Turning back the pages: Thursday, July 24, 2025

125 years ago — July 1900

SHARON — Miss Fanny White will open an ice cream parlor and bakery soon in the northern portion of Mrs. G. Chase’s house.

After October 1st the subscibers of the Sharon Telephone Co. will have a continuous service. This will be a great improvement, as it will do away with all extra charge for night service, and also the two hours, one in the morning and the other in the evening, during which time the central office is closed. This will of course necessitate a slight increase in the subscription tax, as another operator must be employed for night service. The company also intend on enlarging their office.

The different nations are not turning their swords into plow shares at a very fast rate. There are wars and rumors of wars, but let us give thanks that Kentucky is pacified.

From different parts of the state come reports of fierce black bears and dangerous wild men. The regularity of these reports about berry time gives cause for suspicion that they are originated for the purpose of scaring berry pickers away from the fields. As yet we have not heard of anyone being devoured.

The hot weather of the past week has brought out the city people in large numbers.

On Thursday evening a party of 20 of our young people took a ride in Martin’s big bus through Sharon, Amenia Union, Amenia and home via Sharon. While in Amenia the party had refreshments, ice cream, etc. Three of Sharon’s young people were taken into the load enroute. The trip was enlivened by songs, jokes and yarns of different kinds.

The hay is reported generally light, due to dry weather last fall and winter, so the wiseacres say.

J.S. Perkins has this week had his entire residence piped and fitted for the acetylene gas. A new gas lamp has also been placed in front of the house and that particular section of the street is now excellently lighted.

Geo. F. Hall’s minstrels played in the Casino Tuesday night. They gave great satisfaction, but the air was too warm indoors for any enjoyment.

Robert Dufour’s tonsorial parlor is undergoing a great improvement by the application of paper and paint. Robert intends to have one of the neatest shops in this section. A third chair has also been added.

100 years ago — July 1925

A Studebaker car containing four occupants — Daniel Krasney and wife, Joseph Herman and Miss Esther Levine all of New York, crashed through the fence at the ore washer in Ore Hill last Saturday morning. The occupants were all quite severely injured. Krasney received broken ribs, Mrs. Krasney sustained scalp wounds, cuts and bruises, Miss Levine received a broken collar bone, cuts and bruises and Herman a broken collar bone and bruises. Krasney was driving and it would appear that something about the steering gear went wrong, at any rate the car after knocking over several posts of the fence which guards the spot, plunged down quite an abrupt bank and turned on its side, imprisoning some of the party. Dr. Bissell hurried to the spot and gave first aid to the injured after which they were hurried to the Sharon Hospital. State policemen Meade and Ringrose took charge of affairs. The car was badly wrecked.

ORE HILL — Mr. and Mrs. John Bianchi and son visited at Michael Moore’s last Sunday. On July 29th Mr. Bianchi expects to sail from New York for Italy where he will visit his mother and sister, whom he has not seen in eighteen years. He expects to return early in September.

LOST — A rear license plate. Will finder notify Dutchess Auto and Supply Co., Millerton, or Journal Office.

John Garrity and his men are now constructing a new cement floor at the Hose House. The new floor will be six inches lower than the old one, in order to admit the new pumper outfit which is expected in the near future. While the change is being made the present apparatus of the company is being housed under the large shed at Roberts store.

Joseph Stanton has purchased the Sunday newspaper business of Vincent Stuart, and will conduct same at Leverty’s drug store, see his advertisement elsewhere in this issue.

Mrs. Madison Silvernale had the misfortune to fall from her wheel chair last Saturday and received bruises which have confined her to the bed since that time, but she is now improving.

50 years ago — July 1975

The Lawrence Perkins home on Farnam Road in Lakeville was struck by lightning Sunday at about 5 p.m. According to Mrs. Perkins the lightning left a 10-inch burn on the side of the building and knocked a telephone off the wall. The basement lights were also affected but no structural damage resulted, Mrs. Perkins reported. She added that a neighbor’s television reception was also impaired.

25 years ago — July 2000

FALLS VILLAGE — Everyone is invited Friday morning to the dedication of the new accessible section of the Appalachian Trail, not just day-hikers, through-hikers, joggers and others who can easily negotiate the often hilly and root-strewn trails. This one-mile section of trail, half of which is actually on the AT, will be one of the first and only segments of the 2,160-mile-long hike running from Georgia to Maine that is accessible to everyone, including nature-lovers in wheelchairs or on crutches.

FALLS VILLAGE — If it is true that people and love make a house a home, then homes built by Habitat for Humanity may be the homiest homes of all. Those ingredients were there in abundance at the dedication Saturday of the newest volunteer-built structure, which will become the home of the Paul and Karen Bartomioli family later this summer.

CANAAN — A piece of prime commercial property long in need of capable business hands was sold during a foreclosure auction last Saturday. A 79-acre lot at the fork of Ashley Falls Road (Route 7) and Clayton Road was bought by Nicholas Mancini, owner of Mancini Construction in Waterbury, for $135,000 in bidding that was long and lively, according to attorney for the sale Brian McCormick. The foreclosure action was brought by the town of North Canaan for back taxes owed by Peter W. Wood of Maine, formerly of Salisbury. A 1,069 square foot building there was last used as a gas station more than 10 years ago. Since then, former Canaan Diner operator Tom Tzelis rented the property and remodeled the building, with plans to open an ice cream parlor and miniature golf course there. That did not pan out and the pastel-painted building has sat vacant for several years.