By Rich Tarrant Every now and then, I dream of those years: Riding my bicycle up down the streets of town with a newspaper bag over my neck filled to the top. It was so long ago. This was a time when newspapers; weeklies and dailies were still a primary source of news. In theContinue reading “Some dreams do come true”
Tag Archives: Vermilion History Museum
Take time to visit Vermilion’s “Rubberneck” park
By Rich Tarrant There’s a reason many local folks refer to it as “Rubberneck” Park – and if you look close you can actually see why in this photo. The official name for it is “Exchange Place”. That’s because, a billion [an exaggeration of course] years ago Exchange Street was ostensibly supposed to run toContinue reading “Take time to visit Vermilion’s “Rubberneck” park”
Remembering the Lake Erie Drive-In
By Rich Tarrant Several weeks ago the owner of the Vermilion Martino’s restaurant asked someone if they knew of any pix of the old Lake Erie Drive-In when previous owner (Phil Provenzano of the Philbo House) owned it. As a result the question eventually came to me and…well this is what followed: Well, someone mayContinue reading “Remembering the Lake Erie Drive-In”
The story of Vermilion Fire Department Chief “Dad” Tischer
By Rich Tarrant I have often thought of making a list of persons that in my view were the “Most Influential Vermilionites of the 20th Century”. It’s a novel idea but, in truth, there are so many persons from which to choose the task is practically, and realistically speaking, impossible. For instance, a list mightContinue reading “The story of Vermilion Fire Department Chief “Dad” Tischer”
At a certain age, you don’t know these things
By Rich Tarrant “I live upon a raft of words. / My compass is the wind / And the changing tides of time / My friend.” When I recently came across an article, which appeared in The Vermilion News on July 19, 1917, I became curious about the person who authored it. It is aContinue reading “At a certain age, you don’t know these things”
As always, parades and time keep marching on
By Rich Tarrant The accompanying photographs are those of an early 20th century parade in good ol’ Vermilion. I believe this one occurred around 1906. While I am unable to be 100% certain it appears that the procession was on Ohio Street just east of Vermilion’s St. Mary’s Catholic church. Among the many interesting thingsContinue reading “As always, parades and time keep marching on”
It is a good thing I don’t wear socks while working
By Rich Tarrant Though I’ve been retired for about a decade I think the only thing that has really changed is that I don’t receive a paycheck for my time. Now, that’s not really a complaint. It’s just an observation. The compensation for doing what I do (i.e. slogging through history) is very rewarding: TheContinue reading “It is a good thing I don’t wear socks while working”
A tale of city lots staked above soldiers’ graves
By Rich Tarrant “And city lots are staked for sale, / Above our soldiers’ graves.” – I have for a long while admired the poetry American poet Walt Whitman. Some years ago I had a nice biography of him that I have since lost. But I remember bits and pieces of it. One of theContinue reading “A tale of city lots staked above soldiers’ graves”
A song, a prayer and a grawlix: it was never just a church to many
By Rich Tarrant On what appears to have been a chilly autumn Sunday morning in the 1930s my grandfather paused for a moment and took the accompanying photograph. And while these shadows were frozen some years before my time began on earth the scene seen is where I spent a good deal of time inContinue reading “A song, a prayer and a grawlix: it was never just a church to many”
Louis “Cloudy” Noel: gone but certainly not forgotten
By Rich Tarrant I am aware of the existence of only three tokens like the one pictured with this essay. The first was one owned by Vermilionite Irvin G. Howell (1906–1997) that was apparently misplaced during a local history celebration. A person walking along the beach near Linwood Park found the second token. Vermilionite JohnContinue reading “Louis “Cloudy” Noel: gone but certainly not forgotten”
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