TONY ZENDER MUSIC STORE in Kenton, Ohio / circa 1906
From Mr. Zender's obituary:
Lima's pioneer musician and band leader, Anthony Peter (Tony) Zender, 1865-1950
According to the History of Allen County [source], "Tony Zender came to Lima in 1906, established the "Tony Zender Cigar Factory" on North Main Street, and managed it until 1914."
- An accomplished musician, Mr. Zender played the cornet and violin. He lived in Kenton for a number of years where he taught music, owned a music store and organized the Second Regiment band.
- At the solicitation of the Lima Progressive Association (the body that became the Chamber of Commerce in 1914), Mr. Zender established a cigar factory in Lima, known as Tony Zender Cigar Co., in order to provide local employment for musicians whose services were needed in the Lima Merchants band. The factory was located at Wayne and Main streets. [Map]
Tony sold the cigar factory in 1912, (perhaps continuing to manage the factory until 1914), as per this from The Lima News / March 13, 1912:
NEW FIRM HAS PURCHASED THE TONY ZENDER CIGAR FACTORY
PARTNERSHIP OF HOERSHMAN, LEONARD TAKES CHARGE OF LOCAL PLANT.
The Tony Zender cigar factory situated In the building at the southeast corner of Main and Wayne Streets, in the property formerly occupied by the wholesale grocery of Sealts Bros.[article about Sealts, and here], has been sold to Messrs. Hoershman, Leonard, a partnership which has been formed for the purchase of the.factory and the business of the Zender company.
Possession of the property will be assumed at once and the business of the firm will Immediately be persecuted with, vigor and enterprise by the new owners. Mr. Leonard [bio], one of the members of the new partnership, is a well known Lima citizen who has been a traveling salesman for the William Tigner's Son Company [1866 William Tigner, cigar maker and wholesaler opens in Lima, OH] and more recently has been on the road for the Zender factory and is well acquainted with the cigar trade in this part of the country. His partner is a former citizen of Mishawaka, lnd., and pnor to his residence in the Hoosier state, was an Ohio man.
Zender's popular cigar brands were: Castalia Club, Zeadora, El Manton and Cuban Babies. [Read about Castalia, Ohio here.]
Zender Music Store mid-1950's ad on a bus.
- According to Allen County History [Available as a free ebook], Tony Zender bought the Starr Piano Company store in 1907:
- Coming from there to Lima in 1906, Mr. Zender established the "Tony Zender Cigar Factory" on North Main Street, and managed it until 1914, when he sold it.
- He had previously organized the Lima City Band, and in 1907 had bought the Starr Piano Company's store on West High Street. Succeeding well in the management of his affairs, Mr. Zender found that his business required more commodious quarters, and in 1910 moved to North Market Street, and in 1916 assumed possession of his present place of business on North Main Street, where he has the largest store of the kind in the city. Mr. Zender, who holds a distinguished position among the leading musicians of Allen County
- Tony Zender retired in 1947, and moved to Scarsdale, NY, as per his 1950 obituary (see below).
- His music store was in the Masonic Building, and later on N. Main St.
- [In 1947], he sold Zender's Music Store to Henry [Hank] Armentrout, 636 W. Grand Ave., but the store kept Zender's name, and moved to E. High St.
Zender-Kahn Music Store sign
- ZENDER-KAHN MUSIC STORE, INC. was formed on 1967-02-25 in Ohio by MAYER KAHN located at LIMA, ALLEN, OHIO -- http://businessprofiles.com/details/zender-kahn-music-store-inc/OH-358655#ixzz2oqCKeyMJ
- Kahn must have bought out Armentrout. Nice that he kept Zender's name too.
Zender's obituary from find-a-grave
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*Mrs. Bottorf was Tony Zender's daughter:
Marguerite Zender was first married in 1926 to another man, Emmanuel Sinclair Margulies, a real estate dealer. Sadly, he died in a plane crash in 1930.
Marguerite lived in New York, worked as an actress. During the Depression, after her husband's death, she worked with the WPA's Federal Theatre in New York, where she headed the first venture, which was a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta, and which "played to large houses in and around Manhattan". [Her IBDB page] [Read more on findagrave/M. Zender]
In 1936 she married BOTTORFF, ORVILLE 0.:
Executive Vice-president and General Manager, Civic Concert Service, Inc, subsidiary of the National Broadcasting C0., [NBC] New York City. Born in Courtland, Incl, Jan. 15, 1896; son of Ella Whitted and Miles F.Bottorff; attended Seymour (Ind.) pub-lic schools, and Northwestern University [BS degree); married Marguerite Zender Bottorff, former musical comedy and light opera star, June 30, 1936.
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Bonus info:
Bonus info:
About The Federal Theater Project
"Perhaps the most unique theatrical development of the 1930s was the Federal Theatre Project. Although it lasted only four years (1935-39) the Federal Theatre Project was significant particularly in that it marked the only time in history during which the U.S. government was an active producer of theatre.
As part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s WPA (Works Progress Administration), the Federal Theatre Project was created with the express aim of reemploying out-of-work theatre professionals.
