Houlton area From our Files – Week of July 26, 2023

11 months ago

75 Years AgoJuly 22, 1948

Island Falls Gala Benefit Event Nets $2,000 plus For Memorial – With returns incomplete, estimated proceeds for the Memorial Auditorium Gymnasium fund from the three-day benefit celebration are well over the $2,000 mark, according to Mrs. Jack Shur, general chairman of the fund. This means that between $7,000 and $8,000 of the goal of $10,000 can be counted. The three-day celebration drew the largest crowds in recent years and the town assumed fiesta garb for the occasion. A listing of entries and events included many outstanding features on the varied program. One of the biggest parades ever witnessed here included fancy floats, bicycles, cars, trucks and children in fancy dresses. The list of units follows: Island Falls Fire Department; Busy Workers and Katahdin Valley Seed Association, beautiful float; Katahdin Valley Queen; bicycle float, John Webb; Congregational Church float; garden Class of 1901, first class; Class of 1960, representing Island Falls High School, past and future; Varney’s Garage; Kenneth Palmer; Island Falls Hardware; V.L. Webb; Haley Doughty; and Varney’s clothing. 

Tompkins Pres Savings Bank – Justice Nathaniel Tompkins of the Maine Supreme Judicial Court was re-elected President of the Houlton Savings Bank for the 21st consecutive year at the 76th annual meeting of Aroostook County’s oldest banking institution, held Friday. All officers and directors of the bank were also re-elected for another year. 

50 Years AgoJuly 25, 1973

Three at Troop F Promoted –  Three Maine State Police troopers assigned to Troop F at Houlton, and a detective with the Bureau of Criminal Investigation assigned to the County, were promoted to the rating of corporal in special ceremonies Monday at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in Waterville. The promotions went to Troopers David L. Armstrong of Caribou, Arlo E. Lund of Presque Isle, Gerald C. Philbrick of Mars Hill, and to detective James L. Camick of Limestone.

Old Dyer Brook Church To Be Re-Opened Aug. 26 –  The Dyer Brook Community Church, located on the knoll of a hill along Route 2 in Dyer Brook has been closed and vacant for many years. Some say as long as 40 years. It is being readied for a formal reopening on August 26. 

25 Years AgoAugust 12, 1998

Adams wins County Open by two strokes – On August 7 and 8, 130 golfers participated in the 9th Annual County Open Golf Tournament at the Houlton Community Golf Course and the Va-Jo-Wa Golf Course in Island Falls. Proceeds from the tournament and following Dinner Raffle support the Houlton Regional Hospital Health Services Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving health care services in the Southern Aroostook Region. This year the Charity was awarded $30,000 at the conclusion of the event. The County Open Golf Tournament results in each division are as follows: in the A Division Gross, Jerry Adams came in with a 148, while Jerry York was only two strokes behind him with a 150. Dick Crosby finished one stroke behind with a 151, while Scott Walker ended with a 153 and Scott Starrgurd shot a 153.