Turning Back the Pages - November 13, 2025

125 years ago — November 1900

Engineer George Austin, very well and favorably known here, died at Canaan last Friday night at ten o’clock. He was taken sick on his engine while running the train arriving here at 5:40; coming over the mountain from Winsted to Norfolk he did not feel well; at Norfolk he felt worse, but continued at his post; nearing West Norfolk he called his fireman, Fred Wooden, to take the engine. -- Wooden went to him; he fainted and fell upon the cab floor.

The last three days have furnished weather to suit the most fastidious. On Wednesday and Thursday nights severe thunderstorms occurred. On Thursday the day was fair and warm more like a day in May, and on Friday morning we were greeted with a hard sleet storm which later turned to snow. Surely no one can claim a lack of variety in the matter of weather.

The foundation for a large new dormitory at the Gilbert Home, Winsted, is done, and the bricklayers will begin work in a few days. There are now over 200 children in the home, and applications for admission are constantly coming in.

The other day at Canaan we saw a couple of hunters get on the eastbound train carrying a monstrous string of gray squirrels. Upon being questioned they replied that the string contained 56 squirrels. The men thought that he had done something smart, but the truth of the matter is this. They were pot hunters; they did not know when they had overreached the decency mark, and belonged to that class which by their wholesale slaughter are hastening the day when hunting of game will be prohibited by law and when that happens these same game hogs will be the highest kickers.

LIME ROCK — Sim. Sylvernale dropped his “roll” containg twelve or fifteen dollars last Thursday noon. Lost it in Barnum’s store o upon the street going home. He offers a reward.

LIME ROCK — The new reservoir for supplying the furnace with water is completed. It took some little time to build it, but it is evidently there to stay.

During the heavy thunder storm of Friday morning, lightning struck a large tree near Judge Jerome’s residence, and reduced it to matchwood.

100 years ago — November 1925

SALISBURY — Miss Lena Sartoris has gone to Hartford, where she will take a course in nursing.

This morning a mass of fire blackened ruins mark the spot that yesterday was the magnificent home of Walter S. Halliwell. Fire was discovered a little before 5 o’clock last night and spread with amazing speed throughout the upper story of the entire building. Considerable delay getting water on the blaze ensued, owing to the fact it had to be taken from the lake about 1800 feet distant. The pumper carries about 1100 feet of hose. The Millerton, Sharon and Canaan fire companies soon reached the spot and by combining hose, three lines were laid from the lake, and a stubborn fight followed.

LIME ROCK — Mrs. Lorch is visiting in Cornwall.

ORE HILL — A telephone has been installed at Michael Moore’s residence.

Did you know you must pay your personal tax of $2.00 by Nov. 15th. This has nothing to do with the tax you paid last spring, but is a tax for 1925.

The Spurr Co. saw mill has resumed operations. It is now operating by electric power.

50 years ago — November 1975

Police still have not been able to identify the man who carried off one of the biggest supermarket heists in Dutchess County history. An armed robber made off with over $30,000 in cash and checks Saturday night, Nov. 8, after holding up a female employee of the Millerton Super Inc. as she was about to deposit the weekend revenue in the bank. The amount stolen involved $26,000 in checks and $5,200 in cash.

More than 125 friends and relatives gathered last Friday night to honor retired State Police Lt. Stanley Szczesiul at a dinner at the White Hart Inn in Salisbury. Among those who paid tribute to Szczesiul for his 21 years of service to the people of Connecticut were former Gov. Thomas J. Meskill, whom Szczesiul served as an aide for 3½ years, and Mrs. Meskill.

The Canaan Volunteer Fire Company will move this Friday to its new firehouse on the intersection of routes 44 and 7. The company has been laboring for over a year to prepare the former Getty Oil garage for its new role as a firehouse. The company purchased the property last fall for $60,000 and has since spent an additional $70,000 to convert the building to its new use.

25 years ago — November 2000

The Northwest Corner voted Tuesday in huge numbers. The lines at the polls in Salisbury, for instance, went out the door of the upstairs voting room and down the stairs at one point and, when the polls closed, 84 percent of the voters in that town had pulled the levers of their choice. Cornwall, usually the town with the highest percentage of voters voting and proud of its record, had 87 percent for its tally this year, beaten, however, by Norfolk with its 89 percent. Local voters had definite preferences: Al Gore and Joe Lieberman who won in all the towns in the Corner; Andrew Roraback romping to the job of state senator by winning in 15 Connecticut towns; and Lakeville resident Roberta Willis, a newcomer to political office who captured the state representative seat being vacated by Mr. Roraback.

Shohreh Farzan of East Canaan has begun her first year at Mount Holyoke College, the oldest institution for women in the United States. She is the daughter of Pamela and Ali Farzan and is a 2000 graduate of Housatonic Valley Regional High School.

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