If you were up to attending a variety of activities, Oneonta was anything but a sleepy city during July 1924.
Those varieties were wide indeed, including boxing, baseball and the annual Chautauqua.
The Oneonta Star of July 16 reported, “An excellent card has been arranged for the benefit smoker and athletic exhibition to be held at the Oneonta D. & H. boxing arena on Saturday evening, July 19, by the D. & H. Athletic association. Edward W. Lalor of this city, who is in charge of the arrangements, said last evening that the men who have been secured for the exhibitions were men who would be in drawing cards in any city and a large crowd is expected.” The arena was found in one of the former railroad shops, off of today’s Fonda Avenue and Roundhouse Road.
“Heading the card … are Paddy Ryan, the well-known Oneonta heavyweight who has appeared at numerous exhibitions held by the company along the entire system, and Shorty Rowland of Syracuse, a lad who can be counted upon to make any contest interesting.” There was no admission but a $1 contribution to the association was suggested.
The benefit was called highly successful, and among the many bouts, The Star’s July 21 edition told readers, “Paddy Ryan got his man — again. Biding his time while his rugged opponent, Young Rowland of Syracuse, peppered in vain at him with jabs which would have floored an ordinary fighter, but which bounded off Ryan’s iron-muscled frame, the pride of the Oneonta shops finally tore loose at the opening of the fourth round of the main bout.”
Oneonta boxers were many in the athletic carnival, with others coming from Ithaca, Binghamton, Endicott and Utica.
From the ring to the diamond, The Star of July 23 reported, “Connie Mack, who will bring his Philadelphia American league club to Oneonta on Friday to play the Oneonta Giants, is one of the most colorful players in the history of baseball. Mack himself will come to Oneonta and has promised Roy Thomas that he will play his regular lineup.
“The team will arrive in the morning and will be entertained at a luncheon at the Elks club,” then found at 99 Main St. “Fans are invited to the luncheon and will be given an opportunity to meet Connie and his men.”
Oneontans “root-root-rootin’ for the home team” didn’t go home disappointed, as The Star of July 26 said in a happy recap, “Just an error! It was simply a poor throw by Galloway, Athletic shortstop. But it had more serious consequences than most plays of a similar nature, for it came in the ninth with two down and a play that should have retired the side and permitting the Philadelphia American league club to leave the city with the game by a 3 to 1 tally. Instead, it gave the locals and opportunity to get busy and push that runner and another around the circuit of the base path for two tallies and a tie score.”
Oneonta got a run in the bottom of the 10th, for a 4-3 triumph. The Giants had previously played against three other big league clubs, the Chicago White Sox, St. Louis Cardinals and Brooklyn Robins, losing to each. The win was sweet, witnessed by what was called “the far too small crowd.”
Finally, moving to the lower level of Wilber Park, in the area near today’s tennis courts and pool, the annual Redpath Chautauqua opened on Saturday, July 19 with a variety of lectures and entertainment.
According to Monday’s Star, “The good-sized audience at both afternoon and evening sessions were delighted with what they heard and were not hesitant in saying so as they left the ‘big top.’
On the schedule for Monday was an art-craft demonstration, instrumental concert and an evening lecture entitled “Lawlessness” by Frank Dixon.
On Wednesday, a Yankees-dominated induction ceremony in Cooperstown in 1974.