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_{ANJOU ON A "PETESTAL"}

SO MUCH TO DO SO LITTLE TIME: Got some great "stuff" this week - but have to think on it (study it) before I move forward with much of it.

California's Vermilionite Bobbi Riley allowed me access to some more of her family records. Plus she sent me several pix. The core of this study surrounds a man named Benjamin Goodsell. Benjamin was born in a log cabin in the woods on May 9, 1837 along what he called "the sparsely settled country on shore of Lake Erie" that would become the Village of Vermilion, Ohio.

Now all that's intriguing enough - but there's more. And, hopefully, I will find the time in the near future to tell ye what that is...

Another development came to me in a rather cryptic manner. (Sometimes I don't know whether it's me or the other person who're mis-communicating. But I had a real hard time understanding exactly what an email I received from this person really meant.) But setting that aside it led me to uncover some additional names of "inmates" (that's what they called residents of orphanages in the late 19th and early 20th centuries in America) of the "Light and Hope" Orphanage (AKA: the "Gore Orphanage"). And when I find the time I'll add them to the Gore Orphanage History website. That site is, incidentally, one of the most visited of all my sites.

Next Major Jack Corcino stopped by the church and gave me a few more items (he's given me a boatload already) of historical note. Among them is the pic that you'll see in the "Familiar Faces" section below.

And lastly, but not leastly I was loaned a bevy of very interesting items from Vermilionite Norris Latteman. Among them was a framed photograph taken by local photographer Rudy Moc in 1928. Initially it was a puzzle. But we discovered a note writting in pencil on the paper on the back of the pic. And though the note could not be read with the naked eye I scanned it; took the scan to Photoshop; worked the coloring and contrast; and was able to decipher it rather clearly. It reads:

"Alfred Woerner
Front Row
2nd From Right"

From there I searched for the name on "Ancestry.com" (although I didn't hold out too much hope of finding anything useful) and found that Alfred Woerner was Elsie Schwensen's (from Vermilion's famed Schwensen's Bakery) brother.It's a small world.

So-Busy-Am-I-ly,

VHS GIRLS B-BALL 1921-22

VERA NICHOLS THOMPSON: As previously mentioned I received some things from Vermilionite Major Jack Corcino this week. This pic was among them.

I don't know (at this time) the identities of all the girls in the photograph - but I recognized Jack's grandmother, Vera Nichols Thompson, straight off. She is the 2nd girl from the right.

Vera was born in a house on Huron Street in Vermilion abt. 1905. Her mom's name was Hattie, and her pop's name was Flynt. She had one brother - Charles.

She would later marry a gentleman by the name of Hazen Thompson and the would together have five children: Tom, Chuck, Alice, Mary Ann, and Billy. It was a good family. And Vera was a good - a very hardworking - person.

Both the Nichols and Thompson families were Vermilion pioneer families.

Vera's husband, Hazen, died in 1953, and Vera passed on in December of 1985. Only one of their children - their oldest son Tom - survives. But there are numerous grandchildren.

This is among the hundreds / thousands of great photographs captured by Vermilion's Rudy Moc.

_{ERIE COUNTY BANK BUILDING}

PAINTING THE TOWN: As previously mentioned this is a preview piece for a new webpage that I am currently developing. Using a new software program in conjunction with Adobe's Photoshop CS4 I am able to take some already wonderful pix of Vermilion, O. and make them (at least in my view) more "wonderfuller"

In 1891 a fire starting in the wooden Pelton-McGraw Store on the southwest corner of Liberty Avenue and Main (Division) Street in downtown Vermilion, O. destroyed a significant portion of the entire block including, among other businesses, the office of a fledgling Erie County Bank. Following the fire the bank moved to a building across the street, and the proprietors of the Pelton-McGraw market built a new - a larger - building of brick upon the ashes of the old. The grocery occupied only the northern corner of the new building. Additional rooms along the street behind the store provided rental space for various entrepreneurial pursuits through the years. The upper floor of the building housed (as it currently does) the local chapter of Freemasons.
 
