There have been many claims that the name Sandusky was
French or Italian or of some other foreign origin.
In 1922 the author learned of a Judge J. M. Sandusky
residing in Missouri and wrote to him as to the origin
of his name? His reply follows and will probably
explain many similar claims.
The answer is of interest as coming from the descendant
of the Jacob Sodowsky, an almost legendary
figure in the stories of the northwest, the early trader
with the Indians, in whose name a considerable faction
wished to find the origin of the name Sandusky.
Mr. Sandusky, himself, places no credence in
this theory, but shares the general opinion that the
name is of Indian derivation.
"I am a son of William Sandusky," he
writes, "of Jessamine County, Ky., who was a son of
Ephraim Sandusky, also of said county, who was a son
of Jacob Sandowsky (or Sodowsky, as the
name was then spelled) of Virginia. Jacob
Sandusky (or Sodowsky) was one of the
seven children of Jacob Sodowsky, the
original progenitor of the family in the United States,
who came from Poland about 1730, and settled in
Virginia, where he married the daughter of a Virginia
planter. The seven children all moved to Kentucky.
Jacob Sodowsky, the first, was a trader
among the Indians in the vicinity of Sandusky Bay from
which fact there is a tradition in the family that
Sandusky Bay derived its name from him. I think,
however, the name Sandusky Bay is of Indian origin.
A map published in Amsterdam in 1720 founded on a great
variety of Memoirs of Louisiana, represents within the
present limits of Erie County a water called Lac
Sandouske. There is also a map published by
Henry Popple, London, in 1733, where the bay
is called "Lake Sandoski." A very probable account
of the origin of the name is the tradition of aged
Wyandot warriors given to General Harrison
in the friendly chat of the wigwam from which it
appeared that their conquering tribes in their conflict
with the Senecas, centuries ago, having landed at
Maumee, followed the lake shore toward the east, passing
and giving names to bays, creeks and rivers until on
coming to Cold Creek, where it enters the bay, they were
so charmed with the springs of clear cold water in the
vicinity that they pitched their tents and engaged in
hunting and fishing, and by them the bay and river was
called Sandusky, meaning in their language "At the Cold
Water." Butterfield gives a conversation of
John M. James, with William Walker,
principal chief of the Wyandots at Upper Sandusky, at
Columbus, 1835. He said the meaning of the word
was "at the coldwater," and should be pronounced San-doos-tee.
The Lower San-doos-
Page 54 -
tee (Cold Water) and Upper San-doos-tee being the
descriptive Wyandot Indian names known as far back as
our knowledge of this tribe extends.
The exact derivation of the name of "the road that
runs," is uncertain. Three Wyandot terms are at
our service: Sahun-dus-kee, clear water; or
Sandoostee, at the cold water; or Saundustee,
water-within-water-pools. The last name is
applicable to the extensive marshes along the river,
which are intersected by open water; while the other two
would naturally describe the clear, cold water of the
Sandusky basin springs, of which Castalia is the best
known example. The early French traders called the
river Sandusquet. By 1784, when Jefferson drew up
his ordinance for the division, nomenclature and
government of the western territory, the orthography was
practically settled and he wrote Sandusky, suggesting
that the district which this river drained be called
Metropotamia!
The First Settlers of Sandusky
The first permanent settlers came here in 1816.
Money at this time was very scarce and produce high,
prices ranging as follows: Flour, $10 per barrel, and a
poor article at that; salt, $8 per barrel; domestic
shirtings, 50 to 62 cents per yard; satinettes, $2.50 to
$3.50 per yard; green teas, $1.50 to $2.50 per pound;
brown sugar, from 25 to 30 cents per pound; loaf sugar,
from 40 to 50 cents per pounds, etc., etc. There
being so few mills and little wheat at this time,
families mostly depended on buying flour by the barrel.
Corn could not be bought for less than $1 per bushel,
nor butter for less than 25 cents per pound. One
principal cause of these high prices was the cost of
transportation. There were vessels on the lake at
the time, but freight could not be brought from Buffalo
here short of $2.50 per barrel bulk. For several
years the settlers consumed all the products that was
raised through this section; but as soon as a surplus
accumulated, a ready market was found at Detroit, Monroe
and other settlements in the upper regions of Lake Erie.
