Taking a look back at Utica's 'first lady.' A look back this week in Mohawk Valley history

Frank Tomaino

1832, 192 years ago

Utica's 'first lady'

Sarah Backus Kirkland, the new city of Utica's first "first lady," is a gracious, efficient woman who strength and character will make Utica a great city. So, say many of its citizens.

Her husband, Joseph Kirkland, was chosen last month by the Common Council to be the city's first mayor. He says, "Sarah is a worthy partner. Utica and I are fortunate to have her as the city's official hostess."

In 1819, Morris S. Miller, a Utica Episcopalian, donated three lots on the southwest corner of John and Bleecker streets to area Catholics who planned to build the first Catholic Church in central and western New York. The first St. John’s Church was completed in 1821. After 14 years of service, it was decided to replace the first church with a second church. It was completed in 1836 and is shown here. Its design was a Greek Revival with a sloping roof—and no tower. The parish continued to grow and by the mid-1860s, it was decided to build a third church. The second church was torn down and while the third church was being built, parishioners worshiped in the old Court House on John Street and in Utica Catholic Academy. The church—its edifice still stands today—was completed in 1872.

She has raised 10 fine children, including Charles, an attorney in New York City; and William, a professor of Latin at Hamilton College -- a college founded by his great uncle, the Rev. Samuel Kirkland. Sarah's son-in-law, William J. Bacon, describes his mother-in-law as having "sound intellect and clear judgment ... she has the faculty to impress her own character strongly upon the minds and hearts of her children, thus her influence -- which has always been on the side of truth and charity -- has been perpetrated through her posterity and may be for generations to come."

1924, 100 years ago

New convent

Holy Trinity Church, on Lincoln Avenue in West Utica, will have a new convent built this summer. It will include 26 rooms for sisters of the Holy Family of Nazareth, who teach the more than 1,300 students who attend the church's school.

1949, 75 years ago

UFA on the air

The Utica Free Academy (UFA) Radio Club presents the musical play, "Singin' in the Rain," on Radio WIBX's "Young America, Our Town." Students participating include Jackie Roback, Arthur Coppotelli, Connie Eddo, Bob Scala, Arlene Jakubowski, Ronald Goldstone, Ric Fisher, Hibbard Williams, James Potter, Fritz Liebermann and Alan Strauss. Faculty advisers are Maria Landolfi and Alice Higgins.

1974, 50 years ago

Holmes elected

Everett Holmes is elected mayor of the village of Bridgewater in southern Oneida County. It is believed that he is the only black mayor in the state. He was not on the ballot, but received 69 write-in votes.

Villager Catherine Money says, "I've been here for more than 20 years, and he has done more to beautify the village than anyone. He is a hard-working man, and everybody loves him."

Meanwhile, the Ladies 18-Hole Golf Association at the Honey Hills Country Club, in Newport (later renamed the Golf Club of Newport), elects officers. They are Marilyn Boice, president; Shirley Taylor, vice president; Marilyn Hensel, events chairwoman; Sue Moore, secretary, and Ann Farquhar, treasurer.

1999, 25 years ago

Barber shop singers

The Mohawk Valley chapter of the Barbershop Singers installs Don Drake as its president and assistant director. Others elected include Terry Couch, vice president of music and performances; Rich Schlaegel, vice president of chapter development; Bob Feldman, secretary; Bob Hopkins, musical director, and Fred Cook, wardrobe chairman.

The Kiwanis Club of Utica gives its Len Wilbur Award to two who are "dedicated to serve the community." They are Phyllis Calogero and Bob Montesano. The award is named for the late sports editor of the Observer-Dispatch, who also was lieutenant governor of the Kiwanis Club's Central Division. Montesano was instrumental in forming a Key Club at John F. Kennedy High School in North Utica. He also is a member of Literacy Volunteers of America and a founding board member of the North Utica Senior Club. Calogero helped to establish the Greater Utica Sports Hall of Fame, is a member of its board of directors and was inducted in 2006. She is athletic director-administrator in the Rome City School District. She serves on the boards of the Salvation Army and the American Cancer Society.

Anita A. Vitullo is named the YWCA's "woman of the decade." She is founder and president of Staffworks, Inc., in New Hartford. She was the first chairwoman of the board of directors for the Utica Area Chamber of Commerce and the first woman to lead the United Way of Greater Utica fund-raising campaign.

2014, 10 years ago

The best

The All-Mohawk Valley Basketball Team includes Nick Comenale, of New York Mills, as "player of the year." The top coaches are Coby Maxam, of Waterville, and Mike Adey, of New York Mills. Players includs: Zach Sawyer of Waterville; J'Von Evans and Tyvon Reed of Proctor; Mark Hennings of Poland; Kevin Warmack of Notre Dame; Mark Chanatry of New Hartford; Kyle McCarthy of Camden; T.J. Borza of Whitesboro; Ryan Schmadel of Oriskany, and Zach Vennaro of New York Mills.

A local robotics team -- called "Geared Up" -- is first among 22 teams in the Northern New York Robotics Challenge Championship competition at Clarkson College. The winning team is made up of eighth- to eleventh- grade students from Holland Patent, Oriskany, Sauquoit and Whitesboro school districts. Students include: Daryn Stephenson, John Fava, Owen Buckingham, Matthew Milove, Claire Parisi, Michael Bush, Tori Pellegrino and Maegan Fish. The coaches are Tina Betz and Shari Fish.

Trivia quiz

Four former governors of New York went on to become presidents of the United States. Name them. (Answers will appear here next week.)

Answer to last week's question: Here are the names of movies, the future or former U.S. presidents portrayed in them and the actors who played them. (1) "PT-109," John F. Kennedy played by Cliff Robertson. (2) "The Buccaneer," Andrew Jackson played by Charlton Heston. (3) "Sunrise at Campobello," Franklin D. Roosevelt played by Ralph Bellamy. (4) "Tennessee Johnson," Andrew Johnson played by Van Heflin. (5) "The Remarkable Andrew," Andrew Jackson played by Brian Donlevy.

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

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