Tony Jannus at Cedar Point: Lake Erie's Yesterdays on Pinterest

 

Tony Jannus on the Boardwalk at Cedar Point

August 1914

Photograph by Ernst Niebergall

Charles E. Frohman Collection

 

 

 

Above is a picture of Tony Jannus, one of America's most famous early flyers. Jannus was a test pilot for Tom Benoist, who built airboats at Sandusky, Ohio. During the summers of 1913, at the centennial celebration of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry's Victory on Lake Erie, and 1914, Jannus flew exhibition flights and took local residents on flights over Lake Erie. On New Year's Day 1914, Jannus flew one of Benoist's airboats on the United States' first scheduled passenger flight, between Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida. Jannus' flight heralded in commercial aviation in the United States. His fete proved that scheduled flights of cargo and passengers could be economically viable. More on Jannus, his life, and the upcoming commemoration of that first scheduled flight in an upcoming post...

 

You can see pictures of Tony and the Benoit airboat on Pinterest on my Lake Erie's Yesterdays board. There are also some of early fliers Harry Atwood and Glen Curtiss making flights over Lake Erie near Sandusky and at Cedar Point. More photos from the Charles E. Frohman Collection can be found by googling Lake Erie's Yesterdays OhioLINK.

 

 

  

 



Blue Streaks and Little Giants: More Than a Century of Sandusky and Fremont Ross Football



 

The Blue Streaks and Little Giants: More Than a Century of Sandusky and Fremont Ross Football

by Vince Guerrieri

 

The History Press

 

Everyone loves a football rivalry! And Ohio surely has some great ones! Sports journalist Vince Guerrieri, brings to life the highlights and history of the more than century-old rivalry of the high school football teams of Sandusky and Fremont.  It all began in the fall of 1895  when the Fremont, Ohio high school football team traveled to Sandusky, Ohio to play its very first game against the Blue Streaks. Since then, Fremont Ross' Little Giants and Sandusky's Blue Streaks have met more than 100 times!  

 

Rather than a statistical record, The Blue Streaks and Little Giants: More Than a Century of Sandusky and Fremont Ross Football chronicles the great games through the decades. Along the way, you meet an Olympian, an NFL draft pick, a Heisman Trophy winner, and dozens of coaches and players whose talent and passion for the game have led them to personal success. 

 

John Garvin

 

Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center

Guerrieri skillfully weaves into his narrative the history of the two northern Ohio towns and how they first came to play the game. (Above, I have added a picture of John Garvin, a graduate of the Naval Academy. He was the man who brought the first football to his hometown of Fremont. He not only organized and coached the team, but also played quarterback!)

Blue Streaks and Little Giants also features year-by-year game results and some great photos from private collections, the Sandusky Library, and the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center. Conducting more than a dozen interviews and consulting as many newspapers, Guerrieri takes you inside the tradition that began before the forward pass. As Guerrieri concludes, "the game of football grew up around it, the OHSSA, the NCAA, and the NFL." You can get your copy of Blue Streaks and Little Giants through The History Press.  

Celebrate the 4th by Attending the Independence Day Concert at the Hayes Presidential Center

Join the Hayes Presidential Center for its annual observance of the Fourth of July by attending the Independence Day Concert.

Concert time is 2:00-3:30 p.m. Thursday, July 4 and features the Toledo Symphony Concert Band. The signature element of this annual event is the presence of Civil War reenactors who provide unique percussion to performance of the 1812 Overture by firing a series of cannon. The effect is thrilling!

Admission to the Independence Day Concert is FREE thanks to major sponsorship from Crown Battery and Hal & Diane Hawk . Additional support is provided by Mosser Construction Inc, Richard Binau Insurance & Financial Services, & United Ohio Insurance Co.
Attendees are reminded to bring their own seats and come prepared for the weather (sunscreen and/or bug spray.) Snacks and drinks can be purchased at a refreshment stand. Free parking is available on the grounds of the Hayes Presidential Center and adjoining city streets.

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1913 Flood in Fremont and Tiffin, Ohio

 

 

 

Homes Damaged on Fremont, Ohio's
South Front Street

Flood of 1913

 

In a guest post earlier, HistoricNaturalDisasters.com featured the devastation in Dayton, Ohio caused by the 1913 flood that wreaked havoc throughout much of the state. The torrential rains created severe flooding of the Sandusky River, that resulted in the destruction of 50 homes and damaged more than 550 more in Fremont, Ohio. Three individuals died in the flood, one of them after rescuing hundreds of flood victims.   The damage to the Ballville Dam, businesses, residences, county roads, and bridges reached more than $1 million. A few miles upriver, in Tiffin, Ohio, 19 lives were lost and 500 homes were damaged.

