_{From 1921 Vermilion High School "Hi-Times"}

_{�This Pearl Roscoe photograph of the beautiful vessel
moored along Vermilion Harbor's west break wall
was taken on Sunday, August 13, 1916."}

THE ARIA WAS SWEET: It was a fitting first name for the sleek 128.5-foot steam powered yacht. Built by the Charles 1. Seabury Gas Engine & Power Company in Morris Heights, NY in 1899 the steel hulled vessel had a gross tonnage of 119 and a net tonnage of 81. Christened as the Aria when built she would assume six more names before disappearing from the' U.S. Merchant Vessel registry (official number 107470) in 1943.

She was the Aria (1899-1904), the Wacondah (1904-12), Isabella (1912- 16), Kasha (1916-19), Fortuna (1919- 36), Theo (1936-39), and finally the Spindrift (1939-43).

This Pearl Roscoe photograph of the beautiful vessel moored along Vermilion Harbor's west break wall was taken on Sunday, August 13, 1916. At the time the yacht was officially registered as the Isabella. But folks along the river, and perhaps even the owner, referred to her as La Belle. (Again an appropriate name.)

The yacht was owned by Lakewood, Ohio automobile pioneer Alexander Winton. Winton, who was commonly recognized as a "trigger-tempered Scot" (a trait with which I sincerely identify), had migrated to America from his home in Scotland in 1878; to Cleveland in 1882; and 14 years later produced the first American-built automobile sold commercially in our nation. The Cleveland Yacht Club Commodore, Winton, had brought the vessel to Vermilion in celebration of Vermilion Boat Club's third annual South Shore Regatta. Because the wind had turned, and was blowing hard from the northeast on the second day of the regatta, all the lake races had been postponed. and spectators had an opportunity to take a good look at this boat, and others, in the harbor.

While this is not the only, nor the best, photograph Roscoe took of La Belle on that summer morning nearly 89 years ago, it is the only one that affords us a reasonably good idea of the vessel's size and synoptic beauty.

During my six decades along this stream I've seen only one other yacht� that would compare in size to this one in the harbor. that vessel belonged to a gentleman named Bill Miller who, I believe, kept a summer home in the Vermilion Lagoons and had some connections to folks in Linwood Park. Mr. Miller owned several auto dealerships and wintered in Florida.

But I digress. This photo was taken dockside at Cloudy's Ferry (PI 2-17-05) looking west. The tired building to the left (south) of Winton's yacht is Tom Ball's Boathouse/Shanty. Today that building would be very close to where Dr. Ruth Read-Wakefield's lake front home stands today. The flag on the mast to the left is the Cleveland Yacht Club flag, and the one on the right is Winton's personal flag.

In 1936, as the Theo, the great yacht would be converted to gas power. And seven years later, as previously indicated, she would disappear from the U.S. registry altogether. I guess like the old soldiers proverb, old yachts (and arias) never die - they just fade away.

_{Ref: The Vermilion News 8-17-16; Great Lakes Historical Vessels Index; Historical Collection of the Great Lakes; BGSU; Vermilion Area Archival Society; Published in the Vermilion Photojournal 06/09/2005; Al Tarrant; and Special Thanks to Bill Hlavin.}

Vol. X � NO.28 � December 20,06

COURT NOTES

Judge Reed was engaged in the court of common pleas on Saturday afternoon in hearing a number of cases brought by publishers of newspapers in Ottawa county against the board of commissioner of that county.

There are 13 cases in all and they came into the common pleas court by way of appeal from the action of county commissioners in passing upon bills for publishing legal notices. The commissioners claim that the notices were unnecessarily displayed while the publishers assert that no more space than was needed to properly call attention to the subject matter of the notices. The hearing of the cases was not concluded and Judge Reed will again take them up next Saturday at Port Clinton.

The plaintiffs are A.J. Winnie of the Ottawa County Republican, S. Kuesthardt of the Ottawa County Zeitiung, J.H. Faus of the Ottawa County Herald and W.H. Althoff of the Ottawa County News Democrat. � Reg.

A motion for a new trial has been filed in the case of Koehine vs. The L.S. and M.S. This case was brought for $10,000 for the death of Chris Bechtold Jr. who with Faver was killed while working on the bridge at Vermilion, and was decided in favor of the defendant in common pleas court last week.

