Bound Volumes

March 16, 2023

210 YEARS AGO
Herkimer, March 4: On Monday morning, about 4 o’clock, Major General Dearborn, Commander in Chief of all the armies of the United States, passed through this village for Sackett’s Harbor. Yesterday afternoon, a fine looking corps of United States Light Dragoons, well-mounted, of about 120, commanded by Col. Burns, arrived in this village & encamped; and this morning proceeded on their march for Sackett’s Harbor. We understand a detachment of infantry and artillery may be expected here today, destined also for Sackett’s Harbor. They are from the camp at Greenbush.

March 13, 1813

160 YEARS AGO
Detroit – A Negro, who had committed an outrage upon a young white girl, was being taken from the court room to jail under escort of the military this afternoon, when an attempt to rescue was made by a gang of rowdies. The crowd was fired upon, and one man killed and several wounded. Being foiled in their attempt to get possession of the Negro the mob perpetrated the most horrible outrages upon the colored people residing in the vicinity of the jail. Houses were gutted and burned and the inmates maltreated, and in many instances killed. Ten or fifteen lives have been lost and as many houses burned. All the available military here and a regiment in the interior of the state have been sent for.

March 13, 1863

135 YEARS AGO
“How deep is the snow in your town?” was the inquiry made of a Burlington man, and he replied: “About four feet by nine!” Roads were blocked in all directions on Tuesday. It did look cheery to see the sun come out about 3:30 Tuesday afternoon. The storm commenced here Sunday afternoon and continued steadily for about 44 hours. No mails have been received from the East or West since Monday last. The local mails are similarly delayed. This morning, the regular stage left for Richfield Springs expecting to get through. We delayed the publication of the Journal hoping for the arrival of the mails from the East today, but as the probabilities are against it, we go to press with the little news there is at hand. At roll call at Union School on Tuesday morning, only a small number of scholars responded and those were given a day’s vacation. The snow has not been so deep at any time since the noted storms of April 1857 on the 13th and 20th of that month. About four feet of heavy snow fell in this locality on those two days and the nights previous. In May 1835 or 36 there was a heavy fall of snow in the area. It was impossible for Pathmaster Gruby to clear the sidewalks of snow that morning.

March 16, 1888

110 YEARS AGO
The automobile is getting to the point where to own one will cause no more of a sensation upon the part of one’s neighbors than would the ownership of a bicycle or a wheelbarrow. Indeed, a very serviceable benzene buggy can be purchased nowadays for about what a horse and wagon cost, with much less expense to keep and much more convenience when one wishes to go somewhere. The possession of a modest motor car is, even, a necessity to a person whose business calls him to go about the country – and it need not therefore be regarded as a token either of reckless extravagance or of swollen fortune.

March 19, 1913

85 YEARS AGO
Last week was the fiftieth anniversary of the great blizzard of 1888, one of the historic storms in the annals of Otsego County and New York State. The snow commenced falling Sunday evening, March 11, 1888, and continued without interruption for 44 hours. When it ceased a total precipitation of 32 inches was measured.
The last two hotels in Hartwick Village have been sold to local residents. The Commercial Hotel on Main Street was sold to William Peterson of North Street, an employee of the Thomas Baking Co. Mr. Peterson and family will use it as a residence and Mrs. Peterson will start an ice cream parlor there April 1. It was in this hotel that Stephen Brown was shot and killed during prohibition days. The Otego Valley Hotel on the same street has been purchased by Monroe Burch of the O.S. Burch & Son store which adjoins the hotel. This building is probably one of the oldest taverns in the vicinity. Before automobile days the village had four large hotels with accommodations for scores of travelers.

March 16, 1938

60 YEARS AGO
The Cooperstown Redskins basketball squad has advanced to the Class B Southeast Area semi-finals of the Section III basketball tournament Saturday night at Morrisville by upending Center State League rival Waterville, 59 to 36. It was the third straight victory of the season over Waterville for the CSL champion Redskins, and their 19th straight win this season without a loss.

March 13, 1963

35 YEARS AGO
The CCS girls’ basketball squad lost its first game in 24 starts to the Warriors of Westhill, 58-56, in the Section III, Class C Championship on Wednesday. CCS lost Dawn Berry, their center, with fouls with 4:02 remaining and her absence was felt. Berry left the game with 13 points. Karen Finn led the Lady Redskins with 18 points, Laurie Fassett scored 13 points and Tammy Berry had 12. CCS completes the season with 23 victories. Both Dawn Berry and Karen Finn reached the 1,000-point career scoring milestone and established a host of other school records.

March 16, 1988

20 YEARS AGO
The Cooperstown Redskins won a heart-stopping overtime thriller, 61-58, over the Seton Catholic Saints at Binghamton University West Gym last Saturday as Shane Connolly hit five of six free throw attempts in OT. With the win, the 25-0 Redskins advance to the Class C Final Four at Glens Falls where they will take on the Potsdam Sandstoners (24-1) on March 15. “We’re playing our best basketball and we’re playing with confidence and doing what has to be done to win games,” Coach Dave Bertram said.

March 14, 2003