By plan or by fate, Sidney was set for a visible makeover in several ways during 1935.
Readers of the Sidney Record of March 28 learned, “A new bridge to span the Susquehanna river as Sidney’s connecting link to Route 7, has been an assured fact ever since the condemning of the present structure by state officials. The perplexing question has been, the site that would be selected.”
The old bridge was on Bridge Street, and this new one was, “…from Main street through Clark street to pass the Congregational church and cemetery, and plant of the Schohanna Textile Mills, spanning the Susquehanna river at that point, to the Knox flats on the opposite shore. At that point a ‘Y’ would carry traffic in both directions.” Plans were to begin construction in 1935.
Not far from here, as the Record reported on April 4, “Fire, traceable to defective electric wiring, according to Fire Chief H.A. Spencer, destroyed the George Yagel block, Main street, in the center of Sidney’s business section at 4:20 o’clock this morning.
“Miss Lelia Robertson, who conducts a beauty shop in the building, turned in the alarm. Miss Robertson occupied a suite of living rooms over her business place. She was awakened by strange noises and at first thought it was mice. An instant later she thought she smelled smoke and arose to investigate, discovering a seething blaze under the floor. Others living in the building were alerted, and escaped quickly.
“The blaze proved one of the most stubborn that the local department has had to fight in some time, said Chief Spencer. It was a two-hour battle before the fire was under control. The Unadilla department very kindly responded to a call for assistance, but was held in reserve.
“The American Store occupying the main section of the building, suffered a loss of entire meat and grocery stock, with elaborate fixtures.” Rebuilding plans were uncertain on that block at the time, but the American Store quickly relocated to 74 Main St. Miss Robertson also planned to reopen her business, at a location yet to be determined.
The competing Sidney Enterprise soon after reported that carpenters were at work with alterations for the American Store.
In addition to whatever replaced the destroyed Yagel block, Main Street was about to take on a different appearance, as the Enterprise of May 9 reported, “Representatives of the Associated Gas & Electric System met with the Village Board at its session Monday evening, at which time a proposition was presented to the Board to put the electric and telephone wires on Main street underground, and the trustees voted in favor of considering the project.
Ten years after locating in Sidney, Scintilla Magneto had become firmly established into the social fabric of the community, beyond the workplace. Despite the Great Depression the company was doing well.
As seen in the Record of March 21, “One of the most torrid league tilts in the field of bowling ever staged in Sidney came to a close at the Lenox alleys last Friday night, with the Scintilla timber topplers squeezing out the league leadership by a scant margin of 13 pins.
“The victors trailed the Town five for the best part of the series,” in what was described as a big come from behind feat.
Scintilla employees were apparently good shooters as well as bowlers, and had formed the Scintilla Gun Club in early March. Also reported in the Record’s March 21 edition, “Ten shooters representing the Scintilla Gun club, met a like number from the Bainbridge Rifle Club on the Sidney Club range Monday night, the local artillerymen emerging the winners by a mere five points,” with this being Sidney’s first match.
This same Sidney Gun Club was also part of the Sidney makeover, as the Record of May 2 informed readers, “The Scintilla Gun Club has purchased the building at the west end of this village, latterly used by the Sidney Fixture Company,” which had been vacant for some time. The company had relocated to Binghamton.
“The Rifle Club plans to use the building as a range and many improvements will be made.”
On Wednesday, our area’s local life and times in April 1990.