AND THE FAT LADY SINGS: Tis written in the treetops: Summer is through. All that's left is a reflection.
Those away from home/Vermilion might want to know that the Zahar's Candy Store is closed - at least for the time being. I didn't frequent the store much. But I know folks who did and enjoyed it a great deal.
I always feel like I have a hole in my stomach when I see things like that pass into history. I don't like to see places disappear from my realm of existance. I felt the same way when Schwensen's Bakery, Hart's Corner Drug Store, Baumhart's, Jump's, Okagi's, Stan's, Doc's, Fulper's, Walker's/Dick Baker's, and places like Crystal Beach faded into history. It's almost like a death in the family. There's a saddness involved for individuals like myself.
Vermilion is my place - my town. And whenever a piece of it is lost, so is a part of my self.
SPEAKING OF CHANGES: Neither of these bridges exists today. One the left is the old wagon bridge over the Vermilion River; and on the right is the Lake Shore Electric Railroad bridge. I'm going to stick my neck out (here) a bit and submit that this pic is probably circa 1910.
Some of the foundations of both are still visible today. Both vestiges are visible just north of the current Vermilion River bridge. Both the east and western foundations of the old wagon bridge are visible. On the east side of the stream the abutment is quite visible between Romp's Water Port Marina and Snell's fish/boat house. The old lake road from the east (leading up to the river) forms the driveway between those buildings.
The western abutment of the L.S.E. bridge can be easily seen today. The one on the Romp side is less apparent.
For those who are interested the brick pavement street is currently visible on the west riverbank (by the water-tower) where the LSE met the Shore Road (seen in the pic). One might like to check out the paving pattern used by those who built the roadway(s) before it is either destroyed or covered by ashphalt. (It's kind of like Haley's Comet; only visible every "x" number of years.)
WILMA: I received the following communique yesterday (10-21-005) and thought "Viewers" might find some interest in it:
Good Friday Morning, Rich!
As I sit here in Fort Myers, I think how we used to get ready when a tornado warning came across the TV screen. Unfortunately, I don't have a basement here to hide from Hurricane Wilma, so away we will go come Sunday afternoon or thereabouts.
There is something to be said for not living between two bays and 3 feet above sea level, however most of the time it is beautiful here.
Dad, Earl Tischer, is out of harm's way in Crystal River, Florida. I just took them up my old computer, so they will soon be online and looking for your website. They are members of the Ohio Club in that area of FL and should be a good resource for much information.
Getting ready to hunker down here,
Trudy Archer
Trudy is, of course, Earl Tischer's daughter. And Earl and Marge Tischer, of course, are (among several) well known Vermilion expatriots now living in FLA.
Hopefully, this storm is not going to be as bad as it began - nor as bad as several others that have ripped through the southern U.S. during the last few months.
If it's of any comfort to all the Vermilion folks in FLA right now please know that it's cool, dark, and damp in Vermilion, Ohio today.
As author Aldous Huxley once put it: "You pays your money, and makes your choice."
Good luck.
THE MAUDELTON: This is a close-up of one of my grandfather's (P Roscoe's) photographs of the Maud-Elton Hotel on Liberty Avenue in Vermilion.
I really like my grandfather's pix of the old hotel. They appear on postcards and in other venues all over the proverbial place but - seldom is one given much of an opportunity to look at them closer. So - that's what this picture is about.
You have to ask yourself, "Who were the people in this photograph? What were they doing here? Did Vermilion of c. 1910 have so much to offer travellers that they stayed here for any length of time?"
This was, obviously, a popular resort. The folks gathered on the porch(es)and steps, and those on the sidewalk certainly appear to be enjoying themselves.
I don't know how many people have noticed in the wider view(s) of the hotel that there was a door above the main porch where folks could sit and sun themselves as they watched the world pass bye.
I have written (in other places) that when I was a youngster my friends and I climbed up the fire-escape at the back of the building and (illegally) entered the building to explore it. We weren't looking to vandalize it in any way. Whilst I know what we did was wrong I can't honestly say that I'm sorry that we did it.
Some of the things I recall from our visit are that the mattresses were all made of straw and that they still used the old-time wash bowls etc. on bureaus in the rooms to refresh themselves. There were no individaul toilet facilities. All the doors had brass numbers on them.
The building (I suppose by necessity) lost its upper stories sometime in the 1960's (or early 70's). So all those things are long gone.
But my oh my what a grand place it must have been.
