Vermilion Ohio, A Good Place to Live
SHOPTALK:The desktop pix this week were initially an arbitrary choice of mine. I used the pic on my home desk of the Wittmer family simply because the names appear on the photo. And I used the pic of Rudy Moc for my shop desk pic simply because I acquired the Wittmer family photo from an album of photographs I had digitized for my late friend Nuggie Cook some years ago. At the time she told me the album once belonged to Rudy Moc’s son. But I had / have no real idea as to what the album was about.
And because I knew they had been Moc’s photographs I used the drawing of Rudy that his grandson gave me relatively recently. But beyond that I really didn’t know of any connection between Moc and the Wittmore family.
It then occurred to me that I should look up the names in Ancestry. And, of course, I discovered the relationship.
Rudy’s wife, Esther Christine, was George Rudolph Wittmer’s daughter. I don’t know why I never put two and two together before – and figured this out. But I didn’t.
HE TOOK OVER 100,000 PHOTOS: “He Took Over 100,000 Photos.” That’s what the headline above an article about him in the Lorain (Ohio) Journal boldly announced to the world in June of 1955. The bottom line was that he had taken just a smidgen less than 28 thousand picture a year, some 2,250 a month or approximately 75 photographs per day over the period of 36 years. If they had been just any photographs those statistics might have been meaningless. But most persons seriously interested in a pictorial history of the Erie-Lorain County region in Northern Ohio between 1919 and 1967 have likely seen many of them and will easily recognize the photographer’s name: Rudy Moc.His given name was Rudolph Leopold (Rudy Leo) Moc. But professionally, and personally, it appears that he preferred to be known as Rudy. He was born March 1, 1896 in Obergeorgenthal, Bohemia (a.k.a. the Czech Kingdom). In 1908 he came to America with his sister, Verna, mother Anna and stepfather Alonis Bayer. According the 1920 U.S. census the family eventually settled on West 23rd Street in Lorain where Mr. Bayer had found work as a carpenter.
At age 15 Moc was selling Larkin (soap) products from door-to-door. When he won a photographic outfit for his efforts it didn’t take long for him to initiate a new career and earned an extraordinary reputation along the way. Around 1913, at the tender age of 17, Rudy took a job with the “official photographer” for Lorain’s National Tube Company carrying heavy equipment. He worked hard and by age 19 he was offered his boss’s job. When he left the National Tube job he went to work at the Rembrandt Studio in Lorain. Again, he worked hard and by 1919 he was in business for himself in a small building on the east side of Grand street just north of the railroad tracks in “good ol’’ Vermilion. Many of the photos he took for what was then Vermilion’s fledgling High School annual, Hi-Times. His “Sunset Studio” logo appeared on the lower right corners of those early photos. [F.Y.I. The Sunset Studio building would have been located between the current site of The Old Vermilion Jailhouse Bed and Breakfast facility and the railroad tracks.] To just say he was successful in his enterprise would probably be an understated understatement.
By 1920 Moc had moved his studio to Lorain, the Sunset Studio name had been replaced by a stylish Rudy Moc Studio and Camera Shop logo. Soon professional photographers throughout Ohio and several other states began to pay attention to his portraiture work. In 1927 a building that was specifically designed and built for his growing business opened at 2035-37 Broadway in Lorain. It was a monumental achievement for a poor kid with only a 10th grade education who had migrated to America from Bohemia less than 20 years earlier. He did just as well personally.
In 1922 Rudy married a Vermilion girl named Esther Wittmer. The Wittmer’s were well known about our town during the early part of the 20th century. Her father, George, was a carpenter. Her mother, Ida Elizabeth, was the daughter of Samuel Darley and Margaret Bachman, both prominent members of the Brownhelm community.
As the family prospered, Rudy and Esther and their two boys, Rudy and Roger, enjoyed life in a wonderful home on Darrow Road (near Furnace Road) just south and west of town. Both boys graduated from Vermilion High School. Their home by the way, was one of, and perhaps the first, in the Vermilion area to have an in-ground swimming pool as well a stable and pasture for horses among other things.
During his younger days in Lorain Rudy had been an avid boater and had even served as commodore of the Lorain Yacht Club in 1934. He also enjoyed fishing. During the 1930s he was the subject of a UPI report in newspapers throughout the U.S. when he accidentally snagged a sturgeon in the back while fishing on Lake Erie. But as he grew older he enjoyed spending time on land at his Vermilion home in his greenhouse.
