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

… the Skaneateles Press took an entire page to recognize the 100th anniversary of the town’s restaurant, The Krebs. Still up and running, The Krebs stands as a long time mark in Skaneateles. The restaurant was founded in 1899, 120 years ago. The small town business started out with the original owner just serving meals to neighbors, then it became a place for visitors to stay and enjoy the town. Today, The Krebs is a well-known, much loved restaurant filled with hometown history. Small businesses are what make Skaneateles history rich and beautiful. More information on The Krebs can be found on their website, www.thekrebs.com. By dining locally, citizens can enrich and preserve our town for generations to come.

40 Years Ago

… Joe Biden and his wife visited Skaneateles and had a reception at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Ginley on West Lake Street. At the time, he was the senator of Delaware, and was welcomed by over 100 Democrats, including the chairman of the local Democratic committee, which was the sponsor of the event. His connection to Upstate New York was his wife, who grew up in an affluent Skaneateles family. Biden spoke of his days working as a night clerk at the Sherwood Inn and attending law school at Syracuse University, where he frequently pulled all-nighters and graduated 76th in his class. Today, Joe Biden is known for his vice presidency during the Obama administration. He made another visit to Skaneateles in 2014, attending dinner at Rosalie’s Cucina and signing his name on the wall above Bill and Hillary Clinton’s, among hundreds of other signatures.

60 Years Ago

… when a group of scientists did research on why Bulgarians were living so long, they discovered that yogurt was a larger part of their diet than most Americans. Pine Grove Dairy informed readers that yogurt was even better than buttermilk for their health. They encouraged Americans to give a yogurt diet a try for awhile! There are always a lot of fancy fads in the diet and nutrition world such as the Mediterranean diet, DASH diet, flexitarian diet, etc. A popular health drink of late is Kombucha. Similar to yogurt, it comes in a variety of flavors and provides consumers with a source of probiotics. If you’re looking for a gut-healthy product add yogurt or kombucha to your daily routine.

80 Years Ago

… “an unique and interesting collection of manuscripts, photographs, maps, and letters” was on display in the Skaneateles Library as an additional point of interest for those attending the Skaneateles Home and Garden Tour of 1939. The collection was put together by then librarian Miss Alice E. Washburn. The article does not inform readers of how Miss Washburn was able to secure national treasures such as a letter written by Abraham Lincoln and an honorable discharge from the Revolutionary Army signed by George Washington. Other local treasures of historical interest were also among the collection. Our village library is often offering programs of interest for local residents and visitors alike. Visit the library’s website to discover upcoming events sure to enlighten participants.

100 Years Ago

… Roland Rohlfs became the first American to travel past 30,700 feet high in an airplane, setting the American altitude record. Even more impressively, Rohlfs achieved this feat with temperatures of 25 below zero in a humble single-engine triplane fighter that was repurposed after World War I. The temperature affected his aviation instruments and limited his climb. Rohlf set this record merely a year after he broke the aviation airspeed record at 163.1 mph. After a century of advancement in aviation, reaching these speeds is trivial. Typical cruising airspeed for commercial airliners is about 575 mph. Aircraft are regularly sent into orbit. It can be important to recognize where we started.