Spaghetti Warehouse, Toledo

The PSEI research file for Toledo’s Spaghetti Warehouse, preserving its property details, historical account, and supporting illustrations.

Spaghetti Warehouse

42 South Superior Street

Toledo, Ohio 43604

Property Information:

Parcel I.D. Number: 1215311

Deed Number: 00100215

Stories: 3

Year Built: 1897

Location: Toledo Warehouse District

Current Owner: IBC Inc An Ohio Corporation

The Warehouse District, a brief history:

Around the twentieth century, the Warehouse District was the regional center for the warehousing of and manufacturing of wholesale fresh food and grocery products, clothing, hardware, automobile replacement equipment and supplies, furniture and appliances. Several buildings were quite large measuring up to eight stories high!

The Warehouse District were originally part of the community of Port Lawrence which was platted in 1817 at the intersection of Swan Creek and the Maumee River. By 1823, Port Lawrence consisted of two log warehouses and a few houses at the intersection of Monroe and Summit Streets which today is the site of the convention center.

In 1837 there were seven hotels, six warehouses, thirty-five shops, two steam mills and four lumberyards. The commercial area centered around the intersection of Monroe and Summit Streets. The market place was located in two blocks west on Superior Street between Washington and Monroe Streets in today's Warehouse District.

Several buildings from the late 1900's still embellish the Warehouse District. A group of buildings in the 600 block of Monroe Street, including the A.B. Rensch Company, which originally housed feed and grain dealers and wine and liquor importers, exemplify some of the most elaborate commercial architecture of the 1870's.

Grantor and Grantee History:

Though the building was built in 1897, the earliest the deed goes back to is 1914.

11/28/1914: The Jerome Smith Realty Co. (Family were Freemasons)

11/29/1951: Mr. Roger Smith (Freemason)

06/02/1952: The National Bank of Toledo

02/09/1961: Edman H. Lee (Freemason, possibly related to the Smith Family)

11/10/1971: Eva M. Lee

10/17/1978: Samuel A. Geroldo

06/25/1993: Samuel Geroldo

01/08/1997: Linda A. Olah

42 South Superior Street, a brief history:

THE LAND:

In 1888, the land was the Eddy, Avery and Eddy lumber yard.

Sanborn Map, 1888

PRE-WAREHOUSE:

There was the building prior to the warehouse. Looks like the warehouse was added onto the building as there is there is a cooling room and elevator. The office was not built yet. The company within the building was the Hoppe & Strub Bottling Company.

Sanborn Map, 1894

THE WAREHOUSE:

According to the 1905 Sanborn Map, the building was once used, and possibly originally used to house the Toledo Branch of the Pabst Brewing Company. The original brewery was founded in 1844 as The Empire Brewery, later Best and Company, by brewer Jacob Best. FUN FACT: During Prohibition, Pabst stopped making beer and switched to cheese production, selling more than 8 million pounds of Pabst-ett cheese. When Prohibition ended, the company went back to selling beer, and the cheese line was sold to Kraft!

By 1931 it housed the Toledo Show Case Company. There is not much online information about the company. However by 1931, the building was owned by the Jerome Smith Realty Company.

1905 Sanborn Map

1931 Sanborn Map

The Jerome Smith Realty Company:

Jerome Smith was a well known name within the Warehouse District and the rest of Toledo. There are no immediate connections with the Mafia or the Purple Gang of Detroit during the prohibition. However, with such a large name, and so many connections within the community, it would not be wrong to speculate that there may have at least been some elbow rubbing and back scratching between the Smith’s and the Mafia. The Candy Company was established in 1908 by J. Smith and his friend Frank Riley Kirk. He held the position of President until his death in 1919. It looks like the company dissipated sometime around the 1930’s. *According to Patent Records, The Smith-Kirk Candy Company was doing business from address 42 through 48, which later became 42 Superior. The building was purchased in 1914, and the candy company was ran within the building around 1922. The Patent is attached at the end.

The Jerome Smith Realty Company was one of two business of Mr. Jerome Henry Smith. He used this company to help with the commercial growth and development of the city. He was a Freemason and a member of many elitist clubs in Toledo. He and his wife, Helen (Ridlon) Smith had 6 children, Florence, Derby Ridlon Smith (b.1884 d.1966), Hiram Alpheus Smith (b.1886 d.1929), Margaret, Roger (b.1890 d.1978) and Lois.

Derby Ridlon Smith helped run the Kirk-Smith Candy Company, later becoming President. He was married twice. He married, Emma Allison, together they had Allison Derby and Jerome Henry II. Allison died due to childbirth complications. In 1915, he married Sarah Francis Russell. They did not have any children together. D.R.Smith was well known in the community and was highly regarded. He served as Vice President of The Chamber of Commerce and had many connections in the Toledo. Like his father, he was a Freemason and a member of many clubs within the city.

Hiram Alpheus Smith, also helped run the Kirk-Smith Candy Company as secretary and later Vice President. When Jerome Smith died in 1919 he took over the Jerome R. Realty Company. H.A.Smith was married to Margaret Hucker. Together they had six children: Barbara, Helen, Russell, Eleanor, Ridlon and Carolin. Just like his father and brother, Hiram A. Smith had clout within the community and was well liked. He was a Freemason and very active within the society.

Roger Ridlon Smith was the youngest male child born to Jerome and Helen Smith, and is the second Smith nameon the deed. According to the 1930’s census was never married, and was a realtor. By the 1940’s he was 49 years old, a realtor and the head of the household. Helen his mother, sister in law Mary Russell, and grandson David lived with him. Roger Smith purchased 42 Superior in 1951, but unfortunately went back to the bank in 1952.

The Smith family was known for their progressive spirit, fortune, and their connections within almost every business within the city.