Mohawk Valley history: Museum's wax 'collection of curiosities' attracts hundreds in Utica

1828, 194 years ago

Coming soon: a 'real' mermaid

Dozens of stuffed animals, hundreds of stuffed and live birds and nearly 30 life-sized wax figures of famous people are attracting hundreds of Uticans each week to the village's first large museum. It is in a four-story building on the east side of Genesee Street between Bleecker and Elizabeth streets. (Utica was a village until 1832 when it was incorporated as a city.)

Linnaeus Peale — a showman from Philadelphia — runs Peale's Utica Museum and in a recent visit to Utica, promises that the museum soon will expand and "will have a real mermaid." That may or may not be, but what the museum does have on display are stuffed animals, including a South American ostrich and a 10-foot-long alligator.

The wax figures include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Christopher Columbus.

Also, appearing on stage in live shows are magicians, ventriloquists and jugglers. The Utica Observer reports that "the entire collection of curiosities is quite respectable."

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1922, 100 years ago

Proctor elected

Frederick Towne Proctor is elected president of the Utica Republican Club. The 66-year-old Proctor is well-known in area financial circles and is on the board of many knitting mills. He is the half-brother of the late Thomas R. Proctor, Utica's great benefactor. Both are the sons of Moody S. Proctor, of Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Frederick and Rachel Munson Williams were married in 1894 and lived in Fountain Elms for 21 years until her death in 1915. (The magnificent mansion now is on the Munson-Williams-Proctor Arts Institute campus.) Together they gave much to the city they loved. They had built and furnished St. Luke's Hospital on Whitesboro Street and also funded the erection of the East Utica Library on Lansing Street and Kossuth Avenue.

1947, 75 years ago

Notre Dame dance

The Utica Club of Notre Dame University has a dance in Hotel Utica and those in charge are graduates Michael McGuirl Jr., Thomas Reagan, George DeKime, Robert Lackey, Robert Brennan, Philip Aquino and Daniel Fessia.

1972, 50 years ago

Area landmarks

The Hamilton College Chapel, completed in the 1820s, is placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its tower and steeple façade was designed by well-known Albany-New York City architect Philip Hooker. John Lothrop, a college trustee, designed the main building behind the façade.

The chapel joins other Oneida County landmarks on the historic register: Fort Stanwix in Rome; the Oriskany Battlefield site; Fountain Elms in Utica; Utica State Hospital in Utica and the home of William Floyd in Westernville (He was one of 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence).

Robert Taft and Maurice Penet are co-chairs of next year's 36th annual George Washington dinner dance sponsored by the Utica Knights of Columbus.

Francis Dunning, of Herkimer, is named head of the mathematics and science departments at Mohawk Valley Community College.

1997, 25 years ago

Simpson leaves

Michael Simpson, president of Utica College for 10 years and at the school for 21 years, is given a farewell dinner attended by more than 500 in the college's Clark Athletic Center. He leaves to become president of American University in Paris. Under his leadership, Utica College achieved governmental independence from Syracuse University and quintupled its endowments to more than $10 million.

In high school basketball, Camden edges out Clinton, 58 to 56, in a thriller. Jessica Skelton hits a three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime and then scores four points in the extra period. She has 22 points and seven rebounds. Sandy Isbell adds 18 points. Clinton is led by Sarah Sullivan (26 points) and Renee Buhrow (11 rebounds).

Robert F. Julian, majority leader of the Oneida County Board of Legislators since 1978, is reappointed to the post by his Republican colleagues for another two years.

2012, 10 years ago

Firefighters elect

The New Hartford Fire Department elects officers that include: Thomas Bolanowski, chief; James Monahan, assistant chief; David Mazzatti, second assistant chief; Joseph Luker, president; David Butler, vice president; David Maier, treasurer; James Luley, recording secretary; Michael Galligano, financial secretary, and David Reynolds, director.

In high school basketball, Whitesboro defeats Notre Dame, 74 to 51, and is led by Luke Moore's 23 points. Tom Sblendorio adds 13 and Joel Jakubowicz 11. Notre Dame's high scorer is Simon Pitman with 20 points.

Trivia quiz

Which U.S. president-elect refused to move into the White House until it was cleaned and redecorated to his taste? (a) John Quincy Adams, (b) James Knox Polk, (c) Chester A. Arthur or (d) John Fitzgerald Kennedy. (Answer will appear here next week.)

Answer to last week's question: John F. Kennedy was 43 years, 236 days old when he was sworn in as 35th president of the United States on Jan. 20, 1961, making him the youngest person ever elected to the White House. But he was not our youngest president. On Sept. 14, 1901, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt was 42 years, 322 days old when he was sworn in as 26th president following the assassination of President William McKinley.

McKinley was shot on Sept. 6, 1901 at the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo and died eight days later. So, Roosevelt was not elected president by the people in 1901, but was in 1904 when Republican Roosevelt defeated Democrat Alton Brooks Parker.

This Week in History is researched and written by Frank Tomaino. E-mail him at ftomaino221@gmail.com.