Turning Back the Pages - August 7, 2025

125 years ago — August 1900

Elisha Gillette recently killed a rattlesnake on Canaan mountain that measured three feet and six inches long.

Connecticut has 46 daily newspapers, 12 semi-weeklies, 95 weeklies and 7 Sunday journals.

Information received from Cornwall says Secretary T.S. Gold of the state board of agriculture, who has been confined to his bed for the past six weeks with sciatic rheumatism, has recovered sufficiently to be about the house for a short time each day. He is still very feeble.

A children’s picnic was held at Sages’ Ravine on Thursday at which about twenty enjoyed themselves as only children can.

William Joyce and son of Iowa are visiting Mr. Joyce’s aunt Miss Joyce at Chapinville. Years ago Mr. Joyce kept the store (now long since given up) at Joyceville. Some forty years ago he went west, where he has amassed a fortune of several millions, in the lumber business and other enterprises.

A lawn party will be given Wednesday, Aug. 8, on William M. Bartle’s lawn at Ore Hill, under the auspices of the Epworth League of the M.E. Church. Ice cream, cake and coffee. Mr. Martin’s bus will leave Heaton & Co.’s store at 7:30. 10 cents round trip.

There are still more bear stories: David Doty saw the bear while at work near Dr. Knight’s golf links. He said the bear sat up on his haunches, and he had a good square look at him. He started for his gun and the bear started for the woods. Doty returned with Porter Snyder and Grove Miller and a hunt was instituted. Plenty of signs were found such as tracks and places where the animal had laid down, but no bear could be found. Charles Ball says he has seen bear tracks in “Dark Hollow,” and Mrs. Jerome’s servant girls claim to have seen bruin near the rear door on Tuesday night.

Conductor Beckwith, says the Winsted Citizen, who was in charge of the 1:57 west bound C.N.E. train, Thursday, discovered a package that had been left on a seat in the smoker, soon after the train pulled out of New Hartford, and to his surprise the broken cover revealed that it contained a large roll of Uncle Sam’s greenbacks, as the bills were plainly exposed to view. Conductor Beckwith counted the roll and found $302. The money belonged to Clarence Jones of New Hartford, who, when he missed it, rushed to the station and set the telegraph vigorously to work. He had gone to the bank to deposit his money, and found that it was missing and soon guessed that he must have left the roll on the train. Norfolk wired back that the bills had been found as stated, and the roll was returned on the 4:24 train.

100 years ago — August 1925

Daniel Ashman’s horse was quite badly injured last Sunday, when it was run into by an automobile coming down the Mt. Riga road. The car was caused to swerve when it hit a large stone and crowded the horse up against a bank, the shaft entering the animal’s neck, and causing a bad wound. However it is thought the horse will recover from the injury.

Harry R. Patterson of Poughkeepsie drove through Salisbury last Monday to show his mother the Berkshires. On his return Officer Meade picked him up going at better than sixty miles per hour. He pleaded guilty to the charge of exceeding the limit and paid a fine of ten dollars and costs of nine dollars and eighty-one cents.

The hay crop in most sections is a light one, but corn is doing nicely and bids fair to be a big crop.

The new Hotchkiss Golf Course is proving a strong attraction to the fans. A great deal of time, labor and money have been involved in the work of improvement. Already nearly $25,000 has been expended. Difficulties have been the only available land has been that which surrounds the school. Because of its sloping character heavy grading has been necessary for the building of some of the greens. Large quantities of rock had to be removed. It is found that Hotchkiss hill is full of large boulders and rock ledges.

V.D. Leverty’s dog “Luff” is becoming a retriever. “Doc” says Luff is also some speeder, being able to make at least 40 miles an hour in “high.” Proof? Yes, here it is. On Tuesday night he ran down a cottontail rabbit, causing bunny to go so fast that it broke its neck when it struck the front door at the drug store. Luff left the rabbit there for Doc to find the next morning.

Mr. Henry Miller the well known actor and Miss Laura Hope Crewes the actress have been among the recent guests at The Gateway.

50 years ago — August 1975

The U.S. Senate last Friday, Aug. 1, passed by voice vote a bill that would include the Housatonic River for study for possible inclusion among the Wild and Scenic Rivers System. Passage of a similar bill in the House would not establish federal control over lands along the Housatonic. It would authorize a Department of the Interior task force to study the river valley, in cooperation with residents and local officials. Aim of the study would be to make recommendations as to how best the natural state and scenic quality of the river might be preserved. The portion of the river in line for study runs from the Massachusetts border south to the point of Newtown where the Shepaug River joins the Housatonic.

A boat ride on Lake Wononscopomuc and a gift of a drawing of the Congregational Church will form part of Salisbury’s greeting to the 715th mayor of Salisbury, England, when Councillor Anthony Stocken and Mrs. Stocken pay a visit to Northwest Connecticut this weekend. First Selectman Charlotte Reid said Tuesday that A. Mitchell Finlay will conduct the Stockens and guests around the lake on his barge starting at 12:30 p.m. Saturday and that afterward the group will go to the Ragamont Inn for lunch.

With the new Market Place of Salisbury building almost finished, George Ernst of Shagroy Market is looking forward to a late-September opening of his new much-enlarged store. The date will depend on completion of the building and installation of the necessary specialized equipment. Mr. Ernst plans enlarged produce and cheese displays, and will have display cases for the meat, dairy, produce and frozen items around three sides of the store. He is proud of the fact that the frozen food cases will have doors “to help conserve energy.”

A new paint store and decorating center has opened in Canaan. Besse’s Paint Store has opened its operations in the building adjacent to the Snack Shack on Ashley Falls Road. The new store is a branch of Besse’s main store in Torrington. Although the Canaan site offers less floor space than the larger outlet, any order for material held in Torrington will be quickly filled.

25 years ago — August 2000

CANAAN — The go-ahead has been given to Becton Dickinson and Company to expand its Canaan plant to allow for the production of federally-mandated medical supplies termed “safety products.” Plans that have been on the drawing board for several months have been given approval by officials at the company’s Franklin Lake, N.J., headquarters. Canaan’s zoning enforcement officer has issued a building permit for an addition to the Grace Way plant.

LAKEVILLE — Singer Michael Brown of Salisbury will present a concert of showtunes, gospel and blues as well as the pop songs of artists such as James Taylor and Carly Simon Sunday at the Lakeville Methodist Church on Main Street. Mr. Brown is a former Sony recording artist who has toured extensively in Europe and Australia. His wam stage presence and uplifting song style are embraced by audiences of all ages wherever he appears. A $5 donation will be collected at the door.