Hi Tim Hi Tim It is interesting to note in reading articles that Clark Sponable was a son of John Sponable and in his youth lived in "Nigger City" (now No. Brookfield) where his father was an expert blacksmith who worked for Carriages & Wagons for O S Gorton and John Sponable fashioned the iron work on the Carriages. In an interview in 1937 Clark stated that he was a student at the one room schoolhouse in Nigger City 60 years before, which no doubt would make him B abt 1870. As a young man you find Clark living in New Berlin working as a genial hotel clerk at the New Eagle Hotel errected and operated by C. L Banks in New Berlin. Nigger City received its name as a colored man named Laban Olby who had come from New Hartford in nearby Oneida County NY opened a Grocery Store and Blacksmith Shop in an old Log Building at that location in 1815. Mr Olby in 1844 built a new Hotel at that location and gave up his previous career. He ran the Hotel until 1864 when he moved to Norwich where he died. His Business coupled with a dense forest of Hemlock gave rise to its name. When Clark Hiram Sponable lived there as a youth the Hotel was operated by a man named Parks. Later when Clark Sponable lived in New Berlin he has at least one son named Allyn who later is living in Cayuga County NY. Clark also had his Nephew (brother's son) Earl living with him during the week (dutifully going home weekends) and later going to Cornell who was the son of Alfred & Arlene Sponable of Burlington Flats, NY. Earl was a young victim of Polio and that was no doubt in 1902 when the Brookfield Courier stated he was seriously ill. Earl graduated from New Berlin High School at Age 16 and was the only boy in the graduating class. Later reports show Earl living in Auburn NY and notes of a 1952 Meeting held in Zurich Switzerland state that meeting was the foundation that brought him fame, future and credited him with the success of 3 D Movies. At the time he was Chief of the 20th Century Science & Research Dept. Prior to that in the 1920's Earl Sponable worked with Theodore Case (an Auburn NY Native) together to record Images and sound simultaneously and Cas! e released the first Sound Movie "Sunrise" in 1927. I hope someone enjoys and finds this of interest. Pat R Info taken from Otsego Farmers & Republican Grayscale and Brookfield Courier New Articles