Historian Simonson Reflects on City of Oneonta’s Past

By JOSHUA YOUNGQUIST
ONEONTA

Appointed Oneonta city historian in 1998, for nearly three decades Mark Simonson has been one of the community’s most trusted voices on local history. He returned to the Swart‑Wilcox House Museum’s Summer Sunday Series on August 27 to deliver a rapid‑fire tour through the last half‑century of Oneonta’s evolution, an era marked by dramatic shifts in industry, downtown redevelopment, and the city’s cultural identity.

The inspiration for the presentation came directly from the museum’s organizers.

“They asked me…why don’t you recap what’s been going on in Oneonta over the past 50 years?” Simonson said.

The request tied neatly into America250 celebrations and the museum’s ongoing effort to highlight local history through public talks. As Simonson put it, “I’m city historian here, and for years they’ve just been asking me to come and do presentations.”

Simonson approached the talk with a clear structure: fast, focused and packed with recognizable moments. Borrowing a line from a New York City radio station, he told the audience, “This is going to be rapid fire. I’m going to give you Oneonta in 50 [years], and hopefully in a half an hour or more.”

One of the most significant chapters Simonson revisited was the urban renewal period of the 1970s, when Oneonta, like many American cities, tore down large sections of its downtown in anticipation of new development that never materialized.

“A lot of cities did in the ’70s. They tore down big areas and then just left them to sit,” he said.

In Oneonta, entire blocks disappeared, in-cluding Broad Street. The cleared land sat vacant for nearly 25 years.

“That lot sat from ’76 until 2000,” Simonson noted, before the Clarion Hotel finally rose on the site.

For longtime residents, the memories of Broad Street’s bars, shops and bustle remain vivid. For newcomers, Simonson’s presentation offered a glimpse of a downtown that no longer exists.

Simonson also highlighted the decline of Oneonta’s railroad industry, a shift that reshaped the city’s economy and workforce.

“Oneonta was still a railroad town,” he said, recalling the days when the Delaware & Hudson Railroad employed thousands locally. At its peak, he explained, “Thirty‑nine percent of the population was working on the D&H Railroad in some form.”

The turning point came in the 1990s. Canadian Pacific purchased the line, and by 1996, the last remaining jobs in the rail yard were gone.

“A tradition of people being employed by the railroad was over,” Simonson said, ending a legacy that stretched back to 1871.

With an audience of about 40 people—some longtime attendees, others brand new to Oneonta—Simonson said programs like the Summer Sunday Series serve an important purpose.

“[People] learn a lot of things,” he said, noting that the museum’s presentations cover everything from Revolutionary War clothing to neighborhood markets of the past.

The variety keeps the community engaged, and the continuity keeps history alive.

“I like coming to this,” Simonson said. “It’s fun.”

Simonson’s own connection to Oneonta’s past runs deep. He remembers the Swart‑Wilcox House’s 1976 restoration efforts, the final demolition of the roundhouse, and the transformation of the former Oneonta Hotel. His presentations blend personal memory with archival detail, offering residents a bridge between eras.

“Oneonta’s got a rich history,” he said, and sharing it remains one of his favorite responsibilities.

As the Summer Sunday Series continues, Simonson expects to return with new topics and familiar enthusiasm. The city’s story, after all, is still unfolding, and he’s committed to helping Oneonta understand where it’s been as it decides where it’s going.