Whether it was school events or new business endeavors, the crowds attending were plentiful across the region during May and June of 1928.
“One of the largest crowds that ever gathered in Milford was present Friday evening at Milford Central school,” The Oneonta Herald of May 10 reported, “when the new building was dedicated by Dr. Frank B. Graves, state commissioner of education. The program for the evening was a little late in starting owing to some difficulty with the wiring which left the building in darkness for about 30 minutes.
“Among those present in the audience were about 50 superintendents of schools from various parts of the state. Following the program those present were given the privilege of inspecting the entire building.”
While Milford had a dedication, other schools in the region were seeing new plans for schools.
Readers of the Herald of May 24 learned, “The new district No. 16 school at Treadwell, Delaware county, is intended to replace several local schools of 25 to 50 years ago — erected in the early days of rural education. The new building is of course a distinct advantage on those of the last generation. The latter were similarly a step ahead of the ‘old school marm’s school,’ held in a spare room, each scholar paying threepence a week — extras included. What happy days! We older ones think as we look into the past.
“The construction adopted for the new school is largely fireproof. All internal walls in the lower story and the whole of the outside walls, upper and lower stories, are of masonry.”
The news story went on to describe amenities of the school, once completed. Much attention was given to soon having a large hall for a gymnasium and auditorium. Designed by an architect from Troy, the new school was built by Contractor A.J. Fairbanks of Unadilla. It was later named the Abraham Kellogg School, a Treadwell native.
In Sidney, the Herald of May 17 reported, “Sidney has settled the perplexing question of the site for the proposed new High school building by the passage of a resolution appropriating the sum of $315,000 for the purchase of site No. 1, known as the Grammar school site, and the construction of the proposed building and the purchase of furniture and equipment. The vote for the site was 640, while the voters who favored site No. 2, known as the Hill site, was 431.” We know this completed structure today as the Sidney Civic Center.
Area grade schools weren’t the only ones making news. The Herald of June 28 reported, “Not only was ground broken on Tuesday for the first building to be erected on the campus of Hartwick college, but definite announcement was made that all bids for the erection of the first science hall are to be in the hands of the architect, Dwight James Baum.
“Several hundred people gathered for the exercises of breaking ground…many coming from Hartwick seminary commencement to Oneonta and the addresses were timely and interesting, all predicting it an eventful day for the city of Oneonta and for the Synod of New York.”
Businesses were also attracting crowds for advancements. According to the Herald of May 3, “One of the largest crowds ever gathered in Oneonta and certainly the largest to visit any industrial plant in this vicinity was that which Tuesday p.m. gathered at the new $200,000 bakery of the Huddleston-Walton company for the formal opening of their new home. Because of the press of people, it being estimated that from 12,000 to 15,000 visited the bakery.”
The bakery was bought within a few years by the Spaulding Bakeries Inc. The building today on Market Street is a multiple apartment building.
It wasn’t the first “talkie” movie at the Oneonta Theatre, but following $25,000 worth of improvements made here, the Herald of May 17 reported, “General expression of surprise and approval featured the presentation of the first Vitaphone program to a crowd which packed the Oneonta theatre last evening.” A movie called “The Silver Slave” gave the audience a great improvement in voice and music quality.
Lastly, the Herald of June 7 reported, “Ground has been broken by Homer Wardwell, contractor, on the site located at 365 Main street owned by I.J. Bookhout for the construction of a modern funeral home.”
On Wednesday, we’ll continue with educational advances made locally in June 1963.
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/.