Bound Volumes, Hometown History

March 7, 2024

90 YEARS AGO

As part of a concerted temperance education drive by the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union, nine copies of the recently published “Syllabus in Alcohol Education” have been placed in schools here, it was announced yesterday. These were distributed at the request of local teachers. Copies of this syllabus are much in demand throughout the country, said Mrs. Lula C. Walker of this city, the New York State W.C.T.U. vice-president, and copies are being distributed at the rate of 1,000 a week.

March 1934

70 YEARS AGO

The TEKES of Hartwick College—The 20-some inhabitants of the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity house at 78 Elm Street have evolved a simple working definition of their brotherhood that can be expressed as “share and share alike.” Everyone in the TEKE house pitches in to carry the load. According to Stover Snook, frat president, every frat brother realizes this equalization. When work details are posted every Friday, every one of the TEKES is listed and accounted for. One detail is assigned to the kitchen, another to the living room, and so on. But, sophomores, juniors and seniors all wield mops, brooms, brushes, etc. Mothers may have to strain their imaginations to picture their husky offspring at such work, but it is so.

March 1954

40 YEARS AGO

Riegel Textile Corporation, an Aiken South Carolina-based company with a diaper manufacturing plant in Oneonta, has signed an exclusive agreement with the Original Appalachian Artworks, Inc. to manufacture Cabbage Patch Doll diapers. Riegel used the cabbage patch design on baby clothes and sleepers before extending the marketing campaign to diapers. Some of the prospective buyers may be young girls who own a Cabbage Patch doll. A spokesman said the dolls are sold wearing a disposable diaper manufactured by Proctor & Gamble.

March 1984

30 YEARS AGO

March 8 is International Woman’s Day, and that fact may carry as much importance as the label given to 1993. That was the “Year of the Woman.” Although several women were elected to key offices, life for women across the country didn’t change too much. They still worked eight hours each day for less than their male counterparts, and then they came home and worked more at home than those same males did. This is life in America. It has been worse. But, this generation of young women, do not seem to remember the worse. How can they? They were born to women who have been riding the coattails of the vanguard of the women’s movement. History is history, and we tend to take for granted what was gained by those who went before us. For every Susan Faludi and Naomi Wolf, there appears to be a dozen little Katie Rophies popping up, each a little bit impatient with the grumblings of the old guard. Stop talking about women as if they were victims, the new guard says.

March 1994

20 YEARS AGO

The Center for Agricultural Development and Entrepreneurship (CADE) will conduct a free evening workshop, “Growing a Farmers’ Market,” on March 25 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Telecenter in Oneonta. The workshop is designed for market managers and vendors, as well as farmers and community members interested in farm to market retailing. The workshop will address management issues, market rules and administrative issues such as insurance coverage, kitchen inspections, and participation in discount programs through WIC and the Office of the Aging. Fund-raising, promotional strategies, special events and display ideas will also be discussed.

March 2004