Promising Young Men of Sandusky

The eight young men pictured below were photographed in 1861. While the exact reason for the photo is not known, the men may be members of a literary club or a church youth group.
Jay Smith, J. Edward Mathews, Harper Austin, and Charles B. Dennis all served in the 101st Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. Frank Pierce worked Sandusky in the hardware business before moving to Cincinnati. C. M. Thorpe was engaged in the coal business in Sandusky and Detroit. Henry C. Huntington was a successful local businessman in several ventures, and was president of the Men’s Literary Society. Charles E. Bouton became Mayor of Sandusky in April 1895.
All of these young men served their country and community well. The photograph above captures them in the innocence of youth before they had to face the responsibilities of work, warfare, and civic duty.

If you have historical photos of Erie County residents, consider donating them to the Archives Research Center of the Sandusky Library.