Granville Then & Now – June 29, 2023

Reception for cycling duo Friday

By Erik Pekar

This week we return to 1923 to look at some of the news of Granville in the June 29, 1923 issue of the Granville Sentinel, and afterwards, some interesting happenings in the present.

Several weddings made the front page of the June 29 issue, as there were quite a few June brides in the Granville area that year. Three of them would be of interest for those aware of business or area history. The first is the "Morrissey-Reil" wedding, which took place "Monday morning at 9 o'clock at the church of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel". The bride was Miss Anna Reil, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Reil of Middle Granville; the groom was Wilfred Morrisey, son of Mrs. M. Morrisey of Hudson Falls. They took a trip to Niagara Falls, and went to Hudson Falls to reside. Morrisey worked at the Standard Wall Paper company there. Mrs. Morrisey was "a graduate of the Middle Granville union school, Oneonta Normal school and has been a member of the Granville school faculty for several years." John Reil operated the Central hotel in Middle Granville, next to the A.N. Rogers hardware store and later the B.E. Curtis general store. Reil's building was later known as the "Grandma Tatko" house before being demolished circa 1990. The Curtis general store is now Chapman's.

The second is the "White-Dwyer" wedding, held the same day at St. Mary's Church at 10:30 by Rev. Father Thomas J. Walsh. The bride was Miss Anna Dwyer, daughter of Mrs. Mary Dwyer of Church Street. The groom was Arthur A. White, son of Mr. and Mrs. A.O. White of North Granville. They took a honeymoon trip through Canada, after which they resided in Granville, "where the groom has been engaged in the meat business since his discharge from the army." The business in question was the A.A. White meat market, which was located on Main Street in the building now occupied by the Blown Away Hair Salon.

The third is the "Lichtig-Glickman" wedding, held in Albany at the Temple Beth El on the afternoon of June 26, and performed by Rabbi Ramson. The bride was Miss Lena Glickman of Granville. The groom was Samuel Lichtig of Albany. They took a honeymoon trip to Philadelphia, and would return to Granville.  Lichtig was manager at the Glickman department store in Granville, and he would assume ownership of the store as Lichtig's around 1926.

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An area business wrote a letter encouraging road work to maintain a stretch of highway near Comstock: "Editor Sentinel: The highway between North Granville and Comstock is in very bad condition and steadily growing worse. Would it not be a good idea for you to call it to people's attention, and urge that something be done to make at least necessary repairs. There is a repair gang at work all the time on the road between Whitehall and Comstock, and it is kept in fine condition, but I can't learn that anything is ever done on the Granville road. It is hurting Granville too. Motorists are commonly advised to avoid that road, and I have heard several remark that they would not drive to Granville if they could help it. A little work will keep a good road in excellent condition, but neglect soon puts it in bad shape. Yours very truly, Whitehall Autobus Co., Inc., C.E. Holden, president."

The autobus company was an early bus transit firm. Such firms operated in this area as late as the 1950s; unlike the late era firms, the Whitehall Autobus firm had to contend with unimproved highways. Work to maintain the aforementioned road would eventually take place, but it would be many more years before the North Granville-Comstock highway would be improved.

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The Granville High School seniors of 1923 concluded their years of school education at the Pember Opera House on June 26, 1923. The 37th commencement started at 8:15 p.m., and among the speakers were Rev. J.D. Brehaut of the Baptist church, Dr. W.L. Munson, president of the board of education, supervising principal R.E. Brown, and high school principal G.N. Snyder; salutatory by Alfred C. Beck, essay by Karl Jefferson Thomson, class reader by Dorothy Vaughn Baker, and valedictory by Mary E. Considine. Dr. Munson presented the diplomas. There were 22 graduates that year.

The ceremony was preceded by a baccalaureate delivered at the Welsh Presbyterian church on Sunday evening by Rev. J. Parry Jones. Monday was Class Day at the high school.

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Granville's graduating class of 2023 concluded their years of school education last Friday, June 23, at the 137th commencement, held in the senior high gymnasium starting at 6:30 p.m. Among its speakers were high school principal Beecher Baker, district superintendent Thomas McGurl, board of education Audrey Hicks; with the salutatory by Matthew Fisher and valedictory by Lilly Strout. The diplomas were presented by Hicks. This year's class had 80 graduates.

Congratulations to the graduates of the Class of 2023. May you all be successful in your plans in life.

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In our "Granville Then and Now" column of April 4, we wrote that John David Norton and Tommy Taylor were to embark from Santa Monica, California on April 7, commencing the Sarcoid Bike Tour. This tour was finished earlier this week, when they reached Boston and dipping their front tires in the Atlantic earlier this week, as they did their back tires in Santa Monica.

Over these past few months, Norton and Taylor, both originally from Granville, have practically retraced their steps taken earlier when they hitchhiked across the country together back in the 1970s. They have been cycling for over two months, and have rode through 14 states: California, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts. This accounts for over 3,400 miles, and to put the icing on it, they are both about 70 years old.

Taylor's goal, of raising $10,000 towards researching sarcoidosis, was reached a few weeks ago. Norton is looking for a perfect donor of a kidney for his grandson Broderick.

Norton and Taylor are currently back in Granville. The Sarcoid Bike Tour Reception will be held tomorrow, June 30, at the VFW Pavilion at 119 North Street in Granville, starting at 3 p.m. Anyone can attend, and they are encouraged to bring appetizers, snacks, hors d'oeuvre or other food to share. Come congratulate two of Granville's own on this remarkable achievement.