115 Years Ago – March 25, 1902
Early spring — The roads are drying out remarkably early this year, the mud having disappeared in numerous places and dust is blowing on High Street, and this is still March. One or two bicycles have already appeared on our streets as well. The ice in the Aroostook River started Saturday, but held up again until Sunday, when it went out. This marks the third year in succession when the ice has gone out on Sunday.
100 Years Ago –March 10, 1917
Bald — One of Caribou’s prominent businessmen recently made an application for the season of 1917. In filling out the application blank, when he came to the line, “color of hair,” he stopped, hesitated, looked in the mirror and wrote the word “none.” His license was received today, the word “bald” being substituted by the registry clerk for the word “none.”
Two new businesses have opened in the Bennett Drive Shopping Center. The first is CDC Professional Pharmacist (top), your “full service discount pharmacy,” the second is Cinema 1 & 2, a movie theatre showing “The French Connection,” “X, Y and Zee,” and “Dirty Harry.” Both businesses were constructed by Cyr Construction Co. of Caribou. (File photo 1972)
Prunes — A dispatch from Houlton to the Boston American says: “Prunes will be cut by Aroostook lumber dealers in the future,” owing to the fact that this fruit, used with oates, is being used for the distilling of alcohol. Lumberjacks have been making large quantities of homemade whiskey which produced a jag lasting several days.
75 Years Ago – March 25, 1942
Test air raid —An alarm of 33 single blasts from the fire horn called the firemen, policemen, air raid wardens and disaster wardens of the local civilian defense organization to their respective post in a test try-out here Wednesday evening. Chairman Hardison stated that similar drill testes would be held frequently in the future in order to obtain complete coordination of the various groups.
50 Years Ago – March 10, 1967
Next chance in 1968 — Any plans for local hospital improvement or expansion in Caribou came to an abrupt halt as official word was received by hospital authorities that Hill Burton funds have been denied. The local hospital had asked for 50 percent of its estimated $2,542,210 need. Simultaneously, it was learned that the Presque Isle application for funds had also been refused. Presque Isle has maintained that the improvement of existing facilities at the Arthur R. Gould Memorial Hospital would make it a feasible medical center. The medical staff here has repeatedly declared itself in favor of a central location for the hospital to serve the three principally concerned communities of Caribou, Presque Isle and Fort Fairfield.
25 Years Ago – March 25, 1992
Promoted — Kathy P. Ouellette, manager of the Peoples Heritage Bank Fort Fairfield office, has been promoted to assistant vice president. Ouellette, who has more than 16 years of banking experience, is vice president of the Fort Fairfield Chamber of Commerce and serves as chairman of the board of appeals in Woodland, where she lives with her husband, Michael, and their two daughters, Neali and Haley.
