Published: April 05, 2008 03:45 am         

Cooperstown was briefly an industrial village

Few, if any, would ever think of Cooperstown as being an industrial village. But nearly 100 years ago, Cooperstown's Main Street had one very busy location, where today's Key Bank building is, at 101 Main St. This was the Arthur H. Crist Co., a printing and publishing house.

Arthur Crist was a native of West Winfield. He graduated from Cornell University and came to Cooperstown around 1893. With two other men, Henry Scott and Charles Parshall, Crist purchased the Otsego Farmer, a small newspaper in the area. They made it into a much more successful venture, with circulation reaching 5,000.

Crist's two partners eventually left and Crist began branching into other printing lines. The Arthur H. Crist Co. was finally incorporated in October 1908, and business was excellent. Crist started printing law briefs. He purchased two small magazines and made them into more popular sellers, including Table Talk and American Motherhood. One can see samples of these magazine covers by doing Web searches.

As soon as he incorporated, Crist began plans for his new building at 101 Main St. A succession of taverns and hotels had been on this site, the last being the Central Hotel, which had been damaged by fire and torn down in 1906. Construction began in 1909 for this "fireproof" building. The brick and rusticated stone structure has four stories and a basement, and was originally occupied entirely by the Crist Co. Operations began there around June 1, 1910.

Crist was apparently well-respected in the community. The Freeman's Journal had dubbed Crist as a "Captain of Industry." The Saturday, May 21, 1910, edition said, "We take pleasure in presenting here with a picture of our competitor "" that is, he used to be; now he's grown so big that we look at the big building over across the street and wonder, and smile in professional pride at his achievements."

Aside from printing, Crist also had started an automotive sales business. He built a fireproof garage on Chestnut Street. There were branches of the Crist Motor Car Co. in Utica, Herkimer and Syracuse.

Business for Crist was good, and he wanted to let people know it. In his own Otsego Farmer of Jan. 12, 1917, it was reported "Crist Force Celebrates."

"Saturday night, the Crist building was ablaze with lights from top to bottom. The decorated windows gave promise of the festive adornment of the interior for the first "" but it is hoped not the last "" meeting of the entire force with their wives and children for a general rejoicing over the bright prospects with which the year opens for the Arthur H. Crist Co."

The article told of all events through the evening, including the menu and caterers. Music was furnished by Victrolas and a player piano. Toward the end of dinner, Crist addressed his workforce and had a pleasant surprise to share "" establishment of a nine-hour workday for all employees, a reduction from nine-and-a-half.

The good times changed, however. Others had bought into the company, and as those interests changed hands, so did Mr. Crist's control. By 1921, stockholders voted to change the name of the company to Cooperstown Press Inc.

Crist retired. The business continued until Oct. 31, 1923, when it abruptly closed. Workers reporting on Nov. 1 found a notice posted to that effect. Nearly 200 were employed at the time. The reason given for the Cooperstown closure was that the company had expanded too rapidly but had a lack of working capital to take care of the large increase. The employees were paid in full.

The building was sold to the Leatherstocking Corp. A bank moved there in 1928, as did offices of Leatherstocking. Other businesses have been located there in years since.

On Monday: The late 1980s marked the end of the uncertainty for the Swart-Wilcox House's future.

City Historian Mark Simonson's column appears twice weekly. On Saturdays, his column focuses on the area during the Depression and before. His Monday columns address local history after the Depression. If you have feedback or ideas about the column, write to him at The Daily Star, or e-mail him at simmark@stny.rr.com. His website is www.oneontahistorian.com.