Boyhood days of author near railroad stations
Thursday, June 9, 1988

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Pix #1 - Illustrated in above photo is the T.& O.C. Depot which served both the Toledo and Ohio Central. It still exists between E. North and McDougal Sts., in the east of Fostoria. Today it serves as a warehouse for Gray Printing Co. The water storage tank, mentioned in today's article, can be seen in the background.

Pix #2 - Well Fargo Co. Express. The Well Fargo wagon was photographed as it stood beside the Interurban Station on Main St., where all of the electric cars picked up and discharged passengers, the location being where Bill's Economy Store is today.

Pix #3 - United Express Co. Today's article mentions two express services in Fostoria back then. The United Express wagon was photographed at the T. & O.C. Depot as it waited for the arrival of a train. Express service catered to both trains and interurbans, the latter serving Toledo, Findlay, Fremont and Tiffin.

Pix #4 - This photo shows another view of the water tower, taken from the rear of the house where the author lived as a boy. The person in the foreground was Carl Otten, one of my boyhood friends. He resided at E. North St.

(AUTHORS NOTE: February 13, 1987, I had an article about Fostoria's railroad history. It is a subject that is always interesting and will probably be rehashed again and again by old-timers, or for the benefit of newcomers when they settle here.)

Recollections of that area

The boundaries for that area of town included in today's article are mainly between North and McDougal Sts., and the railroad yards, which back then consisted of tracks for the Hocking Valley R.R., New York Central and Toledo and Ohio Central...the latter two using the same tracks and the same passenger depot, illustrated.

Today’s article singles out the T. & O.C. and N.Y.C. In addition to the passenger station just a stones throw south of where the underpass is located at Center St.

I cannot recall the names of all of the employees at the freight station, but do remember that of Mr. McClellen, father of Claudia Hillier, was the supervisor.

Tower supplied water for steam engines Other than the railroad station and the traffic that constantly flowed in and out of town, one of the other attractions was the water tower which can be seen extending above the depot in the background of the one photo and perhaps one of the others.

The water tower was constantly filled from the city water system. The water was piped from the tank to a location between two sets of tracks where the steam engines were served.

I do not know the year the water tower was constructed, or how old the water storage tank may have been, but during my boyhood residence in that area, one morning we awoke to find that during the night the (wooden) water container (tank) had burst. It hadn't just leaked, but had actually, burst, like an explosion. I do not recall ever hearing an explanation of what happened to the tank. It was never rebuilt. As long as steam engines continued in vogue, they were supplied water from another supply station along the right-of-way, north of Fostoria.

Always action around stations

All passenger trains, of which there were many, also carried volumes of express shipments. Consequently, each train was met to pick-up shipments for local distribution. or shipments from here.

Fostoria was serviced by two express companies, Well Fargo & Co. Express and also United States Express Company, both shown in accompanying photos.

Local "hockers" met all passenger trains to sell newspapers or popcorn or candy. I was one of the newsboys who met the trains. Glenn Eaton, proprietor of Eaton's Drug Store, was distributor for a number of out-of-town newspapers, and supplied me with that day's editions.

Cecil Hall, deceased in recent years, sold freshly sacked popcorn and candy. Both of us picked up extra profits through tips since the purchasers often would toss us silver and say "keep the change."

Traveling salesmen visiting business and industry came to town by train and there were always a cab or two at the station to transport them to the business district or the factories. Salesmen carried at least two bags...one with personal effects, the other with product files and samples. Cabs were a necessity in that era. Incidentally, they were horse-drawn.

Horse shoe pitching evening entertainment It was in the area of the water tower that men in that neighborhood gathered in the evenings to pitch horse shoes and "shoot the breeze." Those that I can recall that participated were Vic Schyuh, Roy Hartsook, Mr. McClellen, named earlier in this article, There were one or two more participants, as well as bystanders who heckled or applauded and often I watch the players and their skill at laying the pitched shoes close to the stake or "ringers." The games usually proceeded until it got too dark to continue.

Pastimes for kids

Just west of the T. & O.C. Depot and the water tower was a strip of land which I never knew who owned it. There was always a pile of telephone or electric line poles piled in one of the areas. In another area railroad ties were stored. The ties were piled in such a manner that they formed an enclosure with access from one side.

The kids in that neighborhood took advantage of those two areas to play, walking or chasing each other on the piles and learning to balance ourselves on them. The railroad tie enclosures became our hideouts and headquarters for our games, pretending we were soldiers or adventurous scouts.

"Mr. Bumblebee" showed dislike for our presence

One day while playing on the poles a bumblebee came out of a nesting area, evidently disgruntled with our presence, and buried a stinger in my nose. It really stung and I ran for home, screaming. It was my first bee-sting.

A driver of an express wagon at the nearby depot heard my screaming and hastened to our house. With a chew of tobacco in his mouth he sucked the poison-sting away and I survived the ordeal.

I have told of some other activities of the kids in that era in other articles, so I will not repeat them, except to say that we kids frequented the scrap pile of wood at the East North St. Lumber Co. to find material for building various items. Also Gray Printing Co., where discarded samples of printed items were collected and admired.

Heed God's Word "Washington for Jesus" bore fruit Here are opinions of some of those who attended the National Prayer Conference in our capital in April as reported by M. Brian Wolfe, Editorial assistant of Intercessors For America.

"I was impressed by the variety of believers, all different races...Arabs, Jews, Gentiles...all of different backgrounds and denominations but united in Christ."

"I sensed it was a new beginning for the Lord's Intercessors. God wants to do new things in us. He’s going to lead us into places of battle as we are willing vessels and as we learn to lean on His strength."

"This nation is in severe moral decline and could fall very quickly."

"I was encouraged by watching young people from Youth With A Mission. Most of the time they were on their faces before God. I felt that God desires to save and release more of the youth today."

"God impressed me with the fact that we often are only partially armored and not prepared to withstand the fiery darts of the enemy. We must pray that more believers appropriate the full armor of God."

"We must unite and pray that our leaders will humbly guide us in a clear and focused faith."