In the spring of 1817 the Town of Portland was laid out
by its then proprietor, Zalman Wildman, of
Danbury, Connecticut. It embraced that portion of
the present area of Sandusky which lies between Hancock
Street on the east, Decatur on the west, and Jefferson
on the south. During the ensuing year a claim was
interposed by Hon. Isaac Mills, of New Haven,
Connecticut, to an undivided portion of the whole tract
embraced in the present city limits, which resulted ina
compromise by which three-fourths was allotted to Mr.
Wildman and the other fourth to Mr. Mills.
In the spring of 1818 they united in laying out the
present plat of the town under the name of "Sandusky
City," since changed (by the provisions of an act to
provide for the organization of cities and incorporated
villages) to "Sandusky." Its location is on the
south side of Sandusky Bay, being in 40 degrees 32
minutes and 10 seconds north latitude, near the center
of the north side of the state; 100 miles due north from
Columbus, 60 from Cleveland, 60 from Detroit, 50 from
Toledo and 218 from Cin-
Page 55 -
cinnati; situated in an extensive and fertile region
known at that time as "Sandusky Country."
In 1819 a man named Kellyl kept a store at the
corner of Water and Hancock streets in a wooden building
a story and a half high. His son, W. E. Kelly,
of Port Clinton, had his account books in his possession
before his death. The high cost of living at that
time is shown by a few of the items when the scarcity of
money is considered:
|
To
postage on letter ......................
|
.19 |
|
To
cake soap ................................ |
.19 |
|
To 7
pounds lump sugar at 44 cents
....................... |
3.08 |
|
To six
yards calico at 5
shillings...................... |
3.75 |
|
James Ogontz, Indian Chief (Ogontz
Place)...................... |
|
|
To 2
quartz whisky......................
|
.50 |
|
By
three deerskins......................
|
2.75 |
|
To one
pound salts, Z. Wildman......................
|
37½ |
|
To one
pound candles, Eleutheros Cooke......................
|
.50 |
|
To 30
pounds nails at 25
cents...................... |
7.50 |
|
Tea,
cost per pound......................
|
1.50 |
|
Gunpowder...................... |
1.00 |
|
Salt.
per barrel......................
|
8.00 |
|
Pins,
per paper...................... |
.25 |
|
Axes...................... |
3.00 |
Sandusky In 1822, and Its Buildings
The late F. D. Parish settled and commenced the
practice of law here in 1822. The following
memorandum of the different buildings at that time in
this city made by himself was found among his papers
since his decease:
|
Dwelling houses on Water street: - |
|
1.
Steamboat Hotel, corner of Water and Wayne
Streets, two stories. |
|
2.
Brick, with frame in rear next west of
hotel, two stories |
|
3.
Log house on lot next west of last, back 20
or 30 feet from the street, front of it a
frame not covered. |
|
4.
Portland House on lot next west, two
stories, (This was kept as a hotel in 1835
and for some years afterward.) |
|
5.
Moors Farwell's dwelling, on lot corner of
Water Street and Columbus avenue, one-story
building back 20 or 30 feet. |
|
6.
One-story house on east side of Water, lot
35, where the Caswell Block is. |
7.
One-story house on lot next east of lot on
corner of Jackson and Water streets.
8. Two-story house on lot on corner of
Jackson and Water streets, east side of lot. |
|
9.
Story and a half house on corner of Water
and Decatur streets, John Weeden's |
|
10..
Log house west of Lawrence Street. (Captain
Martin's) |
|
Stone
Houses: - |
|
1.
William Townsend's store, now owned
by railroad company, and warehouse on end of
dock. |
|
2.
Jennings & Darling's brick store,
corner of Columbus Avenue slip and Water
Street, and warehouse on dock. |
|
3.
Old White Store on parts of two water lots
now occupied by east end of Reber's
Block. |
|
4.
Warehouse under the bank opposite the
Steamboat Hotel. |
|
Market
Street: - |
|
1.
One story and a half house on the easterly
part of lot 8, Columbus Avenue. |
|
2.
One story and a half house on the west end
of lot, corner of Wayne and Market streets. |
|
3.
