“It is an interesting question how far men would retain their relative rank if they were divested of their clothes.” - Henry David Thoreau
Rediscovering the Rediscovered
DESKTALK: And I’ll tell ya true. It almost made me cry. I’ve finally found a way to recover some of perhaps 20,000 images from my former website and transfer them to this site. You see but one of those images above.
I know it doesn’t mean much to anyone but me. But when I had to essentially abandon my former website and fashion this one from scratch it felt like I had been punched in the stomach. (You know the feeling?)
I also understand that few to no persons understand how grateful I am to have made this rather insignificant step forward. But for me, it’s like the first time I climbed on a bicycle and sailed forth into the neighborhood on my own.
What I had +left behind me was two decades of work and thought. Now I have some of it back.
The next step will be trying to retrieve some of the text. I have, in the past, downloaded at least 2 entire webpages from that site. But there’s a good deal of “stuff” yet to be retrieved.
RIGHT SIZING: According to the Institute of Museums and Library Services there are more than 35,000 museums in the nation. I am trying to focus on the Vermilion History Museum, and how it relates / fit into the overall “scheme” of things in the world and especially our community.
I’m not sure that the museum is accurately reflecting the history of our community as the name doth imply. To be honest, the name is a tad misleading. The name Vermilion History Museum implies that it is the principle repository for artifacts showcasing the history of the community of Vermilion in Ohio. But I am fairly certain that it is the truth..
Whatever the case, this a good thing. Because it means that its focus – history-wise – needs be narrower and more specific. In many ways that makes its mission (as initially stated) when it was incorporated – maybe not easier – but clear and very specific.
A museum is an asset to the community if and only if it actively embraces that mission and more importantly, actively seeks to “remain the right size”.
So…
A VERY RICH COMMENTARY
MAC BLAC
VERMILION HISTORY THEATRE: Due to all the distractions surrounding me lately I neglected to keep the link to the History Audio/ Video Theatre. So – click on the name above and visit.
Just Spending / Wasting Time
The photo accompanying this week’s essay is not what anyone might consider to be an “ooo and ahhh” photograph. Not by a long shot. But it is unusual. Lately I’ve been meandering through the cache of photographs available to me – not really looking for anything particular – just looking. Few persons (aside from my wife) know how much time I spend / waste [you can fill-in the right word] just looking and thinking on them. Well, anyway I came across this one.
Briefly stated, it’s an old photograph of Vermilion’s east breakwall c. 1930. As is obvious it’s hardly as picturesque as its well-known cousin just across the river to the west. I would guestimate that photographs on, in, or around the west breakwall that once featured the Vermilion’s original lighthouse might run into the thousands. But this one? I have – or have only seen – perhaps a half-dozen. And all of them were taken from the lighthouse side of the stream.
The yacht moored in the photo is very similar to late Vermilionite Commodore Frederick W. Wakefield’s Tobermory I. As it pertains to recognizing most sailing vessels I am quite at sea, so whether that is actually Mr. Wakefield’s boat or not is for someone else to decide. Whatever the case it appears to be a well-appointed yacht that was, perhaps, tied-up along the breakwall for the night. One fella works on setting-up a canopy covering the afterdeck, while two other people walk along the breakwall toward the beach.
It is readily apparent that in this photo the structure on the east side of the river was more pier than breakwall. The difference was for a time imperceptible to most landlubbers like me. A pier, however, is a raised structure constructed from the land into a body of water that could be used as a landing place for vessels. A breakwall on the other hand is a structure built out in a body of water intended to protect the harbor from the force of waves. Today both the east and west sides of the harbor are protected by breakwalls. Precisely when the pier on the eastern side of the harbor was transformed into a breakwall is unknown (to me) at this time.
One might have also noticed that in some older photos of the western breakwall it once had a catwalk that ran along the top that allowed the lightkeeper and others an opportunity to walk from the shore to the light without having to negotiate a safe path among the large stones and other debris that comprised the wall. This eastern pier, while less romantic, was certainly very accessible. Or at least it was for Linwood Park denizens and persons visiting places like “Cloudy” Noel’s ferry and boat livery nearer the beach.
