Zebs Resort, South Shore, Grand Lake Saint Marys
By Joyce L. Alig, President, Mercer County Historical Society
Zeb’s Resort was owned by Zeb and Vi (Luedeke) Sollars. In March 1949, the Lake Improvement Association’s Map “Grand Lake Saint Marys Map, with Landing and Resorts,” this site was identified as Zeb’s Place, Zeb Zollars. Zen’s last name was Sollars, but sometimes people wrote “Zollars.” Local citizens told me that Zeb played for the Cincinnati Reds in the 1930’s and brought his teammates to Zeb’s Resort on the lake for recreation.
By 2001, the Lighthouse on Montezuma Bay was built by Mr. and Mrs. William Goodwin, owners of Kozy Kamp Ground. In 1969, the Goodwins purchased Zeb’s landing, from Zeb Sollars.
In the 1950’s, the Carry Out at 103 East Logan Street, Celina, was known as Zeb’s Carry Out and owned by Zeb Sollars. Zeb’s Carry Out was listed in the 1953 and 1957 Celina Directories. The 1960 Celina Directory stated that Zeb’s Carry Out was owned and operated by Carl J. Werling. I researched this information for my book “Grand Lake Saint Marys Ohio” in my series of books, “Our Post Card Past” in 2001. At the time I wrote that book, I stopped at the Lakeview Carry Out and talked with the owners, Joe Backs and Ron Rosengarten who had purchased Lakeview Carry Out in June 1999. This week, I called the Carry Out and learned that Alan and Kim Sutter purchased this Carry Out in 2010, and the new name is “Not Als Lakeview Carry Out.”
August 6, 2011, Nancy Allen wrote the article, “Dredging up the Past,” in The Daily Standard newspaper. Dredge Captain Dan Gillis, a nine-year operator, and St. Marys State Park Manager Brian Miller, spoke about license plates with dates of the late 1930’s, and steel, cone-shaped beer cans and whiskey bottles being found on the bottom of the lake. They went on to tell that the cone top beer cans contained Burger, Burkhardt’s and Bruck’s Jubilee brand beers. They noted that Burger beer, originally brewed in Cincinnati, was synonymous with the Cincinnati Reds Baseball Team. Miller said that dredges have dug up several cone top cans in the last 25 or 30 years. These beer cans may be seen at the State Park Office in Auglaize County.
Ergo! I conclude that the Burger Beer Cans with the cone shaped tops, of which the beer was brewed in Cincinnati was enjoyed by Zeb Sollars and his fellow Cincinnati Reds Players, at Zeb’s Place, also known as Zeb’s Resort, on the South Shores of Grand Lake Saint Marys in the 1930’s.
I searched record books about the Cincinnati Reds and could not find Zeb Sollars’ name; I also looked for Zeb Zollars, with no luck. I searched minor league players and still did not find his name, but the records for minor league players noted that their records were incomplete. I went to Google and other internet web search sites and tried to find the history of Cincinnati Reds Player, Zeb Sollars or Zollars. . . and found nothing about Zeb Sollars. Perhaps, Zeb Sollars played for the Minor Leagues? Surely someone knows the history of Zeb Sollars and his relationship with the Reds?
[The Mercer County Historical Society President Joyce Alig, may be contacted at 3054 Burk-St. Henry Road, Saint Henry, OH 45883, or histalig@bright.net or 419-678-2614.]