Turning Back The Pages

100 years ago ­— September 1920

SALISBURY — Miss Clara Stone goes today to Hartford to take an excellent position with the Phoenix Insurance Co.

LAKEVILLE — Father Donohue, Harry Judd, Edw. Stuart and Michael Larney are painting the roof of St. Joseph’s Convent.

ORE HILL — Alex Leviski moved his family into one of the Company’s houses on Belgo Monday.

LAKEVILLE — Mr. and Mrs. Lester Neill expect to move to New York City soon. Mr. Neill in company with Willis Rosseter has been conducting the Lakeville Garage on Church Street and lack of ability to find a rent is responsible for Mr. Neill’s leaving town. He is an auto mechanic of ability and his customers greatly regret to see him and his estimable wife leave town, but all wish them happiness and prosperity in their new home.

50 years ago — September 1970

SHARON — John M. Hager of Main Street, Sharon, received serious facial injuries as the result of an automobile accident in Sharon last Sunday night. He has been a resident of Sharon for many years, and is the owner and editor-publisher of the Millerton News. The accident occurred at about 9 p.m. when he was attempting to negotiate a sharp curve on Route 341 in Sharon. His car left the road and struck a steep embankment. The car was totally destroyed in the crash.

FALLS VILLAGE — Falls Village Savings Bank, founded in 1854, will be consolidated with The Torrington Savings Bank, originally chartered as the Wolcottville Savings Bank in 1868, if state and federal authorities approve. The final agreement was reached at meetings Monday morning and jointly announced by the two bank presidents, Malcolm Canfield of Falls Village and John H. Brooks of Torrington as spokesmen for their trustees.

LAKEVILLE — Lennie Marino of Wolcott, who drives the United Parcel delivery truck in this area, reported Friday that he had driven around in the company of an eight-foot boa constrictor. Mr. Marino said the snake stayed quietly within the confines of his wooden crate until he was delivered to Ted Davis, science instructor at the Hotchkiss School, and caused no difficulties. Nevertheless, he was glad to hand the wriggly serpent over into Mr. Davis’ care.

LIME ROCK — A diminutive hummingbird made a crash landing last Friday on the terrace of Dr. and Mrs. Armand Oppenheimer in Lime Rock and couldn’t have chosen a more appropriate place. As president of the Housatonic Audubon Society, Dr. Oppenheimer has a special feeling for all forms of wildlife and has access to expert information on birds. The bird seems to have an injured wing, according to Dr. Oppenheimer, probably caused by flying against a window pane, but apparently is in good health otherwise, and, so far, faring well at human hands. He seems to have taken quite a fancy to his mentor, and willingly perches on Dr. Oppenheimer’s finger without any show of fear. His diet consists of Log Cabin syrup and nectar from fresh flowers.

25 years ago — September 1995

SALISBURY — The scenic Rand’s View property near Prospect Mountain has been purchased by the U.S. Department of the Interior to complement its Appalachian Trail holdings. Federal authorities invoked eminent domain to acquire the land which is part of the Hamlet Hill Farm on Prospect Mountain Road.

LAKEVILLE — After a long period of drought rain finally fell in the area Wednesday morning. At press time 1/10th of an inch had fallen. “We need at least .25 of an inch to get us out of the extreme drought classification,” Ralph Scarpino, state fire supervisor, told The Lakeville Journal late Wednesday morning. The rain came during a burst of mild temperatures right on the heels of the area’s first frost Monday morning.

FALLS VILLAGE — It was a real crowd pleaser, this hoisting of trains from tracks to a permanent stretch of rail near Jacobs Garage. Kids, moms and dads, municipal workers, a restaurant owner, a couple of volunteer firefighters, a retired teacher and quite a few dogs came out to watch Friday as a saffron red caboose and a lovely old green coach settled in Falls Village, permanently. Housatonic Rail Road’s yellow and green engine No. 3604 rounded the curve north of town, pulling the caboose, a future visitor’s center to be managed by the Economic Development Commission, and the coach, soon to be a railway museum under the auspices of the Falls Village-Canaan Historical Society. The coach and caboose were lifted with a hydraulic crane, by workers from Ajax Construction of Rhode Island, onto the base built by Denny Jacobs and Bill Beebe, who used fill and gravel and 20 feet of track for the spot.

These items were taken from The Lakeville Journal archives at Salisbury’s Scoville Memorial Library, keeping the original wording intact as possible.