Vermilion Ohio, A Good Place to Live
SHOPTALK:Great stuff this week on the desktops. On the shop desk is pic No. 1 of the South Street School Safety Patrol guys with the principal, Jim Sanford, and teacher, Mrs. Peterka. I’m thinking these pics were taken around 1954, and the guys on the shop desk are in about 5th grade. I remember most of them. And I’ll bet may Viewers do too.
In the mix are Lou Kuhnle, John Hurd, Jimmy Maurer, Chuck Pheneger, Wally Wellner, Bill Sopko, Hoff, Bobby Smith, Bobby Greggs, Joe King, Tom Boone, Mike Olson, Doug Hildum and a whole lot more.
These guys were just a year older than me, so I remember most of them vividly. Many are still about town. A few have passed into the next life.
NOW, ON MY HOME DESK: This is a companion pic of the Safety Patrol. These are my contemporaries when we were in about the 4th grade at South Street. Again, I’ll bet many Viewers will recognize a lot of these guys. Some of them are regular Viewers.
I can’t name them all – just a few: Steve Armstrong, my buddy Bill Ream, Bob Hill, Jon Smith, my close friend at that time Billy Baker, Larry Wood, Ronnie Brown, Roger Bachman, Carl Wenzel, Bob Risdon, Mike Tansey, Rich Friday, Tom Jones, Tom Rodgers, Ray Jasensky, Marty Smith, -, -, - Art Horning, Paul Davis, Fred Sharpnack,-,-, Onyx Falls, Buddy Clark, Stuart Warner, Gordon Winland -, - Rich Tarrant, Stu White, Bryce Neiding,-, Steve Burch, Kenny Kroll,Keith Fisher, Carmen Kemerer, Jim Calvey, -Tom Hauff, Martin Bodde, and Bill Spicer.
Some of these guys are gone now. Bill Baker died during the Asian Flu epidemic c.1957; Roger Bachman passed just a few years ago; Mike Tansey, stricken with M.S. died some years ago; Freddie Sharpnack is also gone now; my buddy Stu White is gone; and so too is Bryce Neiding. I really have great memories of all these fellas. I don’t know why my friend Frank Homitz isn’t in this pic. Perhaps he was ill when it was taken.
AFTER THE COLD: Wow! It’s gone and good riddance to it. Now I can get around to griping about something else.
Historically,
SOMETHING OLD: Browsing through a bunch of things in a box this week I came across what is a very small pic of the locomotive steaming through Vermilion on a snowy day back in about 1950. The reason it captured my attention was the site where it was taken. The locomotive had just passed the Washington Street crossing heading west and was coming up to Perry Street. It reminded me of my youthful days living on Perry Street.
The dark house in the background is the Wilkes home on Washington Street. I even know what type of tree that is on the right. It was a big pear tree. There were two of them in that railroad lot.
It’s sometimes hard for me to believe that this was almost seven decades ago. [Time flies when you’re having fun!]
A MELANCHOLY ENDEAVOR: THE BILLY BOND STORY: Looking at the accompanying photo I am nearly driven to tears. I suppose it’s because I remember days like those in the picture – days when the sky was the limit. It’s a snapshot of a young Vermilion boy named Billy Bond. He lived with his parents Frank “Bunny” and Elizabeth on West Liberty street in a home next (east of) to his dad’s café (Frank “Bunny” Bond’s Liberty Café – currently 2019 – Rudy’s Place). Billy’s grandfather was Dr. Benjamin Bond one of the town’s early doctors.
Billy was born in Vermilion on May 3, 1924. The snap was probably taken in 1936 or ‘37 when he was 12 or 13 years old. The building in the background is gone now replaced by Vermilion’s Friendship Park. At the time the ground floor of the building was the home of Glenn Martin’s Pontiac dealership / garage. [Note: They sold gas right on the street at that time.] Young Billy was apparently out sidewalk skating [remember that?] on a nice summer day. He looks very happy.
His niece, Vermilionite Katie Baker-Reutener, donated this snap along with numerous other items to our local history museum a few years ago. Among those things were many of the letters he and his family exchanged while he was in the U.S. Army in France during WW2. Below is an example of one of them:
” Nov. 12, 1944 – Dear Mom & Pop – Seeing today was Sunday I thought I would drop you a few lines. I was going to church this morning, but I never got around to it. They got us living in an underground fortress that the Germans once had for a radio school. They said it was built in 1756, but I don’t know for sure. The only thing we have for heat is [a] bon fire that don’t keep the place very warm. It’s been pretty bad weather here for the last couple days and its pretty muddy here. When I finish with your letter I’m going to write to the girl in Springfield. I wish you would [send] her a picture of me. She wants picture of me so bad. Here’s her address. [Not included here.] … Well, must close and go to dinner. – Your Loving Son – Bill”
As is obvious, there was nothing really earth shattering about any of the things in most of his communiqués. They were just letters written by a young fella, with young man’s dreams in a war zone – writing home to his mother, father and sister. There was no sense of danger in his words. Discomfort – yes – but nothing ominous.
