By: Stan Jordan
The Oasis casts a long shadow in Antwerp’s history. I am proud to tell you about it and what I remember. The building where the Oasis is was built by Henry George back in 1870. He 
operated a grocery store there and later it was bought out by Shaffer Brothers who added dry goods. For a number of years, it was a drug store and jewelry store and I remember having an ice cream cone in that building in the early 1930’s.
If you will bear with me, lets move back a few years and over south of the railroad, to where the Home Town Pantry is. There was a bar and grill in the corner building called The Oak, owned and operated by Frank Knight. On the second floor was Dr. Murphy’s Dental office. Just to the west was a small wooden building that was a butcher shop, owned by George Redderson. Then to the west was The Antwerp Furniture Co. About the middle of the 1930’s Albert Guysinger bought The Oak and moved it north across the railroad to where the Oasis is now. Hertel Brother had moved across the street.
About that time and later in the 1930’s that was the busy part of Main Street and I will tell you what I remember about it.
Right across the street to the east, where McDougall Gun Shop is, at the time was The Dutch Mickleson Upholstery Shop. Upstairs on the second floor was the Antwerp Telephone Exchange. Next door to the north was the Antwerp Post Office. Mrs Lessie Masters was the postmaster. North of the post office was Jim Powers Cafe. Just to the north was a little wooden building that was a dry cleaning and clothing repair shop owned by Jim Sexton.
To the north of that was Fred and Mike Hertel watch repair, then Dr. Cains office and the Battershell 5 & 10 store. The very last building was the Sinclair Gas Station. Now lets return to The Oak and the big depot parking lot. Just to the north was the Antwerp Exchange Bank, then Billy Pates Drug Store, next to it was Adcock’s clothing store, then the Kroger store and then Doering and Longs Grocery Store.
Mr. Guysinger sold the Oasis to Dale and Bob Johnson. In Mr. Ehrhart’s book, in the ad department, Mr. Ehrhart listed The Oak as in the Foster Block, owned and operated by Albert Guysinger, eats and drinks.
But elsewhere in the book, Mr. Guysinger ran a three inch ad that listed his motto and called it the Oasis. So sometime in 1940 or 1941 it was changed by the Guysingers to be The Oasis and that was about 76 years ago.
Dale and Robert Johnson purchased the Oasis in 1958. Bob and Virg Meyers had built the bowling alley about 1957 and Bob and Dale still owned and operated the Pure Oil Station. The boys were pretty busy and they sold the Oasis to Gene Hughes and Noah Slusher in 1968. These boys had a number of good years and they sold the Big O to Cliff Bragg in 1988. Bob told me that Ola and Mary Lou helped him with the dates.
Cliff and Linda operated the O for a good many years. They wanted to retire to Florida so they sold out to their son Doug, in 2007. He is a very important businessman here in town and he keeps very busy. He was awarded The Gem of the Year for Antwerp in 2015.
Mike Pence: Our V.P.
By: Stan Jordan
The last couple of months, our vice president, Mike Pence, has been on television quite a bit. I am very impressed with his countenance and how he carries himself doing his duty. He is the kind of person that I would like to be our leader. He has governed for the great state of Indiana for a few years and I think if need be he would be a fine president or commander in chief.
He has risen the hard way, he has had to scratch for what he has. I think he knows what peoples needs are. Lots of time the vice president is kept in the broom closet, but I think he is too good of a man to be shoved back in the corner. A bit of humor: Mike Pence has a brother named Six. See ya!
Now Is The Time
By: Stan Jordan
Yes now is the time to go see the Antwerp and Crane Township’s eagle nests. The leaves will not be out for a few weeks and they are easy to spot now.
Why not make a nice ride out of looking for the Crane Township eagles nest. Load the kids, kicking and screaming, into the back of the care and take off going east on 424. You go about eight or nine miles and you come the Cecil road, but don’t turn into Cecil, turn left and go north and cross over Cecil bridge. Then turn left on Rd 192 and go on west about 3 miles or where county road 89 comes in from the north. There is not a stop sign there, but stop anyways and look out of the driver side window. Right across the river in the top of a big tree is the Crane Township eagles nest. It is very easy to see maybe a tenth of a mile away. There are all kinds of wild life in that area. See ya!
Sam Rivers, Indian Agent Chapter 27: Farmer & Half Moon At The Garden Site
By: Stan Jordan
Farmer and Half Moon got a good start on the garden early. They took turns with the tram and plow. It was a nice warn day, and the soil worked up fine.
