October 21, 1982
When Mrs. Wade Loe, 924 Eastwood Dr., read the Potluck articles about the Emerine property on North Main Street, she remembered she had a photograph buried with other memorabilia of long ago which was important to her. She said she wasn’t sure it would be important to me. Needless to say, it is important to me and all the readers of this column.
The photo accompanying today’s article, shows “Queen” one of Alonzo Emerine Sr’s horses, which were stabled in the elegant brick structure back of the Emerine home, shown in one of the articles.
The photo shows a single seated buggy which Mrs. Loe’s father, F.M. Glassburn had purchased for “Queen” to pull after acquiring the horse from Emerine.
Back them, Mrs. Loe was Ethel Glassburn, and she is in the driver’s seat on the right side of the buggy. With her is Hazel Shook (now Hazel England), mother of Harvey England on the opposite side of the buggy. In the center is Catherine, deceased, will be remembered as Mrs. Clyde Levy.
According to Mrs. Loe, her father purchased “Queen” from Emerine around 1913- 1914, she isn’t exactly sure.
The photo was taken at the Glassburn farm on what was then known as Perrysburg Road, now McCutchenville Road and that farm is now known as the Dr. Murphy farm.
Mrs. Loe recalls how much she cared for “Queen”, who she says was so gentle and easy to handle. That horse probably made many trips to and from Fostoria on the old pike.
I’d bet the carriage was made in one of the many buggy shops that were once busy in Fostoria back in the horse and buggy days.
READER FEEDBACK
Faithful Potluck readers promptly reported omissions on other items they recalled as the first four installments about West Center Street was published.
Harry Swartz telephoned to tell me that he had a barbershop in the basement room under Edison’s Drug Store at one time. Access was on Center Street, via an outside stairs that led to the lower level. Later, he said, he and Wayne McAlevy were barber partners in No. 108, where Dr. Hale was earlier. The partnership continued in other locations, but finally came back to Center Street at No. 113, across the street from their earlier location.
Many readers commented about the doctors – Hale and the Henrys, who had offices in that area. Both were held in high esteem by readers and they recalled that doctors always made house calls back then.
Mrs. Charlie (Helen) Thompson, 518 McDougal St., recalled that Dr. Charles Henry Jr. removed her tonsils on their dining room table when she was a child. That was not an unusual practice back then.
A number of readers recalled that they still have furniture in their homes which was purchased at Carr Furniture Store. Your author can say that he has a large wingback chair which has been recovered several times and never gets discarded because of its size and comfort.
Mrs. John (Josephine) Lee, daughter of Dr. Charles Henry Jr., who supplied valuable information for one of the articles, responded that she was very pleased that her father and grandfather were accorded the attention given them in the article.
Mrs. Ralph (Florence) Brant, 106 Roosevelt Dr., volunteers interesting comments and experiences about Dr. Hale and Earl “Skeet” Green, Fostoria’s master cand and ice cream maker from an earlier era.
Florence and I talked on the phone about those two personages, and later spent an evening in the Brant home talking further on specifics and a lot of rambling conversation about our growing up in Fostoria.
Florence and I were from the same era, the early part of this century. Although I am three years older, we have known each other from early child- hood. Our lived have had some parallels. Both families were poor even though we didn’t live on the other side of the tracks, as the old expression goes.
Both of us were introduced to “work” early in childhood. If the story of our lives was put in a book and perhaps embellished slightly, the result would be another Horatio Alger story.
Where did you get that picture of Dr. Hale? she asked when we talked about him. I never saw him with a mustache, she continued as we reminisced.
My father had whooping cough when I was very young, she said. It seemed like he coughed continuously. Hanna and Margaret Ryan, friends of our family were as worried about his cough as my mother. One day when visiting us, the Ryans said they were going to send their doctor, Hale down to take a look at father. Dr. Green was our doctor.
When Dr. Hale came to our house he picked me up, planted a kiss on my cheek and said, “You are going to be my girl the rest of your life and when you come to me for doctor services it won’t cost you a penny.
That was the start of a beautiful friendship which lasted as long as Dr. Hale lived, Florence said. Hale and his wife always went to the movies on weekends (Fostoria had five or six movies back then). It was relaxation for the doctor. And, he always provided money for me to go too.
Florence also revealed that Earl Green, also known as “Skeet” had a stop for making candy and ice cream in the basement under the corner drug store at Main and Center Streets at one period during his career. To be exact, it was when Al Borer had that location for his drug store.
I know “Skeet” from the time I was five or six, yet never knew that he had a shop at that location. He had learned his trade under my uncle George Hayden when he had a confectionery and ice cream parlor beside Peter Clothing, where Preis Store is now, in the early 1900’s. After Hayden moved to Toledo and when Jim Pappas came to Fostoria, Green made candy for him.
Now, how did Florence know about Green having a shop in the corner basement location? She sold candy for “Skeet” when she was only seven years old and then later helped in his shop dipping candy in chocolate, cutting and wrapping and boxing.
Florence peddled candy all over town. Green’s candy was good and it sold. The profits from her work went toward the family budget.
Back then, Willis Hakes, had a big salesroom for displaying Fords on East South Street, where Trico Glass and Rollerland is now. One year, when the new models arrived, Hakes planned a big open house. Florence thought that would be an excellent time and place to sell candy.
Approaching Hakes with her idea in a gruff, yet somewhat sympathetic and kidding way, he finally agreed to let her have some space for a booth to sell her wares. Florence recalls that it was a good spot inside the front door.
She was only nine years old then. She stocked her booths with popcorn, candy bars, and candy corn, maybe some other items. The sales were excellent and she averaged about $125 each night during the show. Hakes discovered that Florence knew her business, even at that early age.
Each night when the show closed, Hakes saw to it that she was safely escorted home with her receipts for the evening, just in case someone would try to rob her.
Readers may recall that Earl Green made candy for sale at White Front Market, and also for a store in Findlay. I seem to recall that he also made it for a large California department store.
There are many large nationally known candy making companies today, but I date day none have surpassed “Skeet’s” quality or made his full variety – old fashioned chocolate (mound) creams, chocolate covered chips, creamy caramels, peanut brittle, maple and vanilla toffee, ribbon candy, fudge, striped candy canes and other varieties whose names I no longer recall.
Thank you Florence for helping to revive the information about Earl “Skeet” Green. It is a belated tribute to him. I know how much you thought of him as an artisan and a gentleman.