_{Jack "Tiny" Balogh.}

VERMILION’S STOCKCAR RACERS: It may be hard for some young people to believe but there was a time when NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing) didn't exist. That which eventually became a sport with one of the (if not the) largest fan bases in the world was born out of the moonshine stills in the American Southeast. After W.W. IT "stock" (factory equipped) cars were modified to carry bootleg cargo and, in the process, out­ run the local gendarmes. Competition among the drivers and mechanics of these vehicles quite naturally drove them (no pun intended) to test their skills in a venue beyond that required of. their illegitimate occupations. It has been observed that the bootleggers' raced on Sunday afternoons and then used the same car to haul moonshine on Sunday night. And where did they race? Until NASCAR was born on February 15, 1948 in Daytona, FLA the stocks usually ran on oval dirt tracks someone had crudely mapped out in farmers' fields throughout the American countryside

Until local resident, Jim Smith, shared several snapshots of some local denizens who were early participants in the sport of stock car racing (sans boot­ legging), I had almost forgotten how popular it once was in Vermilion, Ohio.

The fellow in the accompanying photo is Jack "Tiny" Balogh. Jack has been gone now for some years, but this is exactly how I remember him. He was a dark, handsome, quiet man with an athletic build. I've no idea as to the reason he was nicknamed "Tiny" for he always seemed to be of average height to me. But then again my memory of him reaches back some 50 years when I was but a whippersnapper of ten, and he was in his early twenties.

When I first knew Jack he lived with his mother in a very small house next to Main Street beach across from F.W. Wakefield's Harborview home (now the GLHS Marine Museum). Vermilion native, Bruce Eldridge, recalls that, "The house Tiny lived in was like a beach house."

Bruce also reflected on Jack's interest in a variety of sports. He remembers "seeing a large Navy surplus black rubber life boat leaning against the side of the house when (he) used to swim at the public beach." And also, "When I was in High School I would water ski with Tiny off Linwood Beach and played hockey with him on the Vermilion River next to Parsons' fish house. The January Sunday afternoon hockey games would draw 20 to 30 people. It would be 9 degrees and we would be sweating."

Given all this it is not surprising that Jack would also have an interest in stock car racing when it came along. But he was always in fair company. The fellows I remember, offhand, as also being early racing enthusiasts had last names like Seals and Gerber and their many friends and relatives. And there were many.

One of the various speedways they raced was Sharon Speedway just across the Ohio State line in Sharon, PA. It may very well be the location of this photo of Jack with Vermilion stock car #55. Take a good look at the background. The hay bales there were not there to serve as bumpers for the dirt racetrack. They were part of a farmer's field. Today the Sharon Speedway is a NASCAR sanctioned asphalt track. And the cars that race there are a long way from a 1938 Ford modified by a group of good friends in a little garage in Vermilion, Ohio. But be that as it is, I'll bet it was a great deal more fun.

_{Ref: www.nascar-info.net/nascar history_1.html; The Earl; Special Thanks to Jim Smith and Bruce Eldridge; Published in the Vermilion Photojournal 07/21/2005.}

Vol. IX – NO.41 – MAR.22, 1906.

COURT NOTES

The jury returned a verdict on Thursday in which they assessed the value of the property of Levi Green at the sum of $6000. This property is one of the pieces sought to be appropriated by the Wheeling and Lake Erie Railroad company for the extension of its terminal facilities at Huron. The defendant Green claimed his property to be worth $15,000.

The case of Christ Huldeman vs. Henry Moore has been appealed to the court of common pleas from the court of Justice Carley at Milan. Plaintiff, who lives at Vermilion, sues to recover $87 for work and labor, which he claims to have rendered to the defendant, who lives at Milan.

Mary and Werner Zilch have brought suit in the court of common pleas against Catherine Ferber. H.R. Williams of Vermilion and Henry Hart of Sandusky for 50 damages which they claim to have suffered from a wrongful suing of a writ of attachment The case grow out of a law suit against the plaintiffs by Catherine Ferber.

Danger to Farm Wives.

