More on Fostoria

More on Fostoria 1908

From R/t Dec. 27, 2002

Article by Gene Kinn

St. Wendelin to build new school on N. Wood St

A lengthy session of the board of trustees of St. Wendelin's church was held Friday night to decide on the plans and specifications for the new school house.

The plans, as prepared by architect Mr. Mallott, of Sandusky, were finally accepted and will be at once filed with the state building inspector for approval.

The estimates for the new building give a cost of between $28,000 and $32,000. Work will not be started before the first of next April and it is thought the work can be completed in six months. On this account, the school will be dismissed earlier that usual in the spring and cannot be opened in the fall before the first of October.

The new building will have about eight-five feet frontage on North Wood Street, facing College Avenue. It will be two stories in height with seven rooms and a large auditorium with a stage, and so arranged with rolling doors that two rooms can be partitioned off if necessary.

The school house will be as nearly fire proff as it is possible to make it, being a steel structure with wire lath, steel stairs with slate treads and asbestos lining between the floors. On this account, no outside fire escapes will be needed.

More on Fostoria 1908

From R/t Dec. 5 2002

Article by Gene Kinn

More FHS Football History

The long talked of hoped for and fought for game between Findlay and Fostoria has been played (in 1908) and has passed into history. The score was the reverse of the never-to-be-forgotten game of 1901, Fostoria 28 Findlay 0

On the previous occasion, Fostoria hired a band. This year it was the Findlay boosters who were so foolish and there are some who attribute their defeat to this fact, although of course, it had nothing to do with it.

The crowd was immense, representing the high school football fans of northwestern Ohio and many others who would not think of going to a game under ordinary circumstances but who felt that a Findlay-Fostora game, especially with "Hurry-up-Yost" in the foreground, was an event which could not be missed.

It is estimated that there were three thousand paid admissions and Fostoria furnished close to one-third of the number.

It has been said in the past that Fostoria was beaten before they took a car to get to Findlay. There was none of this feeling this year, although some Findlay people suggested that their own players must be suffering from this kind of feeling when they failed to show up until fifteen or twenty minutes after time to

start.

---------------------------

Fostoria Daily changes Name

The news of the death of George O. Grimes at Adrian, Mich Tuesday morning came like a shock to Fostoria people. While it was known that his health had gradually declined, it was not known that the end was so near.

Mr. Grimes was born near Attica, Sept. 11 1859. when a young man, he engaged in the drug trade with R.T. Hearson in his home town and in a few years moved to Bairdstown, engaging in the same business. In the spring of 1887, he began the publication of a weekly paper, The Bairdstown Times. In Dec 1890 he moved to North Baltimore where he founded the Weekly Times

Having a chance to dispose of his North Baltimore paper, in 1892, he bought the interest of C.L.Zahm in the Fostoria Daily and Weekly Democrat and changed the name of the daily to The Times/

His arrival in Fostoria was shortly before the panic of 1893 and , about this time, the decline of the natural gas caused the removal of several factories from this city. Notwithstanding this general condition of depression and the dark outlook for Fostoria, Mr. Grimes never lost faith in his favorite city and continued by his personal work and influence to advance the city's interests.

He leased the Times to Mr. Carle Nov. 1,1902 and in Feb. 1905, sold the paper to that gentleman. he then bought the Adrian, Mich. Press and greatly increased the business and political influence of the only Democratic paper in Lenaweek County, Michigan. He retained his Fostoria real estate and personal interests and had often expressed the desire to return to this city to live.

From R/t Oct. 24, 2002

(Article by Gene Kinn)

Hospital opens in Fostoria August, 1908

Fostoria has a hospital at last, Aug.1908. It is not so large as those most active last year to promote the hospital project wanted, but it is immeasurably better than none and will, in the opinion of many people, be fully adequate to the present needs.

Dr. William Leonard was one of the most enthusiastic workers for the hospital project when the matter was so actively before the people last year, and was an advocate of the purchase of the Academy grounds. Despairing of securing such a hospital, as was then felt to be absolutely necessary, he recently decided to transform his South Main Street residence and office property into a hospital an proceeded to do so.

The office and operating rooms are on the first floor, in front, and the diet kitchen is in the rear. The rest of the hospital is transformed into bedrooms with a capacity of six private rooms although, in the emergency, ten patients can be cared for.

Experienced nurses will be secured as needed, but one will be in attendance from the start. Ambulance service will be furnished in connection.

