HOMETOWN HISTORY

April 15, 2021

Compiled by Tom Heitz/SHARON STUART, with resources
courtesy of The Fenimore Art Museum Research Library

135 Years Ago

Home & Vicinity – Wm. McCrum has bought the house and lot on Centre Street at the head of Dietz Street from Wm. Peck. Mr. McCrum owns a plot of several acres north of Centre Street and it is his intention to open a street through it, thereby throwing upon the market about 20 building lots, some of them most desirable. The new street will start from Centre Street, a few rods east of Dietz Street, running directly through the center of Mr. McCrum’s property.
A change in the school law requiring one-half of the public monies to be divided among the districts equally causes the amount to be distributed much larger in the rural counties this year than formerly. As a result, every school district which furnished a public school the required number of weeks received for that purpose this year $66. The balance of the school money is apportioned according to the school census and attendance, as formerly.

April 1886

110 Years Ago

Local News: Among recent purchasers of automobiles from the Oneonta Auto Co. are – B.H. Morris, a five-passenger car; Dr. C.R. Marsh, a roadster; and H.E. Bradley, a runabout. A 50-horsepower Oldsmobile, among the finest cars ever in this city, reached Oneonta on Monday. The car was delivered to Arthur M. Butts, by whom it was sold to Mrs. Caroline Harris of Gilbertsville. The price was $3,000.
At the regular monthly meeting of the Oneonta Club, nine new members were elected to resident membership, the largest number to be so elected at any one meeting in years. Those so honored are: Dr. J.M. Dickson, A.M. North, Frank H. Sanford, John R. Thompson, Clarence A. Briggs, S.R. Dibble, Ray D. Van Woert, Owen C. Becker and George Wholleben.

April 1911

90 Years Ago

The Empire State Oil Company has completed arrangements for opening a parking place located on the lands at the rear of the business blocks on the north side of Main Street between the Wilber National Bank and Dietz Street was disclosed at the meeting of the directors of the Chamber of Commerce. A committee of that organization has been investigating the possibility of securing a suitable parking space for the cars of visitors to the city. According to Thomas M. Hickey of the oil company outlined his plans and stated that leases for most of the property desired have already been secured for a five-year period with an option for extending the leases. It is Mr. Hickey’s plan to provide open air parking for 300 to 400 cars and to install a service station and wash rack. An entrance to the space would be available from Main Street and joint entrances and exits on Dietz Street and Ford Avenue.

April 1931

60 Years Ago

This past Saturday, Dr. Edward J. Parish completed the 55th year of his practice as a physician. He celebrated with a full schedule of patient calls, lunch, office hours at 75 Chestnut St. civil defense work preparing for a practice air raid, dinner with his sister Mrs. Blanche Plummer, and preparation for a meeting of the Upper Susquehanna Historical Society. Dr. Parish was born June 15, 1874 in New Salem, Albany County.
He graduated from the Albany Medical College on April 14, 1896. His father was also a doctor and graduate of Albany Medical College. “My father was not yet 20 years old when I was born,”
Dr. Parish said. “I ran races against him, boxed with him and played on the same baseball teams with him. He got his medical degree just 17 years before I got mine.” Dr. Parish served with the State and National Guard in varying capacities for 34 years, including 17 years as the rifle instructor. He was responsible for the outstanding arms collection found in the State Armory at Oneonta. “I’ve enjoyed living in Oneonta more than I can tell in words,” he said.
“There are fine people in Oneonta.”

April 1951

30 Years Ago

Oneonta’s new $2 million Public Safety Building, which is scheduled to open in mid-May, appears to have a utility pole blocking one of the fire engine bays according to Charles Burnsworth, Seventh-Ward Alderman. Burnsworth is concerned that the pole will hamper fire equipment in exiting the bay. The pole was relocated two years ago when the NYS Department of Transportation expanded the intersection of Main and Market streets. But Werner Feibes, of Feibes and Schmitt Architects of Schenectady says that his firm has known of the pole’s location from the beginning of the design process. “The fire chief, who knows how to drive fire trucks, told us he could live with the pole there so we didn’t do anything with it,” Feibes said. “There is room enough to maneuver around the pole.”

April 1981

10 Years Ago

This area’s exceptional water quality is often overlooked as a selling point to attract new business enterprises to the area according to David Heicher, chief of water quality monitoring programs for the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC). In New York, “the upper Susquehanna River basin is one of the least tarnished watersheds around,” Heicher said.

April 2001