HOMETOWN HISTORY

November 12, 2020

150 Years Ago

Oneonta Local: The first snow of the season fell here on Sunday, October 29. There was a heavy thunder shower on Thursday morning last – the sign of a hard winter.
Conductor R. V. Humphrey is preparing to build a new house on his lot opposite James Cope’s on Elm Street. The cellar is already completed for a new house.
The person who borrowed or took a copy of French’s Gazetteer of New York City from this office will confer a special favor by returning it at once. We want to use it.
D. Morrell has bought 13 acres of land of Brewer & McDonald south of the creek road adjoining James Walling’s farm, at $100 per acre. It is well worth the money.
A new street has been opened from Main Street to the railroad near Mickel & Moore’s Foundry, and W. McCrum is erecting a new house thereon. He expects to erect another on the same street next spring.
H. Houghton has bought Perry Bennett’s lots on West Street – 11 acres at $850. The raspberry plantation on it will more than pay the interest and taxes on the place, but it will soon be wanted for building lots.

November 1870

125 Years Ago

New York City has 7,340 licensed saloons, or one to every 231 of the population; one to about 100 males over 15 years of age. Mayor Strong is right in saying that New York has too many saloons. There are more than are required for the convenience of the people and more than can be conducted properly and profitably. The decrease of the temptation to drink is not the most important reason for the reduction. If a man wants a drink he will get it even if there are only 4,000 saloons instead of 7,000. But the excess of drinking places beyond legitimate requirements is bad in other ways. It converts the poorest saloons into “Dives,” and makes them haunts of vice and nurseries of crime.

November 1895

100 Years Ago

Alfred Zeh, engineer at the Oneonta High School building since its erection in 1907, and for two years previous, janitor of the old building, died at his home at 28 Academy Street Tuesday morning after an illness dating from May 21 last. Mr. Zeh was born at Summit, November 7, 1861, a son of Mr. and Mrs, Hamilton Zeh. When a young man he came to Oneonta and for 15 years was employed as a fireman by the D. & H. Company, and later as an engineer for two years before accepting the position at the high school. Mr. Zeh married Miss Mary Smith, also of Summit. She died 20 years ago and in December, the following year he married Miss Cora M. Barnes. Mr, Zeh was well known to the student body as well as many graduates of the school. By all he was esteemed as a man of excellent character and habits, fond of outdoor sports, and a congenial friend and companion.

November 1920

60 Years Ago

Stratton sweeps Otsego County by a majority of 1,501 votes. The Democratic U.S. Congressman of Schenectady made political history in Otsego County and throughout the Thirty-Second Congressional District in last Tuesday’s general; election. Stratton won re-election over Republican W. Clyde Wright of Oneonta by a margin of 38,780 votes. The popular Schenectady legislator polled 97,098 votes to 58,338 for his GOP opponent, carrying all five counties in the district. In doing so, he rolled up the widest margin ever tallied in Otsego County where he gained a 1,501 vote edge over Republican Wright in the latter’s backyard. Stratton’s margin of victory over Wright in the City of Oneonta was 463 votes as he swept the first, fifth and sixth Oneonta city districts. He also won the Town of Oneonta by two votes and was tied with Wright in Laurens.

November 1960

40 Years Ago

The selection process for deer management permits for this year’s big game season has been completed and notifications are now being sent to successful applicants, Environmental Conservation Commissioner Robert F. Flacke announced. More than 110,000 deer management permits will be mailed this week, he advised. “Conservative “Anterless Harvests” for several years and mild winters the past two years have allowed herd increases in most of the Southern Zone. This has made it necessary to authorize the greatest number of permits ever issued to reduce the present deer herd to appropriate levels,” Commissioner Flacke said. Commissioner Flacke said that the 50,000 applicant groups not selected for a permit this year will receive their refund checks and preference certificates for use next year. All qualified landowners who applied properly will receive a permit. A deer management permit allows a hunter or group of hunters to take a deer of either sex in addition to the deer allowed to be taken on a regular big game license.

November 1980

20 Years Ago

The Southside Mall will dedicate a memorial plaque to honor military veterans on Saturday, November 11, to be installed at the flagpole at the main entrance to the mall. The ceremony, scheduled for 2 p.m. will be hosted by Southside Mall Management and representatives from ten area Veterans organizations.
Oneonta Contradance will present caller Keith Hunt of Syracuse with live music by his wife Judy on accordion and concertina. Oneonta fiddler Erik House and pianist Kathy Shimbery of Mt. Vision will join the monthly gathering on Saturday, November 18. The evening of community social dancing will run from 8 to 11 p.m. at the Atonement Lutheran Church at the corner of West and Center streets opposite Hartwick College.

November 2000

10 Years Ago

Alfred D. Quick, 53, of Portlandville, former Otsego County Economic Developer, passed away on Thursday, November 4, 2010 at Bassett Hospital. He was born on March 12, 1957 in Oneonta, the son of Alfred S. and Dorothy (Eggler) Quick, who predeceased him. Alfred married Deborah Nelson on May 31, 1986. A graduate of Unatego Junior-Senior High School, Alfred received a Bachelor’s Degree from SUNY Oneonta and an M.B.A. from New Mexico State University. He also attended Florida Atlantic University. A funeral service on Tuesday, November 9, was held at the Lester R. Grummons Funeral Home with the Rev. Judith Thistle officiating.

November 2010