Caribou area From our Files – Week of January 8, 2025

1 month ago

120 Years Ago – Jan. 12, 1905

Closed for the winter — The schools on the east side of the river having been discontinued for the winter, the children from that neighborhood are carried to and from the village schools by Noah Brown in a covered sleigh.

Snowfall slows freight business — The storm of last week greatly hindered railroad traffic. Although passenger trains managed to get through as near on schedule time as possible, the freight business was badly demoralized, no freight leaving or arriving in Caribou for two days. A large crew of men was set at work shoveling snow and clearing the tracks.

100 Years Ago – Jan. 8, 1925

A new beauty parlor opened — Mrs. Florence Stover and Miss Arlene Sharpe have opened a beauty parlor in the National Bank block in the rooms above the Combination Clothing Co.

Now has a telephone line — The restaurant in the O’Regan block, owned by Churchill Greenlaw and Neal Mills, was connected with the telephone system this week.

75 Years Ago – Jan. 12, 1950

Cary Hospital gets rating of surgeons — Cary Memorial hospital in Caribou has been listed among 24 in Maine given approval by the American College of Surgeons at the conclusion of their 32nd survey. The survey was conducted by the College under its standardization program. Cary Memorial hospital is listed as a general hospital having 40 beds and 16 bassinets. Ownership is under the city with appointed directors in administrative control. Newman B. Doyle is listed as president of the governing board and Dr. Thomas G Harvey, chief of staff. Katherine M. Ames is the administrator. The mid-century approved list of hospitals announced by the American College of Surgeons includes 3,284 hospitals in the United States, Canada, and a few other countries. Every hospital is reconsidered for approval each year.

Katahdin Creamery to hold an ‘Open House’ at the local plant — An ‘open house’ at the Katahdin Creamery plant on Presque Isle road will take place this Friday, it was announced by ‘Doc’ Hanson, plant manager. All visitors who come to inspect the plant will be given sample packages of cottage cheese, and half-pint bottles of plain, chocolate and strawberry milk — all products of the local creamery. The Katahdin Creamery originally opened in Patten in 1933 as a butter factory, and since that time has been selling its butter throughout Aroostook County. In 1943, the Katahdin Creamery in Patten bought a pasteurizing plant from Fred J. Blackstone of Caribou. At that time total sales of milk were about 200 quarts in Caribou and about 500 at the Presque Isle airbase. In the period from 1943 to 1949 the sale of milk by the Creamery increased from 200 quarts a day to 3500 quarts. Milk processed in the Caribou branch of the Katahdin Creamery is now sold in Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Presque Isle, Easton, Limestone, Caswell, New Sweden, Stockholm, Fort Kent, Eagle Lake, St. Francis, Van Buren and Washburn. This will be the first ‘open house’ the Creamery here will ever have conducted.

50 Years Ago – Jan. 8, 1975

Caribou Post Office employee promoted — J. Maxwell Susee, superintendent of Mails of the Caribou Post Office, was appointed Postmaster of Fort Fairfield on Nov. 23. This appointment was announced by William F. Bolger, Regional Postmaster General of the Northeast Region. Susee began his postal career at the Caribou Post Office on Jan. 1, 1956, as a substitute lettercarrier in 1957. In 1967, he was promoted to Superintendent of Mails. Still later in 1972, he was detailed to Madawaska as Officer-in-Charge, returning after a year to the Caribou Post Office to resume his position as Superintendent of Mails. 

Home on leave — Navy Airman Recruit Larry L. Blumer, son of Air Force Retired TSgt. and Mrs. Lawrence M. Blumer of Limestone, has been home on a two-week leave from Naval Air Station in Memphis, Tenn., where he is attending Aviation Support Equipment Technician School.

25 Years Ago – Jan. 12, 2000

Changing command — The 1st battalion, 152nd Field Artillery headquarters came under command of the man who will oversee its full computerization. Saturday afternoon in the gymnasium of the Caribou Recreation Center, a ceremony was held to recognize the change of command from  Lt. Col. Brent M. Boyles to Lt. Col. Fred E. Umphrey. Another former commander of the Bennett Drive armory assisted in the transfer. Gen. Earl Adams, the highest ranking officer in the Maine Army National Guard, received the battalion’s flag from Boyles and passed it on to Umphrey, signifying the unit was in new hands. According to traditional procedure, Col. Roland Lapointe of the 52nd troop command in Bangor and the direct supervisor of the 152nd commander, would establish the new command, but Adams, who commanded the unit from 1969 to 1971, requested the honor.

Growing business finds new home — To accommodate their rapidly-growing chiropractic business, husband-wife team Cindy and Chad Bouchard moved their home practice to 42 High Street. On Jan. 1, the Bouchards packed up their business previously on High Street across from Key Bank and settled into their new location. Dr. Cindy Bouchard is the chiropractor and Chad Bouchard doubles as the receptionist and business manager. Chad Bouchard said business has been on the rise in the year and a half since Family Chiropractic opened. There was a 50% increase in the number of patients seen in Jan 1999 compared to previous months.