Two-story house on middle part of lot,
corner of Hancock Street and Market, north
side of Market Street. |
|
Wayne Street: - |
|
1.
One-story building on lot 1, next
south of (balance of sentence obliterated). |
|
2.
Two-story house on west end of lot 1.
Washington Row. |
|
3.
Two-story house nearly opposite the last
mentioned house. |
|
Columbus Avenue: - |
|
1.
House on lot, corner of Water Street and
avenue on the ground next south of what is
now Graham's new block, front over 2½
stores and part one story. |
Page 56 -
|
2.
One-story house on south end of lot on which
West House stands and now covered by
Miller's Block |
|
3.
One-story house on west side of lot, corner
of Market and avenue, Doctor Anderson's. |
|
4.
House on corner of avenue and Monroe Street
(McGees.) |
|
5.
School house on west end of lot at corner of
Columbus Avenue and Washington Row. |
Times still continued hard. In 1820 adn 1822 money
was so scarce that many of the settlers left their
improvements and moved farther west, unable to pay for
their lands. And those who had their lands paid
for were obliged to lay up sixpences and shillings to
meet their taxes. All kinss of trade was carried
on by barter.
During the summer of 1822 a stage route was established
from here to Columbus. Also the steamboat
Superior, Jedediah Rogers, master, made
tri-monthly trips from Buffalo to Detroit, stopping here
on her way up and down. She was the second
steamboat that navigated Lake Erie, and was built to
take the place of the Walk-in-the-Water, a steamer built
in 1818, and made regular trips until the fall of 1821,
when she was lost. The Superior was built under
the inspection of Captain Rogers at Buffalo
Creek, and launched on Saturday, the 13th day of May,
1822, amid the cheers and acclamations of a numerous
concourse of people form this and adjacent towns.
A salute of thirteen guns was fired from her after she
had safely descended to her destined element.
During the year 1824 the channel across the flats into
the bay was staked, the water in the channel ranging in
depth from seven to nine feet. Since that time the
channel has been changed and improved, making the depth
in the lowest place eleven feet. On Sunday night,
June 6th, during this year, Sandusky was visited by one
of the most tremendous thunderstorms ever witnessed.
The flashes of lightning were so vivid as almost to
deprive one of sight; so rapid in succession as to keep
the whole heavens in a seeming blaze, and attended with
the most terrific electric explosions, while the
drenching rain descended in absolute torrents. In
noticing the above we feel inclined to give place to
another, occurring soon after, though of less
importance, yet its devastating effects will probably
illustrate the times of which we write as much as
anything we can adduce, and we know of only one
circumstance in the history of disasters to which it may
be comparable, and that is a collision and wreck on the
"raging canal." As the staunch upper deck cabin
horseboat Pegasus, Captain Tyler, commander was
on the way to this city from Lower Sandusky (Fremont) a
violent thunderstorm arose, increasing in its fury,
throwing down one of the horses and thereby rendering
the boat unmanageable, leaving the passengers and crew
to the mercy of the wind and waves. The boat being
disabled in consequence of losing her motive power, was
driven ashore and dashed upon the beach, but by this
fearful catastrophe, we are happy to state, no lives
were lost.
During this year 1824 Sandusky was incorporated.
Former difficulties existing between the inhabitants
and original proprietors being in a measure removed, the
place commenced to thrive and settle faster than at any
former period. The stage making her regular weekly
trips to Cincinnati by way of Columbus, and
Page 57 -
the tri-monthly visits of the steamboat Superior,
together with the shipbuilding, domestic trade and
business of the place, produced a stir and activity
interesting in those times.
Because Sandusky did not get the state canal, the
project of a
MORE TO COME
LATER
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Page 59 -
One of the treasures of the historical room of the
Library is a copy of the Charter under which the city
was organized in 1824. This was printed and bound
in the office of the Sandusky Clarion in 1830.
Page 60 -
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Page 62 -
The Germans in Sandusky
Notwithstanding a popular impression to the contrary,
there is abundant evidence that the Germans began to
come to Sandusky early. In a paper showing
individual research, written by Mrs. Sarah Sloane
and published in the memorial to the Western Reserve
pioneer women on the subject of "The Women of Sandusky,"
Mrs. Sloane quotes Mrs. Martha Eldis as
saying she came to Sandusky in 1828, and that for four
years her family was the only German family in the
village.
