Former Herkimer County history teacher finds it natural to write books about the past
As a retired history teacher, Joseph Collea Jr. feels writing a book on the history of Ilion was "a natural thing to do."
"Some people like to hunt and some people like to fish while some people like to dig through old piles of newspapers," Collea said. "I like to do research."
His latest book, "Our Town - Ilion, New York: A Selective Look at 300 Years of History," was released Jan. 3.
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Collea is a class of 1965 graduate of Ilion Junior-Senior High School, where he returned to teach history from 1969-1983. Then, he became vice principal from 1983-1992 and principal from 2001-2004. He also served Ilion residents as a village trustee from 1982-1987 and mayor from 1987-1993.
He retired in 2016 after 47 years in public education, including principal stints in Afton, Oxford, Mohonasen and Hartford.
Collea intimated he was inspired by the "Ilion Rembers" page on Facebook, where Ilion residents share their memories of times gone by in the village. Collea found the only real history book on Ilion was written in 1977, so he figured since he was retired he had plenty of time - and definitely the interest and background - to write one of his own.
In 450 pages, Ilion residents react to historical events like the building of the Erie Canal in the early 1800s right in their own backyard and the death of Abraham Lincoln in 1865. They contemplate local issues like naming the town and saving diseased elm trees. Centennial celebrations are planned to commemorate the 100th anniversaries of the founding of Remington Arms in 1816 and the incorporation of the village in 1852.
A personal favorite passage is describing the bobsledding events of the late 1800s, where thousands of spectators came out on a Saturday night to watch the action. Collea admitted he likes to put himself right into the moment and think about what it would have been like in a time before all of today's electronic distractions to enjoy outdoor bobsledding as a main source of entertainment.
Perhaps the most touching portion to himself is recalling the visit of President-to-be John F. Kennedy in September 1960 shortly before the election. Collea himself was there as a youngster, so he recalled first-hand the enthusiasm of that visit.
"That really stands out to me as a one-of-a-kind moment in our history," he said.
But only a few years later, Collea was shocked to hear of the assassination of that same president ... something he admits he struggled to deal with emotionally at that young age.
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Collea also wrote "The First Vermont Cavalry in the Civil War: A History," published in 2009 and the tale of the state's only mounted regiment that participated in 75 major Civil War engagements between 1862 and 1865.
His 2018 book "New York and the Lincoln Specials: The President's Pre-Inaugural and Funeral Trains Cross the Empire State" tells of the late president's two visits to the Ilion area - the first on his pre-inaugural railway tour and the second aboard a funeral train.
All three of his books are currently available on Amazon.
He said he enjoyed researching the Ilion history book and the folks at the library were very helpful to him. But he ended up with much more information than he expected.
"I had to rein myself in," he admitted. "I actually had 15 more chapters and over 600 pages. I'm a former history teacher and even I don't read 600-page history books. But now I have a good jump on another book already."
Collea said in addition to finishing part two to his Ilion history book by next year, he also is preparing to tell the tale of his old Ilion friend Boots Day, who became a professional baseball player notably with the Montreal Expos. That book is planned for a June 2022 release.
Response to the release of his Ilion history tome has meant a lot to him, Collea admitted.
"One of the nicest things about it is all of the people who have contacted me because of the book," Collea explained. "I've had former students and classmates reach out, and I really appreciate that they went to that effort."
Mike Jaquays is the community news reporter for the Mid-York Weekly. Email him at mjaquays@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Times Telegram: Former Ilion history teacher finds it natural to write about the past
