101 Years Ago – Sept. 6, 1917
Guest speaker — Miss Alice D. W. White, newspaper correspondent for leading Maine papers, was a guest at the Presque Isle House during the week. Miss White, was an acting as General Secretary for the Anti-Suffrage Association during the campaign, with headquarters in the Press Building, Portland.
“Monkey Speedway” — The midway was larger than ever before, and some features of special interest were added, among them being the “Monkey Speedway” which, to the children, was an ample excuse for the attendance at the Fair of so many people. There were arguments pro and con on the “Midway” question, but the plea in its favor was that if it were loppel off from a fair, one of the most characteristic, and to thousands of visitors one of the most attractive features of such gatherings would be eliminated.
75 Years Ago – Sept. 9, 1943
Acreage — One hundred and eighty-five and a half acres of land located at the junction of the Centerline road and the Easton road were condemned by the War Department for “essential military purposes.” The land was to be used in conjunction with the Presque Isle Air Base. Owned by Fred Lovely of Presque Isle, immediate possession was granted the War Department. Value was placed at approximately $40,000. The petition was filed by Assistant United States Attorney E. Donald Finnegan in United States District Court.
Sailor graduates — Denzel Herbert Jarvis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lester W. Jarvis of Presque Isle, graduated from the Aviation Machinist’s Mate School at the U.S. Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Fla., as a third class petty officer. Enlisting in the Navy, he did recruit training at Newport, R.I., before arriving at the Naval Air Technical Training Center. Jarvis became a qualified aviation mechanic.
50 Years Ago – Aug. 28, 1968
Zayre groundbreaking — Groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the new Zayre shopping center which was being built on North Main Street. Dignitaries from the Zayre stores were present at the ceremonies as were many businessmen from the Presque Isle area and city officials.
Soil group awards — Five employees of the Soil Conservation Service were honored for their efforts at an awards presentation at the Agricultural Center Building in Presque Isle. Honored were Mrs. Ruth Smith, Mrs. Alfreda Morneault and Eugene Tussing was presented a certificate of merit for sustained above average performance. Richie and Mrs. Smith were the recipients of two outstanding performance awards as career U.S. Department of Agriculture employees. Richie, Knight, Tussing and Mrs. Morneault were assigned to the Presque Isle work unit, providing technical service to the Central Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District. Mrs. Smith was assigned to the St. John-Aroostook Resource Conservation and Development Project staff.
25 Years Ago – Sept. 8, 1993
New scholarship — Presque Isle resident and businessman Rod Brewer said the influence two longtime Presque Isle educators made in his life caused him, in turn, to want to give a little bit back to the community in their memory. That Brewer’s gifts happen to be educational scholarships established with the proceeds from sales of four small books he authored make them even more fitting. Brewer established two scholarships in memory of Edith Fairweather, a former eighth-grade mathematics teacher at Cunningham Middle School, and Marian Conant, a former English teacher at Presque Isle High School.
