100 Years Ago
In 1912, the 23rd annual report of the Gerry Home came to The Journal office in the form of a booklet of 24 pages, filled to the brim with statistics of the year's work in both the orphanage and the old people's home. First in order was the report of the treasurer, Bishop Walter A. Sellew. This report detailed some of the needs for further contributions and showed a current indebtedness of about $1,000. Among the needs of the homes at present were increased accommodations, which the secretary felt were absolutely necessary; also provision of a suitable place for a winter play room for the children.
The senior class of Jamestown High School, the class of 1913, gave a reception and banquet in honor of the members of the first and second football teams and the junior class in the high school gymnasium Saturday evening. This reception was the final event of a color display and cheering contest, which was waged between the two classes during the football season. Under the conditions of the contest, the losers were to provide a banquet for the football teams and the winners at the close of the season and, although the seniors were defeated in the contest, they endeavored to take away the sting of defeat by the fine manner in which they entertained Saturday evening.
75 Years Ago
In 1937, a graduate of Jamestown High School, who had achieved a high place in the affairs of our nation, returned to his alma mater to address the student body at an assembly arranged by the Lyceum. Robert H. Jackson, of the class of 1910, assistant U.S. Attorney General, told the students that the work of the Lyceum was essential in the democratic form of government, as he spoke on "What After High School?" Jackson was president of the Lyceum during his senior year.
It was taking Jamestown just 40 years longer to change from electric street cars to motor buses than it did to change from horse cars to electric cars. Little four-wheeled cars hauled by horses made their first appearance on the village streets back in 1884 and even in those days the hills presented a power problem, extra horses and drivers being stationed at various points about town to help on the steep grades. This constituted the transportation system up to 1891 when the trolley cars were substituted. Indicative of the speed with which science and invention moved forward, was the fact that persons only in middle age had seen the whole transportation story from horse car to motor bus before their eyes all in the brief period of a little over half a century.
25 Years Ago
In 1987, subfreezing temperatures and high winds that blew into the area late the previous night causing power outages and school closings, were expected to give way to better weather the following day. "You'll have to grin and bear it for the next 24 to 36 hours," Ed Reich, meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Buffalo said. Reich said that with gusting winds of 25 mph and temperatures in the 20s, "the wind-chill is in the bitter cold range at minus 10 degrees." Classes at Westfield, Brocton, Cassadaga, Pine Valley, Sherman, Chautauqua, Mayville and Bemus Point schools did not meet this day. In Warren County, an estimated 1,800 Pennsylvania Electric Co. customers were without power for several hours overnight.
Fire the previous morning destroyed a $150,000 six-car garage on Wellman Road including a new car and $60,000 worth of tools that were inside it. Flames broke out shortly before 8:30 a.m. at Wesley Devine's garage when a small heater malfunctioned. After working several hours, investigators determined that the heater sparked the fire, Sue Devine said. "The thing that makes it so sad," she said, was that the garage was so much of her husband's life. "It's like 25 years of his life went down the drain." Despite the loss, the fire didn't reach the Devines' home, about 150 feet away from the burning garage. Although one car was burned, Devine was able to get another car out of the garage. Also lost in the fire were Christmas presents neighbors had stored in the garage, Mrs. Devine said.