Introduction

The Henry Freyensee Negative Collection consists of 324 glass plate negatives (319 4x5 plates and 5 8x10 plates) and 5 film negatives (approximately 1.5 linear ft.), dating from 1897 to 1916. Primarily showing family and lake shipping scenes around the Sandusky, Ohio area, including the family operated tug Grandon and other lake ships, the collection also includes a few photographs from Port Clinton and the Lake Erie Islands.

The collection was transferred to the Center for Archival Collections through the cooperation of Gordon Wendt, Sandusky, Ohio, in 1978. This register was prepared by Marilyn Levinson, Curator of Manuscripts, Center for Archival Collections, August, 1991. No restrictions exist on the the use of this collection.

Biographical Sketch

Henry Freyensee was born around 1876 in Sandusky, Ohio. His father, Capt. William Freyensee sailed the B.F. Ferris on Lake Erie on the Sandusky-Catawba-Port Clinton route in the mid-1870's and later became master of the R.B. Hayes. Between 1898 to 1918, the period of the bulk of this collection, the family operated the Tug Grandon in a general freight and passenger business around the Lake Erie Islands. Henry Freyensee died in 1964 at the age of 88.

Scope and Content

The Henry Freyensee Collection consists of 4x5 and 8x10 inch glass plate negatives of people and shipping activities around Sandusky, Ohio and the Lake Erie Islands, dating from 1897 through 1916.

The series of photographs of the Sandusky area are primarily typical family pictures, many with the individuals identified. There are, however, a few shots of local businesses and events in the collection. Of particular note is a series of photographs of a parade of Company B, 16th Regt. O.N.G., departing Sandusky for Toledo and Columbus on April 26, 1898. There are also outstanding images of workers at Wehrle's, Kemblers Brewery, two interiors of Moltz Bar, the Hotel Victory on South Bass Island, and an excursion group at the arrival pier of Cedar Point.

The series of Lake Erie shipping photographs center around the family operated tug, Grandon in Sandusky harbor, and related Lake Erie shipping, including numerous photographs of tug and barge operations. Many of the identified ships, such as the A. Wehrle, Arrow, Frank E. Kirby, Eastland, and the City of Detroit, were active in the Great Lakes excursion trade, particularly to Put-in-Bay and Cedar Point.

Series Description

PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL

NEGATIVES - SANDUSKY, OHIO AREA
1897-1916
Glass plate negatives (193 4x5 plates and 5 8x10 plates) showing family members and scenes around the Sandusky, Ohio area. Also includes some views from Port Clinton, and Lake Erie Islands.

NEGATIVES - LAKE ERIE SHIPPING
1897-1912
Glass plate negatives (126 4x5 plates) and film negatives (5) showing the family operated tug Grandon, as well as other Lake Erie ships, many identified.

