101 Years Ago – Feb. 15, 1917
Lumber Company — Mr. R. A. Holmes, manager of the Fish River Lumber Company, Eagle Lake, was registered at the Presque Isle House. Mr. Holmes said his company cut about 6,000,000 feet that current year and the conditions generally had been unfavorable to an economical operation, owing to a variety of adverse causes, one of which was the scarcity and high price of efficient labor.
Barrels of potatoes — Arthur Libby, one of our largest potato dealers, bought 20,000 barrels of potatoes at $5 a barrel, it being the largest potato deal ever participated in by one man in Presque Isle, at one time. The prior week, Mr. Libby bought 10,000 barrels at $5.50 a barrel. He had at that time paid out over a half million dollars that season for potatoes and before the season was over, he doubled that amount.
75 Years Ago – Feb. 18, 1943
New board — Stanley W. English of Presque Isle and Sam J. Hartley of Bridgewater were elected to the Board of Directors of the Presque isle Production Credit Association at the sixth annual stockholders’ meeting held at the Northeastland Hotel.
Quick action — Prompt action on the part of Harry K. Parks, owner of the City Dry Cleaners, and his assistant Max Jacques, averted major fire damage at the business establishment on State Street. A short circuit in the fan of one of the cleaning devices caused fire that blazed forth in sudden fury. Parks quickly seized a fire extinguisher and with difficulty put out the blaze. He was slightly burnt about the face and hands. Damage done totaled around $200.
50 Years Ago – Feb. 14, 1968
Top skiers — Central Aroostook High School emerged victorious in the closely contested Class B Regional Ski Meet held at Mars Hill Ski Way. Caribou and Mattanawcook Academy (Lincoln) came in second and third, topping the remaining teams from Lee Academy, Fort Fairfield and Stearns. Jeff Hawksley of Central Aroostook was skimeister.
Plane for CB unit — The Citizens Bank Radio Club of Central Aroostook announced that director of Aroostook Airways, Hale Bartley, donated the use of an airplane for search and rescue work. The search and rescue unit of the club is part of the local civil defense unit. The airplane is equipped by the local club with a CB radio and will be used locally. Joe Saucier, who made the announcement, said that CB bylaws state that the central Aroostook CB RAdio Club shall aid civil authorities and service organizations with CB radio equipment for use in emergency situations such as search and rescue.
25 Years Ago – Feb. 17, 1993
All-star trombone — A Presque Isle High School musician returned from the Berklee College Jazz Festival in Boston with even more than the experience of playing before a national audience. Trombonist Phil Yaeger, a junior and a member of the Presque Isle Stage Band, was named to the festival’s all-star band, one of 18 students selected from among 130 groups participating in the annual event. According to band director John Reeves, that was the first time the stage band had participated in the Berklee festival. The 20-member group had the chance to perform and attend clinics offered by top musicians.
Computer system — The Aroostook Medical Center initiated Order Communication (OC), a new patient care computer system. With this system, requests for lab work, X-rays and physical therapy, as well as the results from these tests, will be placed into a computer mainframe. These results can be accessed by all of the hospital’s.