 In the early 1920's amid the ever-changing environment in business trends in the U.S. and, inevitably, Vermilion Village the part of the building containing the market was purchased by the no longer "fledgling" Erie County Bank. And in 1922 that portion of the building - that which once served as the literal hub of local commerce - was razed to make way for a new bank building. 

The site was excavated without the benefit of heavy equipment like power-shovels, bulldozers, and dump-trucks. Essentially the task was accomplished by men with shovels, wheelbarrows, and   wagons pulled by horses. The work was, to gently describe it, "backbreaking".
 
By February 23, 1923 a new Erie County Bank building would stand proudly on the corner. And as the days turned into yesteryears the signs over the stores along the street would be replaced; faces would change; and times, of course changed. 

Today (2010) the building is occupied by Vermilion City offices - including the Mayor's.  How long it will remain that way is anyones guess. For, again, times do change...

_{From Rich Tarrant's "Painted Vermilion" - 3/25/2010.}

Beautiful.

_{" Six of the eight persons in the photo were educators."}

AN EXTRAORDINARY RECORD OF AN AMERICAN DREAM: T’were an odd place in time - June 1949. In a bad dream called the “Red Scare”, set in our nations capital celebrities Helen Keller, Dorothy Parker, Danny Kaye, Fredric March, John Garfield, Paul Muni and Edward G. Robinson were named in an FBI report as being members of the Communist Party. It was big news. But other than that not much was, as the expression goes, shakin’ in our nation. World War Two had been over for four years. Americans had taken time to catch their collective breaths - get some rest - and now the time had come to shake off the affects of that nightmare, as well as some of its residual “unpleasantness”, wipe the sleep from their eyes, and move on.

The photograph accompanying this essay exists as a very extraordinary historical record of those persons who were central to this process in the post-war Village of Vermilion in Ohio. The occasion for the photo was the high school graduation of young Rudy Moc in June of 1949. The place is the Moc Family home, “Snug Harbor Farm”, on West Darrow Road in Vermilion Township. Pictured are:

Back Row L-R (standing): Willis Henry Gebhardt (1896-2000), Rudy Moc Jr., and Robert Braden. Middle Row L-R: Cletus K. DeWitt (1903-1974), Mr. Flanders, and Rudy Moc Sr. (1896-1969) Front Row L-R: Thomas D. Utter (1897-1975) and Sarah M. Welker (c.1903-2007).

Six of the eight persons in the photo were educators. Many current Vermilionites may recognize Mr. Gebhardt and Mrs. Welker (PJ 8-16-07). Mr. Gebhardt was a no nonsense math teacher and high school principal with a heart of gold. He was, in later years, recognized as “Good News Gebhardt” forecasting weather for Dick Goddard’s Woolly Bear festivities. And Mrs. Welker was a heart of gold who also happened to be a proficient journalist and business skills educator.

Thomas Utter was at one time or another both an industrial arts and driver education instructor. He also had the distinction of being one of Vermilion’s Mayors, and may have also been a member of the Board of Vermilion’s Ritter Library during its construction. Mr. Utter and his wife Zora lived in a little house on the west side of Main Street three doors north of what is now the Main Street Grill. The "Mrs." operated a beauty parlor from the home.

Cletus K. Dewitt had been a Vermilion teacher, Principal and football coach when the school was still located on State Street. Sometime after VHS moved to the wonderful South Street building (1927-28) he was promoted to Superintendent of the system where he served until his retirement. Always active in his church and community he was, among other things, the local Rotary Club President from 1955 to ‘56. He, along with his wife, Grace, and son, Richard, built and lived in an all-steel “Lustron” (PJ 3-6-08) home on Jefferson Street.

Mr. Flanders was likely one of the most influential and highly respected industrial arts teachers ever to have worked in Vermilion’s education system. His knowledge and expertise helped launch more than a few blue-collar careers and businesses over the years.

Mr. Braden was a highly motivated VHS teacher and football coach. His enthusiasm and determination were, at least figuratively speaking, contagious and are extremely palpable in this particular photo. Unlike his contemporaries, his career as a Vermilion educator was relatively brief. Not unlike coaches of today, he moved on to another school and another system.

