Adam Kishman began a fishing business in 1864 four miles east of Vermilion on the shore of Lake Erie, using simple nets and boats to harvest fish with help from family members and local farmers working in their spare time. The fish were packed on ice harvested from Lake Erie and distributed by wagon and rail. In 1905, Adam's son Henry moved the thriving business to the west bank of the Vermilion River and named it The Kishman Fish Company. Starting with one tug, the operation grew rapidly, and with technological advances such as diesel power and electricity it expanded to three locations along the south shore of Lake Erie. In 1931, Henry's son Lester joined the family business and after Henry's death in 1948 became president. Over the years, The Kishman Fish Company became an important part of Vermilion's local economy and history, but commercial fishing declined in the 1970s because of overfishing and environmental and legislative restrictions, and the company closed in 1984. The Fisherman's Bend condominiums now occupy its former site.