Things are always changing to remain the same in Vermilion, O.
VERMILION - A SHIP WITHOUT A COMPETANT CAPTAIN: The photographs above are applied with double intent. One is technical one is editorial. (It's a "good news - bad news" type of thing.) The "good news" thing is that I'm simply testing a new piece of software. It's a thing called an "AKVIS Sketch Plugin" that when used with the Adobe Photoshop CS2 photographic software (or alone) allows one to make a digital sketch - color or black and white - from a photograph. It's a nice application. The "bad news" - the "editorial thing" is the subject of these sketches. Note that one pic was taken prior to the first "streetscape" renovations were accomplished in the center of Vermilion and - that the one beneath it was taken after that task was accomplished. And the point is - that aside from aggravating a good number of local taxpayers not much was changed by this minor face-lift. To be sure, there are some differences between the before and after photos. But how those changes were of any benefit to folks who live in Vermilion is unclear. The streets have been allowed to go to hell; the businesses necessary for daily living are not located in this part of town; and many of those elsewhere are in real danger of disappearing. Some of this is, of course, due to the current state of the American economy. However; the streets behind the downtown facade of prosperity - just a block, or two blocks away - have been in need of basic maintenance and repair for years. And virtually no attempt (by the powers that be) has been made through those same years to develop an amenable plan, a strategy, or environment for positive industrial / commercial development in our community. In short, whilst the tourist trade may be quaint it ain't going to pave the streets nor put food on the table for a majority of residents. The bottom-line, here, is leadership. Vermilion needs a Captain with a keen sense of direction, business sense, a great deal of integrity, unyielding desire to achieve, and enough intestinal fortitude (and that is politely put) to set a reasonable course for the city and keep it. We've not had a person like that since about the time the buildings pictured above were constructed. A ship without a competant Captain is one that charts a course to nowhere and never leaves port because it's already arrived. Early interurban stopping in Vermilion O. - c.1901 THE AGE OF THE ELECTRICS DAWNS IN VERMILION: This particular photograph is been published in many places over the years. But this is the first time I've had the privilege to see, and scan, an original copy of it. It comes from a collection of photos that Vermilionite Dave Rathbun recently passed to me (and, therefore, the Vermilion Area Archival Society) from his cousins; Linda (Rathbun) Rucins and Claire (Rathbun) Ribble. They are the daughters of Harold Rathbun. Harold was a son of the well known Vermilion grocery man / fishing captain George S. Rathbun. This is a close-up enlargement of the original. It was taken from the upper floors of the Pelton-McGraw / Masonic building on the southwest corner of Liberty and Division (now Main) Streets in the aforementioned downtown Vermilion. Looking northeast over Liberty Avenue and the early interurban car one can clearly see not only the items in the front window of the Davis Store on the corner (later known to many current Vermilionites as Hart's Corner Drug Store), but one also has an early view of Exchange Park in its infancy. The cannon at the north end of the park is in place and the trees in the park are in their infancy affording us an open view of Kishman's Fish Houses, the wet-lands, and the harbor beyond. The photo, although somewhat blurred in places, is a piece of historical "eye candy". It won't be the last time it appears here. Aboard the J.R. Driscoll GEORGE ON THE J.R. DRISCOLL: This is another pic from the aforementioned "Rathbun Collection". Some of these photos are large because I wanted "Viewers" to get a good look at the faces of the folks in them. Only one person has been identified. Somewhere in my meandering 'mongst historical data I learned that George Rathbun - the kindly white-haired gentleman I only remembered as sitting at the back of his grocery store on Liberty Avenue thoughtfully puffing on his pipe - had been a sailor. He was, in fact, a fishing tug Captain. In this pic he is the fellow looking out of the right window of the boat cabin. The boat is a gill-net tug named the "JR Driscoll". I've no idea who owned the tug. And as previously stated only Mr. Rathbun has been identified. Oddly enought the young fellow wearing the white shirt looks a great deal like a young Rathbun. Whether that's just cooincidence or if he is some relation to the family is unknown. It's just an objective observation. The J.R. Driscoll on the lake I've not yet looked into the history of the Rathbun family in any detail as of yet. But these pix afford me some incentive, as well as something to go on. Tis (as I often say) great stuff! This is a bi-partisan commentary. So - "Therefore, send not to know/For whom the bell tolls,/It tolls for thee." -John Donne HOW "VERMILLION" BECAME VERMILION: It is commonly known among many persons who live in our community that when the Village of Vermilion was officially incorporated via a special act of the