Vermilion Ohio, A Good Place to Live
SHOPTALK: When I look at the photo accompanying these words, I can smell the river, feel the sun and hear the gulls circling in the sky above these workers. Okay, I will admit that it was a partially staged photo. I seriously doubt that Ray Full (the fella supposedly directing the spraying onto the fish tug) was doing – or ever did – that. But it’s still a great photo.
I’m sorry that I am unable to identify the guys on the tug though I can tell you that their work on it was not easy. You can bet on the fac that these guys earned every cent they received. I’m sure of it because I know for a fact that Chester Jackson (the guy with the hose) was a no-nonsense taskmaster. I never knew him personally, but I knew him. And I certainly knew his wife Esther Krapp-Jackson. She was also, one of a kind.
On my home desk this week is a nice pic of all the Kishman tugs lining the bank of the Vermilion River – probably taken in the late 30s or very early 1940s. I feel fortunate to have been around when these tugs were working – although I paid little attention to them. They were just part of life in Vermilion back then.
I know there are numerous pix of the tugs and Kishman’s Fish House around, but the best I’ve ever seen were done by Vermilion photographer Scott Domin. I believe he took them when he was rather young. But they are wonderful. His talent was obvious from a very early age.
I realize that Vermilion’s annual Festival of the Fish for 2020 has been cancelled due to Covid-19 concerns, but from my viewpoint (which holds no sway either way) the festival has gone the distance and is worn out. We live in a time of radical change and this may be a good reason to do just that. The same goes for the Woollybear. I don’t promote eliminating the festivals. It’s just time to breathe new life into the festivities.
The fisheries are gone. The fish are gone. It’s not a good time to gather in crowds. It is time for change.
901 This issue of Vermilion Views is its 901st. That’s a lot of work behind me: over 17 years to be precise. As I have previously indicated I will quite publication when I hit the 1000th issue or if I croak – whichever comes first. Most of the info in those issues will have been saved and will, hopefully, stay saved online.
Actually, a Vermilion expatriate moved me to create the site. Bill Ream (Doc Ream’s son) now living in Florida had off-handedly mentioned to me that he was sorry that late Vermilionite George Wakefield had stopped writing his column in the Vermilion Photojournal. I tried to help by sending Mr. Wakefield some pix online that he then wrote about and sent to the newspaper. But after he died in 2001 there was a gap that needed filling. That’s when I began writing a bit for the same paper. A few years later I decided to use a website to both use and acquire historical information pertaining to Vermilion and – as some say – the rest is history.
COVID-19 & THE MUSEUM: The Vermilion History Museum has been closed to the public since the virus began raging in March. No one had to tell us to close. It was obvious. [NOTE: This also explains my interest in “virtual tours”. But I also wanted them available to accommodate handicapped persons.]
Anyway, the State of Ohio has now officially sanctioned the opening of museums in the state (June 10th) with some guidelines. A list of them is available online and elsewhere. But just as we acted of our own accord to temporarily close, we will do the same when it comes to opening our doors – and will not open completely until July 1st. In the meantime, we will be open to very small groups / couples who make appointments.
This cautionary procedure is taken mainly because of the crowds that gathered everywhere to protest the untimely death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. We are reluctant to open completely until the results of that crowding is apparent. Speaking as museum curator I believe that Dr. Stephen Fauci (American physician and immunologist who has served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases since 1984) is correct in thinking that the virus is not done with us. Hopefully, we’ll be proven wrong and nothing will happen except that which many persons (myself included) are wishing to happen.
In the meantime, we’ll clean and improve the museum exhibits. So, stay close. (That is, of course, a figurative statement.)
Historically,
THOSE REMARKABLE VERMILION GIRLS: This (I’m guessing) is likely from the 30s; a gym class of Vermilion girls at South Street School when it was a high school. This is a pic of a pic taken by late Vermilionite Roy Kneisel. Because it is what it is it’s not a particularly good photo. But I still like it.
I guess that because I knew some of the girls in the class. They were, of course, much older than me, but I always thought they were great people. The one that I’ve always like is “L. HULL”. I missed marking her name in red though. Lucile married Bill Clark and she has always been – I think by nature – a nice person. D. Schroeder became Mrs. Koontz. A Leidheiser married Sidney “Ding” Jeffery; A Derby was Annabelle Derby (the Kuhnle boys mom and Vermilion’s Centennial Queen in ’37); E. Hayes is my late friend “Nuggie” Cook; and Y. Smith became Yvonne Boyd who with her husband, Gene, ran Ann’s Lunch.
