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Readers,
After a serendipitous meeting between Ying Pu, publisher of this
newspaper and John May, Executive Director of the Sandusky Area
Maritime Association and curator of the Maritime Museum of Sandusky,
she began to ponder what lessons of history this specialized museum
may have to offer us today and to the wider world. Particularly
intrigued as Mr. May, a former officer in the Marine Corps, had
spent time both living and studying in China, she suggested we meet
with him at the museum for a conversation. While the rich history
provides more insights than can be covered here, we hope that you
will enjoy this sampling of some of the highlights:
Surprising Connections can Link Humanity, both Literally and
Figuratively
(or, You Can Get There from Here)
In our day of air travel, it’s hard to image that Sandusky, Ohio, a
small mid-western town on the shores of Lake Erie has been an
important gateway to the world, but indeed, Mr. May explains, from
the waterways of Sandusky it is possible to travel by ship all the
way to China. He describes a journey from Lake Erie through the
Welland Canal to Lake Ontario, connecting to the St. Lawrence
Seaway, the St. Lawrence River and then sailing into the Atlantic
Ocean. From there he stated, China is only three oceans away…and
here we had our first lesson of history: a long, arduous journey
requiring patience does not equate with impossible and can be a
metaphor for other difficult endeavors we face in life.
Indeed, people as well as cargo of the 1800s traveled these
waterways, which were the superhighways of that day, allowing towns
and industry to spring up along the Great Lakes. A synergy developed
between various industries, with timber being harvested to build
ships for pleasure, commerce and fishing, and also to create barrels
to store the fish, with ice being harvested from the frozen lake in
the winter to preserve the fish. While the lumber, shipping and
fishing industries are still alive today, are you asking: “What is
ice harvesting?” This leads us to our next lesson of history.
The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same
While a present-day refrigerator/freezer often has an ice dispensing
feature, this is a relatively new luxury in the history of
humankind. In the era preceding modern refrigeration technology,
Sandusky, with its consistently cold winters, was well-known and
highly regarded for its high-quality ice, harvested from Lake Erie.
In the late 1800s, hundreds of railroad cars per day were filled
with ice to be shipped across the U.S. There were specific jobs tied
to the ice industry, with those who cut the ice, those who moved the
ice through the canals, those who stored the ice in ice houses which
could remain frozen for up to three years, and those who delivered
the ice.
The advent of the first gas operated ice cutting machine in the
early 20 th century eliminated work for many of the manual ice
cutters, and of course, modern refrigeration was the death knell for
the entire industry.
We see parallels today as economists tell us we are now in the
Fourth Industrial Revolution, with many people losing employment due
to technological advances. These changes are occurring at an
ever-increasing rate, thus the question to ask is not whether
technological advances will continue to eliminate some jobs, but how
will society respond to smooth the transition, so that no one is
left behind?
Sandusky’s Role in the Underground Railroad
Sandusky played a substantial role in the Underground Railroad,
which was not a literal railroad, but rather a network of safe
houses run by abolitionists to help enslaved people escape. Crossing
the Ohio River represented a first step toward freedom although it
wasn’t the ultimate goal, for while the northern states were free,
the laws of the country at that time allowed for escapees to be
captured and returned to the south. As Canada had abolished slavery,
Sandusky, situated on the west end of Lake Erie, was in an important
geographic position to assist escapees to cross the waters into
Canada. Oftentimes abolitionists would pay for passage on the ships.
Anti-slavery sewing societies emerged to make wardrobes to replace
the lower quality clothing of escapees.
A special exhibit at the museum pays tribute to Sandusky’s
contributions, and includes two characters from Harriet Beecher
Stowe’s novel Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which heightened awareness of the
cruelty and inhumanity of slavery. Harriet Beecher Stowe herself had
a connection to Sandusky as she had a cousin living there. Her
character, Uncle Tom, was based upon Josiah Henson, who made his
escape with his family through Sandusky ultimately reaching Canada.
While we witness today the horrifying legacy of slavery which has
spawned a movement, not only in the U.S., but globally, we are also
heartened by the legacy of the abolitionists to leave no person
behind as a member of the human race.
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New Life Arising from Tragedy
A discussion of Sandusky Bay would not be complete without including
Cedar Point, notes Mr. May. A resort destination and one of the
oldest operating amusement parks in the U.S., it once saw graceful
steamers traversing the waters bringing vacationers and tourists to
enjoy the summer pleasures and relaxation it had to offer. The
eponymous A. G Boeckling was one of the most beloved steamers, named
for and by the businessman of German descent whose novel ideas
brought national recognition and acclaim to Cedar Point.
Christened in the waning years of the Belle Epoque and operating
until the early 1950s, the sidewheel steamer was a source of fond
memories for those who grew up in the Sandusky area during those
times, from remembrances of class outings to perhaps a first kiss or
engagement. When eventually taken out of service and suffering the
rather ignominious fate of becoming a floating warehouse, a group of
enterprising people raised money and formed an organization to
restore the historic ship and bring it home. Mr. May then revealed
the sad fact that the cherished steamer was destroyed by vandals
during the restoration process, bringing an end to the dream.
However, he noted, often when a window shuts, a door opens and a
generous gift of the funds intended for the restoration along with a
host of artifacts where donated to the then newly formed Sandusky
Area Maritime Association. The A.G. Boeckling may be gone, but it is
not forgotten, its history representing the golden age of steamship
passenger service lives on through theater screenings and tales told
at the Maritime Museum of Sandusky.
Epilogue
While a highly specialized museum with so much fascinating history
of its own to celebrate, Ying Pu and I also found so much to relate
to the world at large. Mr. May noted that from his own experiences
in China and those of his military comrades serving in such diverse
locations as Yemen, Poland, Croatia and Russia, he believes that
fundamentally people want the same things, to experience the same
freedoms and to make choices to create fulfilling lives for
themselves and their families. While relations between governments
may become strained, these common human desires can form a bond of
understanding among people.
Of particular interest was Mr. May’s observation that he saw a level
of patience in China which he believes is born of its 5,000 years of
recorded history which is not generally seen to an equal degree in
the west.
On a lighter note, for my part, as a millinery designer, I
especially related to the ice harvesters, considering that my area
of interest was essentially out of vogue before I was born! In a
somewhat surreal and remarkable tribute to the ice harvesters of
yore, several days after visiting the museum, I discovered a large
formation of ice in my cooler which amusingly resembled a penguin
and is pictured here.
For your own unique and memorable experience, Ying Pu and I highly
recommend a visit to the Maritime Museum of Sandusky https://www.sanduskymaritime.org/
As an added bonus, the museum’s annual fundraiser, the Big Splash
Raffle is being held August 14 and 15, 2020 with $250,000.00 in cash
and prizes. Tickets can be purchased over the phone at 419-624-0274,
or in person or by mail at The Maritime Museum of Sandusky 125 Meigs
Street Sandusky Ohio 44870 Full details are available at https://www.bigsplashraffle.com/
-Cynthia Marek Lundeen
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