Seneca County Historical Society

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Then and Now - We recently acquired a group of glass plate negatives that provided photos taken around Tiffin, Ohio, bu...
06/08/2026

Then and Now - We recently acquired a group of glass plate negatives that provided photos taken around Tiffin, Ohio, but there were also photos taken of the family who owned them. This family took trips to Niagara Falls and on Lake Erie. Included in these photos was today’s awesome image (top). This was the sidewheel passenger steamer ship the “A. Wherle, Jr.” and we’re guessing the photo was taken in the early 1900’s. We looked into the history of this ship and learned that it was named after Andrew Wehrle, Jr. who was said to be the first child born on Middle Bass Island. His family established the winery: “Wehrle, Werk and Sons” on Middle Bass Island, but Andrew Jr. achieved his own prominence through a coal business in Sandusky, Ohio.

The A. Wehrle, Jr. steamer was built in Sandusky in 1889 and regularly ferried passengers from Sandusky, Ohio to the Cedar Point Amusement Park and the Lake Erie Islands. It operated as a sidewheel passenger steamer for several decades. It was later sold and moved to the Keweenaw Waterway. In 1919 it was again sold and moved to Duluth where it was renamed Rotarian in 1920. In 1927, it was again sold and moved to Chicago where the machinery was removed, and it was converted to a restaurant/speakeasy during prohibition. It sank at the dock in 1931 due to neglect and was raised and scuttled in its current location. It is now a popular dive site near Chicago.

We found the bottom photo showing the wreck of the Wehrle/Rotarian on the “Great Lakes Shipwreck Preservation Society – GLSPS” page. They are a nonprofit organization dedicated to “Saving our Shipwrecks” - "From Prevention to Preservation". If you like nautical history, this is a great site for you. We loved the old glass plate negative photo showing this steamer in all its glory carrying passengers to fun sites on Lake Erie. But it’s also incredible to learn and see its life history, and where it eventually ended up.

Then and Now - Today, we’re comparing views looking at the SE corner of Jefferson and Madison Streets in Tiffin, Ohio. ...
06/07/2026

Then and Now - Today, we’re comparing views looking at the SE corner of Jefferson and Madison Streets in Tiffin, Ohio. The huge building in the top photo was the Ursuline Convent and later it became part of Calvert High School. The old convent was demolished in the mid-70’s but there was always a green space left where the convent was located, as seen in the bottom photo taken a couple of months ago. We drove by today and saw that all of the green space is being removed and dug-up to make a parking lot. CORRECTION - We just learned that this area will be a sports practice facility and not a parking lot.

06/06/2026

The Big Boy #4014 leaving Fostoria, Ohio’s Railroad Triangle heading east to Bellevue!

Vintage Photo of the Day – We recently received a copy of today’s great photo from the Jim Homan family and we’re seeing...
06/06/2026

Vintage Photo of the Day – We recently received a copy of today’s great photo from the Jim Homan family and we’re seeing the interior of a cigar store that was located on S. Washington St. in Tiffin, Ohio. We researched the Tiffin City directories and we feel that this is the “Pastime Cigar Store” that was located at 47 S. Washington Street. The Pastime Cigar Store had been here for many years, but we found a Homan connection by learning that a Charles Homan was a clerk there in 1961. He was then listed as the manager there in 1962, but in 1963, it was then managed by Thomas Stasser. Today, 47 S. Washington St. is a private residence.

We found this vintage photo to be very timely as there are currently a couple of cigar stores now open in Tiffin. We noticed that there’s a high shoe shine bench on the right in the photo. We’ve gone through a time when men would wear some kind of hat such as a straw hat, a derby, or some other dress hat, but now that custom is mostly gone except for baseball caps. And same goes with show shines. For much of our local history, most barber shops, hotels and cigar stores had a shoe shine bench where men would stop by for a quick shine on their shoes, but those days are long gone. Thanks again to the Homan family for sharing this photo with us.

Big Boy No. 4014 – Seneca County, Ohio Route – We’re only one day away from the arrival of the world’s largest operating...
06/05/2026

Big Boy No. 4014 – Seneca County, Ohio Route – We’re only one day away from the arrival of the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, the “Union Pacific’s Big Boy No. 4014”. It’s making a nationwide tour across the United States to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary and we’re so very lucky that this locomotive will be traveling right through Seneca County and will be stopping twice in Fostoria, Ohio. The first stop will be tomorrow on Saturday, June 6th from around 2 pm to 2:15 pm at the Fostoria Iron Triangle Rail Park. They’re estimating that there could be as many as 20.000 people in Fostoria to see this locomotive, which is larger than the population of Fostoria.

For those who would like to see this mammoth historic locomotive but can’t handle the long walks and large crowds, we’re featuring once again, a map of the route that the “Big Boy” will be traveling through Seneca County on its way to Bellevue. We’ve marked with a blue line the route the train will travel through the northern part of the county, and anywhere a road crosses these railroad tracks is where you’ll be able to see it pass by. We’ve added red circles and ovals over the many crossroads and towns along the way including: Iler, Angus, Maple Grove south of Bettsville, SR 63 near and at Old Fort, past the Church & Dwight plant and south of Green Springs. We don’t have any exact times as to when the Big Boy will arrive at these crossroads, but it’ll be some time after the train leaves Fostoria at 2:15 pm.

