Peculiarly Peculiar : I took this photograph yesterday (10-3-03) of the Fischer Building in (old) downtown Vermilion on a whim of design. Tomorrow is the Woolly Bear Festival - the largest one day festival in the state of Ohio - and most likely the biggest parade as well. Vermilion has a population of approximately 11,000 souls. On this day there might be 100,000 people in town. Those who've never been here when that happens might be amazed. Some who live here run for cover. (Tis a good day to visit Amish Country.) Most of what one sees in this photo cannot be seen at 12:30 pm on Sunday. I would not be able to take this photograph at that time. It is truly a wonder to discover that which excites so many people. It may be that the original impetus for this grand celebration was boredom. People seem to have some primitive need to gather together, arsehole to eyeball, to celebrate absolutely nothing. This is become a very peculiar ritual of Autumn. Very peculiar.

A.D.: An encore photo from the vault of Fred Wetzler comes this marvelous picture. I'm going to stick my neck out here and proclaim this particular photograph to be extremely rare. This, of course, is A.D. Baumhart standing at the back of his store on Division (Main) Street. It is the 13th of July, 1919. The store was built in 1916.

Standing here behind his new store and his automobile on a sunny summer afternoon - a cigar in hand - this is a comfortable portrait of an intelligent and prosperous Vermilionite of yore. I recall seeing him in his later years. He was a small man. His namesake, Dave, was a much bigger fellow. And although Dave resembled his father a great deal he lacked both the integrity and stature of his father.

For whatever reason I consider the Baumhart family to be a very integral part of Vermilion's development through much of the 20th century. A.D.'s son Charles was one of the most intelligent men I ever encountered in Vermilion.

Evidently Mr. Baumhart was a Wetzler Family friend. So that accounts for the nice photo. As an aside: Fred also mentioned to me that when a boy he learned how to use the telephone located in the store without going throught the operator. He was a rather devious young chap.

Leidheiser's: This isn't something particularly old. I just thought it to be pleasing to the eye. I doctored it some with my software because even the original - which is a postcard - has some appeal beyond mere advertising. The lights, both inside and out, were just right. They reminded me of some classical painting(s). All that is lacking are some people.

I took the night, the light, and gave it a bluercast. It became almost surreal.

Those who remember this place may recall that it had a good reputation and did a tremendous business in the summer. I don't believe there was a great deal of competition between it and Okagi's. It was simply a matter of what and where one was inclined to want to eat. I never ate here, but I understood that the fare leaned toward German. And I was aware of the fact that many of the waitresses summered in Linwood, and were from PA.

Marty Smith quit school, went to work at the place, and eventually became a cook/chef. Like many of the old businesses in town it faded away sometime in the 1960's.

Bonjour Amigos: This pic is not intended to offend, but to teach. Now I ask you: Is this real? If it is it is a true phenomenon. But chances are that it is fake. A few weeks back I mentioned a net site called .

This is a place where one can go to look up things that either seem too good to be true, or things that are downright outrageous. I would not kid you about such a thing.

In the meantime I've received two emails about Lee Marvin and Captain Kangaroo, and another about a poisonous spider hiding under toilet seats. If one visits the aforementioned website one can find the truth about such matters and a whole lot more.

Friends just because something appears to be plausible doesn't make it the truth. I sure hope no one I know has fallen for the Nigerian money scheme that has been floating about the web for years. One person bit into that story hook, line, and sinker, and paid for it with his life. Friends. If it seems too good to be true....

The Beat Goes On: The page is generatedby 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 let me know and I'll send them to you.

Links to other sites on the Web

Vermilion Ohio Historic Pix
History of Linwood Park
Vermilion Community Orchestra
Vermilion Chamber of Commerce
Vermilion's Oldest Church
Vermilion Visitor's Advisory (Satire)
Gore Orphanage History
The Lester Pelton Story

"I will finish what I sta..." ~"Chalkboard" Bart Simpson

Vol.1, Issue 28, October 4, 2003

© 2003 Rich Tarrant