OCTOBER THINGS: With the Summer of '04 on the fade October was clambake month (for us). It's a great time at the Olympic Outing Club. The weather couldn't be any better and the trees are gorgeously dressed. Our little cottage is ready for some more frequent occupation. We've got all the amenities of home away from home. I've done some writing here on my laptop. I can access the net here, but I don't (obviously) have access to all the equipment I'm used to at our main house yet (i.e. scanner; printer; etc).
I've been working on developing an improved archives listing. Working tables is new to me, and the archival listing process is tedious and a tad more complicated than I'd prefer. The basics are done, and I've used them with this page - but - as one reader pointed out to me some of the links don't work. Let it suffice for me to tell you that the html verbage/dialect (if you will) has to be exact or things don't work correctly. So it will be necessary for me to comb through the tangle and make things right. It really looked nice on the page. But looks are very deceptive.
Lastly, I'm in the process of looking for sponsorage. Rapidly do I approach the place where I will, again, need more space/memory. I'd like to get a software company to kick in a few bucks for demonstrating their product(s). I also intend to place a link to this page with my home address that will allow some readers to send me a dollar now and then to help defray production expenses.
Incidently, the clams were great.
BIRMINGHAM-MILAN CONTEST: Milan resident,Dale Hohler, loaned me this portrait last week. This photograph is, in its frame, over 39 inches long and over 9 inches wide. I placed my flatbed Microtek Scanmaker V6UPL on a card-table in our livingroom; unattached the lid; and scanned the photo (frame and all) one section at a time using a heavy vase atop the lid and the picture to keep them from falling off the scanner. I did this with my MAC G3 using Adobe Photoshop Deluxe software, and then transferred each photo to my MAC G4 where I took them to Adobe Photo Elements 2 & 3 to reassemble/merge them, crop them, reduce, adjust the focus and lighting, and re-frame the pic.
It took awhile.
Now, about the photograph. It was taken by Sandusky photographer, Mr. Schlessman, on the Square at Milan, Ohio on July 5, 1911. The men photographed are members of the Methodist Church Sunday Schools in both Milan and Birmingham.
The previous May the Birmingham men had challenged the Milan men (by phone) to a Sunday School attendance contest. A record of the following nine weeks were kept, and when all the shouting was done Birmingham registered an attendance of 247 men and Milan won with a whopping 287 record. So, on the Sunday following our nation's birthday in 1911 the men from both towns marched around the square with help of Cleveland's Salvation Army Band, and then posed for this picture. It is wonderful!
If Dale will allow, I intend to take this to the next meeting of the Vermilion Area Archival Society and see if any of the men in the photo can be positively identified. This is truly a fascinating photograph.
ANOTHER STAR IN THE SKY: I've had this picture for some time now. I've no idea why I've not used it before. This lady also appears at the top of my Vermilion Ohio Historic Pix page along with her parents, Pearl and Bessie Roscoe, and her sister, Ella (my mother). This is my aunt, Alice Margaret Lindsay.
Alice graduated from Vermilion's High School (on State Street) in 1929, and Ohio State University four years later. She taught home economics in area schools, including Vermilion, and in 1939 married Ferl Lindsay from Port Huron, Michigan in the home where she was born on December 1, 1911 (above The Vermilion News office). Ferl eventually joined the ranks of Vermilion men who captained the boats on the Great Lakes. In Vermilion the Lindsay's owned and operated The News Gift Shop that shared a building next to the former Liberty Theater on Liberty Street. Eventually they sold the shop to Eva Wagner.
When Captain Lindsay retired in 1975 they moved from their pretty brick home on Martin Avenue to Stuart, Florida. The Captain died during the winter of 1987. Alice remained in Stuart. She enjoyed golfing and otherwise stayed very active in that community driving folks (often younger than herself) to the store and/or other appointments when the need arose. She and Ferl had two children; a daughter, Janet Hancock,who died in 1999, and a son, David, who now lives in Texas and works on the Gulf.
Earlier in the month my sister, Nancy Emery, emailed me to recount some of the things Alice had written her via snail-mail. Alice had taken several falls at her apartment building:
Rich,
Yesterday, Tuesday, October 12, I received a note from Aunt Alice; this is some of what she wrote.