Esther passed away in 1961 and Rudy took leave of this life eight years later. Today both rest in the Brownhelm Cemetery. Between the markers over their graves is another stone with the iconic “Moc” logo engraved on it. It wasn’t really necessary. That’s because there are over 100,000 photographs of the yesteryear to remind us of the man whose name was Rudy Moc.
CHANGES After almost 20 years of doing this page I’ve come to a place where I am faced with giving it up or just changing everything. The technology has changed and I, very purposely, have not. I wanted most everything to stay the same from week to week as would an old weekly newspaper. The only things that would change would be the information.
But, alas, the technology pushes me to do more. So, I am going to give it a try. My intention has always been to reach 1000 issues - and with this issue I have only 62 to go. I have until the end of March to make the change. Yikes!!!
Dodged a bullet. Initially (today) I was unable to access the files to work on this site. I could not even get to my files. But, suddenly, I was able to do both again.
It was a preview, for me, of what will happen at the end of this month. But very fortunately I still have time to adjust my new site. And that is what I will be working on, very intensely, for the next few days.
Below is a snap of where I am at with the new site at this time. It will be different. But I am hoping it will be better.
Historically,
THEY WERE THE CHAMPIONS: These were the guys I went to school among. I guess I know / knew all of them. Oddly enough, I never saw one of their games. Back then I worked full-time - and school was but a part-time thing for me. So I missed it. But I always heard about their games. The truly were "Champions".
AT THE THEATRE: There are over 30 videos / audios available at the theatre. I'm adding to the collection as the months pass. During the Covid (or anytime) - it's a good place to visit. I will be adding more this week. During this virus thing I've been learning a good deal about video productions.
1953, CARS, THREE BOYS AND A DOG: In 1953 I was only nine years old – but I, to borrow a phrase from the Lerner-Lowe song, “remember it well”. I hope youngsters who’re the same age today will come to own similar memories. I began thinking about those days when I happed across the accompanying graphic of a 1953 advertisement from The Vermilion News. It was a good year. At least it was for a nine-year-old boy in the little lakeside village of Vermilion, O.
I was in a gang back then. It wasn’t very big – or tough. It was composed of three guys and a dog: Jake Boone, his cousin Tommy Dale; Mister Chips the dog and, of course, me. [Note: Mr. Chips really didn’t belong to anyone in particular. He just lived with my family. But he never paid any rent or anything.]
Anyway, the reason this ad brings all that to mind is because we, like many boys of that age, were in love with cars. During those times the new models hit the showrooms around town in late August or early September, and Frank Baker’s Ford dealership (the commercial building that occupies the space between West River Road and Sandusky Street on Liberty near the bridge) was one of our favorite places to visit. Mr. Baker was always very friendly. And he didn't mind if we sat in one of the shiny new cars in his showroom dreaming of a day when we could own one of those beautiful machines.
1953 was also the year that they – “they” being village and state officials – decided to eliminate what the local newspaper called a “traffic bottleneck at the west-end” of town. To be honest “traffic bottleneck” was a mild epithet. Just how many folks failed to negotiate the two 90 degree turns on Liberty and Decatur Streets over the years may be known only to Vermilionite Bob Kyle whose family home and business (i.e. Kyle Motors) were located near both.
On the other hand, that “bottleneck” worked to the advantage of our gang by providing us with some wonderful pastimes. On Sunday afternoons we used to sit on the tree lawn in front of May McGraw-Fletcher’s home (recently “Old Jib’s”) and watch the traffic returning from Cedar Point, and all other points west, crawl through town headed toward Cleveland. Not content to just watch traffic we were compelled to say various things to folks as they passed. (e.g. To someone towing a boat: “Hey, buddy the Coast Guard’s following you.”) I now note that things that seem funny to a nine-year-old are actually a bit goofy to an adult.
In between our harebrained wisecracking we invented a game wherein we learned to recognize the make, model, and year of cars as they passed. If one of us (with the exception of Mr. Chips) saw a car we really admired he’d try to shout out the details of the car before someone else in the gang. [e.g. “My red ’53 Ford convertible!”] According to gang rules, that car would be added to an imaginary list of cars he owned. It was, of course, another goofy game. But we got pretty good at recognizing the various cars. Today I hardly know the difference between a Toyota and a Taurus much less the year the car was manufactured.
But we sure had a good time on that corner on Sunday afternoons back then. When we weren’t there we hiked the lakeshore west from Main Street beach to Darby Creek or played war games in the woods along Edson Creek. Mr. Chips especially loved the beaches where he could roll in dead fish to his heart’s content. Needless to say, the rest of the gang did not appreciate his recreational interests. But he didn’t seem to care. And I doubt that he cared much about ours.