Glass Plate Negative Inventory

Box 1

Envelope
  1. Street car wreck, Sandusky, Ohio, March 7, 1898
  2. Kemblers Brewery, Sandusky, Ohio,, circa 1900
  3. Wehrles working men, Sandusky, Ohio, Sept 14, 1899
  4. Crowd waiting for Co. B, Sandusky, Ohio, Apr 26, 1898
  5. Lake Shore Limited Train, Sandusky, Ohio, March 14, 1898
  6. Harbor view, possibly Cedar Point or Sandusky,, circa 1900
  7. Pa, Sandusky, Ohio (enlarged positive),, circa 1900
  8. Burt and Douglas, Sandusky, Ohio,, circa 1900
  9. Will H. & N. Senne, Sandusky, Ohio, 1897
  10. Lizzie at the piano, Sandusky, Ohio, Dec 18, 1897
  11. Bendel (?), Sandusky, Ohio,, circa 1900
  12. Front view of Ma, Sandusky, Ohio, March 6, 1898
  13. Castalia's cooks, Sandusky, Ohio, Nov 26, 1898
  14. Mrs. Shayler, Sandusky, Ohio (cracked plate),, circa 1900
  15. Seas, Sandusky, Ohio,, circa 1900
  16. Jerome, Uncle John Fondil, Sandusky, Ohio, Nov 5, 1899
  17. Sarge Lyon, Sandusky, Ohio,, circa 1900
  18. Miss McCormick in her room, Sandusky, Ohio, Jan 8, 1898
  19. Willie Freyensee, Sandusky, Ohio, March 5, 1898
  20. Pa and Ma on porch, Sandusky, Ohio, 1897
  21. Cirrti girls and Will, Sandusky, Ohio,, circa 1900
  22. Two unidentified children, Sandusky, Ohio,, circa 1900
  23. Lizzie and Tina, Sandusky, Ohio, Dec 18, 1897
  24. Father with child in a carriage, Sandusky, Ohio,, circa 1900
  25. V. Doller, wife, and Olga, Sandusky, Ohio, 1897
  26. Family of four, Sandusky, Ohio,, circa 1900
  27. Three unidentified women,, circa 1900
  28. Interior of a house, unidentified location,, circa 1900
  29. Tool shop, unidentified location,, circa 1900
  30. Family of four, unidentified,, circa 1900
  31. Two children in a carriage,, circa 1900
  32. Mother and child, Sandusky, Ohio,, circa 1900
  33. Church choir, April 17, 1898
  34. Side view of Ma, Sandusky, Ohio (broken plate), March 6, 1898
  35. Child in a carriage,, circa 1900
  36. Klein,, circa 1900
  37. Three children playing with blocks,, circa 1900
  38. Cleveland girls, Ed & Henry, end of dock,, circa 1900
  39. Three children,, circa 1900
  40. Mother and child,, circa 1900
  41. Mrs. Davidson, Buffalo, N.Y.,, circa 1900
  42. Mr. Davidson, Buffalo, N.Y.,, circa 1900
  43. Mr. Davidson, Buffalo, N.Y.,, circa 1900
  44. Child,, circa 1900
  45. Family of four,, circa 1900
  46. Child in armchair,, circa 1900
  47. Mother and her two children,, circa 1900
  48. Mother and her two children,, circa 1900
  49. Mark Wieland's baby and Christmas tree,, circa 1900
  50. Waves, Rattlesnake Island in distance,, circa 1900
  51. Fair Halls, Feb 10, 1898
  52. Harry & Elmer boxing, August 1897
  53. Woman (Rosa?),, circa 1900
  54. Five people, 1897
  55. Burt, Rose, Harry & Mother, 1897
  56. Harter's house, March 15, 1898
  57. Rosa, standing, Dec 19, 1897
  58. East end, Rattlesnake Island,, circa 1900
  59. Shaylor and interior of church, June 22, 1898
  60. Two women riding in a horse & carriage,, circa 1900
  61. Rosa, June 2, 1901
  62. Man, horse & carriage,, circa 1900
  63. Child in carriage,, circa 1900
  64. Family of four,, circa 1900
  65. Five people in front of the Water Works Building,, circa 1900
  66. Room in a house,, circa 1900
  67. Alkner boys & girl,, circa 1900
  68. Etta Sutton at piano, Sandusky, Ohio, April 1, 1898
  69. Two men at Stone Ridge,, circa 1900
  70. Man & women pushing child in a carriage,, circa 1900
  71. Spaith's horse & colt, April 29, 1898
  72. Beer window,, circa 1900
  73. Police marching, escorting Company B, April 26, 1898
  74. Group of young boys,, circa 1900
  75. Ducks & turkeys,, circa 1900
  76. Bar scene,, circa 1900
  77. Unidentified,, circa 1900
  78. Beer residence,, circa 1900
  79. Rock, with splashing waves, 1897
  80. Men and women fishing,, circa 1900
  81. Four people on a bridge,, circa 1900
  82. Woman and man, unidentified,, circa 1900
  83. Woman and man, unidentified,, circa 1900
  84. Two portraits of man, unidentified,, circa 1900
  85. Six people on lawn,, circa 1900
  86. Holly (cracked), Feb. 6, 1898
  87. Two boys,, circa 1900
  88. Husband and wife,, circa 1900
  89. Three people viewing the lake,, circa 1900
  90. Portrait of a woman,, circa 1900
  91. Woman,, circa 1900
  92. Family group of three,, circa 1900
  93. Fruit on a vine,, circa 1900
  94. Man & woman on front steps of a house,, circa 1900
  95. Woman and man,, circa 1900
  96. Pigeons,, circa 1900
  97. Three people at the lake,, circa 1900
  98. Cats on a buggy,, circa 1900
  99. People at the lake,, circa 1900
  100. Portrait of a man,, circa 1900
  101. Rosa,, circa 1900
  102. Rosa viewing a picture, 1897
  103. Jim, the dog, Sandusky, Ohio, Nov 1898

