Bresee’s Christmas Figures Bring Back Many Fond Memories

Bresee’s Christmas Figures Bring Back Many Fond Memories

By MONICA CALZOLARI
ONEONTA

Five residents of St. James’ Retirement Community, located at 9 St. James’ Place, reminisced about the good old days when Bresee’s Oneonta Department Store was open. Fifteen of Bresee’s antique Christmas carolers and Santa’s helpers, dating back to the 1940s, decorate the dining room at St. James for the holidays.

Resident Norma Brackett said, “These Christmas figures bring back such good memories.”

Kathy Clarkson, executive director for St. James’, said, “We are so lucky to have 15 of the original pieces from Bresee’s annual window display. Some were donated. Others we bought.”

Clarkson remembers shopping at Bresee’s on Thursday nights with her mother before it closed after more than 90 years of operation in Oneonta.

St. James’ resident Lucy Ingalls explained, “Payday for the Delaware and Hudson railroads was on Thursdays. So every Thursday evening, Main Street, Oneonta was full of families. They shopped at Bresee’s and even had dinner at the Health Bar.”

Resident Nancy Fodero recalled, “My family lived next door to Andy Colby, the man who made the Christmas figurines for the window display. He made them with mechanical parts that moved.”
Resident Jean Lee said, “My children visited me at St. James’ just last week and they all remembered the Christmas window display at Bresee’s when they were growing up.”

Fodero shared, “My mom was in charge of the handbag department there. It was considered very prestigious to work at Bresee’s.”

Fodero’s father was an electrician for the railroad for 42 years. She said, “They paid good money on the railroads. My dad worked Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day and made two and one-half times his salary on holidays.”

Resident Mary Riddell, now retired, worked at Bresee’s Health Bar. The bar was a popular diner within the elegant department store. It was open for lunch and dinner.

Riddell said, “Bresee’s was famous for its roast beef dinner with mashed potatoes, peas and pie. They made delicious, home-cooked food. Mrs. Rich was in charge of making the pies. They made a graham cracker crust pie filled with vanilla custard and fresh whipped cream that was a favorite in town.”

Clarkson recalled, “They made the best hot fudge sundaes.”

Brackett said, “We were a family of six, so we did not eat very often at Bresee’s. It was expensive. We were on a teacher’s salary. My husband moved us here from Kentucky to teach in the math department at SUCO (State University of New York College of Oneonta) from 2003 to 2013.”

Two of the residents fondly remember buying their wedding dresses at this upscale department store.

Riddell said, “I bought my wedding gown and veil there for $125.00. It had a train and everything. It was so beautiful.”

Ingalls bought her wedding dress there, too, in 1952. She used to live within walking distance of Bresee’s. She has lived in this area for 70 years.

She said, “It was such a thrill at Christmas time. We went to see Bresee’s window display often as kids, almost every day.”

Riddell said, “People came from all over to shop at Bresee’s.”

Utica, Albany and Binghamton were known as the rich dairy triangle. Some farmers, rich by rural standards, traveled 40 miles to shop in Oneonta.

Bresee’s had a whole Christmas department which sold decorations and Christmas cards. Mr. and Mrs. Santa had their own house on the upper floor. Kids sat on Santa’s lap, on Santa’s special chair. Bresee’s had a toy department, too.

Brackett said, “Bresee’s was the first store to have an escalator in Oneonta. The kids used to love to ride it.”

Fodero passed around an old photo of her brother in a cowboy outfit on a horse. She said, “My brother had a pony and my mom bought him a cowboy hat, chaps, and matching shirt at Bresee’s. He would bring his pony down an elevator into the basement of the department store and kids would get pony rides.”

Later, the Bresee family installed a mechanical pony ride at the bottom of the escalator.

“It cost 10 cents to ride that pony,” said one of the residents.

Clarkson added, “I remember that reindeer who ironed Santa’s clothes was my favorite when I was a little girl.”

Today the reindeer is part of the St. James’ Christmas display.

Several women residents recalled that Lucy Cohoon was the Bresee’s art director. One said, “Lucy was very creative in decorating the store, not just for Christmas, but for other holidays, too.”

Mary Riddell showed the group a “Collier’s” magazine dated November 12, 1949. It featured a long story about Bresee’s Oneonta Department Store and the Bresee family. The magazine cost $0.15 back then.

According to “Collier’s,” Frank Bresee started out on foot selling shoelaces, pencils and other small items. When he saved enough profit, he bought himself a horse and carriage and expanded his territory. Over time, he bought and operated several retail businesses in Sidney and New Berlin.

After his wife encouraged him to settle down in one location, he opened Bresee’s on Main Street in Oneonta and expanded it over time.

“Collier’s” estimated that Bresee’s grossed more than $2,000,000.00 per year in revenue.

The store sold high-quality merchandise including shoes and clothing for men, women, and children, lingerie, candy, cards, appliances, sewing materials, and drapery, and even offered kitchen and bath remodeling.

Bresee’s also operated a beauty salon. Fodero worked there for a short time. She eventually opened her own hairdressing business in her home.

Marcela Micucci, PhD, executive director of the Greater Oneonta Historical Society, confirmed the dates that the department store operated. She said, “Frank Bresee’s namesake opened in 1899. Close behind was Woolworth’s in 1911 and J.C. Penney in 1923. F. H. Bresee & Sons moved to its permanent location, today’s 155-161 Main Street, in 1905. Bresee’s downsized in 1994 and closed their doors permanently in 2005.”

The residents of St. James’ remember when Oneonta had three department stores downtown and many other thriving small businesses. Main Street was bustling. One compared the window displays at Bresee’s with Macy’s windows in New York City.

St. James’ Manor is helping to preserve Oneonta’s history. You can see other photos of this display on the St. James’ Facebook page.