120 Years Ago – April 14, 1904
Returned to Caribou — Beecher Currier, who has been in charge of Scates & Co. ‘s drug store in Van Buren for some time, has returned to Caribou and is now employed in their Caribou store.
Trip to Boston — Thomas Bouchard, Miss Emma Pattee and Miss Ethel Gary are clerking in the Boston Shoe Store during the bankruptcy sale of boots, shoes and rubbers now going on.
115 Years Ago – April 15, 1909
A rise in the number of automobiles — Automobiles will soon be as numerous in Aroostook as were the swarms of locusts in ancient Egypt. If the ratio of sales for this year keeps on for a few weeks longer. Houlton will probably have 25 or 30 new machines; Presque Isle, which has seemed to be uninterested in this direction for several years while her sister towns have been buying, will have a dozen or 15 autos this season; Caribou will probably add 15 more to its already large list, and Fort Fairfield will increase its number by about the same amount. Our Goodrich correspondent reported that 11 automobiles had been sold in that place this spring; and Goodrich, which is a part of Fort Fairfield, is only a farming community. This week our Limestone news gatherer reports seven new autos for this year. What farming community in the world can equal Aroostook for prosperity and wealth.
Trip to Europe? — Peter Anderson, one of New Sweden’s influential citizens, was in town Thursday. Mr. Anderson is contemplating a trip to Sweden, Europe, from which country he came to America 38 years ago.
100 Years Ago – April 10, 1924
Building almost complete — Norval Horsman of the firm of Downing and Horsman returned from Caribou Tuesday, where he has been looking after the mason work on Caribou’s new hospital, says that the building will be completed and turned over for occupancy by the first of June. Work on the elevators has just been completed, and the painters and paperhangers are now finishing up their part of the work. The building is believed to be as near fire proof as it is possible to make such a structure, outside of the doors there will be no combustible material.
New fire truck — Fort Fairfield is to have as good a fire pump as can be made, an American La France, capacity 750 gallons a minute – in fact a machine just like Caribou’s splendid fire fighting implement, but naturally with a few improvements that have been added during the past nearly two years since Caribou’s was purchased. Washburn holds a special town meeting Saturday of this week to see whether or not that town falls into line and buys a new fire truck. Judging from the very satisfactory results given by Caribou’s fire engine, every town is justified in purchasing a similar truck.
75 Years Ago – April 14, 1949
New jewelry store opened — Day’s Jewelry Store, in Caribou, which opened here this morning, is the 11th in the State of Maine to open under the proprietorship of Sidney A. Davidson of Portland. The Caribou store, located in the new Briggs Hardware Building, is a member of a firm founded in Portland in 1914. In celebration of its opening, Day’s is offering two valued prizes to be given Saturday night. For the ladies, the winner will get a 14 karat, 2 diamond, 17 jewel Bulova watch. The men’s prize is also a 14 karat, 17 jewel Bulova. All visitors to the store will be given a free opportunity to register for the prizes. Day’s store will carry a complete line of jewelry, electrical appliances, luggage and aluminum ware. Robert Corey, Portland, has tentatively been named manager of the store.
Council gets OK to offer Nylander Bldg. — Caribou citizens at a special town meeting Tuesday morning in the Municipal building voted in favor of authorizing the town council to lease the Nylander Museum building to the Maine State auto registration division, which is being evicted from its present quarters in Presque Isle. This action now allows town officials more solid footing in their efforts to provide quarters for the Registration Group. However, Town Manager, W. B. Burns said last week that the auto group now desires a new building and that they will submit plans and specifications to Fort Fairfield, Caribou and Presque Isle so that each of the towns may make bids.
25 Years Ago – April 14, 1999
Funland to go out to auction — Piecemeal or parcel, the Funland Amusement Park is being auctioned off April 24. The artifacts that have made the Route 1 location a landmark since 1961 are being offered individually or as a package deal with the property. The Bosse family of Caribou, purchased the recreation business as Caribou Golf Driving Range. Since then, go-karts, batting cages, kiddie rides and a water slide were added to the park. Funland was the only park in central Aroostook that offered these amusements during the entire summer. The site hosted numerous company picnics and birthday parties during its 36 years of operation.
Ross hired as teaching principal — The New Sweden school has a new teaching principal. Fort Fairfield Elementary School teacher Wendy Ross will take over the position after now principal Helen Espling retires in June. Espling retires after 36 years at New Sweden Elementary School. While in New Sweden, Ross will teach preschool and kindergarten classes in the morning. Her principal duties will begin in the afternoon.
