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Ottawa County Time Traveler Eastern Ottawa County Past & Present SEPTEMBER 2025 |
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by Linda Higgins In 1901 Buck’s Opera House was built at 105 Madison Street, the second building from Perry Street, for about $12,000. That building, now known as the Hersberger Building, boasts a stone watertable, notable quoins, and a large arch over the entry. The arch itself has a corbelled cornice and a shaped parapet over it. It was a unique design, but the structure was built to last and last it has.
The Port Clinton High School graduation ceremonies took place there in 1901. The building then served for a time as the armory for Company M, Sixth Infantry, Ohio National Guard. After the armory moved, the structure became The Standard Garage, where George Hiram Holmes designed and produced the Holmes Little Giant tractor from 1910 to 1911. Holmes did not want to mass-produce his tractor, and in 1912 Port Clinton’s first auto-sales garage, operated by Scott Matthews of Matthews Boats, and Fred Dewitt, a local jeweler, took over the space. The town basketball team used it as a gym during the winter, when no cars were sold. The Standard Garage sign would remain above the massive central door regardless of the many occupants, including an A&P grocery located there from the 40s until 1964.
In 1936, Milton Hersberger, founder and owner of Island Airlines, “The World’s Shortest Airline” (1925-53), bought the first Ford Tri-Motor, to be used for air travel to the Lake Erie islands. The "Tin Goose" carried passengers, mail, and cargo (e.g., farm animals, appliances, groceries) to and from the islands. The plane also served as an ambulance and rescue plane, and transported the deceased, when necessary. At its top speed of 85 mph it made the 17-mile round trip in less than 45 minutes.
Hersberger and his airline became famous in the 1940s, and he served as one of the first members of the Ohio Aviation Board from 1945-1947. Then, in 1953, Hersberger sold his airline to Travelair Taxi, Inc., a subsidiary of Sandusky Airport, Inc., for $95,000. Hersberger had owned Urb's Cafe in Port Clinton since 1951, so he and his wife operated that business for the next decade.
In 1965, he bought The Standard Garage at 105-109 Madison Street, planning to remodel it to house professional business suites. Only Dr. Jack Savage had his dental office there when Hersberger’s open house was held on June 9, 1965. Subsequently, doctors, service bureaus, insurance agencies, as well as Salvation Army, Red Cross, and United Way agencies, opened offices and headquarters there. Some retail shops were located there, also. The old edifice has withstood many storms, literally and figuratively. It was ultimately named in honor of Hersberger, who died in 1987.
The Brick House is thriving in the Hersberger Building now, the new owners having proclaimed it “a cool building that we’re trying to make even cooler.” It was not in great shape when the group of friends from their Immaculate Heart school days bought it, but they were determined to make it live again. They have succeeded, calling it the “Crown Jewel of Madison.” The Port Clinton High School graduates (familiar names, all: Kokinda, Celek, Warnicke and Milazzo) wanted to give back to their community and have done so by having the Hersberger Building honor our local history, while filling contemporary needs.
Use this link to see or share the article online: Linda |
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by Lorrie Halblaub In this 6th article of the series we are taking an historical look at an area that covers approximately a mile of Main Street in downtown Marblehead. Heading east from the Village limits, we will discover the facts and the stories of how Marblehead became what it is today. East of the Biro Buildings is a small building at 1002 West Main Street that is called Teriyaki Designs. They sell all kinds of customized clothing, drinkware, and other locally themed clothing and gifts. They make sports teams shirts for Danbury Schools. When it was first built, the building started as George and Ruth Benya’s “Snack Shack” a small grocery store, snack bar and local gathering place. Many locals went there every morning for coffee, conversation and something sweet to start their day. After the Snack Shack closed, the morning coffee klatches continued when Jill Shrock opened “Jill’s Sweet Delight Bakery.” This bakery was best known for their fresh donuts and cream horns or ladylocks, a local ethnic food. The dough was wrapped around special clothes pins and baked with a hollow center that was filled with a delicious cream filling. This dessert was practically the fifth basic food group at many Danbury graduation parties, baby showers, and weddings. Below is a photo of what is left of the old Snack Shack sign. It said Snack Shack, Bakery and Carryout. Here is the labor-intensive recipe, adapted from Anna Lesko’s recipe for Ladylocks from “The Best in Cooking in Marblehead” a cookbook sold by St. Mary’s Ladies Aid Society of the St. Mary’s Greek Catholic Church. Mix 9 egg yolks, 1 tsp. salt, 5 c. flour, 3 T whiskey, 1 ½ c. cold water. Let raise for ½ hour. In another bowl, beat 4T cornstarch, 1 ½ lb Crisco shortening together until smooth. Divide the risen dough into 5 parts. Roll out each and spread with some of the Crisco and cornstarch mix and fold sides toward the center. Place in the refrigerator for 1 hour. Repeat this rolling out, folding and refrigerating two more times. Roll the dough thinner and cut 7 inch long and 1 inch wide. Cover a clothespin with aluminum foil (or use special baking clothespins) and neatly roll the cut strips of dough around the pin . Bake at 350 degrees until light brown. Remove the clothes pin and foil while still hot. Mix filling---½ c shortening, ½ c. butter, 1 egg white, 1 c. sugar, 2 tsp vanilla and ¼ c. hot milk. When the dough is cool, fill the pastry with cream filling. Jill always dusted hers with powdered sugar and kept refrigerated until serving. You can use this link to read or share this article: Lorrie |
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While "leaf lookers" describes many who travel to view fall foliage, I recently listened to a news story about how many people are extending more regular vacations into the fall months. Hardly a new idea, as indicated by the Greyhound ad below: |
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The Ohio Memory Project provides access to over 26,000 primary sources from 330 archives, historical societies, libraries, and museums. The web site can be found on the idarupp.org website under Online Resources by Subject, then Local History. As weather turns colder and you're spending more time inside, this resource gives you plenty of options to search the past - by places, subjects, contributors, or time period. Whether looking for specific information or just interested in Ohio history, this site offers a look at actual records, papers, photos, and more. |
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September, like other months, has special and promotional events related to it. The month of September was designated as National Honey Month in 1989, to raise awareness of the bee keeping industry and the honey it produces.
September is the month that marks the end of the honey collection season for many beekeepers in the United States, so it makes sense to promote and celebrate American beekeeping at this time of year. Protecting honey bees is increasingly  important as these pollinators are crucial to maintaining the health of the ecosystem and supporting our agriculture. Not only do they produce the all-natural honey we enjoy, but honey bees pollinate more than a third of the foods we eat, including many fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Honey - it's more than sweet. |
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Hersberger Building - photo taken Sept. 16, 2025 |
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