Utica buys strip of Erie Canal land: This week in Mohawk Valley history

1922, 102 years ago

City buys canal land

Utica Mayor Fred Douglas and members of the Common Council agree to buy from the state for $500,000 the abandoned old Erie Canal strip of land that runs through the city. The city will pay an additional $11,364 for the bridges that cross the 100-year-old canal, which was replaced in 1918 by the larger Barge Canal about a mile north of the older one.

Douglas says that it will cost about $1.5 million to remove the bridges, fill in the canal bed and pave it. (The city did just that and named the new east-west road Oriskany Street.)

1924, 100 years ago

On to Canada

The "Canadian" — a new, deluxe train owned by New York Central Railroad — begins daily overnight service from New York City to Toronto via Utica. It leaves New York at 6:30 p.m., arrives in Utica at 11:47 p.m., and enters Toronto at 7:50 am. It consists of a club car, dining car, drawing room and compartment and sleeping cars.

1949, 75 years ago

YMCA swimmers

Lynn Paquette will coach Utica YMCA swimmers in swim meets this season. They are Robert Boehlert, Alan Damsky, Jerry Plumb, Richard Kennedy, Richard Rondenelli, Thomas Sayles, Vic Degni, Dick Lane, Jack Slater, Mike Damsky, Bob Kenyon and Emerson Griffiths.

1974, 50 years ago

Names in the news

James W. Allen is re-elected to the Utica Board of Education.

Mike Phillips, a shortstop with Rome Catholic High School, blasts a grand slam home run to lead Rome to a 13-5 win over St. Francis deSales of Utica.

The Waterville Women's Bowling Association tournament is over and trophies are given out in Orchard Hall in Sauquoit to Jean Reile, Catherine Lenard, Sylvia Bonafield, Gwen Beach and Jo Tuttle.

1999, 25 years ago

Fire destroys theater

The Players of Utica's community theater on Oxford Road in New Hartford is destroyed by fire. No one was injured in the 130-year-old former church building blaze. Methodists in New Hartford built the church in 1869. The Players moved in in 1962. It was founded in 1913 and is the oldest community theater in the state. (The Players of Utica survives today at its theater at 1108 State St. in Utica.)

In high school baseball, Adirondack beats Rome Catholic High, 7-6, when Josh Spann's pinch-hit double breaks a 6-6 tie. Greg Lee and Dale Johnston also got hits for the winners. Meanwhile, Fred Carnevale and Jeff Morat each homered for Rome.

Professor Donald Reese is elected president of the Northeastern Association of Two-Year Colleges. He is executive director of the Center for Community and Economic Development at Mohawk Valley Community College.

The Salvation Army in Utica honors three citizens at its Civic Dinner: Sister Rose Vincent, president and chief executive officer of St. Elizabeth Medical Center; the Rev. David Sanders and Jenette Sanders for their work with the Utica Rescue Mission.

2014, 10 years ago

Genesis Group

The Genesis Group of the Mohawk Valley honors several health care professionals. They include Physician — Dr. Michael Kelberman, CNY Cardiology; Nurse — Mary Ellen Schrader, St. Elizabeth Medical Center; Health Care Leadership — Scott Perra, Faxton-St. Luke's Healthcare; Volunteer — Marolyn Wilson; Dentist — Dr. Charles E. Burns.

In high school baseball, Sauquoit Valley defeated Hamilton, 12-2. Zach Freeman and Chris Hillman each had three hits and two RBIs. Ethan Harris pitches a complete game and scatters seven hits.

The Kiwanis Club of the Central Adirondacks elects Mike Griffin as president. Jane Slack is treasurer and Linda Bamberger is secretary.

Trivia quiz

One of our U.S. presidents graduated from Union College in Schenectady. He later taught at a school in Schaghticoke, New York, just north of Troy. Can you name him? (Answer will appear here next week.)

Answer to last week's question : William Howard Taft was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1857. He graduated from Yale University in 1878 with a Bachelor of Arts degree. He and his wife, Helen, had three children -— Robert, Helen and Charles. In 1909, First Lady Helen Taft planted the first of thousands of cherry trees at the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. President Taft was a Unitarian. Taft's vice president was Utica's very own James Schoolcraft Sherman.

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: Utica buys strip of Erie Canal land: This week in Mohawk Valley history