Century-old Ti — Soldier buried on Memorial Day

This is the latest in a series of posts about news reported a century ago in the Ticonderoga Sentinel.

Memorial Day in 1921 at Ticonderoga took on an added dimension with the funeral and local burial of Private Joseph T, Nulty, who died during World War I.

“The body of the young soldier, one of five thousand that recently arrived in Hoboken, arrived in Ticonderoga last Friday, being accompanied by a regular Army soldier as an escort, and was met at the railroad station by members of the American Legion and the Knights of Columbus,” the Ticonderoga Sentinel reported on June 2, 1921.

The bodies of many of those who died in World War I had been temporarily buried in Europe until the bodies could be shipped to the United States after the war.

Nulty, who served with the 312th Infantry, died in France on Oct. 15, 1918 from pneumonia, associated with the global Spanish flew pandemic that year.

He entered the Army on April 30, 1918, drafted in the sixth round from Essex County.

Prior to being drafted, he was a clerk at the Stevens & Weed Co. store at Ticonderoga.

Roman Catholic priests from Ticonderoga, Port Henry and West Port participated in a solemn requiem high mass for Nulty at 9 a.m. at St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church.

Farther McCarthy of Westport preached the funeral sermon.

“In it, he paid a glowing tribute to the sterling qualities of the young man as a Christian, citizen and soldier, and there was not one in the congregation that completely filled the church upon whom his words did not make a profound impression,” the Sentinel reported. “It was a brilliant eulogy and wholly in keeping with the character of a young man who held a very high place in the respect and affections of the people of the town.”

Nulty was re-burred at the Alexandria Avenue Cemetery.

In other June 2, 1921 Ticonderoga Sentinel news:

• International Paper Co. on May 28 made a new offer to the company’s unionized workers that had been on strike, including at its Ticonderoga mill, since May 1.

The offer, a slight softening from an original offer the unions rejected, would set the wage scale for most workers at 1919 levels, with steeper cuts for certain job classifications.

“This, as the men figure it, means a cut of 20 percent inside the mills (where skilled labor is necessary) and a reduction from 52 to 34 cents (more than 30 percent) for yard men.”

The company offered to retain the 8-hour standard work day, and continue the same overtime pay provisions as in the previous contract.

IP originally sought to cut wages 30 percent, eliminate extra pay for overtime, extend the standard work day from eight to nine hours, and remove yard workers from the contract.

• Three long-standing trees, two elms and a poplar, were removed in preparation for construction of the new Knights of Columbus Hall.

“The structural steel for the building has been ordered and the Knights hope to have the foundation of their building finished by the time it arrives.”

• A new 8.02-mile road to be constructed from Ticonderoga to Hague was estimated to cost $385,300 — the equivalent of nearly $5.9 million in 2021 dollars.

The federal and stated governments would pay $198,636 each, Warren County $48,270, and Essex County $59,280.

• The Ticonderoga High School track team, with 26 points, placed third in the annual regional track meet at Silver Bay.

Silver Bay, with 48 points, placed first, and Whitehall, with 39 points, second.

Other teams were from Port Henry, Mineville and Crown Point.

Ticonderoga athletes placed first in the relay race; second in the shot put, mile run, and 440-yard dash; third in the 100-yard dash; and fourth in the half-mile run.

• Youth at Ticonderoga Baptist Church were learning about serving — pun intended.

“The young people of the Baptist Church have made on the church lawn what is undoubtedly the finest tennis court in town.”

• June 3 was “Send-A-Bundle-Day” in Ticonderoga.

“Ticonderogians are asked to bundle up their old clothes of all kinds and give them for the relief of the destitute, suffering people of the Near East.”

• Mrs. F. L. Brust donated canned fruit and pickles to Moses-Ludington Hospital.

Click here to read the most recent previous post in this series.