History Articles

PIX #1 thru 12 - Various Building on Main Street (will be explained in detail in the article).

PIX #1 - Opera House was located upstairs in the building, still standing at the northwest corner of Main and Center.

As a preview to The Review Times' 125th Anniversary Edition, today we present a stoll down memory land, literally.

"Potluck" columnist Paul Krupp takes us on a journey through the past in words and pictures with a special feature on Main Street of yesteryear.

Fourteen pictures, like the one at the left, are presented on the two-page spread on Pages 6 and 7.

The story takes us from the north end of Main, starting at what was known as Times Square, south along the street that is the heart of the city. Businesses and their locations are recalled. Buildings and proprietors from the past are mentioned as wel travel down the street.

The special edition of The Review Times is 64 pages, with 52 devoted to stories about people and organizations in the Fostoria area. There are pages of history told in words and pictures. Early days of the newspaper, industry, and retail businesses are recalled. And there are special features of Fostoria Glass, the railroads, great sports teams and our veterans.

One highlight is sure to be a tribute to couples who have been married 50 years or more.

STROLL DOWN MAIN STREET OF YESTERYEAR

EDITOR'S NOTE: The following recollections about downtown Fostoria were prepared by Potluck columnist Paul Krupp as a part of his writings on the history of Fostoria during The Review Times' 125th Anniversary celebration. More articles about the Fostoria area and its people will appear in our special anniversary edition Friday.

Back in the early days of Fostoria, the streets in the business district were unpaved and in the summer a large horse-drawn tank wagon equipped with a sprinkler system on the rear, was used to lay the dust. For many years Tom Duffey, traversed the streets, taking care of that duty.

Horse drawn vehicles of all types was the method of travel, along with bicycles.

From about the turn of the century, until 1930, street cars provided transportation to Toledo, Findlay, Bowling Green, Tiffin, Fremont and all the small towns in between. Connections could be made to reach points all over Ohio and adjoining states.

The groups of photos on this page, and possibly others will be welcome scenes of Main Street, starting at Times Square and extending south...along with names and types of businesses...and era in Fostoria when "uptown" was a beehive of activity, especially on Saturday night.

PHOTO #1

Times Square, looking north of Sandusky Street, and the LE&W Railroad track. Main Street on the right and Perry on the left. The Fostoria Times occupied the front portion of the triangular building. A variety of businesses occupied the remainder of the buildings on the two streets.

Other busineses in that area were plumbing and heating, Frank Bros. Mill, automitive dealers, dry cleaning, photo studio, barber shop, chiropractor, clothing store, and perhaps others which escape me now.

PHOTO #2

Looking south from Times Square, where Sandusky Street ends, the Cadwallader Building is on the left. It was a frame building which was demolished about 40 years ago. It extended from Sandusky to North Street. during the many years it stood there it was occupied by a variety of businesses, including groceries, barber shops, saloons, shoe repair, pool rooms, fruit and vegetable store, optometrist. The second floors were mainly residential quarters.

On the opposite side of the street there were two buildings, onle one remaining is shown in photo No. 2. A fire gutted the building not shown, and it was demolished.

The building shown is the one that survived the fire. The corner room at North Street is now the home of a motorcycle club that distributes food for the needt. The last business there was the Music Emporium. Next to the corner is the Medina Bar and Grill.

Prior to the fire, the west side of that block boasted a hardware store, barber shop, bakery, meat market, saloon and several doctors on the second floors.

PHOTO NO. 3

Looking south on Main, the building in the foreground at North was built by Messers Botto and Levaggi. For many years the ground floor was occupied by F.W. Woolworth 5 and 10 Store. The second floor contained office space and was occupied by lawyers, doctors, dentists, realtors, etc. The third floor was a large hall, used mainly for dances.

The building next to it was owned by the Cadwallader family and for many years the entire building with three floors housed mostly dry goods and ready-to-wear stores, or funiture merchants.

next to the Cadwallader Building was a two story building, still standing, but not used since the theater ceased operation. At one time it accommodated a meat market on the first floor, and also the post office at one time. The top floor once was the location for the newspaper forerunner of The Review and later office space.

The first floor of the building next to it and bordered by the alley was once the location of Bazely Meat Market, later a ladies hat shop and more recently a pizza parlor. In earlier years the second floor was a men's tailor shop.

PHOTO #4

Continuing the trip down "old" Main Street look at the right side of photo No. 4. the foregoing description ended at the mid-block alley. Only a portion of the two story building seen in the photo is still standing, and until recently it was occupied by Audio-Video Emporium. At one time it was the location of Fostoria Candy Works with which the Pappas' family of Candy- Land was associated. Later Isaly Diary Store was there. J. Overton on the second floor for many years.

