Probably one of the most popular women’s magazines of the 20th century was McCall’s Magazine. It specialized in women’s fashion and clothing design, as well as fiction. It got its name from James McCall, who at one time was a proficient tailor and resident of Franklin.

James McCall was born in Blackburn, Scotland, in 1827. His parents died when he was a boy, so he became an apprentice to a tailor in Glasgow, where he learned the trade.

After arriving in the U.S., McCall attended the nearby Fergusonville Academy as long as his limited means would allow, and then went to Andes to work at his trade. Eventually, McCall came to Franklin and established himself in the merchant tailoring business for several years. He married Miss Laura Ford, also of Franklin.

McCall sold his Franklin business to Abram Bush and Seymour Brownson, and returned to Scotland as the general agent of the Wheeler and Wilson Sewing Machine Co.

By 1873, McCall left the sewing machine company, apparently with a small fortune, and began his own business of the manufacture and sale of paper sewing patterns on 14th Street in New York City. McCall has been credited with the origin of paper patterns.

In 1880 the famous magazine got its debut, under a different name, The Queen. In addition to patterns, the magazine started featuring recipes, advice about running a household, and comments about current affairs.

It was a small-format magazine, and when it was re-named McCall’s Magazine in 1897, it became a large-format glossy publication. The monthly magazine enjoyed great popularity through the 20th century, peaking at a readership of 6 million in 1960.

McCall passed away in early March 1884. The business floundered for awhile. In 1892, the McCall Publishing Co. went on the block at a sheriff’s sale, but was rescued by backers who gave the company the help it needed to recover. Shortly after that, the magazine was re-named McCall’s.

The magazine lasted by that name until 2001, when it was renamed Rosie as a magazine publishing vehicle for the entertainer Rosie O’Donnell. That ceased publication at the end of 2002.

In McCall’s obituary from The Delaware County Dairyman and Register of March 14, Joe Eveland, editor, recalled an incident of McCall’s life locally.

"In the summer of 1862 he attended a meeting held at Croton (today’s Treadwell) for the purpose of securing volunteers for the Army. The Baptist Church was crowded. After some patriotic speaker, Mr. McCall rose and said he would give $50 to the first volunteer. E.A. Griffith, who afterward became the captain of Co. D. 144th Regiment, was present and halting between his duty to his country and his family who were dependent upon his earnings for his support, promptly enlisted and received the money. Volunteers were obtained without difficulty from this point."

McCall was apparently a devoted member of the Franklin Methodist-Episcopal Church, today’s United Methodist Church on Main Street. A memorial window can be seen today on the left front side of the church, which McCall donated. It is clearly marked with an anchor and crown.

James and Laura McCall are buried in the Ouleout Valley cemetery.

On Monday, while Major League Baseball is on an all-star break for a game Tuesday night, we’ll recall an all-star game in Oneonta in 1952.

City Historian Mark Simonson’s column appears twice weekly. On Saturdays, his column focuses on the area during the Depression and before. His Monday columns address local history after the Depression. If you have feedback or ideas about the column, write to him at The Daily Star, or e-mail him at simmark@stny.rr.com.

His website is

www.oneontahistorian.com.