From the E-Mailbag #6

Back on my post about the Elks Club, I featured an 1895 photo of the Club when it was the residence of Dr. A. N. Garver.

I noticed that someone commented that they were researching their family history and were wondering if their grandfather, Dr. W. P. Garver was related to the doctor who owned the house.

Since I spent a lot of time researching my own family tree through the years I can identify with the reader's desire to know. (Once, I impulsively drove to Ft. Wayne, Indiana just to look up an obituary in their library, and then turned around and drove the 200+ miles home).

As for the reader's question, I spot-checked a variety of Lorain City Directories through the years and came up with a whole bunch of Dr. Garvers. The book from 1919-1920 contained all of them – three to be exact.

Unfortunately I could not find a listing for the specific Dr. Garver they mentioned. Hopefully one of the three listed is a relative.

****

I received a nice email recently from Phil Van Treuren, who reads this blog. He's running for Amherst City Council, and his family has deep roots in Lorain County.

He sent me a link to his blog, where he recently featured an antique Notary press (at left) that his wife (a licensed Notary Public) still uses.

This reminded me that back in the 1980's, I used to get all my documents notarized at the gas station that used to be at the corner of Abbe Road and Colorado Avenue in Sheffield Village. (I think it was a Gulf station.) It was a real Mom and Pop place, and in addition to gas and car repair, it had while-you-wait Notary service as well.

It was right out of Mayberry, U. S.A. and I feel bad every time I drive by its former location and see that vacant lot.