HOMETOWN History

Jan. 18, 2020

150 Years Ago

Increase of Crime – The attention of the public is properly becoming aroused to the alarming and terrible frequency of high crimes. One can scarcely take up a paper but what contains an account of some fresh murder or robbery, or more likely both. The time is within the memory of those who are yet considered young when a single murder would thrill the whole land and become the theme of general comment. Lately, it has become the exception when the news of a day does not contain an item of a life unlawfully taken. The frequency of capital crimes can be explained by the infrequency of capital punishment. It is safe to say that we hear of at least five murders to one execution. In many states capital punishment has been abolished. In others, it is well-nigh impossible to find a jury that will convict even the most atrocious murderer – and if convicted, the chances are that political influences will obtain a pardon. Our cities are filled with native and foreign “dangerous” persons – murderous robbers, pickpockets, thieves, burglars, by profession.
They are known to the police as such. Should not all such characters be transported, on sufficient evidence against them, to some penal colony?

January 1870

125 Years Ago

Local: The four children of W.A. Hunter of Oneonta have just had a handsome windfall of about $7,000 each from the estate of their great-grandfather, the late Hoadley B. Ives of New Haven, Connecticut.
Henry White of Gilbertsville sold to New York parties recently a bill of furs which included two thousand skunk skins, seven hundred muskrat skins and fox, coon and mink skins enough to run the number over three thousand skins in all. The gross sum paid for them was about $1,700.
Irving J. Pruyn of Oneonta has purchased of Ella Layman her entire real estate interests in the town which comprise the old Jared Goodyear estate and contains over thirty acres of land. The property has been in the possession of the Goodyear family for about 70 years.

January 1895

100 Years Ago

National Prohibition: When the clock strikes 12 tonight (January 16, 1920) its boom will not only announce the coming of a new day, but also of the going into full force and effect of the Volsted Act, the stringent regulations of which have been loudly denounced by the “wets” and as generously applauded by the “drys” who, without doubt, constitute the larger population of the country. In Oneonta, which has been bone-dry for a long period, it will hardly cause a ripple. But, in many cities the provisions of the law will occasion a great deal of concern. The greatest concern in Oneonta is the provision of the law relative to the sale of liquor under strict supervision and only on prescription of physicians by druggists. Some Oneonta druggists state that under no circumstances would they again engage in the sale of liquors. Others have said they have had the matter under consideration. According to Charles R. O’Connor, federal prohibition director for the State of New York, a jurisdiction such as Oneonta that has been entirely dry previously, will remain entirely so, regardless of the provisions of the federal law allowing for the prescription of liquor for patients by physicians allowing for provision by druggists.

January 1920

60 Years Ago

Mayor James Georgeson yesterday urged Oneonta residents to attend the open house at Huntington Library from 3 to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Mayor Georgeson, who has already toured the new wing, said “Oneonta is fortunate in having such an excellent library – one that compares favorably with libraries in large cities.” The recent addition of the three-floor wing will improve the already fine facilities for library patrons, he said. “It’s my opinion that this library is one of the finest assets our city has and we should be aware of it, and appreciate it.”
A three-professor team will teach a course in “Great
Issues of Modern Man” at Hartwick College starting with the fall semester 1960. The first of a projected series of inter-disciplinary courses, the “Great Issues” class will be taught by Dr. Forest W. Miller of the Biology Department, Dr. Herman Keiter of the Religion Department and Dr. William Coker of the Music Department. The course will be limited to 15 students, all seniors chosen from the top level of various departments.

January 1960

40 Years Ago

The Oneonta Rape Crisis Center Network has reports of at least 10 times as many rapes in and around Oneonta as the city police do. Tallying records for 19 months the network has been active, the organization counted 24 rape calls, all but one in the area, plus 11 others reported through other sources, such as “Project 85.” City police reported one case in 1978 and no more than one or two in 1979. In one 1979 case, an Oneonta State student was arrested. Members of the crisis network’s advisory board say the incidence of rape here is proportionately as high as in much larger cities. According to publicity director Margaret
Hathaway, the organization released “statistics to make people aware that rapes occur at a much greater rate than most of us suspected.” City Police Chief Joseph De Salvatore said he is not surprised at the discrepancies. “It’s entirely possible. They’re not reported to us.” He guessed the department has had less than five reports last year.

January 1980

20 Years Ago

Oneonta police are investigating two recent burglaries reported on the Hartwick College campus. A student in
Holmes Hall reported that someone stole his laptop computer valued at $1,300 between 7:25 a.m. and 7:35 a.m. Friday. Another burglary was reported at Wilder Hall sometime over the holiday break. A student reported that someone entered his room and stole 100 compact discs valued at $1,500, a Toshiba Satellite laptop computer valued at $2,000 and a $150 Canon 35mm camera. There were no signs of forced entry.

• January 2000

10 Years Ago

“Martin Luther King, Jr. just had a way of speaking that got to your heart,” Lee Fisher, president of Oneonta’s chapter of the NAACP said at that organization’s celebration of Martin Luther King Day at Temple Beth El on Sunday.

January 2010