Some days later he wrote the following: ” Nov. 23, 1944- Dear Mom & Pop – I just thought I would drop you a few lines to let you know I am ok. It’s been raining quite hard for the past couple of days and it’s quite muddy. I got a new pair of shoes the others and I got blisters on my heels from walking. Tell Mr. Horning that a [unable to make out the word] crane made in Lorain, Ohio was sitting right next door to us. I guess they[‘re] sent all over the world. Well, it’s almost time for dinner and we are going to have Roast Turkey, so you can say that the boys on the front lines are getting the best. Well, must close for now – and don’t worry. – Your Loving Son – Bill”
The Mr. Horning mentioned in this passage was probably Vermilionite Arthur Horning who lived at Axtel. He was an inspector at National Tube in Lorain and was likely very familiar with the Thew Shovel Company that was also in South Lorain. The company built the cranes used to build the Panama Canal and during both WWI and WWII assisted the troops in Europe in the construction of bridges, roads etc. Ergo, the crane in question was very likely a Thew crane.
Billy generally wrote home about every two weeks. But there was no more news until the following telegram arrived at the Bond home on December 18th: “Mrs. Elizabeth Bond, 211 West Liberty St. VR. The Secretary of War wishes that I assure you of his deep sympathy in the loss of your son Private First-Class William F. Bond. Report received states he died Twenty-seven November in France as a result of wounds he received in action…” And just like that, 20-year-old Billy Bond, the smiling kid on his roller skates with the whole world ahead of him, was gone.
In the mid-1950s, when the local chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (i.e. VFW) was formed it was named the Holland-Bond Post 7576 in honor of brothers Patrick and Michael Holland and William F. Bond. All lost their lives during WWII. While it is certainly entertaining, not to mention an educational experience, to ramble down “memory lane” with all the pictures, letters and other materials made available to me, it can also be a melancholy endeavor. I am sometimes inclined to think that perhaps such things would be better if lost and forgotten: But perhaps not.
YESTERYEAR'S NEWS: The following clips are dictated transcriptions from past issues of The Vermilion News. I think you will find them both interesting and fun...
The Village Council held its regular meeting Monday evening. While there was very little real business transacted much planning was done and another meeting will be held on the 18th inst. when action will be taken on several important improvements.
Gentlemen were present to talk over the prospect for the sale of oil for oiling streets also a representative of the carboria [sic] manufacturers. This product is used as a binder on macadam road.
It was thought best to appoint a man to call on property owners on each street in order to ascertain who would be in favor of having their street oiled. The company has improved machinery for putting the oil on. Action will be taken on this at next meeting. The comfort station will also come up for consideration.
The matter of those occupying the ends of streets along the river was discussed and it was decided to have the clerk notify those parties to pay rental or get off the street.
W. M. Forster was present and asked that a place be designated in a rate made for his popcorn stand. $3.00 per month in a location next to curb just south of crosswalk on Division Street, the place assigned to him.
Matter of completing the Lake Road west of Decatur Street was held over.
Rubbish question was brought up and discussed and the speak Commissioner ordered to throw all rubbish placed on the street at any other time than the day or days designated, back into the yards.
A kick was registered by citizens and presented by members of the Council that the saloons were open Sunday contrary to ordinance.
The custom has been to permit a scrubbing up of the premises on Sunday morning and that everything should be shut up tight after 8 o’clock. The mayor reported that last Sunday the marshal was placed on duty and reported the lid on tight. There was considerable discussion on the subject.
The bicycle ordinance was also a topic of discussion and it will be enforced.
The condition of Liberty Street and the electric track near the bridge was brought up and will be looked after.
After discussing several sidewalk matters and providing for payment of bills the Council adjourned.
MARRIED – Mr. J.H. Goetz of Vermilion, O. and Miss Laura E. May of Vermilion, O. May the 3rd, 1911, at the home of the groom, by Rev. T. H. D. Harrold.
A final meeting of the Alumni Association will be held at the home of W. E. Childs Saturday evening, May 6, to complete arrangements for the banquet. All who wish to join will be present at the meeting or send in the dues.