Now we come to the corner of Main and Center, and the three-story building where The first Naional Bank was located. The bank was formed by Alonzo Emerine, father of Andrew who succeesed him as head of the bank.

Alonzo Emerine, a self-made man, started in business as a harness maker in the building, previously mentioned, where Bazley Meat Market was.

The First National Bank occupied the corner location of the first floor of the best built building on Main Street. Other businesses on the ground floor just north of the bank, were Mogles Restaurant and Snub Cummins Clothing Store for men.

The second floor was filled with offices for doctors, dentists, and others.

The third floor was headquarters for the Knights of Pithias Lodge.

The rest of the first floor on Center Street and the basement was office and shop space. Hays Insurance, Lorah's Collection Agency, barber shop, Sprouts Bicycle Shop and McCleod Sheet Metal Shop.

Continuing with photo No. 4, the most imposing building on the west side of Main, between North and Center was, and is the Andes block, but let's start at North Street.

The top floor of the building at North Street was once a business college, which started after the Fostoria Academy burned. At the business college, many young Fostorians received their education to get them a job and launch them into business careers.

The second floor was office space, usually filled. The first floor was occupied for the longest time by the A. Beesch Store, dealers in coffee, spices, dinnerware and other household items.

In later years Ohio Savings and Loan occupied the first floor.

Some of that three-story building can be seen in photo No. 5, taken in more recent years. The first floor, many years ago, was filled by merchants, some being, Ballreich's Store, Sheller's Grocery, Western Union, Clover Farm, Majestic Theatre and others.

The top floors provided office space for business offices and professionals.

Photo #4 shows an automobile along with the streetcar, but in the distance there is still a horse buggy and a bicycle parked at the curb.

Just south of the mid-block alley between North and Center streets is the two story Cadwallader building. (See photo 5A). It has had many types of businesses in it during the past years: restaurants, book and gift, music and clothing stores, with doctors and dentists in the second floor rooms.

The two-story building midway between North and Center, known as The Quinlin Block, where the Smoke House pool room is now, was built by a Mr. Quinlin who conducted a bakery on the first floor and lived on the second floor. In the basement under the Smoke House there was once a bowling alley, operated by Harry Aldrich.

The Quinlins had a son who became a well-known New York lawyer and art collector. When he died his remains were returned to Fostoria and buried at St. Wendelin cemetery.

Lastly, on that side of the street is the Andes Block, named after the original owner who had it built; and the grandfather of Gladys (Andes) Harrison.

The entire third floor of that building was once Fostoria's popular Opera House. In later years, stage and seats were removed and it was used for meetings and dancing.

The second floor was the first location of Ohio Saving & Loan, and otherwise was filled with professional offices.

First floor rooms housed many well-known merchants. The corner room was always the location of a drug store, the last being Edison's.

Next to it there was always a men's clothing store, three of them being Mickey's, Lamfrom's and Gary Weimerskirch's/

Kleinhen Office Supply occupied a room in the block for many years. Photo number six provides another view of the wst side of Main Street, between North and Center.

PHOTO NO. 7

Photo No. 7 shows the east side of Main Street at Center. This imposing building was the Alcott Blcok, and next to it the Hays Hotel, both of which were destroyed by fire in the 1960's. That block housed a variety of business and professionals through the years. A large marble column (shown in the photo) at the entrance to the corner, first floor room, displayed the name of "Vogel The Tailor". That column minus the nameplate, today is preserved at the Marley Law offices at Center and Popular streets.

Stores in Alcott Block at various times were hardware, shoes, confectionery, pool room, barbers, insurance, lawyers, doctors, dentists, and real estate. The third bloor was used by the IOOF Lodge, Elks and Moose, at various times. Wrestling matches were also staged on top floor.

The building at the right of Alcott Block housed the Hays Hotel, named after its builder (photo 7a). It was most popular in Fostoria for traveling men. It had a six-chair barber shop, dining room and bar. Bill's Economy Store started in the room in the Hays building next to the alley, later moving to its present location. When Bill's store moved, it bacme the Dress Shop, operated by Mrs. Dreitzler.

PHOTO NO. 8

Photo No. 8 shows the rest of the block between Center and Tiffin. Thw two story building on the right, opposite the streetcar, was the street car depot, with office on the second floor. That building also had a restaurant next ot the depot, to accommodate trolley car travelers. Those two rooms today are the home of Bill's Men's and Boy's Wear.

The next three-story building housed a variety of businesses on the first floor: jewelry stores...staring with Fitzsimmons and Fisher and ending up with Chapman's before they moved to the other side of the street. Several large clocks, as shown in photo No. eight were on Main Street back then, advertising the jewelry merchants.

