Turning Back the Pages

100 years ago — October 1924

Elton W. Feathers of Lakeville, who has been visiting Keeper Baker, has accepted a position at New York at Long Beach Bar Light Station Harbor Light. Mrs. Feathers will remain with her parents at Long Beach Bar till Thanksgiving when they will accompany her to the Berkshires for the holiday.

SALISBURY — Miss Alvalena Hortie has taken a situation as companion to Miss Berge.

A new steam heating system is soon to be installed at St. Mary’s Church.

Howard Martin, who has been visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Martin, has left town for a short stay at Chicago, previous to going on to California, where he expects to arrive in time to cast his vote.

Miss Edith Scoville of Taconic has closed Southaway cottage for the winter.

A car driven by Mrs. Thomas Flood collided with a horse drawn rig driven by F.D. Burton in front of the Bushnell place on Wednesday morning. Burton was driving across the road when the auto struck the wagon. No great damage was done. One wheel of the wagon was broken and the front fenders of the car were somewhat bent. The occupants of the vehicles were uninjured and the horse also escaped injury.

50 years ago — October 1974

Developers of the $3.5 million dog race track for Goshen hope to complete negotiations in the next week to 10 days for the purchase of approximately 180 acres of land owned by State Rep. Gordon M. Vaill, R-Goshen. Joseph Monaghan, one of the would-be developers of the proposed track, stated Wednesday that negotiations for the land transaction are continuing, and must be completed before backers file a formal application with the State Commission on Special Revenue.

Firemen from West Cornwall and Sharon battled a blaze in Sharon Monday which destroyed the remote mountain-top hunting lodge owned by Ian Ingersoll of West Cornwall. The secluded home was high atop the mountain overlooking Route 7 and the Housatonic River, just off Calkinstown Road close to a mile into the woods and up a steep grade, which proved difficult for firemen with heavy equipment to reach. The fire left only the charred remains of the once rambling building.

Revised architectural plans for a $317,000 off-street food market shopping complex in Salisbury were disclosed at an informational meeting of the Village Improvement Society Monday night at the town hall. It is hoped to start construction this fall or at the latest by early spring on a new 84-by-120-foot structure for the Shagroy Market plus two additional shops or offices.

A Penn Central grain car derailed Saturday morning at the Agway Feed Company grain elevator in Sharon Station, when two freight cars’ brakes failed, sending the cars rolling down the track. The accident occurred while the freight cars were being unloaded at the Agway facility. The 25-ton freight car rolled approximately 40 feet before hitting an emergency derailer, designed to stop runaway cars. New York State Police from Dover reported there were no injuries in the freight car derailment.

Joanne Erickson of Salisbury is attending the Lyndon Nordic Training Center in Lyndon Center, Vt. Joanne has been accepted into this unique program “because of her past record and great potential as a cross country ski racer.” Cross country skiers from all parts of the country come to live and study while training specifically for competitive cross country skiing under the former National “A” Team skier Peter Davis. Joanne is enrolled in the senior class at the training center, and joins 13 other young skiers representing seven states and Canada.

After two long, hard years of work the Canaan Housing Authority put the community’s housing for the elderly project out to bid this Monday. The authority received final approval of its plans last Friday from the state Department of Community Affairs.

Mystery now surrounds the North Canaan Plaza project on North Elm Street. Groundbreaking announced for two weeks ago has yet to take place, and a spokesman for developer Frank Eberhard said Wednesday the Poughkeepsie, N.Y. builder would have “absolutely no statement for the press.”

Douglas Humes Jr., 27, of Canaan, miraculously escaped injury Tuesday when his auto plunged 15 feet off a dismantled railroad bridge and into the Blackberry River. Mr. Humes was driving along the abandoned Central New England Railroad track bed on a private surveying job when high brush camouflaged where the bridge over the river once stood before the branch line was abandoned. Driving a Kharmann Ghia Volkswagen, Mr. Humes drove over the bridge embankment and the car dropped into a deep pool below. Although the roof of the car was flattened, Humes was able to escape through the driver’s window while the car was filling with water.

Donald Pollard of Falls Village was awarded the American Farmer Degree last week in special ceremonies held during the 47th National Convention of the Future Farmers of America in Kansas City, Mo. The American Farmer degree is the highest FFA degree and is awarded to about one percent of all FFA members. Pollard is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Pollard of Falls Village.

25 years ago — October 1999

WEST CORNWALL — The Dibble Hill Road home NBC news anchor Tom Brokaw and his wife Meredith have used as a part-time residence for nearly 20 years was put on the market late last month. Mr. Brokaw, who often donated his time, money and services to community events, purchased the home in 1982. While he declined comment Wednesday, Carolyn Klemm, the property’s exclusive broker, said she believed the Brokaws just did not have enough time to spend in Cornwall. “But they have truly loved Cornwall,” she said. The 2,500-square-foot home is situated on 13 acres and is listed for $650,000.

SHARON — Listeners tuning in to WKZE-AM (1020) may have noticed a change in the station’s music format. Since the end of September, the station has switched from country music to popular songs of the ‘60s, ‘70s and ‘80s, with an added local emphasis and more live broadcasts. Morning show host Marshall Miles, who returned to WKZE in May, said his show was so popular the station decided to make the change in format for the entire day.

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