The following is the list of names of residents of
Portland Township for the year 1829. The list
includes the names of those who lived in the town as
well as those within the township and outside of the
town.
This enrollment was made in May 1829, by the trustees
of the township for the purpose of dividing the same
into school districts, and to be numbered one and two,
respectively. All that part of the town and
township lying east of Columbus Avenue and a line drawn
south in continuation thereof to constitute School
District No. 1, while the land to the west of Columbus
Avenue and the line above mentioned should form District
No. 2.
The resident householders of District No. 1 were as
follows:
The resident householders of District No. 1 were as
follows:
Amsden,
Widow,
Burnham, Gurdon C.,
Chapman, William,
Clemons, Alexander,
Darling, Isaac,
Darling, Joseph,
Dougherty, Davis,
Ellsworth, Daniel R.,
Ellsworth, Lewis,
Foreman, James, |
Galaway, Thomas,
Green, Michael,
Hamer, John,
Hardenbrook, Jerome,
Hill, Richard,
Lisle, William,
Lyman, Abner,
McGovern, ____,
Rhodes, Conrad, |
Smith,
David B.,
Tatie, Marble,
Terry, Chauncey,
Thompson, Presley,
Walker, Leicester,
Walker, Samuel,
White, Thomas T.,
Withington, Jesse,
Wright, James, |
Page 63 -
Anderson, George,
Bigford, Hezekiah,
Campbell, David
Cogswell,,, William
Cooks, Erastus
Cook, Widow,
Corbett, Aaron, C., |
Corbett, Winslow,
Drake, Charles F.,
Eldis, Martin,
Goodrich, Jacob,
Hancock, Widow,
Hurd, Widow,
Jennings, Roswell, |
McGeen,
Thomas,
Marsh, Cyrus W.,
Ransom, Judah W.,
Root, Abner,
Turk, John
Tuttle, Darwin H.,
Woodbridge, Adolphus, |
Householders of District No. 2:
Belknapp, Elijah,
Bishop, Widow,
Bouck, Jacob,
Carter, Rufus G.,
Clemons, E. D.,
Colvin, W. D.,
Cook, Augustus,
Costello, Widow,
Darby, Perry,
Dorrell, George,
Fairchild, Joshua,
Falley, Widow,
Gill, Michael,
Gregg, Benjamin,
Gregg, Erastus S.,
Grimes, Andrew, |
Hand,
Elias,
Hastings, Hewitt,
Henderson, Widow,
Hoskins, Lucas,
Lantes, George,
Louther, William,
McLouth, Amos,
Martin, Richard,
Martin, Widow,
Moore, A. M.,
Morgan, John,
Newton, Daniel,
Parish, Francis D.,
Pennewell, Samuel,
Poorman, John,
Porter, A. M., |
Reynolds, George S.
Rice, Isaac,
Slater, Henry I.,
Sloane, John N.
Smith, Kelly,
Townsend, William,
Tupper, Isaac,
Victor, Henry,
Weeden, John,
Wells, Ezra,
Wheeler, Joyn,
Wilcoxen, H. H.,
Wisopp, Daniel,
Withington, Benjamin,
Woodruff, Russell,l
Youngs, Knoulton, |
In 1816 Zalmon Wildman laid out the town and
called it Portland, and built the first frame building,
which was long known as the old White Store, and
occupied a portion of the ground covered by the east end
of the Reber Block on Water Street, where the
United States Express Company is now situated; and back
of this store Mr. Wildman built the first dock.
In 1817 William B. Smith, built the first frame
dwelling house, on the lot next west of Voltaire
Scott's American Hotel, a little back from Water
Street. The next year he built a brick front
coming up to Water Street, which still stands. In
this year C. W. Marsh erected the first frame at
the corner of Wayne and Water streets, and called it
Marsh's Tavern. Next year it was again
christened the Steamboat Hotel, because the first
steamboat, the Walk-in-the-Water, had commenced her lake
trips, and it bore that name till 1847, when
Alexander T. Porter built a veranda across the front
and it was called the Veranda Hotel.
