Mohawk Valley history: A Proctor first, Tiny Tim and more

2012, 10 years ago

Zoo family growing

One female lion cub and one male are born at the Utica Zoo to Moni (the mama) and Bakari (the papa). At the same time, Munchkin, a California sea lion, is busy giving birth to a female pup. Porter is the father.

Debby Leiker is elected president of the Trenton Chamber of Commerce. Others elected include: Fitz Hardiman, vice president; Betsy Mack, secretary; John McCann, treasurer. New directors are Dan Hudon and Al Heywood.

Carol Ferguson Hernandez and the late Dr. James H. Cullen are inducted into the Whitesboro Teachers Hall of Fame. Hernandez retired in 2004 after 30 years as a business education teacher. Cullen was a principal in Whitesboro from 1955 to 1973.

1997, 25 years ago

A Proctor first

Kristopher Fudge, a June graduate at Thomas R. Proctor High School, is the first recipient of the Maria Williams Proctor Scholarship Award, sponsored by the Proctor Alumni Association. Fudge plans to attend Hamilton College. Maria Williams Proctor (1853-1935), widow of Thomas R. Proctor, was one of Utica’s great benefactors. She gave to many charities in the area and was a dedicated parishioner at Grace Episcopal Church. She and her husband gave Utica its magnificent park system.

In Oneida County American Legion baseball, Utica Post defeats Moran Post, 12-0, behind the pitching of Adam Fay and Sean Campbell and the hitting of Jerry Sangiacomo, Chris Donalty and David Mykel.

Priscilla L. Storm, a registered nurse and health education coordinator, introduces a new class of certified nurse assistants: Nicole Krupa, James Searfoss, Carol Elthrop, Stacey Case, Susan Cotton, Wanda Dougherty, Amy Thomas, Sherry Wilson, Brenda Price and Tammy Seelbach.

1972, 50 years ago

Tiny Tim

Singer Tiny Tim and his ukulele attract more than 3,000 fans to the Stanley Theater as part of the Roy Radin Vaudeville Review for the benefit of the Utica Firefighters Association.

Ronald J. Ross, of Belleville, is named principal of Mount Markham Junior Senior High School in West Winfield. He succeeds Thomas Sheeran.

Three area boards of education have new presidents: Cynthia Barnes in Westmoreland, George Hobaica in Utica and Bruce Field in Holland Patent.

1947, 75 years ago

Raise the bridge

The North Genesee Bridge over the Barge Canal in Utica will be raised five feet so that empty grain boats may pass through. When the project is completed, the steel bridge will be 22 feet above normal pool elevation. Loaded grain boats traveling from the Great Lakes to New York City have no problem, but when they return empty they are high in the water and need ballast to pass under the bridge. Raising the bridge will eliminate the need for ballast.

Two local singers, Helen Ann Witte, soprano, and Andy Carlo, baritone, are featured soloists at the Utica Civic Band concert at the Roscoe Conkling Park bandshell on Oneida Street and the Parkway. William P. Schueler directs the band.

1922, 100 years ago

Swindle victims

Fifty Utica men are swindled out of $15,000 by visiting out-of-town merchants. It prompts the Utica Chamber of Commerce to say: “This should convince Uticans to patronize hometown merchants who have proven to be reliable.” The victims had agreed to pay the Empire Tailor Company — not a local company — one dollar a week for 45 weeks and receive, after the final payment, a new suit, shirts and other merchandise worth $150. Also, names of seven men would be drawn out of a hat and each would receive free suits and overcoats. On the day of the drawing, Empire’s small office in downtown Utica fails to open and its owners leave town — with suits, shirts, merchandise and the victims’ money.

1897, 125 years ago

Richfield fire

Fire destroys Spring House, world-famous resort hotel in Richfield Springs. At the height of the blaze, Thomas R. Proctor, the Utican who is proprietor, shouts to his employees: “Touch nothing that belongs to the hotel until our 200 guests and all their belongings are removed to safety.” New York City’s Mayor William Strong, who is staying at the hotel, later praises Proctor and the hotel workers and says, “I did not even lose a toothpick.”

Trivia quiz

Can you name this president of the United States? He was the first president licensed to pilot an airplane, the first president born in Texas and the first to submerge in an atomic-powered submarine (a) Dwight D. Eisenhower, (b) Lyndon B. Johnson, (c) Gerald Ford, (d) George Herbert Walker Bush. (Answer will appear here next week.)

Answer to last week’s question: Ronald Reagan, 40th president of the United States, was a Republican. In November 1980, he defeated incumbent Democrat President Jimmy Carter, 43,901,812 to 35,483,820. In November 1984, he was re-elected when he defeated Democrat Walter Mondale, 54,451,521 to 37,565,334.

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: A Proctor first and Tiny Tim comes to town