Ohio State Legislature in the year 1837 it was spelled with two �els�. And so it was when the accompanying photograph was taken - c.1895. So what happened one might ask? Who (please excuse the tortuous pun) knocked the "el" out of Vermillion, Ohio? To address this question properly it might do well to touch on the origin of the name. As the signs found at the entrances of our city explain, Vermilion was named after the red clay the Indians - native Americans - found along the river. (Note that that is not a word-for-word reiteration of the signs� text.) While there is very little reason to doubt the truth of that notion some (myself included) have had good reason to muse over the implication that the language of native Americans was French - the language in which the word vermillion is rooted. And that, very logically, generates another question: What did the Indians call, in their language, the place we now know as Vermilion? From the book, "Oulanie Thepy: the Golden Age of Harbour Town, Vermilion 1837 to 1879," by Thomas A. Smith � The author says that the Ottawa people called the river "Oulanie Thepy", a phrase translated by an Indian Commissioner in 1760 as Vermillion Creek. That question now answered we now need to discover how �Oulanie Thepy� might have evolved into "Vermillion." I regret that I failed to keep a record of the source wherein I found the following explanation of this process - but it certainly rings true: "...There was a major Indian trail running along the south shore of Lake Erie. At Vermilion there were two branches of this trail one near the lake and one on the ridges to the south. During and after the war of 1812 many of the French settlers from the Detroit River region fled to Ohio to seek safety and eventually settled in the Firelands area. By virtue of the fact that some Indians could speak French it�s not to far of a stretch of the imagination to believe that this explains how Vermilion got its name." Now, who do we credit for the misspelling of the name given the place we now call Vermilion - and spell with one "el"? The year was 1898. An Ohioan, William McKinley of Niles, was President of these United States of America. The Vermilion branch of the U.S. Post Office (pictured when it was located in the Gaylord and Merrill building on the northwest corner of Liberty and Main Streets - now the Main Street Soda Grill) was experiencing a problem. There was some confusion with mail being directed to the post office in Vermillion Township in Ashland County, and the one in our Lake Erie hamlet of the same name. To eliminate the problem the U.S. Post Office politely elected to officially remove one of the �els� in the spelling of both our Village and Township names. So - if anyone ever asks, "Who knocked the "el" out of our town?" you can credit it to the efforts of an Ohio born President named William McKinley and the United States Post Office. "And that�s" (to borrow an expression made famous by American comedienne Lily Tomlin�s character Edith Ann) "the truth". Ref: Special Thanks to: Vermilion resident Jim Hart; Brownhelm historian Bill Cutcher; and to Ron Davidson, Archives Librarian at theSandusky Library. Published in the Vermilion Photojournal on 7-12-07.
The "good news" thing is that I'm simply testing a new piece of software. It's a thing called an "AKVIS Sketch Plugin" that when used with the Adobe Photoshop CS2 photographic software (or alone) allows one to make a digital sketch - color or black and white - from a photograph. It's a nice application.
The "bad news" - the "editorial thing" is the subject of these sketches. Note that one pic was taken prior to the first "streetscape" renovations were accomplished in the center of Vermilion and - that the one beneath it was taken after that task was accomplished. And the point is - that aside from aggravating a good number of local taxpayers not much was changed by this minor face-lift.
To be sure, there are some differences between the before and after photos. But how those changes were of any benefit to folks who live in Vermilion is unclear. The streets have been allowed to go to hell; the businesses necessary for daily living are not located in this part of town; and many of those elsewhere are in real danger of disappearing.
Some of this is, of course, due to the current state of the American economy. However; the streets behind the downtown facade of prosperity - just a block, or two blocks away - have been in need of basic maintenance and repair for years. And virtually no attempt (by the powers that be) has been made through those same years to develop an amenable plan, a strategy, or environment for positive industrial / commercial development in our community.
In short, whilst the tourist trade may be quaint it ain't going to pave the streets nor put food on the table for a majority of residents.
The bottom-line, here, is leadership. Vermilion needs a Captain with a keen sense of direction, business sense, a great deal of integrity, unyielding desire to achieve, and enough intestinal fortitude (and that is politely put) to set a reasonable course for the city and keep it. We've not had a person like that since about the time the buildings pictured above were constructed.
A ship without a competant Captain is one that charts a course to nowhere and never leaves port because it's already arrived.
