HOMETOWN History

Feb. 28, 2020

150 Years Ago

(Excerpts from the following advertisement): Constitutional Recognition of Almighty God and the Christian Religion – Call for a National Convention: The Constitution of the United States makes no acknowledgement of Almighty God, the author of national existence; nor of Jesus Christ, who is the Ruler of Nations; nor of the Bible, which is the fountain of law and good morals as well as of religion. This has from the beginning been a matter of deep regret. It may have been an oversight, but it was, and it is, both an error and an evil. It does not reflect the views of the great majority of people upon these great matters. It dishonors God. It is inconsistent with the character of nearly all our State Constitutions, and with all the precedents of our early history. The National Association which has been formed for the purpose of securing such an amendment to the Constitution of the United States as will remedy this great defect and indicate that we are a Christian nation, invites all American citizens who favor such an amendment, without distinction of party or creed, to meet in convention at Pittsburgh, on Thursday, the Third Day of March, next, at 2 o’clock p.m. William Strong, President of National Association.

February 1870

125 Years Ago

At a meeting of the Veterans Association of Delaware and Otsego Counties at the Wilson House in Oneonta, New York, on February 18, 1895, at 1 p.m., on motion, it was ordered that the members of the “Women’s Relief Corps” throughout both counties be added to said organization.
It was also resolved that this organization include all veterans, sons of veterans, daughters of veterans, and their families within the counties of Otsego and Delaware; further that the first meeting of this organization shall be convened on June 20 and 21 at Wilber Park in Oneonta.

February 1895

100 Years Ago

At the opening of the County Court Monday afternoon, the business was the matter of naturalization. Sixteen were admitted to American citizenship: Alfred Richard Carr, Springfield Center (England); Omar Felix Chatauvert, Prattsvelle (Canada); David Douglas Laurie, Oneonta (Denmark); Armamd J. Vallie, Oneonta (Scotland); Peter Petersen, Oneonta (Denmark); Salvatore Galtano Puccio, Oneonta (Italy); Luigi Bachetta, Otego, Italy; Pietro Alotta, Cooperstown (Italy); Thomas Anthony Morris, Oneonta (Greece); Harry George Lambros, Oneonta (Greece); Angelo Banard, East Worcester (Italy); Joseph Kominski, Richfield Springs (Germany); Antonio Defiori, Oneonta (Italy); and Sisto Sardiello, Oneonta (Italy).

February 24, 1920

60 Years Ago

Atomic fallout, bomb shelters, air raid drills, two weeks of canned goods in the cellar? These are the phrases on the lips of many New Yorkers as Gov. Nelson Rockefeller pushes his “fallout shelter plan.” Most of those questioned about the “fallout shelter plan” seem to “pooh-pooh” the possibility of enemy attack. “Why worry about it? If it does come and I’ve been in a shelter for two weeks all the food and supplies will be contaminated anyway,” one person said when interviewed. “I’ve got more important things to do with my money,” said another, referring to that part of the plan that presumes homeowners would construct the shelters at their own expense. “After the landscaping I’ve done at my home, I’d be crazy to dig up my lawn.” A check with John Milsome, a British exchange teacher currently at Chestnut Street School, said “England is not undergoing this panicky feeling. There seems to be a different
attitude toward war. The average Englishman doesn’t believe there’s going to be a war. I was quite shocked when I came to America, Mr. Milsome said. “There were air raid drills here and we haven’t had any in England since the war. If I were an American,” Mr. Milsome said, “I’d oppose this construction of fall-out shelters.”

February 1960

40 Years Ago

The United States made “major errors in judgment” by selling computers which the Soviet Union used to help make army truck and other military equipment, William J. Perry, a senior Defense Department official said. Perry, the Pentagon’s research chief, said government officials have known for three years that U.S. supplied computers were used in the Kama River manufacturing plant to build trucks for the Soviet Army. Some of the trucks are now known to have been used in the Soviet move into Afghanistan. “Many people in a number of administrations believed that the political benefits were worth the risks of technology transfer,” Perry said. “As important as the drain of actual American technology,” he added, “is the flow of intellectual property – the knowledge of how to build and maintain computers and sophisticated electronic systems.”

February 1980

20 Years Ago

Rev. Roy Chamberlain will represent our region at the upcoming Global People’s Assembly in April to be convened at Apia on the island Samoa, April 2-8. At the turn of the millennium, the Global People’s Assembly is looking to usher in a new world order and set concrete goals for changing a human world that is increasingly dominated by corporations,” Chamberlain said. Toward that end Chamberlain will be advocating for specific proposals, including: Increase the use of electronic person-to-person communication; Check human population growth; Recognize and develop ways to control global climate change; Stop industrialized nations from engaging in high-tech warfare; and encourage people to grow their own food without genetic engineering.

February 2000

10 Years Ago

States of Emergency were declared in the city of Oneonta and across Chenango County because of Thursday snowstorm which dropped about 20 inches of snow across the area. Travel advisories were issued for both Delaware and Otsego counties. Within the City of Oneonta the state of emergency meant that city roads and streets would be closed to all but emergency traffic from 10 p.m. Thursday until 6 a.m. Friday morning.

February 2010