Rome Free Academy - De O Wain Sta Yearbook (Rome, NY)

Page 6 text:

U k! KJ Ui' X NQ EJ U l em' W 6 i' n comvsimrs N Y' I A Glimpse of Our City's Past X De-O-Wain-Sta Staff ,--,hw In Honor of Superintendent Staley ' T K our New R.F.A.Bui1ding i K 1 Q fs,o'f Th S h 1 1 ' 1 ' e Ficrity 5 i Seniors l Xi Activities Literature I X Athletics ' Jokes Patrons NX Z- i Wig 3 S If 6 . y gzgsge gym ww 'z's'0'- X' ' 2 0004 w.Q.o'1 QQQOOQ Yoga in 4 , , Q i n i A r' H o o no F! i if 42-Q -ff 'Earl . N i fi..- I gil X 3 ' N QL ' SQ MQW? W film 50 fx i' ' 1 xp X L mx Ls X fi my X , yt V P M iiiif if f 63 rx ' ni 'Niiw ' mix if i i i X X 44 f i sggx, M x K ut MM 1 Nl Wiiasiblii, s' ' 2 i A I it iii N X s 1 iii 1 K i 3?

Page 5 text:

Q u v W . We frorwriwcrlreu X F l 'ffl l li' lull l. .-1 X V' lr To our many friends and supporters we express the hope that this book may convey to them the spirit of our illustrious local his- tory linked with the activities of our school. Our name, The De-O-Wain-Sta, serves as one of those bonds connecting the past with the present. Rome was once known as De,O-W'ain-Sta fThe Carrying Placeb. We look upon our school as one of the carrying places of our lives. Here we pass from childhood to manhood and womanhood. Since the senior annual is the only publica- tion of our school the name De-O-Wain-Sta seems uniquely adapted to it. To many, thanks are due for their aid fn the publication of this year book. Among these are Mr. 0. P. Backus, Mr. C. B. How- land and the members of the Chamber of Commerceg Mr. Backus for his help in the historical work, Mr. Howland for the pic- tures he has lent us, and the members of the Chamber of Commerce for their hearty cooperation in the financial support of the De O Waln Sta It this book can bring to you pride in our heiitaee ot the past and memories-old friends old incidents, old dreams-it shall hate achieved its purpose. ' f .az fav la! as was J V r XI!! H rr, mix F '3'

Page 7 text:

8 - THE DE-O-WAIN-STA A Glimpse at Our City's Past The site of our city was so marvelously moulded by the hand of nature that it was impossible for Rome to play a small part in our nation's his- tory. The easiest water route to the West for the English colonies was that by way of the Hudson and Mohawk Rivers, Wood Creek, Oneida Lake, the Oswego River and the Great Lakes. Along this route there were portages or carrying places, the most important of which was at Rome between the Mohawk River and Wood Creek, its location being what is now Dominick Street, or near it. The Oneida Indian name for the carrying place was De-O-Wain-Sta, meaning the place where boats are carried from one stream to another. This name was, indeed, most appropriate. The canoes of the Indians and fur-traders, and later the bateaux-light, flat boats propelled by sails and poles-were carried between the two waterways. Because of the location of this Carrying Place in our city, many events of great historical importance have occurred here. Recognition of the strategic value of the carry was made at an early date by both English and French. The English, because of their friendship with the Iroquois, were enabled to build forts here for the protection of their inter- ests. They are known to have built nine forts, of which Forts Bull, Wil- liams and Stanwix are the most outstanding. Forts Bull and Williams figured prominently in the French and Indian War. Fort Bull was destroyed and its occupants massacred March 27, 1756, by a Canadian expedition of French and Indians under the com- THE ROME CLUB on the site of Fort Stanwix. According to tradition the elm on the left was a sapling during the Rev- o ution. mand of M. DeLery. In the same year Fort Williams was laid waste by a retreating English commander, Webb, to prevent its falling into the possession of the French. The Mohawk Valley and the carrying place were unprotected for two years until General John Stanwix built, at the cost of 60,000 pounds, the fort which bore his name. The fort stood in the square bounded by James, Dominick, Spring and Liberty Streets. During the French and Indian War three noteworthy expeditions of English and Colonial troops crossed the Carrying Place, one under Colonel Bradstreet on the way to the capture of Fort Frontenac, another under General Prideaux and Sir William Johnson en route to the capture of Fort Niagara, and the last that of General Amherst on the way to the capture of Montreal, the sur- render of which gave Canada to England. As early as 1760 the Carrying Place was settled, the earliest settlers