Banks and basketball big news in 1923
By Erik Pekar
Last week in “Granville Then and Now,” and in the Jan. 12, 1923, issue of the Granville Sentinel, previews were given of two basketball games, both to be held at Corinthian Hall in Middle Granville. One of them, the Granville town team vs. the St. Mary’s All-Stars; the other, between the Granville Post of the American Legion’s “married men” and “single men” teams. Both games’ results were reported in the Jan. 19, 1923, issue, and again below.
The result of the town team vs. St. Mary’s game was received too late to be included when last week’s paper went to press, and so it appeared this week; it was a well-fought win:
“Rivalry unsurpassed and frenzied enthusiasm ruled supreme in Corinthian Hall last week Thursday night, when the challenging St. Mary’s basketball team met the Granville town team and went down to defeat before them in the most exciting and most interesting game that was ever played between two local teams. The score was 19-13.
“To most of the spectators the game was a revelation, as everyone present with very few exceptions came to see the Granville town team mop the floor and dust the Corinthian Hall basketball court with Tommy O’Brien’s Shamrocks. The regular Granville team too looked for a walk away and were somewhat surprised to see the Shamrocks holding them to a close score. No mistake should be made as to which is the better team. The regular Granville team was all there as they have been all this season, they played their usual excellent game, and to the basketball game followers they were the choice from the go.”
It was also noted that Harry McCarthy of Poultney was referee and Morris Rote-Rosen was timekeeper and scorer.
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The American Legion’s married vs. singles game had an even closer result, as reported by Morris Rote-Rosen in his American Legion column:
“With Mike Minogue, last year’s hero, sitting on the sidelines and sympathizing with his co-sufferers, the married men of the Granville post went down to defeat to the single fellows, in the scheduled basketball game which was played on the Corinthian Hall basketball court Friday night with the score of 6-2.”
Time has its way of changing things, especially over a century, and we note those changes again. St. Mary’s Academy of Glens Falls survives, albeit merged with St. Alphonsus’ academy. The academy also had a high school and with it athletic teams. Once a common opponent on the wooden courts, diamond and gridiron, St. Mary’s has not fielded any of these teams in decades, as their high school was discontinued after the 1984-85 school year.
As for the Legion’s basketball game, such programs were common among the World War I charter members of the Granville Post. All those members have long since gone to their reward. If one attempted to put on either game today, one would run into difficulties, among them finding a sponsor, and finding interested players. Even if players could be found to place two teams of quints on the court, it is likely that few would watch a basketball contest of local adults playing each other. Such a situation is nothing new; by the late 1940s the area semi-pro basketball teams were already seeing dwindling attendance numbers, and by the 1960s the teams had long since gone defunct.
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An intriguing news item appeared in Morris Rote-Rosen’s American Legion column of Jan. 19, 1923: “Again there is talk about securing a clubhouse and rooms for the Granville Post. It was talked somewhat the past year but nothing definite was done about the matter. The fact that it is being brought up again may mean the acquisition of some kind of a clubhouse for the local Legionnaires during the present year.” Talks would be made within a year with the Granville Meeting of the Society of Friends (Quakers), but they did not go through. The Granville Post of the Legion would have to wait until the 1940s before they would get their own “clubhouse,” on Columbus Street.
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The reorganization of Granville’s banking institutions for 1923 and election of new directors and officers were reported in the Jan. 12, 1923, issue of the Sentinel. Granville then had three banks; the Farmers’ National Bank, the Granville National Bank, and the Washington County National Bank. All of the bank elections occurred on Jan. 9, with the exception of the Granville National Bank directors’ election of officers for 1923, which was held Jan. 11.
The Washington County National Bank’s stockholders elected for directors Arthur H. Morrow, George H. McDonald, M. F. Roberts, Frank Beecher, Daniel D. Nelson, John M. Hulett, Simeon M. Rising, Patrick J. Cullen, Michael J. Hayes, M. Waite Hicks and Lee F. Phelps; the directors then elected for officers: president, M. F. Roberts; vice president, Lee F. Phelps; cashier, D. D. Nelson; assistant cashier, Anna Williams; teller, Thomas J. Glines.
The Farmers’ National Bank’s stockholders elected for directors F. T. Pember, H. J. Stevens, F. C. Sheldon, R. E. Warren, J. E. Norton, E. R. Norton, D. R. Haskins, John H. Pember, J. H. Andrus and T. D. Townsend; the directors the reelected the same officers: president, F. T. Pember, vice president, H. J. Stevens; cashier, John H. Pember; assistant cashier, J. R. Stevens; teller, Roy I. Williams.
The Granville National Bank’s stockholders elected for directors D. D. Woodard, Robert O. Owens, W. A. Tenney, S. E. Everts, R. G. Hayes, O. P. Munson and D. J. Evans; two days later, the directors elected for officers: president, D. D. Woodard; vice presidents, Robert O. Owens and O. P. Munson; cashier, D. J. Evans; assistant cashier, Miss Lillian M. Conant.
Two of the banks closed in the early 1930s, from the effects of the bank runs in the early years of the Great Depression. The third bank, the Washington County National Bank, merged with a Glens Falls bank. Through later corporate bank mergers it has a descendant firm today, TD Bank, which operated its branch on Main Street until it was closed several years ago in favor of a drive-thru location.
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A new branding effort has been unveiled for a Poultney business. Taps Tavern, 158 Main St., was renamed on Jan. 3 as the Poultney Pub. The change was effected by Whitney VanBuren, the proprietor of this popular Poultney establishment, who has owned it since April 2021. The business has had other names before. The new branding of the Poultney Pub was designed by Abigail Stone Designs and the new sign was designed by Danny Lang. VanBuren noted in a release on the rebranding that the new name is “a celebration of place” and that “there is only one Poultney”. Best of luck to the Poultney Pub on the rebrand.
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Since the last time we made note of prospective spaces for businesses on Granville’s Main Street, last August, the landscape has changed somewhat. Of the two storefronts that were available for rent, neither are available now; one is now occupied by an operating business. 23 Main St., which had for sale signs in the window until recently, is no longer available; the signs and window covers were recently removed, and records indicate that the building sold last summer. The 20 Main St. building has had a price drop again to $90,000. This was most recently Morse’s, and for many years prior had been the famed Scotties. Most of the equipment from Scotties and Morse’s has been removed from the building, so it is a “clean slate” for a new business to start from. Hopefully, Granville may have some new businesses open in these buildings in the near future; they would be welcomed by the community.
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