Ask Our History Detective
Do you have a Toledo history question? Are you researching your Old West End home? Email our history detective at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . We can help!
________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Hello!
Quite some time ago I had written about the information given about 2036 Robinwood Ave. The home was built in 1892 by Francis B Arnold. He lived in the home until his death in 1905. The second owners were John R and Josephine Calder. He was a lawyer, she a popular watercolor artist.
I believe you had asked me for my research. I can provide this to you.
I have been trying to get more information on Francis B Arnold and his restaurant Union Depot Dining Hall. Also I have been trying to get a piece of Josephine Calder’s art to display in the home she loved so much.
This is a wonderful site. I am so grateful to have it for reference.
Sincerely,
Aimee Faykosh
________________________________________________________________________________________
Hi,
I found an old office chair and on the bottom was a shipping label from jasper chair company to the Toledo Office Equipment Supply Co. And was wondering what was the years of operation for this Toledo company. There is no zip code on the label.
Hello to you,
The Polk's Toledo City Directory first listed the Office Equipment & Supply Company, managed by Bruce R. Smith and located at 236 Summit, in their 1936 edition. Mr. Smith had previously worked for Eriksens, a typewriter and office supplies business. The Summit location, recently vacant in the mid-30s, had been the site of the Daudt Glass & Crockery Company for many years.
The 1940 directory still listed Mr. Smith as the manager of the office supply business which remained at 236 Summit. By the time of the 1941 publication, Oma Smith had become a widow.
________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________
In the 1920 Census, James and Ina Duley Ogdon lived at 2725 Glenwood. Ina was quite famous as a writer of hymns and a couple of books.
Her obituary:
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mzoxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=SAEEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7400%2C2731715
http://www.freewebs.com/marchi/history.htm
http://www.toledoblade.com/North/2008/09/04/1830s-Bedford-Township-home-intrigues-history-buffs.html
http://www.toledoblade.com/Music-Theater-Dance/2013/07/01/Piano-brightens-the-corner-of-hymnist-home-once-more.html
Debbie Martin
________________________________________________________________________________________
My Grandfather operated Gray's Candy Store on Galen Street in the north end. I am trying to find out how long it was in business. My father was born in Rock Island, IL in 1905 and he attended Waite High School in the 1920s, so I thing it operated from after 1905 to the 1940s (he was born in 1883, so he would have been 65 in 1948). I have a small photo of the candy store (see attached). Any information you can provide would be greatly appreciated. Please feel free to use this photo on your web site.
Ron
Hello Ron,
We started with a Toledo Polk's City Directory from 1910. It listed an Auburn Gray of 3366 Cherry as an inspector of the Central Union Telephone Company located in the Spitzer Arcade. Clark Gray of the same address was a meat cutter with the Miller Brothers Grocery which went bankrupt in 1912.
The 1921 directory listed Auburn Gray as a confectioner with his candy store located at 724 Galena at Chase; while a 1924 directory listed the store's location as 720 Galena with the family living at 714.
By 1925 the Grays had moved the store to 2911 Detroit Avenue near the fire station and across from Glenwood School. Scores of workers passed by daily as they walked through their Old West End neighborhood to the nearby auto plant on Central Avenue providing the store with a large customer base. Auburn and his wife Emma along with son Clark W. Gray lived at the same location. The 1928 directory revealed that the family had quit the candy business and moved to 1736 Loxley Road and still later to 4107 Asbury by 1931.
Your History Detective
________________________________________________________________________________________
Ilive on the side of Mulberry is directly across the street from forest cementary, so I was wondering if where my house sits which is 1711 Mulberry like what use to be here??? I'm basically trying to find out what use to sit on the land my house is now on, like was the cemetery ever on this land was it moved.That kind of thing.
Thanks,
Elda
Hi Elda,
The office of the Lucas County Auditor revealed that your house was constructed in 1885. These dates haven't always been the most reliable however. The 1900 Toledo Polk's City Directory listed a Joseph Ellenrieder, a finisher, as boarding there. He could have been a renter. Both the 1907 and the 1910 directories listed him as a shoemaker and apparent owner of the house. The 1907 directory also listed a Albert J. Ellenrider (note spelling change) as a boarder.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Hi, I'm wondering what information you may have or what direction you can point me into where I could learn more about these two breweries. The Eagle Brewing Company and the Schmitt Brewing Company which were sold to the Huebner Brewing company.
