THE BAILEY HOUSE: Last Saturday the weather was wonderful, and I had some time, so I drove out into the countryside with my new Nikon D70 (camera) to see what I could see. Zipping through the country (actually their ain't much of it left) I decided to go to the Berlin Heights area. For years I've wanted to see if I could get a pic of the lake (perhaps 4 or 5 miles away) from Mason Road. There's a spot near the old sandstone quarry (where we used to swim when we were youngsters) where the lake can be seen above the orchards.
Well, I did get the photo (below - the arrow points to the lake) but I inadvertantly found something I'd long forgotten about.
When I was very young I was always fascinated by the house in the picture seen above. It sits on a rise on east Main Street in Berlin Heights. I knew nothing about it. I just always admired it. I thought it would be great fun to be able to roam through the place - from room to room - and discover all its secrets. It's so big that I'd be willing to be that you could stand in one room at the front of the home screaming, and nobody at the back could hear you.
It really is beautiful.
As I left my car and was taking some pix of the place a fellow about my age (60's) who was in the process of mowing the gigantic lawn with a tractor stopped to talk with me. (He, kiddingly, asked me if I would like to paint the place.) I told him of my long interest in the home. And he told me a bit about it.
The gentleman and his wife are the current residents. He told me that his in-laws actually owned the place - but are at the moment (perhaps due to their ages) living elsewhere.
He told me that the house was originally built by a man with the last name of Bailey. Bailey owned and operated the aforementioned sandstone quarry that is about a mile north. The basic structure was built in the 1860's, and the Victorian type structure seen in the pic was built around that first house in the 1880's. The current owners (not related to Bailey) put a substantial addition on the back of the building. I have no idea as to the reason for adding more to what was already a very substantially sized house.
It's a 3 story house with a full basement. He told me that the ceiling in the attic is 8' high, in which their children used to play basketball.
I should have questioned the man a bit more - but all this was unexpected. I simply stopped to take a photograph.
A WORK ALWAYS IN PROGRESS: Additional information re: the identity of some of the folks in this GP Martin '37-38 Pontiac Champion Basketball team pic (used last week) has been uncovered - and this is how it looks: (L-R) 2st Row: GP Martin, Bill Tischer, 0,0,0, Dale Wendell (Team Mgr): 2nd Row: 0, Buss Darley, "Hans(ie)"/Albert Fischer, Elsworth Dickerhoff, Bruce Boeohler (from Lorain).
This information comes from (my little sister) Nancy Emery, and (my Arizona friend) Dale Wendell.
Dale also told me, "I remember GP's team playing a reserve game at the Cleveland Public Auditoriam(SP)[sic] and the main team was the Boston Celtics,boy was that a treat.I did travel a lot with Glenn..."
Their help is certainly appreciated.
EVERY HORSE HAS FOUR FEET: Last week was the picture of his shop (albeit; I dated it wrong. A reader noted that the Buick I identified as a 1958 was actually a 1954. Ergo; the photo was likely taken about that time). This week is the pic of the fellow who was working inside; Fred Becker.
This photo was taken when Fred in 1949 when Fred was 70 years old. By this time he had been in the blacksmith business for 50 years. But also, by this time, the trade had slackened quite a bit. He'd gone from shoeing to lawnmower sharpening (the old reel push mowers), to repairing plows and making special forged irons. Most his work in 1949 was being done in the summer months.
He opined to a reporter at the time that,"Yep, the automobile is here to stay and so is the power lawn mower - in fact, the whole darned machine age is catching up with me." And then he chuckled, adding, "It's taken a long time, tho."
At the time Mr. Becker lived in a house on Liberty Avenue near the northwest corner of Grand Street (that is now a parking lot between the Ritter Library Annex and the ambulance garage). It was known as 209 Liberty Avenue.
He and his wife (who had died in the Spring of 1949) had 6 children - three girls and three boys.