Ed Carpenter of Adrian, Michigan, one of the bridge construction crew on L. S. & M. S. Ry., here, was severely injured Wednesday morning by being hit in one of his eyes by a splinter of steel. A fellow workman was using a tool to a enlarge a rivet hole when blow of a sledge broke a fragment from it striking Carpenter in the eye. He was taken to a local physician who eased his suffering as much as possible and then he was sent to the Toledo Hospital to receive the attention of an eye specialist. The extent of the injury is not at present known.
Fifty books have been added to the Public Library.
Rev. Heussner delivered his farewell address Sunday at the Amherst and Brownhelm churches.
BORN – to Mr. and Mrs. J Mertz, Monday, May 1, a daughter.
Two weddings were performed in the foreign colony at No. 6 quarry Monday.
Miss Alice Powers who is a teacher at Lake Erie College, Painesville had her suitcase stolen. No clue to the thief has as yet been found.
While there is much said about enforcing the bicycle ordinance, we think this ordinance of minor importance when taken in comparison with the dog ordinance. If there were as few dogs in the village as there are bicycles in use we would need no enforcement of the dog ordinance, but why attempt to enforce one without forcing the other. Now that the assessor is making his rounds very few of the dogs have owners. We had, for our part, rather have the latter enforced than the former.
Another thing, we think it more humane to take the homeless dogs out and kill them than to allow them to roam at large gathering what they can to eat from the garbage cans.
The bicycles are used often as an easy method of getting to and from work but we can see no good in the tramp dogs. If we have no place to impound the stray dogs it will cost but little to provide one. Let’s have something done about the matter at once.
Ohio is always at the head of everything but at present, indications point to the state being the head of all the others in something for which we cannot feel proud; GRAFT and BRIBERY among the members of the state legislature. It is to be hoped that the guilty parties will be punished and not given a coat
of whitewash.
We believe that there is nothing more annoying to a person wishing to keep his lawn looking nice street in front of his premises presentable condition, than having someone come along after tearing a lot of paper into small pieces thrown on the ground. These papers are blowing about and are often too small to gather up without much labor. Not only that but the site of much paper and refuse on the streets impresses the stranger unfavorably. Now we all want to have a clean, pleasant town so when you’re about to thoughtlessly cast the handful of paper to the winds – remember this item and don’t do it. Take it home and burn it or deposit it in someone’s wastepaper.
The Farewell dance at Fireman’s Hall last Friday evening was a very successful affair. The attendance was unusually large.
Capt. Charles Hahn left Sunday for his season’s duties on the lakes.
BORN – to Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Blattner, a son, Wednesday, May 3, 1911.
BORN – to Mr. and Mrs. Henry Leidheiser, a son, Monday, May 1, 1911.
BORN – to Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Peasley, of Rugby, a daughter, May 2, 1911.
BORN – to Mr. Mrs. Nick Mahler, a daughter, Thursday, May 4, 1911.
BORN – to Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Bringman, East of town, Friday, April 28, 1911, a pair of twin girls.
Chicago is trying to get its new administration on straight.
If the harem skirt wins out it will have to fight every nich [sic] of the way.
Woodrow Wilson might well pray to be saved from his ardent friend William Jennings Bryan.
There are indications that President Taft would accept another term if earnestly urged to do so.
What Oklahoma needs at the present moment is a tornado tamer rather than a trust smasher.
No wonder the Pullman company hated to file a report. So much surplus ashamed to name it.
If the Mexican situation gets much more serious Mr. Morgan will have to come back from Europe and attend to it.
Jake Portman is been under the weather for the past week.
BORN – to Mr. and Mrs. Adolph Frankenburg, a daughter Friday night.
A Chicken Pie Social will be given by the brotherhood club at the club rooms next Saturday night at Florence.
May Holden formerly of this place died Monday morning at 5 o’clock of spinal meningitis, at the Lakewood Hospital, Cleveland at which place she was training for nurse.
Coon Nuhn bought a new threshing separator.
Mr. John Knott has close his sawmill for a few days.
The body of C. A. Morton Cleveland was brought here on that C. S. C’s new funeral car on last Saturday and buried in Riverside Cemetery. Mr. Morton and family were former residents of this village, for the past few years has been engaged in the automobile business in the city of Cleveland, where he died April 27th.
Brownhelm High School is now rated as a second-class high school having received our charter last week.
The Smith drilling outfit is now at Henry Brandau’s and John Lapp drillers are at Newton Holsteins.
The quarantine card has been taken from the house of William Emerick the house fumigated from all danger from scarlet fever.
Mr. William Miller had the misfortune to cut his hand saw at the sawmill last Tuesday afternoon.
Hmmmmmm....