“Them” were certainly the days. I don't miss them because they are a part of me that I’ll have forever. What I do miss, however, is the ability to buy a 1937 Ford Tudor for a hundred bucks from F.E. Baker. I recently looked at an ad for one and it was going for around $50 thousand. Who’d have dreamed it? Not the gang of three boys and a dog sitting on a tree lawn in 1953. They were too darn busy.
Ref: The Vermilion News, August 1953; VPJ 06/28/12; Rev. 03/01/2021; © RNT 2021.
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...
Judge Young, on Monday assigned criminal cases for trial next Tuesday, March 11, when the Christian burglary case and the Perry assault case will be tried before a jury. Christian, who lived in the country, although he has been an inmate of the county jail for nearly, if not quite, six months is charged with having broken into a car near Huron and with having taken therefrom ten cents worth of potatoes. Perry, who lives in Sandusky, is accused by a Norwalk girl now in the industrial school at Delaware.
[NOTE: “Ten cents worth of potatoes”? What is this – an O’Henry story? And it does not say what the Norwalk girl is accusing Perry of having done. Good grief!]
The M. E. Church boys and the V. H. S. Basketball team had a lively game Wednesday evening at the schoolhouse. We don’t know whether it was the new uniforms are not but the Methodist boys won.
The Village council met in regular session Monday evening. The Street committee reported as not much doing. The terminal or the street ends at the river are now practically clear excepting the portion occupied as a coal dock by Leidheiser Bros. Fish Co., and after some debate the report was accepted and placed on file.
It was reported that the L. S. Electric Company was having a temporary retaining wall built at their bridge across the river. It was thought that it was in the street and it was decided to have surveyor Schultz come and mark the Street boundaries at each end of the bridge.
The public grounds committee reported that nearly all of the trees ordered removed had been taken out, but bad weather prevented the completion of the work.
The sidewalk committee reported nothing doing.
H. M. White, representing the board of Public affairs, asked for an appropriation for extending pipe out the Lake Shore Rd. west, also told of the proposed plan to connect up a short reach of pipe in the southeastern portion of town so that if Liberty Street main should give out on account of electrolysis, the L. S. & M. S. and the parks could be supplied without trouble. This improvement can be taken care of by the board. The Council decided that the pipe on the Shore Road should be not less than 6 inches and made provision for the necessary funds to make the extension. The Council asked the board to make a report of what they had done, etc. Mr. White explained that the apparent poor water was occasioned by a deposit of mud in the dead ends and hydrants which becoming loosened, mixed with the water at times. He said they could explain it no other way. The flushing of the fire hydrants will, it is hoped, remedy this to a great extent. This will be done as soon as the weather permits. This deposit was caused at the time when the machinery of the filters broke some time ago.
The sewer question came up for discussion and if the report of the engineers on the cellar drain in basement question is satisfactory the matter will be taken up soon. At present there is a misunderstanding in regard to the matter which will be cleared up this week. The state Board of Health engineer was to be in town to look over the ground Tuesday.
The fire committee reported that a satisfactory spray nozzle had been found and purchased.
The clerk reported to the Council that he had received from the County auditor all back assessments for oiling the street in 1911, which had been collected as taxes with penalty attached, also that he had another batch of assessments to be set up this year.
After ordering the payment of bills which included two notes, the council adjourned.
An engineer and Mr. Chapin, the engineer on the proposed sewer, were in Vermilion Tuesday and went over the town thoroughly, accompanied by the Mayor and several members of the Council. The engineers were asked all manner of questions concerning the proposition and answered them promptly and we think satisfactorily. It had been the intention of the Council to have these gentlemen remain until evening, but they could not.
The cellar drain question is, we believe also settled and we can have GOOD cellar drainage with the new sewer.
We are informed that the state engineer told the councilman that many makeshift sewers would be but a waste of the people’s money. The Council will probably hear from the state Board of Health in regard to the matter soon.
BORN – to Mr. and Mrs. Fred Thwing, a son, Sunday, March 2nd,
Helen, the youngest daughter of Mrs. Frank Beldwin is reported very ill with plural pneumonia.
Mrs. Frank Mischke was brought home from St. Joseph’s Hospital Sunday. She is gaining rapidly.
The funeral of Mrs. Jenne Griffin was held on Wednesday afternoon at 1:30 from the home, Rev. Reeder of Berea College conducting the services. The remains were interred in the Evergreen Cemetery.
The funeral of Miss Mary curb Kirkbride was held Wednesday morning at 930 at the home, Rev. E. A. Robb of the Methodist Church officiating. The remains were interred in the Evergreen Cemetery.
