AN AMERICAN, CINCO DE MAYO, UND EIN FRAULEIN: This date (as fate might have it)is a notable date in the history of me self. That it's also the Cinco de Mayo is merely cooincidental. 42 years ago this day a friend, Bob Leahy, drove me to Sandusky, Ohio so I could catch a bus to Cleveland wherein I was inducted into the United States Army. By January of the next year (1966) I was in the Republic of Vietnam.
I've no war stories to tell. I disliked military service. The war scared me. There's something terribly wrong with the world when people (you don't know nor particularly have anything against) are given the task of hurting and/or killing you - and vice-versa.
But it's literally drummed into your head..."Ours is not to reason why. Ours it but to do or die." I was also told (time and time again) that "the only good hero is a dead hero".
And those things - those cliches - are, in the midst of an armed conflict, true.
I also consider them to be sad truths.
A temporary respite from all that insanity there was always the NCO Club. What better way to drown the noise of war than alcohol and music. And there was this song - Fraulein.
Brought into the war theatre of Vietnam by troopers that were formerly stationed in Germany it seemed to comfort all with thoughts of life - a peaceful life - back home. The song was not literally understood by most GI's. The piece was more figurative/symbolic and, perhaps, best represented the true feelings of the many men whose lives had been forever touched by the storm that then surrounded them.
The only real link between the place one called home and the theatre of war were the stars in the sky. And to take out of precise context some words writ by the poet John Keats, "that's all ye know on earth/and all ye need to know."
AU REVOIR BROWNHELM SCHOOL: And the demolition of Vermilion area historic sites continues. Set to be razed is the old school in Brownhelm.
The year 1889 was a busy year on our planet. It was the last year that the U.S. minted 3 cent coins. It was the year a French structural engineer named Gustave Eiffel built a huge wrought-iron tower for the World's Fair in Paris; the year a child named Charles Chaplin was borne in Britain; and one in which an Austrian woman with the last name of Hitler gave birth to a boy she named Adolph. It was also the year that the people in little, out of the way, Brownhelm Ohio built a new school. The original school was a square two-story brick building with four evenly spaced brick columns on the front, back, and sides. It was topped by a steep pitched roof. Light and air-conditioning were provided by numerous tall, narrow, double hung windows all around the school. Just over a century ago (1905) an addition was constructed on the west side of the school. A hip roof - the same roof it has today - with a deep overhang supported by carved wood brackets, dormers and a cupola with a bell were also added. In about 1915-16 the schools were centralized and all the students in outlying areas of the district were transported by kid wagons to the N. Ridge facility. Seventeen years later (1922) an auditorium/gymnasium and additional classrooms were added. Before this basketball games had to be either played outdoors or in an Amherst gym; and graduation ceremonies, plays, and other social events were usually held in the nearby church. This renovation also included a very distinctive new red brick neo-Classical Georgian Revival facade, and a round top glass transom with stone detailing at the front of the building. With perhaps the exception of the bell tower, which had to be removed for practical financial reasons in 1970, the outward appearance of the school is, today, unchanged.
The original school was a square two-story brick building with four evenly spaced brick columns on the front, back, and sides. It was topped by a steep pitched roof. Light and air-conditioning were provided by numerous tall, narrow, double hung windows all around the school.
Just over a century ago (1905) an addition was constructed on the west side of the school. A hip roof - the same roof it has today - with a deep overhang supported by carved wood brackets, dormers and a cupola with a bell were also added. In about 1915-16 the schools were centralized and all the students in outlying areas of the district were transported by kid wagons to the N. Ridge facility.
Seventeen years later (1922) an auditorium/gymnasium and additional classrooms were added. Before this basketball games had to be either played outdoors or in an Amherst gym; and graduation ceremonies, plays, and other social events were usually held in the nearby church. This renovation also included a very distinctive new red brick neo-Classical Georgian Revival facade, and a round top glass transom with stone detailing at the front of the building. With perhaps the exception of the bell tower, which had to be removed for practical financial reasons in 1970, the outward appearance of the school is, today, unchanged.
