Mohawk Valley History: NY Mills is incorporated; Mt. Carmel presents play

All about a boy named Benny

1778, 244 years ago

Eight-year-old Benjamin “Benny” Bache is not your typical American youngster for he is living a life of wonder and excitement in France. He is attending a boarding school near Paris and has just about mastered the French language.

Benny is the grandson of Benjamin Franklin, who is in France doing his part to help the American colonies win the Revolutionary War by convincing France to supply America with money, arms and ships. When Franklin left America for France in October 1776, he decided to take his two grandsons with him – 16-year-old Temple Franklin, son of his son, William; and Benny, son of his daughter, Sally, and her husband, Richard Bache.

The 70-year-old Franklin is not in the best of health and he believes that he probably will die in France and never see America again. He is comforted by the thought that his two grandsons will be with him when he closes his eyes on his death bed. (Franklin died in Philadelphia in 1790 at age 84.) He also is sure that the experience of living in France will be good for Temple and Benny.

More: Mohawk Valley History: The remarkable Abigail Adams; Utica police officers honored

Benny hopes to be a printer like his grandfather and is studying printing in school. One of his classmates is John Quincy Adams, 10-year-old son of John Adams, who has joined Franklin in France. Benny likes school, but looks forward to Sundays for he is allowed to leave school and dine with his grandfather.

(When a grown-up Benny returned to America, his grandfather set him up with a print shop in Philadelphia. That evolved into a hard-hitting, no-nonsense newspaper called “The American Aurora,” which Benny used to praise his hero, Thomas Jefferson, who believed in states’ rights to political freedom and opposed the Federalist Party’s belief in a strong central government. Benny also severely criticized federalists George Washington, John Adams and Alexander Hamilton.

(In 1798, during the administration of President John Adams, Congress passed the Alien and Sedition Acts. They gave the president the authority to fine or imprison any person who, by writing or speaking, aroused discontent with the government. Benny was arrested for libeling Adams, but died of yellow fever before he could stand trial. He was 29.)

1922, 100 years ago

N.Y. Mills incorporated

New York Mills is incorporated as a village and Dr. Dean Harrison – a member of the Horseshoe Party – is elected its first mayor. He defeats A.D. Cheethan, of the Four-Leaf Clover Party, 323 to 89. Robert Healy and W.S.H. Baker are elected trustees and James B. Gorton is elected collector. W.S. Thomas is the first village clerk, Charles Wayerink the first police officer and Christopher Van Leuben the first treasurer.

1947, 75 years ago

Shovelboard champs

Trinity Lutheran wins the Protestant Shovelboard League championship in Utica with players William Owens, Rudy Guckemus, Roy Cronk, Harold Stuttard, Art and Ed Leach and Earl, Carl and Ed Peterson.

1972, 50 years ago

Mt. Carmel players

The Mt. Carmel Community Theater presents “You Can’t Take It With You,” in the Kernan School auditorium. Roger Amodio is director and Etta San Andres is assistant director. Both also are in the cast as are Charles Sardina, Johanna Anguish, Louis Damelio, Joyce Capraro, Sharon Campola, Larry Felitto, Angel Mendez, Jay Trisolino, Angela Barresi (also the stage manager), Joseph Gimelli, Viola Aiello, Peter Elacqua, Virginia Caramadre, David Capraro and Ronald Surace.

In area bowling news, Zig Mierzwa rolls a 639 series on games of 225, 235 and 179 in the Central New York Business League at the Aurora. Isabel Legault has a 569 series on games of 186, 173 and 210 in the Aurora Ladies Pastime League.

Mohawk Airlines, with headquarters at the Oneida County Airport in Oriskany, is no more as it merges with Allegheny Airlines. Allegheny now is the sixth largest airline in the country, after United, Eastern, American, Delta and TWA.

1997, 25 years ago

Halls of Fame

The Rome Bowling Association inducts Robert Harper, William Scott and the late Anthony Cignarale into its Hall of Fame. Meanwhile, the Greater Utica Sports Hall of Fame inducts: Ed Swiecki, area coach and nationally ranked masters division swimmer; Allen Gilberti, star athlete at Utica Free Academy and Ithaca College and a Section III officer; Howard Rubin, longtime runner and running promoter; Jackie Tompkins, head coach of the girls track & field team at New Hartford Central Schools; Jack Kane, former Clinton Comet hockey player and hockey coach at Clinton Central Schools; Laura Bradley, longtime judo competitor; the late Bill Deck, great athlete at Whitesboro Central School and St. Lawrence University and respected coach and official; the late Bill O’Donnell, Baltimore Oriole broadcaster who began his career in Utica.

Terry Ibbotson retires as executive director the Utica Symphony Orchestra. She says, “It has been wonderful, even though it has been difficult. After you spend (21) years eating and sleeping for the symphony, you have got to get on with your life.”

2012, 10 years ago

School superintendent

Charles Chafee is named superintendent of the Waterville Central Schools. He currently is superintendent of the Stockbridge Valley School District. He replaces Gary Lonczak, who has retired.

Trivia quiz

Who was the first U.S. president to be sworn into office by a woman? (a) Grover Cleveland, (b) Franklin D. Roosevelt, (c) Lyndon B. Johnson, (d) Barack Obama. (Answer will appear here next week.)

Answer to last week’s question: On Aug. 4, 1942 – during World War II – President Franklin D. Roosevelt was godfather at the christening of Prince George of Kent, son of the Duke of Kent, the youngest brother of Great Britain’s King George VI. The duke served as proxy for Roosevelt at the ceremonies.

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: Mohawk Valley History: NY Mills is incorporated; Mt. Carmel presents play