Theodore Roosevelt's road to the presidency begins in Utica

Frank Tomaino
Updated ·5 min read

1884, 139 years ago

Moving on up

It all began in Utica on a day in April in '84 when Republican Party leaders from across the country began to notice, for the first time, a young, brash and energetic state assemblyman from New York City named Theodore Roosevelt.

his is how it all came about.

Roosevelt was early. Two days early. The Republican state convention in Utica would not convene until April 23, but the 25-year-old Roosevelt had much to do. The convention would give him the opportunity to prove to national Republican leaders that he was not a follower, but a doer who got things done.

It was early-to-bed, early-to-rise for these boys who attended the St. Vincent’s Industrial School on Rutger Street in Utica, between Taylor and Conkling Avenues (today the site of St. Louis Gonzaga Church). It was run military style by the Christian Brothers and accepted boys between ages 6 and 15, some as far away as New York City. They attended school, received religious instruction and worked at least three hours a day in the school’s machine shop and farms. St. Vincent’s was destroyed by fire in 1925.

The national political spotlight would be aimed at Utica during the convention because New York was sending a large delegation to the GOP national convention in Chicago in June and that convention would be picking the man who would be running for president of the United States in the November elections. The Utica convention — in the Utica Opera House on the northeast corner of Lafayette and Washington streets — would elect four delegates-at-large for the national convention.

The two leading GOP candidates for president were incumbent President Chester A. Arthur and the influential James G. Blaine. Roosevelt favored the underdog, U.S. Sen. George F. Edmunds, of Vermont. He was an honest man and a reformer, although not as dynamic a reformer as Roosevelt.

The Utica convention opened and Roosevelt quickly established himself as the dominant politician in the house. He got an Edmunds supporter elected chairman of the convention and himself and three other Edmunds supporters elected as the four delegates-at-large. Then, Roosevelt was chosen to head the powerful New York delegation to Chicago. It convinced national GOP leaders that young Roosevelt should be reckoned a politician ready for bigger and better things in the party.

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(In 1899, Roosevelt was elected governor of New York. On March 4, 1901, he was sworn in as vice president of the United States. On Sept. 14, 1901, after the assassination of President William McKinley, Roosevelt became our 26th president. He was only 42 years old, the youngest president in history. And it really all began in Utica on a day in April in '84.)

1923, 100 years ago

Utica author

The current issue of Mystery Black Mask magazine, which has a circulation of 1 million readers, contains the latest novelette by Herman Peterson, of Howard Avenue in Utica's Cornhill section. It's called "Ghost Ship," and is the latest of more than a dozen stories Peterson has had published in magazines in the United States and England. He receives two cents a word and says his longest work paid him $200. He works in the Observer-Dispatch circulation department.

1948, 75 years ago

Seymour School

The Utica Board of Education approves a plan to spend $400,000 to build 12 new classrooms in Horatio Seymour School in North Utica.

1973, 50 years ago

Moon rocks

The Kopernik Memorial Association of Utica sponsors a grand ball in the Utica Memorial Auditorium to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Polish astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus. On display will be rocks collected on the moon by astronauts Charles Conrad and Alan Bean on their Apollo 12 mission.

Rocco F. Clemente, of Utica, a design engineer for the state Department of Transportation, is appointed acting director of the department's Region 2.

1998, 25 years ago

School budget

The Utica Board of Education passes a $70.4 million budget that will create a full-day kindergarten program and hire 15 new teachers for middle and elementary schools. The budget is $3 million more than last year's budget, but does not contain a tax increase because of state aid.

The Prospect Fire Department elects Wayne Premo as its chief. Others elected include: Ray LaComb and Jeff Hopsicker, assistant chiefs; Nick Delaware and Ted Kulikowski, captains; Kyle Kennerknecht and E.J. Pruckno, lieutenants; Chris Walker, captain EMS; Al Walker, lieutenant EMS; Peter Kulikowski, captain fire police; Dave Rikard and John LaComb, lieutenants fire police, and Don Fitzwilliams, engineer.

In high school girls lacrosse, Rome Free Academy defeats Central Square, 10-5, behind the play of Kristin Granacki (4 goals), Nikki Hinman (2 goals), Aryanna Platt (2 goals), Cindy Brady (1 goal) and Meghan Donnelly (1 goal).

2013, 10 years ago

Costello honored

Taralyn Costello receives the "amethyst award" for "improving the delivery of services to people with both mental illnesses and substance abuse. She is director of substance abuse services and dual recovery coordinator for the Oneida County Department of Mental Health.

In high school baseball, New Hartford defeats Notre Dame, 5-4, when Matt Desens drives in the winning runs with a two-run single in the sixth inning. Mark Chanatry gets the win by pitching a complete game.

Trivia quiz

In 1906, Theodore Roosevelt became the first U.S. president to visit a foreign country while in office. He visited (a) Canada, (b) Panama, (c) Japan or (d) Peru. (Answer will appear here next week.)

Answer to last week's question: The secretaries of state and the presidents they served: William H. Seward (Abraham Lincoln), Madeleine Albright (Bill Clinton), Alexander Haig Jr. (Ronald Reagan), John Foster Dulles (Dwight D. Eisenhower), Cordell Hull (Franklin D. Roosevelt).

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: Theodore Roosevelt's road to presidency began in Utica: Mohawk Valley history