December 27: ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY

December 27, 2023 Brooklyn Eagle History

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ON THIS DAY IN 1869, a Brooklyn Daily Eagle editorial said, “The death of [Edwin M.] Stanton has given a startling interest to the recess which had otherwise been dull and eventless. Death, even when long looked for, is in its actual occurrence always sudden. As nothing in human experience occasions a sharper shock to its observers, the shock is more profound and intense and wider in its influence when death claims a prominent man. Probably the departure of no public person ever in its announcement more surprised the people than that of the late Secretary of War. Even those who had heard of his failing health were led by his appointment as Supreme Judge to believe that he had at least partially recovered, and that his lease on life had been renewed.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1891, the Eagle reported, “Mrs. Harriet M. Kimball, widow of Moses P. Kimball, will assume the duties of president of the Pennsboro and Harrisville road on January 1. She is said to be the first woman president of a railroad.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1892, the Eagle reported, “The corner stone of the cathedral of St. John the Divine, on the Morningside plaza, One Hundred and Tenth street and Amsterdam avenue, New York, was laid at 3 o’clock this afternoon, Bishop Potter presiding. Several hundred clergy from abroad were present, and representatives of many charitable and educational institutions attended in a body, beside several thousand of the Episcopal laity. The ground upon which the cathedral is to stand cost $850,000 and the structure, when completed, is estimated to cost $10,000,000, and the time to complete it, ten years. When finished, it will be the finest church edifice in the country.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1948, the Eagle reported, “MOUNT VERNON (U.P.) — President Truman is the best-dressed man in America, Mrs. Veronica Dengel, president of the American Women’s Institute, said today. Mrs. Dengel said her list of best-dressed men was based on her own survey. The President, she said, has the ‘ideal look.’ Others on her list were Dr. Karl T. Compton, Secretary of Labor Maurice Tobin, Henry Ford 2nd, Ruby Newman, society maestro; Joe DiMaggio, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower, Charles Luckman, president of Lever Bros.; Adolphe Menjou, movie actor; and J. Edgar Hoover, FBI head.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1962, the Brooklyn Heights Press reported, “A Brooklyn Heights man this week said he would seek a court injunction to stop the Sanitation Department from making post-midnight garbage collections in this area. However, S.A. Russell, 20 Pierrepont St., emphasized he would not go it alone but would seek the support of other residents on the Heights. ‘This is not a thing one person can do by himself — it would be fruitless,’ he said in a telephone interview Tuesday. ‘But if enough people get together, we can show the city we mean business.’ Heights residents have been disturbed about the winter schedule put into effect late last month by the Sanitation Dept. The shift placed one third of the department’s personnel on night duty, to be on hand for snow removal work between the hours of 3 p.m. and 6 a.m. On nights when there are no snowstorms, the men make garbage removal rounds. Under a rotation system, Brooklyn Heights was designated as one of the neighborhoods that would be affected by the late schedule this winter. The area’s turn comes every four years. Mr. Russell’s objections have been typical of those voiced by persons here. ‘The noise of the garbage trucks wakes me up in the middle of the night. It’s like having a nightmare. The first time it happened I almost hit the ceiling.’ He recovered his composure to write a letter to Mayor [Robert] Wagner on Dec. 18 asking that the city’s chief executive intercede to stop the late-hour collections. ‘You, yourself have recognized the importance of eliminating shrieking auto horns and have conducted a commendable and fairly successful campaign in that department,’ the letter stated in part.”

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ON THIS DAY IN 1962, the Heights Press reported, “Hotel Margaret, 97 Columbia Hts., last week was designated a Landmark of New York by New York Community Trust. A plaque, affixed to the front of the 73-year-old building, reads: ‘Hotel Margaret: Designed in a Romanesque style by Frank Freeman, this building was erected for Charles Arbuckle in 1889. Its residents have included the etcher Joseph Pennell and novelists Sigrid Unset and Lillian Smith.’”

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NOTABLE PEOPLE BORN ON THIS DAY include “Good Times” star John Amos, who was born in 1939; Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Mike Pinder (the Moody Blues), who was born in 1941; King Crimson co-founder Peter Sinfield, who was born in 1943; former N.Y. Yankees outfielder Roy White, who was born in 1943; Foreigner guitarist Mick Jones, who was born in 1944; “Green Card” star Gerard Depardieu, who was born in 1948; “The Walking Dead” star Tovah Feldshuh, who was born in 1952; Basketball Hall of Famer Bill Self, who was born in 1962; “All My Children” star Eva LaRue, who was born in 1966; former NFL fullback Lorenzo Neal, who was born in 1970; “Today” co-anchor Savannah Guthrie, who was born in 1971; Sixpence None the Richer guitarist Matt Slocum, who was born in 1972; “Heroes” star Masi Oka, who was born in 1974; former NBA shooting guard Dahntay Jones, who was born in 1980; “Lost” star Emilie de Ravin, who was born in 1981; Paramore singer Hayley Williams, who was born in 1988; and “Wonka” star Timothee Chalamet, who was born in 1995.