A Little History of Homer
Reed Cleland
For some, 1950 may seem like yesterday. However, for many people, including the generation currently attending Homer High School, time capsules are reminders of not only his-tory, but our-story.
During renovations for Homer High’s new gymnasium, construction workers found a time capsule dating from the school’s founding in 1950. The discovery was rather sudden, and the campus was swarmed by students who arrived in time to see the Superintendent, Nancy Ruscio, and board members uncover the lid of the hollowed cement block. The actual sorting took place the following Monday, as the box needed a particular moisture condition in order to be handled, but students and staff were given the opportunity for firsthand pictures
Monday afternoon found the Superintendent’s office swarming with members of the Student Government club, Senior Class Officers, Olympian representatives, Yearbook representatives, faculty, and Board members who were eager to delve into their school’s history. An inventory of the box’s contents was made:
Silver Certificate $1 with Signatures
St. Margaret’s Catholic Church Brochure
Homer Academy Catalogue (1942-1943)
The Cortland Phone Directory 1950-51
Homer Garden Club 1950 Brochure
Cortland Co. Home Bureau Program 1950-51
Parent-Teacher Association Program 1950-51
The Saving Health Among All Nations Program 1950-51
Homer Chapter No. 222 O.E.S.
Leisure Hour Club 1950-51
Sennightly Literary Club 1950-51
Little York Garden Club 1950-51
Homer Lodge No. 850 10/14/50
Tioughnioga Encampment No. 208
American Legion Digest-Vol 1
Burns-McCauliffe Post 465 10/20/50
Homer Grange Membership 3 pgs.
Cortland Chamber of Commerce Membership
This is Cortland Book Homer Fire Dept. 2 articles
Fire Truck Picture
Notice of Annual Mtg.-Preble Garden Club 2 pgs
Washington Chapter No. 29 Membership List
Homer Lodge No. 352 11/10/50
Homer Baseball Club Banquet 10th Anniversary 1938-48
Community News Reviews 3/16/45, 2/16/45, 8/15/43, 5/15/45, 12/16/44, 6/16/43-8 pages Cortland Standard 11/8/50
The Post Standard 11/10/50
Syracuse Herald Journal 11/10/50
Signatures-Nancy Hale, Art Goodman, Helen Leonard, Shirley Knapp 10/5/51
Work Safely Cup
16” Reel-Ceremony to Place HS Cornerstone 2/3/51
The HCS News-10/23/50
Cortland Standard-1/27/45
Post Standard-1/27/45
Cortland Standard-2 pgs 1/27/45
Official Ballot
Freshman Room Signatures-2 pgs
Agriculture Room Signatures
Study Hall Signatures-3 pgs
Math Room Signatures-2 pgs
Art Room Signatures-2 pgs
Grade 8 Signatures-2 pgs
Social studies Senior Room Signatures-2 pgs
Eighth Grade F Signatures-2 pgs
Grade 7 K Signatures-3 pgs
Grade 7 Signatures-3 pgs
School Collectors Receipt
Laying of Cornerstones Program
Proposed budget 1950-51 15 pgs
Tax Notice
Proposed Buildings Brochure
The Bond Issue Brochure-9/20/49
The University of the State of NY-5/4/46
F. Eugene Williams Signature-Class of 1876
Books: The New York Red Book-1947; Cortland County Treasurer-1949; Latin For Americans-1950; New French Review Grammar-1935; Junior English in Action-Book Two-1937; Supervisors Journal-1949; The Arithmetic of Business-1939; Forty-Fourth Annual Report-1948; The World Almanac-1950; Literature and Life in England-1943; Challenges To American Youth-1950; Plane and Spherical Trigonometry-1945; Everyday Living-1946; First Year French-1949; Cortland, Homer and McGraw Directory-1949; Forty-Fourth Annual Report-1948; Odyssey-1945; Odyssey-1950
While sorting through the piles of artifacts, students, staff, and administrators listened to the 1950 audio recording of the ceremony to lay the HS cornerstone. The sense of unity that imbued the entire room was perfectly palpable. Common history has that effect on people: we can forget our differences for the moment and remember what it is that brings us together.
