http://www.cooganresearchgroup.com/crg/index.htm 14 October 2012 COOGAN story ____________________________________________________________________ appearing in "Syracuse Herald-American" [NY], 02 FEB 1947, PAGE 36): - WHERE 'THE KID' PLAYED - Coogan Place Home of Old Family [photo; caption: "210 Wayne st., the Coogan house"] By DAVID WALLACE THIS COULD not be called the house that Jack built, but he certainly played in it for many, many hours. Reference is to Jackie Coogan and the modest home at 210 Wayne st., put up by his grand-father, owned now by his uncle and aunt, is always called simply the Coogan place. Jackie Coogan is still a figure in the news as proved by space given recently to another of his marriages. One might paraphrase the old rhyme to read, "He climbed so high he touched the sky," of international fame, while still a little boy. What followed in the dizzy Hollywood pace with lawsuits over his earnings, romances, etc., is his own business, but certain people in this city still cherish the memory of a grand little Irish boy tumbling about along Wayne st. IT WAS IN the motion picture, "The Kid," after Charlie Chaplin had discovered him and carried him along in his own starring vehicle, that Jackie rose to celebrity status overnight. After that came "Peck's Bad Boy," "My Boy," "Trouble," "Oliver Twist," "Daddy" and "Toby Tyler," among others. At the height of his fame he came on to visit in this home of his grandfather from time to time, and since the cameras followed him about then, many people thought he was born there. ACTUALLY he first saw the light of day in Los Angeles, 1915, the son of theatrical people, but his family had countless Syracuse connections. An account should start with great-grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Timothy Coogan, who came over here from Ireland early in the last century. That Mr. Coogan worked for something like 40 years in the original station of the New York Central Railroad in Washington st., between Salina and Warren sts. Then he moved along in 1869 to the second station, southwest corner of S. Franklin and W. Washington sts. That was superseded by a third one at S. Franklin and W. Fayette sts., before tracks were elevated and the present station went up a little over 20 years ago. ONE OF Timothy Coogan's sons was John H. who built this home in 1883, according to records kept by his son, Arthur, Jr., present owner of the property. John H. Coogan, born Oct. 27, 1852, bought the lot from Mr. Stanton who lived just above at Wayne and Lodi sts. He engaged John Sherlock, a contractor, to put up his house, raised a family there and then more than 20 years later, in 1906, he installed modern plumbing along with other improvements. Eventually he passed it along to the next generation. John H. Coogan started work in a bake shop during his boyhood days. Then he took up the profession of pharmacy with P. L. Ryan as his partner, their store on E. Genesee st. close to the Onondaga County Savings Bank site. Later he formed another partnership, Coogan and Quigley, operating in the Bastable Block, under Shakespeare Hall. WHEN FIRE destroyed the building, they took temporary quarters in the 100 block of James st. During that period Mr. Coogan bought out his partner and then he sold to Stolz Brothers. Again the Bastable Block was destroyed by fire, then replaced by the State Tower Building and that business still goes on. Mr. Coogan went to work for the city as inspector in the Department of Public Works and he remained on that job until a year before his death in 1932. With passage of years, surroundings of this house changed markedly. WHAT HAD been known as James st. Alley became officially Wayne st. The former name was due to the fact that at a time when horses were needed for transportation, stables for James st. mansions and quarters for the carriagemen and grooms were placed along this short back street. A few of them remain, but the horses are long since gone, also those picturesque coachmen. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. John H. Coogan, all of them in this house except the eldest, Arthur, who was born nearby and brought over to the new place at age of six months to live there ever since. John, the second, Jackie's father, came next in line. He went on the stage while still in his teens, joining the team of Dillon Brothers from Cortland, song and dance artists in vaudeville. When one of the three Dillons died he was taken into the team. THROUGH THIS association, as they went into musical comedy, he met Lillian Dolliver, married her and Jackie was born to them on the West Coast. They also had another boy, Robert, who grew up in time to get into the service along with Jack during the recent war. A great friendship developed between Jackie and his grand-father and the boy came here to visit time after time during his heyday. In August, 1924, he appeared on a local stage for Near East Relief, but meantime he was still engaged in childish pranks. An amusing story of one such was told Saturday to the writer by one of his playmates then, Robert N. Greenwood, of 356 Gertrude st., living before that at 110 Wayne st., recently, returned from the service and now employed by the New York Central Railroad. Greenwood says that a group of the boys built a cave in the lot just below this house, then vacant, and then the cave collapsed the fled in all directions. SOMEONE called the fire and police departments because of a rumor that boys had been buried. Finally, a member of "the gang" took charge, called the roll with all present and accounted for, but still very much frightened. They didn't get any punishment because parents were so relieved to take them home safely. Jackie Coogan was in that "gang." WHEN JOHN H. COOGAN died in 1932 he left as survivors: Mrs. Mary M. Coogan, his widow; three sons, Arthur J. of Syracuse, John H. Coogan, Jr. and George G. Coogan of Los Angeles; two daughters, Mrs. John J. Portley of Albany and Mrs. George A. Langan of Syracuse; two brothers, James and Henry Coogan of Syracuse; and three sisters, Mrs. Elizabeth Murphy, Mrs. John Bauder and Miss Margaret Coogan, all of Syracuse. His grandson, then studying in a Jesuit college at Santa Barbara, Calif., was unable to attend those services. The home was eventually taken over by Arthur Coogan who is employed by Hubarie Congress Brewing Co. He married Miss Helen C. Newlove of Utica. John H. Coogan, Jr., was killed in a car crash, 1935. Another branch of the family carried on the railroad tradition. James Coogan, son of Timothy, served in the New York Central Lines for 55 years and retired only because of age limits. He had been first an announcer, then train-master and station-master, known variously as "Pop" or "Honey" Coogan. One son, James T., became an engineer for the road. Another, Edward, is now announcer at the New York Central depot. Railway men still toss at him the old family sobriquot, "Honey Coogan." ____________________________________________________________________