Turning Back the Pages - August 28, 2025

125 years ago — August 1900

Edward Downer of Colebrook caught a turtle last week Wednesday which weighed forty-four and three-fourths pounds. He was fishing for small fish in a pond near his house when he caught the turtle.

SALISBURY — Mr. Hortie, brother of W.W. Hortie, has entered the employ of the Cutlery Handle Co.

Canaan now has a black bear; must be the one seen here recently.

Mrs. Choulet living on the farm of E.E. Swift near Norfolk has a Bantam rooster which, after insisting on setting for two weeks, was accommodated by having six odinary hens’ eggs placed in the nest. From these he now has four nice chicks, which he tends to with motherly kindness, scratching for them during the day and brooding them at night.

100 years ago — August 1925

Taconic was again visited by a disastrous fire a little after midnight Monday, when the beautiful mansion of Mr. Herbert Scoville was burned to the ground. Calls for fire apparatus were sent to Lakeville, Canaan and Sharon, and all companies responded in remarkably quick time. It was a fine exhibition of what could be accomplished by pumping outfits and had the fire been discovered a little earlier much of the building might have been saved. No estimate of the loss can be given at this time but it will reach at least half a million dollars. The building was filled with many very valuable contents among which were antiques that were practically priceless in fact many are of the opinion that the contents will constitute a larger loss than that of the building itself. Many cars and several hundred people gathered at the spot but little could be done except to express sincere sympathy for Mr. and Mrs. Scoville in the loss of their beautiful home. The couple left last Sunday and were to sail for Europe this week.

SALISBURY — The many friends of Reginald Kelsey will be interested to know that he is to broadcast songs from Station W.T.I.C. Hartford on Monday evening at about 6:00 standard time.

The new pumper engine of the Lakeville Hose Company arrived Monday afternoon by rail and was unloaded on Tuesday afternoon. The new engine is a beauty and one of which the entire town can well be proud. The new engine is not a chemical engine. Technically it is called a triple combination pumper and hose car with a booster tank. It is fitted with a rotary pump capable of delivering 620 gallons per minute.

NOTICE — Any one who is interested in joining a National Rifle Club, communicate with the undersigned at once. With the proper number of members we can get a large issue of free equipment from the U.S. War Department. If you wish to join tho you do not shoot a rifle, join as instruction will be given members. Capt. James W. Farmer, Taconic.

Miss Sadie Frink took a trip to Niagara Falls recently.

50 years ago — August 1975

A new study of Connecticut lakes shows that those in the Northwest Corner have deteriorated considerably since a similar survey was taken 35 years ago. The study, undertaken by scientists at the Connecticut Agricultural Experimental Station in New Haven states Lake Wononscopomuc is among the bodies that has shown severe deterioration while East Twin Lake Washining and Bantam Lake have suffered moderate eutrophication.

Jacob Orth of the South Ellsworth section of Sharon called The Lakeville Journal last week telling us of his ripening cantaloupe and muskmelon patch, which he described as totaling some 300 melons. Orth, who has been trying to grow melons for the past 10-12 years with little success attributed this year’s triumph largely to Mother Nature with this season’s warm temperatures.

Students at the North Canaan Elementary School will notice some changes when school reopens on Sept. 3. Among the changes are a lengthened school day and new bus schedules. The new day will run from 8:45 a.m. until 2:45 p.m., a half hour longer than last year. All students will be dismissed at the same time this year with no late bus run.

After more than a year of delay, plans have finally been made to move the Canaan portable classrooms to their new site near the Canaan town hall. Canaan contractor Richard Bunce has agreed to move the building the short distance to its new location. Once moved, the buildings will undergo alterations to turn it into additional office space for the town hall. The space is needed for boards and commissions that presently have no permanent quarters.

FALLS VILLAGE — The new school bus, purchased to replace a five-year-old bus previously in use, was delivered to Lee H. Kellogg School last Thursday. The new bus will seat 55 passengers and the padding on the bus meets the safety requirements of state standards. Its purchase price was $10,742 with a trade-in.

25 years ago — August 2000

A special thank you to Richard Bianchi of Canaan for returning a Lakeville Journal vending machine that he found on his property. The machine was taken from in front of Paramount Laundry in Canaan.

CANAAN — “Can we eat on the playground?” was a question frequently asked of parents at McDonald’s restaurant for the last seven years. Dismantling began on the brightly-colored tube slide and ball pits of the “Playplace” on Saturday. The playground and picnic tables will all be removed from the little island in the middle of the parkling lot. McDonald’s owner Joseph Deutschle said the equipment had outlived its usefulness and there are no immediate plans to replace it.

CANAAN — The town pool closed for the season Aug. 14. While the weather has not been conducive to swimming of late, residents will be out of luck if the temperature rises. A Labor Day closing was moved up when the underground wiring to the pool’s filtration system was “fried.” Town officials are blaming a power surge, which they believe occurred following a power outage on the morning of Aug. 14.

The first Falls Village Volunteer Ambulance Service barbecue will be held Sept. 2 from 4 to 7 p.m. at Cornwall Auto Body at the intersection of routes 7 and 126. Money raised at the event will help pay for a new ambulance to replace the current rescue vehicle, which is the oldest in-service ambulance in Connecticut.