An overall theme around Oneonta in the closing months of 1928 was one of bigger and better.
While Oneonta had an airport, readers of The Oneonta Herald of Nov. 22 found out, “That the Oneonta Airport is to become one that will meet all demands of the future, even though air travel should reach the proportions of the most enthusiastic product, is evidenced by the recent purchase by D.F. Keyes, owner of the present airport lands, of two additional farms which will give approximately 200 acres of land and an opportunity for runways that will be ample for the larger and more heavily laden airplanes when mail and express lines through this section become realities.”
At that time the small airport was found in the vicinity of today’s Country Club Road and Browne Street.
In another airport advancement, The Herald of Nov. 29 reported, “The Oneonta airport will be part of a network of weather stations to be established all over the state to keep aviators informed of flying conditions, according to a plan reported to the Mayors’ conference in Albany by Senator Griswold Webb, chairman of the legislative committee on aviation.”
Once warmer weather returned in 1929, local swimming enthusiasts heard promising news when The Herald of Dec. 6 reported, “That the Wilber park swimming pool may be provided with a concrete bottom in the spring was indicated at the meeting of the common council held at the Municipal building Tuesday evening when Mayor Lauren indicated that he planned to urge such a step in his annual message.
“From the attitude of the members of the council it was evident that the plan would have their support if funds were available. The pool was constructed by the park commission during the past summer, and immediately it became the most popular spot in the whole park system.”
Improved sightliness in another park was also reported as, “The City Park commission is completing the erection of three dams in that section of Neahwa park adjoining the Susquehanna river which have considerably improved the appearance of that part of the park. The waterways have not only been provided with a sufficient depth of water to fill the beds, but they have as well been widened and cleared out so that former unsightly spots, particularly noticeable in low water, have been removed.”
The course of the Susquehanna was much different at that time, vastly changed during the construction of Interstate 88 in the 1970s. Young and old alike found the river to be a good place for swimming prior to pools like the new one in Wilber Park in 1928.
Something got better that late fall as far as musical entertainment for area residents.
The Herald reported on Dec. 13, “Steps that will ensure this city three or more high grade musical events each winter season, with a minimum of effort, to be given by a representative group of citizens, were taken Thursday afternoon at the mayor’s office in the Municipal building in the formation of the Oneonta Community Concerts’ association.
“The purpose of this organization is to form a membership group which will form a permanent audience for those concerts, after the plan of the Community Concerts’ corporation of New York city, a combination formed of nine of the best known managers of New York city, having practically all of the stellar artists on their lists and formed for the specific purpose of making those artists available to the smaller cities of this and adjoining states, without the attendant financial risk of bringing them to any city by private individuals or a single organization.
“The plan as outlined to those in attendance at the conference yesterday by Miss Fay Hancock, assistant director of the Community Concerts’ corporation, is to form a permanent organization of representatives of all the civic, welfare and luncheon clubs of the city. With about 200 workers this will make an intensive canvass of the city for memberships at $5, with a minimum of 500, which number would assure a fund of $2,500, to be expended, with the reservation of a small percentage for local expenses, in securing the best talent available through the combined managers, for three, four or five concerts, the numbers being dependent upon the memberships secured.”
Known today as the Oneonta Concert Association, the organization is now in its 95th season.
On Wednesday, our area’s education beat in December 1998.
Oneonta City Historian Mark Simonson’s column appears twice weekly. On Saturdays, his column focuses on the area before 1950. His Wednesday columns address local history 1950 and later. If you have feedback or ideas about the column, write to him at The Daily Star, or email him at simmark@stny.rr.com. His website is oneontanyhistorian.com. His columns can be found at www.thedailystar.com/opinion/columns/.