100 Years Ago – Oct 17, 1917
New industry — A. E. Astle, the Houlton contractor, has a crew of men at Island Falls building an addition to the mill of what is known as the Mattawamkeag Lumber Co. These additions will be a hardwood mill and a storehouse and dryhouse. They will run in connection with the fine plant and equipment which Delmont Emerson built a few years ago and the new firm which is a consolidation of the old one with Ora Gilpatrick and Geo. A. Gorham of this town and Howard Smith of Vermont, and will be known as the Northern Woodenware Co.
75 Years Ago – Oct. 8, 1942
New principal — Mr. and Mrs. Erwin Gallagher have moved into the rent formerly occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Waldo Pettengill. Mr. Gallagher has accepted the position as principal of the Island Falls High School.
Print date changed — The Pioneer Times will be published on Wednesday of next week instead of Thursday in order that employees of the Houlton Publishing Company can cooperate in the gigantic Scrap Salvage drive throughout this section. Advertisers and persons who have news items are urged to get in their material a day earlier than usual to help out in this worthwhile effort.
50 Years Ago – Oct. 18 , 1967
Purchased — Laurence L. Horten of Houlton has purchased from Henry W. Briggs the general contracting, lumber and building materials business located on Putnam Avenue next to the Meduxnekeag River. Mr. Briggs, a general contractor, has been doing business at this location since 1959 when he purchased it from Nason and McLaughlin.
First sale — Dr. Donald F. Ellis made the first purchase of light bulbs in a fund campaign being conducted by the Houlton Lions Club. The salesman was Lloyd Wilson, general chairman of the drive. The Lions will stage a house-to-house canvass next Monday selling packages of light bulbs to benefit their sight conservation projects.
25 Years Ago – Oct. 14, 1992
Celebrate — Ben Murphy chats with Ray Eastham of the American Legion Post 47. Murphy a WWI veteran was honored by the legion on his 97th birthday Oct. 5. During WWI, Ben Murphy served in the U.S. Army in the 303rd Infantry Machine Gun Battalion 76th Division. Murphy was born in 1895 in Houlton and is a retired Littleton farmer.
Volunteer of the year — Patrick Adams, 28, a Bangor resident, formerly of Littleton, has been named the 1992 Volunteer of the Year for Pine Tree Chapter of the American Red Cross. Adams spent from Sept. 4-22 in Florida helping the Red Cross hurricane-relief effort. He graduated from Houlton High School in 1982.
