A number of years back, I had written about how state Route 7 had been designated in 1928 as a scenic highway, called The Schohanna Trail.
The stretch was about 120 miles long, covering from Binghamton to Schenectady.
The highway was only a small portion of what was called the Appalachian Scenic Highway, which covered the eastern U.S. from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada. The international roadway was designated in 1927 with a festive promotion along its 2,400-mile span.
Oneonta was paid a brief but memorable visit in September of that year by the promotional "ASH Motorcade."
On Saturday, Sept. 10, 1927, Mayor Bertus C. Lauren, Francis H. Marx of the Oneonta Chamber of Commerce and other representatives of the city left for Binghamton to meet up with the ASH Motorcade for a banquet in that city.
They then accompanied the motorcade to Oneonta on Sunday morning for a brief stop in the area.
"It would be creditable to the city if the national colors were displayed along Chestnut and Main streets during the day in honor of the distinguished visitors in the party," The Oneonta Star commented on Sept. 10.
The ASH Motorcade had left Atlanta on Sept. 1 and the number of participants continued to grow as it passed northbound through each city. Other motorcades from New Orleans and St. Petersburg had formed and met in Atlanta for the main journey north.
Many participants were from large city newspapers, writing about what they observed on the way. The motorcade was en route to a final destination, Quebec City.
The idea of the motorcade had been a vision of John C. Cohen, managing editor of the Atlanta Constitution, some 20 years earlier. Most roads of 1907 were sand and dirt, but had since been built of concrete, asphalt and macadam.
Among the notable representatives of the ASH Motorcade was a golfing superstar of the time, Bobby Jones.
While Jones had declined previous invitations to visit golf courses along the 2,400-mile journey, someone had persuaded him to stop at the Oneonta Country Club as the motorcade approached the city.
The Star reported, "The word was passed around to as many as possible Saturday evening late and a crowd of nearly 200 enthusiastic admirers of the great Scottish game had gathered at the Country Club."
"Without his own club and in a business suit with no golf shoes, Mr. Jones went out to the practice tee and drove a dozen balls out. The demonstration was a revelation to local golfers who looked with amazement as the wizard of the driver shot the dozen balls out, all from 280 to 300 yards, and with such accuracy that the caddies who were sent out had to hardly move to the right or left."
Jones then made a brief tour of the clubhouse and autographed a few balls he had hit, and left his name in the club's visitors' book.
The 70-car motorcade made its way next to downtown Oneonta and took about a 20-minute break at the Oneonta Hotel, today's 189 Main St.
Even though it was a church morning, many local residents had gathered downtown, which had been decked out with American flags, to see the festivities.
The motorcade left Oneonta at 11 a.m. and was set to reach Glens Falls that evening. The plan to reach Quebec was by Wednesday, Sept. 14.
On Monday: A check into the mailbag from readers in recent months.
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 email him at simmark@stny.rr.com. His website is www. oneontahistorian.com. His columns can be found at www.thedailystar.com/marksimonson.
Columns
A travel and tourism promotion visited Oneonta in 1927
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If we don’t develop a sustainable system, who will?
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Being a parent is a constant learning process
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Perfect attendance by Saturday’s Bread for 20 years in Oneonta
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Climbing is one thing, but skydiving?
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Climbing is one thing, but skydiving?
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- William Masters
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Time for lawmakers who put needs of society first
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War not worth gambling with lives of soldiers
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Titanic was a microcosm of U.S. economic disparity
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William Masters: Nation stands divided between 'us' and 'them'
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A quarterback can't win the game alone
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Time for lawmakers who put needs of society first