I don’t know why Roy opted to do this pic. I also don’t know who he married. Perhaps it is one of the gals therein. All are remarkable in one way or another
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ALMOST NEW: The video added this week is quite long. You may want to get your popcorn before you start watching.
1912: For over a decade I have been reading through and transcribing some articles from the towns old weekly, The Vermilion News. I generally do this one week at a time. It would be a tedious task were it not so much fun. I have just finished the publication from June 13,1912. Here’s some of what I found: At the Village Council Meeting: A sidewalk ordinance was the most important matter and was passed. It provided for the construction of sidewalks with stonework or cement. An ordinance providing for the construction of sidewalks in the business portion of town was also passed. The ordinance made it necessary to construct sidewalks to the curb line in front of the business places on Exchange and Liberty Street. It was noted that a number of sidewalks had already been constructed, but without authority. Also, the council clerk read a letter from a Mr. Chapin getting a price of $2.00 to complete the plans and specifications for a sanitary sewer. [Note: Vermilion was moving into the 20th century.]
In other news it was reported that the Lake Shore Electric interurban railway was placing a block signal near the front of Abell’s barbershop on Liberty street. It was intended to show when a car is on the mainline at Lake switch west of town, thus avoiding chance for accident similar to those occurring near that point during the past few years (e.g. August 4,1906.) Abell’s shop would have been at, or very near, the shop that recently housed our town barber on Liberty street. It is currently (2020) the Cast On Yarn Studio. [Note: Railroad communications systems consist of a series of signals that divide a railway line into a series of sections, or "blocks". The system controls the movement of trains between the blocks using automatic signals.]
In Florence, south of town the laying of a cornerstone for what was then the new Methodist Episcopal Church was to take place on Sunday, June 16 at 2:30 P. M. [That church is still there and active. Check its cornerstone] Under the heading of “Varities” the following blips appeared: “Oranges in China sell at less than 7c a hundred; The term reverend was first applied to a clergymen in 1657; In Japan schoolchildren are being taught to write with both hands; “and finally, Several wireless stations in the West Indies are operated by wind power.” [Note: And we, perhaps, thought our generation was the architect of renewable energy sources.]
Meanwhile in Birmingham, Mr. and Mrs. H. A. Funk and children and Reita, Cleo and Harry Funk had “formed an auto load to New London” on Sunday. [NOTE: It must have been a very ‘funky” journey.]
Back in Vermilion: Three Cleveland youngsters were arrested Monday for disturbing residents near the Nickel Plate. After keeping them in jail for a few hours to think over their misdeeds they were released and left for home as fast as they could. [Note: Lessons taught like this today would likely be illegal.]
The blips continued telling readers: Louis Noel and family had returned to Vermilion for the summer. [Noel was also known as “Cloudy” and had the ferry boat franchise along the river]; Tom Ball attended the state encampment of the G. A. R. at Springfield that week as delegate for the H. G. Delker post: Charles F. Decker attended the Coal Dealers Convention Pittsburgh; and Mrs. H. S. Cuddeback expects to leave Tuesday to attend the state convention of W. R. C. at Springfield, O., as delegate from this corps.[Note: Memories and veterans of the American Civil War were still in the hearts and minds of many residents.]
Those on the sick list were Mrs. Kate Raver and little granddaughter Daisy Halloran were able to be up; Mrs. Halloran, too, was improving. But the condition of Mrs. Heidloff remains apparently about the same; baby Heidloff was reported slightly worse yesterday. And Vermilion’s future historian Donald Englebry was getting along nicely. All were ill with typhoid fever. [Note: This was likely an indication that sanitary sewers were really needed.]
And then there was this final note; Strawberries will soon be a thing of the past unless we have some rain soon. [Note: I hope it did.]
-Monday, June 15, 2020
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 following letter, self-explanatory, has been received by the clerk of the Board of Health and will refute all claims that the Typhoid cases originated from the city water:
Columbus, Ohio, June 7, 12
Mr. Walter D. Smith,
Clerk of board of health,
Vermilion, Ohio.
Dear Sir: –
The examination of the samples of water collected by Mr. Buell on the 28th ul timo [last month] has just been completed. The interpretation and recommendations are as follows:
No. 1141 – City water, Filter Plant Pumping Station; No. 11411 – City Water, Chas. Heidloff.