Box 2

Envelope
  1. Mrs. E.M. Stan & child in a boat,, circa 1900
  2. Will, with guns and rabbits, 1897
  3. Mrs. Davidson from Buffalo, N.Y.,, circa 1900
  4. House and baby carriage,, circa 1900
  5. Mother & child,, circa 1900
  6. Family group of three,, circa 1900
  7. Mother & child,, circa 1900
  8. Company B at the corner of Hayes & Columbus, April 26, 1898
  9. Company B, marching, April 26, 1898
  10. Company B, blurred picture, April 26, 1898
  11. Company B, March 5, 1898
  12. Pasture Point,, circa 1900
  13. Pasture Point (?),, circa 1900
  14. Two children,, circa 1900
  15. Mother and baby in rocker,, circa 1900
  16. Rosa (back head view), Dec. 16, 1898
  17. Louise & Aunties,, circa 1900
  18. Cabinet of Education (?), Dec. 23, 1897
  19. Cats,, circa 1900
  20. Pigeons,, circa 1900
  21. Finney Band, 1905
  22. Mrs. Starr (?), 1905
  23. Louis Graf and Mrs. Starr (with boy & girl), Sept. 7, 1905
  24. Will, July 1906
  25. Charles Ross' Tinware Store window,, circa 1900
  26. Rincuff store window,, circa 1900
  27. Water-Works pump (broken plate), Dec. 13, 1897
  28. Aerial view of street scene,, circa 1900
  29. Water Works,, circa 1900
  30. 9th Ward School, March 29, 1898
  31. Wehrles Hall,, circa 1900
  32. Unidentified building,, circa 1900
  33. Construction site, circa 1900
  34. B & O Elevator, March 24, 1898
  35. Rock drill, March 31, 1898
  36. Running locomotive, Dec. 27, 1897
  37. Hotel Victory, South Bass Island, Nov. 4, 1898
  38. Oil derrick, August 1901
  39. Beach area, circa 1900
  40. Three ladies and one man, 1897
  41. Street scene, circa 1900
  42. Castalia Fish Hatchery, March 14, 1898
  43. Freight engine running, Jan. 4, 1898
  44. Lake at Port Clinton, Ohio (cracked plate), circa 1900
  45. Moltz Bar, circa 1900
  46. Congregational Church, March 24, 1898
  47. Burned-out building (cracked plate), circa 1900
  48. Fishing, circa 1900
  49. Waves, circa 1900
  50. Grampa W.H. Tuyarie, copy from crayon portrait, Dec. 30, 1897
  51. Toledo party, circa 1900
  52. Rev. E.V. Shayler, Oct. 12, 1897
  53. Child, viewed over mother's shoulder, circa 1900
  54. Mother & child, circa 1900
  55. Niagara Falls from bridge, circa 1900
  56. Inspection certificate, 1916
  57. Temporary inspection certificate, 1916
  58. Niagara Falls, circa 1900
  59. Unidentified, circa 1900
  60. Unidentified, circa 1900
  61. Unidentified/Interior of a house, circa 1900
  62. Pigeons in a camp, circa 1900
  63. Releasing hook, circa 1900
  64. Cows, 1897
  65. Komm! Komm!, circa 1900
  66. Clouds, circa 1900
  67. Church celebration (broken plate), Sept. 9, 1899
  68. Table Furniture Company, circa 1900
  69. Interior of a church, circa 1900
  70. Leonhardt House, Jan. 8, 1898
  71. Miss McCormick's House, Jan. 8, 1898
  72. Piano parlor, unidentified house, circa 1900
  73. Spinning room, unidentified house, circa 1900
  74. Moltz Bar, circa 1900
  75. Interior of house, circa 1900
  76. Shayler, circa 1900
  77. Priscilla (Boat), 1900
  78. Louis Graf portrait, circa 1900
  79. Rose, seated portrait, Dec. 19, 1897
  80. Family in front of house, circa 1900
  81. Mother pushing baby in carriage, circa 1900
  82. Front of house with children, circa 1900
  83. Front of house, circa 1900
  84. Mother with baby in carriage, circa 1900
  85. Father and child, circa 1900
  86. Father and child, circa 1900
  87. Father and child, circa 1900
  88. Houses, circa 1900
  89. Unidentified, circa 1900
  90. Two children, circa 1900
  91. People arriving at Cedar Point pier (8x10), circa 1900
  92. Miniature train ride (8x10), circa 1900
  93. Harbor, unidentified (8x10), circa 1900
  94. Riverway with construction (8x10), circa 1900
  95. Outside a show (8x10 - broken plate), circa 1900

