Turning Back the Pages - July 31, 2025

125 years ago — 1900

SALISBURY — William Juppenlatz is being chaffed on account of a recent bear shooting experience. There has been a bear reported here and there about this section, and William made up his mind to secure his scalp. For a week he has been out with his repeating rifle. Several of the boys knew of his desire to shoot the bear and they determined to find him one. C.F. Wangerr’s old black buffalo robe was borrowed for the occasion and was taken down into the woods back of the depot, where it was soon transformed into a bear. On Saturday morning a small boy rushed into William’s barber shop, all out of breath, and said he had seen the bear. William could hardly wait to finish shaving the man in the chair and taking his gun he made for the woods, followed by about 20 spectators. Sure enough there was the bear. When about fifty feet away he let go all sixteen shots and the bear never stirred — William had killed him. To make doubly sure he loaded once more and then walked boldly up and discovered the hoax. All the same, he must be given credit for a great amount of courage, as he honestly supposed it to be a genuine bear, and he would have done just as he did if it had been. — from the Hartford Post

100 years ago — 1925

Mrs. C.E. Mercer has discontinued her tea room.

A dog’s head received at the state department of health laboratory via special delivery, parcel post, on July 16 was found to be positive for rabies. No mark could be found upon the package to indicate the sender or even the place of mailing. It was a medium sized black dog with long hair, apparently a mongrel. The state department of health would appreciate information as to where the dog’s head came from, who sent it in, and whether or not the dog had bitten any persons or animals.

TACONIC — Lightning struck the home of Arthur Brant on Monday afternoon. It first hit a pole across the way, jumped to a tree nearby, entering the house by the pantry window. Two windows were broken, some papers on the pantry shelf were ignited, it left the house by another window and dug a hole in the garden. None of the family were injured beyond being badly frightened.

A party of seven went to Norfolk on Tuesday to pick huckleberries.

Last Saturday July 25th little Miss Linnea Viola Paavola entertained 20 of her little friends from 2 till 5, the occasion being her 5th birthday. Refreshments were served. Linnea says “My daddy made the ice cream — Oh boy it was good.”

Chicken thieves recently stole several birds from Mrs. Thorp’s coops. J.R. Jordan says he has the old shotgun all loaded with rock salt and will give the thieves a warm welcome next time.

50 years ago — 1975

Jubilant Salisbury Republicans nominated John D. Harney Tuesday night to oppose incumbent Democratic First Selectman Charlotte Reid in the November election. The vote was 214 for Harney to 93 for a move to endorse Mrs. Reid.

Imagine Bob Duksa’s surprise Monday morning when two-thirds of the baled hay on his 50-foot trailer suddenly rolled off onto Route 44 in Lakeville. Apparently ropes severed in an auto incident the preceeding night let go, spilling the load. Three hours later with the hay reloaded, the Duksa Brothers, owners of Lackawanna Farms in Copake, N.Y. and Middletown, were on their way.

A new group of Peter Reilly’s supporters, separate from the Canaan-based group, met last week in Salisbury, donating money for legal fees in the appeal of Reilly’s first-degree manslaughter conviction. Playwright Arthur Miller of Roxbury, Reilly’s attorney T.F. Gilroy Daly and a private investigator, Michael Conway, met with a small group at the home of an unidentified Salisbury resident.

Plans to develop a new Grand Union Supermarket and shopping plaza on North Elm Street in Canaan have temporarily come to a halt, according to James Hayes, vice president of real estate for the Western Division of Grand Union. Mr. Hayes said that Eberhard Enterprises, Poughkeepsie, the firm which was to have developed the site, has abandoned the endeavor. “We were a little surpised by the recent turn of events,” he said, “although I guess we shouldn’t be surprised the way things are economically.” He said Grand Union has not abandoned its plans for the site, “although unfortunately we have wasted a lot of time.” He said the firm hopes to have the site under construction sometime this year. The land is owned by Grand Union.

Ronald Scholz, owner of Mahaiwe Jewelers on Railroad Street in Canaan, announced this week that his store will expand into the area formerly occupied by The Sophisticated Pet. Scholz said the entrance to the former shop will be closed off and turned into a display window. Other changes in floor plan will allow for an archway from Scholz’s jewelry store into the new area.

Kim Peretti, a baby born in the North Canaan Volunteer Ambulance while enroute to Sharon Hospital on June 25 remains in critical condition at the John Dempsey Hospital of the University of Connecticut in Farmington, but is showing signs of improvement. According to a hospital spokesman, the child is progressing normally and now weighs 2 pounds. The baby weighed 1 pound 6 ounces at birth.

CORNWALL — Cream Hill Farm has announced that one of its cows, Connecticut Pearl Burkimes, has been designated Connecticut state leader in the 305 day, twice a day milking, 2 year old division in butterfat production. She has a record of 829 fat for 305 days. She milked 20,070 lbs. of milk which tested 4.1 per cent.

25 years ago — 2000

Sharon Hospital administrators, board members and medical staff reiterated their strong support of the hospital’s purchase by a for-profit company. The group appeared Monday evening at a community forum at Trinity Episcopal Church, where about 60 people attended to listen and comment on the highly-charged issue.

SALISBURY — The Executive Committee of the Twin Lakes Committee met Saturday at Town Hall to discuss the environmental state of Twin Lakes and vote on the proposed usage of a herbicide called Sonar, which attacks Eurasian milfoil, a growth that has been wreaking havoc on the lake. Louis J. Fox, president of the Twin Lakes Association, said the outcome of the vote to introduce Sonar was “resounding,” with only a very small number of attendees voting against its use. The next step in the process of cleaning up Twin Lakes is filing an application with the state Department of Protection for its use.