The Railway Reflector answers that question for us. The Railway Reflector was published by the Columbus, Hocking Valley and Toledo Railway Co. and highlighted “Sights and Scenes along the Buckeye Route.”

The Buckeye Route ran from Pomeroy on the West Virginia border through Columbus and on to Toledo. The Buckeye Route passed through Fostoria as well as Carey, Alvada, Longley, Risingsun and Bradner.

The Railway Reflector devoted virtually all 35 pages of its January 1897 issue to “showing the advantages of Fostoria, Ohio, as an industrial location.”

Just what were some of those “advantages?”

One was the Isaac Harter Co. It was the largest flouring mill in northwest Ohio and turned out 2,000 barrels of flour a day and employed 85 workers.

Harter’s elevator capacity was among the largest in the nation.

The company regularly shipped its product to Glasgow, Liverpool, Havana, Brazil and South Africa as well as the eastern United States. The Harter mill is still in business today as Mennel Milling.

Another advantage, the Peabody Buggy Co. on North Union St., was organized in 1893 under the direction of E.W. and W.O. Allen. In 1897, Peabody manufactured a special buggy for the use of President William McKinley’s mother.

The buggy was not long for this world in 1897, but the Allens landed on their feet when the internal combustion engine came along. They founded the Allen Motor Car Co. and manufactured automobiles here for a number of years prior to 1920.

The Crouse-Tremaine Carbon Co., established in 1893, is still in business today as National Electrical Carbon Co. In 1897, Crouse-Tremaine manufactured solid and cored electric light carbons and motor and generator brushes.

They were known for the cored carbon and the Reflector said Crouse-Tremaine was the first firm in America to make that item. The plant’s 100 employees turned out 50,000 finished carbons per day. Crouse-Tremaine had customers in every state in the Union.

Established in 1857 as a machine shop, foundry and builder of plows, the Brass and Iron Works Co. at 113 N. Wood St. began manufacturing water works supplies and brass and bronze iron specialty items in 1885. The Brass and Iron Works Co. held the patent on the Payne Patent Tapping Machine.

The Alcott Hardware Co. was located on the site of the Park and Shop Lot. It was founded by Roger Alcott in 1861. Alcott was a member of the Board of Gas Trustees, an important post. Only a few years earlier, it was the gas boom in this area that led to the establishment of so many glass companies.

The Cunningham Manufacturing Co. was a maker of spokes and “bent work” of all sorts. Cunningham employed 40 hands.

The Fostoria Stave and Barrel Co. is also still in business under the name Seneca Millwork. Established in 1871, Fostoria Stave and Barrel manufactured all the barrels the Harter Mill shipped its flour in.

The company was founded by John Noble who was born in England in 1833. He came with his family to Canada in 1835. At age 24, Noble decided to make his fortune in America and in 1858 came to Fostoria.

The Koss, Parker and German Lumber Co. used wood from the forests that were once common in this area. The firm, founded in 1894, made sashes, blinds, doors, moldings, brackets, etc. Koss, Parker and German employed 50 people.

Vogel Bros. Tailors and Gents’ Furnishings occupied a large storefront at Main and Center Streets and kept Fostoria’s “gents” looking sharp in the very best bib and tucker. In addition to suits, jackets and trousers, men could find gloves, shirts, hats, caps and other items.

The Noah’s Ark Co. was a department store occupying three floors in the Foster Block at Main and Tiffin Streets. Noah's Ark sold housewares, china, glassware, groceries, stoves, lamps, toys, notions, shoes furniture and “willowware.”

Founded in 1890, Noah’s Ark began as a one-room operation. Seven years later it employed 20 workers and was one of the largest retailers of its kind in this part of Ohio.

Another retailer was A. Weaver & Sons, seller of dry goods, cloaks and carpeting, was established in 1875 and located at 102 N. Main.

The Fostoria Steel Roofing Co. on E. North St. made steel roofing, ceilings, eave troughs, and conductor pipes.

The Ghaster Block (Ohio Beverage) on North St. was the only building erected in Fostoria when the Panic of 1893 shook the U.S. economy. S.L. Ghaster was a graduate of the Fostoria Academy in 1884 and became a druggist.

