HOMETOWN History

March 25, 2020

150 Years Ago

The Technologist – The second number of this journal has reached us and is fully up to the promises held out by the first. It contains a very fine full page engraving on tinted paper, giving the details of the East River Bridge Caisson. Other articles of great interest serve to render this number valuable, both to the practical man and to the general reader. Amongst them may be mentioned the “Manufacture of Porcelain,” “Recent Improvements in Distillation,” Street Railways,” “Ocean Lines of Telegraph,” “The Paris System of Drainage,” “Influence of Occupation on Health,” “The History of the Lucifer Match,” “Isemetrical Projection,” “The Science of Little Things” &c. Those desiring to examine a copy of this journal should send twenty cents to the Industrial Publishing Company, 176 Broadway, New York

March 1870

100 Years Ago

Miss Evangeline C. Booth, Commander of the Salvation Army in the United States. With the $14 million fund generously contributed by the country to the Salvation Army last May all but exhausted through the Army’s unparalleled year of activities and service throughout
the country, Commander Miss Booth is now marshalling her forces for the organization’s second nation-wide Home Service Appeal to be held May 10 to 20. “Never before in the history of the organization in this country, has the Salvation Army been able to accomplish so much for the poor, the distressed, the sick, the unfortunate and the erring,” Miss Booth states. “All this is because of the magnificent way America has supported our efforts. We are deeply grateful for God and country for the opportunities of Christian and humanitarian service that have been afforded us the last few months.”

March 1920

80 Years Ago

One of Ithaca College’s outstanding athletes, Louis “Ducky” Pond of 32 West Broadway, Oneonta, is among the first seniors at the college to obtain a position and has accepted the post of Supervisor of Physical Education at Mineville, High School for 1940-1941. He will receive a B.S. in Physical Education from Ithaca College in June. As Catcher on the varsity baseball team he is expected to be in the lineup regularly this spring. He also starred on the football eleven for two seasons at halfback. A member of Sigma Delta Psi, national physical education fraternity, he is a 1934 graduate of Kellogg High School and spent his freshman year at Colgate University.
A huge “spot” on the sun played hob with communications today. The east to west disruption of telegraph and short wave radio service was the worst in 30 years. The American Telephone and Telegraph Co. said it was the worst case of traffic impairment its engineers could recall. Cable communications between Europe and the New York and Associated Press office broke suddenly at 10:30 a.m. One channel was restored at 1:50 p.m. and a second at 3:07 p.m.

March 1940

60 Years Ago

For eight long minutes, he had $1,406 on his person, police said. He had it until police took it from him along with the gun he’d used to take the money from a local loan company.
It was Oneonta’s first armed robbery in more than 25 years, said police. Arthur A. Wanamaker, 33, a farmer from Middlefield, Cooperstown, RD 2, is charged with entering the Upstate Loan Co. on Main Street late yesterday afternoon and taking $1,406 at gunpoint. Wannamaker was apprehended minutes later in Huntington Park between the library and the Oneonta Building and Loan Company by Patrolmen George Donlin and H.P. Wenck. At the time of his arrest, Wanamaker had the $1,406 stuffed into his sweater and a nine-shot 22-caliber pistol loaded with 22 rifle bullets. The pistol was concealed beneath the coat Wanamaker carried in his hand. The robbery was first reported by telephone to police at 4:25 p.m. by Ralph Nielsen, collection manager for the loan company. A call was sent out on the police radio.

March 1960

40 Years Ago

Hartwick – Cyrus Budine, 14, of Hartwick, was listed in serious condition at Bassett Hospital Thursday night, more than 24 hours after he was struck by a car that killed his 12 year-old brother and a 10-year-old girl, also of Hartwick. Budine suffered head injuries when a car driven by Olive Bush, 59, of Hartwick struck a group of eight children walking in the street about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday on the way home from the town library. Deceased after the Hartwick accident are Christopher Budine, 12 year-old son of Cyrus and Joyce Budine of 206 North Street in Hartwick and 10-year-old Sarah Storey, daughter of Rev. George and June Storey of 48 North Street in Hartwick. No ticket was issued by investigating state police from Oneonta.
Two Oneonta youths were also struck by cars in unrelated incidents in the past 48 hours. Both were listed in satisfactory condition at Fox Hospital Thursday night. Joseph Harkenreader, age 9, and Robert Brienza, age 8, both of Oneonta were sharing a hospital room Thursday night while being treated for broken legs. Brienza was struck by a car at the corner of Ford and Center Street on his way to school Thursday morning. Harkenreader was hit by a car driven by Iva F. Burdick of Cozy Avenue. Tickets were not issued in either case.

March 1980

20 Years Ago

Four graduates of the State University at Oneonta will return to Campus on March 30 to share their experience and expertise with current students in a workshop titled “Careers in the Earth Sciences.” The workshop is designed to help current students make informed career decisions. Darwin Roosa, a 1972 graduate with a degree in science education will discuss “Careers in the Public Sector for Earth Scientists.” Roosa is a “Citizen Participation Specialist” with the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation in Albany. Bill Soukup will present “Careers in Environmental Consulting.” A 1976 Geology graduate, he works for Brown & Caldwell, an environmental and engineering consulting firm. Windsor High School Earth Science teacher Irving Soden, a 1970 graduate with a degree in geography, will address teaching as a profession in his presentation titled “So You Want to Be a Teacher.”

March 2000

10 Years Ago

Famed cartoonist Don Sherwood, who would slip caricatures of his Oneonta buddies into “Dan Flagg” and his other strips, has passed away March 6, 2010, at the Levine & Dickson Hospice House, Huntersville, N.C., where his
wife, Dolly and their son, Jason, both live. He was 79.

March 26. 201