MIRACLES DO HAPPEN : When I made comment about a long retired teacher, Mrs. Burdue, in weeks past I made it undeniably clear that she was not, from what I could gather, a teacher that I would have appreciated as a youngster. And, again, I am certain about that. However; it does not follow that she was not a good person nor a good teacher. People just see things from different points-of-view.
It appears that the concensus from most of her former students (that I heard from) was that they both liked her and learned a great under her tutelage. This was but one brief comment:
"...I was in Mrs. Burdue's class and loved her! Yes, she was strict, but boy did we learn. I remember seated two people to a table. Jim Fischer and I sat together and we were talking one day. Mrs. Burdue mistakenly thought the talking was coming from Russ Fischer and Carol Tetzlaff in the seats in front of us and they got put out in the hall. I bet Jim doesn't even remember that..."
And whilst I also (in another piece) commented that Miss Kropf, who was one of of my fav teachers was "tough as nails" - but I clearly liked her - it didn't seem to be logical. But, again, it is a matter of perspective.
One of my older brother's classmates wrote about her:
"...shades of the way past. Miss Kropf was our 3rd grade teacher at the old State Street School. If your brother, Phil, were still with us, he would probably have something to say about her, the paddle, and the special desk at the front of the room, for leaning over while paddle was in use. Two boys seemed to get it just about every day. Phil and another boy by the name of Bob (also gone). Girls were put in the corner or out in the hall. She was very stern and we all tried to go un-noticed as much as possible. A teacher i will never forget!!!"
So tis clear that Mrs. Burdue was not wicked and Miss Kropf was not angelic. And tis equally clear that neither teacher could pass the proverbial muster in 21st century classrooms.
Tis a miracle that any of us survived.
SOUTH SHORE QUEEN(S): Somewhere in the piles of my files of copies newspaper clippings from Vermilion News micro-files I have the identity of these three girls. For the edification of those who know little or nothing about Vermilion before the Festival of the Fish these young ladies were vying for the crown of South Shore Regatta Queen. The South Shore Regatta was (and I believe still is) an annual event sponsored by the Vermilion Boat Club. Capping off the summer event street dances were held on (where else?) Main/Division Street between the railroad tracks and Liberty Avenue. And during those events a Queen was chosen. (I've no idea as to who judged the event nor what the criteria for becoming queen - aside from being pretty - happened to be.)
As is plain to see young women from all the beach communities around Vermilion entered the contest. I don't know that persons unfamiliar with the Vermilion of the 1940's and '50's are readily familiar with all those locales. In many respects they were all autonomous communities (i.e. Ruggles Beach, Mitiwanga, Beulah Beach, Orchard Beach, Bluebird, Linwood, Nakomis, Elberta, Vermilion-on-the-Lake, and Sunnyside.) Oddly enough (or not) many townies still understand the community in those terms.
This pic probably dates about 1950. While I don't (as I've indicated) have the identities of the girls pictured at my fingertips it should be noted that this is strictly a thing of the past. It is highly unlikely that any future Vermilion queens will be required to participate in swimsuit competititions.
This pic is, therefore, a true relic.
VBS: The organization we all recognize as the Boy Scouts of America was formally incorporated by Chicago publisher/entrepreneur William Dickson Boyce (1858-1929) on February 8, 1910 in the District of Columbia. Of approximately 55,062 troops now in existence in our nation it may be that Vermilion's BSA Troop #2 was among the first organized. The first Vermilion troop was established about the same year (1910) by the Reverend Williams who was then pastor of Vermilion's First Congregational Church.
The boys standing at attention for Pearl Roscoe's camera in front of the Vermilion News office on Grand Street in Vermilion during early spring of 1926 were likely Vermilion's BSA Troop #2's first Eagle Scouts.
On the left is Louis Gegenheimer, and beside him is Frank Blattner.
Gegenheimer was the son of Captain and Mrs. Charles Gegenheimer and Blattner was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Blattner. Both families and their sons are/were well known and respected families in our community.
The following pix show the troop in the driveway along side the Congregational Church (now Millet's Auction House) on Division/Main Street, and on the steps of Vermilion's Township Hall - next to church. Note the detail in both photographs.
Note the box held by the young man in the foreground..."Alligators Never Leak" is printed on it. I assume it was related to either boots or clothing. Also note that few of the boys had complete uniforms. So this was a real early photo.
The Township Hall pic also shows the partially uniformed troop holding their flag on the steps of the building. I assume they were working on a paper drive. Both pix may date about the same time (c.1912). Note that the name Lewis Englbry appears on the box on the lower right of the pic. Also note the doors behind the boys. They appear to have round windows on them. For some reason I'm thinking that this doorway may no longer exist - or that it was later rebuilt.