Organizations of farmers may well follow the example of the agricultural board of a Pennsylvania county. It has devoted one of its sessions to the discussion of means for the protection of women and children in the rural districts against tramps and wandering criminals.

Every few days during the warm seasons comes news of an outrage attempted or committed by outcasts at some farmhouse Could the whole number of such cases in a year be ascertained the figures would be startling. The more bullying of frightened women by tramps is a common thing. Sometimes retribution overtakes the miscreants and sometimes not.

There seems to be only one remedy and that must be applied by the women themselves. The men can drive the tramps away when they see them but to keep them entirely out of rural territory is practically impossible if farm work is to be carried on. The women should learn to handle the revolver and the shotgun and not hesitate to bring them into play in backing up their orders. Two or three dogs of the proper size and breed would also afford protection.

MOVING TIME

During the next few days weather permitting there will be quite a moving time in the vicinity of Furnace Corners. Geo Risdon expects to move onto his shore farm and J.P. Best will move on to the Risdon farm which he purchased sometime ago. Jacob Burkhart has bought J.P. Best’s farm at the corners and will occupy same soon. Wm. Allen will move into the house with Adam Hull, and will work for John Hull. Earl Harris and mother will move into the King farm on the State road. Jas Hollis of Lorain will move into the neighborhood soon having purchased the milk route of H.G. Morse and so our informant says, Mr. Baker would like to move into the Kuhlman place provided he can find a housekeeper.

James Driver Dead.

James D. Driver died at Las Vega, New Mexico, Thursday, March 15th at 8 p.m., aged 41 years old.

Mr. Driver was bon in Vermilion and his father, James Driver, carried mail between Sandusky and Johnson’s island during the Civil war and was drowned shortly before the close of the war. His mother died a few years ago. Mr. Driver was ticket agent at Huron for ten years an later was employed in the Cleveland offices of the Lake Shore.

He is survived by a widow, one brother, George Sayles and a sister, Mrs. Spohn, of Milan.

The funeral was held Tuesday morning from SS. Peter andPaul’s Catholic church at Sandusky.

_{[VV Ed. Note: Las Vegas is a city and county seat of San Miguel County, New Mexico. Once two separate municipalities (one a city and the other a town) both named Las Vegas, west Las Vegas ("Old Town") and east Las Vegas ("New Town"), separated by the Gallinas River, retain distinct characters and separate, rival school districts.]}

DEATH AT ASHMONT

W.L. Driver, a well known resident of Ashmont died at his home in that place Monday morning March 19, ’06 after a week’s illness of pneumonia. He would have been sixty-seven years of age the eleventh of April. Funeral services were held Wednesday and burial in Peak’s cemetery. Rev. Norton of Belin Heights officiating. His wife is a sister of Mrs. S.W. Simons of Vermilion.

_{VV Ed. Note: The S.W. “Sid” Simons mentioned in this article was (or later became) a well-known local grocer. He built the building where the Vermilion (Bailey’s) Hardware store was located on the west side of Grand Street just a few doors north of the railroad tracks.]}

Amherst is to have a new bank within a short time. A company of men recently organized purchased the Adams block and have employed an architect to make plans for the chages desired in the building.

NORTH ROAD

Edith Poyer is on the sick list.

BROWNHELM

Cyrus L. Whittlesey, a well known citizen, died at his home Saturday afternoon, March 17, 1906 after an illness of about two months, at the age of 74 years, 7 months and 9 days. The deceased was born in the house in which died and has spend his entire life in this community, with the exception of three years which he served in the army at the time of the Civil War.

He was married in 1869 to Miss Lucy Bacon, who died seven years ago. He is survived by one son and an adopted daughter, Mrs. Neuton Holstein.

Mr. Whittlesey was one of the first pioneers remaining in Brownhelm and an eyewitness to great improvements in his town.

He was an enterprising farmer, widely known and highly respected by all who knew him. His funeral took place Tuesday afternoon. Rev. A.D. Blakeslee officiating. Among those from out of town who attended the funeral were Mr. and Mrs. H. Bacon of Toledo, Mr. John Stottard of Cleveland, Misses Mary and Fanny West of Oberlin.