Part of what I personally like about this photograph is the background. The trees, of course, cast cool shadows over the homes and people who frequented Linwood Park. But even in this photo one can imagine the crowds drawn to the wonderful sandy beach on the waterfront of the park back then. The beach house and the small circular building that was, to my understanding, some type of photography concern – as well as a brief glimpse of the old Linwood Hotel – are all there. Pieces of driftwood are scattered along the beach west of the park that would just a few years later witness the magical rise of Cape Cod-like homes from what for centuries had been mosquito infested wetlands.
To be sure this is not an “ooo-and-ahh” photograph. And I suppose visitors will, for years hence, understandably flock to the western breakwall, the beach and replicated light. But setting that all aside, I seriously doubt that Vermilion ever had a better place to fish or just watch traffic come and go in the harbor than from that eastern pier. And though it may very well be gone, it is certainly not forgotten. Especially by like someone like me who spends / wastes a good deal of time meandering through a cache of photographs of people, places, and things of Vermilion’s yesteryear. But, no matter, I love every minute it.
Vermilion resident Rich Tarrant is Curator of the Vermilion History Museum and a son and a grandson of the late proprietors of The Vermilion News (1897-1964). Readers may email him at: rnt@twc.com
RNT March 17, 2023
the history of erie county in ohio (Continued)
453ec…The Methodists at first held their meetings in the old log school house one mile from Florence Corners, as early I816 or 1817, at which Rev. Nathan Smith usually officiated. In the past fifty years this society has grown, and more than one now are flourishing where this feeble one started.
There has also been a Baptist Church started and organized as far back as 1818, by a minister from Richland county, Rev. John Rigdon. At the same time another Baptist Church was organized in Lorain county, when meetings were held in the school house about a mile east of Birmingham. The Baptists from Florence finally united with these, and in July, 1837, by resolution of the church of Henrietta, a branch was organized at Birmingham consisting of nine members. The society was called the Henrietta and Birmingham Baptist Church. In May, 1840, this branch organized into an independent church.
The Church of the Disciples was organized at Birmingham with forty members in 1845. It continued to prosper, and increased its membership from forty to seventy, when one of its preachers, Sidney Rigdon, became a convert to Mormonism and drew off one-half the church. A building was erected the same year in which the society was organized, costing twelve hundred dollars. For many years there was no service.
The Evangelical Church was formed twenty years ago with a membership of about twenty. They did not build until 1866.
The post office was at Florence Corners, in the days when the first mail route through the township extended from Cleveland to the county seat on the Huron River. Eli S. Barnum was first postmaster.
The first store was opened at Birmingham by Erastus Butler, and in the tax reports of 1826 he was the only trader mentioned. His capital at that time was eighteen hundred dollars. Two years later another name was added, that of Cyrus Butler, with a capital of five hundred dollars. The year following Ferris & Wood, of Florence Corners were assessed on seven hundred and fifty dollars. In 1830 J. V. Vredenburg came in with a capital of six hundred dollars; J. L. Wood with six hundred and Charles P. Judson with seven hundred.
Iron was manufactured in this township from ore obtained in Vermillion by a pioneer of Florence, Cyrus Butler, who was at one time owner of the old mills at Birmingham, and had a forge near his mills. The works were carried off by a freshet.
An ax factory was also located there for a short time, under the care of a man named Pratt.
Birmingham and Florence Corners are the only villages in the township, and the former has been a place of considerable business activity, but it failed to secure a railroad, and has gradually grown more and more stagnant. The quality of the inhabitants is indicated by the fact that the Prohibition party counts several adherents among their number, and it is said there is not a saloon in the township.
HISTORY OF ERIE COUNTY OHIO – With Illustrations and Biographical Sketches of Some of Its Prominent Men and Pioneers – Edited by Lewis Cass Aldrich – Syracuse N.Y. – D. Mason & Co., Publishers – 1889