Box 3

Envelope
  1. Ship, unidentified, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  2. Ship, unidentified, with flags, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  3. Small sailboat, with sail up, circa 1900
  4. Sailing ship, unidentified, circa 1900
  5. Lake scene, with two small motor boats, circa 1900
  6. Ship Castalia, at Sandusky, Ohio, Nov. 26, 1898
  7. Visitor at Cedar Point, circa 1900
  8. Ferry Hazel, Sandusky, Ohio, Aug. 25, 1907
  9. Tug Grandon, Sandusky, Ohio, June 29, 1916
  10. American Eagle in the ice, Sandusky, Ohio, March 6, 1898
  11. Perry's Monument in Sandusky, Ohio, 1900
  12. Ship Haze, Sandusky, Ohio, April 7, 1898
  13. Ship New York, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  14. Two ships, blurred picture, circa 1900
  15. Ship Columbus, in drydock, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  16. American Eagle, in drydock, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  17. Ship State of Michigan, Sandusky, Ohio, April 8, 1898
  18. Grandon and Beta in dock, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  19. Arrow and Frank E. Kirby, Sandusky, Ohio, August 1901
  20. Yacht, unidentified, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  21. City of Detroit, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  22. Eastland, Sandusky, Ohio, Aug. 25, 1907
  23. City of Detroit, at dock, Sandusky, Ohio, July 4, 1898
  24. City of Erie, at dock, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  25. Oliver H. Perry, surrounded by small boats, circa 1900
  26. Grandon in slip, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  27. Ferry Put-in-Bay, circa 1900
  28. Ship, unidentified BROKEN PLATE, circa 1900
  29. LeFevre, by a sailboat, circa 1900
  30. Steamer, unidentified, blurred picture, circa 1900
  31. Steamer B.F. Ferris, Sandusky, Ohio, Feb. 14, 1905
  32. LeFebre, and Annie Laura, Jan. 9, 1908
  33. Steamer Indiana, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  34. Ship Lakeside (Positive image), circa 1900
  35. Visitor, Sandusky, Ohio, Feb. 14, 1905
  36. Grandon, Sandusky, Ohio, 1900
  37. Boats, Barry and unidentified, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  38. Unidentified ship of Cleveland, Put-in-Bay & Toledo Line, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  39. H. Houghton, Sandusky, Ohio, Nov. 4, 1898
  40. City of Erie, at dock, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  41. Ship, unidentified, in drydock, blurred picture, circa 1900
  42. Lake scene with sailboats, circa 1900
  43. Harbor scene, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  44. Numerous sailboats in tow, circa 1900
  45. Sailboat, circa 1900
  46. Lake scene with numerous small boats, circa 1900
  47. Lake scene with numerous small boats, circa 1900
  48. Yacht, unidentified, circa 1900
  49. Boat Tourist with several smaller boats, circa 1900
  50. Wehrle Pavilion on Middle Bass Island, circa 1900
  51. Sailboats, circa 1900
  52. Harbor scene with Oliver H. Perry, circa 1900
  53. Grandon, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  54. Barge Beta, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  55. Grandon, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  56. Dock scene, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  57. Harbor scene, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  58. Boat Tourist with several smaller boats, circa 1900
  59. Tug W.Avery with J.B. Lozen, 1905
  60. Sailboats in choppy water, circa 1900
  61. Dock scene with ticket office, circa 1900
  62. Ferry Put-in-Bay, circa 1900
  63. Harbor scene with several ships, circa 1900
  64. Woman on a ship, circa 1900
  65. Ship LaBelle, circa 1900
  66. Small ferry leaving dock, circa 1900
  67. Two sailboats, circa 1900
  68. Ship LaBelle, circa 1900
  69. Numerous sailboats in tow, circa 1900
  70. Bridge, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  71. Five men, wearing Inter-Lake Regatta buttons, circa 1900
  72. Sailboat, circa 1900
  73. Shoreline with small boats and dredge, circa 1900
  74. Sailboat, circa 1900
  75. Small motor boat with #80 on it, circa 1900
  76. Barge Beta in harbor, circa 1900
  77. Motor boat in lake, circa 1900
  78. Harbor area with several large ferries, circa 1900
  79. Two boats, Speejacks, and unidentified, circa 1900
  80. Boat Speejacks, circa 1900
  81. Tug Grandon with unidentified ship, circa 1900
  82. Rock formation at shoreline, circa 1900
  83. Men working on the LeFevre, circa 1900
  84. City of Cleveland leaving Put-in-Bay, July 4, 1898
  85. Crowd of people at the Life-Saving Station, circa 1900
  86. U.S.S. Michigan, circa 1900
  87. Sailors going to the U.S.S. Michigan, circa 1900
  88. Crew of the Haze, April 6, 1898
  89. Put-in-Bay harbor, circa 1900
  90. Main engine of the steamer Haze, April 6, 1898
  91. Ship Columbus, in drydock, Sandusky, Ohio, circa 1900
  92. Small boat launching, Kelley's Island (blurred), 1897
  93. Port Sheridan, Pelee Island, 1897
  94. Sailboat race, circa 1900
  95. Grandon, circa 1900
  96. Grandon ferrying people to Wehrle's Pavilion, circa 1900
  97. Motor launch, unidentified, Aug. 1901
  98. Battleship, unidentified (blurred picture), April 14, 1902
  99. Racing yachts, circa 1900
  100. A. Wehrle, circa 1900
  101. Niagara Falls, circa 1900
  102. Ship, unidentified, circa 1900
  103. Bridge at Niagara Falls, circa 1900

