1354 East Broadway Street, Toledo

A PSEI property history with Toledo and Lucas County background, collected records, and a separate supplement concerning Elisha Fassett and the land’s earlier ownership.

1354 East Broadway Street

Toledo, Ohio

Research by PSEI Research Specialists

Brief History and Geographics of Lucas County and Toledo:

Lucas County was established in 1835. Originally it was a part of Wood County, OH and Lenawee County, MI. Today Lucas County's borders are Wood Co., OH, (the Maumee River separates Wood Co. from Lucas Co.) Ottawa Co., OH, Fulton Co., OH, Henry Co., OH, Lenawee Co., MI and Monroe Co., MI. The County was named in honor of the 12th Ohio Governor, Robert Lucas. He served in office from 1832-1836. He died, February 7, 1853 and is buried in the Oakland Cemetery in Iowa City, Iowa.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 596 square miles, 341 square miles: land, 255 square miles:water. It is the fourth-smallest county. Prior to Lucas County’s establishment, it was a vast network of forests, wetlands, and grasslands known as the Great Black Swamp.

Referring to Wikipedia:

“The Great Black Swamp (also known simply as the Black Swamp), was a glacially fed wetland in northwest Ohio and extreme northeast Indiana, United States, that existed from the end of the Wisconsin glaciation until the late 19th century. Comprising extensive swamps and marshes, with some higher, drier ground interspersed, it occupied what was formerly the southwestern part of proglacial Lake Maumee, holocene precursor to Lake Erie. The area was about 25 miles (40 km) wide (north to south) and 100 miles (160 km) long, covering an estimated 1,500 square miles (4,000 km²).^[3] Gradually drained and settled in the second half of the 19th century, it is now highly productive farm land. During the second half of the 20th century, efforts were undertaken to preserve and restore portions of the swamp to its pre-settlement state.”

Toledo is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County. It is at the western end of Lake Erie bordering the state of Michigan. The city was founded in 1833 on the west bank of the Maumee River, and originally incorporated as part of Monroe County, Michigan Territory. It was re-founded in 1837, after conclusion of the Toledo War, when it was incorporated in Ohio.

After construction of the Miami and Erie Canal, Toledo grew quickly. The city's glass industry has earned it the nickname, "The Glass City".

Crime Statistics for Toledo:

Toledo was ranked 89 of the Top 100 Most Dangerous Cities in America in 2013. Toledo has been identified as the fourth-largest recruitment site for human trafficking in the US.

In 2010, a combined total:

3,783 burglaries/robberies
753 aggravated assaults
25 homicides
574 motor vehicle thefts

In 2011, a combined total:

1,562 aggravated assaults
30 murders
9,518 burglaries/robberies
1,465 motor vehicle theft

In 2012, combined total:

39 murders
2,015 aggravated assaults
6,739 burglaries/robberies
1,334 cases of motor vehicle theft.

Ownership History of 1354 East Broadway Street, Toledo

Around 1875 – According to historical maps from 1875, this land was originally

located on land referred to as the Elisha Fassett Addition, indicating that,

though Elisha died in 1860, he had owned the land at some point before that.

Before 1949 – According to Sanborn maps, the land was owned by Kasco

Mills, Inc. Manufacturers of Poultry & Dairy Feeds, but the building did not

exist, which would indicate that the building itself was built some time after

1949. Two buildings closest to location of modern building are a paper and

misc. warehouse and a feed warehouse.

2/16/1965 – Worthmore Realty Company, A Partnership

2/26/1974 – Richard Gladney TR (transfer)

10/29/1976 – David E Russell et al (and others)

6/14/1977 – David E and Mary Russell et al (and others)

10/3/1980 – Innovative Controls Corp.

12/13/1985 – Innovative Controls Corp. and Ohio Corp.

10/1/2002 – Victory Enterprises LTD.

Elisha Fassett Addition:

Elisha Fassett was born January 26, 1805 and died August 1, 1860.

He was never married and not much is known of him. According to maps, approximately 74 acres are listed as the Elisha Fassett addition. The red box outlines where 1354 East Broadway Street currently stands. He was the son of Dr. John and Phebe Fassett. He is resting at Willow Cemetery.

Kasco Mills, Inc. Manufacturers of Poultry & Dairy Feeds

This was originally a livestock feed mill, but was later converted to a dog food manufacturing mill.

Toledo Blade, December 29, 1955

Sanborn Overlay Map - 1944

Sanborn Overlay Map- 1949

Richard Gladney:

Deed owner of Kasco Mills 1974-1976

Born: Unknown Died: 1996

Buried at the Forest Cemetery. This is Toledo’s Oldest Municipal Cemetery. He can be found in Section 40, Row 8, Grave 32.

