How Savings Bank of Utica was born: This week in Mohawk Valley history

Frank Tomaino
·6 min read

1839, 184 years ago

Milestone in May

A 24-year-old Irishman from Boonville named John Hurley enters an office at 10 Bleecker St. in Utica — on the south side of Bleecker a half block from Genesee Street — and plunks down $100 on a desk near the front door. Sitting there is Stalham Williams, a tall, thin, dignified-looking man who says, "Congratulations, John. You are our first depositor."

It is May 18 and the new Savings Bank of Utica is open for business. Williams is its secretary-treasurer. (The bank no longer exists, but a building it erected in 1899 still stands at Genesee and Bank Place and its gold dome continues to be a landmark in downtown Utica.)

Hurley works for John and Nicholas Devereux, whose brick and fireproof dry goods and grocery store is on the west side of Bagg's Square. The brothers are from Enniscorthy in Wexford County in Ireland and are well liked and trusted by villagers, especially the fast-growing number of Irish laborers in the region. Many of them, for the first time, have money to save. But where can they put their savings? There always is the danger of fire in their frame houses and the number of thefts in the village has been increasing as more and more settlers from New England heading west are staying overnight in Utica's many hotels. A small number of the settlers are of questionable character.

The Proctor Memorial Building at Bagg Commemorative Park was built by Maria Williams Proctor in 1933 in memory of her late husband, Thomas R. Proctor. The little stone building marks the site of Bagg’s Hotel which Proctor once owned. When the hotel was razed in 1932, she had the small building erected at a cost of $10,000 to house hotel records. Many of those records have since disappeared, although a hotel register dating back to the 19th century is now part of the Oneida County History Center collection. The building is constructed of sandstone from this area and is based on French Renaissance architecture. On Saturday, May 20, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Lou Parrotta, city of Utica historian and a member of the board of trustees at the Oneida County History Center, will conduct tours of the building. It is free and open to the public.

Now the Devereux brothers have in their store something no other store for miles around has — a theftproof, iron strong box. So many Irish laborers turn to the brothers who allow them to leave their saving in the strong box. When the amount of money grows to a large sum, Nicholas Devereux decides to invest the money and give all interest it earns to the laborers. It is the informal beginning of the Savings Bank of Utica.

The Devereux brothers eventually decide to ask the state for a bank charter and it is issued this year on April 26. John Devereux is listed as president and Thomas Walker as vice president. Nicholas Devereux is one of the trustees. The charter says the amount of money any one person can deposit is limited to $2,000. (The deposits the bank's first year total $27,607.)

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1923, 100 years ago

Elks on parade

Members of the Utica Elks' new marching band — resplendent in purple and white uniforms — parade down Genesee Street to Bagg's Square where they board a train to Albany. There they will make their first official appearance, performing at the state convention of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. The Utica band is directed by Al Sittig, a local music teacher.

1948, 75 years ago

Bowling champs

The Edith Errington team wins the Girls Bowling League at the Royal lanes in Utica. Members are Elsie Selbach, Tress Vollentine, Frances Nikodem, Lorelei Albert and Frances Kurcaba.

1973, 50 years ago

Gasoline shortage

The gasoline shortage has begun to affect area service stations, including those on the Thruway. Stations are being allocated smaller amounts of gasoline from their parent oil companies. At most stations on the Thruway, motorists cannot buy more than 10 gallons. For many, it is an inconvenience for they have to stop at least twice on the Thruway to fill up before reaching an exit.

Rome Free Academy places in 15 of 19 events — with five firsts — to win the 53rd annual Track and Field Meet at the Rollin W. Thompson Stadium at Thomas R. Proctor High School in Utica. Rome's Kevin Davis is a double winner and record breaker with a discus heave of 157-2. He also wins the shot put with a toss of 53-10.

Proctor wins the Lou Cook Memorial 4-mile relay with Larry and Bruce Hoffsetter, Rich Ambruso and Mark Papagno. They establish in new record at 19.01.3. Notre Dame wins the 2-mile relay in 8.25.8 with Ron and Peter Dunn, John Maraffa and Paul Sczesniak.

1998, 25 years ago

Rome pastor honored

The Rev. Carlton VanOrnum is named "senior citizen of the year" by the Oneida County Office of the Aging for his "outstanding community service." He is pastor emeritus of the First United Methodist Church in Rome.

Two violin students from New Hartford are accepted by the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra's Youth String Orchestra. They are: Alexandra Cooper, a 6th grader at the Oxford Road Elementary School (whose violin teacher is Thomas McAvaney of Ilion) and Sharon Mohar, a 5th grader at Hughes Elementary School (whose teacher is Linda Spiwak).

The Yorkville Memorial VFW, Post 6001, elects Douglas Voss as its commander. Other officers include: Thomas Sychtyz, senior vice commander; Tadeusz Wegrzyn, junior vice commander; Thomas Lester, adjutant; Stephen Rys, service officer; William Kane, quartermaster; Stanley Thomas, chaplain, and trustees Edward Manna, Joseph Lapata and Edward Noonan.

In high school softball, Proctor defeats Rome Free Academy, 5 to 3, behind the hitting of Kim Sullivan and Jennifer Eck. Stephanie Festa has two hits for Rome. Meanwhile, Vernon-Verona-Sherrill defeats Notre Dame, 7 to 5. Sarah Durant has a grand slam for VVS and Heather Yerkie pitches a 4-hitter. Kristen Raab has two hits and drives in three for Notre Dame.

2013, 10 years ago

Top students

Brandy Miller, a native of Rome, is named valedictorian for the Class of 2013 at Utica College (today Utica University). She is an English major. Yulia Vabishchevich, a native of Frankfort, is salutatorian. She is a biology major.

The Boilermaker Road Race's board of directors adds two new members. They are: Randall J. VanWagoner, president of Mohawk Valley Community College since 2007, and Anita Moller, a registered nurse at Faxton-St. Luke's Healthcare. She is a veteran of 16 Boilermaker runs and 26 marathons.

The Zonta Club of Utica awards three scholarships to women who returned to school after an interruption of their studies. They are: Judith Durso, of Whitesboro, and Theresa Duffy, of Herkimer, who are attending the St. Elizabeth College of Nursing, and Natasha Yeates, of Liverpool, who is pursuing a master's degree in nursing administration at SUNYIT.

Trivia quiz

Five of our U.S. presidents have only four letters in their last name. Name them. (Answer will appear here next week.)

Answers to last week's question: President John F. Kennedy's daughter, Caroline, became U.S. ambassador to Japan and then Australia … Theodore Roosevelt, at his inauguaration, wore the ring that Abraham Lincoln was wearing when he was assassinated. Roosevelt was lent the ring by John Hay, Lincoln's private secretary … Ronald Reagan, as a lifeguard from 1927 to 1932 at Lowell Park beach near Dixon, Illinois, saved the lives of 77 persons from drowning … Franklin Pierce is the only president to retain the same cabinet for four years without any changes due to resignations, illness or death.

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: Savings Bank of Utica got its start in 1839: Mohawk Valley history