History of Utica, New York, USA

From the Utica Observer of Thursday.

On Sunday afternoon about 3 o'clock, a most alarming fire broke out in the stable of Messrs. DODGE & HART, in rear of buildings on Seneca Street, south side of the canal. The fire spread with such uncommon rapidity, that in a few minutes a number of buildings surrounding the one in which it originated, were enveloped in flames. Our firemen were prompt in their attendance, and but a short time elapsed before all the fire companies and engines were in active operation.

The skill which they exhibited, and the prompt and effective orders of the Chief Engineer and fire wardens, soon arrested its progress, but not until a large amount of property had been destroyed.

The following is a list of the buildings burnt and the names of the occupants so far as we have been able to ascertain them.

Store shed owned and occupied by Messrs. DOWS & HULBUT, together with a considerable quantity of pork, salt, cotton, &c.

The stables of Messrs. DODGE &...

Utica, a handsome city of Oneida county, New York, on the Mohawk river, Erie canal, and Central railroad, Do miles W. N. W. from Albany, 5b' E. of Syracuse, and 383 from Washington. Lat. 43° IV 49" N., Ion. 75° 13' W. It is pleasantly situated on the S. bank of the Mohawk, and is regularly laid out. The site is nearly level, with a gentle declivity towards the N. The greater part of the public buildings and mercantile houses are situated on Genesee street. The streets are wide, and the houses mostly well built, of brick or atone. Among the principal hotels are Bagg's hotel, the National, the Franklin, the Central, the Eagle, and the Broad-street House. A new city hall, of Milwaukee brick, is in course of erection on Genesee street. The city contains about 20 churches, of the various denominations, several nourishing academies and seminaries. 1 or 2 public libraries, and a mechanics' association. Four daily and five weekly newspapers are published here, besides several monthly...

Utica, May 11. - A frightful accident occurred this morning, at half-past six o'clock, on the Central Railroad, by the crushing of a bridge over the Sanquoit Creek, some 3 and a half miles west of this city, near Whitesboro. Seven or eight persons are already dead, and five or six others are barely alive. The injured number forty or more.
The accident occurred in the Cincinnati express train, due here at 20 minutes past 6.

It was somewhat behind time at Whitesboro, and was coming up at a high rate of speed, when it met, on the bridge over the Sanquoit Creek, the Utica accommodation train for the West each on its own track.

The engines crossed the bridge, but as the passenger cars of the express and freight cars of the accommodation came upon it, the north side gave way, precipitating the freight cars into the creek, piling the passenger cars one above the other, and splintering the platforms and seats to atoms as the cars struck the abutments.

The passenger car on the...

UTICA was incorporated as a village April 3d, 1798. It was formed as a town, from Whitestown, April 7, 1817, and was incorporated as a city, February 13, 1832. It lies upon the south bank of the Mohawk, on the east border of the County. The land along the river is low, but rises in gradual slopes to the north west. The Erie Canal and the New York Central Railroad extend through it. It is the southern terminus of the Utica and Black River Railroad, and the northern terminus of the Utica, Chenango and Susquehanna Valley Railroad, and the Utica, Clinton and Binghamton Railroad. The last is operated by horse power to New Hartford, thence by steam to Deansville and Oriskany Falls. There are two lines of horse railroads in the city, one to Whitesboro and the other to New Hartford, and stage lines to all points. It is situated in the midst of one of the best agricultural sections of the State, and has an extensive trade. It contains about thirty churches, eleven banks, the County buildings,...

They all plead guilty, and implicated a man named Wm. Ferry as the instigator of the robbery. It is thought their plunder, since the commencement of operations, will amount to fully $100,000.

MAJ. RUBE ALLEN, Com. Vanderbilt's favorite veteran engineer of the Central Road, a man of giant stature, with a brave heart, which is as tender as a woman's, had a new hat for one of the freight brakeman of the road when he can find the right man. One day last week he was coming to Utica, drawing an express train. Just as he approached one of the small stations he saw the foreman of a section gang standing sideways in the middle of the passenger track, apparently watching a passing freight train. Rube quickly tooted his whistle, but the noise made by the freight must have drowned it, for the foreman never stirred. He continued the signal, whistled for brakes and reversed, but the man stood still as if in a reverie. The locomotive had approached so near that Rube could hear the brakeman who stood on the top of his train call out to the trackman and see him move his hands despairingly, as if he feared that he could not save the man. The express was running at a high rate of speed, and...

Five and Dime store: Founded by Frank Woolworth, Utica, N.Y., 1879 (moved to Lancaster, Pa., same year).