Dec. 5th

1941

Little Falls police and firemen were asking for a 15 percent raise in pay, from $132 per month to $151.80 per month.

Dec. 6th

1841

A large number of unoccupied lots in the outpart of the village, formerly owned by Ellice and more recently by R. R. Ward, were sold at auction. A greater part of the property around the village is now owned by resident citizens. Building in the past year has surpassed that of prior years.

1907

Central New York Telephone Company’s new handsome and commodious building on South Second Street is ready for use. There are 12 operators’ positions and capacity for 2,500 phones. The cost for the site, building, and apparatus was $34,500.

Dec. 7th

1887

Impressive services were held by the Knights Templar at the Little Falls Baptist church for General Zenas C. Priest, long active in local, state, and national affairs. Attending were President Chauncey Depew of the N.Y.C. & H.R. Railroad, Cornelius Vanderbilt, and many other dignitaries who were greeted by several hundred mourners at the passenger depot.

1941

WW II era – Little Falls citizens reacted with horror as reports came in concerning the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and the beginning of World War II. Local residents were slowly receiving word about the fate of their relatives in Hawaii.

Dec. 8th

1896

The notorious “Pastime Club” in Little Falls was shut down following the conviction of its promoters for the use of nefarious implements in their gambling den. It seems that a clever magnetic device was being used at the dice table to fleece the young men who frequented the place. Police are raiding other such “clubs” throughout the city.

1899

Do not forget the high school congress debate tonight at the Quackenbush Hall. The question is the Transvaal question. The proceeds are for the high school decoration fund.

Dec. 9th

1848

The Ladies Aid Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church of this village will hold a fair for the sale of useful and fancy articles at the Benton House.

1881

The Catholic bell now rings every morning at half past six, at noon and at 6:30 in the evening. It is a much pleasanter way of announcing the time than by the screams of the mill whistles every one of which is blown at a different time.

1898

For the past several weeks, Professor Sugarman , a practicing eye specialist in Little Falls, has been amazing local residents by taking daily plunges in the icy Mohawk River. He is a firm believer and advocate of the curative powers of cold water. The colder the atmosphere the more he seems to enjoy the bath.

1916

Henry Hondorf, of Jersey City, foreman of the structural iron workers building the new City Hall, died as a result of a fall from the top of the structure.

2005

Artist Stephen “Pitt” Nicholas has created a 34- foot mural on the west side of the 1855 stone building housing the Little Falls Antique Center. Nicholas’ piece relates the river and time to the historical area.

Dec. 10th

1872

The officers chosen for the coming year for the Young People’s Christian Association include: D. H. Burrell (President), Titus Sheard and T. M. Chapman (Vice Presidents), R. S. Whitman (Treasurer), Warren Griswold ( Secretary), and M. H. Smith (Librarian.)

1897

Jacob Brown has a force of twenty-six men engaged in quarrying stone in the J.H. Smith quarry on Burwell Street. He expects to have 40 quarrymen at work, and twenty teams drawing the stone, which are to be used in the canal enlargement.

1910

The Utica Gas & Electric Company is building a new power house on West Mill Street at the foot of 5th Street. An injunction has been granted to prohibit the company from getting water to turn the three turbine wheels. The company expects to surmount the legal barrier and obtain the water rights.

1923

The local Americanization program was discussed at a meeting of the Exchange Club. It was reported that there were 3,538 foreign born persons residing in Little Falls – 879 Poles, 605 Italians, 541 Bohemians, 279 Slovaks, 205 Germans, and 108 Russians (probably Ukrainians).

Dec. 11th

1851

”Old Joe” Vosburg will be on hand to welcome old friends and the community to his bowling saloon under the Rockton House. The alleys are in first grade order, and his chief cook, David Jones Esq. is there too.

1885

Electric arc lights had been used at night to build/ blast the West Shore Railroad through Little Falls. On this date, the New York Central Railroad secured a 99-year lease of the West Shore.

This Week in History” is brought to you by the Little Falls Historical Society. Please Visit the Little Falls Historical Society Website and please consider supporting the Museum by becoming a Member. Download the membership form here!