GREATFULLY: One of the maxims that appears on the browser crawler (at the bottom of your screen) this week is from writer Faith Baldwin. For those who are, for some reason, unable to see it (or don't pay any attention to it) it declares that, "Time is a dressmaker, specializing in alterations."
How very apropos. Especially for this time of year. Especially for persons interested in histories.
This week I've re-worked several webpages that I recently moved to the "VV" domain (i.e. vermilionohio.org). By the end of the month I will no longer have my other domain (i.e. mr1cooker.com) where I kept them for years.
If you pay attention to stocks and things you likely know that "Yahoo" has been purchased / merged with a larger company. Ergo; changes have been made, and I moved my Vermilion Historic Pix site - and all the pages that accompanied it - to the "Views" domain.
The Vermilion Historic Pix site was one of my first sites. Originally created perhaps 8 or 9 years ago (I really don't recall the precise date) it's been modified (added to) several times. So it has grown some from the original. And that will continue.
It's a pleasant site with some nice links to several adjunct sites. Most are related to the history of one of Vermilion's first weekly newspapers - The Vermilion News - and its owners (i.e. my family).
My intent - the reason for most of these pages beyond my ongoing fascination with the technology involved - is informational. While the information contained on all these webpages is not especially encyclopedic it can be, nonetheless, helpful for persons interested in local history.
Oftimes the changes / alerations that have taken place over time have been so, so subtle that the past is easily disremembered. Speaking for myself I must admit that instead of the way it was I am often inclined to remember the way I thought it was. So the "Views" page, its adjunct pages, and those who read these pages and respond to them, helps me keep things in reasonable perspective.
In addition the "Views" page is certainly become a constant education resource tool( at least for myself). For instance, someone has asked me where the name "Axtel" orginated. And I've not the foggiest idea. But I'd be willing to bet that within the next week or two someone will lead me to the answer.
Thanks Muchly,
A Goodly Gathering
WAKEFIELD WORKERS 1959: Vermilionite John Vargo Sr. stopped by the other day with several pix of men and women who worked with him at the F.W. Wakefield Lighting Company in Vermilion. Wakefield Lighting - as most folks know - was a major industry in Vermilion, O. for most of the 20th century. [Note: I should really try to get the precise years that this company was in operation for the record.]
John did provide a list with the names of persons in the photo. However; those names were not placed in any real order. Although I can place most of the faces with the names I'll defer that order until I find a way to better present them. Ergo this is the list of names:
Barry Becker, Dan Schisler, Max Hurd, Harold Rice, Coreen Morris, Bill Russell, Irvin Kezmanrski, Andy Sopko, Jim Friday, Dorothy Rogers, John Brackley, Dick Gerber, Don Hoffman, Wayne Schram, Arlene (Friday) Redinger, Ed Putnickey, Bob Brown, and John Vargo.
John guesstimated that the year was 1959 because that's when he (evidently) first went to work for Wakefield.
Of the group I remembered only - off-hand - about eight people; Dan Schisler, Max Hurd, Carl Carey, Harold Rice, Coreen Morris, Jim Friday, Don Hoffman, and Arlene Redinger. With some of the others I needed a nudge. I remembered some of these folks because they had children who attended school at the same time I did. I don't believe Mrs. Morris had any children. But I recall that she lived on South Street, and I delivered a daily newspaper to her home.
I'm not sure, but I think the pix that Mr. Vargo loaned me were from Vermilionite Pete Neiding. Both Pete and his father, Russ, worked at Wakefield. It may also be that Pete's mom, Ruth, also worked there for a time early in their marriage.
These faces are certainly familiar to persons who lived in the lovely little village of Vermilion, Ohio during the mid 20th century. (Makes us sound old - doesn't it?)
"...it was hardly a match (again no pun intended) for fires such as the 1910 fire at Linwood Park."