The suit brought by Sophia Miller against Louis Faulhaber for $5,000 for breach of promise has been settled without coming to trial and an entry of dismissal has been made.

The case of W.J. Smith and son vs. J. Streker and son has been appealed to the court of common pleas from Huron. The plaintiffs claim damages in the sum of $250 for having been kept from the use of the wagon scales at Huron from September 1, 1905, to July 9, 1905.

They secured judgement in the court below for $20.

The jury was impaneled in the court of common pleas on Tuesday to take up the case of George W. Sehperd [Shepherd] vs. the Village of Huron. The plaintiff claims damage in the sum of $3000 for injuries received by falling on defective sidewalk. He alleges that the village was negligent in failing to keep the sidewalk in repair.

Strong�s Corners

Mrs. V. Leimbach and her daughter Cleo attended the funeral of her cousin at Florence Sunday.

Some of the stock that was working on the Wabash was taken to the stock farm one day last week.

The children are very busy practicing for their Christmas exercises, which will take place Saturday evening at Henrietta.

Mr. Glenn Rounds the timekeeper of the Wabash railroad resigned and returned to Elyria last week.

DEATH OF MRS. MARIA L. POYER.

Mrs. Maria L. Poyer, a resident of this city, who has been in very feeble health for a number of years died Wednesday night a little after eleven o�clock at her home 84 South Linwood avenue, Norwalk, having been confined to her bed since last Thanksgiving day.

Maria Rood Poyer, the widow of Thomas O. Poyer, of Berlin Township, was born at Charlestown, Portage county, Ohio, May 7th 1845. After Mr. Poyer�s death Mrs. Poyer moved to Norwalk, coming here in 1892.

Owing to feeble health she led a domestic life. She was the mother of Mrs. F.E. Hoyt, of this city. Besides the daughter she leaves four sisters, Mrs. H.W. Curtiss, of Chagrin Falls; Mrs. L.W. Reed and Mrs. Mary C. Mason of Ravenna, Mrs. J.C. Long, of New York city and one grandson, Mrs. Leroy S. Nelson of Cleveland.

The funeral will be held Saturday morning at 10 o�clock from her late home and the remains will be taken to Berlin eights for interment, Rev. Arthur Dumper officiating. �Norwalk Reflector.

BIRMINGHAM

The 2:17 Limited was ditched in the cut just before crossing the bridge last Monday. Nobody hurt.

Mr. and Mrs. Darby and Miss Carter went to Florence to attend the funeral of Laura Spenner. Mr. Bert Davis came home with them and they all audience assembled at the Cong. Church for evening service, come good music.

Mrs. Henry Baker who has been assisting Mrs. Chas. Ruggles with her housework spent last week at home with here children.

S.E. Shoop has recently purchased an Edison phonograph of A.D. Baumhart.

HURON

The remains of Levi Green, who died Friday at Ft. Wayne, Ind. arrived here Monday for intermit. Mr. Green conducted a saloon for several years here but left here last fall. He leaves one daughter.

Capt. Smith of Toledo was the guest of Capt. Simpson one day last week.

John Gunzenauser is again able to sit up after a siege of typhoid fever.

The following is taken from Huron correspondence to the Sandusky Register:

The Great Lakes dredge No. 3 is laid up here for the winter and No. 8 has just commenced to clean out the old slip to a depth of 22 feet. It was the intention to dredge the channel from the old slip to the outer end of the government piers but after sounding it was found unnecessary as thee was plenty of water for the deepest craft on the lakes. This statement is corroborated by the fact that the Edward Y. Townsend the largest boat on the lakes has discharged a couple of cargoes of ore in the new Wheeling slip with dispatch very satisfactory her owners.

The concrete blocks for the extension and pier heads are all made and set and crowned over with concrete in protect them from being washed away by the seas. The east jetty is now extended out about 400 feet. The contractors are making good progress and will continue the work all winter unless stopped by ice formations. The derrick scow and concrete plant will lay up here this winter.

Additional Local

See the large variety of Articles in C.C. Baumhart�s window that can be purchased for ten cents.

Mrs. Wm. Kneisel who was called here by the death of Mrs. Rumsey returned to her home in Mr. Clemons Mich. Monday.

Beef for Christmas also Oysters and homemade Mince Meat, etc. at Krapps� Market.

Charles Danzey has resigned his position in S.W. Simons Grocery and will now try his fortune in the Automobile works at Elyria, success Charles.