These samples, taken from the same supply, show a fairly soft water of good physical appearance. The total organic content is not high, only a small number of bacteria are present, and intestinal organisms are absent. This supply is safe at present for drinking purposes. We would suggest that inquiries concerning other supplies which these patients may have used, be made in an effort to locate the source of infection.
Yours truly,
E. F. McCampbell,
Secretary
C. E. Sherwood is proving that this section of Ohio can produce something fine in the strawberry line. He brought the NEWS office the past week some “Kansas” variety berries that were certainly beauties. It took thirty-seven to make a quart. The flavor is fine. The berry is pink meated, crisp and sweet. Tuesday, he brought another lot, one of which he measured about 6 x 4 inches in circumference. Usually such berries, while they bring a good price in the market, lack flavor, but these are splendid in both.
Charging that his wife, Hattie Welfare, is now serving a sentence in the House of Correction at Cleveland, and has served a term of a year in the Ohio penitentiary, Lewis Welfare brought suit for divorce in Erie County, common pleas court Tuesday.
The plaintiff, according to a statement to his attorney, A. E. Lawrence, of Elyria, is a resident of Sandusky, at the present time. The defendant, as narrated above, is an involuntary resident of Cleveland, and the summons is to be served in Cuyahoga County.
According to the petition, the parties were married June 19, 1898, at Carlisle, Ohio, and have one adopted child, Dorothea, aged eight. The plaintiff says that in July 1906, his wife took the child away from him, and went to Toledo, meeting there a man by the name of Joseph Daly. The latter in Mrs. welfare were indicted for grand larceny at Toledo a few months later, both served a year in the state penitentiary, according to the averments of the petition. In addition to a separation and in addition to a separation, the plaintiff asked for the control of the child.
A verdict of guilty with no recommendation for mercy was returned in the murder trial of the state versus Rocco Klavetch, accused of murder at Kelly’s island. This means the electric chair.
[NOTE: Had Klavetch accepted his first conviction he would have lived.]
Walter Campbell, about 27 years old, colored man who lives and is well-known in Berlin Heights was brought to the county jail and given into the custody Sheriff Reuter Friday afternoon by Marshal Ben Gunn of the Berlin Heights. In an affidavit filed in the court of Mayor Rhodes of Berlin Heights, by Deputy State fire Marshal L. H. Smith of this city, Campbell is charged with arson.
The alleged crime laid at the door of Campbell is at the present time, about seven years old. The specific charge is that in 1905 he set fire to a barn on the premises owned by a man named Gillespie, living at Berlin Heights. The case was recorded at the fire marshal’s office as “The Gillespie Fire” and it was always considered rather complicated.
Marshal Smith was not disposed to discuss the arrest of Campbell upon his return from Berlin Heights Friday night, although he admitted that in his opinion the state had a strong case against Campbell, otherwise he would not have file the affidavit.
Mr. Smith was assisted in the preparation of the papers by attorney D. L. Sharpe of the fire marshals department, Columbus. – Reg.
The barometer was discovered in 1634.
London is the banking center of the world.
Until 1839 dogs were employed to draw wagons through the streets of London as they are now in parts of Europe.
A machine to perform the same service for vessels the speedometer does for vehicles has been invented in England.
Tourist trains on one of the Pacific railroads are equipped with electrical cooking appliances and travelers are encouraged to make use of them.
The funeral of Jacob Shamburger was held on Sunday afternoon at 1 o’clock from the home at 2 p.m. at St. Peter’s Evangelical church. Rev. Lehman of Elyria was the officiating minister as Rev. Lindmeyer had a previous engagement. The remains were interred in the Crown Hill Cemetery.
The funeral of James Corkery, who met a tragic death at the Kendeigh farm Thursday morning, was held at 10 A. M. Saturday at the home of M. C. Kendeigh by whom he has been employed for last five years. His brother, Thomas Corkery, of Toledo arrived Friday to [take] charge [of] the body. Rev. E. C. Snyder was the officiating pastor, and the remains were taken to Komaka, a village near London, Can., for burial. The deceased has a brother who is a minister and two sisters in Komaka.
The wedding of Pearl James Kellar and Miss Lottie H. Slocum, Huron, at the office of Justice Philip Dietrich, who performed the ceremony Monday afternoon, was unique in that the bride and the magistrate each have but one arm.
