History Articles

Click

Pix # 1 - Chautauqua Circle of Presbyterian women in local church. Photo probably taken around 1910. See accompanying story.

Pix # 2 - This Seneca car was made in Fostoria. Shirley (Doke) Turner, for- mer Fostoria who worked in the office, is on the front seat next to the driver.

(AUTHOR'S NOTE: It isn't often that reader feedback, consisting of both photos and information, is sufficient to fill one "Potluck" column, but that is the case today. Keep it coming!)

A recent letter and photo from Shirley Turner, former Fostoria, was prompted by a "Potluck" article of March 12, 1981, about the Seneca Light Car. Read- ers will be interested in her letter and photo.

Dear Paul: I still take the Fostoria paper and as I have told you before, I always enjoy reading your articles and I know may of the "Oldtimers."

A few weeks ago you mentioned The Light Car Company, which took me back some years as that is where I worked after graduating from high school in 1915. It was my first position.

I was the time-keeper and had charge of the switchboard for The Light Car Company and The Storm Buggy Co. After that I went to business college in Tiffin.

The enclosed picture was one the company used for advertising. The car was a Light car. I was sitting in the front seat on the right and Ada Overmire was in the driver's seat. ONe of the women in the back was Loretta Henry, the stenographer, who lived in Tiffin and came to Fostoria on the streetcar every day.

Sincerely,
Shirley Turner

Shirley didn't say which one in the back seat was Henry. Mrs. Turner and daughter Gwen Young now reside in Oconomowoc, Wis.

FRUITFUL VISIT WITH HARTLINE

Your author spent a delightful hour with Ollie (Cook) Hartline recently at her residence in Findlay. She and Marguerite (Gray) Holliday were the sub- jects of recent articles.

We had much to share about people, places and events. Midway into her 90s, Mrs. Hartline is still physically active and mentally sharp, making her an interesting person to visit.

The hour went fast and there are now other items I know I should have asked about. But, I was honored with the gift of a number of old photos dating back to the early part of this century. One of those, showing the Chautauqua Circle of Presbyterian women, to which Mrs. Hartline's mother belonged, is included with today's article.

If all of the members were present when the photo was taken there were 34. The names of the members Hartline recalled were: Mrs. A.J. Stackhouse, Mrs. E.W. Allen, Miss Emma Lytle, Mrs. Beckwith, Mrs. W.J. Wagner, Mrs. George Snyder, Mrs. L.V. Cook, Miss Ann Gilbert, Mrs. George M. Gray, Miss Mamie Brown, Mrs. Harris, Mrs. James Crawford, Miss Ida McDermott, Mrs. Schyler, Mrs. Dr. Reycraft and Maude Hess.

Those identified by the author were known from his association with the Pres- byterian church for many years, are: top row, second from left, Miss Gil- bert; next to her Mrs. Crawford; fifth from end, Maude Hess. Next row, on end, Mrs. George Snyder; fourth from opposite end, Ida McDermott.

Other postcards given to me by Mrs. Hartline were views of Amsden perhaps taken in the early 1900s, since horses still in view, and an old steam-driven railroad engine at the LE&W station in Amsden.

The latter photos will be used in upcoming articles.

CONINCIDENCE?

About the time I started putting the material together for Risdon family series, I had a letter from Dr. George E. Gorsuch great-greatgrandson of John Gorsuch, founder of the village of Risdon.

Although I have kept in touch with Dr. Gorsuch since 1977, when "Potluck" carried an article about his promotion from captain to rear admiral in the U.S. Navy, it seems unusual that a message would arrive from him at the same time that the series of articles were being prepared about the Risdons...es- pecially since David Risdon was closely associated with John Gorsuch in the surveying and establishing the village of Risdon.

At intervals since 1977, readers have been kept informed about Dr. Gorsuch and his promotions. He later became an admiral and headed the Naval Medical Center and hospital at Portsmouth, Va.

Dr. Gorsuch retired from the Navy about a year ago and is associate executive vice president, membership, American College of Physicians, with headquarters in Philadelphia, Pa.