The Railway Reflector said that Fostoria was an “ideal place of residence, possessing as it does concomitants to an enterprising and cultured community.”

The Railway Reflector is no more. Neither is the Columbus, Hocking Valley and Toledo Railway. But Fostoria is still kicking. (Still enterprising and cultured? You bet.)

Now it was nice of The Railway Reflector to say all those nice things about Fostoria, but they said more and we’ll tell you what else they said in another story.

A few more reflections on

The Reflector talked about more businesses than could fit in a single article. So here are some other firms that plied their trades and wares when our ancestors were living and working here.

How can anyone get along without a good pair of shoes? Fostorians in 1897 bought them at A.L. Beach’s at 117 N. Main. Mr. Beach came to Fostoria in 1889 from Medina where he also had a shoe store. He ran a shoe factory from 1861-77.

Capt. Z.T. Houseman was one of the town's prominent physicians. A wayward soul, old Z was born in Huntington, Ind. and later moved his practice to Fort Wayne. He gave up medicine to become a railroad land agent in Austin, Texas.

He resumed his medical practice in nearby Bairdstown and after 15 years moved to Fostoria. He kept himself on the road, though, by enlisting as assistant surgeon in the Kenton regiment of the Ohio National Guard.

Another local medical man was Robert W. Hale Jr. The elder Hale practiced medicine in Fostoria from 1856 until his death in 1896. Hale Jr. received his medical degree in 1889 and practiced with his father for seven years.

Dr. Hale kept Fostoria (dare I say it?) hale and hearty at 108 W. Center.

Francis Stewart was a young school teacher when the Civil War closed the book on his career. He enlisted in the 49th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. By war’s end, Stewart was a captain.

He returned to civilian life looking for different opportunities. In 1866, he opened Stewart Hardware in Fostoria at 202 S. Main. He specialized in galvanized iron and tin and copper work. The store’s motto was “Fair dealing and low prices.”

Charles Olmsted was born in Fremont in 1830. At age 27, he came to Fostoria.

Charles was something of an entrepreneur.

He opened a dry goods store, sold his share of the business and became a grain dealer. In 1890, he put together a team of investors, raised $50,000 and opened the Mechanics’ Savings Bank Co. at 123 S. Main with himself as president. He must have been pretty good with a buck because he served as city treasurer for 20 years.

Carr & Fischer (that’s Mahlon and William) were only in the furniture business for one year when the Reflector said, “The proprietors are courteous and obliging and justly deserve their immense patronage.”

That immense patronage accounted for the fact that Carr & Fischer occupied two floors (40 x 100 feet and 66 x 100 feet) at 114 W. Center.

Lots of folks will remember Peter's Clothing, a men’s store. It opened its doors to fashion conscious men as the Red Star clothing store in 1879. For a time it was known as Peter & Fruth.

Then Peter’s sons, Philip and John, bought the entire business and it became known as Peter Brothers. For a time, they operated a second store in North Baltimore. The Reflector said John and Philip were “broad gauged, energetic businessmen” tending to men's fashion needs at128 S. Main.

F.E. and C.O. Robbins operated Robbins Bros. & Co. at 100 S. Main F.E. was a jeweler and C.O. was an optician. But both were trying to put a sparkle in someone’s eye.

It also took a good eye to be a good photographer and M.B. Waldo established a studio for that purpose. Waldo took the photographs used in the Reflector.

M.B. was pretty photogenic himself with his luxuriant, white handlebar mustache as wide as his ears.

Now it wouldn’t do to leave this subject without mentioning where folks went for a little jollity, to meet friends and to unwind a bit. Frank Engstrom ran the Earl Hotel on East Tiffin Street.

The hotel saloon was owned by two gentlemen named Berringer and Histe. Histe bought out Berringer and the bar became known as “Judge’s Place” since Charlie Histe, in spite of the complete absence of any legal background, was known around town as “The Judge.”

So all in all, I’d say life in Fostoria in 1897 was pretty good. But I wouldn’t want to foist my personal opinion on the readership. You’ll all have to judge for yourselves.