LOOKING BACK
–by Gayleen Gindy
PUBLICATION DATE: Feb 15, 2021

This property is also part of the Burnham’s Addition subdivision, platted in 1901 by Henry and Celestia Burnham. It is located on Lot 33, addressed as 6826 Maplewood Ave. The home on this lot was constructed in 1903 and the parcel was sold to Mary D. Little shortly after the house was built.
Mary Little was the daughter of Francis and Sarah Little, and grew up in Sylvania. She was single all her life and worked as a school teacher in Sylvania as early as 1870. Back in those days, in order to work as a teacher, in most cases, you could not be married. Even as late as1923 the Sylvania School Board added the question of whether the applicant planned to be married within the next year to the teaching application. After Mary retired from teaching she earned extra money working as a seamstress out of this home, as indicated on the census records.
The recorded list of owners for this home are as follows:

• 1904 – Mary D. Little
• 1917 – Delos D. and Martha Cook
• 1917 – Douglas M. and Helen E. Wood
• 1933 – George W. Woodward
• 1940 – Grace H. Mitchell
• 1948 – George P. and Evelyn M. Anderson
• 1958 – Henry L. and Frances Yahn
• 1964 – John P. Jr. and JoAnn M. Weed
• 1977 – Robert T. and Diane H. Hogg
• 1982 – John M. and Constance Moss
• 2021 – Same owners

The first census that was taken after this home was built was in 1910. In this census Mary Little was listed living here by herself. She was 61 years old, single, employed as a seamstress at home and owned the home free of mortgage. She sold it in 1917 and moved in with a relative on Martha Avenue in Toledo where she lived until she died in 1925.In October of 1917 Delos and Martha Cook purchased this home, and by December of 1917 they transferred the home into the names of their daughter and son-in-law, Douglas and Helen Wood. In the 1920 census Delos Cook was listed living in the home as the head of the household, and was listed as owning it free of mortgage. He was 67 years old, widowed and his occupation was listed as none. Living with him was Helen Wood, listed as his housekeeper, 22 years old and married, along with Douglas Wood, boarder, 24 years old, employed as a trucker.
By the 1930 census Douglas and Helen Wood were living in this home. Douglas was listed as owning the home valued at $6,000. He was 33 years old, married, employed as a meter tester at the power plant. Helen was listed as his wife, 33 years old, and their children living in the home were listed as follows: Robert O. Wood – son – 9 years old; Ruth M. Wood – daughter – 7 years old; Donald E. Wood – son 5 years old; and Richard D. Wood – son – 2 years old. Also living with them was Helen’s father, Delos D. Cook – 78 years old – widowed – occupation – none.

Delos Cook died shortly after the 1930 census was taken and was buried in Ford Cemetery in Berkey, Ohio. Three years later, in 1933, Douglas and Helen sold this home to George Woodward. He owned it for seven years. He owned a large farm in Berkey and appears to have rented this house out to Carlton and Grace Mitchell while he owned it.

In 1940 the Mitchells purchased the house, and when the 1940 census was taken they were living here and listed as follows: Carleton C. Mitchell – 36 years – married – attended four years of college – employed as a salesman and dealer in industrial machinery; Grace Mitchell – wife – 34 years old; and Joyce Mitchell – daughter – 11 years old – attending school. They lived here until 1948.
In 1948 the Mitchells sold the home to George and Evelyn Anderson and they owned it for 10 years. According to the first Polk Suburban Directory, published in 1957, George P. Anderson was living here and was listed as an engineer consultant. In 1958 the Andersons sold to Henry and Frances Yahn.
According to the Reformed Church records Henry L. Yahn was a member of the Christ Presbyterian Church of Toledo and had three children: Charles – born 1948; Penny – born 1949; and Frances – born 1950. A building permit was issued to Yahn in 1963 for a new 18-foot by 22-foot garage. They sold the house in 1964 and church records show that they transferred to the First Presbyterian Church of Ft. Wayne, Indiana in 1965.
In 1964 John and JoAnn Weed purchased this home. Weed attended Scott High School through 1945. In 1945, when he completed his WW II registration card, he was living on Glenwood Avenue in Toledo with his parents, listed as 18 years old and attending school. His father was a Toledo Police Officer. John served during WW II and was an Army Veteran. In 1952 John married Joann Garry and they lived in this home from 1964 until 1977. John worked as a Realtor for over 60 years. Records indicate that they lived in the Stonehenge subdivision after selling this home. When she died in 2001 she was 70 years old, living in Sylvania and had been a teacher at Hillview Elementary School in Sylvania for 30 years, retiring in 1983. She had been recognized in the book, “Outstanding Teachers of America.” Surviving her at that time were her husband John P. Weed, Jr., daughter Nancy (Steve) Kezur of Sylvania and son Garry (Laurie) of Centerville. John Weed passed away in 2011.
In 1977 Robert and Diane Hogg bought the home. They owned it for five years. City directories indicate that they lived in the home while they owned it through 1982. In 1979 a building permit was issued to add a 20-foot by 24-foot family room addition.

In 1982 John and Constance Moss purchased the home and have owned it since that time. Wood County marriage records list a 1971 marriage date for John Moss to Constance Whitaker. He was listed as teaching school at that time and living in Perrysburg. While living here the Moss’ obtained a building permit in 1986 for a garage addition, and in 2014 a permit to add a small addition to the garage to be used for tool storage.