SHOULD AULD ACQUAINTANCE BE FORGOT: McGarvey's Landing: The site where once sat the famed, and very popular, McGarvey's Restaurant.
The riverside restaurant had its humble beginnings in the early years of the 20th century as a very lucrative bait and livery shop owned by a family named Showalter. Originally the seasonal operation was located on the east bank of the Vermilion River just south of the current bridge. In 1925 a Lorain, Ohio couple by the name of Helfrich purchased the operation and property from the Showalter heirs and promptly concentrated their efforts on building a restaurant business (see below). They specialized in preparing and serving chicken, fish, steak, and frog-leg dinners. It became an extremely popular eating place for both visitors and residents of Vermilion, Ohio during the summer months.
In 1929 when a new (the current) river bridge was constructed, and the old one demolished Mr. and Mrs. Helfrich erected a new building just north of the bridge and equipped it for an up-to-date summer and winter restaurant and boat house.
Several years later When Mr. Helfrich's health began to fail his son-in-law, Jesse Hamman, of Lorain, came to Vermilion to assist the Mrs. with the business. Following Mr. Helfrich's death he continued as manager of the restaurant. Then, when Mrs. Helfrich’s health began to fail, Hamman entered into a co-lease with a man named Andy Dambach from Milan, Ohio. Mr. Dambach was an experienced restauranteur who also ran a restaurant called "Andy's Place" in Milan. The co-lease operation began in 1936.
Helfrich's Restaurant
In 1938 a Sandusky man named Charles "Charlie" McGarvey purchased the restaurant from Helfrich, Hamman, and Dambach. McGarvey also had a restaurant in Sandusky called "McGarvey’s". But it wasn’t until 1939 or 1940 that he officially changed the name of the Vermilion restaurant from Helfrich’s to McGarvey’s. By this time the bait and livery part of the operation had been abandoned and the eatery was quickly building a regional reputation for both its food and ambience - as a pleasant riverside cafe.
After Charlie McGarvey’s death in 1944 Charles "Charlie" Solomon and a partner purchased the restaurant for $35,000. A year later they were offered nearly twice that amount for the business. The quick thinking Solomon bought out his partner and set about learning the business. Although it was said he was good in the kitchen but not so good with the customers - his wife and son, Eddie, were good with managing both. And for the next forty-five years the restaurant - which kept the name McGarvey’s - was successfully owned and operated by the Solomon Family.
McGarvey's Bar
In the Spring of 1989 the restaurant was sold to a restaurant chain known as "Tony Roma’s A Place for Ribs". But lacking the expertise and loving touch of the Helfrich Family, its namesake Charlie McGarvey, or the Solomon Family the eatery never quite regained public favor. In May of 2000 the Vermilion Port Authority purchased the property for $985,000 and the old restaurant was razed to provide additional dockage, and make way for a new restaurant called "The Red Clay on The River".
McGarvey’s (Boat Drive-in) / Helfrich’s Restaurant was, beyond the shadow of any doubt, one of the most unique and visited spots along the southern coast of Lake Erie for nearly three quarters of a century. For most folks who were fortunate enough to have known the place through the years many fond memories remain. That certainly doesn’t seem like much. But, perhaps - in the bigger scheme of things - it is what really counts.
Adapted from an article written on
6/9/08
1:57 PM
in Vermilion, Ohio
Bill and Charlie
AND MOST EVERYBODY KNEW AT LEAST ONE OF 'EM: I don't know if it's the same today. With all the security measures that have been taken to protect public buildings it may very well be that school children are no longer allowed to associate with school custodians and / or vice-versa. Everybody's running scared. And nobody trusts anybody.
That mes amis is the product of terrorism: distrust, fear, and paranoia.
But once upon a merry old time school janitors were as important as any teacher or principal in American schools. And in Vermilion many, many people knew and loved Charlie Barber and Bill Haber.
This photo (as is obvious) was scanned from the Vermilion Schools "Hi-Times" yearbook of 1929. [Note: currently public school officials would probably object to a school yearbook called "Hi-Times". Tis also part of the nonsensical paranoia sweeping through out nation.] But, in any case, everybody who attending Vermilion's schools from the 1920's well through the 1960's knew at least one of these fellows - and knew them as either "Charlie" or "Bill". Formalities such as referring to each as "Mr. Haber" or "Mr. Barber" were nice - but not required of students during most of those years.
