BREAKING ICE: A-mazing! I caught this photo Thursday sometime after a barge had moved down the river with a crane to break the ice. For some reason the gulls love this event. Just a week ago Vermilion was covered in 16 inches of snow and it was Colder than a witch's kiss (that is the proper quote from Bill Shakespeare).
I want to thank all the people who sent in their Christmas memories to be aired here, and aplogize for the difficuties everyone had loading the page. I thought I was being both smart and efficient. I was being neither. I simply tried to pack too much on the page too quickly. Even I had problems loading the thing. Next week I should have DSL and perhaps that will make some difference.
I also would like to thank those readers who were kind enough to send me a couple of bucks to keep this page going. This allowed me to increase the room I need to store and publish more information (electronically). I really like doing this page, but it's grown somewhat bigger than I had originally anticipated. Financial and informational contributions are really appreciated.
I also want to thank those who purchase the historic calendars via this site. The Vermilion Area Archival Society is eventually going to be a real asset for individuals interested in the history of Vermilion, Ohio, and its people. Your contributions toward that effort are appreciated.
This year has been a good year for me. I've lost a few friends via health problems and accidents, and I've gained a few because that's where life has led me thus far. I sincerely hope that life was kind to each of your during the last 12 months, and that it will be even kinder during the next 12. Welcome to the year 2005.
VERMILION'S POPWORKS: This crayon representation of Vermilion's Hi-Top Beverage works was accomplished by Vermilion expatriot, Larry Hohler, 50 years ago. (I will, in the next few months, have more to say about both Larry and his brother Dale.) Larry is also mentioned in the "New Views" portion of the page.
The popworks was located at 315 Ohio Street. It was behind the house just east of the gully and the Catholic Church.
I do remember the place, and I do remember the pop it bottled. Several people still have bottles from the plant. Every now and then I see them being sold on eBay for some obscene amount of money.
Hi-Top was established in 1910, and was consumed in a fire excercise by area fire departments along about 1954/55.
I have some recollection of being at the site of the fire back then, and even took some pictures with our little Kodak Brownie box camera as the building was being burned.
While looking at some photographs of the fire, which included the spectators, I pointed out to Larry and his brother where I was standing during the event, and they showed me where they were. Fifty years passed and we never met until this year. Vermilion had roughly 1400 citizens at that time.
Our small world was so big it took us a half century to compare notes.
REMEMBER THIS?: Somewhere on Earth the original photographs/negatives of numerous places around Vermilion exist and the Vermilion Area Archival Society would like to have them so that they might be shared with all who seek them. But - in the meantime other things must suffice.
In this instance it is due to the fact that the late Florian T. Shafts had the foresight to take some old wallpaper books and turn them into scrapbooks.
This photograph take by Cleveland Plain Dealer photographer Dave Vormelker is one that I dreamed existed, but had no idea if or where it might exist. I'm sorry that it is not of better quality, but I'm excited that it was among the many items Mr. Shafts clipped and saved. It is, of course, the west end of Liberty Avenue prior to the construction of the four-lane portion of Liberty west of town from the north end of Decatur Street.
WOW! Me memories of this spot are quite vivid. When I was very young my older brothers and sisters used to walk us from our home on Perry Street down the street in this photo to Quigley's and/or Doc Dickason's beaches during the summer. Those memories are precious and include the quiet sounds of summer and the odor of the beach and the lake. It is almost impossible for folks to imagine this area as it was at that time.
This photograph dates back to about 1953. The photographer, Dave Vormelker, was a good friend of our family. In fact his portrait was, until just the last few years, posted on the swinging door between the front office and the printshop at The Vermilion News. He was always a welcome visitor at The News.
THE ELVIS GENERATION: O-Friends - take me back to a place I want to be.... I dug this photo up out of the 1953 Vermilion Logbook for good reason. I was looking for a picture of John Trinter. John (as you can see) is the good looking fellow at the back upper-right. John was the national President of the EPHA Elvis Presley Haters of America. Rick Walker (whom I do not yet have a picture of) was the Vice-President. This was just one of those little things that one forgets as the years pass. It is just one of those little amusing things.
The EPHA actually achieved international attention when it was created in 1957 and young people from California to Canada sent John and Rick letters to set-up their own chapters of the club.
Vermilionite Dale Bachman who was in the U.S. Airforce at Kesslar AFB in Mississippi wrote The Vermilion News editors to tell them that some of his buddies in the Air Force were card carrying members and exclaimed that,"...now Vermilion is known "coast to coast" for something else."
Another benefit to my search surrounds the fact that in the days when they took these pictures for the logbook they didn't take individual pictures, but took "home-room" pix. In looking the photographs over I found many folks I'd long forgotten (John was not one). I'll bet you will too. Just a great photograph.
Don LaCourse: This picture comes from Bill Cutcher. Bill and his wife, Bonnie, owned and operated Brownhelm's Store for years and years. Bill, at one time was also a commercial fisherman, and his uncles and grandfather also worked the trade.
I don't know a heck of alot about the business. How I could have literally been born and raised in Vermilion and not know anything about the fishing business escapes me - but that is the sad truth. Most of what I know about the business I've learned during the last year via books, listening to Don Parsons talk about his life in the business, and everything Gene Jackson (Chester Jackson's son) is willing to tell me.
In this pic Bill's uncle, Don, is holding a sturgeon they caught on the lake. Bill thought that the fish had to be at least four feet long for them to keep it. This is a great photograph.
Bill has forwarded me four or five pix that I find very interesting. Several are color pictures of the Kishman house and twine house. One, black and white, shows his grandfather, Wm. LaCourse standing beside a huge trap-net inside the twine house.
The more I look into the fishing business the more respect I have for the people who were actively involved in it. It sure wasn't an easy life. I hope to have more pix and stories on the subject in the near future. It is an industry that, for all intents and purposes, is forever gone from the southern shores of Lake Erie. I believe our youngsters should always have a way to know about it.
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.
I've been in contact with Bruce Eldridge and John Hunter from the Class of 1960/61 (?) and it looks like they'll have a website up for their class reunion very soon. When its done the link will appear on this page.
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.
I should add that some of the people who are noted in this part of the page are good resource folks for all types of information if one should be looking for some long lost friend. I won't give out contact information unless I have permission from those named, but I will contact them on your behalf if you desire.
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 41, January 1, 2005
© 2004 Rich Tarrant