Norwalk's Horatio Alger Story of John F. Ernsthausen
John F. Ernsthausen founded Norwalk Truck Lines after initially running a produce business. He built a fleet that grew into a major national carrier, expanding from eggs and cream to a coast to coast trucking network. He retired in 1957 with a vast operation. the firm later changed hands, and he received the Horatio Alger Award in 1959.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Janet Conway
Norwalk
John F. Ernsthausen
Ernsthausen
Ohio
Norwalk Truck Lines, Inc
Fisher Co
Cleveland
Detroit
Toledo
Norwalk Truck Lines
Woodlawn Ave
Arnold
Woodlawn-Water Street
Norwalk Produce CO
Rolla Fader
John Ernsthausen
Norwalk Trucking History Highlights Ernsthausen Legacy
The Norwalk area known for its trucking industry features Norwalk Truck Lines and W L Mead Inc with the Truckers team name used by local high school. John F Ernsthausen is noted for leadership roles at Huron County Banking Co Bowling Green University Baldwin Wallace College and generous educational gifts.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
NTL
Midwest
W. L. Mead
Norwalk
New England
Truckers
Bowling Green
Baldwin-Wallace College
Berea
Ernsthausen
Ernsthausens
Early Norwalk Business Failures and Peter Tice’s Role
In early Norwalk, Peter Tice is listed as the town’s first merchant. He ran a store near the Monroeville and Peru roads opposite the National Guard Armory. His building, the oldest house, was moved four times and became Norwalk’s city hall.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Norwalk
Peter Tice
Monroeville
Peru
National Guard
City Hall
Tice
Frederick Forsythe
Bostwick-Burgess Co A Longtime Norwalk Manufacturer
Norwalk’s Bostwick-Goodell Co, originally Bostwick-Burgess Manufacturing, opened in 1889. It produced carpet sweepers, whistles, wooden clocks, venetian blinds, and draperies, exporting blinds to Japan and Brazil, and employed 136 workers in the 1930s. The firm moved several times, most recently to 10 E Seminary St.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Norwalk
Bostwick-Goodell Co
Bostwick-Burgess Manufacturing Co
C. W. Goodell
I. W. Bostwick
C. W. Burgess
Bostwick-Burgess
Water Street
Prospect
Columbus
Japan
Brazil
France
Bostwick-Goodell
Garfield and
Jefferson Streets
Superior Coach Co
N. Pleasant St
Seminary St
Prominent Jackson and Taber Stores Shape Norwalk Retail
In Norwalk late 19th and early 20th centuries the C F Jackson Co on Benedict and Main and the B C Taber Co on the opposite corner dominated local shopping. Jackson opened 1893 as the Glass Block with a six floor, 21 department setup and about 80 clerks. Taber began 1886 as Parker Jones and Co later Parker Manahan and Taber, becoming B C Taber Co in 1887. Taber operated until 1955 when Uhlmans bought it. Uhlmans closed last year and Al Mann bought the building, planning to relocate Holmans Jewelry there.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
B. C. Taber Co
Parker, Jones and Co
Taber
Parker, Manahan and Taber
Uhlman’s
al Mann
Holman’s
Mead Trucking History Grows From 1923 Start to 185 Employees
W L Mead started with a used truck in 1923 to aid farm income and expanded to a new truck in 1924 and more vehicles thereafter. The firm moved after a 1948 fire to Route 20 and built a wider network with Pawtucket Trucking Co and Burnside Motor Freight. Today Mead operates eight terminals with a ninth opening in Urbana Ohio on October 9 and eyeing a new Boston site amid red tape. They employ 185 people and run over 300 units across routes from Chicago to New England.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
W. L. Mead
W. L. Mead, Inc
Pawtucket Trucking Co
Burnside Motor Freight
Urbana
Ohio
Boston
North
Reading
Mass
Mead
First County Fair Opens in 1833 at Modern Library Site
The first Huron County Fair started in 1833 on the site of today’s public library. Fairs resumed in 1852 with three held in Olena and one in Norwalk in subsequent years. Land for the present fairgrounds was bought from John Gardiner, Sr., around 1872, and the inaugural fair there occurred in 1876.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Huron County
Olena
Norwalk
John Gardiner
Shrine of the Sorrowful Mother marks Norwalk Catholic history
A brick Spanish style chapel on West Main Street near Sunoco honors Norwalk Catholics’ founders. The Shrine, built by the Fisher family as a memorial, stands where St. Peter’s once served German speakers and is maintained by St. Paul’s Parish. Doors stay open for visitors amid the traffic.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Main Street
Sunoco
Norwalk
St. Peter’s
St. Mary’s
Hester Street
St. Paul’s
Karl Bueger
Fisher
St. Paul’s Parish
John
Anna Theisen
Andrew
Stephania Fisher
Margaret Fisher
Also Mentioned on This Page
Horatio Alger
Elmore
O College
P Ster
Tri-State
Texas
Armour and Co
Elmore Products Co
Abe Stouffer
Vernon Stouffer
Cleveland Indians
East Seminary Street
Fader
Lake Shore Electric Railway
Trucker Town, USA
Harry Truman
Bowling Green University
Huron County Banking Co
Firelands Branch
Main
Hester Streets
Jackson
North Fairfield
Route 20
They
Chicago
By Tom Dillon
Europe
Lawrence Massing
St. Alphonsus
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!