Flooding brings literary great to Utica for the night: This week in Mohawk Valley history

Frank Tomaino
·5 min read

1868, 155 years ago

A most famous visitor

It has been a week since Utica's Bagg's Hotel played host to the famous Englishman, but each day since, the hotel lobby has been frequented by Uticans eager to get a close look at his signature on the hotel register. (The register now is part of the Oneida County History Center collection.)

Charles Dickens — the popular novelist who has given us such memorable characters as Ebenezer Scrooge, Tiny Tim, Oliver Twist, David Copperfield, Pip and Sidney Carton — is touring the United States giving public readings from his works. They include: "A Christmas Carol," "A Tale of Two Cities," "Great Expectations" and "The Pickwick Papers."

Dickens was a passenger on the eastbound Buffalo Express that was scheduled to stop in Utica for 15 minutes before heading for Albany where he was to speak. In Utica, passengers were told that heavy rains had caused the Mohawk River to overflow its banks and New York Central tracks in the Fort Plain area were under two feet of water.

Here are the 1947 Utica Blue Sox who won the Eastern League pennant with a 90-48 record. They played their home games at McConnell Field off Genesee Street in North Utica. Sitting, left to right, Richie Ashburn (who played in the major leagues for 15 years and had 2,574 hits and a .308 batting average. He was one of the Philadelphia Phillies “Whiz Kids” who won the National League pennant in 1950. He is in the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown); Dale Jones, Bill Linderman, Orient Martella, Bill Jankowski, Rocky Tedesco and Bob Chakales. Middle row, left to right, Frank Whalen, Bill Glynn, Stan Lopata (another “Whiz Kid” who in a 13- year major league career had 681 hits and a .254 average); Putsy Caballero (a “Whiz Kid”); Bill Pless, Bill Revels, Attillo Panaranto and Ettore (Yogi) Giammarco. Standing, left to right, Vance Dinges, Jim Ackeret, Lou Heyman, Bill McGurk Granny Hamner (another “Whiz Kid” who in a 17-year major league career had 1,529 hits and a .262 average); Hilly Flitcraft, Eddie Sawyer (who managed the Utica Blue Sox and the 1950 Philadelphia “Whiz Kids.” In eight years as head of the Phillies, he had a 390-423 win-loss record); and Trainer Fred Thiel.

The conductor then said, "We are staying in Utica overnight. There is a large hotel on Main Street just a few feet from the railroad depot."

So, the 56-year-old, bearded, long-haired Dickens was given a room with a view to the north and toward the foothills of the majestic Adirondack Mountains. After dinner, he went window-shopping along Genesee Street. He always enjoyed walking and often did so in London. The next morning, he was back on the train, continuing his journey to Albany.

1923, 100 years ago

Busy store

The Wicks & Greenman men's clothing store, on Franklin Square in downtown Utica, sells more men's clothing than any other store between New York City and Buffalo, say state commerce officials. The store — celebrating its 19th anniversary this week — was founded in 1904 by Charles Wicks and George Greenman.

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1948, 75 years ago

Message to Italy

Italian Americans in Utica and Frankfort are sending air-mail letters to relatives in Italy, urging them to vote against the Socialist-Communist Bloc in next month's Italian elections. The Rev. Caesar Donanzan, of Utica's St. Mary of Mount Carmel Church, and the Rev. Edward Hogan, of St. Mary's in Frankfort, are heading the letter-writing project and say that a Communist victory will ruin the country. So far, about 10,000 letters have been sent. (On April 18, anti-Communist forces, led by the Christian Democrat Party, defeated the Communists by a 2 to 1 margin.)

1973, 50 years ago

Faxton closes ward

Faxton Hospital in Utica closes its obstetrical services due to a declining birth rate and a reduction in the number of doctors practicing obstetrics, says Administrator Robert Anderson. The 11 beds in the maternity ward will be used for medical-surgical patients.

Among those entertaining at Temple Beth El's seventh annual Cabaret Night are Kim Slater, Andi Fisher, Amy Brown and Nancy Goldstone. Co-directors are Bob Carr and Darlene Wentworth.

The Utica Board of Education votes to buy land near the former Don's Downtown Ford building at 320 Elizabeth St., and erect a building there to accommodate a central kitchen and buses for handicapped children.

1998, 25 years ago

Rome United Way

The United Way of Rome and Western Oneida County elects Frank A. Anderson as president of its board of directors. Others elected include: Jeff Herber, first vice president; Donna Cole, financial officer; Susan Mendiola, treasurer, and Kathy Paquette, assistant treasurer. Board members re-elected: Geraldine Mortis and Renee Scherer.

Board members elected: David Bovi, Phil Del Piano, the Rev. Frank Graichen, Laurie Grube, Lorraine Krup, Joseph Maurer, Charles Messenger and Sally Ruby. Honored for services are retiring board members: C. William Bowler, Barbara Chilluffo, the Rev. Philip Hearn, Eileen Deruby and Richard H. McMahon Jr.

Students at John F. Hughes Literature/Technology Magnet School in Utica dance in a conga line as part of a program to give students the opportunity to appreciate different cultures around the world using music and dance to do so. Among those dancing are Judy Morales, age 11; Adelyn Ramirez, 9; Osvaldo Colon, 9 and Andrew Diover, 11.

2013, 10 years ago

Whitesboro is 200

Whitesboro celebrates its 200th birthday for on March 26, 1813, the state Legislature changed its name from Whitehall Landing to Whitesborough and incorporated it as a village. (The name later was changed to Whitesboro, but no local action was taken to elect officers. On June 15, 1829, the village of Whitesboro was incorporated and local elections took place.)

The Abraham House in Utica elects Albert Shaw Jr. as president of its board and accepts the Rev. Paul Salamy as a board member.

The Oneida County Magistrates Association elects officers: David W. Kozyra, justice of the town of Marcy court, president; William Osbourne, village of Vernon court, vice president; James Trombino, village of Sylvan Beach court, treasurer; Daniel Appler, town of Whitetown court, corresponding secretary, and Bernadette Scharbach and Terri Sciortino, clerks in the town of Marcy court, recording secretaries.

Trivia quiz

It is customary to honor the presidents of the United States with 21-gun salutes. Why? What is the significance of the number 21? (Answer will appear here next week.)

Answer to last week's question: Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981, was the first president born in a hospital. He was born on Oct. 1, 1924, in the Wise Sanitarium (a hospital and convalescent home) in Plains, Georgia.)

This Week in History is researched and written by Frank Tomaino. E-mail him at ftomaino221@gmail.com.

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Flooding strands Charles Dickens in Utica: Mohawk Valley history