STUMBLING THROUGH VERMILION HISTORY:
While on the subject of mistakes it should be noted that one organization in our community that seldom made/makes many mistakes is the Vermilion Volunteer Fire Department. It is undoubtedly the oldest public volunteer safety-service body in the city. Although no records exist to document that as fact it would likely be safe (no pun intended) to assume that a loosely organized force of volunteer firemen probably existed for some time prior to Vermilion’s official incorporation as a village in 1837.
Formally organized as the Relief Fire Company #4 in the mid 19th century it was reorganized and renamed the Vermilion Volunteer Fire Company at the dawn of the 20th century.
By the time (c. 1908) Vermilion News Editor/Publisher Pearl Roscoe froze the accompanying images of Vermilion fire-fighters at the back of the Vermilion Township Hall they had come a long, long way from the bucket brigades and hand-pumpers of their fathers and grandfathers. Their steam-fired fire pumper was a state-of-the-art machine. And it is clear that the men were truly proud of the apparatus.
Prior to the time water became readily available throughout the village the fire pumpers were placed near a good water source - such as the river - where they were used to pump water through lengths of hose to the fire. The hand-pumper, as the name implies, required as many as 10 men to operate. Thus, the advantages of the steam pumper over its immediate predecessor is appreciable.
And Vermilion had its fires. In the years of 1875, 1891, and 1903 many of the stores and shops located along the southwest side of Liberty and Division/Main Streets were visited and destroyed by flames. In 1910 22 cottages in Linwood Park went up in smoke. So frequent were the mishaps that after the 1903 fire a small headline in the old Erie County Recorder placidly observed "Vermilion Burns Again".
In truth - although they were catastrophic - there was nothing extremely unusual about these conflagrations. A majority of buildings were located close together, constructed of wood, were heated by coal/wood stoves, and were illuminated by kerosene lamps. Put all those things together, mix in the human error factor, and the potential for disaster becomes, and became, very real. Fortunately, no lives were lost and no one was injured as a result.
Although the steam pumper greatly improved the ability of Vermilion fire-fighters to address many of the blazes they encountered it was hardly a match (again no pun intended) for fires such as the 1910 fire at Linwood Park. In this case two additional steam pumpers, and hose carts, manned by Lorain firemen arrived on flatcars furnished by the Lake Shore Electric interurban train. Nonetheless, the old steam pumper more than proved its worth over the years - as did the numerous volunteer firemen who manned it.
In 1928, after 20 years of very commendable service a new age dawned, and the steam pumper was mothballed. The Vermilion Volunteer Fire Department, under the direction of Fire Chief William "Dad" Tischer, leaped into the new century with both feet and purchased a newfangled (gasoline engine powered) firetruck. It was not a mistake.
Ref: Vermilion Bugle - 1981, History of Vermilion Fire Department, by John Fischer; The Vermilion Area Archival Society, Pearl Roscoe Photo Collection; Published in the Vermilion Photojournal 4/26/07; Written on 4/22/07 @ 11:52 AM.
"...this photograph allows us a very rare glimpse of an industry that long ago helped shape the identity
of the place we know as Vermilion, Ohio"
THE FAVORITE TAKES SHAPE IN VERMILION HARBOR:
Its name appears near the top of a list of “Tugs (steam)” built in Vermilion, Ohio in the book The Way It Was by Vermilion historian Betty Trinter. Built by and for “Burton” Parsons along the banks of the Vermilion River in 1894, it was forged of oak, weighed 9 gross tons, and measured 47' by 12' with draft of 4'. They called her the Favorite.
The listed owner/builder’s first name (i.e. Burton) is made somewhat ambiguous by the fact that it, or a derivation of it (i.e. Burdett), was a relatively (no pun intended) common name in the Parsons family. Toss in the fact that boat-building and fishing were also relatively common family occupations; add 193 years; and what ye have is a hazy record of exactly which Mr. Parsons was responsible for the building of this craft - albeit a very picayune detail.