LOCALS.

The Sorosis banquet is to be held at the Lakeside Inn Dec. 28.

_{[VV. Ed. Note: The Lakeside Inn referred to in this snippet is currently (2014) known as the Gilchrist House on Huron Street.]}

Daniel Christman is reported very ill at the home of his sister in Amherst.

Mr. and Mrs. E.T. Bottomley and daughter spent Friday at Cleveland.

Miss Enid Brown of Vermilion was one of the three students of O.W.U. who received �honor grades� in Theme writing for the Fall term ending Dec. 19.

Mrs. Peter Full went to Buffalo Monday to spend a few weeks with Capt. Full who is engaged in laying up his boat at that port.

The Vermilion Schools contributed $5.51 to the Ohio Fund fro the relief of San Francisco Schools.

Mrs. N.A. Foster, who has been sick for the past three weeks, is slowly improving.

Miss Laura Spenner, aged 20, died Thursday at the county infirmary. She was admitted to that institution Nov. 4th, from Florence typ. And has many friends in this vicinity.

H.C. Ganley former operator at the Nickel Plate station has accepted a position in Kentucky and will move thee in a few days.

Miss Goodsell, Teach of Vocal and Piano Music will take the place of Miss Hull, she would like all those wishing instructions to leave word at Mrs. Franc Parsons. Miss Goodsell will be ready to give instructions by January 3, 07.

Mr. Nieding is very ill at the home of his son S.J. Nieding.

c.1958 in Washington, D.C.

VERMILION GIRL SCOUTS: Vermilionite A. D. (Albert David) Baumhart Jr. (PJ 11-13-03) was a member of the United States Congress from the 13th Ohio District from 1956 to 1960. He was a tall, dark, handsome, and very well spoken, gentleman. He was the kind of person who sticks out in a crowd. I've no idea whether the image was staged or natural, but the air about him was most certainly uncommon. He, in brief, looked as though he was an important person. It is not, however, Congressman Baumhart who captures attention in the concomitant photograph.

When this Vermilion News file photo of our local Girl Scouts was taken on a visit 'to our nation's capitol, Vermilion was still a little fishing village albeit also a strongly Republican community. (During that era those facts were not at all oxymoronic.) The Ford Motor Company had not yet become an established entity, in town, and the great migration of folks from southern and eastern states had not yet begun. These facts are relative to this picture because when it was published there would have been no need to list the names of those in it. In a village of 2500 to 3000 souls all faces are familiar.

And whilst that be a fortunate circumstance for a 12/13-year-old boy in . 1956 or '57 - nearly 50 years later all the faces remain very familiar, but all the names do not. (Again, I need emphasize the great import of habitually making written record of people who appear in photographs.)

Beginning with the back row (L-R) are: Diane Fleming, Maryann Thompson (Corcino), Mary Rapprich (Scout Leader), Janice Kropf, Janet Lindsay (Hancock), Ellie Tarrant (Slocum), Mrs. Edward Fisher (Scout Leader), Zella "Butchie" Tarrant (Bolyard), Shirley Malone, Darlene Neiding, Eleanor Hollosy (Chaperone), Linda Russell, Unknown, Evelyn Todd (Wheelock), Un-known. Bottom row (L-R): Ada Green�hoe, Meredith Rapprich, Karen Hollosy, Barb Mey, Janet Watson, Janice Barthel, Linda Calvey, Cheryl Fisher, Marylou Homitz, Eva Thompson, and Marylee Russell.

In the 8-18-05 issue of this journal I stated of a 1950 aerial view of town that it was "nearly 90% of that which once comprised the Village of Vermilion, Ohio." In this photo nearly 90% of the young ladies pictured lived in homes easily within the parameters of that photograph. Needless to say they did not stay there.

The paths their lives took after this� photo froze their youthful shadows on a summer's day in Washington D.C. in 1956 are, of course, varied. Each face brings to mind a story of interest. Some such as Janice Barthel, my sister "Butchie" Bolyard, and cousin Janet Hancock are brief. Others are still being writ. Few of those stories will be great. But all will be good. I know. I can see it in their faces.

_{Ref: VNPSM Archives; Published in the Vermilion Photojournal 09/08/2005.}

MATTHEW SMITH: Several years back when I was writing about (and looking at) this photograph of the building of the Erie County Bank (now the Vermilion City offices) I noted the name �Matthew Smith� on the building in the background.

