main St., telephoned to say that he helped cut ice from the Sandusky River at Tiffin when he was about 13 years old. The Zirger family lived on a farm just south of Tiffin. They used the ice, as did a dairy farmer just up the river from the Zirger farm.
The ice house in Tiffin was just above the dam where the waterworks is now.
Zirger moved to Fostoria in 1935. He was a greens keeper at Fostoria Country Club for many years, recalling a few of the names of the caddies and golfers of those days–Dr. Prudden, Robert Wagner, Glenn Eaton and others.
Chet Kieffer told me he remembered the ice houses at Reservoir No. 2, and also the era when skating was allowed on it. He particularly remembers Jim “Grandpa” Griffin who was always on hand to skate, even in his later years and to help the younger skaters learn some of the “tricks.”
I lost track of the many readers who stopped me at various times to remark about the ice cutting articles.
MARTHA LYNNE FINNEY ARTICLE
Many people responded to that article, all expressing the same sentiment–that it was an interesting and beautiful human interest story which they were glad to read.
Since then on Aug. 17, Mrs. Sigman, mother of Martha Lynne, was a visitor to Fostoria at the Beeson residence. A number of her old friends who helped during those trying days stopped to see her. I was privileged to meet Mrs. Sig- man that day, our first meeting, since the data for that article was via correspondence.
WHEN WILL BOOK BE PUBLISHED?
Scores of “Potluck” readers, perhaps hundreds, have asked for several years if and when I would publish a book of the “Potluck” articles when have been printed by The Review Times.
Some of those readers have a complete set of all the articles; others have wished they had collected them from the start, yet they would like to have them in book form.
The latest inquiry came from Mr. Riser, Conneaut, father of Donald Riser, 628 College Ave. In particular, Riser mentioned those articles which detailed business areas, the business places and names of people. His final remarks were “keep up the good work and I hope you will publish the book of articles.”
Riser’s interest prompts me to ask the question which I have not done previously: how many readers would commit themselves to purchase the book?
The only reasonable way for me to undertake the project would be for subscribers to place in trust in a bank the purchase price of the book, the money to be held there until the book was ready for distribution. If the project was not completed the money would be refunded.
At this point, I do not have a cost of the book. But if readers are serious they should be willing to make a commitment, which will guide me in deciding if the project is feasible. Expression of initial interest would not be binding. That would come when the price was established. I would anticipate the cost would be approximately $20.
The material from all previously printed articles would be updated and in some cases rewritten. Also, there would be some additional material which has not been previously presented.
Readers who are serious about indicating an “intention to purchase” should fill in the accompanying form and mail it to Paul H. Krupp, 927 N. Main St., Fostoria. Do not send payment with the form.