Last July (PJ 7-15-04) my column featured a story about Bob's (Furgason's) Popcorn Stand that was often situated in Exchange Park during the 1950's. That, however, was not the first, nor the original, kiosk of that kind to habituate the park.
During the latter part of the 1930's Mr. Arthur (Aurthur) G. MacDonald sat in the living room of his Exchange Street home searching through his thoughts for some way to earn his living. When he and his wife Elizabeth moved to Vermilion from Cleveland 23 years earlier he had operated a paper hanging/decorating business. But due to declining health he had been forced to retire, and not just any line of business could or would suit his needs.
In short order he settled upon an idea that was both original and novel. Despite Mrs. MacDonald's initial protestations he set about the business of pursuing his invention. It wasn't that she objected to his notion entirely - it was from what he intended to create the basic tool he would need to realize his idea.
At the turn of the 20th century the American based Victor Company had developed a 12 inch electroplated wax disc upon which celebrated musical artists and bands could be recorded. The machine one used to listen to one of their 3 1/2 minute recordings was known as a (disc) phonograph. Due to both the quality and prestige of Victor's products their phonograph, as well as all similar phonographs, rapidly assumed the generic name of Victrola. And...
As you (dear Reader) may have already guessed, Mrs. MacDonald just happened to have in her possession one of those old Victrolas. And Mr. MacDonald just happened to see in it something other than a device with which he could merely listen to recordings of John Phillip Sousa marches or Al Jolson singing "Mammy". In brief, Mack (as he was known about the village) saw in it his new form of livelihood; a popcorn machine.
In time Mrs. MacDonald relented and even sanctioned Mack's new enterprise. She volunteered the use of her prized iron kettle that had come through her family from Germany, and she assisted him in popping the 1 1/2 bushels of popcorn, and making and wrapping the several hundred popcorn balls he sold in Exchange Park each Sunday. Preparations would take them 3 full days.
By the Spring of 1941 when P. Roscoe took this picture Mack had added more display space, enclosed it with glass, and made new awnings to dress things up a bit. The sign on the front of the stand told folks that he was selling "Mack's Famous popcorn-balls, french-fried popcorn, and fresh-roasted peanuts."
It is said that Mack took a great deal of pride in his new enterprise. I believe the picture says as much. Therein had he set up shop just outside the Public Comfort Station along the most major thoroughfare in northern Ohio. And thereby did, most certainly, many a man, woman, and child enjoy a pleasant summer afternoon in that Vermilion of yesteryear.
Ref: The Vermilion News; Alice Jane Gegenheimer; 5-22-41 Published in the Vermlion Photojournal on 11-11-04 Previous Bio Next Bio
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