When the Big Boy returns from the east coast, it will take this same route in reverse on July 14th. This will be an awesome opportunity to take a trip back into time when seeing these steam locomotives was a common everyday occurrence. For more info on this event, check in with the Fostoria Rail Preservation Society website - http://fostoriairontriangle.com/bigboy.htm There you can also view the live train camera and see the Big Boy arrive using that.

Then and Now – Today, we’re comparing another view looking at the north side of E. Market Street in Tiffin, Ohio between...
06/04/2026

Then and Now – Today, we’re comparing another view looking at the north side of E. Market Street in Tiffin, Ohio between S. Monroe and S. Washington Streets. This time the photo was taken more to the east end of the block. The top vintage photo looks like it was taken in the late 1950's. We can see the Moose sign on the far left which was on the same building as Larry's Shoes located at 59 - 61 E. Market. Across the alley at 65 E. Market was Russell Insurance and in the basement was Louis Griffin's Barber Shop. To the east at 67 East Market was Millie's Millinery. Homan's Bar & Family Room was in 69-71 E. Market, and next to that was the Tiffin Jewelry Store at 73 E. Market Street. The bottom photo is how this view looks today. The building on the far right that was once the Tiffin Jewelry Store is where Reino's Pizza and Pasta is located today. A lot has changed over the last 65-plus years!

Then and Now – Today, we’re comparing views looking at the north side of E. Market Street in Tiffin, Ohio between S. Mon...
06/03/2026

Then and Now – Today, we’re comparing views looking at the north side of E. Market Street in Tiffin, Ohio between S. Monroe and S. Washington Streets. The top vintage photo looks like it was taken in the late 1950's. We can see the Tiffin City Hall building on the left and on the right (east side) was the Comstock Jewelry store. Today, this is the City Hall Annex where the tax and sewer departments are located. Next to that building is 55 E. Market Street and the Tiffin Gun Shop. East of there is the Lake Shore Meat Market at 57 E. Market. Both 55 & 57 have since been demolished. Larry's Shoes is located at 59 - 61 E. Market and the Moose also shares this building. This before the one-way streets and we love seeing those classic autos in the photo. The bottom photo is how this view looks today.

Vintage Ad of the Day – Today, we’re offering an awesome ad from “The Commercial Bank and Saving Company serving Fostori...
06/02/2026

Vintage Ad of the Day – Today, we’re offering an awesome ad from “The Commercial Bank and Saving Company serving Fostoria in two locations: Bascom and New Riegel.” The ad was printed on a sheet of paper that measured about 12” x 18” and we’re guessing that it was possibly inserted into area newspapers. We’re not sure when this ad dates from, possibly in the 1960’s. It’s not often that we’ll find a local ad that tells an historic and personal story featuring people from Seneca County.

The wording at the top of the ad offers a dramatic description of early life here in Seneca County. “That first winter there were no floors, and blankets were hung at the windows to keep out the cold. Wolves howled outside, sometimes jumping on the roof and tearing at the shingles. Indians often entered the homes in search of food”. This is the story of the Earl Peter family and we can see his photo at the age of 19 in the ad. There’s also a photo of his 143-year-old log cabin.

Below is the wording (and story) that appeared on the bottom half of the Commercial Bank ad: “The time was 1833, the place about six miles southeast of Fostoria in Seneca County, and some of the settlers were Earl Peter's ancestors. In fact, the log cabin pictured here that Mr. Peter's dismantled piece-by-piece, moved to his property on Columbus Avenue and rebuilt in the same way, was constructed by his great-great grandfather that first winter. Everyone lived together in the same cabin until the next one could be built. Earl, who's 83 and a lifelong resident of the area, grew up in a different era... one of spelling bees, box-social auctions, dances that progressed from farm house to farm house for which his father played the fiddle, and selling eggs in town for 10 cents a dozen. In 1916 he became a Commercial Bank customer, and in 1920 opened a flower shop that he started with a 50-gallon barrel of gladiolus bulbs. He still works in the shop (now Flowerland) every day, and he's still a customer of our's. Thank you, Mr. Peter, for your 60 years of patronage.”

Then and Now – Today, we’re comparing another view from around 1969, looking at the inside of a department store in the ...
06/01/2026

Then and Now – Today, we’re comparing another view from around 1969, looking at the inside of a department store in the Westgate Shopping Center in Tiffin, Ohio. The top photo is a view of the check-out counters at the Arlans Store in Tiffin, Ohio. We can see how busy this store was and can see some of the trendy things of the day including the paintings along the wall and the aluminum lawn chairs. Arlans suffered a major fire on August 24, 1969, so this photo was probably taken before that fire. The store was open until around 1975 and then it became Joseph’s. Over the years, the building was occupied by other department stores after Joseph’s. The bottom photo is a current view taken in roughly the same area and direction. Today, this is the newly reopened “Big Lots” store.

Then and Now – Today, we’re comparing views looking at a department store in the Westgate Shopping Center in Tiffin, Ohi...
05/31/2026

Then and Now – Today, we’re comparing views looking at a department store in the Westgate Shopping Center in Tiffin, Ohio. The top photo is from around 1969 and it’s a view of a couple of ladies leaving the Arlans Store during one of their sidewalk sales events. Arlans was a very popular store in Tiffin, and after they closed, the building was occupied by many different department stores over the years. The bottom photo is how this view looks today and we’re pleased to see that the “Big Lots” store has returned to Tiffin and has opened in this location! We appreciate that the owners of the Westgate Shopping Center have done a good job improving and upgrading the storefronts and in keeping stores and businesses there.

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