A History of Oneonta from its earliest settlement to the present time by Dudley M. Campbell. Oneonta, NY G. W. Fairchild & Co. 1906 Transcribed & Contributed by Sandy Goodspeed

Excerpts from "Oneonta Memories."
By W. V. HUNTINGTON, 1891.
THE RAILROAD CELEBRATION IN 1865.

Toward the close of summer, Oneonta saw a day that was the most memorable in all her history-a day that may be termed the bright particular turning point in her career and which revealed the first faint glimmerings of that subsequent remarkable prosperity which is so well testified to by her great solid lines of brick and masonry which we now see.

That auspicious day was the 29th of August, and the occasion was the formal opening up to business of the Albany and Susquehanna railroad between Oneonta and the capital city of the state.

In this state it is proper to mention the name of an old and prominent citizen, whose energy and ability were conspicuously shown in overcoming the physical obstacles that existed in the face of this great work between Cobleskill and Oneonta. As most of my readers doubtless anticipate, I refer to Harvey BAKER.

The 29th of August opened with a beautiful morning, and before the day had far advanced every highway leading into the village was more or less thronged with people afoot and in conveyances, all bound for the common point of attraction.

The citizens had appointed a reception committee, comprising E. R. FORD, Esq., L. L. BUNDY, Esq., John M. FERRELL, D. M. MILLER, Colonel W. W. SNOW, D. J. YAGER, Esq., and Timothy SABIN, while another committee had erected arches completely spanning the prominent streets. These structures were profusely decorated with flags and flowers, and likewise displayed mottoes in the following significant sentences:

"Friends of our Enterprise, Welcome;" "Isolation Obsolete;" "The Hudson and Susquehanna United;" "Ramsey, Our Little Giant;" "State Officials-their Deeds in Lines of Iron;" "Ex-Governor, no Veto;"

"Governor Fenton, Our Railroad Friend," and "The Directors, Labor Omni Vincit."

The stores and public buildings were also decorated with flags.

About noon the excursion train from Albany arrived, bringing another addition to what was already the largest number of people Oneonta had ever seen within her borders at one time. Among the newly arrived guests were many prominent state and railroad officials, who were met at the depot by four companies of Colonel Dunbar's 41st regiment of State militia, headed by Major-General S. S. BURNSIDE and staff.

The invited guests were then escorted to the two village hotels, where dinner was served.

Early in the afternoon the distinguished visitors, accompanied by the reception committee, repaired to the First Baptist church-yard, where L. L. BUNDY, Esq., called the vast crowd to order.

Speeches were then made by Governor FENTON, Lieut. Governor ALVORD, Hon. J. H. RAMSEY, Judge GOULD, Wm. STEUART, Esq., Hon. George A. STARKWEATHER, and P. P. ROGERS, Esq.

At four o'clock p. m. the invited guests took the train to return to Albany, and their departure was made amid cheers from the men and boys, booming of cannon, music of the bands and the waving of many handkerchiefs in the hands of the fair sex.

It was truly a day whose enthusiasm is rarely equaled.

On the 19th of March, 1866, an excursion train was run to Unadilla, in honor of the formal opening of the railroad for business as far as that point. The train was drawn by the locomotive "E. R. FORD," and upon arrival from Albany and departure from Oneonta it was duly saluted by General BURNSIDE's "brass six-pounder." Among the earlier names of engines were "E. C. DELAVAN," "E. P. PRENTICE," "Jared GOODYEAR," "John COOK," "Charles COURTER," "Minard HARDER," "A. B. WATSON," "J. H. RAMSEY," "Peter CAGGER" and "John WESTOVER."

LEADING CITIZENS IN 1866.