Early interurban stopping in Vermilion O. - c.1901
THE AGE OF THE ELECTRICS DAWNS IN VERMILION: This particular photograph is been published in many places over the years. But this is the first time I've had the privilege to see, and scan, an original copy of it. It comes from a collection of photos that Vermilionite Dave Rathbun recently passed to me (and, therefore, the Vermilion Area Archival Society) from his cousins; Linda (Rathbun) Rucins and Claire (Rathbun) Ribble. They are the daughters of Harold Rathbun. Harold was a son of the well known Vermilion grocery man / fishing captain George S. Rathbun.
This is a close-up enlargement of the original. It was taken from the upper floors of the Pelton-McGraw / Masonic building on the southwest corner of Liberty and Division (now Main) Streets in the aforementioned downtown Vermilion. Looking northeast over Liberty Avenue and the early interurban car one can clearly see not only the items in the front window of the Davis Store on the corner (later known to many current Vermilionites as Hart's Corner Drug Store), but one also has an early view of Exchange Park in its infancy. The cannon at the north end of the park is in place and the trees in the park are in their infancy affording us an open view of Kishman's Fish Houses, the wet-lands, and the harbor beyond.
The photo, although somewhat blurred in places, is a piece of historical "eye candy".
It won't be the last time it appears here.
Aboard the J.R. Driscoll
GEORGE ON THE J.R. DRISCOLL: This is another pic from the aforementioned "Rathbun Collection". Some of these photos are large because I wanted "Viewers" to get a good look at the faces of the folks in them. Only one person has been identified.
Somewhere in my meandering 'mongst historical data I learned that George Rathbun - the kindly white-haired gentleman I only remembered as sitting at the back of his grocery store on Liberty Avenue thoughtfully puffing on his pipe - had been a sailor. He was, in fact, a fishing tug Captain.
In this pic he is the fellow looking out of the right window of the boat cabin. The boat is a gill-net tug named the "JR Driscoll". I've no idea who owned the tug. And as previously stated only Mr. Rathbun has been identified.
Oddly enought the young fellow wearing the white shirt looks a great deal like a young Rathbun. Whether that's just cooincidence or if he is some relation to the family is unknown. It's just an objective observation.
The J.R. Driscoll on the lake
I've not yet looked into the history of the Rathbun family in any detail as of yet. But these pix afford me some incentive, as well as something to go on.
Tis (as I often say) great stuff!
HOW "VERMILLION" BECAME VERMILION: It is commonly known among many persons who live in our community that when the Village of Vermilion was officially incorporated via a special act of the Ohio State Legislature in the year 1837 it was spelled with two �els�. And so it was when the accompanying photograph was taken - c.1895. So what happened one might ask? Who (please excuse the tortuous pun) knocked the "el" out of Vermillion, Ohio?
To address this question properly it might do well to touch on the origin of the name. As the signs found at the entrances of our city explain, Vermilion was named after the red clay the Indians - native Americans - found along the river. (Note that that is not a word-for-word reiteration of the signs� text.)
While there is very little reason to doubt the truth of that notion some (myself included) have had good reason to muse over the implication that the language of native Americans was French - the language in which the word vermillion is rooted. And that, very logically, generates another question: What did the Indians call, in their language, the place we now know as Vermilion?
From the book, "Oulanie Thepy: the Golden Age of Harbour Town, Vermilion 1837 to 1879," by Thomas A. Smith � The author says that the Ottawa people called the river "Oulanie Thepy", a phrase translated by an Indian Commissioner in 1760 as Vermillion Creek.
That question now answered we now need to discover how �Oulanie Thepy� might have evolved into "Vermillion." I regret that I failed to keep a record of the source wherein I found the following explanation of this process - but it certainly rings true:
"...There was a major Indian trail running along the south shore of Lake Erie. At Vermilion there were two branches of this trail one near the lake and one on the ridges to the south. During and after the war of 1812 many of the French settlers from the Detroit River region fled to Ohio to seek safety and eventually settled in the Firelands area. By virtue of the fact that some Indians could speak French it�s not to far of a stretch of the imagination to believe that this explains how Vermilion got its name."
Now, who do we credit for the misspelling of the name given the place we now call Vermilion - and spell with one "el"?
