100 Years Ago: June 8, 1911
• Olof Nylander, the well-known naturalist, shipped on Tuesday 500 orchids to Boston parties — some of them being among the rarest specimens known. He also delivered to Caribou people some fine specimens of ferns.
• H.D. Collins and W.L. Oak had another load of Ford automobiles arrive this week and have already sold touring cars to R.L. Pitcher and E.F. Shaw.
• Married at Perham June 3, by Rev. S.M. Thompson were Stephen Dow of Perham and Mrs. Meda Langley of Woodland.
• George Cleary, Jr. returned Wednesday from Washington, D.C. where he has been attending college.
• Workmen have been busy during the present week cutting down the trees in the Bartlett Grove lot and removing the stumps, preparatory to building the new Carnegie library.
75 Years Ago: June 4, 1936
• Directors for the new financial organization, the County Federal Savings and Loan Association, were elected at a meeting Tuesday evening held at the Caribou High School. The new institution should stimulate home building and repairing throughout the county. The following men were elected as directors of the new association: Sterling E. Shaw, Charles T. Bishop, F.S. Tibbetts, Willard P. Hamilton and M.D. McGrath, all of Caribou. Earl H. Roberts and Alfred T. Barry, Fort Kent; Eugene A. Bouchard and Levite E. Rossignol, Madawaska; G.G. Vermette, Grand Isle; Wilfred J. Sirois, Van Buren; Grant A. Hunt and M.P. Roberts, Fort Fairfield; and H.F. McGlauflin and George T. Noyes of Presque Isle.
• Scenes such as have not been witnessed for several years are being enacted today in the potato buying sections of the town when buyers are bidding as high as $5.50 per barrel for what loads are coming to town. The market is very strong and the demand great for the remaining spuds which are still in storage.
• A concerted drive to have the main highway into Aroostook County put into first-class condition was started at a meeting held Tuesday at which Andrew J. Beck, president of the Aroostook Council was the speaker. He reviewed the deplorable condition of the road, which is affecting seriously the traffic into the county and it was agreed that petitions should be circulated throughout this section urging the Highway Commission to take steps at once to secure state and federal funds for this purpose. The complaints from travelers over the road between Mars Hill and Milford where the concrete begins, have been very bitter. Among those who voiced their disapproval was G. Cornelius Baker, organizer of the Federal Loan and Savings Association, who said that on a recent trip into The County, he found it so difficult to navigate his car over the road that in places he slowed down to five miles per hour to save his car.
• One of the results of the increase in potato prices is the number of ladies who now feel that they can get their hair “all frizzed up.” The beauty parlors are all showing an increase in business — one reporting an average of 10 permanents a day ever since potatoes hit the $2.50 mark.
• Some of the early rising residents were rather startled Wednesday morning when a rumble-seated roadster came down High Street — and in that rumble seat was a good sized calf hunched over and apparently not enjoying the trip any too well.
50 Years Ago: June 8, 1961
• Miss Rae Harmon, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Calvin Harmon of Caribou, graduated cum laude from Boston University June 4, receiving her bachelor of music degree in music education.
• Jay Sirois is a member of the graduating class at Caribou High School. Also graduating in the same class are three nephews, Rodney Sirois, Peter Sirois and Ronald Levesque. The four boys are also negotiating for service in the Navy in the near future.
• The 40th anniversary reunion of the Caribou High School Class of 1921 was held with a banquet at Hotel Caribou Saturday evening. There were 40 members in the Class of 1921 of which 23 were present for the reunion.
• Eight-year-old Janna Corey, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Lionel Corey, was runner-up for the title of Junior Princess of Maine at the State Beauty-Talent contest held in Brewer. She also placed first in baton twirling for her age group and was second in military marching. She is a student from the Loretta Corey School of Dancing.
• Members of the Caribou Board of Trade’s current promotional committee are working feverishly these days in preparation for a repeat on what turned out to be the outstanding single-day sale of the year in 1960 — Midnite Madness. Store owners are looking for another tremendous turnout of shoppers and fun-seekers during the hours of 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. on June 15.