The fist doctor was George Anderson, who came
from New York and died of cholera in 1834. The
first lawyer was Eleutheros Cooke, and the second
one was F. D. Parish, who crowned a long life of
labor for reform by seeing slavery abolished and
advocating temperance and prohibition. He was also
the first postmaster of Sandusky, in 1818, followed by
Erastus Cooke, D. Caswell, E. Brink, W. B. Smith, D.
Powers, John M. Brown, T. C. McEwen, E. B. Sadler, A. C.
VanTine, John M. Boalt, Charles M. Keys, George Daniel.
In 1817 the first sawmill
was put in operation by Dr. S. B. Carpenter on
Mills Creek, and shortly after another was erected on
Pipe Creek.
John G. Camp built the
first grist mill, still sanding, and is the two-story
portion of the stone building at the foot of Franklin
Street now used by the Baltimore Ohio Railroad.
The first stone structure was built by Hon.
Eleutheros Cooke on Columbus Avenue, where
the Star Theater now stands. Mr. Cooke
was
Page 64 -
PICTURE OF
THE OLD CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL
BEHIND IT, WHICH WAS USED AS A HOSPITAL IN 1849, AND
STOOD WHERE THE PRESENT COURT HOUSE STANDS.
Page 65 -
Page 66 -
Page 67 -
SANDUSKY IN THE YEARS 1831 AND 1832.
Page 68 -
Page 69 -
Page 70 -
Sandusky in 1835
Page 71 -
Page 72 -
train forerunners of the cholera, and were unknown here
till just before the arrival of that disease. They
are called, improperly, gallinippers, that being the
name of a fly which, in common with other species, oddly
enough called pontiacs, from the old chief of that name,
are exceedingly troublesome to horses. We ate our
dinner in haste and hurried on board a steamboat which
had just touched on her way from Buffalo to take in wood
and passengers."
PICTURE OF
Home of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Mills as it was in 1851 - as
we locate it now - is on Melville street between Camp
street and Pearl street, near Tiffin ave.
Early Voters of Sandusky
Page 73 -
PICTURE OF:
COLUMBUS AVENUE IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES, LOOKING SOUTH
WITH OLD COURTHOUSE ON THE LEFT.
Page 74 -
Page 75 -
Page 76 -
Page 77 -
PICTURE OF:
COURT HOUSE, SANDUSKY
PICTURE OF:
FIRST STONE BUILDING IN SANDUSKY
Page 78 -
Page 79 -
Page 80 -
Page 81 -
Built in Pioneer Days.
Lake Vessels in 1875
The Register of June 9, 1875, quotes from the Chicago
Tribune an article on the lake vessels, and says:
"There are yet living those who can extend their vision
back to the days of the birch bark canoe, now displayed
by a fleet equal
Page 83 -
if not superior to anything in the world. This has been
brought about with such astonishing rapidity that at
this juncture the supply exceeds the demand, and never
before have vessel men found themselves so greatly
embarrassed. From four to five months in the year
the navigation is almost closed by ice and in two
instances even that time has been exceeded, the first in
1807 when the lake did not open at Buffalo until June 1,
and again in 1811, June 4. The east shore of Lake
Michigan, the St. Clair and Detroit Rivers are rid of
ice much earlier than at other places between March 20
and April 15. While at Mackinaw it is still
further delayed.
"Lake Superior is the latest cleared of ice. The
ice varies from two to four feet thick and in 1875 from
5 to 6 ft. thick.
"In 1836 the total amount of tonnage on the lakes was
24,045.76 tons consisting of 45 steamboats, two ships,
seven brig, one barge, 47 sloops, 144 schooners, and ten
scows, total 256 vessels. Sandusky owned 4 steamboats, 9
schooners, and 6 sloops. Toledo 3 steamboats and 5
schooners. No steamers or vessels were owned on
Lake Michigan and those owned on Lake Huron were mainly
Canadian. In 1836 there were 18 steamers plying
from Buffalo west, of which 2 were from Sandusky, the
steamer Sandusky, Capt. T. J. Titus, of 377 tons,
and the Str. United States, Capt. Asa Hait, of
366 tons. "
There were eight steamers lost that year with a loss of
900 lives.
|