It may interest folks to know that this troop still exists. Only the Troop number has changed. Today it is Troop #477 led by Vermilion native Larry Howell, and it is still sponsored by the Congregational Church. Moreover it has turned out a very impressive number of Eagle Scouts over the years. Below is a partial list of them:
Most of the photographs are courtesy of my friend Larry E. Howell - the Scoutmaster of Troop #447. I kid Larry a great deal about being the "oldest Boy Scout in Vermilion" - but he isn't. In reality the oldest scout is Amos Feiszle who is in his 90's and still participates in some of their activities.
Great, great stuff!!
THE BUGLAR: This pic comes to us from former Vermilionite Jimmy Fischer who's busy, with his wife Candy (Schisler), moving back to town.
Last weekend Jim asked me to come to their lakefront home near Edson Creek to look at some shadows his great-uncle had captured near the turn of the 20th century somewhere in Asia.
To try to make a long story short it seems that Jim's uncle migrated from Ireland to Canada just before the dawn of the century. Upon his arrival he joined the British Army and was eventually dispatched to (I believe) Pakistan.
That which makes part of this unusual is that Jim's uncle had a camera with him. In brief, it would be one thing to be sent to the Pakistan and Afghanistan areas during that time period to serve as an officer in the Royal Army - but to also carry a camera and use it to record the experience is quite another matter altogether. But that is what happened.
Even more notable is the fact that the gentleman made record of the who's, what's, and where's on the backs of these photographs.
This particular photo was a portrait of a 14 year old buglar who the soldier befriended. Unfortunately, the boy died a day or two after these shadows were captured, and he never got to see the photo. Jim's uncle makes a written note that he will have the photo enlarged and sent of to the boy's parents in the Himalya's. And he wondered (in writing) if they would be able to decipher/recognize the image.
This is touching stuff friends - great stuff. I've not been close to great photography like this since the late 1960's when I was among the first to see the photos of the My Lai massacre in Vietnam.
But there is one knawing concern I have because of these pix. It surrounds the fact that folks today are still fighting the same war. The only thing that has really changed is the date on the calendar(s).
PODCAST #13.5: This week the Vermilion Views Podcast #13.5 concentrates mainly on Vermilion historical matters. Beginning with the Pelton home(s) and ending with some data about the Todd Family accomplishments in the area. I also tossed in some data from things that happened on March 2 across the planet - in history. I also make mention of current events (pictured) in Vermilion.
Stay with me here. This is all new to me - and I'm trying to develop a format that might be both interesting and useful to "Viewers". In the meantime please keep listening, and I'll keep trying to get things right.
Incidently, I did turn it up a notch or two. So I hope it doesn't blast you out of your chairs.
HAVE YE QUESTIONS (?): I've not yet acquired an answer to Bob Williams' question about the colors for the Vermilion School system. But I will. It just taking me long than I prefer to get the answer to Bob's question.
Excercise some patience, and I will have the answer very soon.
Trust me!
WHAT'S A FOOT: The next meeting of the Vermilion Area Archival Society will be held at the Community Room of the Ritter Public Library this Monday (March 12, 2007) at 7 pm. This program will feature the Mitiwanga memories of Sarah and Harold Welker. Most folks who attended Vermilion's Schools know the Welker's quite well. They are an astounding couple. We hope to see ye all there.
Everyone is absolutely welcome to attend these meetings and/or to become a member of the VAAS.
Lifetime memberships are $100. Yearly memberships are $10 a person; $18.00 a couple; and $5 for a student.Our address is:
And I need to mention the projects of my friend Bette Lou Higgins, Artistic Director, of Eden Valley Enterprises. For those unfamiliar with her work - they stage historical people/events from (and) around the State of Ohio.
A great deal of research and practice goes into these productions to make them as accurate as possible.
I will attempt to keep updates on Eden Valley' programs here throughout the year. So keep coming back.
The Cleveland Baseball Heritage Museum in the Colonial Arcade, 530 Euclid Ave. will open the 2007 baseball season with several special events including a performance of YOU CAN'T PLAY BALL IN A SKIRT! On March 24, Susan Brewer will portray Ohio's Baseball Wonder, Dr. Alta Weiss who put herself through medical school playing professional baseball on a MEN'S team in the early 1900s. This program will also be featured at the Ashland Chautauqua, June 25-30. The Chautauqua is sponsored by the Ashland Community Arts Center and this year's theme is "Sport and Society." For complete information on all of the events (which are FREE and open to the public), call 419-281-9836 or e-mail: Ashland Arts Center
To arrange for this or any of their programs for your group, contact Eden Valley directly with your request (and/or to view a complete schedule of Eden Valley Events) visit their web page at www.edenvalleyenterprises.org.
