The Way We Were…

River Water Provided Our First Power , In 1849 our power came from the Hydraulic Canal, a chute in which water was diverted from the river a couple miles above Buttonwood Park. From there it flowed to the foot of Louisiana Avenue. Businesses along the river using this belt-driven power included a planing mill and furniture factory, a sawmill, a cider and sorghum operation, a tannery, a foundry and machine shop, a paper mill and a flour mill. The canal operated for many years, and when it ceased to function it became a favorite swimming and skating site for children.

201 , Eberly Building , This Renaissance Italianate building was constructed in 1867 by shoemaker John Eberly. Here he and his son sold handmade boots and shoes until 1926. The Howard Restaurant followed until 1940 when it became The Korner Kitchen. In 1960 John Jakubec opened Zee's Cafe, before moving to 209 in the late 1960s. Record and antique shops operated here until the DiSalle Real Estate Company bought it.

203 , The Fralic Building , Note the gold-painted rosettes on the frieze beneath the cornice, and the pair of corbelled panels further down. A keystone rests over each of the upstairs windows and in the upper center you'll notice a stone block with the inscription R.Fralic, 1906. For over 40 years Mr. Fralic owned and operated a grocery store here. Through the 1930s and into the 1960s it was the Perry Café. Since then it has been known as the Shamrock Inn, McKnight's Deli and Café, and The Rose and Thistle restaurant since 2002.

207 , The Peoples Market , In 1846, this site originated as Schlect's buggy, harness, horse collar, and farm implement store. It became the first auto agency in Perrysburg under William Schlect. In 1909 he sold his first car, a Ford; shipped by train and assembled on site-the only car sold that year. Later this location housed the Peoples Market, Clyde and Paul's Florists, Don Kern Builders, Maumee Carpet Laying, and Smith and Harold Associates.

Note the drinking fountain on the corner sidewalk. In earlier years, it was a hand pump used to water horses (which can be seen in the Streetscape on the opposite side of this street.)

209 , The Schlect Building , Two distictive fires clouded the construction date of this commercial building, but it was probably circa 1900. The Schlect Wagon Company occupied at least part of it as did Lacey's Candy Kitchen, Zee's Restaurant, Pacitti's Restaurant, and eventually Casa Barron Restaurant in 1981.

211 , Stemen's Heating and Ventilating , In the late 1940s and early 1950s oil fired heating and air conditioning were coming out of their infancy. Stemen's began providng these new options to just opening or closing the windows.

213 Louisiana Avenue , From the 1920s to the 1940s this was the site of Milton Mladenus Cleaners. In the 1950s it became Village Cleaners, and later, Custom Cleaners. Through the 1970s and early 1980s it was The Corner Bar. The Sprinkling Can Florist ran their business here in the early 1990s, then it was Smart Needle.

215 , The Hoffmann Building , In 1923 Charles H. Hoffmann started his dry goods business after having a grocery and saloon at 117 Louisiana Avenue. He was the first to deliver groceries and ran this dry goods store until he retired in 1940. In 1956 it became Livingston Floor Covering; in the 1960s, the Tourist Inn Café; in the 1970s, Al's Place; in the 1980s, Jerrys Bar and Restaurant; then Bunker's Place in the late 1980s and early 1990s.