75 Years Ago – Oct. 23, 1947
Woods blaze is halted – A stubborn fight throughout the night brought under control a woods fire a half mile east of the Calais Road in Hodgdon Tuesday after damage estimated at $10,000 had been caused to buildings on the former Cary Taylor farm now occupied by Ted Parent. The flames destroyed the barn and a shed, but the Houlton Fire Department was able to save the dwelling house.
Source of the blaze, according to Fire Chief Guy F. Smith, was the careless use of matches by children in the shed. A high wind fanned the flames to brisk proportions, undiscovered by occupants of the house until a passing truck noticed them and sounded the alarm. By the time the department arrived, the barn was a mass of flames and it was decided to concentrate on the house which had ignited on one corner. Lack of water was a serious handicap, Chief Smith said, and the use of the town’s 1,000- gallon flusher tank as well as a tank of the similar capacity furnished by Petroleum Products Company enabled the firefighters to save the dwelling.
Reenlisted in the Army — SSgt. Fred W. Snell has reenlisted in the U.S. Army, and is now stationed at Fort Dix, New Jersey. Sgt. Snell served four years and 11 months in the Army in World War II with 17 months of overseas service. His family plans to join him soon.
50 Years Ago – Oct. 25, 1972
Hospital plans near completion – Justice James P. Archibald, president of the Board of Trustees, announced that planning for the new Houlton Regional Hospital is rapidly reaching the stage where something in the way of sketches and floor plans will soon be available for public viewing. “Our architects, Marcus, Nockus, Payette and Associates are scheduled to present preliminary design plans at a meeting here in Houlton November 9, he said. Up to now they have been working with the consultants, E.D. Rosenfield and Associates in translating a word description of what is needed into sketches from which final plans can eventually be drawn.” If all planning goes according to schedule it is expected that ground can be broken for the new building in the spring of 1973 and construction completed and the building occupied by the fall of 1974.
Winners listed in duplicate bridge tourney – Six and one-half tables were in play Wednesday night at the Gentle Memorial Building by the Houlton Duplicate Bridge Club. Par north-south were Tom Bither and Harold Inman with a score of 84, Cora McMullen and Sadie Linday were 76 1/2, and Mrs. Ervin Stone and Richard Lawlis were 73. Par east-west was 62. First were Mrs. Floyd Haskell and Mrs. Donald Reeck with 74 1/2, Mrs. Harold Astle and Robert Hanson, 68 1/2, and Mrs. James McPartland and Mrs. James ward, 59 1/2.
25 Years Ago – Nov. 5, 1997
Chabot wins state title; team places third – Hodgdon HIgh School has a right to be proud of Steve Blanchette, Emelia Chabot and the girls cross-country team. Known to friends as “Mia,” this senior veteran, after a disappointing one-second loss in last year’s Class D cross-country state championship, was able, in a field of 58 runners, to avenge that loss by winning the state title last Saturday in Augusta. As a senior, Chabot also has the distinction of being the first female runner at Hodgdon High School to garner a state title. Her time of 21:10.2 was 14.7 seconds ahead of second place winner, Hilary Flagg of Fort Fairfield. “I ran well in the states this year,” said Chabot. “I didn’t feel pressured. I looked over my shoulder a couple of times and saw Hilary. I knew I could beat her, so I just ran steady.”
Shires Class B Eastern Maine runners-up – Defense has been the cornerstone of the Houlton Shiretown boys soccer team this season, but last Saturday, that stellar defense wasn’t enough to halt the Maine Central Institute Huskies. “They were better than us that day,” said Houlton coach Matt Tardy. “They deserved to win.” Despite bowing to the Huskies, 2-1, the Shires climbed through the ranks of Class B to play in their first-ever Eastern Maine Championship game. “The team have nothing to be ashamed of,” Tardy said. This is Houlton’s first boys medalist team, and they recorded their second loss at home in three years. The Houlton team loses five seniors, Luke Ritchie, Jon Pottle, Matt Burleigh, Donny Rafford and Ben Feeney, who Tardy said would be very difficult to replace.
