One thing you cannot call the numerous merchants and organizations working to make downtown Oneonta successful these days is lazy. Downtown has plenty of competition with stores outside the city limits, so making the extra efforts to attract people to the old business district is essential.
Cooperative efforts bring us traditional, enjoyable events such as the Oneonta Farmers' Market, Grand & Glorious Garage Sale, the annual holiday tree lighting, Santa's cottage and so much more.
One might believe that 100 years ago, Oneonta's merchants didn't have to worry about competition from other sources, providing the only major business district for quite some distance around. Such an assumption would be incorrect.
Open up an Oneonta Herald or Oneonta Star around 1909 and you'd find large advertisements from Binghamton or Albany, enticing readers to hop on a train of the D&H Railroad and shop in their cities.
The Merchants Association of Oneonta knew it, and kept on their toes in attracting shoppers and visitors to Oneonta.
A noteworthy event in October for several years was called the Merchants' Carnival. While it was meant to bring people into the stores, the Carnival was an opportunity to show off the newly incorporated city to visitors, and it became a social event for residents.
The 1908 Merchants' Carnival was the first event using this name. The Oneonta Herald of Oct. 21 reported that the carnival, ""¦ has proved to be all that is sanguine projectors had hoped. Beginning Monday with a moderate attendance, the number has increased daily, and every morning and afternoon has seen the stores crowded with busy shoppers. While the genuine bargains, with railway fare paid and the chances of prizes have been attractions enough, the special features each day have given added interest."
"Every day the automobiles of generous citizens have been kept going, and visitors have been taken to points of interest in the city. The Normal and High schools, the hospital, the armory and the D. & H. shops and yards have been visited, and many have left town with a better conception of its size and importance than they had before.
"Monday evening a fine band concert was given in front of the municipal building (today's 242 Main St.), by the City band. Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. a large concourse assembled to witness an exhibition drill by the Oneonta fire department. As a sample of speedy, effective work the drill was a success, the team being hitched and driven as far as the Central (a former hotel where 189 Main St. is today), in 30 seconds, while in 21/2 minutes the men had attached to the hydrants at the corner of Main and Grove street, and had water through 200 feet of hose. The exhibition was most creditable and deserved the hearty applause which was accorded."
The 1909 Carnival had similar events but only one sunny day during that October week. However, "a feature which all commented upon favorably was the city decorations "¦ covered from ground to roof with bunting most attractively" on the downtown buildings.
The 1910 Merchants' Carnival had attendance spikes on certain days. A large ad in The Herald from Herrieff's Cloths Shop had a headline, "Thousands of People who were disappointed in not seeing the Aeroplane at the Oneonta Fair will have an opportunity to witness the flight of this Twentieth Century Marvel." One might assume Herrieff's sponsored this event that October.
Today the tradition of unique shops, restaurants and special events continue to attract many to downtown Oneonta.
On Monday: A general flashback to events in the area in October 1979.
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.
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