Turning Back the Pages

125 years ago — May 1900

F.H. Langdon of Canaan Valley has a pair of perfect albino calves — pure white and pink eyes.

Master Gerald Eggleston of Sharon has had quite a serious time with the measles.

SHARON — The children of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Carey in the Valley have the measles, and not scarlet fever as at first reported.

Mrs. Geo. Lamb of Sharon remains in about the same condition, no worse, and seemingly no better.

LIME ROCK — The stork called at the home of Robert Merriman Saturday morning, and another little daughter is now one of the family.

The thunder storm of last Friday afternoon visited Lime Rock in force. A bolt struck a tree in front of the residence of Mrs. Clapp, jumped to an iron fence and from that into the ground, breaking a flag stone in its course. Telephone and telegraph lines were put out of action for some hours.

Rev. J.C. Goddard sails today from Southampton on the steamer St. Paul.

Lost somewhere on the road between Salisbury and Lakeville, a long handled bill poster’s brush. Will finder please leave at this office.

John Beckley has retired from the Connecticut Western News staff, and E.H. DeMars of the Winsted Citizen will fill the position as assistant editor.

The members of Mrs. Myron Holley’s Sunday School class will give a strawberry tea at Roberts’ Banquet Hall on Friday evening June 8th, from 5 to 10. Tea, including ice cream 25 cents. The proceeds will be applied to the chapel fund.

I.W. Sanford is doing the surveying and getting out the specifications for the improvements on the “Upper Road” leading from Canaan to East Canaan.

100 years ago — May 1925

The citizens of the town are wondering when the State Highway department is going to give us the promised improvement of the road from Sages Ravine to Salisbury and from Lakeville to the New York State line. These roads are badly in need of improvement and about all we are getting is promises and you certainly cannot ride very comfortably on promises. There is plenty of talk about increased taxes on gasoline but “darned” little about better roads hereabouts. Other towns are succeeding in getting improved roads and why cannot we have a small share of them. Don’t all speak at once please.

Dwight Bushnell has installed a phone in his house.

The ore pits at Ore Hill have been steadily filling with water since mining operations were stopped, and now there exists a small lake, and the water seems to be constantly gaining. Pretty soon it may have to seek an outlet and there is some speculation as to where it will break or be carried through. The general opinion is that it will have to be carried under the highway by a sluice and will ultimately flow into Long Pond.

Mrs. M.H. Washburne has had a paving stone walk laid from the street to her home.

Our citizens generally should be interested in reading the notice elsewhere about a special town meeting to be held on June 5th for the purpose of acting upon the question of a new school house. Every property owner should be on hand as this is a matter that will touch every pocket book. Don’t fail to attend the meeting. It will do no good to growl afterward if you fail to register your personal opinion.

Don’t throw waste paper, cigarette and chewing gum wrappers on the street. Clean streets add greatly to the village and everyone should help keep them so.

Representatives of the Sunlight Screen Co. of New York City were in town Tuesday installing a new screen in the Best Theatre. The new screen is the same as the ones used in the large picture houses in the big cities.

50 years ago — May 1975

Burglary is nothing new in Northwest Connecticut, but there is much more of it just now. State Police at Canaan Barracks say break-ins and attempted breaks are up by 50 per cent this April and May over the same period one year ago.

The biggest crowd in years, or perhaps ever, at Lime Rock Park turned out for Monday’s Schaefer 350 Series race and ancillary events. Track Promoter Jim Haynes estimated the crowd at approximately 25,000, or seven times the township’s population. At some point traffic jams were backed up for as much as two miles on routes 7 and 112. Many area gas stations, restaurants, food markets and motels reportedly did a thriving business. Meanwhile, however, Mr. Haynes found himself in continuing trouble with some Lime Rock citizens and with Town of Salisbury officials over charges of zoning law violations.

Sharon Hospital is seeking approval for a new $160 daily rate for use of its Intensive Care Unit. The present rate is $135.50. Hospital administrator Paul Sternlof said the $160 proposal represents “a new rate for a new facility, not an increase.” The hospital recently opened a brand new ICU. The old ICU was essentially a converted hospital ward with a four-patient capacity. The new unit has a capacity of 13 patients in private rooms, along with more sophisticated patient-monitoring capability, he added.

After a lifetime in Lakeville and 44 years as a barber, Paul Argall will move to Florida early in June and become a man of leisure. Mr. Argall closed his shop on May 16, ending a career which began in 1931 when he became an apprentice to the late William Judd. When his apprenticeship was completed he opened his own business in a building near Community Field (later torn down) and operated a one-man shop until his retirement.

About 12 persons showed up Saturday afternoon to help with the clearing of Lawrence Playground on East Main Street in Canaan. First Selectman Leo Segalla had announced a “Rock-Picking Party” for that afternoon to help the town with the preparation of the field for a recreation area. Volunteers ranged in age from children to senior citizens. In several hours of work, they managed to clear over half of the field of rocks of various sizes.

The world ministries committee of the First Church of Christ in Cornwall announced that it is committed to sponsoring a Vietnamese refugee family in Cornwall. The committee is now looking for anyone in the community who would like to join with them in the undertaking.

25 years ago — May 2000

KENT — Robert Edward Boyden, 72, died May 13, 2000, at the New Milford Hospital. He was the husband of Jo-Anne (Hoyt) Boyden. He served as a trooper with the Connecticut State Police from 1961 to 1978, last serving at Troop L in Litchfield. He was an instructor at the Connecticut Police Academy from 1978 to 1985. He lived in Kent since 1963. He is survived by two sons, Robert Boyden Jr. of Miami and Nicholas Boyden of Kent; a daughter, Christina Boyden of Greenwood Lake, N.Y. and two sisters, Pauline Regan of Braintree, Mass. and Lorraine Hussey of Brockton, Mass.

SALISBURY — A scholarship fund has been established in the name of one of the town’s most active citizens, Dr. Mary Alice White. With the money, “we hope to have an annual internship program for a high school or college student each summer to work with a local conservation group,” said Peter Feldman, who proposed the scholarship and spearheaded fundraising efforts over the past five months.

CANAAN — Not too many years ago, Denise Bagnaschi was a student in Ann Matheson’s second-grade classroom at North Canaan Elementary School. Beginning in September Ms. Bagnaschi will be teaching in that classroom. “North Canaan has always been my first choice. It has been my dream to come back here and teach,” she told the board during a brief interview at the May 11 meeting, prior to the board voting unanimously to hire her. Ms. Bagnaschi is a lifelong resident of Canaan. Her parents are Angelo “Butch” and Nancy Bagnaschi.