HOMETOWN HISTORY, May 9, 2014

125 Years Ago
The Arbor Day exercises in Oneonta were of a very interesting nature. At the school grounds on Academy Street the program included a prayer by the Rev. A.B. Coats, singing and recitations by the school children, and remarks by principal Bull. The members of the school board were present and also a large number of spectators. An oak tree some three inches in diameter was planted, and when it came to voting for the favorite tree the preference was largely in favor of the oak. At Morris Park, near the upper reservoir, mainly through the efforts of George I. Wilber upward of 200 trees were planted and the number has since been increased to 350. Altogether, Arbor Day’s first observance in Oneonta may be said to have been entirely successful.
May 1889

100 Years Ago
The black mare belonging to J.J. Mitchell was killed and a cutter, harness, and other things burned as well as the building gutted when a fire of unknown origin started in the hay in the barn of Mrs. Caroline Hayes of 29 Church Street, Oneonta, at about 7:45 Thursday evening. Mr. Mitchell himself is the last person who is known to have been in the building and he left it at 7 o’clock after caring for the horse. At that time there was no evidence of a smoldering fire. The blaze was discovered by Harry Lance of 17 Cherry Street, who was skipping rope on his street. He saw the flames creeping from the corner of the barn nearest the corner of Church and Franklin. He ran to Alarm Box 44 and called the department, and then ran to warn Mrs. Hayes. Together they informed Mr. Mitchell who lives at the side and back of the barn on Franklin Street. A wagon was removed from the barn but efforts were vain to save the horse.
May 1914

80 Years Ago
“Experiences of an American Citizen” was the topic of an address given to members of the Lions Club last night by Harry Lambros, co-proprietor of the Diana-Sweets. In a humorous vein, Mr. Lambros told the club members that he arrived at Ellis Island from Greece about 31 years ago. He stated that the immigration authorities marked him to be returned to the old country, but an uncle in Jamestown wired that he would accept responsibility for his nephew. Other wires were received from the mayor and chief of police of Jamestown. Mr. Lambros related that he was held at Ellis Island for seven days, but he finally secured his release and took a ferry for Jersey City where he boarded an Erie railroad coach at 11 a.m. and was the only occupant when the train moved 12 hours later. Harry said that every time the train stopped he was under the impression he had arrived at Jamestown and would show his ticket to the conductor. Several times he attempted to leave the train, but was restrained by the conductor. Finally, upon arriving in Jamestown, there was no one at the station to meet him, his uncle having given up after meeting all the trains for a week. However, a policeman, who was on the lookout for the young immigrant thanks to Harry’s uncle, took him in charge.
May 1934

60 Years Ago
J. Edgar Hoover celebrates his 30th anniversary as director of the FBI. He is one of the two longest-serving bureau chiefs in government. How much he is respected was evidenced last week when his name came up in the McCarthy-Stevens hearings. All sides joined to protect his name and status although they quarreled about almost everything else. This man has achieved a unique position in American life, above politics, and without advantage to self. He might have developed during war years, an expansion of his organization both as to power and personnel that could have grown into a national police force of enormous dimensions. This he avoided, despite encouragement from many sources, on the grounds that policing must remain essentially a local matter, and that the Gestapo form of national policing would be a negation of American freedom.
May 1954

40 Years Ago
Daniel Klepak’s unfavorable review of driver education in secondary schools throughout the state has raised the ire of many area school administrators who feel that the programs should be retained in their entirety within a school setting. Klepak, who is director of the New York State Office of Education Performance Review, issued a report suggesting driver education is an unnecessarily expensive, overrated area of high school education. Klepak makes no secret of his disdain for driver education. During a lecture last week at SUCO, Klepak said “driver education has about as much social benefit as picking your nose.” Cost per pupil data collected by Klepak from 67 districts show a range from $49 to $362 per student driver. Otsego County districts averaged $170 and Delaware County districts $173.
May 1974

20 Years Ago
The closing of the Bresee’s store on Oneonta’s Main Street marks the end of one era and the beginning of another. Bresee’s 94-year history in the city and its many contributions and associated memories will not soon be forgotten. But now, Oneonta enters a new stage in the evolution of downtown. Like all downtowns, Oneonta has experienced previous spasms of change, from a rural commercial center to a railroad city to a center for education and health-related services. Oneonta will adapt again.
May 1994

10 Years Ago
A springtime surge in hiring rumbled into a second month as employers added nearly 300,000 new jobs in April, lowering the unemployment rate to 5.6 percent.
May 2004