Turning Back the Pages

100 years ago — March 1924

Fay Chaffee of Lime Rock cut his hand quite badly.

A robin now and then has been reported, but as yet no blue birds. Wednesday marked the 36th anniversary of the big blizzard of ‘88, which will be remembered by our elder citizens as a storm which established a record for this part of the country which has never been beaten in point of severity.

L. Hunter of Lime Rock is shingling his house.

Thus far March has been living up to its bad reputation.

Mr. and Mrs. Dwight Cowles were in New Haven last Saturday, where Dwight went to a Dental specialist for the removal of an extraordinarily difficult tooth. The removal of the troublesome member was practically a surgical operation and Dwight has been confined to the house for the past few days on that account. He is now practically himself again.

Mrs. Eugene Frink has moved to Falls Village.

Willard Weeks of Milton, Conn. expects soon to take the position at Rose Hill Farm to be left vacant by Edwin J. Baldwin, who expects to be employed on the state road near Lime Rock.

A disease known as dog bronchitis is quite prevalent among the canines. “Doggone it,” cannot something be done to cur-tail the ailment.

William Rosseter is driving a good looking pair of black horses which he recently purchased.

Those who have had occasion to dig in the earth say that the frost has penetrated in some places to a depth of about four feet. Rather surprising in consideration of the mild winter.

50 years ago – March 1974

In spite of no real change in the gasoline crisis this month in the Tri-State area, gasoline dealers report one new phenomenon — smaller gas lines than have been in evidence in previous months. One station owner, David Delinsky of Sandmeyer Oil Company, owner of the Cornwall Bridge Texaco, attributed the smaller gas lines to a decrease in “panic buying” by gas-hungry customers.

Sunday, March 10, was the official “ice out” for Lake Wononscopomuc, Lakeville’s veteran “ice man,” George P. Milmine, reported this week. The date for the disappearance of the ice on Connecticut’s deepest lake was the second earliest on record, an “ice out” on March 3 having been recorded in 1954.

Matthew Freund won first place in the Housatonic Valley FFA chapter annual public speaking contest on March 8. His topic was “Dairy Farming, A Vanishing Trade?” Second place was Lynn Pollard with “How to Make a Project Into a Career.” These two students will represent the Housatonic Valley chapter in the District Contest on March 25.

George Schaefer Sr., who has been associated with Decker and Beebe, a Canaan plumbing business, for the past 40 years, retired from the firm on March 1. Mr. Schaefer’s position was taken over by Ed Ustico who purchased a share of the business.

25 years ago — March 1999

Are Lara Mittaud and Dathalinn O’Dea twins who were separated at birth? One might think so. They have taken almost all the same classes for four years, they share the same extracurricular activities and they are good friends. Last week, as the 1999 valedictorian and salutatorian at Housatonic Valley Regional High School were announced, the two seniors found themselves together again. This time, it’s on top. Ms. Mittaud was named number one in this year’s graduating class and Ms. O’Dea came in second.

John Considine has reported this week that Considine Properties LLC plans to close on the purchase of the Canfield Building in Canaan any day now and has already begun work to renovate the structure. The three-story Main Street building that looms large and dilapidated and dominates the view as one heads down Route 7 into the center of town is well past its prime. Years of neglect have taken their toll on what was once a splendid structure, to the point that an oft-heard opinion is that it should simply be torn down. Mr. Considine has heard those comments, but believes that the Canfield is worth reviving and can again be an asset to Canaan.

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