Callie and I went down to visit with White Elk and it was with a mixture of sorrow, and not joy, but satisfaction. The time worn old chief is very sick and he knows he is leaving his tribe in good capable hands that will carry on his ideas of progress for the best to the tribe. He knows the white man’s way is the best for them and he talked about the progress that has been made so far. Then he dozed off, and we left and went back to the fire area, and told the three soldiers about our visit period.
I haven’t written for a couple days. So much is going on, I just couldn’t get my mind to settle down.
Well. first Farmer and Half Moon got an early start on the gardening with a plot to plant was ready and had their tools and seed. About the middle of the morning everyone was called to White Elk’s, except the folks working in the garden. White Elk talked very weak and had a bad color, but he nurtured up enough strength to address his followers, one last time. He talked about how many good things have happened to us since Sam Rivers and the soldiers have come to help–about the blankets and supplies and tools, too many to count, and the winter meat supply and a place to put it. Then he waited till his strength came back, and said, “I want all you people to adopt the white man’s ways. I can see that is the way for the red man to survive. The white men that we know are true, and can be trusted. The big man at the Fort talks straight from the shoulder. Limping Buffalo is now your chief. Pony That Walks will be your shaman and you must obey your shaman and you must help him.”
Then White Elk said, “I’m going to go down to the big oak now. No, do not care for me, as I hurt all over and it is time for me to go. It is a good day to die.”
The court stood up but didn’t move. Limping Buffalo, the new chief; Pony That Walks, the new shaman; Yellow Flower, Limping Buffalo’s wife; and all the soldiers came to attention.
White Elk sort of shuffled as best he could across the area and down past the garden, and on to his favorite tree. He sat down with his back to the tree trunk and gave out a couple of long sighs. After we knew he had sat down, the new chief said, “You are free to go.”
It seemed that things went on as usual around the camp. In the middle of the afternoon, Half Moon went down to the big oak and White Elk had passed on to the happy hunting ground. His tribal duties had been fulfilled. See ya!
Sort of a Mistake
By: Stan Jordan
I received a note from Sandra Wann that I had left out some of the fellows that were bank president over the years.
I had mentioned H.K. Harris, Ralph Carr and Ron Eshbach, but in between these two fellows we had Dan Shutt, Harold Hilliar and Paul Deemer. Sandy, thanks for the help. See Ya!
What I Know About Ada Jump
By: Stan Jordan
ANTWERP
By: Mrs. Ada Jump
Long ago, in far off Egypt
The Patriarchs of old,
Told of a land of promise
Through which the Jordan rolled.
We know their ancient men were wise,
We know they were sincere,
But they must have been mistaken
For the promised land is here.
Out here in our own Ohio
Is Utopia at its best
With pastures green and waters clear,
With milk and honey blest.
There are cattle on its thousand hills
And sheep within the fold;
Its fields of yellow wheat and corn
Are Ophir mines of gold.
It was just one hundred years ago
That a brave and gallant band,
With courage true came struggling
through
To reach this far-off land.
Where once the Indian’s camp-fires
gleamed
At early dusk and dawn,
Are acres now of clover blooms
And fields of waving corn.
A tribute is due those pioneers
Who blazed the weary, winding trai
Across the wooded wilderness
Of forest, swamp and swale.
They built the town of Antwerp,
Where the peaceful Maumee flows,
They made the hills and valleys
To blossom as the rose.
The years have come and gone
since then,
One hundred years-one century.
The sands of time have run their
course
And left their mark on history.
So let’s not aim to wander far,
Or foreign lands to roam,
Just be content to live and work
In “Antwerp, Home Sweet Home.”
The above poem “Antwerp” by Ada Jump was in Mr. Ehrhart’s book 100 Years of Progress 1841 to 1941.
Ada Elizabeth Cunningham Jump was born in 1874 and she was married to Sam Jump. I knew three of their children: Paul, Ruth Jump Zuber and Wendell Jump. I might be wrong but I think they lived on West River Street.
Sam Jump passed away in 1941. I think after Sam passed away, Ada moved to Florida and spent her last years down there. Having died in Tampa, Hillsborough County in 1958, but she is buried in Maumee Cemetery.
Two of Ada’s children lived to be over 100 years of age. Mrs. Ruth Jump Zuber and Katherine Jump Musselman.
I want to thank my co-worker, Crystal, and Dave Mickelson for their help on this column.
See Ya!