It appears that one of the primary problems/reasons that makes the building unsalvageable is that it contains a great deal of asbestos; and removing that subsance is apparently more costly than demolition. Go figure.
One way or the other the asbestos has to be removed. Being rather ignorent I'm at a loss to understand the reason that it's cheaper to raze the building to eradicate the problem than it is to have the material removed.
In any case, another friendly old face bites the dust.
IT'S JUST ANOTHER TREE: Whilst persons appear to be set on the razing of historic sites in the community of Vermilion, Ohio for what are, essentially, economic reasons it would, therefore, also be of no surprise to me if a builder/contractor would come to own the property upon which this tree is growing and decide to turn it into firewood. After all, it's just another tree.
But let's take a closer look.
My friend, Frank Adkins, told me about the existance of this tree quite some time ago. Frank, who is retired from U.S. Steel, works part-time for Bob Maurer who farms acreage all over the region. On Friday (5-04-07) Frank called me on his cell phone and told me that they were working near this tree - and asked if I wanted to see, and photograph, the tree. Ergo; these pix.
I'm not sure what type of tree it might be. By the looks of one of its gigantic limbs (some are as large as the trunks of most trees) it resembles a Sycamore. But sans the leaves I can't be certain. But take a look at the size in relation to Frank standing in front of it:
What do you think of that?
I don't know how many folks know of this tree. I may be among the last to know of it. But it is impressive. To think that it is heading into its 3rd century amazes me. Just imagine the wood in which it sprouted so long ago. It's among one of the few historic wonders in and around Vermilion, Ohio that remains. Let us hope that it still has a long life ahead and that its demise will be of natural (not manmade/economic) causes.
ON THE TRAIL OF THE CARGO WAREHOUSE: Following an article I wrote in the "Yesteryear" column for the Vermilion Photojournal a few weeks ago about various buildings that were physically moved in Vermilion one of the owners of the department store (The Buyer's Fair) contacted the newspaper asking why no mention of the Cargo Warehouse had been made in the essay.
In reality the answer was quite simple: I didn't know that it had been moved. However; I was interested.
And coincidently (or no) a "Viewer" Sharon Swanson who lives in Erie, PA e-mailed me with a question that also asked about the old warehouse (among a few other things). That e-mail question, along with a brief answer, appears in The History Question of the Week section below. So - I began to see what I could find on the warehouse. However, to be quite honest, Ms. Swanson probably knows more about the warehouse than do I.
What I've been able to find is that the building now recognized as the "Cargo Warehouse" was built c.1850 to be used as a sawmill at the Gilchrist lumber yard that was once located just to the west of the present day Vermilion Boat Club.
In time Nicholas Fischer formed a partnership with Gilchrist. Eventually Captain Gilchrist left the firm - and it became the Fischer Lumber Company. And later still one of Nicholas Fischer's sons, George, assumed ownership of the company and moved the warehouse to a site on Columbus Street. Columbus Street is the street just south of the railway that runs east from Exchange Street (behind St. Mary's Church) to Sandusky Street.
Around 1910 (what was then) the Michigan and Southern Railroad Company proposed putting in 2 addtional sets of tracks through the village. In doing so the wanted to raise the grade and construct 2 undergrade passages at Sandusky and West River Road (then Water Street). They needed to raised the grade 9 feet in order to have about a 13 foot clearance at either underpass. The measure was not greeted by local citizens with open arms. However; the railroad did succeed in their endeavors.
The railroad claimed ownership of property upon which George Fischer had his warehouse. And although Mr. Fischer certainly disputed their claim in court - he lost. So from that which I could decipher from the records available to me the warehouse was then moved to its present location.
