Gayleen Gindy

In 1903 Warren W. and Mary Smith Blankley purchased what became Lot 10 of Hubbard’s Addition and in 1909, built the home shown in the 1964 photo. The couple married in 1890, and Mary died before the 1910 census was taken. Warren, 38, was listed living here and employed as a motorman for the Toledo & Western Railway, the passenger train service that ran through Sylvania at the time. In 1912 he married Sophia Ott, and they continued to own this home until 1919 when they built a new home, just to the west, at 6457 Monroe St. (I will tell you more about them when we visit that property.)

In 1919 Anna M. Huffman purchased the home. She had married George W. Huffman in 1911 in Williams County, Ohio and they came to Sylvania when he was hired as a conductor for the Toledo & Western Railway. According to the 1920 census, he was 30 years old, owned the home free of mortgage, and was employed as a conductor for a “street car” company. Anna was 27, their son Charles W. was listed as 5 years old, and their daughter Georgiana was 1 year old.

Anna passed away in April , 1927 and the Toledo Blade dated May 3, 1927, listed the following: “Anna Huffman, 34, of Sylvania, O., gallstones.”

On March 21, 1929, George married his second wife, Gladys Comstock, the daughter of Fred and Dorcas (Northcott) Comstock, both from well-known Sylvania families. In the 1930 census, George, 40, was living here with Gladys. He owned the home valued at $2,000 and was employed as an oiler at the cement plant. She was 33 years old, married for the first time at age 32, and not employed. His son Charles W. was 15 years old and daughter Georgiana was 11 years old. Both were attending school.

Records show that in 1931, when the first Sylvania Volunteer Fire Department was formed, George Huffman was a founding member and was very active for the next 25 years. Fire department records show him obtaining his first-class fireman certificate, Red Cross card and Advanced First Aid certificate, all on a volunteer basis. From 1939 through 1958 Huffman is shown serving as the Sergeant-At-Arms, and on March 5, 1956, he and four other “founding members,” were honored for their 25 years of active service to the Sylvania Volunteer Fire Department, and the Sylvania community.

George and Gladys are listed living here in the 1940 census. He was 50 years old and employed as a millwright at a cement plant. Gladys was listed as 41 years old. Ten years later, in the 1950 census, they were still here on Monroe Street. He was 60 years old and employed in an export shipping department at an oil equipment factory.

In 1947 the home transferred to Charles W. Huffman and Georgianna Strasbaugh, subject to the life estate of George W. and Gladys Huffman.

On Feb. 22, 1958, Gladys Leona Huffman passed away and George Huffman passed away in June, 1958. His obituary said that he died in his home at 6403 Monroe St. and that firemen broke into the residence after they were called by a neighbor. He had returned the week before from West Coyina, Calif., where he had been visiting his children since the death of this wife, Gladys, in February.

In 1959 the home sold to Howard V. Neuman. He owned it for the next 30 years, renting it during that entire time. He also owned other rental homes along Monroe Street, just to the west. When the US 23 expressway was built through Sylvania in 1959, he had a couple of the homes that were in the proposed expressway right-of-way moved to properties on Monroe Street, along the creek. I will talk about him more in upcoming articles.

Using the Suburban Directories starting with 1960 through 1988 the following were listed renting the home from Neuman: 1960 to 1962 – Ivan Tompkins; 1963 to 1964 – Victor D. Menna; 1965 to 1966 – Nickie Hobling; 1967 to 1970 – Jerry Mersing; 1971 to 1972 – Byron Steiner; 1973 to 1974 – Thomas Kreusser; 1975 to 1979 – Christopher Roby; 1980 to 1982 – John P. Lyle; 1983 to 1985 – Eva Miler; 1986 to 1988 – Alan Tucker.

In 1989 Charles K. and Mary Anne Johnson purchased the homes at 6403 and 6407 Monroe St. The 1989 directory listed them living in the home at 6403 Monroe St., and the home at 6407 Monroe St. was listed as vacant.

Later that year, Kevin Charles became affiliated with the Johnsons and was issued a demolition permit to remove the house at 6403 Monroe St. Kevin Charles and Mary Johnson were issued a zoning permit in January, 1991 to construct a new commercial building to be used as a beauty salon, while the property continued to be owned by Charles and Mary Ann Johnson. In June, 1992 Kevin Charles was issued a sign permit. Directories listed Kevin Charles Hair Artistry occupying the building through 1999, along with Charles and Mary Johnson. But in 2000 the directory listed Charles K. and Mary Johnson – Willow Creek Salon beauty shops.

In 2003 Mary Anne Johnson transferred the building to 6407 Monroe LLC, and in 2011 the building was transferred to Haerwig Properties LLC. It now houses HLH Orthodontics.