Rutherford B. Hayes Presidential Center

Sandusky, Oho Paper District Redevelopment

LH-375

Introduction
Agency History
Scope and Content
Inventory

Introduction

The Sandusky, Ohio Paper District materials relate to the redevelopment of the area known as the Paper District in Sandusky, Ohio. The collection complements the documents contained in the Charles E. Frohman Collection on Sandusky, Ohio’s industrial history, especially those related to the Hinde and Dauch Paper Company.

Agency History

The Paper District refers to the area in western downtown Sandusky, Ohio along Water Street and Shoreline Drive between Decatur Street and Shelby Street. For much of the 20^th century, this area housed several of Sandusky’s major industrial manufacturers, which produced products related to the paper and corrugated cardboard industries.

Manufacturers that operated factories in this area included the Hinde and Dauch Paper Company/Westvaco Corporation (1895-1981). The Hinde and Dauch factory also was operated by Displayco Midwest and later Chesapeake Display and Packaging from 1981-1997. Other manufacturers with factories in the area included the Scott Paper Company, founded as the Automatic Paper and Machine Company, (1942-1980) and the Stowe-Woodward Corporation, (1962-2004). The Sandusky Foundry and Machine Company, which opened a factory in the area in 1904, is the only remaining company in the area operating today as Sandusky International, a division of MetalTek International.

After the closure of the Chesapeake Display and Packaging factory in 1997, the city of Sandusky began pursuing the redevelopment of the area as part of a broader initiative of downtown redevelopment. A number of redevelopment proposals were considered for the area during the following years. The city government selected to partner with Mid-States Development Corporation of Dublin, Ohio from 2003 to 2009 for the area’s redevelopment.

The main result of the Sandusky/Mid-States partnership was renovation of the former Hinde and Dauch/Chesapeake factory into the Chesapeake Lofts Condominiums, which opened in 2007. After breaking ties with Mid-States in 2009, the city then pursued construction of a public transient marina on the former Scott Paper Company factory site. The marina was completed and opened to the public in 2011 as the Paper District Marina. As of 2011, the Sandusky city government is considering pursuing other redevelopment opportunities for the area.

Scope and Content

This collection is primarily composed of research materials related to the city of Sandusky, Ohio’s redevelopment activities in the Paper District. The collection contains photocopies dating from 1980 to 2011. Most are derived from original records held by the Sandusky city government. The collection consists of five major components: legislation from the Sandusky City Commission related to redevelopment activities in the area; an archive of news articles from 1980 to 2011 related to area factory closings and redevelopment; development agreements between the city of Sandusky and various developers associated with the Paper District’s redevelopment; documents related to the construction of the Paper District Marina; and miscellaneous Paper District documents and drawings.

Inventory

Ac. 5799
½ linear ft.

1. Sandusky, Ohio City Commission Legislation
2. Development Agreements
3. Paper District Marina
4. News Articles, 1981 - 2002
5. News Articles, 2003 – 2011
6. Miscellaneous Paper District Drawings and Documents