David E Russell:

Deed owner 1976-1977

David E. Russell, 80, of Sylvania Twp., died Sunday, August 14, 2005, at Hospice of Northwest Ohio Inpatient Unit, Toledo. Born in Millbury, David graduated from Lake High School, receiving his degree after returning home from serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II. David was founder of Dave Russell Plumbing and then began his long career as a builder. He built and owned apartment buildings and other real estate in the Toledo area, managing them under K & R Real Estate Management. He also was the founder and former owner of Toledo RV and numerous other area businesses. He was the chairman of the board of the former Farmers Savings Bank, where he was influential in its turnaround and subsequent sale to Mid Am Bank.

Dave was a very strong family man. He and his wife traveled extensively and enjoyed winters at their condominium in Ft. Myers Beach, FL. A long-time pilot, Dave was a member of the Flying Farmers. He was a supporter of Bowling Green State University and a member of the Falcon Club.

In 1998, David was the oldest recipient of a heart transplant in Ohio. A Cleveland television station did a documentary on the transplant. The transplant gave Dave eight wonderful additional years with his family.

Surviving are his wife of 56 years, Mary (Borovsky); daughter, Karen Stegman (Mike); two much-loved grandsons, Jonathan David Whalen and Michael Thomas Whalen; sisters, Ruth Jacobs, Florence Klinepeter, Eleanor Knerr (Ray), and Verla Albring; brothers, George Russell (Norma) and Donald Russell (Frances); sister-in-law, Virginia Russell, and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Louis and Viola (Gross) Russell; brother, Harold Russell, and brothers-in-law, Raymond Jacobs, Don Klinepeter, and Beryl Albring.

Innovative Controls Corporation (ICON):

ICON is a full service engineering and control systems integrator and manufacture. This company was established in 1974 and incorporated in Ohio. It is a multimillion dollar company that employs a staff of 20-49 persons. The current president is Lou Soltis (Louis Michael Soltis) and he is married to a Peggy Soltis. They are both in their mid 60’s.

Unsolved Homicides within 2 miles of 1354 East Broadway Street:

Frank Bires, 52

Address: 600 block of Platt Street, Toledo

Cause of Death: Overdose

Details: Found dead in the basement of his East Toledo home. Police said he had died of a drug overdose and his body was pushed through a trapdoor leading to the basement.

Date of Death: 1/9/2007

Goetz Clyde, 53

Address: 1000 block of Sisson Drive, Toledo

Cause of Death: Shot once in chest

Details: Found shot once in the chest in a parking lot near his home.

Date of Death: 7/12/2008

Kimble Jr. Kenneth, 18

Address: White and Idaho streets, Toledo

Cause of Death: Shot

Details: Fatally shot in chest during a fight outside of the St. Thomas Aquinas Church Festival.

Date of Death: 7/18/2008

Jenea Wilson, 24

Address: 1000 block of Artis Place, Toledo

Cause of Death: Stabbed

Details: Died of stab injuries after an October 8th assault.

Date of Death: 10/12/2009

Gabriel Morales, 42

Address: Raymer Boulevard and Nevada streets, Toledo

Cause of Death: Under investigation

Details: Victim's body discovered by fire and police crews. He died of head injuries, but the manner of death remains under investigation.

Date of Death: 5/14/2010

Javon "Bam" Bey, 30

Address: 400 block of Walden Ave, Toledo

Cause of Death: Gunshot

Details: Victim died in a hospital an hour after being found lying on ground in front of his East Toledo residence.

Date of Death: 11/18/2010

Jennifer Molnar, 31

Address: 1500 block of Kedron Street, Toledo

Cause of Death: Beaten

Details: Victim's beaten body was found in the basement of her home.

Date of Death: 6/8/2011

Rory Hunter, 23

Address: Field behind 1152 E. Broadway St., Toledo

Cause of Death: Gunshot

Details: Victim was shot at least twice in the torso and left to die in an East Toledo field.

Date of Death: 1/10/2012

Elaina Steinfurth, 18 months

Address: Remains found at 704 Federal St., Toledo

Cause of Death: Unknown

Details: Victim was reported missing from the Federal Street home June 2. Police and FBI searched the East Toledo home and surrounding neighborhood numerous times, as well as the Maumee River, but didn't find the toddler's skeletal remains until Sept. 5. The remains were positively identified as Elaina Steinfurth on Sept. 10.

