120 Years Ago – April 7, 1904
Prize awarded — The guessing contest on the amount of money contained in a glass jar at W. R. Pattee’s dry goods store closed last Thursday, the interest toward the last being very marked, some even going so far to compute the amount by comparing the relative weight of troy and avoirdupois pounds. The committee chosen to count the money was Dr. S. D. Little, Wallace R. Lumbert and Lyman J. Pendell. The was an even $91 as follows: 26 silver dollars, 30 halves, 55 quarters, 58 dines, 10 nickels and $29.95 in one cent pieces. The tickets were then counted and it was found that seven had guessed the exact amount. The prizes then awarded to those guesses were first recorded as follows: Mrs. Fred Johnson, first prize; Bengt Landen, second, Mrs. S. Hines,third and Thomas Plissey, fourth.
Changing hands — The restaurant on Vaughan avenue formerly conducted by Alfred Adams has been purchased by George A. Hurd and Chas. Burgess.
115 Years Ago – April 8, 1909
Onff to Boston — Dr. C. H Tuell is spending the week in Boston where he will purchase supplies for his dental office, also a cast Inlay machine, making it possible to save badly decayed teeth by putting in gold inlays, without the pain of attending difficult gold fillings. During the doctor’s absence his office will be kept open for appointments by Miss Berce. The doctor will return on April 12.
Changes being made — Chas. F Ross, who purchased the E. A. Homes storehouse on Broadway, is contemplating making several changes and additions, converting it into a potato house. He will build on 20 feet to the end of the building, making it 100 feet long by 40 feet wide, and having a capacity of 8000 barrels of potatoes.
100 Years Ago – April 3, 1924
Papers have been approved — The state attorney general has approved the papers of incorporation of the following corporation: H. M. Hughes Company, Mapleton, capital $10,000; president, Benjamin L. Hughes; treasurer and clerk, Harry M. Hughes; purposes, to grow and deal in potatoes and farm products of all kinds.
Attending convention — Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Briggs left Tuesday for Portland to attend the Republican State Convention which is being held in that city today, Thursday. Mr. Briggs is a member of the State Republican Committee, and will undoubtedly be elected again to that position, which he has so acceptably filled.
75 Years Ago – April 7, 1949
Modern shoe store set for opening here — Opening here on Friday, the Guerrette Shoe Store, 53 Sweden street, marks another improvement to the Caribou business section. Shoe merchandise for the whole family in the latest styles will be featured by Manager Albert Guerrette. Both here and Henry Guerrette, also of Caribou, are apartments in Caribou’s newest business, Albert will handle the managerial reins. He is particularly qualified to serve shoppers and has had many years experience in the show fitting field. He is opening his new store after several years service with the J. C. Penney Co. in Fort Kent and later of the local store where he was manager of that department.
Briggs Hardware Store to reopen on former site — ‘That back door is still there and you are most welcome to use it,’ say Judson and Parkin Briggs to all farmers and shippers in announcing the opening on April 14 of their new modern hardware store, which is returning to its old location on Sweden street, after an absence of two years as a result of fire. The Briggs Hardware Store in returning to Sweden street resumes business on a location which it had occupied for more than 50 years. And not only is the company one of the oldest established firms in the county, but it boasts a record of never having closed its doors on any business day throughout the years, except for a three-week interval in 1947 when the fire forced a hasty reorganization on Washburn Ave.Alvert Deveau, who has been with the firm for 36 years, and his son, Leo, with the company for 15 years, will continue to offer their services. And so will Fred Allen, an employee of the concern for at least 10 years.
25 Years Ago – April 7, 1999
Center opens up at Loring — The Loring Health Center, a division of Pines Health Services, has opened at the Loring Commerce Center in the former chapel on Texas Road. A grand opening was held Thursday to introduce the health center to the community. Tours of the center plus free blood pressure, cholesterol and body-fat screenings were given. Health information and refreshments were provided.
Generator provides full power — When the Northeast Publishing Co. installed a 100-kilowatt generator to power the company’s publishing plant in case of emergency, it didn’t take long for the generator to be put into use. Northeast Publishing Co., located at the Skyway Industrial Park near the Northern Maine Regional Airport, publishes The Star Herald in Presque Isle, the Aroostook Republican and News in Caribou, the Houlton Pioneer Times in Houlton, The Weekly newspaper in Bangor and The Piscataquis Observer in Dover-Foxcroft. The state-of-the-art facility also includes PrintWorks, a commercial printing operation. After last year’s ice storm that devastated much of the rest of Maine, company officials decided to look into the possibility of installing an electrical generator that would power the publishing plant in emergencies. Only four days after it was placed and tested, the true test of the generating system – in an emergency – happened when a surprise blizzard struck Aroostook County during a Tuesday production day. That’s the day when Northeast Publishing Co. employees – from the back office through the imaging and prepress departments to the press and mailroom operations – gear up for the production of five newspapers that are distributed to tens of thousands of people throughout central and northern Maine and northern New Brunswick.The power failed during a storm with heavy winds that toppled a transmission line. Bob Maynard, Northeast Publishing Co.’s production manager, and his production staff leaped into action after the power went out, firing the engine and flipping the manual switch that started the generating process.The generator provided electricity for more than three hours.