THE CRAFTSMAN: While the warehouse has been owned by several different parties over the years the person responsible for the literal building of it was a gentlemen named Conrad Bachman. Conrad is the fellow seated on the left in this wonderful photograph his g.g.granddaughter, Sharon Swanson, was kind enough to share with "Viewers". Note that he is missing part of an index finger on his left hand. That would not have been an unusual mishap for an active carpenter during those times. Not pictured here are all the hand-hewn beams inside the warehouse.
The Bachman family is well known in Vermilion, Ohio to this day. Ms. Swanson has also afforded me a detailed genealogy of the family (that is too lengthy to share in this forum) that allows one to see just how extensive the roots of this family are in the area.
What I'm looking for (among million of other things) at the moment is a record of some of the other things/buildings he was responsible for building in and around the old village.
AND LASTLY: This millers wheel sits aside the Cargo Warehouse (as is obvious in the photo of the entire building). Formerly it sat near the street just to the west of the Vermilion Boat Club.
One of the Buyer's Fair owners, Les Friedman, opined that it might have held some of the belts that powered the steam-driven saws that once occupied the floors of the lumbermill. But I don't think that was the case. This wheel is made of stone and was more than likely used to grind grain in a grain mill.
But how and why it ended up along the road beside the VBC is a mystery to me. If anyone has a clue - I'd like to hear about it.
PODCAST #22: This week the Vermilion Views Podcast #22 continues with a portion of the talk given the Vermilion Area Archival Society on April 9th by local resident Nettie Bogart Welch. There is also 7th in a series of readings from Vermilion historian Betty Trinter's wonderful book The Way It Was, and dats about dat for this week. Feel free to collect/download these readings and place them on a disc for listening at a later time. If you have the equipment it would be relatively easy to edit them (cut out the misc. stuff) and just keep what ye might find interesting.
HAVE YE QUESTIONS (?): From "Viewer" Sharon Swanson of Erie, PA comes the following question:
Hi Rich, I am very interested in the history of the Cargo Warehouse. A very elderly cousin told me it was once my g.g. grandfather's wood mill and that it used to be across the river where the Lake Shore Electric Car Line entered town. In one of Conrad Bachmann's obits. it stated that he helped erect the building on Liberty street for Nickolas Fisher and afterwards rented it for many years. It says "for more that fifty years he(Conrad) was identified with the building interests of Vermilion" Was his obituary refering to the Cargo Warehouse? Also would you know of any way for me to find out if there were other prominent buildings or boats he may have helped build? Thank you for your time and Effort!
ANSWER: Sharon. As you can see I can't (yet) answer all of what you ask. But I'm working on it. Your curiousity has moved me to take a closer look at both the Cargo Warehouse and your g.g. grandfather's work. As time passes I hope to discover/rediscover all the information you seek. The subject is of great interest to me. So thanks for pushing me in those directions.
If anyone has any further questions...
WHAT'S A FOOT: The next meeting of the Vermilion Area Archival Society will be held at the Community Room of the Ritter Public Library on Monday May 14th at 7 pm. Rita Howley Summers will present the history of the Vermilion Lagoons.It should prove to be a very interesting evening. So please join us.
Everyone is welcome to attend these meetings and/or to become a member of the VAAS.
Lifetime memberships are $100. Yearly memberships are $10 a person; $18.00 a couple; and $5 for a student.Our address is:
And I need to mention the projects of my friend Bette Lou Higgins, Artistic Director, of Eden Valley Enterprises. For those unfamiliar with her work - they stage historical people/events from (and) around the State of Ohio.
A great deal of research and practice goes into these productions to make them as accurate as possible.
I will attempt to keep updates on Eden Valley' programs here throughout the year. So keep coming back.
Eden Valley will present ORDINARY PEOPLE IN EXTRAORDINARY TIMES at the Renaissance Center; 26376 John Rd. in Olmsted Township. This storytelling program spotlights stories of World War II on the front lines and on the home front and is FREE and open to the public. For more information, call the Center at 440-235-7111.
