Turning Back the Pages

125 years ago — March 1900

SALISBURY — Dr. Beebe has sold his place to Dr. Sellew.

The Hotchkiss Library in Sharon recently purchased the Charles Dudley Warner Library, consisting of thirty-one volumes of standard literature.

SHARON — Mr. Louis Benson is taking a vacation which he is enjoying in Waterbury.

On account of the severe cold there was no service at the M.E. Church on Sunday evening.

Dr. Will Bissell is treating 16 cases of measles, 14 of which are at Dr. Knight’s Institution.

N.L. Daniels saw an unusual sight last Monday for this time of the year. He had occasion to go to the spring near Fred Burton’s place and there he saw a big green bullfrog hopping around as lively as you please. The frog evidently did not like the climate for he hopped back in the spring and disappeared. Next!

Mrs. Moses Lyman met with a serious accident on Tuesday last. Coming down the front stairs about 10 o’clock, with her hands filled, she someway slipped and fell, striking the right side on the edge of a stair and breaking the bone just below the hip joint. The two Dr. Bissells were summoned and the limb set as soon as it was possible. Mr. Lyman was in western New York at the time and was called home by wire the next morning. Mrs. Lyman has an excellent trained nurse from New York and her many friends will be glad to know that though suffering much pain most of the time, she is as comfortable as such a fracture will allow her to be at present.

100 years ago — March 1925

Charles H. Wiesing, who died at his home in Salisbury March 2nd, was born in Lime Rock January 11th, 1858. He was the oldest son of George F. Wiesing, a skilled pattern-maker in the employ of the Barnum Richardson Co. Mr. Wiesing was educated at the Lime Rock public school, and at the Rocky Dell Institute, a private school situated in Lime Rock, well known in its day. At the age of sixteen he began to work for the Barnum, Richardson Co., entering his father’s shop, and learning the pattern-makers trade. He was in the employ of that Company, holding the position of Superintendent as the successor of James H. Barnum, till he resigned in 1915, a period of 41 years. In 1884 he was married to Miss Lillie Winchell, and for years they occupied the cottage on Lime Rock Main Street, that is still associated with their name.

H. Roscoe Brinton has sold his garage at Salisbury to A.S. Martin. The price for the building and equipment is said to have been $20,000, and the stock and supplies were a separate deal. Mr. Brinton informs the Journal man that he is not yet prepared to announce any definite plans, he expects to be here at least until next winter. Mr. Martin will continue to conduct the business as formerly and will endeavor to give the very best of service to the old and any new patrons.

Quite a number of our citizens reported experiences during the earth quake which visited the eastern part of the country last Saturday evening. Walls trembled, pictures swung and dishes rattled in different places. At the Men’s Club a number of members watched the pool balls roll around on the tables and didn’t understand the cause till later. The greater number of the people however were totally unaware that anything unusual had happened till they read their papers or heard it over their radio sets.

A.S. Martin has sold his building known as the Jigger Shop to Mrs. Floyd Hamm, who will continue to conduct business there.

E.L. Peabody has been laid up with an injured foot, which he had the misfortune to cut with an axe, but the injured member is now improving and Mr. Peabody is able to get about.

FOR SALE — Family cow, $40.J.R. Taylor, Phone 62.

Alfred Beebe who recently escaped from Litchfield jail and was recaptured, again broke jail last Sunday, but was again recaptured, and returned to that institution on Tuesday. George Bowen, a fellow prisoner who escaped at the same time, was also recaptured. The prisoners were occupying a house on the estate of John M. Wadhams at Goshen, when the officers gathered them in.

Miss Katherine Farley had the misfortune to fall on the ice last Sunday and received quite a severe sprain of the left wrist.

50 years ago — March 1975

Elementary classes are smaller now in the Northwest Corner than they were eight years ago. School Superintendent Frank Samuelson says this reflects the statewide trend revealed in a survey issued this week. Mr. Samuelson said that if overall enrollment declines continue, new groupings would probably be tried, in part as an effort to keep teacher costs per child “within reason.”

Auto dealers in the Tri-State region had been urging their customers to take advantage of the auto manufacturers’ rebate program during February. A survey this week found the effort had paid off for many. Dealers said that used car sales have been particularly strong, since many prospective buyers unable to afford a new auto are able to purchase a good used car.

Fire gutted the new offices of the Cornwall Insurance Agency Inc. and DeVoe Realty in Cornwall Bridge early Wednesday morning. Cornwall Fire Chief Richard Dakin termed the blaze “extremely suspicious” in origin and said the state and town fire marshals will investigate.

Salisbury selectmen heard an urgent plea from John Fallon Tuesday night for relief from the problem created by runoff drainage from U.S. 44 spilling across his lawn on Library Street. Under a drainage easement dating from 1935, water collected from catch basins along Main Street is discharged along a 10-foot-wide strip across his yard. The trouble, he said, is that it is not only water but also anything else that enters the catch basins including beer and soda cans and even a topcoat. His neighbor Frank Bogue also suffers from a similar accumulation of silt and debris after every storm. First Selectman Charlotte Reid expressed great sympathy but said the selectmen are also frustrated because the State, which creates much of the problem, refuses to accept responsibility for a solution. She described feeble state efforts to clean out the drains.

William H. Geer D.M.D. has opened an office for the practice of general dentistry on Main Street in Lakeville, having purchased the general practice of Dr. Richard M. Wright. A native of Stratford, Dr. Geer is married to the former Elizabeth Glad. They have three daughters, Julia, 5, Susannah, 3, and Laura, 1 — and live on Main Street next to the dental office.

Plans for the use of the former Lawrence Playground were laid Monday night when First Selectman Leo Segalla met with the Canaan Recreation Commission. Recreation Commission Chairman Norman Tatsapaugh said that his group will seek to establish two softball fields on the property and to repair the tennis courts. He said that if two ball fields prove to be impossible this year, the town will settle for one.

25 years ago — March 2000

Caitlin Grusauskas of Falls Village has been named valedictorian for the Housatonic Valley Regional High School class of 2000; Daniel Kruger of Lakeville has been named salutatorian.

SHARON — West Woods Road No. 1 may be the next in town to earn a scenic road designation. Earlier this year resident Steve Malley submitted a petition to the town requesting the unpaved 3.4-mile-long section of the road be designated as scenic. First Selectman Robert Moeller said most likely a public hearing date will be set at the Board of Selectmen’s next meeting. The portion of the road up for scenic designation begins at its southern end, where it intersects with West Woods Road No. 2 and Keeler Road, and continues along until the road becomes paved about a mile from its intersection with Route 41.

WEST CORNWALL — The covered bridge on Route 128 over the Housatonic River is tentatively scheduled to close the week of March 13. During that week, Mohawk Northeast Inc. of Newington will straighten the bridge, which is leaning to the south. Braces will also be added at the top corners of the bridge and some of the tresses supporting it will be replaced. Once that is completed, the span will be reopened to traffic and the roof and siding will be replaced and the windows relocated.

KENT — The ice on the Housatonic River just south of the village is out, making both an individual and the Kent Volunteer Fire Department a bit richer. The ice broke at 9:55 p.m. Monday, Feb. 28. Charles Davis submitted the winning ticket with a guess of 10:15 p.m. Feb. 28. He and the department will each get $1,164.