Caribou area From our Files – Week of March 6, 2024

4 months ago

120 Years Ago – March 10, 1904

A new stand in town — John Restiglini has rented the store in the west end of the Cary building and will open a fruit and tobacco stand.

Original settlers — Of the old settlers who took up state land in 1859 and 1860 in the town of Woodland, only two are now living on their original lots — Charles Carlton and Benj. F Thomas.

Moving to Caribou — A. M. Glidden of Presque Isle, manager of the Singer Sewing Machine Company for Aroostook County and who has for several years made this his headquarters having an office on Sweden street, has rented the Davis house on York street and will shortly move his family to Caribou. Mr. and Mrs. W. C. York, who now occupies the Davis house, will move into one of the rents in the Cary building.

115 Years Ago – March 11, 1909

Purchased new goods — Ray N. L. Brown has returned from a trip to the New York markets, where he went to purchase new goods.

What is a home without a newspaper? — A home without a newspaper is no home at all. It is a kind of dreary den — a rendezvous of bedbugs and fleas, where the inhabitants live in blissful ignorance of what the world is doing. It is inhabited by a class who do not know who is president or what he is president of — who never finds out that a big thing has happened till long after everyone has forgotten it. The children grow up in rags and dirt, while the wife generally finds consolation in darning socks and lugging a pipe loaded with long, green tobacco, and the man generally lives because he can’t die and he is too lazy to kill himself. He goes out on election days and does not know who he is voting for, but just takes the ticket bearing the name his great grandfather voted for. — Riceville (Minn.) Leader.

100 Years Ago – March 6, 1924

Vital statistics — Mrs. H. R. Hall, deputy town clerk, who has charge of the vital statistics, reports that from March 1,1923, to March 1, 1924, there were in the town of Caribou: 83 marriages, 235 births and 114 deaths. This is a decrease in the three classes from March 1, 1922, to March 1, 1923, when there were 102 marriages, 266 births and 138 deaths.

New York trip for buying — Olof T. Pierson started Tuesday afternoon for New York where he will make spring and summer purchases. Ray N. L. Brown left Wednesday morning and will join Mr. Pierson in Boston and then proceeded to New York with him.

75 Years Ago – March 10, 1949

Caribou boy wins first prize at amateur hour show in New Sweden — Clarence Gagnon of Caribou won first prize in the New Sweden Amateur Hour Thursday evening. A group of Stockholm boys were awarded second prize while Miss Karen Espling received third place in the contest sponsored by the Health Council of that community.Gagnon entertained the capacity with a number of western ballards to earn first place money. The Stockholm group rendered the Swedish tune, ‘Yonnie Yohnson’s Wedding’ and Little Miss Espling sang a solo.

Six persons seek office — At least six persons in Caribou have drawn nominations from Eva D. Ryder, town clerk, indicating their intentions to seek office here at the next town meeting on March 21. Cecil Burleigh and Mrs. Marion Porter has filed notice for election to the school committee, and Fred J. Blackstone, whose term as councilman expires this year. Others are, S. W. Collins, for manager of the Cary Memorial Hospital fund; W. Dale Currier, trustee of the Caribou School District, and Mrs. Eva D. Ryder, for town clerk.

25 Years Ago – March 10, 1999

A presentation of American flags — A presentation of 36 American flags was made to the Caribou High School on Feb. 21 by the Lister-Knowlton Ladies of VFW 9389 in Caribou. There during the presentation was Donna Hurley, teacher; Jeanette Hanson, president of Ladies VFW 9389; Alison Ladner, teacher; Irene Allen, Americanism chairwoman; and Caribou High School principal David Ladner and Hurley were instrumental in the awareness to replace the flags.

Local doctor joins group — Internist Christine Freme has joined the medical staff at the Pines Health Center, on Access Highway. Since March 1989, Freme has been an internist in solo practice in Caribou. She has served as Chief of Medicine for three years,  was a chairwoman of the Diabetes Committee for three year, has been a Medicare reviewer with the Peer Review Organization and was involved in the outpatient clinic at the Boston VA Hospital.