Mohawk Valley history: Fire destroys city of Utica records on Hotel Street, ConMed expands

Frank Tomaino
·5 min read

1848, 174 years ago

City loses part of its past

Utica loses part of its past when fire damages a building on Hotel Street where city records and maps are stored. The Common Council also meets there. The fire convinces many Uticans that the city needs a city hall and no longer should lease space in which to conduct city business. Utica — incorporated as a city in 1832 — now has a population of 17,000.

Lost in the blaze are most village and city records dating back to 1798 (when Utica became a village), maps of the city used by the city assessor and a valuable oil painting of George Washington and paintings of many village presidents and city mayors.

In 1850, Richard Upjohn of New York City, the country's prominent architect, was hired to design a city hall at Genesee and Pearl streets (just north of today's Bank of Utica). He generally preferred the style of the Italian Renaissance for his public buildings and that's what he chose for Utica's city hall. The building — which cost $66,000 to erect — opened in 1854. Earlier, Upjohn had designed Grace Episcopal Church in downtown Utica.

More history:Civil War regiments wait, voter turnout drops, Clinton honors

Back in time:New hospital parking garage, remembering local veterans

1922, 100 years ago

'Selling' Utica

Leslie Lewis, of the Spitzil Real Estate office in Utica, wins first prize in a statewide oratorical contest in Albany where contestants are asked to "sell their city as a great place to live." Lewis says: "Take a map of the state and draw a line from New York City to Alexandria Bay, another line from Peekskill to Watertown, one from Albany to Oswego, one from Niagara Falls to Saratoga and one from Binghamton to Malone. The point at which all these lines intersect is Utica.

"Living is made easy for Uticans. They dry themselves after a morning bath with towels made in Utica, don underwear made in Utica, slip on clothes of fabric woven and tailored in Utica, step into shoes made in Utica, eat meals from food stuffs grown in the Utica area, watered down with milk from the headquarters of the Dairymen's League in Utica. It's not to be wondered then, that Utica's population has increased by 8,000 during the last two years to 104,000."

On Nov. 12, 1896, the state erected this monument at the Herkimer Home Historic Site in the town of Danube, near Little Falls in Herkimer County. It marked the final resting place of Gen. Nicholas Herkimer, who commanded the American militiamen at the Battle of Oriskany in August 1777 during the Revolutionary War. The main speaker at the Masonic dedication ceremonies for the 60-foot-high granite monument was retired Maj. Gen. Daniel Butterfield (on the left), who earned the Medal of Honor during the Civil War. The Utica native is best known today for co-composing the bugle call “Taps.” Herkimer was a Mason having joined the St. Patrick’s Lodge in Johnstown in 1768. Butterfield said at the dedication, “The blood of the brave General Herkimer and the patriots he commanded at the Battle of Oriskany was not shed in vain.”

1947, 75 years ago

Sing, students, sing

The music department at Oriskany Central School — headed by Alice Nelson — presents the operetta in two acts, "Jerry of Jericho Road." It features students Charles Thayler, Peggy Brennan, June Woodlins, Robert Smith, Lois Nelson and Carleton Baker.

1972, 50 years ago

Auditorium busier than ever

The Utica Memorial Auditorium is headed for a record-breaking year, says manager John Moriarity. It will top $130,000 in revenues, beating last year's record $125,625. This November's revenues are $9,684, half of which came on two nights — the appearance of the singing Carpenters, Karen and Richard, which attracted 6,000 people and grossed $3,290 in rental fees; and the Harlem Globetrotters game which brought in $1,524 in rent money.

Roberta Peters, famed coloratura soprano with the Metropolitan Opera Company of New York City, entertains a large crowd in the Stanley Theater in a program sponsored by the Great Artists Series.

Kenneth Hartzell is elected chief of the Clayville Fire Department.

Ronald Grossman is elected president of the Oneida County Bar Association.

1997, 25 years ago

ConMed expands

The ConMed (Consolidated Medical Equipment) Corporation, now in the former General Electric plant on French Road, continues to grow. It purchases Linatec — a subsidary of Bristol Myers Squibb — for $370 million. Linatec is a leading medical surgical device company specializing in the design, manufacturing and worldwide distribution of arthroscopy products and power instruments primarily used by orthopedic surgeons.

Eugene Corasanti, founder of ConMed in 1973 and current president and chief executive officer, says his company employs more than one thousand people in its French Road plant and worldwide. The purchase of Linatec will create about 300 jobs in its local plant. ConMed manufactures electrosurgery heart monitoring and other medical equipment.

Members of the West Canada Valley football team are state champions. They defeat Bronxville — the state's No. 1 ranked team — 22 to 14 in a thriller in the Carrier Dome in Syracuse. They earn the title: New York State Public High School Athletic Association Class D champions.

Coach Frank DeKalb's squad is led by senior tailback Radney Wood (the game's most valuable player) with 113 yards on 20 carries and two touchdowns. Junior fullback Mike Stevener adds 165 yards on 34 carries and one touchdown and senior wingback Shannon Eaton with 50 yards on eight carries. Other standouts include Quarterback Ron Lindsay and offensive linemen Kade Pogonowski, Dale Dygert, Kurt Crossett, Josh Maxwell, Matt Macrina and Mike Davidson.

In high school hockey, New Hartford defeats Corcoran, 7 to 2, and is led by Adam Foote's three goals and two each by Kyle Stevens and Sean Kotary. Goalie Andy Hill has eight saves.

2012, 10 years ago

Red Cross executive

Jennifer Balog, of Rome, is named community chapter executive of the American Red Cross, Mohawk Valley Chapter. She will manage Red Cross activities in Oneida, Herkimer and Otsego counties, including offices in Utica, Rome, Herkimer and Cooperstown.

Heather Frost, daughter of Lisa and Bob Frost of Sauquoit, is chosen Oneida County Farm Bureau's "student of the year." She is a senior at Morrisville College studying agriculture engineering and has an associate's degree in dairy science and a bachelor's degree in dairy management.

Faxton St. Luke's Healthcare announces two appointments: Susan Spina as director of social work and traditional care and Lynne Toussant as lead clinical documentation specialist.

Trivia quiz

Who was the first lawyer to become president of the United States? (Answer will appear here next week.)

Answer to last week's question: William Howard Taft, 27th president from 1909 to 1913, was the last president to have a mustache. Benjamin Harrison, 23rd president from 1889 to 1893, was the last president to have a beard.

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

This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: Mohawk Valley history: Utica records lost in 1848 fire on Hotel Street