Not having ever heard or seen the name prior to this time I surmised by the typeface used for the sign that it might have been an insurance or real estate agency office. At the time I made a brief search of the name, think that someone with that name might have lived in Vermilion. But I never found anything.

Then, last week while I was thumbing through a 1920 Vermilion High School �Hi-Times� annual I came across the advertisement (seen in the pic).

�Aha!�, I thought. Mr. Smith must have been a local grocer. So I looked for him again � to no avail. But this time I went a bit further. And what follows is what I found from a 1910 historical biography book of Cleveland, Ohio:

MATTHEW SMITH is one of the most interesting personalities in the business field of Cleveland. Like many successful American merchants he rose from a bumble sphere to position of responsibility and influence. He was born in the Parish of Thornhill, County Tyrone Ireland November 9, 1856. He at-tended the national schools of Ireland and at the age of sixteen came to the United States in 1872, for three years lived in New York City, and while there made his first connection with the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company. His first employment was addressing envelopes. Since then he has been through every department and detail of the business and for forty years he gave all his abilities and energies to a corporation, which has attained a rank as the greatest retail grocery house in the world. From 1875 to 1880 Mr. Smith was located at New Bruns-wick, New Jersey, as manager of one of the branch stores in that city. On January 12, 1880, he entered upon his new duties as general manager of the company's business at Cleveland, which at that time consisted of only two stores. He remained general manager until March 1, 1913. In the meantime he had promoted the business of the company in Cleveland, gradually adding new stores until in 1913 he negotiated the sale, which brought under his individual management and control all the interests of the Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company in Cleveland, and he acquired seventeen stores. Mr. Smith then incorporated the Matthew Smith Tea, Coffee & Grocery Company, of which he is president, and in five years' time has extended the scope of his organization until it. no longer mere rhetoric when the company claims " stores all over the city," since there are in fact sixty-one stores at the time of the present writing and other new ones are in prospect. The company also have stores at Lorain, Painesville and Willoughby, Ohio. Mr. Smith has the headquarters of his vast organization in the Ninth Street Terminal Warehouse, from which the business of his three score stores are managed. That he 'has eminent business ability would be accepted without question in face of the facts briefly reviewed. He is also a man of great geniality and bas a personality which attracts and wins many friends. The best evidence of this is that he is one of the few men to enjoy the dignities and honors of the supreme honorary Thirty-third degree in Scottish Rite Masonry. He holds this degree in the Northern Masonic jurisdiction, and is grand senior warden of the Grand Lodge of Ohio. His other Masonic affiliations are with 'Emmanuel Lodge No. 605, Free and Accepted Masons, of which be is past master, Cleveland Chapter No. 148, Royal Arch Masons, of which he is past high priest, Cleveland Council No. 36, Royal and Select Masons, Holyrood Commandery No. 52, Knights Templar, of which he is past eminent commander, and Al Koran Temple of the Mystic Shrine. Mr. Smith is also a trustee of the Ohio Masonic Home. He has been a member of the Knights of Pythias since he was twenty-one years of age, and also belongs to .the Cleveland Chamber of Commerce.

He married in 1887 Miss Irene M. French who was born and reared in Cleveland. They have a family of two sons and two daughters, and four grandchildren. Both sons are now doing service for their country in France. The names of the children in order of age are Emily M., Matthew, Jr., William McKinley and Irene. Emily, who was educated i the public schools and Miss Mittleberger's private school, is., the wife. of Nicholas C. Broch, manager of the Matthew Smith Tea Coffee & Grocery Company. Mr. and Mrs. Broch have four children. The son Matthew Jr., is now a sergeant in the quartermaster�s department of the American Expeditionary Forces in France, while William McKinley is with the Red Cross service in France. Mr. Smith for many years gave the closest attention to his business, and wen earned the comparative leisure, which he now enjoys. he keeps in close touch with all his business affairs but is usually in Cleveland during the summer only two days in the week, the rest of the time being spent in his fine summer home at Salida Beach at Mentor, Ohio. The city residence of the family is at 12832 Euclid Avenue in East Cleveland.

_{Excerpt from a History of Cleveland Ohio � Biographical � Illustrated � Volume III � Published by The S.J. Clarke Publishing Co. � Chicago-New York � 1910}