Houlton area From Our Files (week of November 22, 2017)

7 years ago

100 Years Ago – Nov. 21, 1917

    Guess the weight Howard Tingley, one of Houlton’s hustling farmers, has donated a huge pumpkin to be sold and guessed for, the proceeds to be given to the local Red Cross. The pumpkin is on exhibition  in the Putnam Hardware Co’s. window. Guess the weight of the pumpkin, the nearest guess to the actual weight will receive $1.00 in cash, as many guesses as you want for 10 cents each.

75 Years Ago – Nov. 12, 1942

    Retires Clarence E. Bither, for 33 years a rural mail carrier, was retired from the Postal Service on Saturday, October 31. Most of his years were spent on Route 1 out of Linneus, but in recent years he has carried the mail on Route 4 from Houlton.

    Wins election Harry B. Thomas, a native of Houlton and most recently a resident here while he was manager of the local J. J. Newberry store, was a successful candidate for the City Council of Keyport N. J. in the election last week.

50 Years Ago – Nov. 22, 1967

    Off to Chicago Miss Sandra Newman of Island Falls, Maine 4-H dress revue winner, will be joining other State winners on Thanksgiving Day at Orono for a trip to the 1967 National 4-H Club Congress at Chicago. She will take part in the 21st national 4-H dress revue on November 28 at the Conrad Hilton Hotel.

    40 year service Rollin F. Smith was presented with a lapel pin with diamond to mark this 40 years of service with the Customs Service. The presentation was made by Gilbert A. Chaisson, director of the Port of Houlton. Mr. Smith has been stationed at Houlton since 1947 and has been second-in-charge since 1961.

25 Years Ago – Nov. 18, 1992

   Military escort Danielle Vargas and Elisha Folkins received rides to Hodgdon Elementary school in a military truck from Staff Sargeant Phil Cloney and Staff Sargeant Alden Bustard. To give Hodgdon area children a better understanding of Veteran’s Day, members of Battery B of the 152nd Field Artillery unit of the Maine Army National Guard in Houlton gave rides to and from school in a military truck.

   Birthday — Harold Sevey Merry celebrated his 100th birthday Nov. 10 with a party at the Agnes Gardner Nursing Home in Houlton. He was born in Sherman Mills, son of Brainard and Isadora and the eldest of five brothers and one sister. He was married to Nina Cox. They had two sons, Marshall and Gerald, and one daughter, Alda. He has 10 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.