I never personally knew Mr. Barber. But I knew his son "Chuck" - who following in his father's footsteps. I did, however, know Mr. Haber. In later years "Bill" would always wear a bow necktie. It was his signature of sorts.
These fellow probably taught more lessons to more children in the school system through the years than did many teachers. They taught by example: Hard work and kindness will take a person a long way in life.
ECONOMIC FALLOUT
Dear employees,
Due to the current financial situation caused by the slowdown
of economy, Management has decided to implement a scheme to
put workers of 40 years of age and above on early retirement.
This scheme will be known as RAPE (Retire Aged People Early).
Persons selected to be RAPED can apply to management to be
eligible for the SHAFT scheme (Special Help After Forced
Termination). Persons who have been RAPED and SHAFTED will be
reviewed under the SCREW programme (Scheme Covering Retired
Early Workers). A person may be RAPED once, SHAFTED twice and
SCREWED as many times as Management deems appropriate.
Persons who have been RAPED can only get AIDS (Additional
Income for Dependants & Spouse) or HERPES (Half Earnings for
Retired Personnel Early Severance). Obviously persons who
have AIDS or HERPES will not be SHAFTED or SCREWED any further
by Management.
Persons who are not RAPED and are staying on will receive as
much SHIT (Special High Intensity Training) as possible.
Management has always prided itself on the amount of SHIT
it gives employees. Should you feel that you do not receive
enough SHIT, please bring it to the attention of your Supervisor.
They have been trained to give you all the SHIT you can handle.
Sincerely,
The Management
Inside and outside of Kishman's Twine House
THE KISHMAN TWINE HOUSE:
Although Lake Erie is the smallest of the five Great Lakes and ranks 18th in the world by volume of fresh water, it supports at least 140 species of fish, of which at least 18 species are caught by anglers and 11 species are caught by commercial fishers. Because it is the warmest and most biologically productive of all the Great Lakes, its walleye fishery is, far and wee, considered by many to be the best in the world.
In Vermilion, Ohio the end of large-scale commercial fishing was for most citizens a gradual, almost imperceptible, event. The number(s) of persons who might tell anyone the date the last commercial tug sailed from the harbor may literally be counted on one hand (or less). It was not, in short, an event proceeded by glaring newspaper headlines and marching bands. And so it is that folks easily forget that it was, at one time, a major industry of the town - one that fed a plethora of people across America on a daily basis.
Make no mistake about it. The task of catching the tons of fish that would feed the aforementioned “plethora” was formidable. It required exceptional business skills married to the very practical sciences of biology, mechanics, navigation, and weather. Additionally, the physical demands of the work itself was, at times, merciless. It was, therefore, hardly a job well suited for a dull or frail person. Beyond all of this there was some essential handcrafting involved in operating the industry that even a person with no knowledge of commercial fishing should be able to appreciate.
From Brownhelm (Ohio) Township historian (now living in Pittsfield), Bill Cutcher, comes this wonderful photo of his grandfather, William LaCourse, surrounded by a stretched out trap net inside the Kishman Fish twine-house [inset photograph]. Those unfamiliar with commercial fishing may be surprised at the very size of the net. It is, of course, substantial. But more surprising than that (for some) may be the fact that each of these nets were handmade. And like the age-old adage that tells us that “Rome was not built in a day” the same must be said of the building of these nets.
It’s also worth noting that the process of learning to design and sew the nets was not formal (i.e. one did not take a course in net-building at a university). The process was learned by the doing under the tutelage of a seasoned fisherman or two who had learned it the same way. It was essentially a folk craft developed, improved upon, and handed down from generation to generation of fisher men and women. But whatever the case it is an impressive accomplishment - and sight.
So - those who might wonder how many fisherman spent their time during months when the watery fields of the lake were froze solid need wonder no longer. Much of their time was spent in the twine-house - smoking pipe or cigar, and telling or listening to tales of sea and land to pass the winter days whilst the nets grew and took shape by their hands.
The commercial fisherman of yesteryear was a highly skilled worker. It was never a matter of just catching fish. There were, literally, hundreds of things involved in working the industry. Building a net was but one of those things. But it was hardly the least of them.