A performance of YOU CAN'T PLAY BALL IN A SKIRT! be featured and will be held at the Freer Family Field at the corner of Park St. and Morgan Ave, June 25-30. The Chautauqua is sponsored by the Ashland Community Arts Center and this year's theme is "Sport and Society." For more information call the Ashland Area Convention & Visitors Bureau at 877-581-2345 or e-mail: Ashland Area Convention & Visitors Bureau
To arrange for this or any of their programs for your group, contact Eden Valley directly with your request (and/or to view a complete schedule of Eden Valley Events) visit their web page at www.edenvalleyenterprises.org.
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. Keep in mind that the needs of Hope Children's Home are on-going. Partially due to the horrors taking place in the Mid-East 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.
I need to strongly reiterate the fact that this is an on-going project. The need is forever continuing. Please think about these children. If not with your pocketbook - at least in your daily prayers.
CLASS REUNION UPDATES:This from Shirley Williams Gleason: The CLASS of '58 is planning on hosting the reunion on the weekend of July 17, 18, 19, 2008....The Committee will be sending out information this spring in regard to the plans.
The VHS Class of 1957 are planning their Class Reunion for September 15, 2007. They cannot find addresses for the following classmates: William A. Brown, Carol L. Burkle, Eddie L. Davis, Robert W. DeLong, Jim B. Henry, Alexander J. Lutz, or Neil M. Marcussen. If anyone has that information please forward it to
And I just received the following from Alice Wakefield:
"...I just established a yahoo group for the VHS Class of 1957 so we can catch up on our classmates before our September reunion..." Here are the details: The Group home page can be found at: VHS CLASS OF 1957 The Group email address is: VHSClassof1957 Go to the home page and join today!!
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. And, incidently, I received the following communique from Roger this recently. It said in part:
JUST A REMINDER: You'll also want to place on your calendar the dates for our reunion in 2009. It will be held the weekend of September 18-20, 2009. It seems like a long way off but you'll find it will be here sooner than you anticipated.
It is my understanding that some of these links are not working, or they are not working well. If so it is a technical problem belonging to the respective parties operating those webpages. They appear here only as a courtesy to those parties. Please address any concerns you may have about those pages to those responsible for them. 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 Vermilion Ohio Historic Pix History of Linwood Park Vermilion Visitor's Advisory (Satire) Gore Orphanage History The Lester Pelton Story The Wreck of The Niles #152 The History of Crystal Beach Vermilion Views Archives Vermilion's Pioneer Woman; Charlotte Sturges Cloudy; Vermilion's Ferryman The History of Vermilion's Congregational Church Dedication Sermon of Jotham W. Goodell, 1843 The Last Time I Saw Charlie Hope Childrens Home Kenya A Profile of Rich Tarrant Vermilion Biographies Vermilion - Village of Lake Captains Vermilion's Youngest Minstrels For Persons who would like to contribute to the cause (to keep these "Views" on-line you can send whatever you would like to me at the following address or use PayPal(It's fast, free, easy, and secure - And THANKS to everybody who has contributed to the cause. I doth sincerely appreciate it): Rich Tarrant1041 Oakwood DriveVermilion, Ohio44089Telephone: 440-967-0988 - Cell: 440-522-4459 "Lisa, if you don't like your job you don't strike. You just go in every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American way." ~ Homer Simpson Vol.5, Issue 7, May 5, 2007 View Page StatsSee who's visiting this page. "Vermilion Views" Search powered by FreeFind
It is my understanding that some of these links are not working, or they are not working well. If so it is a technical problem belonging to the respective parties operating those webpages. They appear here only as a courtesy to those parties. Please address any concerns you may have about those pages to those responsible for them.
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
For Persons who would like to contribute to the cause (to keep these "Views" on-line you can send whatever you would like to me at the following address or use PayPal(It's fast, free, easy, and secure - And THANKS to everybody who has contributed to the cause. I doth sincerely appreciate it):
Vol.5, Issue 7, May 5, 2007
© 2007 Rich Tarrant