When asked about how many shoes he'd put on horses during his half century of smithing he reportedly answered, "I don't have any idea - each horse has four feet you know."
VERMILION'S COWBOY: Vermilionite Jim Fischer is back on the writing scene writing about one of the things he knows well; being a cowboy. One of his tales, Snow Angels appears in an anthology Tales From Cowboy Country recently published by Range Rider, Inc of La Veta, Colorado.
Jim, as I've said in past reviews of his work (i.e. Custer's Horses), is a very accomplished historian and writer. I look forward to hearing more from a local country boy and friend whose life experiences as skydiver, Great Lakes sailor, bull rider, and cowboy are finally finding their way onto paper.
As Jim wrote me quoting a "B" Western flick hero: "Keep you guns oiled and don't ferget [sic} to kiss your horse."
THE ENTREPRENEUR: I doth know that this place is recognizable by many Vermilionites. Today it is known as the Freeman-Eckely Yacht sales building on Liberty Avenue across from the Convienient Food Store, and above Parsons Marina/Boat Storage.
The pic finds its way to "Views" via Jim Smith via his cousin Robert in St. Louis. It is taken from a book Robert put together for the Smith Family detailing their ancestry. It is, of course, a photo the tire sales business of Robert's father, Warren G. Smith. I would give it a c.1930's designation. (Somewhere 'mongst this rubble about me and my computer I have a way of nailing down the date(s) to be more exact - but...)
This is not a great pic. It is my experience to know that photographs from litho-plates are difficult to reproduce smoothly. Those lithographs are composed of tiny dots (larger than the original negatives and/or photographs from which they are taken) whilst computer graphics are composed of tiny blocks. When they are digitally reproduced the dots in the lithograph become more pronounced - and I don't really like the product.
And now that I've told everyone something they don't really care to know...
This is not a great pic - but it is a good one. I've never seen another of this building from the front. I've only seen the side of the building. Warren "Smitty" Smith was definitely a man for all seasons. Not only did he have his infamous Boat Livery and Bait Shop, but he had this enterprise, plus the little store seen below.
The precise location of the store is not yet known - beyond the fact that it was likely on the property he owned west of the bridge beside the river.
This is fascinating stuff!!
MERRY XMAS: Moving along with things I've designed a series of Vermilion Christmas greeting cards. All 3 are featured above. They're very interesting.
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.
Note that the calendars are almost sold out. So if you are looking to get one by Christmas you'd better act today (not tomorrow or next week). The cards will only be avaiable for another week.
WHAT'S A FOOT: The local chapter of the Salvation Army is looking for bell-ringers to man the kettles in various locations throughout town during the holidays. If you're about, an interested, give a call to 440-967-1116 to volunteer your time.
According to a Wal-Mart spokesman that company has withdrawn its plans to build a store of Rte. 60 just south of the city limits - indefinitely. (I am not disappointed. And I will continue to boycott their stores until they begin to treat their employees like human beings.)
Vermilion City Council tabled the ordinance re: cluster housing behing the Valleyview allotment. (I would urge them to place a moratorium on all large developments in the city until a plan to improve water, sewer, and streets in the city is made and implemented.)
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: There is absolutely, and unconditionally nothing different in this area that hasn't appeared here for the last six weeks. If something changes you'll see it here.
Since last week I did note that some folks use this page to access the Classes of '60 to '62 webpage I'm placing the link back here. But it would be a very wise move if folks involved with that page made a note of its URL and posted it in their notes as well as those contacting their classmates.
I was unaware of it but more than just a few folks do use this site as a link to their respective class sites - so - here's the VHS Class of 1959's site back for your convenience too: Remember that site is located at: Class of '59 and it'll be updated it as Roger (Boughton) receives enough new pictures and information from classmates to make it worth reading. So send him any information that you would like to share with other classmates and he'll put it up for all to see and view.
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 36, November 26, 2005
© 2005 Rich Tarrant