The elder Rudy Moc was, as most local historians recognize, a very successful professional photographer. His “Snug Harbor Farm” was a real jewel in the midst of what was then rustic wood and farmland southwest of town. The home had an in-ground swimming pool that was, at the time, a rarity in even the most affluent suburbs in Ohio.

The younger Moc had distinguished himself as a VHS student, and was Class President at the time of his graduation. He graduated, premed, from Ohio University, and in 1958 graduated from Medical School at the University of Cincinnati. After his residency in Internal Medicine at St. Vincent’s Charity Hospital in Cleveland and the Cleveland Clinic, he set up practice in Elyria and North Ridgeville until his retirement in 2003.

The folks in the photo from June of 1949 were on the verge of helping build a productive future for a nation. W.W.II, along with the “Red Scare”, took their rightful places in the pages of history books. America did wake up and move on - and continues to move on - toward another dream - and another yesteryear.

_{Ref: Ancestry.com; Spiritus-Temporis.com; Special Thanks to Vermilionites Dr. Rudy and Emily Moc and Bob Kyle; Published in the Vermilion Photojournal 3/5/08; Written 3/16/08 @ 12:36 PM.}

_{nothing ever remains quite the same...}

SOMETHING OLD - SOMETHING NEW: The idea for this piece began as an idea for a coffee-table book of historical photographs of Vermilion, Ohio and, hopefully, it will (someday) be realized.

Originally the concept - as previously stated - was just a picture book. But after mentioning such a project in an issue of my weekly web page - Vermilion Views - a reader by the name of Scott Dommin suggested that it might be interesting if it featured photographs of how people, places, and / or things in the City of Vermilion, Ohio appear today along with photos showing how they appeared in the past. Ergo; the title "Now & Then".

"What a great idea." I told both myself and Scott.

[NOTE: Currently I'm weighing two proposals. Nothing's easy as it seems.]

The place known as Nokomis Park on the east side of Vermilion took its name, and the names of its streets (i.e. Minnie Wa Wa & Ewa Yea) from American poet Henry W. Wadsworth's poem "The Song of Hiawatha". Initially this was, like many of the lakefront subdivisions near the center of town, a seasonal destination. The homes / cottages were sandwiched between Linwood Park to the west and the Crystal Beach Amusement Park on the east. At one time it had one of Vermilion's best swimming beaches. But after the Great Fourth of July Flood of 1969 the beach was washed away and never returned. 

The Four Winds
_{Hiawatha and Mudjekeewis 
Hiawatha's Childhood}

..."By the shores of Gitche Gumee, 
By the shining Big-Sea-Water, 
Stood the wigwam of Nokomis, 
Daughter of the Moon, Nokomis. 
Dark behind it rose the forest, 
Rose the black and gloomy pine-trees, 
Rose the firs with cones upon them; 
Bright before it beat the water, 
Beat the clear and sunny water, 
Beat the shining Big-Sea-Water.
    There the wrinkled old Nokomis 
Nursed the little Hiawatha, 
Rocked him in his linden cradle, 
Bedded soft in moss and rushes, 
Safely bound with reindeer sinews; 
Stilled his fretful wail by saying, 
"Hush! the Naked Bear will hear thee!" 
Lulled him into slumber, singing, 
"Ewa-yea! my little owlet! 
Who is this, that lights the wigwam? 
With his great eyes lights the wigwam? 
Ewa-yea! my little owlet!"...

_{"The efforts of the missionaries never were successful in civilizing
the Indians to the degree that they could remain
in contact with the whites, without being corrupted and degraded"}

THE FIRE-LANDS: I found the following information re: the early inhabitants of our area to be extremely informative. Methinks you will also.

I am getting better at transcribing these passages so there are fewer mistakes. But I like to read as I go - and sometimes I fill in the blanks. So tread carefully this trail through yesteryear.

