115 Years Ago – Jun. 23, 1903
Gold — It is reported that gold has been discovered in Van Buren on land belonging to the Van Buren Lumber Company. It is a large vein and extends over a mile.
Torn — The Charles Smith house near the old trotting park has been torn down and a new building will be erected in its place.
100 Years Ago – Jun. 26, 1918
Building — A new building is being erected on Vaughan Avenue which will be occupied by the Caribou Water Company. John B. Roberts will head the water company.
Peddlers — It will be well for Aroostook housewives to be on the lookout for peddlers who are reported to be operating in the state, as it was stated by the Bangor police that people of that city had been victimized the past week by peddlers who represented that they were selling laces, cloth and furs for the benefit of Canadian soldiers’ orphans.
75 Years Ago – Jun. 23, 1943
Excitement — A flurry of excitement aroused the Stockholm area last week when State Police and FBI agents challenged a party of Massachusetts fishermen for taking pictures of passing trains. The group was returning from one of the camps beyond Stockholm and found time heavy while awaiting the the down train. Several pictures were taken before the officers arrived to surprise the entire group.
Agent — Miss Elizabeth Sturtevant, home economics teacher at the Caribou High School, was appointed as home demonstration agent in central Aroostook County, as announced on Saturday by Arthur L. Deering, director of the Maine Extension Service. The appointment is effective July 1.
50 Years Ago – Jun. 26, 1968
Lombard site squashed — Trustees of the Caribou Hospital District have voted not to purchase the so-called Lombard property, South Main Street, as requested by the board of directors of Cary Memorial Hospital. The 122-by-155-feet area, the directors had pointed out, would provide 61 “badly needed” parking spaces if a laundromat located there should be torn down.
Grad Fete — Seventy-five of Caribou’s business establishments donated prizes, food or services to make this year’s all-night party for the graduating seniors of Caribou High School a success. Additionally, 16 individuals contributed food and 21 workers offered their services in one way or another.
25 Years Ago – Jun. 23, 1993
Closing station — The National Weather Service’s plans to close its Caribou station have caused concern among local and federal officials. U.S. Sen. William S. Cohen last week wrote to U.S. Commerce Secretary Ron Brown protesting the weather service decision. The weather service leases the building at the airport from the city at $1,000 a month and employs six people full time. Those jobs and the $12,000 a year will be lost to the city in 1996 if the station closes.
“No bigger” — Superintendent of Schools James Morse recently dispelled rumors that teacher-student ratios in the first half of th 1993-94 school year will remain constant, despite the pending closure of Loring Air Force Base. Morse told the Limestone School Committee June 14 that stories of expected classroom size at 38 to 42 pupils per class size were “rumors” he said and that “class size will be no bigger than at any other time.”
