Through the decades
Excerpts and ads from past editions
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Today is going to be a toasty Saturday after yesterday’s holiday.
Let’s wax nostalgic today with our Through the Decades column and also a look at some old advertisements from past editions of The Journal & Press family of papers.
Excerpts from our historic family of newspaper archives, compiled by Kaylee Johnson...
100 Years Ago
July 8, 1925
Three young men from Clarks Mills and Schuylerville were brought before Police Justice Wilcox Monday night because they got wild and reckless after a watermelon party and made an unfortunate choice of victims for one of their merry pranks. The youths drove past the residence of Milton Gillis, just outside the village on Cambridge road. Mrs. Gillis and some of the children were seated in their car in front of the house and the boys thought it was an excellent joke to throw what was left of their watermelon in the car as they passed.
Just about that time, Mr. Gillis came out and saw what happened. He promptly got in the car and set after the merrymakers who took to the back road of Center Falls. On the state road between Center Falls and Battenville, Mr. Gillis easily overhauled and passed the other car, and at Battenville he headed them off, got the car number and informed them that they would be reported to the proper authorities.
90 Years Ago
July 10, 1935
Last Saturday farmers and gardeners began to look hopefully toward a clouding sky that gave promise of rain. It was sorely needed, they said to keep the crops growing. The preceding weeks had been fairly liberal with moisture, but there had been a few hot, rainless days and vegetation was beginning to feel the need of water. And the rain finally came, just the kind everybody wanted. A good steady all-night downpour punctuated with occasional thunderstorms that continued on and off throughout the night, and by morning the incipient drought was broken and pulverized, so to speak, into small fragments. There was plenty of rain and lawns, fields and gardens rejoiced.
Everybody would have been satisfied if fair weather had followed Sunday morning, but Jupiter Pluvius just took a new hold and continued to drench earth, thirsty no longer with a surplus of life-giving moisture. Enough rain fell in these parts to rout and utterly banish a first-class Nebraska drought. All day Sunday it rained, and when darkness fell it came down with redoubled vigor. It came in drops, sheets and at times in what seemed like solid masses. The result was one of the most disastrous summer floods ever experienced.
80 Years Ago
July 11, 1945
Black market operators are believed to be responsible for the theft of 3,200 pounds of sugar from the Glass Bakery in Schuylerville last Friday night. The loss of the sugar, in 100-pound bags, was discovered Saturday morning by Mickey Hughes, an employee there, when he opened the store for the day.
Entry for the building was made from the rear, near the boiling house by breaking a lock on the window. J.S. Glass, proprietor of the bakery, said that on June 30 the bakery had 5,100 pounds of sugar on hand and that 1,900 had been used in the past week, so that he was able to estimate the loss exactly.
50 Years Ago
July 3, 1975
As has been the custom for many years, Argyle will hold a parade on the Fourth of July, sponsored by the Argyle American Legion. The theme of this year’s parade is Revolutionary Days. The parade will begin at 11 a.m., forming at the Argyle central school. The route will be down Salem street, and to the school, where the units will disband.
Several organizations are planning to enter floats or marching units, and prizes will be awarded for the most patriotic, most original and prettiest floats. Children are also invited to enter decorated bicycles into the parade for judging!
40 Years Ago
July 4, 1985
It’s going to be a special Washington County Fair this August 19-24. The fair is marking its 25th year at the current location and recognition days are being planned.
Monday will be Pioneer’s Day, with recognitions planned for those men and women who got support for the Cambridge Valley junior fair association that purchased the present grounds. The fair was first held on the Route 29 property in 1961, and that year there was one permanent building. In 25 years, the fair has grown to include 40 some permanent buildings onsite.
20 Years Ago
July 14, 2005
Summer Social 2005, which is being described by the Greater Greenwich Chamber of Commerce as a “hot new event,” has been added to the Washington county summer entertainment calendar and advance sale tickets for it are now available. The social is scheduled for Saturday, July 23 from 4 to 9 p.m. on the grounds of the Christ the King Spiritual Life Center in Easton. The event, sponsored by the chamber, will have a spectacular offering of entertainment, fun, and food and will provide a great opportunity for neighbors, families and friends to gather together and meet and enjoy themselves.
And Now for Today’s Comic … ‘The Middletons’ by Dana Summers
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