From our Files: Headlines from 100 years of local news

100 Years Ago-Oct. 23, 1912
Aroostook Times
Of local interest — Mrs. Chas. A. Lyons and Mrs. Flora Somerville returned last week from Bangor, where they attended the annual meeting of the Rebekahs. Kenneth Shorey is substituting on the Fort Kent mail route during the absence of regular clerk Frank Brown. Mr. Harry Hogan, who has been living in New Limerick, has moved to Houlton, and Clarence, who has been living in Houlton, has moved to New Limerick on the farm.
Potato experiments — Professor William Stuart of the bureau of plant industry of the United States Department of Agriculture had charge of experiments with 10,000 seedlings planted on the farm of John Watson & Co. this past season. Starting from some 30,000 different varieties by a process of selection the number has now been reduced to 10,000 with the intention to reduce this number by some eighty percent, after repeated eliminations, representing the varieties best suited to the needs of our farmers.
75 Years Ago-Oct. 28, 1937
Houlton Pioneer Times
Presque Isle trounced 20-0 — The locals won easily in a football game featured by the plunging of its human catapult, Bob Ruth, and the running of its fast and slippery halfbacks, Niles and Gardner, Houlton High had little difficulty in turning back its traditional rivals from Presque Isle.
Two with one shot — There is a woman in Island Falls, who is 70 years young, who enjoys hunting and fishing more than most of the younger people. Why shouldn’t she, when she can get two partridge at one shot. It was Mrs. T. J. Brittain who performed this feat.
50 Years Ago-Oct. 25, 1962
Houlton Pioneer Times
Jaycees go door-to-door — The Houlton Junior Chamber of Commerce will hold it’s annual light bulb sale Oct. 29-31 with funds raised going toward the Jaycees Christmas “Toys for Tots” program. Bulbs will be sold door-to-door between 6 and 9 p.m. At the same time, Jaycees will also pass out air raid warning cards for the Houlton Civil Defense.
Pioneer Times 1962 file photo
SOON ON THEIR WAY to Paris on an all-expense-paid round trip will be Mr. and Mrs. John Mooers of Houlton, shown here receiving plane tickets from L.E. MacNair, seated, president of the L.E. MacNair Company. The couple won the trip in a contest conducted by the Kordite Company because Mr. Mooers’ reasons for using the company’s products in his potato shipping operation were adjudged best of all entries submitted. He is holding one of the potato bags specially produced for his farm operation by the MacNair company.
Situation in Cuba — Governor John H. Reed was scheduled to visit Houlton on Saturday in his final Aroostook County campaign visit prior to election day, however, the governor’s campaigning has been interrupted by the Cuban situation and plans for his visit here may be changed.
25 Years Ago-Oct. 28, 1987
Houlton Pioneer Times
Celebration and celebrities 1988 — Plans are underway for Houlton’s New Year’s Eve celebration scheduled to run from 5 p.m. until midnight. Among the shows scheduled for the evening are some well-known Maine artists including Downeast humorist Tim Sample and singer-songwriters Dave Mallett and Chuck Kruger. Al Miller, who will perform as Clown Al, is training groups of local school students to perform for the celebration.
Christmas in July — That’s the idea behind the unique reserve-a-tree program at 25 North Christmas Place, a mail order Christmas tree company, owned by Tom Trafford and located in Mars Hill, where there’s no dearth of balsam firs ready and waiting for far-flung location such as Manhattan and Hawaii.