Bound Volumes, Hometown History

June 11, 2026

135 YEARS AGO

Two very convenient shortcuts from Dietz Street have recently been closed up—one to Chestnut Street via the Windsor Hotel and the other to Reynolds Avenue across the lands of John Amsden. There is great need for public streets in both these places, there being now no east and west highway between Main and Washington streets. Oneonta milkmen have combined and increased the price of the lacteal fluid to five cents per quart. The new arrangement is doubtless very satisfactory to producers. But, consumers who know that four cents a quart is about double the price paid by creameries, where dairymen usually wait two or three months for their pay, feel that the old price is fully high enough.

June 1891

110 YEARS AGO

Thanks to the efforts of the Oneonta Chamber of Commerce, there is to be a substantial addition to the already considerable list of local industries. The new industry is a glove factory which will be conducted by the firm of Julius Kayser & Co. The firm is one of the largest in its line, having a large number of factories in this country and in Germany and Great Britain. The Kayser Company’s factory at Sidney gives regular remunerative employment to about 200 persons. If help can be secured there is no reason why as many more may not be employed here. The factory will be located on the second floor of the building on Wall Street which was formerly known as the Windsor Livery and which has since been greatly repaired and improved by its present owner F.H. Bresee. For the present time the glove works will occupy a room 30 by 40 feet and employment will be given at once to 25 people. If there is need of further accommodations, an adjoining floor space of 60 by 30 feet will be utilized. The company manufactures both silk and suede gloves. For the present, the Oneonta factory will be employed on the cotton suede gloves.

June 1916

70 YEARS AGO

West Oneonta’s two-room school will not re-open for classes in September. Instead, the 32 or 33 pupils in grade one through four will be sent on a contract basis to other schools. The decision was made at a special meeting of school district voters last night in west Oneonta’s new fire house. Of the 64 voters who attended, 17 voted to adopt a budget for continued operation of the little school at a tax rate of $43.50 per $1,000 of valuation. But the majority vote was 47 in favor of a budget for contracting with other schools at a tax rate of only $17.50 per thousand of valuation. The tax rate for the current year is $20.50. Voters designated Laurens, Otego, Plains and Oneonta as the school districts with whom they will contract.

June 1956

30 YEARS AGO

Fred and Alma Beecher have shared 27,395 days of married life together since they exchanged wedding vows on June 9, 1921. Surrounded by nearly a hundred family members and friends, the Walton couple celebrated their 75th wedding anniversary on Saturday at the home of a daughter. Looking back, the Beechers credit hard work and faith for the longevity of their marriage—and of their lives. “We’ve had our kicks and tumbles, but I guess everybody has them,” says Fred, 96. “We’ve had a lot of good days.”

June 1996

20 YEARS AGO

A Binghamton man was arrested Tuesday after swallowing a diamond ring. Michael T. Kuchinski, 35, was charged with petit larceny after he allegedly stole the ring while working as a furniture deliverer in a Guilford home. When the owner confronted Kuchinski, he swallowed the ring. The ring was recovered after it passed through Kuchinski’s system.

June 2006