Caribou area From our Files – Week of October 23, 2024

2 weeks ago

120 Years Ago – Oct. 28, 1904

The rush is still on — The rush at the starch factories does not seem to lessen any; on the contrary, it seems to be increasingly reminding us of 14 or 15 years ago when long strings of teams, reaching back from the factories for long distances in every direction, were waiting their turn to unload. At that time, many farmers got tired of waiting, started for home and dumped their loads of potatoes in the river. Now it is the farmer who gets to the factory first in the early morning hours who can unload and return home.

 A way to drain the rain — A catch basin, to be connected with the sewer, is being put in this week between the hardware store of W.C. Spaulding and the Republican office for the purpose of draining the vast quantities of water which seem to center at this particular point after every rain.

115 Years Ago – Oct. 27, 1909

New dentist office opening — Dr. M.L. Bonney formerly of Livermore Falls is soon to open up a dental room over H.O. Spencer’s jewelry store. Mr Bonney has had 15 years experience in dentistry and comes well recommended.

Has a brand new cane — C.G. Whittier is in receipt of a handsome cane sent to him as a souvenir of the World’s Fair at St. Louis by his son, M.H. Whittier of Los Angeles, Cal. The cane is really a very artistic one; the wood is of lignum-vitae and is beautifully ornamented with silver filigree work. It is of Russian design and must have required considerable time to make, as the mountings were all done by hand. The cane was brought from St. Louis by H.A. Edwards, who met Mr. Whittier when at the fair.

100 Years Ago – Oct. 23, 1924

One of the most attractive and home-like inns — While on a flying trip in Caribou Monday, the Star-Herald reporter made a call on landlord Owen Blackden of the Vaughan House. Mr. Blackden has so renovated and remodeled and improved things in his hotel that it amounts to a complete transformation, and it is now one of the most attractive and home-like inns in Northern Maine. In consequence, as a reward of his outlay and enterprise, and the excellent service he is giving the public, Mr. Blackden is enjoying an excellent patronage.

75 Years Ago – Oct. 27, 1949

School band campaigns for uniforms — The Caribou high school band, conducting a ‘Boost the Band’ campaign this week to raise $1400 for uniforms for 30 new members, has raised so far only $255 from three ventures — a concert, an auction which was postponed Tuesday because of cold weather and lack of patronage, and a social. The concert on Tuesday was poorly attended and brought in $92 in admissions from some 150 townspeople and students. The auction was canceled due to poor attendance, this coupled with cold weather, canceled further auctions. There are other ways that they are campaigning and it is their hope that all these combined will raise enough money for the uniforms

Maine’s ‘Red-Headed Boy’ posters requested by 25,000 grocers — Maine’s famous spud salesman – its red-deaded Potato Boy — prepared this week to visit over 25,000 independent and chain grocery stores throughout the eastern and midwestern sections of the nation. Dressed up in a new 1950 style design, the freckle-faced Maine Potato Ambassador will again turn on his friendly charms that have ‘sold’ many hundreds of thousands of customers on Maine spuds in past years. Everett F. Greaton, Executive Director of the Maine Development Commission, advised that in the past ten years over 2,600,000 of the Maine Potato Boys have been shipped to grocers outside of the state, and with few exceptions, all shipments were ‘on request.’ The Maine Potato Boy is considered one of the state’s finest ‘point of sale’ display pieces by its sponsor, Brooke, Smith, French & Dorrance of New York, the state’s merchandising and advertising counsel. Bearing out this opinion are the approximate 25,000 out-of-state grocers selling Maine potatoes who have ‘requested’ the Maine lad for display purposes this fall and winter.

25 Years Ago – Oct. 27, 1999

They make a difference — Taking time to paint a swing set at an elementary school, or walking to each house in Caribou to collect food for the hungry, organizations in Caribou extended a helping hand to those in need for ‘Make a Difference Day.’ Loring Job Corps students, Caribou Girl Scout Troops, Caribou’s SERVE New England members, and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Auxiliary Post 9389 all volunteered time to community service Friday for National ‘Make a Difference Day.’ The national event is a community service day to get people involved in their community. Catherine Chatman went shopping for blankets, sheets, towels, and personal products for the women at the Battered Women’s Shelter. Chatman is a member of VFW Auxiliary, Post 9389, in Caribou. The VFW Auxiliary donated $497 in personal care items, and other essentials to the shelter as part of the ‘Make a Difference Day.’ The Loring Job Corps students participated in nine programs to help the communities surrounding Loring. Some students went to the Dawn F. Barnes Elementary School in Caswell to paint the playground in bright red and yellow. Others were at Thomas Park in New Sweden raking leaves and picking up branches and other debris.

Crafting a fun weekend – The Caribou Fall Arts & Crafts Fair drew new and familiar faces to the event when it started on a rainy Saturday. The Caribou Chamber of Commerce fundraiser attracted more people this year, according to returning visitors and vendors. The 26th annual Caribou Fall Arts & Crafts Fair over-occupied the Caribou high school parking lot with cars parked on the grass. ‘I was concerned about the rain, but the people came anyway.; said Kirk Tibbetts, executive director of the Caribou Chamber of Commerce. Tibbetts said there were 138 booths and 225 vendors.