Burton Parsons was born in Connecticut/New York (again the records are ambiguous) about 1805. He was a Ship Carpenter by trade, and by the first quarter of the 19th century had taken up a residence in Vermilion, Ohio. One of his sons, Nelson, was born here about 1828. Following in his father’s footsteps he, too, became a Ship Carpenter.
According to the 1880 U.S. Census Nelson and his spouse Sarah had a 19 year old daughter named Jennie, and a 24 year old son named Burdett. Burdett’s occupation is listed in that census as "fisherman".
Burdett "Dett" would later marry a lass named Franc Horton Parsons (VPJ 2-20-07). In February of 1897 misfortune visited the young family when he contracted pneumonia and died leaving his wife and six children under the age of 12 behind.
In the accompanying photograph, taken three years before Dett’s untimely demise at the age of about 41 years, a star-like ink mark was placed by one of the men to apparently make some note of that person’s import in the context of the picture. It points to the second fellow from the right standing in front of the newly constructed boat hull.
Some folks have speculated that this may be Burdett Parsons. However; a closer look, using a computer to enhance the photo, strongly suggests that this particular man is much older than the 38 years Burdett would have been in 1894. So if, in fact, the intent was to identify someone of importance in this particular photo it more than likely would have been the real, actual, builder of the vessel. And logically that would have been Dett’s father Nelson. It is unlikely that it would have been the elder Burton Parsons - who would have been nearly 90 years of age by this time.
But as previously indicated the precise name of just who was responsible for the building and owning of the steam-tug Favorite is a relatively trivial matter. That this photograph allows us a very rare glimpse of an industry that long ago helped shape the identity of the place we know as Vermilion, Ohio is something to be appreciated by itself; whether it be in that yesteryear, today, or tommorrow.
Ref: U.S. Census:1850,1880,1930. Special Thanks to Chris Gillcrist, Executive Director, Great Lakes Historical Society; Alice P. Wakefield; and Molly Millner; Published in the Vermilion Photojournal 4/12/07; Written on 4/8/07 @ 11:29 AM.
JUST HOW BAD IS IT?
[Thanks Sied]
The economy is so bad:
CEO's are now playing miniature golf and Flying Model Planes!!.
Hotwheels and Matchbox stocks are trading higher than GM.
PETA serves chicken wings at their meetings.
McDonalds is selling the 1/4 ouncer.
People in Beverly Hills fired their nannies and learned their children's names.
A truck of Americans got caught sneaking into Mexico.
The most highly-paid job is now jury duty.
Dick Cheney took his stockbroker hunting.
People in Africa are donating money to Americans.
Mothers in Ethiopia are telling their kids, "finish your plate, do you know how many kids are starving in the US ?"
Motel Six wont leave the light on.
The Mafia is laying off judges.
Early Gangsters in Vermilion, O.
THE GANGS OF VERMILION: This is an amusing piece given me by Vermlionite Dave Rathbun several weeks ago.These shadows were captured just outside Vermilion's Crystal Theater on Division / Main Street c.1923. Dave's father, Robert, is the rogue in the middle. I think (but may be mistaken) that the young man on the left (giving the gang sign) was named Graham. The identity of the other boy is unknown.
These boys really looked sharp.
Originally Dave opined that this pic was taken next to the hardware store (most recently Winterstein Realty) on Main Street. But a closer look shows that it was the Crystal Theater (which could by the time this pic was taken have been a furniture store) just south of Alheit's Hardware store. The theater building no longer exists. [Note: The hardware store building (built by Dr. Englebry) is a brick building. The one pictured is made of wood.]
Robert was the oldest son of George and Hattie (Abell) Rathbun. He was born in Vermilion on September 9, 1908, and passed away in June of 1982. During his tenure on the planet he owned and operated several feed mills in the region. He was active in the development of Vermilion's First Congregational Church, and served on the local hospital board of directors when Vermilion was pushing for a hospital that would be closer to town. Eventually those efforts help initiate the establishment of Lorain's Community Health Partners hospital.
The family was, and continues to be, active and well known in the Vermilion community.
