Step Back in Time features community news items from The Daily Star from 25 and 50 years ago.
25 years ago
Nov. 20, 1984
FRANKLIN _ After eight years of concerted effort by the people and organizations of the Village of Franklin, the name of the village has been placed on the registers of both state and national lists of historic places.
"Perhaps the 1976 celebration of the bicentennial of our country fanned the spark," said Dorretta G . Rich of Franklin. "The Washington Reading Circle, which has been meeting for the last 97 years, urged residents to search records to find the history of their homes. Tours of the village and visits to many of these homes were conducted by Franklin Historical Society members for groups of interested people."
It was the area Council on the Arts who suggested the material be documented with histories and architectural styles in preparation for applying for state and national recognition. "Few places, they said, had so many fine examples of Greek revival style of houses and public buildings in one community as there are in Franklin," Mrs. Rich said.
With the help of the Franklin Historical Society, Mr. and Mrs. Willis Frazier, Pearl and Paul Whigham, Nina Juviler of the Council on the Arts, and many others, pictures were taken and architectural styles defined. The finished work was submitted to the State Department of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.
"Amelia Jenning, in the introduction of her book, Franklin Views' published in 1929 said, A man whose heritage is a Franklin home, is indeed blest' would be pleased to know that these homes have won state and national recognition," Mrs. Rich said.
50 years ago
Nov. 20, 1959
BLOOMVILLE _Patsy Polito's meat market, formerly Victory chain store, Bloomville, has been purchased by John and Elizabeth Schaller, who are the son-on-law and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Richtsfeld, Stamford. Mr. Schaller was employed as a butcher for the Grand Union Co., Oneonta, and Mrs. Schaller was employed as a secretary with the Oneonta State Teachers College.
