State & Union: Turning back the clock on Olean – Olean Times Herald

From nobody really knowing what time it is to ransacking businesses, from a big bang in Homer Hill to marching on Washington, heres a look back on the week that was 100, 75, 50 and 25 years ago on this edition of Turning Back the Clock.

Oct. 14 Oleans failure to keep pace with the other cities in this part of the state robbed the Kiwanis Club of its speaker today. Frank Mott, of Jamestown, was scheduled to be the speaker today but was unaware that Olean was still traveling on state time, so he missed his train. While other municipalities shifted off of Daylight Savings Time early, Olean leaders chose to stick with the state schedule of the end of the month. Today, all states except Arizona and Hawaii have uniform adoptions of DST to avoid such confusions.

Oct. 16 A full moon was reported in Olean last night, police said. M.D. Moon, 56, of Bolivar, was registered in the police station after being arrested on a charge of intoxication a much rarer sight during Prohibition, but hardly out of the ordinary. He furnished bonds in the sum of $10 for his appearance in police court this morning, but he forfeited the money by non-appearance.

Oct. 12 After 20 months of worrying, a Portville family finally has closure on the loss of their son. First Lt. Don Hurlburt, son of Mr. and Mrs. R.C. Hurlburt, was officially declared dead. A 1938 Portville graduate and former Olean Times Herald employee, he joined the U.S. Army months before Pearl Harbor. He later earned his flight wings and was attached to the Eighth Air Force in Great Britain, flying Supermarine Spitfires and Republic P-47 Thunderbolts. In his P-47, Buffalo Barb, he chalked up 64 missions before being shot down while returning from a bomber escort mission Feb. 22, 1944.

Oct. 18 Police are investigating the ransacking of the Olean Glove Co. and Rickersons Olean Bakery on West Sullivan Street. At the glove factory, managers say nothing appears to have been taken, although gloves and leather had been strewn about. The $2,500 in pigskin hides were left untouched. At the bakery, the office had been broken into and a cabinet pried open, with between $12 and $15 missing Mr. Rickerson had taken $535 out earlier in the evening.

Oct. 13 Move over, Route 219. State officials are eyeing Route 16 for a possible north-south expressway corridor in addition to the plans almost a decade old for Route 219. In 1969, Route 16 proponents began campaigning for a switch to the more heavily populated and faster growing Corridor 16 area, with service from the end of the 400 in South Wales to Holland, Arcade, Delevan, Franklinville and Olean. You opened our eyes to a need, said regional NYSDOT Director Donald Ketchum, noting the plan is now receiving at least equal consideration to a Route 219 expansion.

Oct. 14 Almost 10,000 pounds of explosives detonated in the Homer Hill area of Olean to provide fill for the Southern Tier Expressway. Gelmite and fertilizer ammonium nitrate were used to blast more than 15,000 cubic yards of hillside in the first of several planned explosions in the borrow pit owned by Felmont Oil Corp. The remains of the hillside can still be seen on Homer Street and Interstate 86, with the floor carved out used by several industrial and commercial firms including KA-BAR.

Oct. 12 The alarms at Friendship Central School sounded Wednesday and the school evacuated but not for a planned evacuation drill. While officials had already prepared for a drill, and students and staff were aware school would be letting out early, a nearby water line replacement crew struck a gas main, forcing the school to close about 15 minutes earlier than expected. It was amazing that this happened during Fire Prevention Week and the school was preparing for an evacuation, said Friendship Fire Chief Ted Whitcher. No one got sick, and thats because the school is pretty well set up on what to do in case of an emergency.

Oct. 15 Several area Black men will participate in the Million Man March on Washington, hoping the message will transcend the controversial messenger, Louis Farrakhan, whose anti-Semitic remarks leading up to the event have drawn condemnation. Theres a lot that Louis Farrakhan says that I dont believe in, either, said Orman Clemons of Olean. But for me, Im going down for what I can get from it as an African-American male Personally, Ill take what I can take and leave the rest alone. Burlin Bridges, who also disagrees with Farrakhan, said we have to show unity and solidarity in the community.

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State & Union: Turning back the clock on Olean - Olean Times Herald