LIGHTING THE WAY: Did you know that the original Vermilion Lighthouse still exists? It was dismantled in 1929 and replaced by an 18 foot skeletal tower. The light now overlooks Charity Straits on Lake Ontario.
Also note that this page is NEW every week. So - if your browser is showing you a previous page (time after time) it may be time to clean out the cache on the ol' computer. How that is accomplished depends on what type of pc you're running. Usually a friend can help you. If not, your service provider may help guide you through the process. Just like a trash can the computer gets full and needs to be emptied now and then.
There's really nothing too technical about these things. Once one understands how its done it's a breeze
1936 VHS FOOTBALL: I find this photo of Vermilion's 1936 football squad to be somewhat amusing. These fellows just don't look real happy. Perhaps it has something to do with their 2-8 record for the season. But that's not a real fair assessment because I don't know whether the pic was taken before or after the season. Perhaps they were just told to try to look tough?
TOP ROW: G. Sprigg, C. Kuhl, L. Smith, C. Gegenheimer, D. Schisler, M. Sanders, R. Washtak, Mr. Calvert, W. Tischer, M. Jeffery, T. Collitt, G. Johnson, E. Beiner. BOTTOM ROW: C. Klucas, H. Chandler, R. Koontz, W. Kishman, R. Collitt, H. Hayes, E. Ward, G. Truesdale
I certainly remember some of these people. Dan Schisler used to teach boys Sunday School at the Congregational Church with Tom Williams (Sr.). We always had a good time. They used to take us on hikes on Sunday afternoons to Coopers Hollow and the Fish and Game. We hiked from the church on Division/Main Street through woods and field to those places. Once in a while they'd treat us to a pancake breakfast at the White Inn.
Ray Washtak was the owner/operator of the Wayside Inn, a little tavern/diner just west of town across from Kyle Motors. Our family had occasion to have dinner there after we finished an edition of the Vermilion News now and then. He had a killer chicken-in-a-basket meal.
Earl Beiner I remember mostly as a realty man who lived at Vermilion-On-The-Lake. He was a nice fellow.
H. Chandler was (I believe) Louise Giddings' son. His son Bryan, who lives in San Francisco, has sent me later pix of him and the family. Bryan has also sent me numerous photographs of his own that I've found to be extremely interesting.
I remember Dick Koontz rather well. As I've said numerous times before he was among the very few great professional photographers who lived and worked in Vermilion. And it may very well be that he is the only pro-photog who also grew up in town.
And about Harry Hayes I really have to say little. Since first publishing a picture of him I've heard from several folks now scattered about our little city and larger nation who have very fond memories of him.
But again, about the pic. These guys look like they're not really interested in trying to look tough for the camera. Tis only Mr. Chandler who looks halfway happy.
RUGGLES DANCE PAVILION: This color (albeit hand tinted) picture of the dancing pavilion at Ruggles Beach (c.1911) is for the benefit of folks who might have seen an article I wrote about the dance hall with a b&w copy of this pic that appears in the 8-3-06 edition of the Vermilion Photojournal.
It is, in brief, a great deal more interesting and appealing in color than in black and white.
My friend Barbara Hayes Ruggles gave me this photo a few years ago along with a similarly colored pic of the Wagner Hotel. They were, of course, adapted from old post card pix. But they are still very nice. The coloring seems to bring out the detail (i.e. the number of people both inside and outside the dancehall).
Again, to reiterate and to condense the story; the Dance Hall burned to the ground between 11:30 pm on Friday July 3rd and 12:30 am July 4th in the year 1959. It was being used primarily as a roller rink at this time, and was owned by some folks of Lorain, Ohio. It had closed around 11 pm. The fire started in the middle of the building, and because the lumber of which it was made was both old and very dry it went up like a book of matches - poof!
Firefighters saved the nearby hotel. It was damaged, but not so much that it had to be closed.
The hotel is still in operation, and is still owned by the Ruggles family.
SPEAKING OF FIRES: There are still a few folks around (myself included) who remember the Vermilion Pop Works. And there are still a few folks around (again, like myself) who remember the day the building was burned as a joint exercise of several area volunteer fire departments.
This is one of several snapshots pertaining to the old popworks that was located on Ohio Street - a few door east of St. Mary's Catholic Church - that were given me by Vermilion expatriots, the brothers Hohler - Dale and Larry - some time ago. They are nephews of the late Vermilionite Larry Shafts who was the final owner of the business.
Somewhere on earth some pix I, and my sisters, took of that day/fire with an old Kodak Brownie camera. I recall standing near the NYC railroad tracks just north of the building when it was set afire.
I also recall like the idea that Vermilion had its own popworks, and truly regretted the idea that it was to be no more.
BETTER DAYS: Long before "Big Ed" Lampe converted her into a fishing vessel there was a beautiful passenger steamer running from Sandusky to Cedar Point and the Lake Erie Islands named the Grandon.
If anyone would wonder why I am so interested in this particular vessel - aside from the fact that I have great interest in its legendary skipper (Captain Lampe) - tis because of that which is obvious in this pic compared to what she became:
She was a vessel with an extremely colorful and historic past.
THE RUMSEY BARN: Local resident Ray Thoms surprised me a few weeks ago when he handed me several pix, and told me I could have them. This one of the barn at Rumsey Park is not astounding, but it provides a record of that which lies beneath the siding on that barn (today).
It also causes me to wonder if the mural that once graced the north side of the barn might also lie beneath the siding. Someone around Vermilion has been inquiring - looking to find a pic of that old mural. But, thus far, it appears that one does not exist.
This, methinks, is about as close to find a photo of that mural as anyone is likely to get.
At least for now.
WHAT'S A FOOT: A few Vermilion Area Archival Society pix and artifacts are currently on display in the windows of the empty store next to Vermilion's Convenient Store (Near the river bridge and new Rotary Centennial Park).
And, of course, everyone is absolutely welcome to join this group. Lifetime memberships are $100. Yearly memberships are $10 a person; $18.00 a couple; and $5 for a student.
Please take the time to 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" and elsewhere 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. For whatever reason the continued suffering of the peoples in Africa go virtually unnoticed by both our nation and the United Nations - and that should not be. Contributions to that home may be made to a Vermilion expatriot Larry Hohler in New York.
CLASS REUNION UPDATES: Here's some new items: Vermilion Class of l948 Reunion for Friday, August 25, 2006 at Vermilion Fish and Game - 6:00 p.m. For more information contact Carol Bechtel. They are looking for Richard Jenkins, Norma Czarnecki, Bob Thomas, William Judge, Robert Crampton, Rodney Gribble.
Bob Ferry, is heading up the VHS Class Reunion for 1987...20 years.
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.
It is my understanding that some of these links are not working, or not working well. If so it is a technical problem belonging to the respective parties operating those webpages.
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.4, Issue 20, August 5, 2006
© 2006 Rich Tarrant