Date of Death: 9/5/2013

Robin Ellis, 55

Address: 820 Clark St., Toledo

Cause of Death: Sharp force injury to the head

Details: Dr. Cynthia Beisser, a Lucas County deputy coroner, said Mr. Ellis’s body was found in a bedroom of 820 Clark St., Toledo. She said the death was caused by a sharp force injury to the head by a weapon larger than a knife.

Date of Death: 8/7/2015

Jofre King, 30

Address: 854 Rogers Street., Toledo

Cause of Death: Gunshot

Details: Jofre: King, 30, who was listed as homeless on recent court documents, was found dead at 854 Rogers St. just after 3:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 25, 2015. Mr. King died from a single gunshot wound to the torso, an autopsy concluded.

Date of Death: 12/25/15

Sarah Beacher, 31

Address: 733 Plymouth St., Toledo

Cause of Death: Gunshot

Details: Victim was struck by a series of gunshots about 12:15 a.m. Tuesday at 733 Plymouth St. in East Toledo. She was sitting with friends on the porch when a gunman opened fire, police said. Emergency crews found her unresponsive and took her to Mercy St. Vincent Medical Center, where police said she died shortly after 4 p.m.

Date of Death: 8/11/15

Donell Willard

Address: 638 Willard St., Toledo

Cause of Death: Gunshot

Details: Police, responding to a burglary alarm, found Mr. Mathis suffering from "serious injuries" in an East Toledo home. He died at the scene of a single gunshot to the pelvis.

Date of Death: 9/22/2015

Article from the Toledo Blade about Bires death:

TOLEDO MAN’S DRUG DEATH A HOMICIDE, CORONER RULES

BY: CHRISTINA HALL 01/31/2007

The death of a man whose body was dumped in the basement of an East Toledo house after he ndied there of a drug overdose has been ruled a homicide, authorities said.

A toxicology report said Frank Bires, 52, overdosed, and the Lucas County Coroner's Office said his death is a homicide, police said yesterday.

His body was found Jan. 9 in the basement of 630 Platt St., two weeks after he died inside the house.

Investigators said Bires and three others - Nora Eckenrode, 43, and James Marciniak, 46, both of the Platt address, and Jeffrey Kittle, 47, of Oregon - were doing drugs at the residence around Christmas.

Eckenrode allegedly prepared the drugs and injected Bires with heroin. Bires, who had the same Oregon address as Kittle, convulsed and stopped breathing, investigators said.

Kittle previously told police Marciniak tried to resuscitate

Bires. Marciniak panicked and didn't want to call police because he had warrants for his arrest.

A detective said Bires' body was pushed through a hole in the first floor, where a trap door leads to the basement. Kittle and Marciniak were accused of dropping his body, which was found face-down and clothed only in underwear.

The detective said Bires' clothes apparently were taken along with a tarp that covered his body at one point before police arrived. A friend of Bires called police to report he'd been missing since Christmas. Police found his body and confirmed his identity through fingerprints.

His body was somewhat decomposed, but showed no sign of injuries resulting from trauma, a Lucas County deputy coroner said after an autopsy.

She said his body had rib fractures that were consistent with cardiopulmonary resuscitation attempts. A couple of bruises on the body could have resulted from CPR or the body being dumped into the basement, the deputy coroner said.

Police said the foursome were acquaintances and said the three men were known drug and substance abusers who were semi-homeless at one time.

Police labeled the case involuntary manslaughter and plan to present it to a Lucas County grand jury.

Marciniak and Kittle were indicted Jan. 17 on abuse of a corpse charges. Both pleaded not guilty and have pretrials set in the next two months. They are being held in lieu of $10,000 bonds in the Lucas County jail and the Corrections Center of Northwest Ohio in Stryker, respectively.

Eckenrode is being held in CCNO on unrelated charges. Her prior convictions include escape, loitering, soliciting, and drug paraphernalia, according to court records.

Javan Bey Obituary:

Mr. Javan "Bam" Turner Bey, went home to our Heavenly Father on November 18, 2010. Born June 21, 1980 to Ms. Panama Burnion and Mr. Tana Turner Bey. He was preceded in death by his mother; sister, Asia Turner Bey and grandfather, Mr. Walter Turner Bey. Javan leaves to cherish his memories, dad; sister, Atasia Turner Bey; brother, Mr. Tana Rahim, son, Higinio Antonio Bey and his mother, LaTasha Sanchez; niece, Ms. Panama Asia Tucker; nephew, Mr. Javan Romell Tucker; special friends, Eric and Brian Meyers and a host of aunts, Granny Brenda, uncles and other family and friends Friends will be received at Blanchard - Strabler Funeral Home (1163 W. Sylvania at Lockwood, 419-269-1111) on Monday from 4 p.m. until the time of Services

at 6 p.m.