Mrs. Kellar was the victim of what was almost a fatal accident at the Hayes Avenue crossing, this city, several years ago. – Reg.
H. H. Berk & Son, proprietors of the Vermilion Mills, are preparing to erect a storehouse on their property east of the mill.
Mrs. Maggie Blattner struck by an auto last evening, about 7 o’clock, while crossing Ohio Street, near the residence of Mr. Hammill. She was knocked down and suffered several bruises, but fortunately nothing serious. The auto belonged to friends of Earl Welch and bride, who were on their way to meet L. S. & M. S. train to see the bridal pair off.
BORN – to Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Crodell, a son, Friday, June 14, 12.
Miss Alice Kane was brought home from the hospital last evening.
Capt. F. H. Rae left Friday for Chicago where he took charge of the boat. This is Mr. Rae’s fifty-sixth year in active service on the Great Lakes.
For sale – Steam Pump and Boiler. For particulars apply to superintendent of Linwood Park, Vermilion Ohio.
July 4 two weeks from today.
Mayor F. W. Wakefield and son Albert returned Sunday evening from their trip to Duluth.
The marriage of William Gilchrist and Miss Martha taken was an event in Cleveland society Wednesday. The family formerly lived in Vermillion.
The dwelling occupied by Fred Jacobs and family at Huron was destroyed by fire early Wednesday morning. The family narrowly escaped with their lives.
Christa Olson, Eddie Crow, John Lang, Joe Hamlin and James Grey of Cleveland were taken up Wednesday on the charge of vagrancy. All except Grey were given $5 and costs by Mayor F. W. Wakefield Thursday. They are all young men. Grey was discharged.
Two young men from Lorain, Geo. Henry and Leo Ryan were in town Wednesday. They attempted to bum their way home on the Nickel Plate and in attempting to board a moving train about 4 p.m., Geo. Henry fell between the cars and was instantly killed, the train passing over his body. Undertaker Beeckel took charge of the remains and the corner notified.
An old twine house at Huron long in a dilapidated condition has been sold by John F. Williams, of this city, to the Kishman Fish Co. The building was put up about 20 years ago for the Wickham & copy. The consideration for the building and site was $1200.
W. J. Lambert is on the sick list.
Ed Sauger Shelby, formerly of this place died last Friday.
Little Neva Wilber who was taken to the hospital in a very bad condition is improving.
Miss Lillian Young commenced work in the telephone office Tuesday.
Several from Birmingham attended the laying of the cornerstone of the M. E. Church at Florence, on Sunday, June 16. Rev. Wright Norwalk delivered the address. A quartet of picked singers from the Oberlin M. E. Church sang. A large crowd was in attendance.
Siebert Leimbach is drilling a gas well, he said he has got tired of cutting wood. If Mr. Leimbach gets gas, others on this side of the river will try.
During the storm of Saturday evening, apple and cherry tree of Adam Kneisel were blown. The trees have stood for a great many years. The apple tree fell on the porch but did not do much damage.
BORN – Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Reising, daughter, June 1912.
BORN – to Mr. and Mrs. Jno. Rubers, son, June 1912.
Our new concrete bridge is just about completed.
Roy Gosnell, employee in a rubber factory in Akron spent Sunday at his home with his parents.
Mr. Lon Ennis, Berlins expert photographer, moved with his family to Linwood Park the first of the week. Mr. Ennis will give the patrons at Linwood excellent service and good satisfaction.
Budd Campbell, (colored) living east of town was arrested last week and taken to the county jail in Sandusky to await the action of the grand jury. It is believed that he knows something about some of the fires that have originated mysteriously in the past.
Mr. and Mrs. D French are happy over the arrival of twins.
Mrs. Evelyn Shattuck, nee Gilmore, wife of the late Paul Alpheus Shattuck, was born in Amherst September 7, 1840, passed away June 18, 1912. She leaves to mourn their loss, two sons, Mr. Arthur Shattuck and Mr. Edgar Shattuck both of this place, and seven grandchildren.
Funeral services will be held at the home Friday at 1:30, Rev. Andrews of Oberlin, officiating. Burial will take place at Brownhelm Cemetery.
A voice we love is still;
A place is vacant in our home,
Which never can be filled
God in His wisdom has recalled,
The boon His love has given,
And though the body moulders here
The soul is safe in heaven.
Mrs. John Blowers who has been very ill is now on the way to recovery.
