Three Days in the Life of Fostoria
June 28, 1998

Here we are, early in 1998. The 20th century has nearly run its course and the 21st century is almost at hand. In 1903, the city of Fostoria was on the verge of completing its first 50 years following the union of Rome and Risdon in 1854.

Recently, the Focus happened upon three issues (Feb. 17-19) of the Daily Review Dispatch from 1903 which afford a window (even if a yellowed and tattered one) on life in Fostoria 95 years ago when the 20th century was just aborning.

Here's some of what those papers told Fostorians of the day.

Normally, a newspaper's "Legal Notices" aren't the most riveting reading, but on Feb. 18 it was announced that the Deputy State Supervisors of Elections were holding a hearing to establish voting precincts and wards in Fostoria, a system still in use today.

An ordinance was before City Council to fix the salaries of various public officials - mayor $400, president of council $75, auditor $800, treasurer $500, solicitor $600 and safety director $100. And, of course, 95 years ago, those were annual wages.

On Thursday, Feb. 19, 1903 Thomas Dixon, Jr., novelist and lecturer, addressed an audience in the Andes Opera House. Known for his fierce loyalty to the South, he was famous at the time for his novel, The Leopard Spots. In 1905, Dixon (1864-1946) would publish The Clansman, the novel on which the famous 1915 film, The Birth of a Nation, was based.

It was duly reported that C.G. Heinsman of Amsden left Fostoria on Feb. 17 for "Oklahoma and Indian Territory." It's worth noting that in 1903, Oklahoma was four years shy of statehood.

The "Indian Territory," was established in 1834, comprised the territories of Kansas, Nebraska and the portion of Oklahoma north and east of the Red River.

The Indian Territory was set aside for Native Americans displaced by white settlement of the American continent. It shrunk as those territories became states and disappeared with Oklahoma's admission to the Union on Nov. 16, 1907.

Harbaugh and Mickey's Drug Store at Main and Tiffin Streets advertised Feb. 18 with the male demographic group in their marketing cross-hairs.

"Men who want their youth, to feel the same as when budding into manhood, use Rocky Mountain Tea. Brings back that vim, vigor, mental and physical power of bygone days. Free if it fails. 35 cents."

I'm all too well acquainted with that "bygone days" stuff. Thirty-five cents? Sign me up.

Speaking of ads, Smith's Dairy Lunch touted regular meals for a quarter and invited customers to "Try our special warm lunches, 15 cents. Quick service."

The St. Cecelia Club, a women's group, met one evening. A Mrs. Hale presented her paper on the live and work of American theologian and educator, John Neville.

The remainder of the program was taken up with various piano and vocal selections performed by the members, including singing by "Miss Hollopeter" (Mighty lak 'a' rose and To Anne). We wonder if she was any relation to Isaiah Hollopeter who founded the village of Rehoboth in the 1840s. Either way, upon the programs' conclusion, "Dainty refreshments were served."

The biggest news in Fostoria then was the tragic explosion at the "bullet factory" north of the B&O station on South Main St. The apparently nameless factory was owned by a Mrs. Reidel and manufactured the explosive for the Fox Magazine Cane.

A defective sorting machine handled some of the material too roughly causing a number of small explosions which set the building ablaze. Nine people were killed - Harmon Good, Elsie Van Fleet, Joseph Burdge, John Hazen, J.W.P. Green, Elva Spence, Hettie Purnell and the Mompher sisters, Alice and Jennie. Hettie and Alice were 19 years old and Jennie was 16.

For two days after the calamity, business throughout the city closed from noon to 2 p.m. out of respect for the dead.

Finally, a branch of the Tabard Inn Library was opened in Harbaugh and Mickey's. The Tabard was a subscription library (you paid for a membership). E.C. Shaffer was the local representative.

A member could keep a book as long as desired and exchange books whenever he or she pleased. In addition, members could exchange books at any Tabard Inn Library which tried to establish branches in towns of over 500 in population.

The Tabard Inn Libraries probably didn't last long as the free public library movement in the country had up a good head of steam. In 1892 the Fostoria High School Alumni Library opened to the public for a membership fee of $1 per year.

In 1900 the City put up money so the library would be free to all residents. In 1913 the library was built on the present site as a result of grants from Andrew Carnegie and Mrs. Louisa McClean.

We'd like to close with this item from "The Past is Prologue Department." You know how today we're fond of saying that everything causes cancer or some other disease? Back then, it wasn't much different.

The Daily Review-Dispatch advised its readers on Feb. 18, 1903, "Drink water and you get typhoid. Drink milk and you get tuberculosis. Drink whiskey and you get jimjams. Eat white flour and get appendicitis. Eat soup and get Bright's disease. Eat beef and encourage apoplexy. Eat oysters and acquire toxemia. Eat meats of any kind and get indigestion or some other kind of germ disease. Eat vegetables and weaken the system. Eat desserts and get paresis. Smoke cigarettes and die young. Drink coffee and tea and obtain nervous prostration. Drink beer and have dyspepsia. Drink wine and get the gout. Listen to the advice of your neighbors and be an idiot. Disregard their advice and be a fool."

On that note, I'd like to thank Sue Sullenberger out at the Legion for giving me the old papers and Kristi Smith at the Kaubisch Library fo the information on Fostoria's first libraries. And the jimjams are the jitters, shakes, delirium tremors, the DTs - just in case you are wondering.