Article from the Toledo Blade about Kenneth Kimble Jr.’s Death:

TOLEDO’S UNSOLVED DEATHS WEIGH HEAVILY

BY: LAUREN WEBER, 08/08/2008

Mary Abrell says she is praying for the man who shot and killed her 19-year-old son, Kenneth Kimble, Jr. 'I want God to help me through this and I want God to help him.'

In the weeks since Mary Abrell's oldest son was killed outside a church festival about a block from her East Toledo home, she has been praying for his killer.

She asked God to provide the person responsible for fatally shooting her 19-year-old son, Kenneth Kimble, Jr., with the courage to go to the police.

"I want God to help me through this and I want God to help him," she said. "It would be best for him to turn himself in. He would be at ease."

Mr. Kimble was shot once in the chest about 10:10 p.m. July 18 near the corner of White and Idaho streets after apparently fighting with another man outside the St. Thomas Aquinas Church Festival, police said. He died shortly after arriving at St. Charles Mercy Hospital.

The former Waite High School student who aspired to play professional basketball is among five homicide victims in Toledo this year whose killings remain unsolved.

The city has had 11 homicides so far this year - just two fewer than the total at the end of last year.

But all of last year's homicides were solved, which Toledo police Chief Mike Navarre said was unusual. The average clearance rate for homicides in cities comparable to Toledo is 60 percent, he said.

While Mr. Kimble's death was more recent, some of this year's homicides have been unsolved for months - frustrating both police and the victims' families.

It has been six months since firefighters discovered the body of Gordon Wright, 24, hidden in a third-floor attic in a central-city duplex at 1025 Marmion Ave. The structure had been set on fire.

Police determined his body had been there for a few days before the fire was set Feb. 13. Wright, who died from head injuries, was Toledo's first homicide victim this year.

Detective Bob Schroeder, the lead investigator in the Kimble and Wright slayings, said unsolved homicide cases aren't easily forgotten.

"It's not a case you just walk away from," he said. "The homicides, you carry around. You're driving home thinking about what you can do tomorrow or what's coming down the road or what you need or what you'd like to have."

The detective, who has been assigned to the investigative services bureau since 1997, said several challenges exist in homicide cases, such as getting witnesses to share information with police.

"No one wants to get involved or no one wants to stand up even though they know what is going on is wrong," he said, noting that's either because they are afraid or are apathetic.

Police estimate that at least 100 people witnessed the shooting of Mr. Kimble, yet few have come forward to identify the shooter.

A $5,000 reward was offered July 21 to anyone with information leading to the arrest of those responsible for the deaths of Mr. Kimble, David Babcock, 46, and Clyde Goetz, 53.

The three men were killed within a week of one another, but their deaths are not related, police said.

A suspect in Mr. Babcock's death since has been arrested.

Detective Schroeder said the reward money has generated some phone calls, but "there's a lot of guesses that come in from people trying to hit the lottery."

Ms. Abrell said she hopes the witnesses to her son's killing can put their fear behind them.

"They have to get over being afraid and tell police what they know," she said.

In addition to finding witnesses willing to talk, police also need strong evidence linking a person to the crime scene, Detective Schroeder said.

"What I know and what I can prove are two different things," he said.

Although no one has been charged in the death of Wright, Capt. Ray Carroll, head of the investigative services bureau, is confident the man responsible is serving prison time in another state for an unrelated crime.

"It's frustrating for [detectives] when they know who did it, when they talked to the guy who did it, but the evidence is not there," Captain Carroll said.

Also frustrating, the captain said, is when killers randomly target their victims.

"Some victims have known enemies. Some victims are involved in criminal activity. Other people are totally innocent victims," he said.

Captain Carroll cited the case of Mr. Babcock, who was riding his bicycle to work to save money on gas and was killed July 15 after an argument with a man in the 800 block of Western Avenue.

"There is nothing to indicate [Mr. Babcock] was involved in anything other than going to work," Captain Carroll said. "It's hard to try to find motivation for that."

A 19-year-old South Toledo man, Dounche Jones of 235 Western Ave., who lived just a few blocks from where the shooting occurred, was arrested July 24 in Mr. Babcock's death. He remains in the Lucas County jail.

For Detective Schroeder, there is nothing better than convicting a murderer.

"It's one of the best feelings in law enforcement, knowing you put somebody away for a long time for murder," he said.

Contact Laren Weber at:

lweber@theblade.com

or 419-724-6050.