100 Years Ago
In 1912, the reunion of the "old boys" who attended school under Professors Wright and Jewell, which was so long looked forward to and for which such elaborate preparations were made, took place Friday evening in the Falconer school and would be classed among the great events in the history of Falconer. More than 100 of the so-called "old boys" were present, many of them from distant points and who came for the express purpose of attending the banquet. Before sitting down to the tables a trip through the old building was made and the fellows once more viewed their old classrooms and located their old seats. The names, addresses, occupations, etc., of those present were taken down in a special record book prepared for the purpose and would be kept in the school library.
The parlors of the First Congregational Church were crowded Friday evening at the Christmas exercises of the Bible school. A pleasing cantata entitled Foxy Santa was given by a cast made up from the members of the school. The young people were trained by Miss Florence Sweet of the church choir. The plot was a catchy one, especially for the children. A stuffed Santa made up to imitate the genuine article was prepared by a number of philanthropic young people and a Christmas tree trimmed to entertain the children at an orphan's home. Real Santa somehow takes the place of the stuffed Santa and all goes well until some red pepper causes Santa to sneeze and the fun begins.
75 Years Ago
In 1937, emerging from a nine-hour power failure, Buffalo, New York's second largest city, this day returned to normal after its second paralyzing blow in three weeks. Engineers of the Niagara Hudson Power Corporation were investigating causes of the disastrous fire the previous day at their River Road generating plant that cut off electricity to an estimated 100,000 users in the city and suburbs. Just three weeks ago this night, a blizzard began in the same area and paralyzed transportation over Western New York for four days.
The Art Metal Construction Company, Jamestown's largest manufacturing concern and recognized pioneer in the steel office equipment industry, would reach the half-century mark in continuous operation in the coming year. Founded back in 1888 as the Fenton Metallic Manufacturing Company and enlisting the services and capital of several of the foremost residents of the little city chartered but two years earlier, it had won an international reputation in its particular field, with its three plants in Jamestown; sales offices and agencies throughout the United States and its offices and plant in London, England.
50 Years Ago
In 1962, more than 8,000 discarded Christmas trees were scheduled for collection by Jamestown Jaycees and disposal in their annual "Big Burn" at 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Jan. 6 at Bergman Park, Baker Street, Jamestown. Residents had been requested to have their trees at the curb by Friday night, Jan. 4. Cub, Explorer and Boy Scouts would start picking up the trees at 8 o'clock the following morning. The City of Jamestown would furnish five trucks and a tractor to pile the trees. Tires to serve as igniting fuel would be provided by Firestone Stores, B.F. Goodrich Co., and Barmore-Sellstrom, Inc. The "Big Burn" attracted spectators from a wide area and as many as 3,000 persons had been in attendance in past years.
Two 6-year-old boys from the Town of East Otto who were severely injured Friday when a sled on which they were riding was struck by an automobile, were reported in "fair" condition at Chaffee Memorial Hospital. Victims of the mishap were Daniel Steinbar, whose home was on Maynard Road and Edward Dudley, of Bowen Road. The sled bearing the two children came out of a driveway on Maynard Road into the path of an automobile driven by Eleanor C. Myers, 39, of Bowen Road. The driver told authorities that high snowbanks at the side of the road prevented her from seeing the sled and the two boys until they were directly in the path of her car.
25 Years Ago
In 1987, two women were killed in a traffic accident on a slippery Warren County road the previous day, one of many area accidents that were caused by a passing snowstorm. The fatalities were the result of a two-car crash in the afternoon on Route 62 in Limestone Township about a mile north of Tidioute. Esther V. Yedager, 74 and Hattie M. Williams, 87, were pronounced dead at the scene by James Higgins, deputy county coroner. Both were passengers in a car being driven south by Donna F. Yeager, 70. Mrs. Yeager lost control of the car on the icy roadway and slid off before skidding across the road and into the path of a car being driven by Dale E. Storer, 54. Mrs. Yeager and Storer were in stable condition in Warren General Hospital. All were from Tidioute.
A hunter and two deer apparently were electrocuted by a high-voltage power line brought down by a fallen tree, authorities said. Cattaraugus County Sheriff's Department deputies said 20-year-old Michael Uhteg of Chaffee went hunting early the previous morning and was reported overdue late in the day. A search party found Uhteg around 8 p.m. along an electric line right of way about 100 feet from Hillaker Road in the town of Yorkshire, about 30 miles south of Buffalo. A tree had fallen and brought down a 4,800 volt power line which electrocuted the two deer. Uhteg apparently was electrocuted when he approached the deer.