Turning Back the Pages - June 16, 2026

125 years ago — June 1901

Fred Seeley was treated to a genuine surprise Saturday evening it being his birthday. A party of his friends went to spend the evening and also to present to him a beautiful rocking chair.

It is said the entertainment given by the Microbine Concert Co. are high class and strictly moral in every respect. The general public in the towns in which they have played speak in highest terms of the company. Should you fail to attend you miss a good thing.

Several of our citizens have seen a deer at different joints near the village. Sportsmen should not get excited about the matter for the law prohibits the shooting or frightening of deer in this state.

It is said that posts planted in the earth upper end down will last longer than those which are set in the natural position in which the tree grew.

LIME ROCK — A dozen teamsters are hauling charcoal to the furnace here. A large stock of ore, limestone and charcoal is being accumulated.

Second twig of the Branch. It’s a boy, born to Mr. and Mrs. William Branch yesterday morning.

100 years ago — June 1926

Several friends gave Col. Chas. H. Ball and family a pleasant surprise party on Saturday evening, and a social hour was enjoyed by all. Col. Ball is now 78 years of age and is one of the three surviving G.A.R. veterans of the town.

FOR SALE-- An old Towne Canoe, 2 row boats, two cows. C. Benjamin, Lakeville.

Mr. J.C. Howell has completed his new cottage, Rock House on the Knight Shore of the lake. The cottage will be open all day Sunday for anyone who desires to visit it. Mr. Howell has already moved from Salisbury, his house on the Lime Rock road being rented for the season.

50 years ago — June 1976

The South Kent Post Office, which some feared might be closed, has been upgraded to the status of a second class post office. Postmaster Albert Gereg received notification of the change recently. The office had been the center of controversy last year as the Postal Service had wanted to close the facility as an economy move.

SALISBURY — After brief deliberation, the Zoning Board of Appeals Monday approved a request from Stanley Aurell of Great Eastern Applied Mechanics to conduct a motor vehicle repair shop and used car dealership. The business is located on Route 44 adjacent to the Salisbury Farms Milk Bar.

Sara J. Thorne-Thomsen of Lime Rock received her B.A. degree from the College of Arts and Sciences, University of Hartford, on May 30. She majored in English literature.

LAKEVILLE — The building housing the Teen Center will soon have its face lifted. Members of the Teen Center will gather Sunday morning to begin painting the trim on the town-owned building as a way of expressing their appreciation for its being made available for their use.

SHARON — We newcomers to Sharon were given a glimpse of Sharon as it was years ago by a conversation with Margaret Conklin a few days ago. Mrs. Conklin, who celebrated her 90th birthday May 23rd, has lived in this area since she came from Ireland at 17 years of age. She recalls a Sharon that was both more active and more leisurely than that of today. She remembers that people used to come to this area and spend the summer at the Inn by the Green. She recalls that Amenia Union was a busy town with a foundry, blacksmith, general store, schoolhouse and two churches, while now there are simply one church and a cluster of houses. Conversations with veterans like Mrs. Conklin remind us that, unlike other parts of the country, Sharon has not grown steadily in the last 200 years.

CANAAN — The community room at Wangum Village, Canaan’s housing for the elderly development, was named for Arthur Baldwin, chairman of the Housing Authority, during Sunday’s dedication of the housing project.

CORNWALL — Fifth-graders under the guidance of teacher Sally DiCicco and art director David Orrell have made a Bicentennial quilt, which is now on display at the Consolidated School. The quilt depicts scenes of 1776 and of Cornwall. Each of the 12 squares was made by class members and was sewn onto the white background by Miss DiCicco. The quilt will be displayed by the Historical Society during the summer.

25 years ago — June 2001

CANAAN — If the telecommunications tower on Church Hill appears a little more noticeable to residents, it’s not their eyesight that has improved. During the last few weeks, the amount of steel on the mountain has more than doubled. Workers from Northeast Tower of Bristol were working on the last 15-foot sections of a new tower late last week, scaling its full 195 feet to bolt the derrick-style steel beams in place.

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