Hometown History

March 23, 2023

135 Years Ago
A Big Fire in Oneonta Early This Morning — $50,000 More Gone to Blazes – At about five o’clock this morning people were roused from slumber by a din of whistles and clang of bells that made it tolerably evident a considerable fire was underway. Those who hurried into Main Street were speedily aware that the “wooden row” was again in for it. The fire appears to have been first discovered by men in the railroad yard, who represent it as bursting from the rear windows of the basement under the store occupied by A. & M. Krohn, in the Geo. Reynolds block at the foot of Chestnut Street. It spread, we need hardly say, with great rapidity. The firemen were quickly on the scene, and notwithstanding some difficulty with the hydrants, two or three of which were frozen, or refused to work, had four streams playing within a brief period. But, the flames being mainly in the basements at the rear of the buildings, and the blocks unbroken for a long distance, it was impossible to get in any very effective work. The flames made rapid progress, the dry and in the main light-built structures offering small resistance. Within 50 minutes from the first alarm, the Reynolds building had fallen in; the Huntington and Strong buildings speedily followed, and soon after the Fritts building, this last fortunately crashing toward the fire’s center and leaving the Vosburgh and Miller building tolerably clear. The list of losses runs heavy, but those losing are pretty well protected. Jeweler Adams appears to be the heaviest loser. Talk now is that Chestnut Street must be extended to meet Mechanic to eliminate the dangerous and inconvenient continuity of buildings on the south side of Main Street

March 1888

110 Years Ago
When someone hands you a nice new shiny “Buffalo-Indian” nickel in change, be sure to examine it closely; for in the few weeks that the new coins have been in circulation have given the counterfeiters more than enough time to duplicate the five-cent coin exactly – but in lead. So well has the work been done that the only difference the ordinary person will notice is the absence of any “ring” when the counterfeit is dropped. In every detail it is apparently like the new coin; yet experts say that one of the feathers in the noble Red Man’s headdress is a bit shorter than it ought to be. A few of these coins have been found in Oneonta the present week.

March 1913

90 Years Ago
Demountable lips, demountable eyelashes, demountable noses, demountable fingernails, ear tacks, muscle oil, artificial eye sparkle and tiny pictures and letters for fingernail decoration were the talk of the four-day convention and exhibition of the International Beauty Shop Owners Association which opened Monday at the Hotel Pennsylvania. The detachable fingernails were invented by Maxine Burke. They are of a flexible composition, can be shaped and filed like real fingernails and come in all colors with perfect half-moons. They are for the typist whose nails are worn down by her work or for the debutante who wants long, perfect nails to match her gown. Miss Burke also invented the demountable eyelashes and the demountable lips and noses. “Many women with straight noses, who want that saucy look, sigh for a ‘retrousse’ nose. “We get a wax impression of the inside of her nose – she can breathe through her mouth while it is being done – and then make a gold-plated frame that will give the desired shape. The gold-plated nose shapers sell for around $35 and are made to order.

March 1933

50 Years Ago
Tuition would be abolished for undergraduate students at community colleges and State University campuses across the state, under terms of a proposal advanced Wednesday in the legislature. Assembly Minority Leader Stanley Steingut, D-Brooklyn, and Assemblyman Charles Henderson, R-Hornell, said their proposal would cost the state about $157 million a year. “The state would lose $191.2 million in tuition revenues,” they said in a joint statement, “but would gain $34 million used to fund Regents scholarship and Scholar Incentive grants above the statutory minimum.” Henderson voted against tuition at the State University when it was established about 10 years ago. Free tuition will obviate the need for the present complex student aid system based on family circumstances and the substantial administrative costs which it requires, the two men said.

March 1973

40 Years Ago
Fashion – The key words from Paris are “narrow, fitted, simple, slinky, lean and dressy.” Hair is short and simple, close to the head to follow the fitted fashion feeling. Styles are cropped at the nape and spill over the forehead to cover brows with ears exposed to reveal chunky earrings. There are two major fashion shapes – the fitted, form-defining ‘waisted’ look, especially popular in daywear suits; and the long, lean lines of dropped-waist casual and evening fashions. Suits are dressier than ever, with structured, fitted forms, and glove and hat accessories. Hemlines range from ankle to mid-thigh. Flat heels are right with short, casual skirts, but high heels are required to complement dressier day and evening wear. Colors are earthy – copper, bronze, khaki, sage, milky peach, deep sand and sweet pea. Two-toned looks are popular.

March 1983

30 Years Ago
Whether in a horse show ring or on stage at a beauty pageant, the toughest part of competing is measuring up to yourself, said Nicole Barnhart, 17, of Mt. Upton, the newly crowned Miss Otsego Teenager who was chosen by judges from among sixteen girls and five finalists in competition in Slade Theatre, Yager Hall, at Hartwick College. “Winning is just the extra something that really is the icing on the cake.”

March 1993

20 Years Ago
Grant applications are available from the Catskill Watershed Corp. for non-profit organizations and businesses planning economic development projects. A total of $800,000 has been allocated for 2003 for grants that create and retain jobs, revitalize hamlets and Main Streets, develop cultural programs and nonprofit projects, and enhance natural resource-based industry in the region. Proposed projects must have a positive economic impact.

March 2003