MAUD's GRANDDAUGHTERS: Some weeks back I may have mentioned (here) that a lady by the name of Nancy Priest had contacted me via the net. Nancy is the great-granddaughter of George Fischer. George Fischer is the gentleman who purchased the Lake House Hotel that once stood on the corner of Liberty and Division/Main Streets (in Vermilion), moved it down the hill to the location seen in the previous pic, and renamed it after his daughter Maud and son Elton; ergo - the Maud-Elton Hotel. George owned a prosperous retail lumber company that was once located across the street from the old hotel, and also built the center piece of Vermilion's downtown (the brick Fischer Building) in 1915.
Nancy's grandmother was Maud. Here she is pictured with her daughter (left) Veronica Karre Priest, and Veronica's cousin on her father's side: Haley McKenna (right). Veronica was born on the same day as her great-grandmother Maud Carrie Fischer Priest
Nancy now lives with her family in Massachusetts.
She also sent along a beautiful photograph of what she termed to be ..."my first freestanding home (as I grew up in a duplex with Maud Priest)[sic] and then a series of apartments and town houses)." That photo I will save for another day. It's a turn-of-the-century Victorian house in Ipswich, MA.
Tis a small world indeed!
MERRY XMAS: Moving along with things I've designed a series of Vermilion Christmas greeting cards. All 3 are featured above. They're very interesting.
Folks who are beginning to look for Christmas items might like to consider these cards, my book, "Yesteryear", and/or the Vermilion Area Archival Society's calendars.
The cards are $2.00 each/12 for $20.00. They will be printed (and personalized if one chooses for $1.00 extra) on demand. None of the cards will be produced without specific order(s). All portray old-time Vermilion scenes. They are 5.5"x 8.5" cards and envelopes printed on a textured, heavyweight paper. All are quality products. Or as I am wont to say, "Nice Stuff!!"
Persons wanting to order can simply contact me via e-mail, snail-mail, telephone [440-967-0988], or come and see me. I am about town.
WHAT'S A FOOT: Local politics is on the agenda about the village. So much so it's annoying. The Mayor's race is hot.
My opinion, for what it's worth is: It's a bad idea to appoint the cabin-boy captain of the ship in rough seas. Vote for Jimmy Davis.
The Vermilion Area Archival Society 2006 Historic Calendar featuring Vermilion's fishing industry is now available at several locations around Vermilion for $5.00.[Maryann's Beauty Salon; Brummer's Candy Store; Vermilion YMCA] These are new calendars that feature Vermilion's fishing industry. Anyone interested in one of the calendars can also contact me. Shipping and handling costs run about $1.35.
Also note that there are (unfortunately) some mistakes on the calendar. The name of Sue Backus under the "Business and Corporate Sponsors" heading is spelled incorrectly. And the month of March is listed incorrectly as being "2005". The days of the actual month, however, are correct for 2006.
Also, visit (or re-visit) the Hope Children's Home site linked below because there are some additions there that you might find interesting. With all the bad things happening on the "dark continent" it's really nice to know that there are some places where the light does shine brightly. Please keep in mind that the needs of Hope Children's Home are on-going. Contributions to that home may be made to Larry Hohler in New York.
CLASS REUNION UPDATES: Bruce Eldridge tells me that: "We are planning the 45th at the AMvets Hall on route 60 in Vermilion. The date will be July 22, 2006. Bruce Eldridge, John Hunter and Bob Wolford will serve as chairmen with the committee consisting of Buzzy Young, Shirley Mayer, Sue Opperman, Judy Gutman, Denny Owen as well as Tom and Judy Williams." Their website can be found at the following link: Classes of '60 to '62.
From Roger Boughton comes the following note: Thanks to Gail Lyon and Pat and Glenn Owen we have some additional pictures of our reunion held last October. Take a visit to our website and see what's new. Memories of this October are only a click away. Enjoy and remember.....if you send pictures we'll share with others on our website. Mary Ann is busy writing stories for her Virginia paper. You'll want to visit the site and read her thoughts on Liberty. Keep the pictures coming as classmates who were not able to attend are enjoying seeing "old" school mates. Also, you might want to send us news from and about your family and we'll include it on our web site. Our survey clearly indicated that most wanted our reunion held in Vermilion in 2009. Thus, we'll be celebrating our "special" occasion (50th Reunion) in September of 2009. Put it on your calendar and plan to join the fun. Remember our web site is located at: Class of '59 and I'll update it 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.
This week I changed the URL for Roger's site as he requested. There were some minor problems with it. But now things should be okay.Please note that I'll be placing the VHS Class of 1959's webpage into the links section of this page shortly. It's looks as though it is going to be a permanent connection for interested parties.
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.
Right now things in this area are (as is obvious) rather slow...
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.3, Issue 31, October 22, 2005
© 2005 Rich Tarrant