Lyons, Ohio; The Wood Restaurant

LYONS, FULTON COUNTY, OHIO

The Wood Restaurant

Grandma WOOD, Lela (BRIGGS) WOOD is on the left but despite knowing that the gal with her was a waitress -- the name escapes me.    The pix is circa 1927.    Lela (BRIGGS) WOOD is the wife of Lou L. WOOD and mother of Carl L. WOOD the co-owners of the restaurant.   Lela was an exceptional cook/baker and ran the kitchen at the restaurant.

Lou L. WOOD (b. 1869 d. 1929)
Married on 27 Jan 1889, Weston, Lenawee, Michigan
Lela BRIGGS (b. 1870 d. 1973)

Carl Leslie WOOD (b. 1890 d. 1977)
Married in. Cleveland, Cuyahoga, Ohio
Edna Mae DAY (b. 1890 d. 1970)

From: Sheila (MARLATT) Chonko

Restaurant Memories
by Lela Mae (Wood) Marlatt

My father, Carl L. WOOD and my grandfather, Louie WOOD purchased a restaurant on E. Morenci Street in Lyons, Ohio.    It has left me with a happy memory as I was about 6 years old (circa 1927) and both my mother, Edna and my father, Carl worked there.    I was often with them because they did not want me home alone.

As well as the restaurant they also had a building in back across from the delivery alley where they separated cream in a big machine to supplement their income.    The Techumseh Butter Company picked up the cream and it was from that same creamery the restaurant got it's ice cream.

Grandma Wood (Lela Wood) was the cook and she made the most heavenly chicken and biscuits. I would ask for a second helping, which she would not give me unless I ate the little green celery leaves on the plate for garnish.    I would gag getting them down but it won me my biscuits.

I think to me it was a child's dream come true to be part of their livelihood.    When I was real good I got to pick one piece of candy out of the beveled case and it was so difficult to choose between the blackjack, root beer barrels coconut stripes or the tootsie rolls.    Sometimes even the package that had a transparent fish to put on your hand to watch it move allured me.    On very special occasions I got a chocolate soda and watched as they put in the chocolate syrup, push the lever for the fizz and then add the ice cream and to top it off a little more fizz to take it to the very top.

I am not sure just when the restaurant was sold but assume it was after my Grandfather, Louie passed away in 1929.    It was sold to a Mr. Moloy who didn't do well with the running of the business and he had to let the building go back.    Once again my parents tried to keep the restaurant running until it was sold.    But this time when it sold it was no longer a restaurant.

Additional Restaurant Memories
by: Sheila (MARLATT) Chonko

My grandfather wanted to give the buyer a chance at making a go of the restaurant as he had a wife and son.    The building/business was sold on what we now consider "land contract".    The buyer kept drinking so my grandfather had no choice but to reclaim the building & business.

Carl, my grandfather, and his father, Lou L., had been running a side business of "Cream, eggs, chickens, and other live stock" while also running the restaurant.    After my gr grandfather, Lou died in 1929 both business were continued by his son Carl until selling the restaurant in 1933.

In total the restaurant was owned and operated by Carl from 1927 - 1933.    Mom has a vague memory (no proof yet) that my grandfather Carl reopened the restaurant for awhile after reclaiming it.    It was then again sold.... to whom and for what is not known at this time.

By 1933 Wood & Wood Produce was fully operational and that's why my grandfather sold the restaurant.    He and his father, Lou, had built Wood & Wood Produce from the ground up.    I have a promotional calandar of theirs from 1925 so we know the business was functioning at some level by then.

According to an article from the "Wauseon Republican", Wood & Wood "furnished poultry to Detroit, Cleveland and the eastern markets" by July 1936.

On July 27, 1936 the wood framed structure that housed Wood & Wood burned to the ground.    My grandfather went into great debt to rebuild a brick/block structure on the same property -- this was just east of the grain elevator and caddy corner behind the Depot in Lyons.

Back to The Lyons, Ohio Index Page.

Below are links to other sets of web pages that I have posted.
Jacob MISER Family History
Samuel WIGGINS Family History
Early Schools of FULTON County, Ohio
BEULAH United Methodist Church
MCCONNELL Family History
BITTIKOFER Family History

Lyons Ohio History
Last updated May 11, 2000
Web page by Charles Paul Keller

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