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 10th 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.

20 Years Ago

… an article was published regarding the Skaneateles Antique Classic Boat Show. The local John D. Barrow art gallery donated a painting titled “Autumn Rowboating,” which was displayed at the BSB Bank and Trust where interested people could buy copies of the artwork. The gallery is located in the Skaneateles Public Library, and has a wide selection of paintings that are open to the public eye. This year Skaneateles students participating in a Graphic Design class worked with Chase Design to come up with ideas for the 2020 Boat Show poster. The students were challenged to think outside the box while creating their artwork.  At this year’s Annual Boat Show, visitors will be able to vote on the poster of their choosing to select the sign for next year. The idea is for students to be able to give their artwork every year to the community in order to support the boat show. The event, this summer, is July 26 to 28 located at Cliff Park. Make sure to go vote on the artwork that the students wholeheartedly produced.

40 Years Ago

…an article was published in the Press regarding an “elegant taxi” service coming soon to town. The article detailed plans of a Marcellus resident named William Higgins to run a horse drawn carriage taxi service in the upcoming summer. If successful his first season, Higgins planned to expand and add another carriage the following summer. While the service became outdated decades ago, there are still horse drawn carriage rides as a part of the annual Dickens Christmas, although it is worth noting that the Dickens carriage is a designated ride, whereas the summer carriage ride was a taxi for hire. Stories like these are a nice look into Skaneateles history, and show what has made our town so charming.

60 Years Ago

… an image was published in the Skaneateles Press advertising for an American flag decorated with a star for each of the forty-nine states that belonged to the nation.   Though the flag advertised only cost three dollars, one purchased from ebay.com today can put you anywhere between eighty and four hundred dollars in the hole! Fascinatingly enough, about a month after the ad was published, Hawaii joined the Union, becoming the fiftieth state and changing the forty-nine star flag to one of fifty.  This is especially intriguing to our younger readers, because for those of us born after 1960, Hawaii has always been a part of the United States.  This August twenty-first, Hawaii will be celebrating its sixtieth anniversary of statehood.  Maybe it’s time for a visit to the Aloha State.

80 Years Ago

… the Skaneateles Press published a request by a party of fifty from Union City, NJ for housing accommodations for their vacation in Skaneateles. They were asking for a large farmhouse that would be able to fit all fifty of them, a lake near or in walking distance, good food, ping pong, tennis, and rowboats, all for rates of $15 to $20 dollars per week. Property owners able to fulfill this were requested to write to the chamber of commerce.  In 2019, this price range would be equivalent to $275 to $367 dollars per week according to the U.S. Inflation Calculator. This request was likely turned down as a home on Airbnb with 14 beds that can accommodate 16 plus guests is $571/night nearby today, double the asking price in 1939, for a fraction of the people. With tourist season already in full swing in Skaneateles, maybe you want to rent out your home for the summer. You can list on websites such as Airbnb or Vrbo.

100 Years Ago

…  The Democrat published an advertisement for a circus coming to Auburn in July. The advertisement depicted tight rope walking along with horseback riding and a hippopotamus. The ad also states that there are “1,000 people; 425 animals” involved in the circus. In recent years there has been a push to boycott circuses in which animals are used. This is due to the inhumane and cruel treatment that these circus animals often face. This negative press surrounding the circus has led to a number of shut downs. The Ringling Brothers Circus, a formally very popular circus, for example has just shut down after operating for 146 years. The shutdown was primary due to legal battles specifically about the use of elephants as well as problems with ticket sales. It is unlikely that future generations will be visiting the circus, but there are plenty of opportunities to see amazing acts and feats at other shows such as Cirque de Soleil which are now the largest theatrical producers in the world.