Caribou area From our Files – Week of October 18, 2023

7 months ago

115 Years Ago – Oct. 15, 1908

Back from Fort Kent — A. B. Fisher returned last week from Fort Kent having completed the wiring for the new Levecque hotel in that place. This building has 40 rooms; and is built on all modern ideas. The electricity for lighting will be developed by an eight horsepower gasoline engine.

Back to work — Miss Ethel Johnston, a former employee of the Republican office, has again accepted a position as compositor in this office. Through lack of help during the past six weeks we have been obliged to omit many articles of general interest, such as the publishing of the premium list of the Northern Maine Fair at Presque Isle; (and this list will be printed soon even though late.) The past six weeks have been strenuous ones indeed. The handling twice, distributing and setting up again, of a couple hundred thousand pieces of type each week, in addition to the usual routine of work, is not as easy a task as might be. The task could not have been accomplished had our foreman proved less faithful.

100 Years Ago – Oct. 18, 1923

Helping out — Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Whitney are on a business trip to Boston. L. L. Oak is assisting in the store of the Caribou Motor Co. during Mr. Whitney’s absence.

Moved into town — Percy Hamilton of Houlton, who is working for A. H. Walker, has moved his family here and is living in the Rufus Gardner house.

75 Years Ago – Oct. 14, 1948

McGrath spud contest nets 3 lb. 10 oz. potato — Linwood Sharpe, entering a potato weighing three pounds and 10 ounces, is in first place currently of the annual M. D. McGrath largest potato contest. Other entrants in top positions are Louis McBreairty with a spud balancing at three pounds seven ounces and Frederick Ringdahl with one at three pounds and six and one half ounces.

To open a new baby shop — A new shop for Caribou, under the proprietorship of Mrs. Odiana Thibodeau and her daughter Miss Alyeene Thibodeau, will open the Kiddies Korner sometime next month in the location recently vacated by the Stop-In-Shop. The Kiddie Korner plans carrying a complete line of apparel and gifts for babies and small children.

25 Years Ago – Oct. 21, 1998

Donation made to annual Christmas party — VFW Post Commander Wilfred Levasseur handed Chairperson for the Connor Recreation Department Jodi Blaisdell a $200 donation to the sixth annual Christmas party for children.

Caribou High School band plays in Springfield, Mass. — The Caribou High School band has returned from a trip at the Eastern States Exposition in Springfield, Mass. The Big E is a chance for all of the New England states to show off their products. It shows visitors what makes their states unique. The band was invited to the expo this spring by the Eastern Expo’s Board of Trustees after a member heard them play the national anthem at the Eastern Maine basketball tournament. The band members stood out not only musically, but in their gender ratio, Jessica St. Peter said the drum section of the band was all female, while the other bands at the Big E had mainly male drummers. Another experience the band members participated in was seeing the induction of former Boston Celtic great Larry Bird into the Basketball Hall of Fame.