HOMETOWN HISTORY

May 27, 2021

Compiled by Tom Heitz/SHARON STUART, with resources
courtesy of The Fenimore Art Museum Research Library

135 Years Ago

“What Are Boys Worth?” was the title of a lecture delivered by Rev. George W. Perry of Rutland, Vermont at the Universalist Church Tuesday evening. There was a good attendance and a goodly sprinkling of girls who were interested in the answer to the question. The average cost of a boy at 15 was figured by the lecturer to be about $1,500, aside from the toil, the care and the anxiety of bringing him up. The boys were given to understand that they are a far greater factor in society than they are generally given credit for being, and left the church at the close of the lecture invested with new ideas of their importance.

May 1886

110 Years Ago

The first automobiles which reached Oneonta were a marvel to everybody – and they would be now but for a different reason, if they could be displayed. Nobody, however, thought at that time, which is less than a score of years ago, that they would ever become common, or that the honk of the auto would become so general that nobody would lift an eye – save perchance for safety’s sake – to see the passing vehicle. Just how common the cars are now is perhaps indicated by the fact that a resident of upper Main Street, having from his veranda good opportunity for observation says that not less than 500 cars passed his house during the hours of daylight on Sunday. This number was partly estimated, yet frequent 15-minute counts ran from 14 to 16 cars, and an average of 50 per hour is about what there were.

May 1911

90 Years Ago

At the Oneonta Normal School a modern up-to-date Kindergarten of 30 pupils is conducted under the supervision of Miss Lois T. Harding, assisted by Mrs. Grace W. Norton. A visit to the room used for this work gives a good insight into present methods of giving little folks the right kind of a start on the road they must travel throughout their education experience. The present system, Miss Harding explained, is to secure the cooperation of all children in the class in various units of work, each making his or her own contribution to the common task rather than having specific work assigned by the teacher and each child doing the same thing at the same time as every other child in the room. It used to be the plan, Miss Harding explained, to have some piece of handwork done each day so a child could take it home and show it to its parents. This work might consist of painting, drawing, paper cutting, or some similar task. This system was found to be much less practical than one in which the entire class followed out some particular project, or line of study, over a period of time, and in which every boy or girl was permitted to help with part of the work.

May 1931

70 Years Ago

Mr. and Mrs. Peter Maddaloni never had a son, but they’ve got one now. He’s a 19-year-old orphan, Fortunato Oropallo from Bucciano in the Province of Benevento, near Naples, Italy. The Italian youth, who speaks very little English, left Rome, Italy, at noon Monday, Oneonta time and arrived at Idlewild International Airport in New York City at 12:10 p.m. Tuesday. Through Mr. Maddaloni who acted as interpreter Fortunato said: “It’s good to be in Oneonta.” Fortunato’s arrival here climaxed a two-year campaign by the family to bring him to these shores. Strange as it may seem the boy is an American citizen. His father came to the United States in 1914 and settled in nearby Maryland. At the start of WWI, Mr. Oropallo joined the American Army and fought with the Allies in France. In 1930, Mr. Oropallo returned to Italy, married, and Fortunato was born. However, his mother died when he was six years old and his father was killed when American bombers attacked Bucciano during WWII.

May 1951

40 Years Ago

Two-time Pulitzer-Prize winner and New York Times columnist Anthony Lewis was the featured speaker at Oneonta State’s commencement exercises on Saturday. A total of 1,476 students were graduated. In his address Lewis criticized the Reagan administration for its saber-rattling foreign policy, saying it was too simplistic. “I don’t accept the premise that the Russians are responsible for all the wrongs in the world,” Lewis told the audience gathered in the Hunt College Union parking lot. “The Russians aren’t clever enough for that.” Lewis contends that the best way to defeat the Russians is with ideals, not arms. “I think the pouring of large quantities of arms into every right-wing dictatorship that happens to be anti-Communist is not a wise exercise of American leadership,” he said.

May 1981

30 Years Ago

The zebra mussel, a rapidly spreading freshwater shellfish, has been detected in the waters of the Hudson River and, it’s possible that they have already spread as far south as Newburgh. Zebra mussels were first spotted in the Hudson near Catskill, New York, earlier this week. The main problem caused by the small black and white striped mollusk is its tendency to colonize in water pipes, causing clogging. The organism has already disrupted Great Lake communities since it was first discovered in 1988. If left unchecked, the zebra mussel may find its way into the vast New York City watershed.

May 1991

20 Years Ago

Wedding Day Advice – The dress may get the most attention before the wedding, but every detail of the bride’s look is important. Too much jewelry – or not enough – can diminish the effect of the bride’s gown. In Stacey Okun’s book, “Town & Country Elegant Weddings,” the author prescribes rules for wedding day
jewelry selection: Always take your jewelry to the dress fitting; make sure the jewelry doesn’t compete with your gown; don’t wear too much jewelry; scoop-neck dresses should emphasize a necklace over earrings; high-neck dresses demand grander earrings; believe in the power of one stunning piece of jewelry.

May 2001