ASHMONT

Sherman Shoop was on Hill St. Sunday.

Mr. Chas Thompson who has been very sick with pneumonia is on the gain.

Hattie Lawson and Lucile Shoop have been on the sick list.

BIRMINGHAM.

Will Deney was taken to the hospital last week Thursday for treatment.

The new Meat Market is doing business.

Will Berk is building a new barn in the place of the one he moved away. Wm. Darby has been moving the old tank, which stood on the old Leonard farm and was on account of its height seen from quite a distance, across the road onto his own place. Yea, verily, things are moving in Birmingham.

STRONG’S CORNERS

Mrs. Watson is quite ill.

The heavy snow prevented quite a number of children from attending school.

_{[VV Ed. Note: This was at a time when children walked to school so the snow most have been significant.]}

Mrs. Cassie L. Chadwick has made her will bequeathing her property to her son Emil Hoover. Just what her property is, her creditors are anxious to know as her estate was thrown into involuntary bankruptcy.

_{Mrs. Chadwick, some readers may recall, was probably one of the most famous grifters in American history. She was finally prosecuted and spent the remainder of her life in the Ohio penitentiary.]}

HURON

Word was received here this week of the death of Geo Driver at Law Vegas, N.M. He was formerly ticket agent at this place but went south for his health a few years ago.

Gov. Patterson is reported to be a very sick man.

Truly March so far has been vey blustery and bids fair to continue so.

It is said that stogies, which retail three for five will soon be two for five and are already selling for that in cities.

When Mr. Dickens wrote one of his Christmas books he shut himself up for six weeks to do it: he “put his whole heart into it, and came out looking as haggard as a murderer.”

Frank H. Holl for the past twelve years a policemen, died suddenly at his home in that city Sunday morning of heart failure. He leaves a wife and child, besides an aged father and mother, one brother and two sisters. Mr. Holl was born in Vermilion March 8, 1860.

_{[VV Ed Note: It never said what city Mr. Holl policed. I would guess it was Lorain, Ohio.]}

LOCALS.

Frank Abell has recovered from a stroke of paralysis with which he was afflicted a short time ago.

C.C. Baumhart has purchased the old post office building and moved it onto one of his lots near the Lakeside Inn.

Geo Deckle has sold his home to Chas Nuhn and expects soon to move to Berlin Hts.

A small wreck in which a few passengers were somewhat injured occurred at Elyria Thursday. Among the injured was Miss Rose Plato of Amherst.

Geo. Ritter is home from Cleveland this week.

$1.00 to Cleveland and return Saturday March 24th, ’06 via the Lake Shore Electric Ry. Tickets good for two days.

H.G. Morse has sold his milk business to James Hollis of Lorain who will move to Vermilion and take charge of it in a few days. We wish Mr. Hollis success.

Otto Knott was in Cleveland Saturday to witness an operation on his brother George at St. Alexis Hospital. Mr. Knott is getting along as well as can be expected.

LEGISLATIVE

It is expected that the Aiken bill which provides for the $1000 saloon license will pass the senate today.

By persistent effort Representative Roberts got the senate to reconsider and the pass his bill prohibiting the sale of liquor in dance halls and roller skating rinks.

The senate passed the anti-hazing bill, which originated in the house and it now goes to the governor for his signature. The bill provides that any student of any university or school, public or private, found guilty of hazing shall be fined not more than $200 or imprisoned not more than six months or both. The heads or instructors of schools who knowingly permit hazing are amenable to a fine not exceeding $100.

Senator W.L. Atwell of Licking Co. has introduced the following proposition to amend section 18 of the schedule of the constitution, to forever prohibit the manufacture or sale of intoxicating liquors in the state of Ohio as a beverage. The resolution provides further that it shall be submitted to a vote of the people at the November election, 1908, and if adopted shall be in force Jan. 19, 1909.