Patients at the Fostoria hospital, at 314-316 South Main Street.(Now a parking lot north of R & R Place) will have the advantage of light, airy, cheerful rooms not always found in the cities. A porch, fifty feet in length, will be nice for the convalecents to sit out and enjoy the open air, Dr. Leonad has also installed a sterilizer and other equiptment to make the hospital modern, complete and convenient.

The physicians of the city will have the privilege of takng their patients to the hospital as freely as they would had the original proposition been carried out.

---------------------------------------------------

From R/t Oct 24, 2002

Business College opens in Fostoria

(Article by Gene Kinn)

Fostoria is at last to have a business college of great repute and high standards which will open to the public on Tuesday Sept. 1, (1908), under the direct management of H.G. Yocum of Massillon, who has commercial schools at Massillon, Wooster, Mansfield, Unrichsville, New Philadelphia and Findlay.

The college will enter upon its career Tuesday morning with a enrollment of 25 pupils and favorable indications of a prosperous and rapid growth, making it an attraction for students from the entire surrounding district. Night school will be started Tuesday Sept. 15, 1908 with three classes a week on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. This will be more convenient for clerks and others who may have to work Monday and Saturday nights.

From R/t Sept. 2002

Article by Gene Kinn

Union National Bank established here

The Union National Bank of Fostoria will come into being Wednesday morning (July 15, 1908) with a paid in capital of $100,000, succeeding the Mechanics Banking Co., the assets and liabilities of which will be taken over by the new company.

The Mechanics Banking Co. goes out of existence on the eighteenth anniversary of its organization. It opened for business in its present location on July 14, 1890, under the name the Mechanics Savings Bank Co. with a capital of $25,000

Almost exactly nine years later, the bank was re-organized and the capital was increased to $50,000. The moving spirit in the re-organization, and in the conduct of the institution from that time to the present was Mr. E.W. Allen.

The business grew by leaps and bounds from that time forward and it appeared to the officers and directors that additional capital was needed.

While at the time of the re-organization the Mechanics Banking Company had deposits of $95,000 at the present time, including the Bradner branch, these approximate $700,000. The Bradner branch will be reorganized as an independent state bank with a capital of $25,000.

The Union Nation will now be, not only the largest financial institution in Fostoria, but its list of 153 stockholders represent more money than any exclusive Fostoria institution.

The directors of the new bank are. William Manecke, W.M. Wagner, F.D. Kingseed, W.O. Allen, L.R. Parker, H. Scherer, A. Mennel, M.A. Thomas, W.C. Beckwith, L.J. Eshelman, Elias Fox, W.W. Alley and Ira Cadwallader.

From R/t Sept. 19, 2002

Article by Gene Kinn

Local Paper Drops Hyphenated Name

On July 24, 1908, the hyphenated name of the Fostoria Newspaper will be dropped, and in the future, it will be known as the Fostoria Review (rather than Fostoria Daily Review-Dispatch). There are several reasons for this dropping of one of the old names. Among these that appealed to the publishers most strongly was that the shorter name is better because of its brevity.

The Fostoria daily Review is the outgrowth of nearly a half century's publication in Fostoria. The Fostoria Weekly Review was the pioneer newspaper in Fostoria. In its half century of work it is fair to believe that it has been a force for the improvement and betterment of the town.

Its publishers proposed that it shall remain first in the hearts of the community. Its various publishers and editors have, we know , used cords of lead pencils, tons of paper, barrels of ink and oceans of brain matter in their efforts at uplifting and enlightening the community. Perhaps they have not always been rewarded by that concrete proof of support that goes further than friendship, but those publishers in the past have been uniformly loyal to the town and to its people.

We know that the old resident, when he died, no matter how much of a skinflint he was in life, was given a good sendoff in the old weekly Review; we know that every freckle-faced girl that was married was reported as "the charming, handsome daughter of so-and-so." we know that every cheap party was reported as a "social function," and the refreshments were, "delicious and delightful." The publishers did their work and did it well.

We hope that the public will appreciate our efforts to give Fostoria the best daily newspaper in its history. A town is pretty well known by the character of its newspapers, and for our part, we intend that it shall be favorably looked upon.

_______________

Beginning in July 1908, the newspaper began running a column called "Do You remember?" Some samples follow:

Do you remember?

Fostoria's first ball ground.

It was located north of Center and east of

Poplar streets, in the country. Poplar street,

if opened, would have run through third base

***************

The old calaboose (jail--prison) which stood

near third base of the old ball ground?

*****************

When the L.E.& W. passenger and freight

depots were on Main Street and when that

company had a side track running across

Main to Perry Street?

******************

The big yellow willow tree which stood where

the door of Carr's store is now ?.