The safe at the Huron post office was blown Tuesday night and about $200 worth of stamps and $5.00 in money taken. No one heard the explosion and the Yeggs escaped by means of a stolen rig, toward the south. The horse was taken from Martin Fredrickson and the buggy from Chas. Cleveland. The horse was left a few miles out and another was taken from a farmer. On entering the office Wednesday morning, Postmaster Tyler found the door of the safe on the floor. The safe had been wrapped horse blankets and old coats. No clue was left. It is thought it is the same gang that has been operating in various parts of the state.
SOMETHING TO REMEMBER:Some may recall that back in the 1960s and 70s there was also a carnival that came to town during the Fish Festival. Times have changed.
Conrad Linker came to Sandusky in 1839 and was a son of Heinrich and Anna Elizabeth (Rudolph) Linker. He was born May I5, 1791, in Speckswinkel, Hessen, and was married in 1818 in the old country to Christine Rose. He left his home in 1832 with the intention to meet relatives in Crawford county, O. His wife died almost in sight of their destination and was buried in Mansfield. She was in her thirty-eighth year. In 1839 Linker moved to Sandusky to live with his daughter Catharine Elizabeth, who had become the wife of Jacob Hertel, the founder of the Baystadt Demokrat. He died of cholera in 1849. The names of the children are given in chronological order: Catharine Elizabeth Hertel, born June 10, 1819; Anna Elizabeth Schmidt, born January 30, 1822; Johannes, born July 18, 1824; Anna Catharine, May 17, 1827; Johannes F. born January 2, 1830.
The Merklein family settled in Sandusky about 1835. No reliable information could be had about this family. They came to Sandusky about 1835, where they both died of the cholera in 1849. George Werner, formerly living on the corner of Hancock and Madison streets, was a brother of Mrs. Merklein; he was a day laborer employed in the warehouse.
August Mueller settled here in 1835. His name would long have faded from memory had not a rather peculiar incident occurred which kept it alive. Sandusky, fifty years ago, afforded an excellent pasture ground, not only for old Foreman's sheep, but for a number of cows, that in a go-as-you-please way, found food and water, shelter and shade among the hazel bushes of the village. Mueller was the proud possessor of a cow, but it was a great chagrin to him that his cow returned dry repeatedly, in the evening. A kind-hearted neighbor enlightened him that in all probability someone procured the precious lacteal fluid without consent. Whether our friend August in his younger days had read Cooper's “Lederstrumpf" and the “Last of the Mohicans " or not, we leave this an open question. He started on his war path, the scalping knife in his pocket, I see him plainly wend his way through the bushes on hands and feet, and there he sits, the perpetrator of all his misery, leisurely abstracting the precious fluid. One warwhoop, one jump and he had him by the ear, one cut and he had the trophy in his hands. His friends persuaded him, as he apparently was not conscious of the enormity of the crime, to take passage on a boat that was ready to leave for Buffalo on the next morning. Between the two ports he worked on shipboard for nearly two years, but never allowed his feet to touch the soil of this city, except under the cover of night. He subsequently moved to St. Louis, and may…
LINWOOD 1885: A Linwood resident let me photograph this framed poster some time ago. Methinks you will find it of great interest.
"I reckon I'll have me a half-caf double latte with a twist. IN A DIRTY MUG!"
"Gentlemen, rather than get caught up in mindless reaction, let's draw upon our feminine selves for a more intuitive solution."
"Can we postpone this duel till 12:05? I gotta use the little boys room."
"Let's see... hardtack and pemmican... that's three grams of fat, seven grams of protein, and two starches."
"You 'n' Slim round up them strays, and I'll tell Cookie to get started on the gazpacho and the fondue."
"That's him! That's the yella-bellied varmint who shot my therapist!"
"He was a strong man, a good marshal, and I reckon he had a keen eye for interior decoration."
"Hey, Buck, do these chaps make my butt look big?"
"It's like I keep tellin' ya, Earl: men is from Tombstone, women is from Dodge."
"HANG HIM HIGH, BOYS!! ...Okay, now a little to the left....Oooh! Stop right there. Perfect!"
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'".
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 “Tripping: A Writer’s Journeys.” Signed copies of her new book can be purchased for $15.00 at the Southside Sentinel office or by mail by writing Rappahannock Press, Box 546, Urbanna, VA and adding $6.00 to cover mailing costs and tax. Contact:glongest@ssentinel.com.
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. 18. Issue 16 - June 20, 2020
Archive Issue #901
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