THE MORAVIAN MISSIONS

The sect known as Moravians originated in Bohemia, and though always insignificant in point of numbers, and none of them remarkable for their wealth, or position, or learning, they have never been lacking in zeal or enthusiasm in extending their Master's kingdom. Indeed, taking into account the fewness of their numbers, it may be confidently asserted that no other denomination of christians has done so much for the missionary cause. Never excelling in ability or skill in elucidating abstruse and difficult problems of belief, they have sought not to make proselytes among those already well grounded in the cardinal doctrines of christian faith, but to teach the elementary gospel religion to those races and tribes who had not yet been converted to Christianity.

To the prosecution of this work they have freely devoted their lives and fortunes, and no country has been too remote, no shore too forbidding or inhospitable to prevent their planting the banner of the cross, and seeking to bring under its folds the most savage, barbarous and degraded of mankind.

In 1732, while their number was less than four hundred, they began their missionary work, the first station established being at St. Thomas, in the West Indies, In l734 they established a mission among the Indians at [sic] Hotlileliein. Pennsylvania ; but as tho Indians were being gradually driven westward, a permanent location was impossible. The efforts of the missionaries never were successful in civilizing the Indians to the degree that they could remain in contact with the whites, without being corrupted and degraded. To have any success they must keep in advance of the wave of emigration. In 1768 a new location was sought near Oil City, Pennsylvania, and in 1770 the congregation removed to the Beaver river. After remaining here for a year or more, they turned their steps westward to the valley of the Tuscarawas, near New Philadelphia, Ohio.

Here, in this pleasant and fertile valley, they thought themselves so far in the wilderness that they might forever remain undisturbed. They built cabins, cleared away the forests, tilled the soil, and worshiped God in peace and happiness. Their numbers increased by conversions from the Indians until the settlement contained three villages named Schoenbrunn, Gnadenhutten and Salem. But though exercising only the arts of peace, keeping aloof from war and strife, and patiently submitting to wrong without seeking to bestow punishment or gratify revenge, they could not escape persecution and martyrdom.

They were distrusted by both the British and the Americans. The former took steps to break up their mission and bring the inhabitants to Detroit as prisoners. It was a sad blow to the peaceful Christians to be forced to leave their homes and ungathered crops, and, in a long journey through a pathless wilderness, suffer indignity, cruelty and untold hardships. The following spiring (1782) a portion of them obtained permission to return to harvest their corn. Arriving there, a terrible fate soon befell them. A detachment of Americans came among them, and, seizing a favorable opportunity, rushed upon the defenceless Indians and slaughtered them in cold blood. The details of the massacre are sickening and horrible — it being one of the most unprovoked, cruel and bloody deeds in the annals of border warfare.

Those that had remained at Detroit sought a home in Canada, but, after staying a few years ---- the Chippewas, their hearts yearned for their old home on the Tuscarawas, and, in 1780, they started on their return.

_{Author: Williams, W. W. (William W.)
Subject: Huron County (Ohio) - History; Huron County (Ohio) - Biography; Erie County (Ohio) - History; Erie County (Ohio) - Biography
Publisher: Cleveland, Ohio: Press of Leader Printing Company
NOT IN COPYRIGHT}

Continued Next Week...

God Bless their souls - each and every one.

"...football was his passion."

WINNING ONE FOR VERMILION'S GIPPER: In 1920 George “the Gipper” Gipp a star football player who played for the University of Notre Dame caught a throat infection during one of his final football games. He died a few weeks later at the age of 25. Just before his death, told his now famous Coach Rockne, "Some time, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are wrong and the breaks are beating the boys - tell them to go in there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper. I don't know where I'll be then, Rock. But I'll know about it, and I'll be happy."

Donald “Don” Kudela was born in Lakewood, Ohio on October 24, 1928. Just less than 2 years later the family came to live in the Village of Vermilion. In September of 1934 he was among 38 bright-eyed and bushy-tailed first grade children who gathered at Vermilion’s State Street School eager to begin their formal education.

One of Don’s classmates would later describe him as “an active lad, at all times, but especially on the playground at recess”. As a natural course of things those free-time activities eventually evolved from childhood games of “cops and robbers”, “fox and geese”, and “Red Rover” into organized contests of baseball, volleyball, and football. And although it is said that his physical stature was substantially less than many of his contemporaries that shortcoming was easily bested by his determination and continual practice.

