SAN FRANCISCO CONNECTION: Bryan Chandler, a "Viewer" who lives in San Francisco, has sent me a number of intriguing photographs from that town during the last few weeks. I am, of course, a photograph lover. And I did intend to use at least one of his pictures last week - but got going on something else and it slipped by. But this pic of the Oddfellows building in SF is an example of Bryan's work.
Bryan would be a relative of the late Louise Giddings ergo; Tootie Reisinger; ergo Bruce Eldridge. But I'm not certain how all that works.
In any case, I appreciate his pix. He sent me some of some folks actually skiing down one of the hills in that city. My assumption is that they imported the snow to ski upon. Bryan has also sent me some music/radio links that I've found rather interesting as well.
I never cease to be amazed at how far reaching the net can be for me - and this is an example.
Due to this page I'm in touch with people all over our nation and world. And here I sit - in a chair, in front of a Mac G5, on Oakwood Drive in little Vermilion, Ohio. It's a small world.
DRASTIC CHANGES: Would you believe that his was, just a few hours before this picture was taken, a very nice 1957 Plymouth convertable?
On Thursday evening October 26, 1961 Bill Peters was driving his beautifully customized car on Colorado Avenue in Lorain, Ohio near the railroad tracks when an auto came over the tracks toward him at a high rate of speed and... Well you see what happened.
Bill was, in a word, creamed. He still carries the scars of this accident.
Jake Boone, a passenger in the car, was virtually unscathed. Go figure.
This is one of those things that, when you're a youngster and it happens to one of your friends, you never forget. For Bill, and his family, I assume it was a life altering incident. When one comes that close to becoming a statistic of a violent accident life takes on a new meaning.
I remember the car well both before and after it was destroyed. And I also remember visiting Bill in the hosptital. God was most certainly on his side. The people in the other vehicle also walked away from the accident.
BEFORE & AFTER: And who out there remembers Dr. William VonKaenel, et.al?
In my case, I knew of him, but don't remember more than that. At the time he practiced medicine in Vermilion I was a teenager, and my concerns did not (fortunately) run toward such matters. But there are many other folks who knew the Dr., his wife, Jean, and his six children quite well. Initially they lived in a house on Ohio Street near the old popworks, and the Shafts and Stark homes. Later the family built a house on West River Road near the entrance to the Olympic Outing Club. Today the fellow who owns the local Convienient Store owns the home.
As I've mentioned the Dr. and his wife had six children. In the first photograph their son Jeff and his sister Debby feed some lambs next to the Shafts house on Ohio Street.
Larry Shaft's nephew, Dale Hohler, sent me perhaps six photographs of the VonKaenel family that were taken back in the 1950's.
Eventually the family moved to CA where the Dr. died in Santa Clara in (3-19) 1973 at the young age of 53. According to Dale, Mrs. VonKaenel still lives in the "Bay area".
To take things a step further, and a number of years later, the second picture is Jeff standing before a number of the newspapers he is owner/publisher of in the west. Those interested can Google Jeff and come up with a truly wonderful success story. Tis purely an American saga.
THE SERMONIZER: To carry on some with my interest in the Goodell/Judson/Pelton families of Vermilion, Ohio in relation to my interest in electronically preserving documents pertaining to local history I, herein, introduce a new webpage link. This page, as you will discover, is a transcription of Rev. Goodell's sermon given when he dedicated the "new meeting house" (church) in Vermilion proper in 1843. This (for those unfamiliar with this scenario) was the first church in Vermilion and the Vermilion area. It was founded in 1818 in the heart of the township, and by 1843 finally landed in the town. That church has evolved into the present day Vermilion United Church of Christ Congregational church on State Street.
I'm sure that this document will not be of wide appeal. However; for persons who are serious students of history (i.e. what the heck were those people in the past thinking?) this is a great document to study.
Due to the fact that transcribing the text of this sermon is, for me, no small task I will be doing it in weekly increments (a page per week). The up side of my slow work is that it will give folks an opportunity to study small bits of the discourse as I work, so it won't seem so overwhelming. Sometimes the language seems difficult, and sometimes one might need to check other historic events to get a better idea of exactly what Goodell (here pictured with his wife Anna) was saying.
Having read a bit more of the good Reverend's letters I have found study of the sermon helpful and historically englightening.
So if you're of a mind, take a look at the Dedication Sermon of Jotham W. Goodell, 1843.
I am greatly pleased to be able to allow the general public access to this document.
12-25-1911: Wow! My brother, Al, gave me a copy of this beautiful photograph a few days ago - and I didn't even ask for it. Wow!
This is the interior of the Starr-Gardner Market on Division (now Main) Street in Vermilion. Today this store is part (the south side) of what is now Lee's Landing. When I was a boy it was Naegele's Meatmarket. But even so - it didn't look like this. This reminds me more of the time I spent in Vietnam where they also strung their poultry, etc. up on lines in the open air. Note how dark it is in the place.
We doth often take for-granted how much things have changed over the years. Wow, wow, wow!!!
FREDERICK G. FISCHER: Last Monday Jim Fischer gave a presentation to the Vermilion Area Archival Society (VAAS) re: his book (Custer's Horses), and the use of horses in general in the development of our area. T'was very interesting.
Jim gave the VAAS a cannonball that was made at the old ironworks at Furnace Corners on the corner of State Darrow Roads in the township. He also loaned me this picture.
Frederick Fischer was Jim's paternal grandfather. Here he is pictured with his horses Patty and Buster.