It would be my Great, Great, Grandfather, Theodore who owned Eagle Brewing and sold to Huebner. After selling to Huebner, he started the Toledo Port Clintion Lakeside Railway.
I am seeking to learn more and see or own any family, historical artifacts related to his ventures.
I found your site:http://www.oldwestendtoledo.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57&Itemid=80 by doing a web search for more information.
Also, I believe that the "Schmidutz" side of the family in the Toledo area were considered Marketers (hunted game to sell) and tavern owners in the area. If there is any information relative to the Schmitt or Schmidutz family that you can provide, it would be greatly appreciated.
________________________________________________________________________________________
Dear History Detective,
Love your web site. I am originally from Toledo and loved growing up there but jobs brought us down here.
My quest is looking up some history of the old south end. In particularly the 1500 thru the 1700 blocks of Broadway.
A picture or the name of the business in the 1950's. I remember a dry goods store and I believe the name was Whitney's Dry Goods. For the life of me I can't find a thing about the store or stores nor can I find any one who remembers. It was a very long time ago.
I hope you will help me.
Karan
Hi Karan,
The Whitney Department Store was located at 1625 Broadway in the Old South End. The 1954 Polk's Toledo Directory listed various businesses in the 1500 blocks of Broadway including Broadway Bootery, Kroger, Walford Variety Store, Three D Club restaurant, Harry's Auto Sales, Broadway Recreation (billiards), Sass & Son (vet), George Abel (florist), Earl Meyer (drugs), Humpty Dumpty Restaurant, Bernards, Broadway Men's and Boy's Store. Besides Whitney's, the 1600 block had stores such as Toledo Trust, Dutch Maid Candies, Jax Services (filling station), Viking Hall and Temple, Gempel Hardware, State Liquor Store, ,Calumet Masonic Temple, Triangle Sales and Services, Joe I Cooper Florist, Ernst Rexall, and Toledo Branch Library. You could go to Carl's Barber, Hutton Automotive or go bowling at Olympia Recreation; all in the 1700 block of Broadway.
We hope this partial listing will spark many wonderful memories of the time you lived in Toledo.
Your History Detective
____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Greetings History Detective,
I am searching for the obituary information of my g-g-grandfather, Emery D. Potter, Jr.
Evidently, the September 30, 1929 issue of the Toledo News-Bee reported his death, along with a lengthy biography appearing on page 1. His photograph was on page 2.
If possible, could I obtain a scan of the obituary? I am also interested in any other pictures you could uncover of E.D. Potter, jr., along with his father, Emery Davis Potter.
Thank you!
Thanks for the nice website on the old west end. We lived on Fulton most my childhood and have many fine memories of walking from there to Fulton school and Rosary Cathedral School (rain or snow). Sorry to see quite a few homes were torn down and that Cherry was widened which dead-ended Fulton.
Our father worked at the International Institute for a few years in the mid 1960’s and as I remember it I think it was on Sherwood. All I remember is it was a mansion with at least 3 floors and extremely well made and in its day must have been very pretty.
Again Thanks and Best Regards,
Mario
Mario,
The International Institute recently relocated from 2040 Scottwood Avenue (not Sherwood). The home is now a private residence once again.
Thanks for your email. By the way, we are always looking for vintage photographs to add to our research site.
Your History Detective
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dear historian,
I am researching the Ohio & Milburn Electric car companies.
The reports on board members list Abram M. Chesborough as president of Ohio Electric. You, and another Ohio history website have the spelling as Chesbrough (and one spelling of Chesebrough). The Supreme Court records show the name as Chesborough.
Which is it?
Thank you,
Galen Handy
Dear Galen,
Hubbell's Blue Book (1899) which was a social register of the time spells the name as Chesbrough. We also checked our 1910 Polk's Toledo Directory for the spelling of your inquiry. The spelling is Chesbrough. We are confident that Chesbrough is the correct spelling and not Chesborough.
Your History Detective
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
Before buying the book, can you tell me if certain relatives of mine are in the book or not ? They lived in Toledo.
Ezra Squires Dodd or his sons Henry Wood Dodd and Theodore Hale Dodd ?
Ezra was a senator around 1844. His 2 sons had Civil War fame.
thanks