BOUND VOLUMES

Compiled by Tom Heitz from The Freeman’s Journal

Editor’s Note:  Due to limited space configurations due to this week’s 2015 Otsego County Yearbook in The Freeman’s Journal, the Bound Volumes feature is being published online.   It returns next week to our print edition.  Enjoy!

200 YEARS AGO

The Albany Argus contains a list of newspapers published in the State of New York, from which it appears there are published in the State 77 papers – 42 of which are republican, 33 federal, and 2 neutral; of these 8 are daily papers, and three semi-weekly. The Argus observes: “If the average number of papers from each press be estimated at 700 at each publication, it gives an aggregate of 84,000 per week, or of 4,368,000 annually. The cost of the paper, at a moderate calculation, exceeds $40,000. There are also published in the state, several literary, scientific works, and four county newspapers issued from daily offices, which are not included in this estimate.”

January 4, 1816

150 YEARS AGO

Only two survivors of all those who participated in the War of the Revolution so far as known by the Commissioner of Pensions, remain – Wm. Hutchison, of Penobscot, Hancock County, ME, aged 101 years, and Lemuel Cook, of Clarendon, Orleans County, New York, aged 99 years, and only five widows of revolutionary soldiers draw pensions from the government at a yearly amount of $293.

  In North Carolina it appears from the official announcement that the people of that state have declared null and void the ordinance of secession by a vote of 19,770 against 1,940; and 18,527 votes were cast to ratify the ordinance prohibiting slavery and 3,696 to reject said ordinance.

January 5, 1866

125 YEARS AGO

The Freeman’s Journal for 1891 – With this issue, The Freeman’s Journal enters upon a new year with assurance to its readers that neither care, expense nor labor will be spared to make it a welcome weekly visitor to their homes and their places of business. It will contain a careful summary of all the really important news of the day; and it will keep its readers well-advised on all business matters of interest. It is the design to make the Journal acceptable to those who appreciate the power and worth of a newspaper edited as an educator in the family circle – excluding from its columns what might prove objectionable and harmful to the youngest of its readers. Only a limited space is given to advertisements, and but few appear in the columns of the Journal that do not relate to business matters in Otsego County.

January 2, 1891

100 YEARS AGO

In Our Town – Wednesday evening, Mr. and Mrs. James Fenimore Cooper of Albany, entertained at a coasting party at Fynmere after which the guests dined at the Cooper home.

Ambrose Clark and Stephen C. Clark have been in Cooperstown for several days participating in the winter sports.

Mr. and Mrs. William T. Hyde were at their home, Glimmerglen, with their children, the misses Catherine and Beatrice Hyde. Among the holiday guests at Hyde Hall were Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Hyde Clarke, Miss Grace Carter and L.A. Carter and children of New York.

Miss Grace Brown and Miss Mary Brown and Averell and George Brown of New York were at Holt Averell farm for the week.

January 5, 1916

75 YEARS AGO

The New York State Historical Association will present a special series of addresses this winter for its members in the Cooperstown area. President Dixon Ryan Fox will open the series on Friday evening, January 10, at 8 p.m. with a talk on “The Turnpike Era.” President Fox is one of the leading students of social history in the entire country, and in addition, a most charming speaker. The association is most grateful to the people of Cooperstown for the fine support received here during last summer’s activities and is therefore glad to throw this first lecture open to the friends of the association without charge. Come and bring as many others as you care to. Tickets will not be required for this meeting. Light refreshments will be served.

January 1, 1941

50 YEARS AGO

A special advisory committee to the Cooperstown Board of Water Commissioners has recommended that village officials give serious consideration to fluoridation of the village water supply, as a measure to combat dental disease, especially amongst children. The committee was named last November by Mayor William D. Clark, and includes Dr. Edward F. Whalen, a Cooperstown dentist, Dr. T. Campbell Goodwin, pediatrician-in-chief at the Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital, and Mrs. Robert Seaver.

January 5, 1966 

25 YEARS AGO

Letter to the Editor: Basketball season is a very exciting time of the year here in Cooperstown, and the fans play a very big part in this excitement. The students at CCS are very loyal and dedicated to the success of our basketball team. Never do we maliciously intend to stop the other team’s cheerleaders from being heard. We only try to encourage our own team to score more. School unity has been increased since the fall sports seasons when the soccer and football teams were one another’s strongest supporters. This has carried over into basketball and now the Redskins have a strong group of supporters for the second year in a row. It worries us, however, that people have completely misinterpreted our school spirit and love of basketball for a juvenile act to out-shout the other team’s cheerleaders. Signed: The Student Section

January 2, 1991

10 YEARS AGO

The Research Library of the New York State Historical Association has created on-line bibliographies of materials in its collection covering the history of several counties in upstate New York. The bibliographies currently available are those for Delaware, Greene, Otsego, and Schoharie counties. A variety of published and unpublished documents are included. Researchers are now able to check on-line for books, articles, maps, newspapers and manuscripts. Tombstone inscription are also available on-line. This coming spring the Research Library will offer workshops on genealogy research. NYSHA’s Research Library holdings include primary and secondary resources in the areas of American and New York State history and culture, American art history, Native American art and culture, history of agriculture, folklore and museum studies. The Special Collections include rare books, manuscripts, archival collections, maps and ephemera.

January 6, 2006

Bound Volumes is compiled from resources provided courtesy of the New York State Historical Association Library. Tom Heitz is the Town of Otsego historian.