Vermilion Ohio, A Good Place to Live
The Witch of November: For those
far from Vermilion this may be of special interest. On Thursday of this week the weather changed. It has been extremely mild thus
far. But then the winds came with the cold air. This is a northwest wind gusting from 40 to 50 mph across Erie's face.
I nearly lost my hat several times this day. This photograph was taken at the foot of Perry Street. Not only is the lake working
up a lather, but one can plainly see that it is at an all-time low. I've been along the shore all my life and I've never seen
that which one can see in this picture. This is especially interesting because the wind is from the north. There are times when
a southern wind (naturally) lowers the water depth - but from the north it used to make it higher. Not too long ago people were
complaining about the water levels in the Great Lakes being too high. No more. This situation must make corporate shipping a
very precarious business these days. Lake Erie (as most people know) is the shallowest of all the lakes. At the moment it is
really shallow. The river is such that one can almost walk across it at points - even near the lake.
Well Beaten Path: I've had this picture/card for some time now. It is, of course, the path from Linwood Park to Cloudy's Ferry on the Vermilion River. This is one of the only pictures/cards I've jostled for on eBay. Ray Boas (the fellow who wrote the book on Linwood - and whose page one can link to at the bottom of this page) wanted it. But as luck would have it I got it. Had I known he was the other bidder I most likely would have let him have it.
I wanted the picture because I'd never seen anything like it before. Given the way Vermilion is built today it is difficult to imagine what it was like early in the 20th century. Or at least its hard to imagine it from the vantage point of Linwood looking toward the river. The path winds through what is now the Vermilion Lagoons. This pic makes it easier to realise what it might have been like years back. If I close my eyes I can imagine a warm summer day with very little wind. I can smell the vegetation along the path to the ferry, and hear the quiet sounds of afternoon in the marsh.
The card is postmarked September 2, 1925, and has a two cent stamp. The note was written by a woman named Florence and addressed a man named Donald Weeks who lived at 1622 E. 85th Street in Cleveland. Summer was winding down in Linwoodand most of the Pittsburgh folk had gone home. Donald was apparently a young man recovering from some illness. I say young because his starting school soon is mentioned in the note.
My. All that from a small postal card sent so long ago.
Vermilion Boat Club: I didn't have to jostle anyone for this card. Melvin Bachman gave it to me. I have no idea as to his reason. Folks involved with today's club might appreciate this pic. The club was housed in what is historically known as the "Sail-loft" on Main Street. Today Henry Kishman has his law offices upstairs on the south side of the building, and dentists Russell and Colebrook (my dentist) have their offices in the northern top part. Below is the French Restaurant Chez Francois.
When I was young Lechner's had a large laundry business in the building. And to the best of my knowledge the Vermilion Boat Club has been located in numerous places throughout the town over the years. They've got quite a nice place today. So it is highly unlikely that they'll ever relocate again.
An Earlier Time: Essentially, this is just an earlier view in the same area. Guesstimatingly; this is a view just north of the preceding photo. Like the Linwood/Ferry photograph the scene and the oders in it are extremely palpable. The smell of the river is something that has, for whatever reason, always seemed friendly to me. It was home; a particularly Vermilion scent.
As Vermilion reinvents itself this century I believe the river and lake fronts will be in the forefront of all development. Recreational as opposed to industrial development is the only logical recourse for the community. The next few years will prove to be very very interesting for residents of this pretty city.
The Beat Goes On: The page is generatedby 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 let me know and I'll send them to you.
Links to other sites on the Web
Vermilion Ohio Historic PixHistory
of Linwood ParkVermilion Community OrchestraVermilion Chamber
of CommerceVermilion's Oldest ChurchVermilion Visitor's Advisory (Satire)Gore Orphanage HistoryThe Lester Pelton Story
Vol.1, Issue 34, November 15, 2003
© 2003 Rich Tarrant