By Erik Pekar
Last week in “Granville Then and Now,” the happenings in the vicinity of Granville in January of 1923 were recalled, as reported by 23 correspondents in their personal mention columns, as printed in the Jan. 26, 1923 issue of the Granville Sentinel. This week we look at more news items from the same dated issue, in the local and personal mention columns covering the Village of Granville.
The Granville local mention column originally gave news items just like the other columns. By the 1920s it was mostly club notes and news items that didn’t seem to fit elsewhere, such as people buying, renting, or moving.
A little bit of beautification effort can go a long way: “A force of men are at work placing new telephone poles on the streets and resetting others. This will make a great improvement in the streets of the village.” Despite the terminology, it is possible that in 1923 “telephone pole” could have been used as it is today, to refer to any utility pole regardless of whether the telephone line is the only type of line, or not there at all. As a result, it is unclear if this was the work of the Granville Telephone Company, or the local electric provider.
A changing of farm stewardship was reported: “John Powers, who has had charge of the Willow Glen farm, has rented the former John D. Potter farm and will move there in the spring. George Potuznick, who has been on the Potter farm for several years, will go to the Henry Welch farm in North Hebron.”
Weather, that eternal talking subject, also made the local mention column that week: “A real ‘January thaw’ developed over the weekend, and as a result of the rainfall which continued from Saturday night until Sunday afternoon, the snowbanks were freed of their accumulations of snow and ice. Walking was unpleasant and the streets were filled with slush.”
Among the news items from clubs and groups reported in the column was a belated yearly reorganization item from the Granville Masons: “At the Masonic temple Jan, 3 the following officers of Granville lodge, No. 55, F. and A.M., were installed for the ensuing year: Master, George B. Norton; senior warden, James N. Mason; junior warden, John F. Williams; senior deacon, Walter Doll; junior deacon, Merritt B. Searles; marshal, Hiram S. Norton; senior master of ceremonies, Edward L. Barnard; junior master of ceremonies, Fred I. Rathbun; treasurer, John F. Pember; secretary, Ray F. Williams; chaplain, Rev. J. C. Simmons; tiler, Lafayette Carr.”
One item reported of an interesting concept in funding for getting a new fire fighting apparatus: “The Henry Hose company at the annual meeting voted to discard its present obsolete fire fighting equipment and is soliciting funds for the purchase of a new auto-truck. They have been successful in their aim so far, having raised $1,000 in two days and only 30 signers on the subscription list. The Henry Hose company has been in operation as a volunteer fire company in Granville since 1884 and this is the first time they come before the residents of the village for financial support. By having an up to date fire fighting apparatus and no time lost in getting to fires, the citizens of Granville will be repaid tenfold by the firemen being able to arrive on time and save many dollars’ worth of property. This plan of raising funds is bound to meet with success by appreciative Granville residents who have always benefitted by the unselfish service of the volunteer fire companies of this village.”
The Granville personal mention column operated much like the other towns’ columns, except for the items that were more applicable to local mention were moved there. Some of the common topics in the other locales’ columns also appeared here. The personal mention items are sorted below by topic.
Local visiting. and visitors: Mrs. T. S. Nelson of West Pawlet, passed Wednesday in this village. – Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Parry of Rutland, have been visiting friends in town. – Mrs. Caroline Hausey of Rupert, visited her cousin, Mrs. Frank Kibling, last week. – Mesdames Elizabeth Jones, Elizabeth Lewis , Grace H. Roberts attended the Rebekah meeting recently held at Whitehall. – Mrs. Ella Wyman spent Sunday in Cambridge. – Arthur Safford of Poultney, has been in town the past week. – Mrs. Marion Ripley of Poultney, has been a guest of Mrs. H. B. Douglass. – Mr. and Mrs. Fred Potter entertained Roy Potter and family at dinner Tuesday. – Mrs. H. J. Kaulfuss and young son returned Sunday from a two weeks’ visit to Glens Falls. – Major P. R. Manchester passed Sunday with his parents, Dr. and Mrs. H. L. Manchester of Pawlet. – Attorney T. W. McArthur of Glens Falls, was the guest of his brother, J. L. McArthur, Saturday.
Illness: Mrs. Hugh Evans is improving daily from her serious illness. – George Taylor of East Main street, is confined to the house by illness. – Hortense Munson is convalescing from her serious illness. One of the trained nurses was able to leave her patient Saturday. – Mrs. Jennie Hewitt is able to be out after a few days’ illness. – Postmaster D. J. McHenry is confined to the home with a severe cold. – L. Carr, who has been nursing one of the prevalent colds, is able to be out again. – Harry Welch, who is recovering from his recent serious illness, is now able to walk about out doors a part of each day. – Dr. D. C. McKenzie is now making a good recovery. – The four children of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Bastedenbeck have been quite ill with grip.
Traveling to other places: Benjamin Jones and Hugh Jones went to Albany to attend the basketball game between Albany and Kingston Wednesday evening. – Harry Seferlis, proprietor of the Granville Candy kitchen, is in Franklin, Pa., visiting old friends as well as attending to certain business interests. – P. G. Tierney has been visiting friends in Albany this week. – H. G. Johnson of Morrison avenue, spent several days last week in New York city on a business trip.
Visitors from other areas: Charles Stutz of New York and Al Smith of Troy are visitors in town. – Mrs. Claude Avery of North Attleboro, Mass., is stopping at the home of her uncle, Frank Kibling, and calling on her many friends in town. – Mrs. Walter Lyon, who has been with her husband here during the holidays, returned last week to her home in Boston, where Mr. Lyon joins her this week. They leave soon for Texas to spend several weeks.
Over two weeks we have recalled news items from the local and personal mention columns in the Jan. 26, 1923 issue of the Sentinel. Some of the names mentioned in the columns are still familiar to those in the Granville area; others are obscure or would only be known by the oldest of Granville’s “long-timers.” Today, the Raceville column is the only remaining personal mention column in the Sentinel. In any case, these columns offer an interesting view into the lives of those who lived in Granville and the surrounding vicinity, not just for this issue in 1923, but in any issue which includes such columns.