Among the business and professional men of Oneonta about 1866 were E. R. FORD, Solon HUNTINGTON, Harvey BAKER, Charles W. LEWIS, PLACE & HUNTINGTON, J. C. TICE, Silas SULLIVAN, A. G. SHAW, D. M. MILLER, COPE Brothers & Co., L. S. OSBORN, PETERS & WICKWIRE, John M. PACKARD, S. H. CASE, M. D., Meigs CASE, M. D., H. A. HAMILTON, M. D., N. C. MOAK, J. H. KEYES, S. J. COOK, BUNDY & BRIDGES, P. G. WIETING, S. BOWEN, William McCRUM, R. W. HOPKINS, William D. BISSELL, William JOHNSTON, A. MENDEL & Brothers, James ROBERTS & Co., Jay McDONALD, N. I. FORD, D. J. YAGER, E. C. BUNDY, MARBLE & FARMER, T. S. GAULT, A. CHAPMAN, PECK & COATES, REYNOLDS Brothers & FRANCISCO, A. D. REYNOLDS, M. D., David T. EVANS, M. D., William H. MORRIS, Albert MORRIS, L. P. CARPENTER, G. W. REYNOLDS, Elisha SHEPHERD, S. BROWNSON, M. KEENAN, David MORRELL, L. GOLDSMITH, T. J. GILDERSLEEVE, A. J. GATES, Timothy WATKINS, J. R. L. WALLING, Timothy SABIN, E. R. SABIN, Potter C. BURTON, Col. W. W. SNOW, Major-General S. S. BURNSIDE, J. P. VanWOERT, M. N. ELWELL, H. SHELLMAN, Turner McCALL, H. J. BREWER, N. D. JEWELL, George BOND, S. HUDSON, H. S. PARDEE, W. S. FRITTS, Anthony WHITE, Deacon BINGHAM, William MICKLE, John CUTSHAW, J. S. DOOLITTLE, and H. McCALL.

PUBLIC SCHOOL PUPILS in 1868.

The following is a list of pupils comprising all who received tuition during the period that Mr. SAXTON was principal in the new building of the Oneonta Union Free School, commencing October 26, 1868. This was the first year of the Oneonta Union School.

Primary Department, Miss Lizzie WING, Teacher, term commencing October 26, 1868: Ellen MORENUS, Louisa CONVERSE, Carrie HUNTINGTON, Blanch VILLOZ, Ellen SPENCER, Jennie INGALLS, Flora STRAIT, Frank STRAIT, Josephine ALGER, Ida MANCHESTER, Lizzie JONES, Margaret JONES, Flora VANDERBURG, Hattie WICKHAM, Helen BREWER, LOUISA ALTON, May PEEBLES, George PEEBLES, Lottie BISSELL, Louis COHN, Gould MARBLE, William MALONEY, James MALONEY, William VANDERBURG, Floyd HARRINGTON, George LONG, Henry LONG, Charles BURGIN, Sherman REYNOLDS, Robert HOPKINS, Charles FARMER, Charles FAIRCHILD, Virgil BARNES, Frank BISSELL, Elmer HOWE, Debois HASBROOKE, Egbert HASBROOKE, Elmer COATES, Hattie BENNETT, Lelia DOOLITTLE, Laverne DOOLITTLE, Wesley SMITH, Clarence WETSEL, Clara POPE, Cora POPE, Minnie PRATT, Mary WHITE, Ada FORD, William FAIRCHILD, David ALGER, Edward ALGER, Alice WHITE, Hattie WHITE, Henry DRIGGS, Ella GARVIN, Katie HYNES, Florence WOOD, Avis YOUNGS, Robert KEENAN, Frank BRIGGS, Irving BRIGGS, George FRANCE, Lottie FRANCE.

Intermediate Department, Miss Mary C. VERGESON, Teacher; term commencing October 26, 1868.-William INGOLD, John BREWER, Jerome FULLER, Michael MALONEY, Howard FARMER, Richard COOPER, Arthur FORD, William MORRIS, Edward BARNES, El Dorr VanWOERT, W. V. HUNTINGTON, Edward CARPENTER, Reed SAUNDERS, Fred. WHITCOMB, Charles PARDEE, Charles LEWIS, Frank PARDEE, Howard WICKHAM, Fred SPENCER, Ambrose BISSELL, Leverne REYNOLDS, John JOHNSTON, Union OUSTERHOUT, Carr PECK, James MARBLE, Frank BARNES, Melissa GAULT, Ettie CARR, Helen PATTERSON, Louise ELWELL, Lizzie MYERS, Alice BEACH, Ella HARPER, Martha COATES, Lulie FORD, Fannie McDONALD, Mary JOHNSTON, Nellie FORD, Mary REYNOLDS, Flora JACOBS, Florence BASSETT, Estella HEMSTREET, Ida PARKER, Marion BEACH, Leanna HUBBARD, Viola DOOLITTLE, Kittie McGINLEY, Orline MICKLE, Mary PARDEE, Fannie CORNISH, Marcia DOOLITTLE, Amanda MICKLE, Merton FORD, Morrell NELSON, George SMITH, Emerson HASBROOKE, Wirt McCRUM, Adelbert BUTTS, Clarence SPAULDING, Jacob CORNISH, Emerald JEWELL, Charles MILES, Frank MILLER, Willie GRAVES, David ROSE, Leon MICKLE, Leopold MENDEL, Leon MENDEL, Robbie JACOBS, Willie MARBLE, James LONG, Philo BREWER, Jackson COUSE, Dell BEAMS, Eugene ALTON, George JONES, Herman SHERWOOD, Sylvester ALGER, Charles DYE, Millard BRIGGS, George WINSLOW, Lizzie SWART, Bertha NEWMAN, Lavanche HUDSON, Emma BISHOP, Nellie LEWIS, Anna COPE, Ada YAGER, Adna BREZEE, Mary SWART, Anna BEACH, Jennie STRAIT, Mary BREZEE, Ida BREWER, Alice FAIRCHILD, Rachael COHN, Jennie Ida BREWER, Alice FAIRCHILD, Rachael COHN, Jennie FAIRCHILD, Augusta HASBROOKE, Mary BURGIN, Jennie WATKINS, Alice BROWNSON, Kittie RAMSEY, Anna ALTON, Ida SHERWOOD, Augusta ALGER.

