Years Ago…
This column is a revitalized weekly addition to the paper. The following moments in history are selected, researched, and edited by Skaneateles High School students enrolled in Kate Hardy’s tenth grade Honors English class.For the next school year they hope to celebrate the past and remember the days from years ago.Thank you to the Skaneateles Library and the Historical Society for providing the Press archives.
10 Years Ago
Joelle’s French Bistro, a cozy, unique restaurant located on State Street Road here in Skaneateles, announced their opening in 2006, and is coming upon 10 years of successful business. “Joelle and I have had a wonderful ten years!” says Alain, co-owner of Joelle’s. The restaurant has a variety of inventive cuisine dishes that take you from Province, Spain to Morocco, Africa, where Alain moved from. Joelle’s moto in life is, “to create a journey at the table.” She cooks all the meals herself and currently works at OCC teaching cooking classes. Joelle’s French Bistro is currently open for business Tuesdays through Saturdays. Make sure to stop in to help them celebrate!
A decade ago this week, Skaneateles lawman Marty Stevens was appointed to sergeant for the Skaneateles department which he has now served for 37 years. For the past 10 years, Sergeant Stevens has been keeping the town safe, scheduling and supervising other officers and enforcing as second in command to the chief of police. His associates knew that he was the one for the job, and after passing the civil service exam, Sgt. Stevens’ new position was made official by the mayor, becoming a cherished officer to the people and fellow first responders ever since. “Sergeant Stevens’ ever-present and enduring commitment,” SAVES President David Landsberg noted in a statement today, “to the safety of the citizens of Skaneateles cannot be overstated.”
25 Years Ago
Skaneateles High School was named a National School of Excellence along with 227 other middle and high schools. On Sept. 25, 1991, high school Principal Edmund Backus, Superintendent Dr. Walter Sullivan, and English teacher Ted Davenport would meet with President George H.W. Bush in Washington D.C. to receive a banner and a plaque for the title. Skaneateles High School is now ranked 587th out of 21,000 schools nationally. The current Skaneateles High School Principal, Gregory Santoro, said, “I think it’s not only a high school honor, but a community honor and I would love to achieve this award again. I believe this honor is a culmination of teachers from kindergarten through high school.”
50 Years Ago
The Colonial Theater was once a popular place of entertainment here in Skaneateles. Unfortunately our town lost the beloved community theater when it closed for good in 1979. Although in 1966, the theater was thriving. This week 50 years ago the Colonial was showing “Zulu” in color, “The Spy with My Face”, and “The Longest Day.” The theater opened on Feb. 4, 1868 with a concert performance. In the mid-1910’s it was converted into a moving picture theater. It was renamed from the previous “Huxford Theater”, which was listed with 500 seats, to the Colonial Theater in 1941. The theater showed a mix of silent films, movies, and even live shows! The theater is well remembered with final showings including “Superman”, and “Rocky II”. Residents of Skaneateles most likely recognize this building as the Lynn Law Firm today.
Fifty years ago this week Waterman Elementary School was dedicated to Belle H. Waterman. Mrs. Waterman served the district for four decades. During this time she was a teacher, principal, and afterwards a brief librarian. Waterman Elementary School is still open 50 years after its dedication.
75 Years Ago
$500,000 was spent by tourists in Skaneateles, over the three summer months in 1941. That amount is about equivalent to $8,390,000 in today’s money. Ads from the 1941 Press indicate that tourists most likely spent their money on ice cream, new clothes, and trips to the hair salon. When Skaneateles first became a town it was focused on agriculture and industry; mainly teasel, dairy, and creek mills. However, in 1900 there was a shift in Skaneateles away from industry to tourism. This shift occurred when the trolley business started to bring people to the attractive town with a beautiful lake. As in 1941 and in today, tourism is a large & very important part of the Skaneateles economy. With more and more people visiting our beautiful town each year, the impact of tourism on Skaneateles is even greater today.
Skaneateles residents were informed that President Theodore Roosevelt gave the okay for the US Navy to defend our country from German ships commanded by Hitler. This was a huge point in history, for it was the beginning of the US partaking in World War II. President Roosevelt said, “No matter what it takes, no matter what it costs, we will keep open the line of legitimate commerce in the defensive waters.” From this point on, the US stood its ground in world affairs.
100 Years Ago
The very first meeting for the officers of the Skaneateles Country Club was held Saturday, Sept. 16, 1916. A board of directors and officers were elected for the upcoming year. E.N Trump was elected president, (don’t worry, no relation) John Wilkinson was elected vice president, Harold Stone secretary, D.C Webster as treasurer. The golf course was set to open in the next year, and the clubhouse and tennis courts were being completed under the direction of the officers. This past July, the Skaneateles Country Club celebrated their 100 year anniversary with a Lightning Regatta on the 4th through the 6th, and an antique boat show on the 30th. These events represented the nautical theme of the Club, and “100 years of boating.” Today, the Country Club still has its original purpose: to entertain the residents of Skaneateles with swimming, boating and all types of activities. The Country Club is an important part of the community to this date.
100 years ago, there were 168 students attending Skaneateles High School, compared to 521 students as of the 2015-2016 school year. While the total enrollment number for the district in 1915 was 440 students, this statistic is very different to 2015-2016’s 1404.
