Caribou area From our Files – Week of May 24, 2023

2 years ago

115 Years Ago – May 21, 1908

Accepted the position — Miss Maude Jacobs, who recently graduated from Miss Beal’s school of shorthand in Bangor, has accepted a position with W. C. Spaulding, taking the place made vacant by the resignation of mIss Faustina Briggs.

Working to help out — Miss Eva Dahistrom, who has been working in the office of J. E. Graham & Co Potato buyers, for several months, is now engaged as bookkeeper for S. W. Collins & Son during the absence of W. L. Oak.

100 Years Ago – May 24, 1923

Getting the building ready for new occupants — The building on Sweden street formerly occupied on one side by C. J. Tornquist, has a grocery store that is being fitted up preparatory to its occupancy by the Maine Potato Exchange.

Town to fix problems with drainage — It is understood that South Main street, or a portion of it, will be torn up not less than three times this summer. The town intends to lay tiling for drainage purposes on each side of the road; the water company is planning on replacing its water mains with larger pipe, and permission was granted the telephone company Saturday to lay underground conduits.

75 Years Ago – May 20, 1948

Improvement work started on the swimming pool this week — Improvements started this week on the Caribou swimming pool, where E. R. Grindle is doing excavation to allow for cement paving of the remainder of the bottom of the pool. Grindle expected to start pouring cement Thursday. Two years ago Grindle did the excavation and poured about 60% of the cement laid at that time.

Big B-36 bomber base rises from blueberry flats near Limestone — A year ago last month this reporter saw a group of almost unbelievable huge B-36 bombers nearing construction in the giant Consolidated Vultee plant, located between Fort Worth and Dallas, Texas. A year ago next month, Army engineers and advance representatives of Lane & Cunningham, Maine and Connecticut contractors, took their first blueprints into the wilderness between Limestone and Caswell, began to rod-and-chain preliminary surveys for one of Uncle Sam;s several largest and most modern air bases. Present activities at the Limestone Army Air Base include projects leading to permanent quarters and complete facilities for a sizable Air Force operation. Primary effort is aimed at early completion of the first runway, some 10,000 feet in length. Robert E. Lee, resident engineer for the Army, is determined that B-36’s will be able to find a ‘home’ there by late this Fall. Generous sectors of woods have been cleared, long areas of land leveled. Nearly 600 pieces of heavy equipment are being ‘huffed and puffed’ by a working crew that will reach a force of 2,500 men by this summer.

25 Years Ago – May 27, 1998

Computer company opens in Limestone — Spit Wad, Specialists in Technology Walk and Dave, located on the Access Highway in Limestone, offer the people of Aroostook County an affordable alternative for Internet Access. With 30 combined experience in computers and technology, Walt Elliott and Dave King listen to people to learn exactly what their needs are. In the fast growing world of Internet providers, they are committed to remaining a small company with a small company attitude, no matter how big or quick they grow. Spit Wad’s quality products include several levels of dialup service, email and web hosting. They offer Frame Relay 56K, 384K and T1 connections for those customers who need more from their Internet supplier. A  wide range of web hosting services are available including Domain mapping, email, virtual servers/page storage and web farms.

Teague improvements — New lighting is being installed at Teague Park. New 60 foot and 80 foot light poles will be placed near the ballpark and gazebo areas. Twelve existing poles will be equipped with new lighting fixtures. Bub Anderson and Greg Fournier applied new fixtures to the new poles before installing them.