Now on Historypin, you can see a slideshow of 35 historic photographs from the Charles E. Frohman Collection, showing some of the destruction suffered by residents. The photographs were taken by Sandusky, Ohio photographer Ernst Niebergall

Called to action, the city police and fire departments monitored river conditions, warned residents to evacuate the area, and rescued people from homes and businesses. Help came from the local Company K, 6th Ohio National Guard, and after several days, further assistance was requested and received from Battery B of Toledo and from Cleveland's Troop A.

Chambers of Commerce in several Ohio cities and even Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, sent aid. The New York Central Railroad assisted with communications, after long distance telephones went out. Relief was also received from the state of Ohio and the Red Cross. Churches and other organizations, such as the Elks, provided food and shelter. School rooms became temporary shelter for the sick when the hospital reached capacity.

Read more about the 1913 Flood in Fremont, Ohio at Sandusky County Scrapbook

Guest Speaker Lou Schultz Discusses Ohio Frontier's Role in the War of 1812 at June 2nd Program

       Lou Schultz

Lou Schultz whose extensive collection of War of 1812 materials is the core of the current Hayes Museum exhibit War of 1812 on the Ohio Frontier is guest speaker for a 2 p.m. Sunday, June 2 lecture in the Hayes Museum. Admission is free. All are welcome.

Schultz’s interest in the war’s history began at an early age. In the third grade his school visited sites related to the war including the Hayes Presidential Center. The inspiration of that trip led to a lifelong passion that included collecting artifacts and manuscripts from the war. The bicentennial of the War of 1812 has further ignited Schultz’s interest. He not only helped the Hayes Center create its exhibit, but also is a member of Ohio’s War of 1812 Bicentennial Commission.

His lecture focuses on the fact that Ohio was the scene of many of the major engagements of the War of 1812 in the Northwest. Not only did the British and their Native American allies invade Ohio on several occasions, but also it was from Ohio that the amphibious operation that culminated in the Battle of the Thames launched.

Schultz explains that the war marked the end of the long struggle by Native Americans to preserve their independence and resulted in the opening of Northwest Ohio for settlement. “The War of 1812 is an exciting, but little known chapter in Ohio history. This program will serve to heighten awareness of the importance of the War of 1812 in the history of our state and will serve as an introduction to the War of 1812 on the Ohio Frontier exhibit currently on display at the Hayes Presidential Center.” Schultz says. Lecture attendees can view the exhibit before or after the lecture. Hours are noon-5 p.m. on Sunday.

Civil War Regimental Colors of 72nd OVI

 

Regimental Colors of the 72nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry

 

The picture above is of the 72nd Ohio Regimental Colors prior to its recent preservation by the  Sandusky County Historical Society. On May 9th, I had the privilege of attending the unveiling of the now beautifully restored 72nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry regimental colors at the Sandusky County Historical Society in Fremont, Ohio. Sandusky County, Ohio has always been mindful of its history. And now, thanks go to the historical society and its members and the many donors who made the restoration possible!

 

Years ago, the historical society loaned the 72nd OVI colors to the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center for an exhibit that focused on Sandusky County in the Civil War. Using newspaper articles and diaries and letters at the Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center, its unique history was uncovered. Perhaps the short article below is worth republishing to better appreciate it and the sacrifices of the men of the 72nd during the Civil War .

  

Preserve the Colors or Die

 

"Remember when the banner is unfurled, that the cords of affection in your regiment reach back to us; and that every heart in Sandusky County will thrill with the fortunes of the 72^nd Ohio.  If it be its fate to fall, every household in Sandusky County will shed a tear over its loss."

 

With those final, dramatic words, Fremont, Ohio, Mayor Homer Everett presented the regimental banner, emblazoned with a "soaring eagle" to General Ralph Buckland who was leaving with some 900 Sandusky County, Ohio soldiers for the Civil War battlefields.

Civil War soldiers had a nearly-sacred regard for the American flag and their regimental banners.  Many sacrificed their lives in battle to protect their colors.  When Confederate forces captured the 72^nd Ohio's banner during its first battle at Shiloh, the soldiers of the 72^nd were humiliated and Sandusky Countians were shocked.  After apologies and explanations by General Buckland, the women of Sandusky County set to work to make a new banner for the regiment.  Buckland promised it never again would be lost.

It never was.

