Turning Back the Pages - June 11, 2026

125 years ago — June 1901

John Green of Canaan mountain killed a wild cat weighing 25 pounds near his home last week. Green shot at the cat but missed it when it sprang at him from a tree. Green’s dog then tackled the cat, and after a fierce fight the creature was killed by a blow from the man’s gun stock. A young cat which was with the mother was shot by Green.

Jacob, “Jakie,” son of Colonel Surdam of Mt. Riga, aged 10 years, died suddenly and mysteriously last Friday night. — Had not complained; retired as usual; about midnight one of his older brothers with whom he was sleeping was awakened by him. The parents were called; they saw at once that “Jakie” was very ill. Dr. Sellew was summoned, but “Jakie” died before the doctor arrived. He was buried in the cemetery on Riga. There was a large number of people at the funeral.

SHARON — The Salisbury Savings Bank has donated the use of the Malleable Shop bell to the Firemen for an indefinite length of time, and instead of calling men to work will be an alarm for fire.

R.N. Eggleston now has the S.N.E. telephone.

100 years ago — June 1926

The auto road hog is about as popular as a boil on the nose, and most of us would prefer the boil if we could choose.

SALISBURY — Miss Virginia Parsons has entered the employ of the Oxy-Crystine Corporation.

Mr. and Mrs. Richard Scott are recovering very nicely after being injured when the car in which they were riding hit a train at Norwich, N.Y. Saturday May 29th. Mrs. Scott is still in the Memorial Hospital at Norwich, but her speedy recovery is hoped for.

Machinery and invention are accomplishing wonderful things nowadays. Pretty soonall work will be done away with. We will just think a thing should be done and presto it will be done, but what a hard job some are going to have to do the thinking.

A movement is on foot among the merchants of Canaan to inaugurate a half holiday during the summer. An effort is being made to have the merchants close on Thursday afternoon.

50 years ago — June 1976

The Connecticut State Department of Health announced plans this week to make available to everyone by fall a vaccine to protect against the virulent swine flu. According to Dr. Henry Gallup, health officer for Salisbury, the swine flu virus is the same one which caused the bad epidemic of 1918. Administration of the bivalent vaccine for the Northwest District will be planned from Torrington.

Mother’s Day this year held special meaning for Virginia Sebbin, because she was reunited with two brothers after a 42-year separation. Robert and Martin Barrett came to her home on Furnace Hill Road in East Canaan and a joyful reunion ensued. The brothers had finally found each other four years before, after a 35-year separation.

SALISBURY — Mr. and Mrs. Hal Borland of Salisbury have given a set of Mr. Borland’s books, about 18 written during the past 25 years, to the Scoville Library. All the books were written here, and about half are about this area. “It seemed to us there should be a set of them somewhere,” Borland commented. “We’ll add to them as others come along.” The gift was made through L.S. (Mike) McCabe, a member of the library’s board of trustees.

LAKEVILLE — One hundred years ago, for our country’s Centennial in 1876, the Holley Manufacturing Company sent a display of 222 pocket knives to the International Exposition in Philadelphia. The knives were housed in a beautifully-carved walnut cabinet approximately seven feet high and four feet wide. This cabinet, with the collection of pocket knives, now stands in the carriage house of the Holley-Williams House.

CANAAN — Wangum Village will be dedicated this Sunday and will be the site of a health screening service June 29. The 40-unit housing for the elderly project, which opened last November, has been “very successful,” according to Arthur Baldwin, Canaan Housing Authority Chairman. Baldwin said that a state grant of $640,000 financed the facility. Of that amount, some was returned to the town for reimbursement for the property the housing was built on.

CANAAN — The children’s 15th annual fishing derby, sponsored by the Northwest Connecticut Rod and Gun Club, was held Sunday afternoon at the Albert Giulian farm on Sand Road. Candida Perotti landed a 17 ½ inch trout to take top honors among the 150 children entering the contest. Michael Cantele placed second, snaring a 16 ½ inch fish. Laura Gandolfo was the first to net the limit of three fish, which she did in 10 minutes. Jeff Ghidossi of Lime Rock was the first boy to reach the division limit of three fish.

A confirmed case of canine heart worm has been found in the center area of Canaan. Veterinarians advise that all dogs within a four-mile radius of a case of the disease be tested, and, if found free of heart worm, be given preventive medication.

FALLS VILLAGE — Two teachers at Lee H. Kellogg elementary school have been commissioned to walk the town boundaries and to report their findings to the selectmen. Howard Reed and David Parmelee were appointed after volunteering, First Selectman David Domeier said Friday. Domeier said that state statutes require that the town boundaries be “perambulated” once every five years to examine boundary markings. He said he did not know when the job was last accomplished here.

25 years ago — June 2001

One aspect of Sharon Hospital’s reorganization plan came to fruition Friday with the sale of the Sharon Health Care Center to United Methodist Homes. The building and approximately seven acres were conveyed from Sharon Corp., parent company of the hospital, to the Shelton-based, not-for-profit organization for $7.36 million. The sale erases a $6 million Sharon Corp.debt to the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Administration held on the nursing home.

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