He played softball for a class “c” team in Lorain, Ohio during the summer; was the reigning ping-pong champ of the Lad’n Lassie Club at Vermilion’s St. Mary’s Church; managed a youngsters baseball team; and played interclass high school basketball. But football was his passion And at that he worked his hardest.

His determination and enthusiasm were, however, not confined to athletics. He was also a reasonably good student. He was the FFA correspondent for the student newspaper.; played violin in the orchestra; sang in both the Glee Club and Boys Chorus; helped stage the Junior Class Play; and served as a member of the Student Council. He was actively involved in various pursuits outside school. He was a Star Boy Scout, and worked in the family garden. He hunted, trapped, fished, and made model airplanes. He did a bit of caddying at the Vermilion Golf Course [currently the Vermilion Country Club], worked at Linwood Park, and had occasionally served as an altar boy at St. Mary’s Church.

But as previously said, “football was his passion”. And due more to his absolute tenacity - not to mention his grit - than his size he tried out and made the team three out of four of his high school years. But it was not until his senior year that he got an opportunity to display his true talents. A fellow class and team-mate, Dick DeWitt would later write of him that “His daredevil tactics, his spirited tackling and running afforded the spectators some of their most thrilling moments,” during the 1945 football season. Although he was hardly what one might call a “star” he was the type of player who inspired his team-mates to go that extra mile - to win.

On October 29, 1945 Vermilion High School substitute football quarterback Don Kudela was seriously injured during a practice session on the field behind South Street School. It was one of the final work outs before the final game of the season. Later that week - while Kudela fought for his life in a local hospital - his team finished the season undefeated. And at noon on November 7th word came to his school chums that their tenacious friend - whose passion had been the game of football - had ironically lost his life to it .

But like George Gipp of a yesteryear one can rely on the fact that Don probably knew about the victory his friends enjoyed - and was happy.

_{Ref: The Compass, Vermilion High School, 12-3-45; The Log, 1945-46; U.S. Federal Census 1930; Special Thanks to Frank Homitz; Published in the Vermilion Photojournal 9/25/08; Written 9/21/08 @ 12:30 PM.}

THE BLAME GAME

If a man cuts his finger off while slicing salami at work, he blames the restaurant.

If you smoke three packs a day For 40 years and die of lung cancer, your family blames the tobacco company.

If your neighbor crashes into a tree while driving home drunk, he blames the bartender.

If your grandchildren are Brats without manners, you blame television.

If your friend is shot by a Deranged madman, you blame the gun manufacturer.

And if a crazed person breaks into the cockpit and tries to kill the pilot at 35,000 feet, and the passengers kill him instead, the mother of the crazed deceased blames the airline.

I must have lived too long to understand the world as it is anymore.

So, if I die while my OLD WRINKLED ASS is parked in front of this computer,
I want all of you to blame Bill Gates or Steve Jobs (wherever that chip may lie - or both).

_{Podcasts - "forever under construction..."}

PODCAST #173: This week the Vermilion Views Podcast #173 takes ye on down to Dayton, Ohio (and back in time) to the Air Force Museum.

Also note that I've mucked-upthe numbering of these podcasts. Don't ask how I accomplished that task - but I did. I will try to correct that by next time.

Persons interested in the history of the Lake Shore Electric Railway (which was the subject of a recent past podcast series) - "the greatest electaric railway system on the planet" may want to go to Amazon.com and purchase a book called "Images of Rail - Lake Shore Electric Railway". It was put together by Thomas J. Patton with the help of my friends Dennis Lamont and Albert Doane. It'd make a nice gift.

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'".

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}

Links to additional Vermilion Ohio pages: Vermilion Ohio Historic Pix The First 100 Years of Vermilion's First Congregational Church 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 Don Englebry's "Growing Up In Vermilion" "Views" Podcast Archive The Story of Vermilion's Education System Eden Valley Enterprises VHS Class of 1959

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: (NOTE: IT WORKS NOW)

"Every one says forgiveness is a lovely idea, until they have something to forgive."
-C.S. Lewis

Vol.8, Issue 2, March 27, 2010

Archive Issue #367

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