75 Years Ago – September 20, 1949
Sherman Mills Dairyman Gets Green Pastures Cup — Beverly P. Rand of Sherman Mills; Philip Andrews, of Fryeburg; and Fred J. Todd, of Brooks, winners in the 1949 Maine Green Pastures Contest, were honored Sunday and Monday at the Eastern States Exposition in Springfield, Mass. Rand was the New England winner, as well as tops in Maine, while Andrews and Todd were runners-up in Maine. Gov. John O. Pastore of Rhode Island, chairman of the governors’ committee, presented Rand with the 18-inch cup donated to the New England winner by the six governors of the region. Rand Andrews, and Todd each received 13-inch cups from Gov. Frederick G. Payne of Maine. Each of the other governors in New England presented cups to his top three state winners.
Houlton Unites To Ease Plight As Potato Pickers Flood Area Seeking Work — The fact that Houlton is the shire town of Aroostook County and is the first of the larger towns to be reached from the south has made it the rendezvous since early last week of an invasion of migrant job hunters that has taxed all local charitable agencies to the utmost. Never in recent years has such a horde of would-be potato harvest hands swarmed over this community in such numbers as to require the combined efforts of the Salvation Army, the Red Cross, veterans organizations and town officials to marshall all available resources to provide shelter and food. Beginning as a mere trickle of hitch hikers about ten days ago, the daily influx has risen into the hundreds. They have come from Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire and elsewhere in Maine, lured by the goal of rich earnings to be made in the potato fields. The local unemployment office registered 300 yesterday, shipped 100 to farms around the county and still had 300 to place. Late yesterday there were about 500 around Houlton waiting for jobs.
50 Years Ago – October 23, 1974
Crafts Hobby Becomes Much More For MacIntosh ‘Apple Core’ — The Apple’s Core, is a McIntosh family group, centralized in Houlton, who are interested in a variety of crafts. After many years of creating gifts for friends and family, Ada V. McIntosh and her family have now begun to create not solely as a hobby but as a beginning on the Apple Core Craft Line. As a teacher in the public schools of Brookline, Mass., for 23 years, Miss McIntosh knit children’s sweaters as a relaxing hobby. Most of the sweaters were given to children of friends and soon all the babies whose mothers or fathers taught in the Brookline Devotion School had McIntosh sweaters. For many years Ada had planned to have a craft shop of her own when she retired from teaching and she wrote to her family and asked if they would like to help her make a dream come true earlier than expected. With an enthusiastic response, each member of the family worked to produce items in September 1973. There are seven members who make up the group and they are all McIntosh’s or related in some way to the family, so they named themselves “The Apple’s Core.”
25 Years Ago – October 27, 1999
Meduxnekeag River Cleaned Up During ‘Difference Day’ — Periods of heavy rain last Saturday didn’t make a difference for those who were trying to make a difference in the Houlton community. About 20 local volunteers gathered at the Meduxnekeag River to participate in the ninth annual Make A Difference Day. Jessica Schaub, Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA) participant and local Make A Difference Day organizer, said Vital Pathways and the Houlton Rotary Club decided to help clean up along the banks of the river as a way to observe the yearly event.
Wilde Appointed to Town Council — After a brief discussion on whether the current or the new Houlton Town Council should fill the seat vacated by Brian Plourde, councilors appointed Galen Wilde to the remaining two-year term. Wilde was one of two citizens who stepped forward indicating an interest in the position which was filled at Monday night’s meeting. Richard Rhoda was the other.