Yogurt production found its way to the region, and a superhighway went to bid.
Meanwhile, the area lost a civic leader, a steam excursion and, almost, a pig with a personality.
These were all a part of our local life and times in the spring of 1971.
If we think of locally made yogurt in 2026, most immediately think of Chobani. The yogurt business got a start locally, but under a different company, as The Oneonta Star of April 17, 1971 reported, with a dateline of New York, “The Breakstone Sugar Creek Division of Kraftco Corporation has announced that on April 26, it will take over the South Edmeston building currently occupied by Kraft Foods, which is moving its operation to Lowville, where a new Kraft plant is under construction.
“Breakstone intends to modify the plant interior to fit the needs and all production machinery to allow them to expand production and add new products to their line.
“Once the plant is ready it will produce Breakstone yogurt and ricotta cheese.” This plant is now the site of the greatly expanded Chobani, which began production in South Edmeston in 2005, taking over the defunct Kraft plant.
In Oneonta, as The Star of April 23 reported, “Construction of a Fine Arts Building at Hartwick College will begin soon, a college spokesman said yesterday.
“The building, which will have 68,880 square feet of floor space, will be built on Hartwick’s lower campus, fronting on Clinton Street, near the base of Oyaron Hill.
“Site preparations for the project may begin as early as next week.” We know it today as the Anderson Center.
Many years in the planning process, The Star of April 23 reported, “The state Department of Transportation opened bids Thursday on a 2.7-mile Oneonta portion of Interstate 88, and said they were apparently satisfactory, and announced that construction would probably begin this summer.”
A Massachusetts company was the low bidder for the Oneonta section, at $13,585,500. The section was opened in the fall of 1974.
With all these gains, came some losses. As Star readers of April 19 learned, “Roscoe Conger Briggs, 92, dean of Oneonta business men and prominent in every phase of community life for nearly three quarters of a century, died at Fox Hospital on Saturday, April 17, following a brief illness.
“Mr. Briggs was born Oct. 16, 1878 at Meredith. The family moved to Oneonta in 1890 and the son continued his education here from the Oneonta State Normal School in February of 1890.” For a short period, he served as a principal in the city of Middletown, but returned to Oneonta to become associated in a building supply firm, called Briggs and Miller.” That business stood where today’s City Hall is found, 258 Main St.
“This firm was dissolved in 1902 at which time Roscoe Briggs was taken into full partnership with his father under the firm name of N.H. Briggs and Son. Upon his father’s death in 1909, Mr. Briggs became sole owner of the business name of Briggs Lumber Company.”
The company expanded and had lumber yards in several villages and cities across this region.
With the aforementioned gain of Interstate 88, came the loss of a steam excursion ride which Oneonta had established in 1966. Since the highway construction interfered with the railroad’s path, the DO Line made its departure.
As The Star reported on April 19, about 500 gathered on Railroad Avenue at the train station. Some took a ride to the new DO Line’s destination, Cooperstown. Others waved farewell, and some followed along in cars to Cooperstown Junction and then north along the tracks to the county seat.
Many may remember the sitcom “Green Acres.” One character was Arnold Ziffel, Fred Ziffel’s somewhat human-like pig.
Oneonta had its own Arnold that year, as Star readers of April 9 learned, “Arnold is now in the dog house. Roger Collins, operator of the city pound, has put Arnold away for ‘running at large.'”
Arnold was a mascot for the Tau Kappa Epsilon fraternity, “on loan” from an area farmer until the college semester ended. City officials felt a pig had no place in the city, and police ordered Arnold’s removal.
Apparently, there was a change of heart somewhere, because a Star follow-up on April 13 told how Arnold was back at the fraternity, safe and sound, and not a health concern or a nuisance to the neighbors after all.
This weekend, Sidney took on a hospital and housing project in 1941.