_{[VV Ed Note: Presaging the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution this proposal illustrates just how strong the Temperance Movement was in Ohio and probably elsewhere in the nation. What no one ever counted on however was the door it opened for organized crime. Who would have seen it coming? It seemed like a good idea at the time.}

_{A Pleasant Little Town Called Vermilion}

A PLEASANT SUMMER AFTERNOON / EVENING: FDR is President of these United States of America. The nation is slowly beginning to cast off the dark curtains cast across the world by the stock market crash in Black October of 1929. At e Liberty Theater Ginger Rogers and allow actor-singer-dancer Fred Astair e brightening the lives of local audiences with a production called Flying own To Rio. It is the first of 10 musicals they will co-star in the ensuing years. An unknown Norwegian figure cater, named Sonja Henie, has just won re second of 3 Olympic Gold Medals she will win within less than a decade not to mention the hearts and minds of millions of admirers. A pretty girl named Amelia Earhart flashes a warm mile before a host of news cameras as she is celebrated as a national hero after becoming the first woman to fly solo crass the Atlantic Ocean. And businesses along Liberty Avenue from Grand Street east to the river bridge appeared to be doing well as local newspaper editor/publisher Pearl Roscoe minted the lens of his camera to he east and froze these shadows of a pleasant summer afternoon in the Village of Vermilion, Ohio.

This photo is one of a series of pictures of approximately the same scene Roscoe took that day. [I opted to use the nighttime postcard pic for VV] My assumption is that he intended to use one as a postcard picture. In fact, there is a card with much the same scene on it that is in wide circulation although some may not recognize it. That card portrays a night scene and is obviously an artistically enhanced reproduction. His wife, Bessie, sold the cards in the News Gift Shop she owned and operated. It was located where one can see the "Gift - Cards" sign on the right part of the, photo.

She shared the building, sandwiched - between Butler's "Home Restaurant" and the Liberty Theater, with the local Western Union office. When village resident Ralph Bard first came to town he worked as a telegraph operator in that office: His future wife, Jayne Ries, worked in Mrs. Roscoe's shop.

Next to the Liberty Theater was the recently defunct Vermilion Banking Company. It would soon be occupied' by the Williams Law Offices. And next to' it was Berk's Grocery Store. When I was a youngster Harold Moats ran his meat market out of the same building before constructing his successful Sparkle Market at Vermilion-On- The­ Lake.

East of Berk's store, in the spot where Admiral Debbie's is now located (2005), a restaurant was apparently situated. But I can't decipher a name from any of the photo angles available to me. Adjacent to that place was once J.A. Klaar's Harness Shop that metamorphosed into Leidheiser's Grocery, and then into a Kroger Store.

Then came the very popular Okagi Restaurant. Coming to Vermilion in October of 1913 Japanese émigré Marmouru Okagi and his French spouse bought the business from Mr. and Mrs. John Carr. By 1919 they had purchased the building seen in this photo, renovated it, and could serve over 200 persons at a time. (Note the restaurant sign above the place that is painted on the wall of the Erie County Bank building.) By the spring of 1933 they had, at times, served up to 1500 people in a single day. Nearly all the employees were Vermilionites.

Across Division (now Main) Street to the east in the corner store of the Fischer Building was Vermilion's wonderful A&P Store. Like my recollections of George Rathbun's store (not pictured) it was the very pleasant aroma of fresh bread, fruit, and vegetables one encountered in the shop that I remember best.

Readers will note (with some amusement) on the Liberty Main/Division Street corner that it apparently has only two signals: red and green. One might wonder how long it took for folks to see a practical reason to add a yellow caution element to those signals.

And finally, there is the nearly invisible wording on the sign over the walk on the left side of the photo. The sign appears to be attached to a building that has long since been replaced by what is now the home of Papa Joe's: It says that the building was then occupied by the Lake Erie Power and Light Company. I assume that it was the predecessor of Ohio Edison.

The second after Roscoe captured these shadows they began to change. They still are. .

_{Ref: Vermilion Area Archival Society; The Vermilion News: 4-14-43; Published in the Vermilion Photojournal 09/22/2005.}

CLIPPING FROM 1933: I don't really have to write anything about this artifactual. I just found it interesting.