Where Lee's Shoes is today has been a shoe store continually since the early part of this century, maybe earlier, starting with Mervin Lease. Later it was known as Lease & Linhart, Linhart & Peter, Linhart & Hess.

The last building in photo No. 8 at the corner of Tiffin and Main was the home of Peter Clothing for many years, prior to moving to the Foster Block on the south-west corner, opposite. at that location they finally dissolved the business.

The Preis Store took up residence where Peter Clothing started and now occupies the corner room as well as the one next to it on the north side.

PHOTO NO. 9

The trip down Main Street continues on the opposite side of Main in Photo 8 and 9. At Center and Main. City Loan occupied the corner room, also another room, but have consolidated their business in the larger room.

When Chapman's Jewelry store moved from the other side of the street they selected the space between the two City Loan offices and are still there. That location had other tenancts in the past: restaurants, pool room and news stand, shoe store and others.

Where City Loan is today was once the location for Capital Financial Services and Mode O'Day was where Chapman's is now.

In earlier dats, that block (Burtscher) was the home of Burtscher Grocery. Sheller & Shultz Grocery, McDonel Clothing Company and Mumma Restaurant. Where the Peters have the Gift Shop now was once The Shutt store, carrying a variety of merchandise.

South of the mid-block alley where Columbia Gas is today was a saloon for many years, with Ellis Photo Studios upstairs. Next to it was Wade Clothing Store; next to it the Mechanic's Bank, a forerunner of Union National Bank. Next was Crawford's Dry Goods Store and at the corner Harbaugh & Mickey Drug Store.

In later years the building which housed the corner drug store and Crawford's was demolished and the new Union National Bank Building was constructed, the present home of Toledo Trust.

In addition to that new building housing the bank it was also the location for merchants on the Main Street entrance: Harding "Square Deal" Jeweler, Peter's Gift Shop and Bert Miller's Drug Store with soda fountain. It was in that bank building that the Dillinger gang converged and made off with considerable loot, and providing Fostoria with a scare and much notoriety.

PHOTO NO. 10

Photo 10 shows the original Foster Block where Peter Clothing moved to the corner room from their original location, after Ohio Savings & Loan vacated. Next to Peter's was Burger's Shoes, now across the street and next to it was Credit Clothing Company.

The Elks Lodge occupied the second floor.

At one time the Foster Block was also the home of The Golden Hill Saloon and O'Neil's Grocery.

Next to the Foster Block was a two-story building which is only partially shown in photo 10. It contained two first floor business rooms and office space on second floor.

PHOTO NO. 11

Photo 11 shows that the Luna Theatre was in the room next to the Foster Block. the other room was Aldrich Pool Room. Postal Telegraph also occupied space in that building, as did a retail salvage store.

In our trip down Main Street, we now come to the area where the Municipal building now stands. Prior to that it was the Foster property complex: the C.W. Foster home, which is where The Review was at one time, and the Gov. Charles Foster home on Tiffin Street.

Prior to erecting the Municipal Building that area was made into an uptown city park, where band concerts and ice cream socials were held. Benches and a fountain was erected, donated by the Stover sisters.

Photo No. 11 shows the Security Building, next to the Municipal Building. When it was built it was claimed as the strongest and most secure building in town, thus its name.

During the years after erection it was home to many merchants and others: Ohio Power Office, Rowlands & KIng Furniture, Western Union, Montgomery Ward, plus professionals on upper floors.

PHOTO NO. 12

On the east side of Main, between Tiffin and South, was a busy area. The right side of photo No. 12 shows the corner location where Dell's is; prior to that it was Mogles Restaurant.

Fruth Hardware has been in their location next to dell's amost since its inception.

The one room of Fruth's store (to north) was once the location of Kimball;s Shoe store. At one time Chalmer Rhodier had a radio and eletrical store in that location.

Next, where Firestone is, was once an automotive and tire supply store, but prior, in about 1915, the Post Office was there.

Photo No. 12 shows the rest of that side of Main Street. Next to the alley is where J.C. Penney Store started in town, managed initially by E.R. Kellogg. That store continued until recent years.

Next to the J.C. Penney location was the Strand Theatre, which can be identified by the canopy over the sidewalk. My earliest recollection of the theatre was seeing Theda Bara in a silent movie there. Later that location was Pastime Pool Room, operated by Johnny Williams. That location is now Sherwin Williams. Burger Shoe Store occupies one of the rooms in that area, moving from across the street.

Another name associated with that area was Mahoney-Munger Hardware, next to the bank. Of course Commercial Bank started at the corner location and continues to operate a bank there as theur uptown branch.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: The descriptive material for the photos in this article was written strictly from memory, therefore, readers are asked to be considerable of error or for data that could have been included with research.