A sampling of 1923 happenings
By Erik Pekar
Looking over the local mention column of the Feb. 23, 1923 issue, we noticed this item: "The first day of spring is less than a month away. Doesn’t look it, eh?" Early in the week of Feb. 23, 2023, the ground was almost bare, last year’s grass showing, and the temperatures were not particularly cold. The temperatures rose to near 60 degrees the week before that. It was a stark contrast from the conditions of a month ago, when there was a cold wave and the thermometer dipped below zero during two days.
The warmer, milder conditions of two weeks ago and early last week are also a stark contrast to the latter part of last week, and this week. A storm came through last Wednesday evening into Thursday morning, depositing a few inches of snow. This has stuck around, and the weather has not returned to such conditions that would melt the stuff away.
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The following is sampling of a few advertisements from the March 2, 1923 issue of the Granville Sentinel. The H.B. Rood Studio reminded people of the popularity of photos: "Friends want your photograph and they will prize a really good one. Send one to the folks at home."
Ansel Buss, an electrical contractor based on Irving Avenue, had this: "Have Buss Wire Your Home – Rates are moderate, satisfaction is assured, now is the time! – My policy has not been to see how close I can come to the minimum standard set by the underwriters and ‘get by’. I aim rather to give you better work than absolutely required. That’s why I have become an established, reliable and successful electrical contractor – Estimates cheerfully furnished."
Wilson Clothing Company used its ad that week to appeal to those engaged in agriculture: "Farmers, why not be ready when all this snow melts with your Rubber Footwear. You will surely need it. Rubber Boots, Rubber Overshoes, Heavy Shoe Rubbers, Lace Rubber Pacs, Leather Top Rubber Shoes. Ball Band, United States and Converse Products at reasonable prices." The farmer still needs these boots today to tackle the mud in the early spring, but they won’t be getting boots at Wilson’s; the store closed more than 30 years ago.
The closing of the Hickey store last week turned out to have another layer of complexity to it, as revealed in this ad for another Granville store. "Glickman says: our lease has run out in Hickey’s Store, therefore I was forced to move the stock into my store. Folks, I am real crowded, as there was a lot of merchandise left. Together with the large stock of Spring Merchandise I have bought, which is coming in daily, I am forced to move the balance of this stock at any price, so here goes. Read and save money – Henry Glickman." Such low prices included $2 dress shirts now for 77 cents, 75 cent silk neckwear now for 37 cents, and boys’ school suits valued normally to $8.50 now valued to $1.95. The Glickman store was located on Main Street in what was then called the Rigali block. Many years and some renovations later, the building is now occupied by O’Reilly Auto Parts.
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The efforts to lure prospective customers away from the merchants of smaller villages to those distant cities was nothing new in 1923. The Retail Merchants Trade Committee of Rutland, Vermont took out an advertisement in the March 2 issue for a discount day on March 14. The ad proclaimed it as "a History-Making Day for Rutland and vicinity", and that "the united efforts of all Rutland Merchants are combined in a great co-operative one day offerings of Special Values which will open the eyes of the buying public." and that it would be a big event "For All the Thrifty". The members were all in, as "all Merchants are preparing to make this Dollar Day one of the Banner Sale Days ever held in the State." The writers of the ad touted the city "as a buying center unique in scope, variety and values … this is what we hope you will remember us by in the future." More ads were placed locally, and in the Rutland Herald.
Such discount days were also done by the city to the west, Glens Falls. As for Granville, its merchants would do such days off and on in the coming decades. Granville would not make such discount days regular to attract people to shop Granville merchants until the rise of Granville Days and the Friday night raffle drawings by the early 1960s – nearly 40 years after the cities had already started similar promotional programs.
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The changing of times is again shown by this local mention item: "A company of young people enjoyed a sleigh ride to the home of Miss Freida White at North Granville Friday evening, where they were pleasantly entertained." While sleigh rides in general can be done with snow, a sleigh ride as a method of transportation is not feasible today. At that time, snow on roads was packed down with rollers, making for great sleighing conditions. Even as soon as 20 years later, snow covered roads would instead be plowed to the dirt or pavement, as is done today.
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In another news item, a Granville business owner "tied the knot": "The marriage of Louis Goldberg and Miss Zelda Miller took place Sunday afternoon at the home of the bride’s mother, Mrs. M. Miller of 1210 Sheridan Avenue, New York City, with only immediate relatives as guests. A wedding dinner was served. The bride was a former Whitehall resident and graduate of the high school in that village. The groom is a member of the firm of N. Goldberg and Son and has a legion of friends in Granville and vicinity who will wish for him and his bride a happy future." The N. Goldberg and Son store building on Main Street, since demolished, is now the site of the Granville Lions Club’s park area in front of their summer furniture sale warehouse.
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Announcements and notices made the front cover of the Sentinel of March 2, 1923. One was from the Granville Electric and Gas company, concerning their intention to "issue a limited amount of preferred stock and it is to be disposed of at home. It makes for a better realization of the necessities and problems of the company among the home people and provides safe and sane investment for funds which are too frequently used for the promotion and betterment of service in communities other than our own; investments in enterprises which are far from the watchful eye of the investor." Today, through mergers and consolidations, local utilities like the Granville Electric and Gas Company or the Granville Telephone Company are long gone, their Granville franchises now being maintained by companies with a scope of either regional (in the case of electric) or national (in the case of telephone service).
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Another front page notice was of a political nature: "If the voters of the town of Pawlet elect me as road commissioner on the west side for the coming year, I will try to serve the town to the best of my ability. I am a candidate and will appreciate the support of the voters. – F.J. Statia, Pawlet, Vermont." This was for Town Meeting Day, which was held the coming week.
Elections are coming round again this year. 2023’s Town Meeting Day is this coming Tuesday for all our neighboring townships in Vermont, to elect select board members and other town officials. Granville also has an election coming up, as some members of the village board of trustees are almost at the end of their terms and their positions up for election. The incumbents are mayor Paul Labas, board members Dan Brown and Dean Hyatt, and village judge Roger Forando, and they are running unopposed. The Granville village election will be held March 21.
All residents eligible to vote in their respective communities are encouraged to exercise their right and go out and vote in their community’s election.
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