******************

When Miss Virginia Miller's North Main street

flat building was a carriage factory?

******************

When "Twisty Stout" was one of our

great baseball players?

From R/t Aug. 22, 2002

Article by Gene Kinn

More on Fostoria Cemeteries

A history of local cemeteries, printed in 1908, indicates that the village of Rome had two cemeteries. One was located where the house of Dr. R.W. Hale stands, and the other known as the Lunt cemetery where Charles Richardson lives, near the western limit of Tiffin Street The Risdon cemetery was donated by John Gorsuch and was located on what is now known as Cemetery Hill (where Fostoria Community Hospital is now located).

The present cemetery (Fountain) was opened in 1856, the Fostoria Cemetery Association having been formed for the purpose. Five acres of ground were purchased from a Mr. Hill for $500 and a sufficient number of lots were sold, at auction, to pay the purchase price and to furnish the nucleus of a fund for its improvement and maintenance. Another authority says they were sold for $10 each.

It appears from common reports that Charles W. Foster was treasure of the association for many years and it is probable that he held the office from the organization of the association until the cemetery was turned over to the Village of Fostoria in 1885. James Lewis Sr. was the first superintendent and severed until succeeded by his son, James A., about 1891.

An early newspaper report indicated the first body interred in Fountain cemetery was that of Simon Bricker. That appeared to have been erroneous as John Bair, whose widow still lives in the city, died Sept. 12, 1856 and was interred there, while Mr. Bricker died Sept.14th,1856

The purchasers of the lots began improving the cemetery grading and planting trees immediately after the organization of the association and the work of the removal of the bodies buried in the older cemeteries began soon thereafter.

Part and possibly all of the land, aside from the original five acres, was purchased from the late Hon. M. P. Skinner, who retained as part of the purchase price a lot for the use of his family.

Another addition of three and a half acres, to the east of the present boundaries , was purchased a few years ago of Mrs. Ann Nestlerode. (In 1970's perhaps) the land east of the entrance gate has only been open for about 20 years and it is already quite thickly occupied.
St. Wendelin Parish has had three cemeteries. The first was located on the church lot, east of the location of the present church (corner Wood & North.) The late Charles W. Foster donated an acre of ground, the deed bearing the date of Aug. 8, 1847. The first burial of which there is a record was that of Michael Stier, Dec. 28, 1855. This cemetery was abandoned and the bodies were disinterred and removed to Buckley Street (the present site of the Buckley Street tennis courts). In 1908 this cemetery was still occupied by quite a large number of graves, but no burials currently occur there. In June 1897, Rev Father Gries, at an outlay of $1,500, purchased five acres of land opposite of Fountain Cemetery and laid out a Catholic cemetery. Bodies have since been removed from the old cemetery to this new location

_______________________________________

"History of Fostoria Catholicism"

(Note this article first appeared in a local newspaper on June 18, 1908 and reprinted in R/t's on Aug. 29, 2002 by Gene Kinn).

About the year 1843, a few German Catholic families located in and near the village of Rome. In the following year, Rev. Father Joseph NcNamee, of St. Mary's Tiffin, was commissioned to assume charge of these Catholics. He said Mass in the home of James McDonel, the first Catholic settler in the village, on West Tiffin St, near Main.

Father McNamee was succeeded in 1847 by the Sanguinist Fathers, who for 12 years attended the Roman Catholics from New Riegel, then known as Wolf's Creek. Services were held in the home of Nicholas Portz Sr. until 1851

During the pastorate of Rev. Gales in 1849, the first church was commenced on the land donated by Mr. Foster. (The present church, pastoral residence, school building and sisters' home stand here today 1908). The first church at this location (Wood & North St.) was a very unpretentious frame structure, 30 by 40 feet.

The church was not finished, owing to the poverty of the people, until 1851. St. Wendelin was chosen as the patron saint and the alter was of the simplest pattern, the pews being poplar planks. with wooden pegs for supports.

Notwithstanding it's primitive appearance and appointments, the members were proud of having a church of their own and worshipped therein for nearly 28 years, during which them the building was enlarged and improved by Rev. Dechant, at a cost of about $1,500.

In 1859, the mission was attached to Findlay, and so remained until April 1869. Rev. Michael Putz was the first resident pastor and on his removal to Napoleon in 1870, the church was attached to Findlay, until 1875, when Rev. M. Arnoldi was assigned as pastor. Since that time, the church has been served by Rev Joseph Gloden, 1888 to 1891; Charles Griss, 1891 until his death in 1899; Rev. John Kleekamp, Rev. J.H. Rieken and the present incumbent, Rev. Ambrose A.Weber.

