WADING UPRIVER: At the end of October the Olympic Outing Club had a river fishing tournament. It's an annual thing in honor of my deceased father-in-law George Diener. The young man wading in the river is one of the Dorsey boys. His family goes back to the origins of the club on the west side of Cleveland.
Oddly enough the name of the club, in its origin, has nothing to do with athletics. I believe it was used because the boys who started it used to hang at a place with that name in Cleveland.
There are numerous pix of this place - just before the first shale bank - along the Vermilion River. It's very picturesque. As is quite obvious the water level was exceptionally low at this time. (There was a strong south wind.) The fishing wasn't really great. A fellow with the wonderful Irish name of Brendon Gill won the tourney, and the Kuhnle (Lou and Linda's) twins won second prize.
It was one of those really great Autumn days that one can easily forget when the winds of November turn icy.
LEE'S BOAT YARD: Time moves along so quickly it's often easy to forget what was where and when it was there. Lee's Boat Yard (just east of McGarvey's Restaurant) is one of those places. One of the things I seem to recall about the place was that it was sometimes used by the fishermen to dry their nets. I remember the reels they used to clean and dry the gill nets being at this place. I also recall the fields just east of Crystal Beach Park being used for a like purpose - although in that place I believe the trap nets were just spread across the field(s) after they had been tarred or retarred. Gene Jackson, Chester's son, clued me in on what these folks were doing with the nets in either place.
L.D. Lee was a local entrepreneur. He later became involved in what local people now know as the Shady Lake development on the southeast side of Sunnyside Road - south of Liberty Avenue. I believe there were some initial problems with that development. I don't remember the details.
Mr. Lee's son, Billie, was once in the Coast Guard and at the time was stationed in Vermilion. He was later involved with a Sandusky radio station. His daughter, Nancy, married Glenn Fulper. She and Glenn live on Lee Court in the Shady Lake development today.
In electronic conversations with Dr. Norman Dean of Maryland I understand that he and his brother, Jim, spent a good deal around this boat yard in their younger days. I thought of them when I saw this picture. (Note the absence of the house next to the Texaco filling-station in this photo. This may date it into the 1940's).
WHO WAS DOROTHY GRANGER(?): I find this all to be rather interesting. Some weeks ago I used a larger picture of this little girl and asked if anyone had any information about her. All that was know was her name, and the name of the New London, Ohio studio where this photo was taken. Milan resident, Dale Hohler, who loaned me the picture, uncovered this information.
As it turns out Miss Granger was destined for fame. Born in New London on November 21, 1912 she won a beauty contest when she was 13. She came from a large and talented family and performed in Vaudville until 1929 when she debuted in a film called Words and Music. The following year she landed a contract with Hal Roach and her acting career took off. While she never achieved exceptional stardom she acted in some 230 motion pictures - some with W.C. Fields, the Three Stooges, and many of, comedian, Leon Errol's short-subject series. She also did some televison work. In 1993 she was honored at a ceremony in Hollywood celebrating the 60th anniversary of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) - of which she had been a member for 60 years. She died in Los Angeles on January 4, 1995. Her legal name was Dorothy Karolyn Granger Hilder.
I am truly amazed that Dale found this picture in someone's attic, and that it has proven to be so interesting. I've ordered some DVD's in which she played parts to see just who she is. This is wonderful, wonderful stuff.
DOROTHY AS AN ADULT ACTOR: This photo is the best I could do (on short notice) to show Dorothy as an adult actor. Above from L-to-R are: Micky Daniels, Mary Kornman, Grady Sutton, Dorothy Granger, David Sharpe and Gertrude Messinger in THE BOY FRIENDS, a series Dave did for Hal Roach. Messinger was once married to Sharpe. Kornman was part of the Our Gang/Little Rascals.
This is great stuff!
TO FURTHER ENLIGHTEN: This photo (a larger version) was used last week with my purely speculative comments. Almost immediately I was enlightend by Dale Hohler (who provided me with the photo), Birmingham resident, Dennis Lamont, and former Henrietta native Neil Zurcher.
Zurcher told me:"The house in Birmingham looks a lot like one that Doctor Boss, the local physcian, used to own. My Grandmother Currier used to go to him and I would sometimes accompany her. The Doctor's office was in the rear of the house and you entered from a side door (It looks like you can see that door in the picture) The house was located on the corner, directly across from Birmingham School."
Dale told me that "Ma" Hohler identified it also as the Doctor's house and Dennis wrote:"The house is on the corner SE corner of 113 & Chapel St. .... In a prior life it was a Congregational Church (1845) ...then the residence and office of Doctor Boss ... It is now apartments.
If I didn't have contributing editors this page would be empty.
THE FIRST ANNUAL CALENDAR: This is the cover of the 1st Annual Calendar (2005) produced by the Vermilion Area Archival Society. Some, but not all, the pictures in the calendar have been featured on this page or on my "Historic Vermilion Pix" site. Now you can have them for yourself. Pictures in the calendar that you may not have seen before include one of the Goody Goody Bar, the Schwensen Bakery, the old Firehall, the Vermilion Oil Company (once Kyle Motors), the Decker warhouse (later Englebry and Hull's Coal/Concrete), and a close-up view of the Masonic Building in about 1930.
Here, friends, is a very nice Christmas gift for yourself or for someone you might know who is interested in the history of Vermilion, Ohio. More importantly, it's cheap! You can have it all for a mere $5.00 American (plus shipping and handling where required).
For those who know members of the Archival group all you have to do is ask - and I'm sure they'd be happy to get you one. For those who are far away and only see this message on the net - just forward me the necessary information and I'll see that you get one.
The society only printed 200 of them. 30 have already been given to their sponsors. So act now!
Note that I've already received orders for the calendar from Maryland, Florida, Pennsylvania, Arizona, and Germany. Vermilion is spanning the globe!
A CHRISTMAS GIFT: I found this advertisement someplace an thought it interesting. I don't know if kids still use such things today. I'm not promoting that one should buy something like this for their child. It just provoked some memories of my childhood.
Almost exactly on the spot where I know sit typing in the words to this page I once stalked an unsuspecting bird or two with my trusty air-rifle. At that time all that was here were tall weeds and the beginnings of the great oak trees in my (now) backyard.
I doubt that I ever hit any living thing with my gun. It seemed like the bb's had a mind of their own once they left the barrel. I probably hit a great many things I never saw.
I also remember being shot by someone's bb gun while delivering papers in the Vermilion Lagoons. To this day I don't know who shot at me. But, boy-o-boy, it stung me good.
Coming up on Christmas I'd like folks to send me a few paragraphs telling me about the best present they ever received. I know what mine was. Please tell me about yours. I think it would make great reading for all "Viewers".
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.
I've visited Roger's website and it's fun.
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 36, November 27, 2004
© 2004 Rich Tarrant