Interesting sights and sounds, high school alumni, and camps were among the newsmakers around Chenango County in the spring of 1925.
The “horseless carriage” had become a common sight, but as the Norwich Sun of June 2 reported, “In former days it was not an exciting event to see a stage coach passing through Norwich, but when an original stage coach, 108 years old, passed through the city Tuesday it created no small amount of interest and moved into action thoughts of earlier inhabitants and pioneers of this section of the state.”
This coach had been discovered in a barn in Schuyler Lake, having been stored for 47 years. It had been used for many years as a coach between Richfield Springs and Albany.
“The coach is now making a 500-mile tour on the Smalley theatre circuit. It is covering the distance between the Smalley theatres in 34 days. The coach is being driven by Charles Jackson of Cooperstown, while its tour is under the personal supervision of Bill Hobson of the Fox film corporation. Mr. Hobson is a typical cowboy of the west and has appeared on the screen in several movies with Bill Hart and Tom Mix. The coach is an exploitation feature of Zane Grey’s book which is now on the screen, ‘The Rainbow Trail,’ playing the Smalley houses.” Smalley’s home office was in Cooperstown.
Norwich High School had recently established an alumni association, and it was this spring when the first Alumni Day took place.
The Sun of June 11 reported that preparations were well underway for June 22 events. “Hundreds of alumni have been reached and a splendid response promises to eclipse even the most optimistic hopes for the day’s success.”
The response had been so good that they had to cancel a luncheon because the cafeteria was too small. A dinner was planned instead, and with over 200 coming, this had to be held in two places, the Masonic Temple and the Norwich Club. Prior to the dinner there had been an early afternoon presentation at the school, a baseball game between the alumni and current team, and following dinner there was a dance. The Sun of June 23 reported on the day’s success.
The school year was coming to a close, and for many, it became leisure time.
As the Sun of May 5 had reported, “Thirty-five interested property owners attended an enthusiastic and successful meeting, held at the Norwich Club on Monday evening, for the discussion of lighting facilities at Chenango Lake. The number include not only cottage owners at the lake, but many farmers and property owners along the rural line between the city and the lake.”
By the time school had gotten out, this area had electricity. Cottages paid a flat rate of $20 minimum for the season.
Elsewhere for campers, readers of the Sun of June 24 learned, “Final arrangement for the dedication of the new boy scout camp site on Cincinnatus Lake were made at a recent meeting of the executive committee.” It was set for June 27. The “affair” was a basket picnic. It was known as Camp Spaulding.
“The camp is beautifully situated on the point of the lake and roads have been constructed directly to the camp site. It is easily accessible, with all the delights of a real camp combined with easy transportation for food, supplies, etc.”
In the world of business, the Sun of June 25 reported, “Information has been received from the office of the secretary of state at Albany that the application of the W.H. Dunne Company, wholesale grocers, Norwich, for an increase of the capital stock from $200,000 to $500,000 has been approved.
“The growth of the company has been quite phenomenal, as it has shown an increase in sales every year since 1914, when sales were nearly $600,000 until in 1924, they were more than $1,250,000 and with every indication that the sales for 1925 will be still larger.” Most remember this company to be Victory Markets, and later as Great American stores.
Thank you for reading this entry, and the previous 2,499. On Wednesday, number 2,501, we’ll look at some new developments in the area in June 2000.