"Your Mother certainly left me with the finest nieces, nephews, and families there is around here. I wish she could have lived longer to be with them.(she died in 1963) Thank you so much for the lovely plant. I'm still enjoying it through both hurricanes.(she's writing from Stuart, Florida) I am feeling a little better. I have a slightly bruised sit-me-down, as well as an ankle from the last fall. At least I can stand up now and not fall.
Nancy thank everyone for me. Tell that little niece of yours it was not from drinking wine!", (We've no idea of which niece whe might be referring to - there are many).
On Tuesday, October 26, at 3:50 pm Alice took her place in the eternal scheme of things. I remember her as you see her in this photograph. She was a very kind and gentle soul. But in her eyes there shone a sparkle that was nothing less than mischievious.
Another chapter of Vermilion history is now closed, and another star now shines in the sky.
CRYSTAL BALL: Going through historic files pertaining to Vermilion I've often found notices about Farmer's Picnics and the like at Crystal Beach. On occasion I'd see something about baseball games, but I never gave much thought as to where those games might have taken place in the general scheme/geography of the area. I remain in the dark on the subject. I also have no way of verifying the veracity of the accompanying photo. But if it is real/true (and I am really really guessing) I would guess that any ballfield connected to the park would have been to the east, or across the street to the south, of the park. My hunch would be that if it existed it was most likely across the street (south) where the South Shore (empty) Shopping Center not sits.
There is, undoubtely, someone in the "Viewing" audience who can enlighten me on the subject. I await such information.
DOROTHY: I know, I know, nearly everyone who sees this pic would like to have a copy. What a wonderful portrait. But who is it?
That's exactly what we'd like to know.
This is another Dale Hohler loaner item. The little lady's name is Dorothy O. Granger. She is 2 years old in this pic. It was taken by the Graves studio in New London, Ohio. There is no date on the photo. My guess is circa 1910.
I would also venture to guess that somewhere there is someone who belongs to this picture. In short, there must be a family member who is missing this record.
While I bring this to each of you because it is a lovely work, I also exhibit it here to see if anyone might afford a lead toward the discovery of any information about Dorothy, her family, and/or the photo studio that captured the picture.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN: Just an old thought about a Halloween I remember from the early 1950's. It was a cold, rainy, night. Ed Benson was Vermilion's town Marshall. Trick or Treat was not to pass 9pm. It was five after. We were in front of a house on the northeast corner of Ohio and Decatur Streets. I think that Paul Ludlow may have lived there at this particular time. Ed Benson came up Ohio Street in his police car. We saw him coming. In a panic we buried ourselves in piles of wet leaves to hide from the prowling constable. I was scared to death.
It was probably more to the truth that Ed just had a good laugh on us. But it was a thrill/scare that I'll never ever forget. It was Halloween, 1952.
CLASS REUNION UPDATES:
Ray Beursken tells me that the VHS class of 1955 has scheduled their 50th class reunion on September 10, 2005 at the Boat Club. Class members of 1955 should put this date on their calendar. They're hoping for a good turnout.
A gal named Shelly from the Class of 1985 tells me that "the VHS class of 1985 will be having a 20 year reunion in the summer of 2005......no further details. The name of the organizer is Kim Schultz."
From Roger Boughton comes the following note. His class just celebrated their reunion earlier this month (October): Some classmates have inquired if there are pictures available from our reunion weekend. Yes, and if classmates would send copies to me either through the internet or mail I'll make sure they are placed on our web site for all to see. This would be helpful to those who were not present but would like to see pictures of classmates who were present. Jessie Spring (Sharon Stark) and Mary Lou send their regards and promise to be at our next reunion when ever that might be. There has also been some discussion as to when to hold our next reunion and if we should move it around the country. We'll have a questionnaire that will come out within the next 30-90 days providing you an opportunity to respond and provide your views on what should happen next. Remember our web site is located at: Class of '59 and I'll update it as soon as I receive enough new pictures and information from our classmates to make it worth reading. So send me any information that you would like to share with other classmates and we'll put it up for all to see and view.
Persons interested in having their VHS (and vicinity) reunion plans posted on this site are welcome to do so. I can't provide anyone with webpages to post their activities in depth, but I can provide a link to existing pages and/or post some activity items here. All anyone need do is contact me at my email address and pass along their material electronically.
As news regarding VHS reunion activities comes to my attention it will appear on this web page. So stay tuned folks.
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
Vol.2, Issue 32, October 30, 2004
© 2004 Rich Tarrant