Senior Department, Wilbur F. SAXTON, Teacher; term commencing October 26, 1868:-Clark McCRUM, W. E. YAGER, Charles BAKER, Clinton VanWOERT, Frank PECK, Arthur SULLIVAN, William FIGGER, Henry SAUNDERS, Orson MILLER, Charles ALTON, James SLADE, Charles YOUNGMAN, Austin SAGE, Eugene PARR, Emery SMITH, William SHELLMAN, George PARDOE, John SILVERNAIL, Noble PATTERSON, Charles HASBROOKE, Charles A. SMITH, Henry POTTER, Fitch PARISH, Mathew CORNISH, Orrin YAGER, Maggie BIXBY, Emma GATES, Lucy BOND, Nellie MYERS, Emma BIRDSALL, Louise SULLIVAN, Nettie WICKHAM, Dora ROBERTS, Mary C. BURTON, Alice FARMER, Mary E. BLEND, Jennie McDONALD, Kate SULLIVAN, Myra E. BIXBY, Nellie HOWE, Helena UEBEL, Mary HOWE, Libbie CULVER, Anna Hudson, Viola TUCKER, Ella WHITCOMB, Belle PARDOE, Julia BREWER, Phebe RICHARDS, Leona MICKLE, Ambrose D. THURSTON, George INGALLS, Albert MARBLE, Edward LEWIS, Samuel REYNOLDS, Alfred SHAW, George GATES, William B. BISSELL, Marvin SIPLE, George HARPER, Willis PEEBLES, Alpheus SABIN, Richard BLAKELY, William BASINGER, George YOUNG, Emulus REYNOLDS, Edward PARDOE, Oscar MANCHESTER, Anna HALSTED, Rachel FARMER, Alice YAGER, Hattie FORD, Lou. FURNMAN, Francelia RICHARDS Anna WICKHAM, Hannah PEEBLES, Helen SULLIVAN, Mary ALTON, Hattie WARD, Mary MICKLE, Amanda SMITH (Laurens), Nettie SOULE (Colliers), Helena McCRUM, Hattie JENKS, Mary FARRINGTON, Hannah STRAIT, Ada CAMPBELL, Julia V. PATTENGILL (New Lisbon), Florence EATON (New Lisbon). Sundry other "Senior" pupils of 1868-70.-Azro TYLER (Westford), --- SEELEY, Leroy MICKLE, Herbert VanWOERT, David WICKHAM, Andrew WICKHAM, George BARLOW, Quincy PARISH, LeGrand PARISH, Andrew PARISH, Bernard GROSS, D. W. CHASE, Silas PARISH, Samuel S. SHEPHERD, Isaac B. PEET, Samuel BALLARD, Charles BREWER, Herbert SPENCER, Andrew FAGIN, Charles COBB, Charles CARL, Peter JOHNSTON, Perry BLEND, Leonard BEACH, Harvey PERKINS, Frank REYNOLDS, Flora DUNHAM, Emma DUNHAM, Lena BROWNELL, Anna WHITMARSH, Kate MANCHESTER, Miss WOODBECK, Delia BREWER, Ettie ROWE, Ettie SPENCER, Ella WHITNEY, Alice EMMONS, Ida OSTERHOUT, Amy BARNES, Anna J. RIGGS (Cannonsville), Flora BEACH, Lillie SWART, Alice C. WRIGHT, Martha SLOSSON, Sarah BREWER, Alice BETTS, Ella STEWART, Agnes WOOD, Alice Hathaway.



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