Years Ago
This column, contributed by Skaneateles Honors English students from the class of 2022, is written to connect the past to the present by revisiting articles from years ago. The students would like to thank the Skaneateles Historical Society for providing the archives and Eagle Newspapers for publishing their words.
20 Years Ago
… John Harmon wrote to The Skaneateles Press thanking them for publishing student work in the form of letters to the editor. Harmon was the humanities coordinator at Skaneateles High School for many years. Now, years later, The Press has continued to support student work through the Years Ago column. This is the fourth year students from Mrs. Hardy’s Honors English class have been published in the newspaper. Thanks to the Historical Society, sophomores are able to look through the archives of The Skaneateles Press to find topics that relate to today. Through this partnership, students are able to improve their writing and experience the responsibilities of writing for a publication. We would not be given this opportunity if it weren’t for The Press and its editor Jason Gabak. Thank you.
40 Years Ago
… Emily Wood, a cross country runner for Skaneateles was unbeaten for the beginning length of the season and was winning every single varsity race she ran in. At the Baldwinsville Invitational, the varsity girls finished second with a score of 93 and Wood coming in first. At the Hannibal Invitational, the Skaneateles girls team placed first with Wood coming in first overall with a time of 17 minutes 35 seconds. Wood’s closest competition finished at 19 minutes 36 seconds. Sarah Tallerico, the fastest runner on the girls team today, runs an average of around 22 minutes for the same distance of 3.1 miles. This shows Wood’s true speed even compared to present day athletes who are considered at the top tier themselves. This year sectionals will be on Nov. 9 at Vernon Sherrill School.
60 Years Ago
… Mrs. W Clair Evans was elected as the new president of the Skaneateles Robert J. Hydon Post 239 Legion. The American Legion, founded in 1919, is an organization of U.S. war veterans headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana. Today, post 239’s commander is Eric Amberge and the president of the Ladies Auxiliary is Judy Bettis. In this organization, a combination of veterans, their families, and volunteers raise funds to provide items for U.S. troops recovering in military hospitals and transition units worldwide. Our local chapter has been helping others for nearly 100 years. The Skaneateles Legion will be having a Centennial Dinner on November 10 to celebrate 100 years of the American Legion. The dinner will take place at the Skaneateles Country Club and consist of a celebration and a fundraiser. The money donated will go towards many beneficial causes for locals and nearby towns such as Eagle Scout Sponsorships and Honor Flight Syracuse. Can’t make it to the Centennial? Why not donate or even volunteer for this great cause? For more information, go to skaneatelesamericanlegion.org/. Come one, come all, to the Centennial Dinner this fall!
80 Years Ago
… the Skaneateles Press published an article reflecting back on the start of a hoax 70 years ago (150 years ago total) based on a fake giant who was uncovered in the tiny hamlet of Cardiff. A man named George Hull hired some men to bury the statue of a huge, fake giant. He then hired other men to dig a well in the same spot. They uncovered the giant and Hull pretended that it was a “rare archeological find.” He let people see the giant for 50 cents. P. T. Barnum tried to buy the giant and Hull refused, so Barnum created a copy of the giant and called it the “Onondaga Giant.” Hull’s giant remained popular until a Yale professor wrote a letter to the Syracuse Post-Standard, saying that it was a hoax. In recent years, there have been many people claiming to have seen mysterious giants like these. According to the Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization (BFRO), there have been 109 total credible sightings in New York alone, dating back as recently as May 2019. Have you recently seen a large mysterious creature? If so, you can report your sighting, or speak to a sasquatch researcher, at bfro.net.
100 Years Ago
…the Skaneateles Boys Varsity Football team had a couple of impressive football wins in a row. In a game against Marcellus, where they won 31-0, Martin Dillon scored three touchdowns and one field goal, along with Jim Keebler scoring two touchdowns. The team also defeated the formerly undefeated Solvay, 7-0. It was the third quarter and neither team had scored yet. In the last few minutes “Nick” Dillon was given the ball and carried it through for a touchdown. His brother Martin “Mart” Dillon kicked for the extra point. This left Skaneateles the winners. After the game, some of the Solvay fans threw glass beer bottles at the Skaneateles boys and Martin Dillon got hit in the head which left a scar. Fortunately, this extreme and violent behavior seldom occurs anymore. Today, the Skaneateles Boys Varsity Football team, along with many others, demonstrate good sportsmanship. So far this season, the team is 4-1 after their most recent loss to the undefeated Cato-Meridian team.
