Turning Back the Pages

125 years ago — May 1900

Steeple Jack has painted the smoke stack at the Morse-Keefer Co.’s factory. The stack is 72 feet in height.

SHARON — Mr. and Mrs. George S. Kirby returned home from their bridal tour Wednesday evening.

LIME ROCK — We were in error last week relative to Mr. Fred Judd possessing twins. It is one boy. That is one better.

SHARON — Our High School students are wearing a new school pin of very neat and attractive design.

SHARON — Mrs. Jane Jackson a lady of 82 years, has during the past three weeks pieced and presented to a lady in the village, a handsome bed quilt.

A. Martin on Tuesday took a large smoke-stack from Irondale to Winsted by team. The stack will be used in a large lumber and coal yard in that place. Mr. Martin made the return the next day.

A Poughkeepsie paper “has it on excellent authority” that an automobile line between that city and Millerton is assured within a month. The auto-stage will carry six passengers, or eight if a trailer is used. The fare will be one dollar for the round trip. The rate of speed will be 14 miles per hour.

The cold wet weather of the past week, while very disagreeable has been just the thing for the grass which now looks strong and thrifty.

Dr. Heath, the Winsted veterinary, died last Saturday after an illness of several months. His case was a peculiar one. He was State Inspector of cattle, and it is said that he contracted tuberculosis from the cattle he tested and treated. He was one of the most successful veterinaries in these parts. The funeral was largely attended at his late home on Tuesday.

A new $20 counterfeit is reported, said to be the “most dangerous that has appeared in a long time.” There lots of us, however, who will not lose many hours scrutinizing bills of this denomination for fear of being imposed upon.

100 years ago — May 1925

LIME ROCK — Eugene Eggleston has resigned his position in New York and is home for the summer to help on the farm.

The fine weather last Sunday caused a tremendous amount of auto traffic. As one driver expressed it, “There is now little pleasure in Sunday driving. It is like driving in a procession and many of the drivers are more or less full of booze and it’s getting to be a hazardous occupation.”

Tomorrow marks the official opening of the straw hat season.

M.G. Fenn is enjoying a week’s vacation from his duties as telephone trouble “shooter” and is putting in the time fishing.

50 years ago — May 1975

It is not often when anyone celebrates a 100th birthday, and when a person does, the occasion is usually a time for a very special celebration. Such was the case Sunday in Kent when family and friends attended a special birthday party for Theresa Klebes, a resident in Sharon Valley for many years, who celebrated her 100th birthday with a dinner, cake and glass of sherry. She was born May 12, 1875. Mrs. Klebes’ family includes one daughter, three grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.

The Canaan plant of Becton, Dickinson and Company will furlough approximately 400 employees, the bulk of its work force, for the week of June 9. Daniel O’Donnell, plant manager, made the announcement Wednesday. The plant, largest manufacturing employer in the Tri-State area, will be closed during the week, he said.

In a complicated series of courtroom maneuvers, defense attorneys for Peter Reilly have agreed to file a new petition for a new trial in Reilly’s 1974 first-degree manslaughter conviction. The hearing was requested by Attorney T.F. Gilroy Daly.

The Bargain Box and the Bargain Barn in Sharon turned over to the Sharon Hospital Auxiliary $6,000 in the first quarter of 1975, bringing total contributions from these two sources to $211,650.

Canaan residents unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday night opposing the abandonment of rail service to the community. The resolution further empoweredthe North Canaan Board of Selectmen to cooperate with various organizations working against the abandonment. In the resolution it was noted that Canaan has long been a railroad landmark and that local businesses and industry rely heavily on the service of the railroads.

English Shell Service Inc. of Winsted has added a 25-ton heavy duty wrecker to its fleet of service vehicles. The 1974 wrecker was recently obtained in New Jersey and was driven back to Winsted by Joseph English, accompanied by his wife, Stasia English, the proprietors of the station at 161 Main St. English said the wrecker is the only one of its kind in this section of the state.

Work started late last week on the former Lawrence Playground, only hours after Canaan received the deed to half of the former civic center. Heavy equipment was moved in to start grading operations needed to prepare the land for use as a recreation area.

The Lakeville Journal office in Canaan and State’s Attorney John F. Bianchi are two of the latest victims of thieves in Canaan. The Journal office lost all of its office equipment while Mr. Bianchi’s home was robbed of silver flatware and credit cards. Both thefts apparently took place Friday.

25 years ago — May 2000

CANAAN — The Christmas wreath they hung by their Wangum Village apartment door last year stayed green well into spring and Rose and Bob Blass didn’t have the heart to take it down. This year’s wreath is still hanging. It’s dry and brown and well past its prime. It is also home to a family of baby birds. Mrs. Blass explained that she left the wreath up late, in the hope that the mother titmouse who built a nest and hatched five eggs there last year would return. She is sure the five babies who hatched last Friday or Saturday have the same mom. Last Monday, Mrs. Blass decided to climb a stepladder to get a better look at the little ones as they were curled up together for warmth. “Look at that, they think their mother is here to feed them,” Mrs. Blass said with delight. She expects they will only stay in the nest for the next week or two.

FALLS VILLAGE — For the Lee H. Kellogg School Science Fair last week, third-grader Amanda Anderson wanted to “find out if babies like to play with their new toys or their old ones.” The surprising result of her research is that they prefer their old ones.

CANAAN — Work neared completion this week on a four-story elevator shaft at the rear of the Canfield Building. Purchased last year by Considine Properties LLC, the historic Main Street building is undergoing extensive renovations to meet code and handicapped access requirements. Work on the exterior elevator shaft required that the wooden deck at the rear of the Whistle Stop Cafe be temporarily removed. Building owner John Considine explained that the shaft, once reinstalled, will abut the deck. Those who press the button for the second level will step out directly onto the deck.