The work of the Federal Theatre Project was vast and various. Within a year, its operations spanned thirty-one states and employed twelve thousand theatre professionals.
In New York City alone, various units of the Federal Theatre Project produced 1) original plays by new authors; 2) experimental works focused on new production techniques; 3) Negro theatre; 4) risky productions on behalf of commercial managers; 5) the Living Newspaper, which dramatized current events and topical issues with massive casts and various innovative theatrical forms; and 6) miscellaneous works such as Gilbert and Sullivan operettas, vaudeville, minstrel shows, and circuses.
Thus the Federal Theatre Project did much more than provide theatre workers with employment opportunities. It allowed for experimentation; it served as a proving ground for new production techniques; it helped to launch the careers of such luminaries as Arthur Miller and Orson Welles; and, as it offered most of its productions at little or no cost to audience members, it welcomed a broad spectrum of society into its theatres."
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Tony Zender's full bio from The History of Allen County, published in 1921:
ANTHONY PETER ZENDER. A gifted and accomplished musician, Anthony Peter Zender, of Lima, was endowed by nature not only with artistic talent of a high order, but with excellent business ability and energy, and as proprietor of a finely equipped music store on North Main Street he is carrying on a thriving business, handling sheet music and musical instruments of all kinds and descriptions. A native of Ohio, he was born in 1864, on a farm in Big Spring Township, Seneca County, of German ancestry.
Note: These items are part of my ''Collecting Lima Virtual Museum''. They are not for sale.
If/when I find more information on these items, I will add it to the post.
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Tony Zender's full bio from The History of Allen County, published in 1921:
ANTHONY PETER ZENDER. A gifted and accomplished musician, Anthony Peter Zender, of Lima, was endowed by nature not only with artistic talent of a high order, but with excellent business ability and energy, and as proprietor of a finely equipped music store on North Main Street he is carrying on a thriving business, handling sheet music and musical instruments of all kinds and descriptions. A native of Ohio, he was born in 1864, on a farm in Big Spring Township, Seneca County, of German ancestry.
His father, the late Minert Zender, was born in Baden, Germany, and there acquired his education. As a young man he immigrated to the United States, the land of plenty. Locating in Seneca County, Ohio, he subsequently bought a tract of land, and on the farm which he improved spent the remainder of his days, dying in 1866. His wife, whose maiden
name was Mary Wagner, survived him, passing away in 1878. They were the parents of nine children, Anthony P., the subject of this brief sketch, being the youngest.
Obtaining his preliminary education in the rural schools of Seneca County, Anthony Peter Zender continued his studies at Saint Vincent's College for a time, paying especial attention while there to music. Going then to Latrobe, Pennsylvania, he took a business course and also a musical course, developing his talent as a violinist. Subsequently locating in Kenton, Ohio, he taught music there for sixteen years, giving lessons on the violin and other stringed instruments, and organized the Second Regimental Band, of which he was leader for many years. In 1889 he there established a music store, and likewise engaged in the manufacture of cigars for the wholesale trade, employing his musicians as cigar makers.
Coming from there to Lima in 1906, Mr. Zender established the "Tony Zender Cigar Factory" on North Main Street, and managed it until 1914, when he sold it. He had previously organized the Lima City Band, and in 1907 had bought the Starr Piano Company's store on West High Street. Succeeding well in the management of his affairs, Mr. Zender found that his business required more commodious quarters, and in 1910 moved to North Market Street, and in 1916 assumed possession of his present place of business on North Main Street, where he has the largest store of the kind in the city. Mr. Zender, who holds a distinguished position among the leading musicians of Allen County, inherits in a large measure his musical tastes and talent from his father, who was a noted violin and clarinet player in the fatherland.
In 1885 Mr. Zender was united in marriage with Margaret Sullivan, of Kenton, Ohio, and of their union two children were born, Marguerite Mary and Marie. The death of Marie in 1914, when but eighteen years of age, was a grievous loss to her family and many friends. Marguerite Mary, a soprano singer of note, studied voice culture in New York City with Herbert Witherspoon, and laler, with her sister, Marie, studied for the dramatic profession in Albany, New York. She was later associated with the De Wolf Hopper Company in the presentation of the "Better Ole" play, and was the leading woman of Victor Herbert's musical comedy "Angel Face" and is now with George M. Cohan's musical comedy "Mary." Politically Mr. Zender is a democrat in national affairs, but in city matters votes without regard to party lines. Fraternally he is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Religiously he is a valued member of Saint John's Catholic Church, in which he was for several years tenor singer in the choir, and in which his daughter Marguerite formerly sang.
Note: These items are part of my ''Collecting Lima Virtual Museum''. They are not for sale.
If/when I find more information on these items, I will add it to the post.
Read the Introduction to Collecting Lima Virtual Museum Project ~ My Lima Ohio Bottles, Advertising, Antiques
Ms. Dow Antiques Blog 'Tique Talk is published by msdowantiques.com
Sign up for my free newsletter!
