Turning Back the Pages

100 years ago – September 1924

For the second time in its history, the business block of the A.F. Roberts Co. was badly damaged by fire which broke out about 11:45 on Thursday night of last week. About the first intimation of anything wrong was discovered by Charles Benjamin, who smelled smoke. He called his neighbor, H.T. Miller, on the phone and asked him if he could see any signs of a bon fire in the neighborhood. Mr. Miller looked out of his window and saw the roof on the annex at Roberts Store ablaze and rushed to sound the fire siren. At about the same time Mrs. W.A. Blissard and the Misses Alice Mahar and Elizabeth Smith saw the fire and also gave the alarm. The firemen soon had two streams of water on the blaze and were rapidly getting the best of it when two lengths of old hose burst near the hydrant at Myron Holley’s and the water poured out in the form of a large fountain. The water had to be shut off till the hose could be changed and this proved a costly delay. Fortunately there was no wind, a condition that aided the firemen greatly and that a metal roof on the building helped to prevent the fire from spreading to a considerable extent.

The gas pumps of A.S. Martin and Dufour’s garages have been moved back from the curb. At Dufour’s garage some alterations to the front of the building are being made to permit the installation of the pump in a new location.

Mrs. Blissard has moved her beauty shoppe from Roberts Store, and is now doing business in her new quarters in H.T. Miller’s building.

The Western Union Telegraph Co. is opening a new office in the Dufour building. The Western Union business which has for years has been carried on at the Railway station will in the future be done in the new quarters. It is not announced as to whom will be the operator.

The sale and transfer of the dry goods and furniture business of C.F. Hawley Estate to a new company recently incorporated to operate the business was announced on Saturday. Mr. J.J. Killeen, President of the company, who will be the business manager of the company, came here to take title and possession, and begin his duties as manager.

Mr. Ralph Bartoni and family of New York have arrived here and are overseeing the preparations for opening a restaurant and home made bakery in H.T. Miller’s building within a few days. They will occupy living rooms in the telephone building.

Edward McCue is giving the “Porter” place a coat of paint.

Dr. B.M. Belcher and family of Yonkers were over Sunday guests at Miss Carrie C. White’s.

LIME ROCK – Frank Ostrom is putting in a cement tub at Mr. Loverage’s place.

50 years ago – September 1974

Crimped by state air pollution policy restricting open burning at landfills, many Northwest Connecticut towns are contemplating “fire training exercises” to rid themselves of accumulations of brush. Such an exercise in Cornwall last weekend disposed of a substantial pile. Salisbury, Sharon, Kent and North Canaan have discussed similar efforts. Only Falls Village and Norfolk in the northwest area reported no brush disposal problems.

A fiery crash on Sharon’s quiet Mitchelltown Road early Monday morning took the life of Robert J. Suter, 23, of Route 7, Cornwall Bridge. Suter, a news delivery man for the Waterbury Republican, was apparently on the last leg of a three-town route when the accident took place about 6:20 a.m., a half mile south of the Peterson Brothers bus garage. Apparently the gas tank ruptured on his Vega station wagon after the vehicle left the road and struck a tree stump, and Suter was unable to escape from the car. Funeral services were held Wednesday morning in Cornwall Bridge.

The first of three houses to be moved in Salisbury by the Village Improvement Society was in transit Tuesday morning to a field adjacent to East Railroad Street, its new location. Relocation of the three houses will clear the way for construction of the VIS-sponsored off-street shopping area in Salisbury village.

George Wheeler, who was last year named Connecticut Vocational Agriculture Teacher of the Year, has been designated as an Outstanding Young Man of America. The Outstanding Young Man program is designed to bring recognition to young men between 21 and 35 years of age who have shown outstanding abilities in their work and in their civic accomplishments. Mr. Wheeler came to Canaan almost five years ago to join the teaching staff at Housatonic Valley Regional High School. Prior to coming to Connecticut he taught vocational agriculture in New Hampshire.

Mike Hamzy, proprietor of Collins Diner in Canaan, was “on top of the world” this week after his establishment was one of 10 New England diners listed in the New York Sunday Times Travel and Resorts section. The diner was listed in an article entitled “A Way Out Guide to Dining Out” which offered examples of diners that “belie the greasy spoon image.”

Danahurst Stables Inc. will open in Lakeville the first week of October. Diane Dodge, a Lakeville native, has made arrangements with Longgreen Farm on Wells Hill to lease premises for the purpose of establishing her own stable. Although only 28 years old, Miss Dodge has been involved with horses for nearly 20 years, starting with the Lakeville Pony Club at the age of 10. During that time she went through the various rating stages of Pony Club and eventually headed the organization for two years during which time she gave much of the instruction without pay for the benefit of local youngsters.

25 years ago – September 1999

A mother of five and grandmother of three, Salisbury Town Clerk Sue Spring, 61, who had never hiked before her election two years ago, became friends with a group of hikers when they searched for information as to where to lodge for the night. She couldn’t find a room anywhere since it was a racing weekend in the area, so she invited them to camp in her back yard. They kept in touch afterward by phone. One of the group called last fall and exhorted her to come try the Appalachian Trail herself.

Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Connecticut’s latest house arrived in the form of a modular structure Monday. The second floor and roof were to be put on in two days at the site on Sand Road in Falls Village.

The Seth MacFarlane – “Family Guy” – Father Richardson Schell – controversy has once again given The Lakeville Journal national prominence. Back in August, TV Guide used a portion of our front page to illustrate the story, which revolved around Father Schell’s campaign to get advertisers to withdraw from the Fox television show “Family Guy.” The show was created by former Kent resident Seth MacFarlane, a graduate of Kent School, of which Father Schell is headmaster. The school leader feels the show is in poor taste, but he is also upset with the name Griffin being given to the family on the animated show. That is also the surname of his secretary. This week Vanity Fair hit the newsstands and the story is retold in depth – six pages deep. And once again, The Lakeville Journal article written by Jennifer Cooper is clearly displayed. This may just be that 15 minutes of fame so often talked about, and we’re enjoying every minute.