Yesterday…

10 years ago – March 13, 1993

(As reported in the Bangor Daily News)

The Bangor Public Works Department’s snow fighters are holding their own against the elements, but another snowstorm – particularly a wet and heavy one – would push workers to their limits of endurance.

That is the assessment of Arthur Stockus, director of operations and maintenance for the department that oversees snow removal on 160 miles of city roadway and some 100 miles of sidewalk. Some of the sidewalk system was lost early when heavy, wet snow that fell in February froze before the pedestrian ways could be opened. In a bit of an understatement, Stockus described the winter’s recent weather pattern “interesting.”

25 years ago – March 13, 1978

BANGOR – A Bangor nurse has become the first Army reservist in the area to receive the new U.S. Army Reserve re-enlistment bonus.

Spec. 6 Maureen Murphy re-enlisted in the Army Reserve for six years, which entitles her to a bonus of $1,800. Murphy is a member of Section 1, 112th U.S. Army Hospital at the Captain Slager Reserve Center. She is a licensed practical nurse and entered the Army Reserve program April 22, 1974.

50 years ago – March 13, 1953

BANGOR – Draft age men lulled into a sense of false security by various types of deferments have been jolted back to wakeful waiting by recent calls for re-examination and reclassification.

Miss Virginia Dahlene, clerk in charge of the Bangor Selective Service office, explained the policy of reclassification.

“Any registrants who were deferred on June 19, 1951, or have since been deferred, remain liable for training and service in the armed services until they reach the age of 35,” she said. “Many registrants have the mistaken idea that if they are deferred until they pass their 26th birthday, they are no longer eligible.”

100 years ago – March 13, 1903

BANGOR – A flooded condition exists on the Penobscot at this time, as was expected it would after the heavy rains the past week. Many thought when they arose on Thursday morning and found that the ice had left the river that this condition would be greatly relieved, but it was not because the ice above the dam was still intact.

By the piling up of the ice, the noon trains from Vanceboro and the Bangor & Aroostook railroad were all late in reaching Bangor – the reason being that the trainmen were fearful of the consequences of the ice piling down upon the tracks. They did not know how much the roadbed had been undermined by the ice, and so stopped to examine the conditions before moving the trains across, even then they ran at a snail pace by the danger point.

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BANGOR – All records have been broken for the opening of the Penobscot River. One spring, 1875, March 13 was set down and the day the ice ran down. And this year it was March 12.

Some of the schooners that wintered here had a hard time before they were free. There were nine of them – Decorrah, which was frozen off the ferryway; Jonathan Sawyer, Izetta, Minquas, Pochasset and Theresa Wolfe at the Maine Central; Sadie Wilcutt at Engel’s; and the Annie P. Chase and Sarah L. Davis at Ayer’s.

Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin