BILLY GERTZ'S RESTAURANT
Early l900's a salesman for Findlay Brewery, William Gertz purchased the land across from Edgewater Park and erected a summer restaurant and hotel (1901), called Billy Gertz's Restaurant. The grounds ran from the lagoon (146 & 147) to the end of Edgewater Park. Tourists coming to the Point for summer weekends would ride the streetcar to Suder Ave where it ended. There the two families that lived there would transport visitors out along the sand roads to the Edgewater resort in their 3-and 4-seater horse-drawn buggies. Double deck boats from downtown Toledo would also sail 3 or 4 times daily bringing passengers.
The restaurant became known all thru Toledo for its generous servings of food. Rooms above the restaurant were rented but since there were no indoor toilets, renters had to use the facilities behind the hotel. Because there was no central heat, the restaurant and hotel was only open in the summer, but in the winter Mr. Gertz occasionally opened up the dining room and sleigh rides were held.
A few years after the restaurant had opened, street cars were put in that ran all the way thru the Point and down along Edgewater to the bridge near the lagoon. Farmers started selling their land for development into houses and Mr. Gertz also decided to see the restaurant and along with Frank Weber, developed the land behind the hotel into plots. They also bought farms lands along 120 and developed that. Eventually the restaurant burned down and was replaced by homes. Later the building became Nuemyers. The nearby lagoon was filled in and the bridge going over it became part of the paved road that replaced the streetcar line. Mr. Gertz died at age 72 in 1932.