Who'd a ever thunk that Robert was one of our first gangstahs?
The Guns of Vermilion
VERMILION'S CANNONS: Sometime during the years of 1898 - 1899 Vermilion Mayor F.E. Englebry and a young attorney named "Harry" Williams acquired the cannons currently in Exchange / "Rubberneck" Park from Boston, Massachusetts. Arriving in town by train they were transported to Exchange Park were local residents Ed Kane provided lumber for the stanchons; and Harry Rose painted them.
Mr. Williams loaded and fired the first charge using only a half pound of gun powder. A full charge consisted of 25 pounds. During the war someone suggested that they be scrapped for defense - and the townsfolk immediately scrapped the idea.
The last time they were fired was on July 4th, 1921. The gun crew consisted of Bill Tarrant, the first commander of the Vermilion's American Legion Post, Lew Ritter, Hazen Thompson, John Leidheiser, George Harris, Percy Lumley and Clarence Kishman.
As the sun rose over the Village of Vermilion on July 4th they fired one of the big guns. And like a great magnet every youngster in town was drawn to the park. John Trinter was the first to arrive.
As the big cannon was being prepared to be fired at a sunset ceremony in the park they discovered that while there wasnt' enough powder left for two shots there was more than enough for one. But a priming agent was need for the firing so while Bill Tarrant was obtaining some ether for the purpose from Mike Kishman who was then clerking at Albert Hart's drugstore, the gun crew filled the cannon with wet fishing nets and mud (instead of cannon balls).
During this process a rather large crowd of citizens collected. The flag flew proud and high on the pole. Babe Thompson played "Retreat" with his bugle. Tarrant lit the the charge with a safety match, and the cannon damn near leaped off the stanchon when the charge exploded. Windows throughout the village rattled. Johnny Krapp, who was standing with the GAR Band held both heads of his bass drum to quell the vibrations of the blast; and the Kishman Fish Company's twine flew over the river and touched down in the lake just past the lighthouse at the river's mouth.
The bank played the National Anthem. Everybody went home - ears ringing. And the cannons were never fired again.
Podcasts - "forever under construction..."
PODCAST #149: This week the Vermilion Views Podcast #149 takes thee on the first leg of a journey from Cleveland, Ohio to Toledo on the Lake Shore Electric interurban. Although I've done some of this before this time I've tried to improve upon my video reproduction for net viewing. The original production is courtesy of interurban hisorian Dennis Lamont - and it's darn good. So enjoy.
Also, please note that all the video (MP4) podcasts (when used) are done in the "Quicktime MP4" format. If you don't have "Quicktime" it's easy to find and free to download.
NOTE NOTE:Past podcasts are not 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 me 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. I suggest that you visit these sites on a regular basis to see "what's shakin'".
Pay particular note to the "Hope Homes" page during the next few months. They've recently received a significant grant from the Dolan Foundation and are constructing a Manual Training Center for their children and for other young people in that community. This is an exciting project.
Although this years Vermilion High School Class of 1959 reunion is over classmates may want to stay connected with each other through organizer Roger Boughton. Ye can connect by mailing him @ 2205 SW 10th Ave. Austin, MN. 55912 or you can just emailRoger.
Where's Alice? I found this link interesting. You just never know what Vermilion expatriots are up to - or where their up to doing it. Alice Wakefield is one of those people. So check out his link. Methinks you'll be surprised: Talking Turkey.
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
For Persons who would like to donate to the cause (to keep these "Views" on-line you can send whatever you would like to me at the following address. And THANKS to everybody who has already donated to the cause. I doth certainly appreciate it):
Rich Tarrant
1041 Oakwood Drive
Vermilion, Ohio
44089
Telephone: 440-967-0988 - Cell: 440-522-4459
or you can use PayPal:
"Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on
or by imbeciles who really mean it."
-Mark Twain
Vol.7, Issue 30, October 10, 2009
Archive Issue #343
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© 2009 Rich Tarrant