Even during the desperate retreat from the Battle of Brice's Cross Roads, when Rebels captured two-thirds of the remaining men of the 72^nd Ohio, the flag was saved.  Color Bearer Archibald Purcell ripped the flag from its staff, wrapped it around his chest, and concealed it beneath his shirt as he fled from the Confederate cavalry.  Later, Purcell said, "I thought if I were killed, the Rebels would never find the banner hidden beneath my shirt and it would have been buried with me."

Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard kept the original banner his troops had captured at the Battle of  Shiloh.  He later gave it to his chief of staff General Thomas Jordan, who bequeathed it to his daughter.  Years later, Miss Jordan donated the banner to a fundraising auction in New York.  Ohio Governor Asa Bushnell learned of the flag's existence and asked a friend to bid on the banner for him.

In October 1896, Governor Bushnell presented the banner to Medal of Honor winner Captain Charles McCleary and 72^nd Ohio veterans, who had gathered at Clyde, Ohio, for their annual reunion.  After 34 years in the South, the "soaring eagle" of the 72^nd came home to Sandusky County. 

 

Captain Charles McCleary
Clyde, Ohio

72nd OVI
Awarded the Medal of Honor

 Battle of Nashville

David Chambers and the Great Dayton Flood by Jeff Satterly & Robert Muhlhauser

The following is a guest post from HistoricNaturalDisasters.com, a fascinating new web project that compares historic photos of natural disasters with Google Earth images of those same areas today. 2013 marks the centennial anniversary of the floods that sent Ohio's rivers overflowing and levees and dams bursting throughout the state. Check out Jeff and Robert's article about David Chambers and 1913 Dayton, Ohio Flood. 

David Chambers and the Great Dayton Flood
by
 Jeff Satterly and Robert Muhlhauser

 

The week of March 21st through March 26th marks the 100 year anniversary of one of the greatest natural disasters to ever hit the United States. A series of storms caused flooding and even tornadoes that ravaged the Midwest and parts of New England during this week in 1913 and left hundreds dead and thousands homeless, and caused billions of dollars in damage.

While there were undoubtedly many powerful and heartbreaking stories following the Great Dayton Flood of 1913, one particularly powerful one comes from the Chambers family. David Chambers heroic story told by two of his grandchildren was documented by 1913flood.com. The women tell the story of the 24 year old father of three and his brave efforts that saved many. 

 

View of B.L . Lehman and Besko restaurant 

 on 134 West Fourth Street Dayton, Ohio 1913

The Chambers lived in North Dayton, in a home that was elevated about the level of the flood waters. When David saw the widespread damage the flood had caused to the city, he selflessly chose to leave the safety of his home, climbing into the family’s 16-person boat and rowing it out into the flood waters. David delivered supplies to victims all over the Riverdale area, and managed to save the lives of more than 150 Dayton residents.

 

134 West Fourth Street Dayton, Ohio Today 

 

Tragically, David’s heroism ended up costing him his own life. When a stray log struck the side of his boat, David was tossed overboard, where he ultimately died in the flood waters. The death of her husband left David’s wife, Stella, on her own to raise three daughters, all of whom were under the age of seven. During a period of financial instability, Stella was forced to place the girls in an orphanage. In the end, however, the girls were reunited with their mother. David was buried in the flood section of Dayton’s Woodland Cemetery.

 

 

View of the flooding at the corner of Fourth and Main Dayton, Ohio 1913

By the end of the flood, March 26th, the damage was widespread. 14 square miles of the Dayton were underwater, and more than 360 people were dead. Some 20,000 homes were completely destroyed, an estimated 65,000 people were left homeless, and all told, the city had suffered close to $100 million ($2 billion in today’s dollars) worth of damage. The cleanup effort took more than a year to complete and Dayton’s economy didn’t make it back to pre-flood levels until more than a decade after the disaster.

 

View of Corner of Fourth and Main Streets, Dayton, Ohio Today

Thanks so much to Nan Card for letting us share a piece of this historical project on Ohio’s Yesterdays. We’re humbled by the interest in this project, and we really hope you enjoyed this snippet of history!

 

We’d also like to thank some of the great archives and archivists who have done so much to work to help preserve the amazing history of the 1913 flood, including the Dayton Metro Library and historian Trudy Bell. The amount of history compiled at these two websites is truly amazing. Lastly, thanks to Jason from .Insurance Town.com who lent us some of the resources we used to help prepare content for the web and publish our blog, and inspired our Mapping History Contest. Don’t forget to check out HistoricNaturalDisasters.com for more images, and for information on our Mapping History Contest – help us figure out the locations pictured in historic photos from 1913 and you could win $100!