Nationally, the early months of 1934 were bleak, as far as the effects of the Great Depression. By the end of 1933, the national unemployment rate had jumped to just short of 25 percent.
The road to recovery was slow, but some areas saw a faster rate than others. This was true around Sidney in the first five months of that year.
The Kayser Silk Mill had provided jobs to many in the area for decades, and had hit a tough time. As the Sidney Enterprise of Feb. 1, 1934 reported. “As announced in these columns two weeks ago, Mr. Leo Lewin of Paterson, New Jersey, has secured the old Kayser silk mill property for occupancy and already the Kayser company has a force of men at work in the plant removing old machines, line shafts and all other personal property belonging to that company.
“While in the village Monday, Mr. Lewin announced that he had let the contract for re-enforcing the floors, making changes and alterations, to accommodate his silk making machinery, to Contractor M.D. Bennett and as soon as the timber can be cut and delivered from the Lakin saw mill, located on the Sidney Center highway just above this village, and the necessary socket castings arrive, Mr. Bennett expected to commence work on the contract.
“It is the intention of the new silk mill management to have each separate operation in the manufacture of silk located by itself, the machinery located on each floor of the new mill and when the mill is in full running operation, there will be employed at least 200 hands, about double the number employed at the Sherman avenue mill, and that Mr. Lewin’s investment in the plant will be at least $100,000.”
It was exciting when May rolled in, as the public was invited to an open house at what was now called the Schohanna Silk Mill.
Enterprise readers of May 10 found out, “A crowd of our people to the number of over 1,500 visited…Friday afternoon and evening,” May 4, “for the purpose of inspecting this modern broad silk making factory, and the trip proved not only enjoyable to the crowds but educational to the young people, for there were students from the Sidney and Sidney Center schools as well as from the Bainbridge and Unadilla central schools who were shown through the plant and had explained to them the manner of turning silk thread into broad silk.
“In the evening came the dance, with the local orchestra furnishing music, hundreds of couples filled the entire space on the third floor of the mill to enjoy the dancing.”
In the Great Depression, jobs like these were worth celebrating. But elsewhere in Sidney, it wasn’t only the Schohanna Mill that was providing jobs.
As the Enterprise reported on Feb. 22, “While there has been a general marking of time in almost all big industries for some time past, yet the present outlook makes it appear the turning point of the depression has been passed for some time and that business has a general trend that is not only encouraging to those in authority but really marks the beginning of a prosperity which will soon be enjoyed by all of our people.”
While a bit premature regarding the turning point, the Enterprise continued, “In a short interview…by Vice President Herman Hanni, of the Scintilla Magneto Co. …he stated that his company had recently added to the working force of the plant nearly one hundred employees, and the company was enjoying a rush of commercial as well as Government orders which will keep the plant humming for some time, and by his optimism he also intimated that he felt this condition would continue.”
News was likely well received for another project to employ more local people, as the Enterprise of March 1 reported, “Village Trustee Daniel Knapp, head of the village CWA (Civil Works Administration) projects, was in Delhi Wednesday to complete final details in regard to CWA improvement of the Sidney airport, and as the officials in New York city in charge of this branch of the work, were insistent that no delay be permitted in work of this kind, the final details were rushed through to headquarters, and it is expected that work on the project will begin as soon as weather conditions permit.
“Mr. Knapp stated that he believed that work would be given to about forty men on this project, so that the Sidney airport could be improved to government standards in as short a time as possible.”
On Wednesday, a peek back into our area’s life and times in March 1999.
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/.