Box 4

Envelope
  1. Niagara Falls, circa 1900
  2. Boatyard workers, circa 1900
  3. Unidentified group of men, circa 1900
  4. Sailboats racing in distance, circa 1900
  5. Crew of the Haze, April 6, 1898
  6. Engine of the Castilia, Nov. 26, 1898
  7. Plans of unidentified ship, April 25, 1902
  8. Three sailboats, circa 1900
  9. Line of small boats being towed, circa 1900
  10. Grandon, circa 1900
  11. Small motor boat, circa 1900
  12. Alpha in sea, circa 1900
  13. Boat, unidentified, circa 1900
  14. Sailboat Otsikita, July 6, 1898
  15. Harbor, unidentified, circa 1900
  16. Men working on the barge Beta, circa 1900
  17. Steamer Lakeside, circa 1900
  18. Put-in-Bay lighthouse, Nov.4, 1898
  19. Steamer, unidentified, circa 1900
  20. Marshy lagoon with camper's tent on shore, circa 1900
  21. Grandon, circa 1900
  22. On deck of the Alexander McDougall, circa 1900
  23. Yachts from regatta, circa 1912
  24. Waterfront area (poor exposure - film neg.), circa 1900
  25. Ship, unidentified (film neg.), circa 1900
  26. Boats on lake (poor exposure - film neg.), circa 1900
  27. Sailboats (film neg.), circa 1900
  28. Lake scene, circa 1900