In the April 9, 1936 edition of the Aroostook Republican the following article appeared referring to the flood of 1923, 13 years prior.
The flood conditions in the southern part of the state from which, fortunately, Aroostook was exempt — and the stories of the difficulties under which some of the papers in that section have met their editions, recalls to mind the strenuous effort required to get out the Republican in the 1923 flood.
The ice had gone out on a flood winter thaw, taking with it many buildings situated near the river’s banks. The water was backing up at Aroostook Falls, the streets of Fort Fairfield were awash and in Caribou a watchful eye was being kept on the rising waters of the Aroostook River and the Caribou Stream.
Saturday came the doleful news — no juice. The debris and jammed ice had put the generating plant at the Falls out of commission. It was hoped that current would be restored in a day or two — maybe so — maybe not — very consoling.
The Republican had a record of going to press on time that extended back 25 years but that flood was our Waterloo.
Monday went by. The linotype was still, it’s electrically heated metal pot cold; presses were idle, with their motors dead. To add to this, water was coming into the Republican pressroom in the basement and the piles of paper stored there had to be transferred to a drier place.
By Tuesday evening it was evident that no hope could be entertained in regard to “juice: and it was a case of “something must be did.” The call went out for succor, aid, assistance or what have you, and how nobly the response came.
Spaulding’s installed two pumps on the rear platform and a crew was put on to work them continuously in order that the cellar, in which the big newspaper press was located could be used. With three feet of water in that place that was no small task. Lights? Why worry about them. A.P. Alyn, who had for some time been a printer and knew what press day meant, sent down half a dozen storage batteries and A.H. Bowden strung wire with automobile lightbulbs to settle that question.
Now for type. There are several ladies in town who in days before had set type by hand and they responded with a will — putting up galley after galley of the leaded brevier to tell the world what was doing in the food country.
To get power for the big Whitlock was the least of our worries — the Caribou Motor Company solved that. A Fordson tractor was run up behind the building, a hole cut in the wall and over a set of pulleys installed by the Collins Lumber Mill, belts from the Hines and Smith Co., were run into the cellar and the paper went to press — a day late to be sure, but out just the same. And as can readily be seen from the list of firms aiding in the project that it surely is a community newspaper in every way.
75 Years Ago: April 16, 1936
• Commercial air service and air mail to Caribou are very real possibilities for the immediate future.
• Arthur Anderson and Conrad Hede of Stockholm and some others, who are employed in Eastport came Friday to spend Easter with their families.
• At their meeting Tuesday evening the Caribou Fire Department made plans for a carnival to be held during the week of June 15-20. This carnival will take place at the trotting park and will be one of the Blotner shows. The feature of the week, however will be a firemen’s muster to be staged on June 18. An all-day program is being arranged for this, believed to be the first firemen’s muster ever held in Aroostook county.
• The Misses Anita Dionne and Lonna Denton returned to Bates College Monday after spending the Easter vacation with their parents, Mr. and Mrs. F.J. Dionne and Mr. and Mrs. L.H. Denton.
• Caribou people attending the sophomore hop at the University of Maine last Friday were Ethel Mae Currier, Audrey Bishop, Waldo Hardison and Mary Pendell.
50 Years Ago: April 20 , 1961
• A highlight of last Thursday night’s American Legion program in Caribou was the burning of the Henry B. Pratt, Jr. Post’s mortgage.
• The Caribou High School Class of 1962 Junior Exhibition under the direction of Richard Pratt will be held in the high school auditorium on April 27. Speakers and their dialogues include: Katherine Beale, “Beachnuts,” by Leota Hulse Black; Charles Kelley, “Windshield Wipers” by Newton Neeley; Sharon Jalbert, “Baby in the Bathroom” by Aloise Buckley Heath; Bertis Brett, “Sorry Wrong Number” by Allen Ulman; Bertha Doody, “June Night” by Albert Van Antwerp; Paul Massey, “Afraid of the Dark” by William Callahan; Mary Ann Rossignol, “Lucindy on a Diet” by Peggy Reece; L. James Davenport, “Danny’s Little Tin Soldier,” Leota Hulse Black; Karen Espling, “Lena by de Football Game” by Peggy Reece; and Richard Hallowell will present “Bitter Victory,” by Mike Dixon.