The year was 1898. An Ohioan, William McKinley of Niles, was President of these United States of America. The Vermilion branch of the U.S. Post Office (pictured when it was located in the Gaylord and Merrill building on the northwest corner of Liberty and Main Streets - now the Main Street Soda Grill) was experiencing a problem. There was some confusion with mail being directed to the post office in Vermillion Township in Ashland County, and the one in our Lake Erie hamlet of the same name. To eliminate the problem the U.S. Post Office politely elected to officially remove one of the �els� in the spelling of both our Village and Township names.
So - if anyone ever asks, "Who knocked the "el" out of our town?" you can credit it to the efforts of an Ohio born President named William McKinley and the United States Post Office. "And that�s" (to borrow an expression made famous by American comedienne Lily Tomlin�s character Edith Ann) "the truth".
Ref: Special Thanks to: Vermilion resident Jim Hart; Brownhelm historian Bill Cutcher; and to Ron Davidson, Archives Librarian at theSandusky Library. Published in the Vermilion Photojournal on 7-12-07.
7/8/07 12:37 PM
"MILES-TO-PAT'S": Another wonderful colored pencil portrait from my friend Frank Homitz. Tis titled "Miles-to-Pat's".
Miles (for those unfamiliar with him) was Miles Shilling. Miles, at the time the photo from which this drawing was made, was Vermilion's taxi man. He and his cheery wife lived with their three equally cheery daughters and son in this little building (on the left). Aside from his taxi business Miles dabbled in various enterprises including - but not limited to - a private security business, a gas station, and local politics. He was not a person easily forgotten.
Pat was Pat Wisegarver who ran the "Trading Post" / antique shop in part of the building next door to Miles. I considered Pat to be a good friend and would listen to her for hours. She was, as one might surmise, conversationally proficient. She started out as a nurse but then got caught up in a life of drugs and alcohol soon finding herself, very literally, bumming around the country. She'd been married four or five times. Once to a gangster out West who was hanged for his crimes. And when she finally sobered up she became a person well worth knowing. She helped numerous people with their addictions and minced few words.
The buidings pictured have long ago been razed. They were on the east side of Grand Street between the railroad tracks and Liberty Avenue. They were historically significant - but razed nonetheless. And Frank's drawing brings back all those memories and more. Very nice indeed.
DON'T JUST SIT THERE WITH A MOUSE IN YOUR HAND!!!: Take a cyber visit through my on-line store. Christmas is coming. Break down and get Fido a shirt. But seriously, take a tour of the shop. Tell me how you like it and what you might like to see on some items. I'm always open for business and for reasonable requests and suggestions. If nothing else just do a little window shopping. It's fun! VERMILION VIEWS GIFT SHOP
DON'T JUST SIT THERE WITH A MOUSE IN YOUR HAND!!!:
Take a cyber visit through my on-line store.
Christmas is coming. Break down and get Fido a shirt.
But seriously, take a tour of the shop. Tell me how you like it and what you might like to see on some items. I'm always open for business and for reasonable requests and suggestions. If nothing else just do a little window shopping. It's fun!
Podcasts - "forever under construction..."
"In a Vermilion Rain"
PODCAST #97: This week the Vermilion Views Podcast #97Vermilion Views Podcast #97is another segment from the book "Yesteryear - An Anthology of Historical Narratives of Vermilion, Ohio and Its People". This week it is the story of The Wreck of The (L.S.E Car) Niles #152
that took place in the vicinity of the place currently known as Bluebird Beach on the west-side of Vermilion. Also note that all the video (MP4) podcasts (where used) are done in the "Quicktime" format.
Stay with me on this project. Things will get better. (I pro-mize.) NOTE NOTE:Past podcasts are no longer available in the on-line archive. They just take up too much disk space. But if one really, really, really wants to acquire a copy of a past cast it can be had by contacting moi - and I will place it on a disc and send it to ye for a minimal fee.
LOCAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: After giving it much thought this link has been "put-down". During the last year most of the folks who used to use this page as a bulletin board have acquired their own and, consequently, no longer need this forum from "Views". I have, however, kept links (in the links section) to Larry Hohler's "Hope Homes" in Kenya - and to Bette Lou Higgins' Eden Valley Enterprises sites. They are historically and socially relevant projects.
If, however, something important crops up it - it will appear here.
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 links. 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.
If you're looking for my old links section (pictured) I've replaced it with a pull-down menu (visible in the small box next to the word "Go"). If you're looking for links to more Vermilion history check that menu.
How the old links menu looked
Vol.6, Issue 30, October 11, 2008
© 2008 Rich Tarrant