The funeral of Mrs. Theodore Haas was held from St. Paul’s Lutheran Church on Monday afternoon at 1:30. Rev. Gordon was the officiating minister. The remains were laid to rest in a Cleveland St. Cemetery.
The funeral of Mrs. George Zimmerman was held from the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church at 1 o’clock Sunday afternoon, Rev. Gordon officiating and the remains were interred in the Cleveland St., cemetery.
The death of John Peach, a former Amherst resident occurred at his home in Elyria Saturday morning. His remains were brought to Amherst and funeral services were held from St. Peters Evangelical church on Tuesday afternoon at 10:30 o’clock, Rev. Lindenmeyer officiating. Interment was made in Crown Hill Cemetery.
Miss Louise Gerber clerked in C. Schilser store Friday.
Reuben E. Wenzel who has been suffering from a severe attack of the measles is somewhat improved.
Miss Lillian G Wenzel although still weak from her long illness returned to her duties as teacher on Monday.
Miss Reita E. Funk who has been attending business college in Oberlin has been unable to go this week she is suffering from a severe attack of measles and bronchitis.
The dance given by Mrs. E. D. Gibson last Saturday evening was well attended, as the excellent sleighing afforded a splendid opportunity for the country folks and the young people in the neighboring towns.
John Reinhardt is improving his farm by putting in tile.
777.
Miss Catherine McDermott, of Washington Avenue, broke her right arm while attempting to crank the automobile owned by Mrs. Kate DuRoss. Mrs. DuRoss and Miss McDermott, her nurse, were about to start for a ride. As Miss McDermott was cranking that machine, the lever flew back and struck her arm, breaking it in two places. Drs. Grills and Cox were called to reduce the fractures. It was found that several pieces of the splintered bone had gone into the flesh. Miss McDermott suffered greatly but is resting comfortably today. – Lorain Times Herald.
Deputy Sheriff Shoecraft captured George Wolf, 21, charged with horse stealing. He was found in a bedroom in John Burkett’s farmhouse three miles north of Weston. Wolf was armed with two revolvers. With Shoecraft were Sheriff Bevin and Deputy Hinkston of Elyria, who were watching the exits.
Wolf was taken back to Elyria on the charges of stealing a team of horses from George Dellefield, a farmer residing between Lorain and Elyria. Sheriff Bevin found the team and Gil Bloom’s barn, at Cleveland, February 19. Wolf had several served a term in Mansfield, having been sent there for horse stealing in 1910. His home is in Lorain.
It was Wolf and Robert Greene who on March 8, 1910, overpowered turnkey Roy Van Dusen in Elyria jail and escaped. Wolf was recaptured, but Green was not taken until November, 1911. – Ex.
Mr. and Mrs. Miller owners and proprietor of the Lakeview Hotel was in town Tuesday.
Rev. A. G. Rupert was at Birmingham Thursday officiating at the burial of Mrs. Shelton, whose body was brought from Wakeman.
It is expected that the Township of Berlin will vote on the school proposition in the near future to determine whether they will address some of the $1200.00 of which is to be invested by the special district and a new high school building.
Andrew Hohmann has purchased a new driving horse.
Edward Hahn is spending some time in Washington and witnessed the inauguration of President Wilson.
Dan Thompson is reporting very low at his home south of town.
The condition of M. E. Edson is reported critical.
A breakwater is being built at the Coen place west of town. J. Cuddeback has charge of the work.
Ms. Hattie Crosier is reported on the way to recovery from a severe illness.
H. E. Hewitt moved this week into the rooms over the boathouse and is making preparation for the opening of the boating season.
Mrs. Sarah Wilmore has recovered from a recent illness at the home of her sister Mrs. C. A. Trinter and has left today to take up her duties at Westfield N. Y.
Mrs. H. L. Edson has been seriously ill and Hot Springs, Ark., where she is spending the winter. Her niece, Mrs. Rose Shute, of Marion was called there last week. At last report Mrs. Edson was somewhat improved.
Mrs. E. J. Law was been quite ill past week, is now on the gain.
Mr. and Mrs. Louis Noel of Lorain visited friends in town Monday.
Report comes that August Schwensen has arrived in California and is feeling good, notwithstanding the fatigue of the journey.
Those detonations which are people have been hearing at frequent intervals during the night for some time past, do not originate from the stone quarries at Marblehead in Sandusky, as many suppose. On the contrary they are from the West Huron marsh where the workman are employed in dredging and grading for the new automobile highway now in process of construction. Nighttime has been chosen as the best time in which to explode the dynamite, and a special gang of men are employed for this purpose.