…“ With the growth of the State in population and wealth, the annual volumes of the general laws increased in size until the statutes of a general nature, in force, exceed two thousand in number. The subject of codification then began to attract attention here as in other places. In 1869 a bill prepared by Senators Charles H. Scribner, Daniel B. Linn, and Homer Everett, codifying the statutes in relation to municipal corporations, became a law, as did also a bill embodying a code of criminal procedure, which had been prepared by Senator Frank H. Hurd. The subject was further agitated and finally, in 1874, Representative George W. Boyce, of Hamilton county, introduced a bill providing for such codification. Subsequently, Senator Lucian C. Jones, of Trumbull, Trumbull county, introduced a bill on the same subject, which, on March 27, 1875, became a law. [72 v. 87]. The following are its leading features:
“The governor was required, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to appoint three competent commissioners to revise and consolidate the general statutes of the State, and he was authorized to fill any vacancy in the commission.
“In performing the duty the commissioners were required to bring together all the statutes and parts of statutes relating to the same matter, omitting redundant and obsolete enactments, and such as had no influence on existing rights or remedies, and making alterations to reconcile contradictions, supply omissions, and amend imperfections in the original acts, so as to reduce the general statutes into as concise and comprehensive a form as might be consistent with clear expression of the will of the General Assembly, rejecting all equivocal and ambiguous words and circuitous and tautological phraseology.
“They were required to arrange the statutes under suitable titles, divisions, subdivisions, chapters, and sections, with head notes briefly expressive of the matter contained therein, with marginal notes of the contents of each section, with reference to the original act from which it was compiled, and foot notes of the decisions of the Supreme Court upon the same; and they were required to report the whole, in print, to the general assembly for its adoption.
“On the day of the passage of the bill Governor Allen appointed, and the Senate unanimously confirmed, Michael A. Daugherty, Luther Day, and John W. Okey as the commissioners. Commissions were issued to them on that day, and immediately thereafter they entered upon their duties. Judge Day continued to be a member of the commission until February 1, 1876, when he resigned, having been appointed a member of the Supreme Court commission, and John S. Brasee was appointed by Governor Hayes to fill the vacancy, and Judge Okey continued to be a member of the commission until November 9, 1877, when he resigned, having been elected a judge of the Supreme Court, and George B. Okey was appointed by Governor Young to fill the vacancy. No other changes were made in the commission."
The codified or revised statutes consist of four parts. The first part (Polit-…
SAD ARTIFACT: I was talking with Vermilionite Walter Baughman last week and the subject of Easter church services in Vermilion came up. [Walter is, among other things, a retired / non-retired church organist.] Anyway the point of conversation was that the churches don’t advertise Easter services anymore. [Actually, they hardly advertise any services anymore.]
Times have changed.
This little poster is relatively new. It was printed in the 60s. And as one can plainly see all the Protestant churches in town unified and advertised their Sunday services.
Sadly, the churches, at least generally, are less united than they were in the yesteryear. It seems like they’ve all gone their own ways.
Too bad. If ever our nation needed some spiritual guidance it is now.
A wealthy old man looked around the table at his two sons and five daughters and their spouses gathered for a family reunion.
"Not a single grandchild," he said with a sigh. "Why, I'll give a million dollars to the first kid who presents me with a little one to bounce on my knee. Now, let's say grace."
When the old man lifted his eyes again, his wife was the only other person at the table.
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'".
Rich; it is our 60th reunion and will be very informal. It looks like this at the present time; Tuesday, JULY 9, 2019.
-4pm Boat ride Vermilion River and Lagoons (Parsons)
-5:30pm Drinks and music on the Patio-Vermilion Boat Club
-6:30pm Dinner - order off the menu Vermilion Boat Club
Replys can be sent to;
Roger Boughton
2205 1th Ave. SW
Ausitn, MN. 55912
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.
Another great book with Vermilion Roots is, "Grandma's Favorites: A Compilation of Recipes from MARGARET SANDERS BUELL by Amy O'Neal, ELIZABETH THOMPSON and MEG WALTER (May 2, 2012). This book very literally will provide one with the flavor of old Vermilion. And ye can also find it at Amazon.com. Take a look.
MARY WAKEFIELD BUXTON'S LATEST BOOK "The Private War of William Styron" is available in paper back for $15.00 with tax and can be purchased locally at Buxton and Buxton Law Office in Urbanna, ordered from any book store, Amazon.com or Brandylane Publishing Company. A signed, hard back edition may be purchased from Mrs. Buxton directly for $30.00 by writing her at Box 488, Urbanna, VA 23175 and including $6.00 for tax, postage and packaging.
THE BEAT GOES ON: This page is generated by a 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
P.O. Box 437
Vermilion, Ohio
44089
Telephone: 440-967-0988 - Cell: 440-522-8397
or you can use PayPal: (NOTE: IT WORKS NOW)
Vol. 17. Issue 9- May 4, 2019
Archive Issue #842
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