Please take the time to visit (or re-visit) the Hope Children's Home site linked below because there are some additions there that you might find interesting. With all the bad things happening on the "dark continent" and elsewhere it's really nice to know that there are some places where the light does shine brightly. Please keep in mind that the needs of Hope Children's Home are on-going. Partially due to the horrors taking place in the Mid-East the continued suffering of the peoples in Africa go virtually unnoticed by both our nation and the United Nations - and that should not be. Contributions to that home may be made to a Vermilion expatriot Larry Hohler in New York.
Larry, his wife Yvette recently returned from Kenya and sent me the following note:
Just returned from a visit to the Home in Kenya, and my heart is full; Yvette and I were accompanied by 8 fellow travelers, 3 HS students who went to perform a service project, thier teacher (also a Board member) his 23 year old daughter and his significant other, an older brother of one of the students, and an AIDS educator who works for our County. I met Weddie (not Wendi, the little girl I was holding in the picture taken during last year's visit), and her friends, and found therm to be delightful; energetic, intelligent, creative, and very happy to be off the streets. They had found one of the books I brought last year, a book of poetry that dealt with how people deal with life's adversity, particularly relevant to their lives. Each one of the 37 memorized a poem from the collection, altering it to fit each of their own experiences. Listening to them brought tears to my eyes. While the adults in the group were visiting various local movers ands shakers to firm up support for the home, the students used a stencil and spray paint they brought with them to prime a VAN WE BOUGHT FOR THE Home Before Christmas, and affix the name of the home, along with several African animals and the Kenya National Flag. The workers at the panel beaters shop where they did the work didn't know what to make of these young white people who showed up with their own paint and stencils. We were overwhelmed by the hospitality of Merian community and the gratitude expressed by the young people that we serve. I'll send you a couple of photos of the kids and their visitors, and you'll see what I mean.
I need to strongly reiterate the fact that this is an on-going project. The need is forever continuing. Please keep that in mind.
In relation to Larry's work with the Hope Children's Home I have received some very interesting biographies of some of the children who have come to benefit by participating in this project. I'd like to share one of them with you each week. The following is #17:
CLASS REUNION UPDATES:This from Shirley Williams Gleason: The CLASS of '58 is planning on hosting the reunion on the weekend of July 17, 18, 19, 2008....The Committee will be sending out information this spring in regard to the plans.
The VHS Class of 1957 are planning their Class Reunion for September 15, 2007. They cannot find addresses for the following classmates: William A. Brown, Carol L. Burkle, Eddie L. Davis, Robert W. DeLong, Jim B. Henry, Alexander J. Lutz, or Neil M. Marcussen. If anyone has that information please forward it to
Bob Ferry, is heading up the VHS Class Reunion for 1987...20 years. Hither is their website: Class of 1987
I was unaware of it but more than just a few folks do use this site as a link to their respective class sites - so - here's the VHS Class of 1959's site back for your convenience too: Remember that site is located at: Class of '59 and it'll be updated it as Roger (Boughton) receives enough new pictures and information from classmates to make it worth reading. And, incidently, I received the following communique from Roger this recently. It said in part:
JUST A REMINDER: You'll also want to place on your calendar the dates for our reunion in 2009. It will be held the weekend of September 18-20, 2009. It seems like a long way off but you'll find it will be here sooner than you anticipated.
I want to interject here that for some reason I am unable to fathom I can't communicate with Roger via e-mail. I believe it has something to do with his software or that of his ISP. I any "Viewer" is in touch with him let him know that I've been trying to contact him without success.
It is my understanding that some of these links are not working, or not working well. If so it is a technical problem belonging to the respective parties operating those webpages.
The Beat Goes On: The page is generated by the dreaded Macintosh Computer and is written and designed by (me) Rich Tarrant. It will change weekly ~ usually on Saturday. Bookmark the URL (Universal Resource Locater) and come back at your own leisure. Send the page to your friends (and enemies if you wish). If you have something to share with those who visit this page, pass it on. And if you see something that is in need of correction do the same. My sister, Nancy, is a great help in that respect. It only takes me a week to get things right. And follow the bookmarks. 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.
Links to other sites on the Web
For Persons who would like to contribute to the cause (to keep these "Views" on-line you can send whatever you would like to me at the following address or use PayPal(It's fast, free, easy, and secure):
Vol.4, Issue 50, March 3, 2007
© 2007 Rich Tarrant