First Irish parade held 200 years ago: This week in Mohawk Valley history
1824, 200 years ago
First Irish parade
Utica's first ever St. Patrick's Day parade (200 years ago today) attracts the village's dozen or so Irish families -- and many of their neighbors, too.
John Corish Devereux, successful village merchant, organizes the parade and is its green-sashed grand marshal who proudly wears in his lapel a shamrock he imported from Ireland. He also is chairman of a St. Patrick's Day supper in the Bagg's Hotel.
The Utica Daily Observer (the granddaddy of today's Observer-Dispatch) reports that among those attending the supper is Owen O'Neil who, like Devereux, was born in County Wexford in Ireland. He arrived in Utica in 1816 at age 18 and became a skilled tinsmith and coppersmith. Others attending include Walter Fleming, an Irishman who makes and sells boxes; John Queal, an Irish shoemaker; Dr. Alexander Coventry, born in Scotland in 1768 and studied medicine in Glasgow and Edinburgh (Coventry Avenue in North Utica is named for him); Moses Bagg Jr., who built the hotel where the supper is being held; Squire Ezra S. Barnun, an Oneida County sheriff and tax collector; Charles Hardy, who owns a hardware store; Rutger Miller, who is building a mansion at the head of John Street (today known as historic No. 3 Rutger Park); Thomas Williams, an 1819 graduate of Hamilton College; David P. Hoyt, a tanner and shoemaker; Matthew Codd, an Irishman who settled in Utica in 1799, and Squire Ezra S. Cozier, former president of the village. (Devereux continued as the parade's grand marshal every year until his death in 1848. And each year he wore his green sash and shamrock freshly imported from Ireland.)
1924, 100 years ago
Stop speakeasies
Utica police begin to crack down on speakeasies in the city that sell alcoholic drinks illegally. William A. Douglas, commissioner of public safety, says, "Several of the speakeasies even are selling liquor to minors. We have received many complaints from parents. Police will raid such places and let landlords know that they are liable for any illegal activity in their buildings. We are going to make it impossible for speakeasies to continue in the city."
1949, 75 years ago
Yorkville elects
Rollo Cooper is elected mayor of Yorkville in a close race. The Citizens Party candidate receives 583
votes to 475 for James A. Widman, of the Liberty Party.
Meanwhile, the Eynon Restaurant team won the Utica's women's city bowling tournament at the Empire lanes in downtown Utica. The team bowls regularly in the Palace Girls Grill League and its members are Rose Roemer, Kay Jones, Ruth Miller, Sue Frey and Mildred Stanton.
1974, 50 years ago
Chicago Pneumatic
The Chicago Pneumatic Tool Company celebrates its 25th anniversary in the Utica area and announces that its work force has reached 2,000. R.N. Miller, executive vice president for operations, says, "The plant (in West Frankfort) has not only done well in fulfilling its function as a major supplier of power tools, but it has also been important to the community as a source of stable employment and purchaser of goods and services."
Teresa Jabour and Allene Massi are co-chairwomen of a St. Patrick's Day smorgasbord sponsored by the Catholic Youth Organization at St. Louis Gonzaga Church in Utica.
1999, 25 years ago
Heston honored
W. Craig Heston, chief executive officer of the Utica National Insurance Group, is named "humanitarian of the year" by the Utica chapter if the American Red Cross. A chapter official says, "He has made significant contributions to the Red Cross. He also has assisted the Cosmopolitan Community Center in its progress and established a scholarship program at Mohawk Valley Community College." Heston says, "We always felt as a company that it is important to give back to the community where you live."
In other news, Joe White is grand marshal of Utica's 90-unit St. Patrick's Day parade. Al Pulaski is parade chairman. White is vice president of The Friendly Sons of St. Patrick and is past president of the Ancient Order of Hibernians.
Two area volunteer fire departments honor firefighters. Raymond Hollenbeck retired last year after 27 years as chief of the Cassviile department. Art Simmons helped to establish the department 56 years ago. In the Westmoreland Fire District, Carl Hartman helped to establish the Lairdsville Fire Department 49 years ago.
2014, 10 years ago
YWCA event
The Mohawk Valley YWCA honors area women at its "Salute to Outstanding Women" luncheon. They include Jenna Wratten of New Hartford, arts and communication; Renee Scialdo Shevat of Cobleskill, business and industry; Alicia D'Ambrosio of Utica, education; Polly DiCesare of Sauquoit, health care; Evon Ervin of Utica, human and public service; Pamela G. Matt of New Hartford, professions; Kathryn
Stam of New Hartford, racial justice, and Barbara Putman of Oneida, unsung heroine.
Trivia quiz
I'll name the U.S. presidents; you name the college or university from which they earned their four-year degree. (1) John F. Kennedy, (2) (Jimmy Carter, (3) Thomas Jefferson, (4) Gerald Ford, (5) George Herbert Walker Bush -- the father, (6) Ulysses S. Grant, (7) Woodrow Wilson. (Answers will appear here next week.)
Answer to last week's question: John Adams was the first lawyer to become president. He graduated from Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1755 and was admitted to the bar in 1758. He began to practice law in Boston. On March 4, 1797, he was sworn in as second president of the United States and served until March 4, 1801.
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: This week in Mohawk Valley history: Outstanding women honored
