HOMETOWN HISTORY

December 31, 2020

125 Years Ago

Congressman D.F. Wilber of Oneonta did not vote for the Dingley Tariff Bill. Neither did he vote against it. Mr. Wilber’s position on the bill was explained by him as follows: “I represent a district which is strongly protective in its tariff views and I myself am a radical protectionist. As such I could not bring myself around to support the Dingley measure. It is a bill for revenue rather than protection. I cannot endorse a 15 percent increase of Wilson-Gorman duties throughout all the schedules except those devoted to wool and wood and their manufactures. The basis of such action is wrong. I favored a Bill framed along McKinley lines. What I want is a thoroughly protective measure on the lines of the McKinley measure of 1890. Any Democrat who favors tariff duties for revenue only might have voted for the Dingley Bill without violating his principles. I cannot compromise my protective views with Mr. Cleveland to that extent.”

January 1896

80 Years Ago

An Oneonta boy died a hero Friday afternoon of last week in a futile attempt to save the life of a seven-year-old playmate who had plunged into icy Neahwa park pond. Victims of the first tragic accident to occur at the park pond in 12 years were Charles Wood, aged 11, son of Mr. and Mrs. Austin Wood, and Darwin Johnston, aged 7, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence Johnston of West Harpersfield. Dr. Norman Getman, Otsego County coroner, pronounced both boys dead at 4:50 p.m.

January 1941

25 Years Ago

Citing economic reasons and low ridership, Pine Hill-Adirondack Trailways has decided to eliminate its weekday bus route traveling from Utica, through Cooperstown, to Oneonta on January 10. Weekend runs will continue, however. Paul Provost, vice-president for the Kingston-based company, commented, “It’s a lack of passengers. There are less than six passengers a day on that portion. The majority are between New York City and Oneonta, obviously. Somedays we are leaving Oneonta with two or three people. This is strictly an economic move. Trailways receives a state subsidy of $2.7 million and was asking for an additional $500,000 according to Michael Fleischer a NYSDOT spokesperson. “Adirondack wanted additional state subsidies because the ridership was fairly low,” said Diane Carlton, Director of the Planning Department for Otsego County. The ridership averages are based on total annual numbers which rise during the tourist season.
“I see a lot more people getting off the buses in the summer,” Carlton said.

January 1996

10 Years Ago

In ceremonies at the Otsego County Courthouse, State Sen. Jim Seward, R-Milford, was sworn in for a 13th term, and Otsego County Sheriff Richard J. Devlin, Jr. was sworn for his second term. In remarks, Seward noted a lack of “stable and responsible leadership” in Albany in recent years. “I love New York,” he said, “but our state is crumbling.” Drue Quackenbush, an Oneonta High School student, sang the National Anthem and led the audience in “America the beautiful” at the end. Also sworn in was Judge Brian Burns who warned of growing problems with heroin drug addiction.
“Stay-at-home moms are being arrested for selling it and for using it,” said the judge.

January 2011