100 years ago: Thursday, Dec. 5 1907
• We are told that a young boy recently left his skates at the beaver pond and when he went after them a young beaver had them on and was skating.
• One our school teachers got a dunking Saturday by skating onto thin ice. She was alone at the time. As the water was only waist deep, she managed to get out without assistance. It was certainly a close call.
• Clark and Jerrard Department Store offered “useful articles for many people who wait until the last minute to shop for Christmas presents.”
• There were just three days of school this week as teachers were attending a conference in Fort Fairfield.
• Hiram Pike, an old veteran of the Civil War, is on the sick list.
• This community was shocked last Thursday morning upon learning that Deputy Sheriff Marcus S. Huson had died quite suddenly at the home of his brother-in-law D.E. Johnson, South Main Street.
• L.M. Stairs has resigned his position with the Bangor & Aroostook Railroad and started Monday for Boston where he will take a similar job with the Boston & Albany RR.
• A.O. Nasman is selling gasoline Engine Wind Mills and machinery of all kinds for B.D. McLellan of Caribou.
75 years ago: Thursday, Dec. 8 1932
• Cross country runner Lawrence Giberson put Caribou High School and his hometown in national headlines when he crossed the finish line six seconds behind first-place Steven Szumachowski of Schenectady, N.Y. during the U.S. Interscholastic Championship Meet at Newark, N.J. Giberson, a sophomore hill and daler for coach Harry Richardson.
• Thanks to the research efforts of Prof. Olof Nyland, the geological remnants of a great volcano were added to a long list of natural marvels for which Maine had become famous. The “great crater” in Winterville, which had lain dormant for millions of years, was discovered by laborers who were cutting a roadway in the vicinity of the old stage road from Ashland to Fort Kent. Workers uncovered a black and brown moist material underneath the large boulders which was identified by Prof. Nylander as volcanic ash.
• County lawmen discovered a cache of stolen explosives at the home of a local man on the Van Buren road. According to Deputy Sheriffs Jewell and Lycette of Caribou, the 15 boxes of TNT and 700 feet of fuse had been stolen during the summer from the “dynamite house” belonging to Rice & Miller in Caribou.
• State Highway Inspector Jas. F. Campbell announced that the road between Houlton and Macwahoc known as Route 166 would be kept snow-free during the winter of 1932-33.
50 years ago: Thursday, Dec. 5 1957
• A page one photo showed Lt. Kermit Nisley, custodian of the Loring Air Force Base United Fund, presented a check for $2,845.11 to Bill McLaughlin, secretary of the Caribou United Fund.
• Appointed as wardens for Caribou annual town meeting were Pat Ouellette, Pat Snow, Phil Laffaty and Arthur Iott. Named as election clerks and assistants were Margaret McLean, Marion Harmon, Celia Cameron, Mrs. Leroy Snowman, Natalie Beveridge, Helen Raymond, Ermatrude Andrews and Evelyn Page.
• Officials of the Maine Institute of Potato Starch Manufacturers and the Presque Isle Starch Company launched a cattle feeding program designed to determine the nutritional qualities of wet potato pulp, a by-product of the starch manufacturing process, as a basic part of cattle feed.
• Freeman Brewer, principal of Caribou Junior High School, was re-elected president of Aroostook County Mental Health Association. Other officers included Rev. Robert Dischinger of New Sweden, Mrs. Edith Anderson of Caribou and Mrs. Helen Rutland of Presque Isle.
• Mr. and Mrs. Ralph McElwain on the New Sweden Road won the Central Aroostook Farm and Home Improvement Contest.
• Representing the Caribou High School Student Council at a state convention in Brunswick were Beth Ann McCluskey, Laura Etscovitz, Richard Winslow, Robert Cyr and adviser Francis Thibodeau.
25 years ago: Wednesday, Dec. 8 1982
• Group W. Cable Inc.’s general manager Earle Johnston appeared before the Caribou City Council to explain his company’s plans launch a new 52-channel cable television system. Each household on the state-of-art network, he said, would need a special converter box attached to the TV set.
• Bill Johnson, executive director of the Caribou Chamber of Commerce, predicted a strong holiday shopping season for local merchants thanks to the proximity to Loring Air Force Base and mild winter weather. He also cited the fact that shoppers were coming to Caribou to take advantage of great deals offered by the local Woolco store that was going out of business.
• Limestone Selectman Oscar Poitras spearheaded a drive to create an outdoor skating rink in the community at a projected cost of $8,696. The town hoped to receive grant funds to help offset the local tax commitment.
• Caribou High School senior members of the Student Council included Lisa Cole, Ed Jalbert, Kathi Ackley, Peter Dobson, Wayne Cyr, Ken Rossignol and Dan Richards.
• Coach Gerry Duffy Vikings entered the basketball season with center Chris Vickers, forwards Gary Hebert and Mike Grass, and Tony Michaud and Scott Hunter as guards.
• Brent Jepson joined Northern National Bank as their Trust Development Officer.
Caribou High School sophomore Lawrence Giberson put his school and hometown on the map in 1932 when he placed second in the National Scholastic Invitational Cross-Country Meet in Newark, N.J.