Fred used to haul stone from the Linwood Park area to a block-building enterprise run by the Becker family at about the site of the Vermilion Boat Club. He also hauled lime from the kiln near the mouth of the river to the ironworks, and then hauled slag back from the ironworks. The slag was apparently used to form the base of Vermilion's streets.
There is some irony to be noted with this pic. It was taken on, or very near, the site in the Ritter Library Ritter Room where Jim was speaking when he loaned me the pic.
If one looks to the background the old Jeffery and Naegele homes are quite visible.
As side note about Jim's presentation. I have captured most of it on CD (some I missed). I will be made available through the VAAS archives at the Ritter Public Library.
MERRY XMAS: Moving along with things I've designed a series of Vermilion Christmas greeting cards. This is one. It's quite nice. The cards are printed on a textured heavyweight paper.
This scan doesn't do them justice.
Aside from this scene there is one with a sleigh on a Vermilion Street, and another of Tom Ball's "Iona" near Vermilion's Water-works.
Folks who are beginning to look for Christmas items might like to consider these cards, my book, "Yesteryear", and/or the Vermilion Area Archival Society's calendars.
The cards are $2.00 each/12 for $20.00. They will be printed (and personalized if one chooses for $1.00 extra) on demand. None of the cards will be produced without specific order(s). All portray old-time Vermilion scenes. They are 5.5"x 8.5" cards and envelopes printed on a textured, heavyweight paper. All are quality products. Or as I am wont to say, "Nice Stuff!!"
Persons wanting to order can simply contact me via e-mail, snail-mail, telephone [440-967-0988], or come and see me. I am about town.
WHAT'S A FOOT: The Vermilion Area Archival Society 2006 Historic Calendar featuring Vermilion's fishing industry is now available at several locations around Vermilion for $5.00.[Maryann's Beauty Salon; Brummer's Candy Store; Vermilion YMCA] These are new calendars that feature Vermilion's fishing industry. Anyone interested in one of the calendars can also contact me. Shipping and handling costs run about $1.35.
Also note that there are (unfortunately) some mistakes on the calendar. The name of Sue Backus under the "Business and Corporate Sponsors" heading is spelled incorrectly. And the month of March is listed incorrectly as being "2005". The days of the actual month, however, are correct for 2006.
Also, visit (or re-visit) the Hope Children's Home site linked below because there are some additions there that you might find interesting. With all the bad things happening on the "dark continent" it's really nice to know that there are some places where the light does shine brightly. Please keep in mind that the needs of Hope Children's Home are on-going. Contributions to that home may be made to Larry Hohler in New York.
CLASS REUNION UPDATES: Bruce Eldridge tells me that: "We are planning the 45th at the AMvets Hall on route 60 in Vermilion. The date will be July 22, 2006. Bruce Eldridge, John Hunter and Bob Wolford will serve as chairmen with the committee consisting of Buzzy Young, Shirley Mayer, Sue Opperman, Judy Gutman, Denny Owen as well as Tom and Judy Williams." Their website can be found at the following link: Classes of '60 to '62.
From Roger Boughton comes the following note: Thanks to Gail Lyon and Pat and Glenn Owen we have some additional pictures of our reunion held last October. Take a visit to our website and see what's new. Memories of this October are only a click away. Enjoy and remember.....if you send pictures we'll share with others on our website. Mary Ann is busy writing stories for her Virginia paper. You'll want to visit the site and read her thoughts on Liberty. Keep the pictures coming as classmates who were not able to attend are enjoying seeing "old" school mates. Also, you might want to send us news from and about your family and we'll include it on our web site. Our survey clearly indicated that most wanted our reunion held in Vermilion in 2009. Thus, we'll be celebrating our "special" occasion (50th Reunion) in September of 2009. Put it on your calendar and plan to join the fun. Remember our web site is located at: Class of '59 and I'll update it as I receive enough new pictures and information from our classmates to make it worth reading. So send me any information that you would like to share with other classmates and we'll put it up for all to see and view.
This week I changed the URL for Roger's site as he requested. There were some minor problems with it. But now things should be okay.Please note that I'll be placing the VHS Class of 1959's webpage into the links section of this page shortly. It's looks as though it is going to be a permanent connection for interested parties.
Persons interested in having their VHS (and vicinity) reunion plans posted on this site are welcome to do so. I can't provide anyone with webpages to post their activities in depth, but I can provide a link to existing pages and/or post some activity items here. All anyone need do is contact me at my email address and pass along their material electronically.
I should add that some of the people who are noted in this part of the page are good resource folks for all types of information if one should be looking for some long lost friend. I won't give out contact information unless I have permission from those named, but I will contact them on your behalf if you desire.
As news regarding VHS reunion activities comes to my attention it will appear on this web page.
Right now things in this area are (as is obvious) rather slow...
The Beat Goes On: The page is generated by the dreaded Macintosh Computer and is written and designed by (me) Rich Tarrant. It will change weekly ~ usually on Saturday. Bookmark the URL (Universal Resource Locater) and come back at your own leisure. Send the page to your friends (and enemies if you wish). If you have something to share with those who visit this page, pass it on. And if you see something that is in need of correction do the same. My sister, Nancy, is a great help in that respect. It only takes me a week to get things right. And follow the bookmarks. You might find something you like. If you experience a problem with them let me know. Also, if you want to see past editions of this eZine check the new archives links below.
Links to other sites on the Web
Vol.3, Issue 30, October 15, 2005
© 2005 Rich Tarrant