Sixth Ward Celebrates Unveiling of Latest Historical Marker
By BILL BELLEN
ONEONTA
In the early, rainy afternoon of Friday, July 25, a sizable crowd began to gather outside the Oneonta Boys and Girls Club. By 2 p.m., the group had amassed a total of nearly two dozen members, all coming together for one purpose: The celebration and unveiling of the city’s latest historical marker. The third of five markers being unveiled this summer, this marker does not focus on a singular person or location as others before it have.
“This marker is the first we have commissioned for a neighborhood in Oneonta, and for great reason,” Dr. Marcela Micucci, executive director of the Greater Oneonta Historical Society, explained via e-mail. “The Sixth Ward has a rich history, rooted in Oneonta’s emergence as a railroad town. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Oneonta’s immigrant community settled this neighborhood and created a wide array of social and civic institutions, businesses, and clubs. Many of Oneonta’s D&H employees and trolley line workers lived and worked in the Sixth Ward. The ethnic enclave was largely self-contained, and self-sufficient, with their own schools, shops, gardens, dairies, grocery stores, churches, and industries. By 1915, nearly half of Oneonta’s 635 Italian, Russian, Polish and Lebanese residents lived in the Sixth Ward.”
Another factor differentiating this marker from those preceding it was the fact that the William G. Pomeroy Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding historical marker installations, was not participating in its funding. Because of this, the commissioning process relied heavily on local fundraising and research efforts, much of which was spearheaded by Dr. John Nader. Nader’s position as former mayor of the City of Oneonta, and his status as an avid historian actively authoring a book on the history of the Sixth Ward, gave him ample capability to make the case for its historical significance.
“Over the past several months, we’ve been working to commemorate the Sixth Ward as Oneonta’s largest and most significant ethnic neighborhood; a community in a neighborhood that spawned recreational clubs, many businesses, athletic teams, and spaces,” Nader shared. “We’re losing some of that recognition of Oneonta’s very distinguished past, and we wanted to use this opportunity to celebrate Oneonta’s place—and the Sixth Ward’s place—as its most diverse ethnic community.”
As acknowledged by both Micucci and Nader, the descendants of many of these diverse families from the early 1900s still call the Sixth Ward home today. These “Lower Deckers”—a title residents of the ward have affectionately given themselves—made up a sizable portion of the gathering for the marker’s unveiling. Celebrations began with a brief introduction by Micucci about the efforts to install the marker and a thanks to the numerous sponsors and supporters of the Sixth Ward marker, including the Future for Oneonta Foundation, the Sixth Ward Athletic Club, and the Oneonta Boys and Girls Club. She also extended her gratitude to the City of Oneonta’s Department of Public Works for their assistance in the installation progress.
Nader spoke next on the history of the Sixth Ward and the importance of keeping its legacy alive. Then, with some “Sixth Ward staples,” as Micucci described them, standing by, Nader cut off the black tarp surrounding the marker, revealing another gleaming yellow and blue landmark along the streets of Oneonta. A round of applause followed as the event drew to a close, with the rain beginning to disperse in tandem with the crowds. Everyone at the gathering was invited to attend the Sixth Ward Shindig event later that day.
GOHS is unveiling its next historical marker at the Ford Mansion, now Community Bank, on Wednesday, August 13 at 1 p.m., recognizing that building’s notable role in the Underground Railroad.