Ref: Ministry of Natural Resources, Ontario Canada, Lake Erie Fisheries Management – Walleye and Yellow Perch Fishing - 3-31-05; Special Thanks to Bill and Bonnie Cutcher. Published in the Vermilion Photojournal 1-24-08
1/20/08
11:27 AM
All Aboard! (Again)
A FEW NAMES: And again my friend and "Viewer" Dale Wendell emailed to name some of the students in the above photo:
Rich: FFA(Future FarmersAmerica)
Line One: Paul Tuttle, Bob Yelensky, Don Poyer, (???), Anna Laura Demuth.
Line 2: Loren Bachman, Dutch Forider, Ed.Greiner, John Brackley, (???), Margie Tomusko.
Line 3: All (???) unable to see the faces good enough to figure them out.That girl by Margie I know but am unable to come up with the name.
At my age - going on 83 - I am having trouble with names back in the High School days of 1940 to 1944. Hope this helps. Info by Tulip.
Like Mike DiMada (a Cleveland area Car Dealer) says in his radio commercials, "Are you kidding me?!!! This information is both helpful and appreciated.
Thanks.
Hart's Corner and Drugstore
HART'S CORNER: I still call it's "Hart's Corner" even though Hart's Corner Drugstore (pictured) has been gone now for years.
I don't know exactly how many hours I logged (standing) on that corner or (sitting)in Exchange Park just across the street to the east of that store - but may, if totaled up, only be measured in months.
This pic is c.1944 - the year I was born. But it's not really different from that which I - along with many others - remember in later years. I'd be willing to wager that Jim (Hart) still has some of the displays that appear in the windows in this photo. Jim is forever been a "waste not want not" type of person.
Aside from the soda fountain in the store (which still remains) the thing I remember best about the place was the comic bookcase. It between the east and south entrances of the store. And every week when my mother went to Zora Utter Beauty Shop, that was located just a few doors north of the store on Main Street, she'd give me a dime to buy a comic book from Hart's.
It was hard to make a decision. Straight Arrow? Tubby? Donald Duck with Unca' Scrooge and the boys, Huey, Dewy, and Louis? Superman?
In time I'd read them all - in the store at Hart's Corner.
DON'T JUST SIT THERE WITH A MOUSE IN YOUR HAND! HELP THE ECONOMIC RECOVERY!: Take a cyber visit through my on-line store.
Christmas is over but I still have some things left. If you've not purchased something yet you're missing the proverbial boat. So stay close; and take a virtual tour of the shop. I keep the floor swept and the windows clean.
And for those who might wonder - this is my shop - and I do make a few bucks selling the items therein...
VERMILION VIEWS GIFT SHOP
Podcasts - "forever under construction..."
PODCAST #108: This week the Vermilion Views Podcast #108 is a video / virtual tour through Bailey's Vermilion Hardware Store. The tour is conducted (filmed) by Vermilionite Larry Howell - and took place on November 8th of 2008. This is Part I. Part II will be the subject of next weeks Podcast.
Also note that all the video (MP4) podcasts (where used) are done in the "Quicktime" format.
Stay with me on this project. Things will get better. (I pro-mize.)
NOTE NOTE:Past podcasts are no longer available in the on-line archive. They just take up too much disk space. But if one really, really, really wants to acquire a copy of a past cast it can be had by contacting moi - and I will place it on a disc and send it to ye for a minimal fee.
LOCAL ANNOUNCEMENTS: After giving it much thought this link has been "put-down". During the last year most of the folks who used to use this page as a bulletin board have acquired their own and, consequently, no longer need this forum from "Views". I have, however, kept links (in the links section) to Larry Hohler's "Hope Homes" in Kenya - and to Bette Lou Higgins' Eden Valley Enterprises sites. They are historically and socially relevant projects.
If, however, something important come along - it will appear here.
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 links. 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.
If you're looking for my old links section (pictured) I've replaced it with a pull-down menu (visible in the small box next to the word "Go"). If you're looking for links to more Vermilion history check that menu.
How the old links menu looked
For Persons who would like to donate to the cause (to keep these "Views" on-line you can send whatever you would like to me at the following address. And THANKS to everybody who has already donated to the cause. I doth certainly appreciate it):
Rich Tarrant
1041 Oakwood Drive
Vermilion, Ohio
44089
Telephone: 440-967-0988 - Cell: 440-522-4459
"Perhaps a day will dawn when manunkind finally understands that vengeance is better left to God."
-Professor Roselyn Picher
Vol.6, Issue 41, December 27, 2008
Archive Issue #302
© 2008 Rich Tarrant