The present church (1908) was erected under the supervision of Rev. Arnoldi, the cornerstone being laid by Bishop Gilmour., July 9, 1879. The edifice, then considered a very handsome one, was built at a cost of $10,000, exclusive of the pews, alter and windows. During the summer of 1890, Rev.. Gloden had the building remodeled, adding 20 feet t the length, He also added new alters and had the building tastefully frescoed, the improvements costing nearly $5,000. His successor, Rev. Griss, in 1902 had the splendid pipe organ installed at a cost of $2,500.

During the pastorate of Rev. J. H. Rieken, the church was again remodeled, at a cost of $15,000. The first pastoral residence was erected during the pastorate of Rev. Putz. This was replaced a few years ago, by the present handsome and commodious brick residence. The first school building was erected in 1878, being replaced in 1886 by the present brick structure.

From R/t Aug. 8. 2002

Article by Gene Kinn

New superintendent hired for schools

R.W. Solomon, B.A. superintendent of schools at Cuyahoga Falls, was last evening (June 4, 1908) elected superintendent of the Fostoria schools for one year at a salary of $1,600. Professor Solomon was notified of his election and accepted , but before doing so, secured a release from the board under which he has been working for two years.

Professor Solomon is a comparatively young man, is married and has one daughter, age four.

_______________________________________

Former pianist, singer & actress found dead

H.S. vail, manager of a circuit of vaudeville theaters including The Fostoria Family Theater, on Center Street, made a shocking discovery on Saturday night.

Accompanied by Mrs. Phillips, a resident of the building, Mr. Vail called at the room of Miss Ruby Coleman, treasurer for the Findlay theater, and found her cold in death, with a cloth, which had been saturated with chloroform, over her face.

Miss Coleman, who is quite well known here, she having been the first pianist and singer of illustrated song employed at the local vaudeville house, is said to have been the victim of the chloroform habit, one of the rarest of drug habits. She reportedly used the drug in large quantities for all bodily ills.

the unfortunate young woman was an accomplished musician and had been successful as an actress, it is said, before taking a position at the front of the theater

____________________________________________

New State Automobile Law

The new state automobile law which requires that a number be carried upon the front and rear of all machines, for which privilege $5 is paid the secretary of state for gas machines and $8 for electric's, goes into effect tomorrow (June 9, 1908)

There have been less than 850 licenses issued so far, out of an estimated total of 30,000. This is not because the owners have not sent in their applications, but because of the inability of this new department to take care of the applications as the come in.

It was announced from Columbus that there will be no arrests for the violations of the law until the department has had time to issue licenses to all who have applied. All fines collected, after deducting the cost of the auto department, will be used in building roads.

__________________________________

School Board feared Bond Issue would be voted down.

The fears that the proposition to authorize the board of education to issue bonds in the sum of $70,000 for the erection of a Fourth Ward building and two wings to the High school building would be voted down, proved groundless, the proposition carrying by a majority of 187. Statistics show that special elections bring out only about twenty-five percent of the full vote. Taking this as a basis, yesterday's election (June 11, 1908) attracted as much attention as could reasonably be expected, there being 651 votes cast 419 in favor of the proposition and 232 against.

It is hard to see how a proposition of such importance could attract so little attention, but the result is gratifying as it makes it possible for the board to proceed with the improvements which are necessary to comply with the requirements of the state board and to furnish a building for the children living south and west of the railroads

From R/t July 25, 2002

Article by Gene Kinn

Theater on East Center Street Opens

On Monday evening, Feb. 3, 1908 the Fostoria Family Vaudeville Theater opened on East Center Street, opposite the Sherwood Hotel. Manager H. S. Vail charged ten cents for any seat in the house and offered shows at 7, 8, and 9 p.m.

The initial five acts included: L. DeBarr, contortionist; Wayne Christie, blackface comedian" The Earle Sisters, wood shoe dancing; An illustrated song, sung by Miss Coleman, and the moving picture, "Sand from the Rock."

______________________________

Ice Harvest from Local Reservoir Begins

(1908)

A visit to the reservoir this morning revealed a busy scene. The ice harvest is in progress all this week and the sight is well worth a visit out there. Fifty-five men are employed to care for the ice coming in a string of cakes.

Yesterday they stored away nine hundred tons. The ice house is divided into four compartments and the walls are packed with sawdust while straw covers all. There are two rooms holding 1,000 tons each and two rooms holding 800 tons each.