It’s now President Wilson.
C. F. Decker attended the inauguration of President Wilson at Washington this week.
Erwin Mehnert has received his new 1913 Yale motorcycle. He has taken the agency for this motorcycle in Vermilion and vicinity.
Alfred Field of Amherst who has been very ill for the past five weeks at the residence of George Wittmer has so far recovered that he was moved to the home of his parents in Amherst Wednesday.
Mrs. Henry Schmoll is reported quite ill at her home on Sandusky Street.
DeeBee Barnes who is been quite ill during the winter was reported not so well the past week at his home west of town.
Henry Kuhl, age 67, died at his home in the Dutch settlement Friday evening after an illness of two years. The funeral was held Monday. Mr. Kuhl leaves a wife, formerly Mary Neiding, and two daughters to mourn their loss.
The work of concreting the Cedar Point Co’s. automobile drive from a point near Rye Beach to Cedar Point, along the Lake Erie shore will be commenced as soon as the weather permits, according to W. S. Pace, the contractor. The roadway over which the concrete will be laid has practically been completed through the West Huron marsh.
…friends." The negroes and crowd then went out, after which Patton said to Sloane, "Here's the papers; those slaves are mine and I will hold you responsible." There was not much noise or excitement'"
These slaves had arrived in Sandusky on the evening of October 20, 1852, the day on which these events occurred, and were immediately taken on board the steamboat Arrow, that lay at the wharf The slave catcher, Patton, saw them on the boat and at once called upon Oliver Rice and others to arrest and take them into custody, which was done. They were then taken before Mayor Follett that the ownership might be proved; and it was during the early part of the proceedings in the mayor's office that some colored men had gone for Mr. Sloane to engage him to appear in their defense.
To a person unacquainted with the arbitrary laws then in force regarding fugitive slaves, it would seem that the part taken by Mr. Sloane after his arrival, formed a Very flimsy foundation upon which to base an action. But the reader must bear in mind that that law was enacted by Congress at a time when the Southern people held absolute sway in the legislative halls of Congress, and by their controlling strength could and did pass measures wholly in their favor, however tyrannical and oppressive they may have been to others.
The section of the act under which the slaves were detained provided, "That where a person held to service or labor in any State or Territory of the United States, has heretofore, or shall hereafter escape into another State or Territory of the United States, the person or persons to whom such service or labor may be due, or his, her, or their agent or attorney, duly authorized by power of attorney in writing, acknowledged and certified under the seal of some legal officer or court, of the State or Territory in which the same may be executed, may pursue and reclaim such fugitive person, either by procuring a warrant from some one of the courts, judges or commissioners aforesaid, of the proper circuit, district or county, for the apprehension of such fugitive; or by seizing and arresting such fugitive, where the same can be done without process; and by taking or causing such person to be taken before such court, judge, or commissioners," etc.
It was by the authority of this act that these slaves were detained, and it was on account of the part taken by Mr. Sloane in the proceedings before Mayor Follett that he was summoned to answer in damages in the United States court. The trial resulted in a verdict against the defendant in the amount of three thousand dollars, one thousand dollars for each slave claimed to be owned by Weimer. This judgment and costs Mr. Sloane paid in full. Another suit growing out of the same transaction was brought against him by Charles M. Gibbons, but through a defect in the paper the action was dismissed.
DANCE CARD BOOKLET:
From Brookside Country Club 02/21/1931 – Winter Formal. And a good time was had by all.
I just like the cover of this small piece of history. Oddly enough it’s in pristine condition even after nine decades.
A tourist climbed out of his car in downtown Washington, D.C. He said to a man standing near the curb, "Listen, I'm going to be only a couple of minutes. Would you watch my car while I run into this store to get some smokes?"
"What?" the man huffed. "Do you realize that I am a member of the United States Senate?"
"Well no," the tourist said, "I didn't realize that. But it's all right. I'll find somebody who I can trust that long
."
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.
DAVE’S NEW BOOK: Views readers might remember Dave Schwensen’s humor column, “Something To Laugh About” that ran in the Vermilion Photojournal, Sandusky Register and others. Dave has chosen 144 of the columns that he still thinks “are funny” and compiled them into his new book of the same name. It’s available through Amazon.com and other online sellers in paperback and eBook. If you’re interested in a signed copy click on Dave’s email @ DAVE.
To purchase the book on Amazon click here: SOMETHING TO LAUGH ABOUT
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
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Vol. 18. Issue 52 - March 6, 2021
Archive Issue #938
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