(As reported in the Bangor Daily News)

10 years ago – Sept. 15, 1995

BANGOR – A passing thunderstorm brought torrential rains for 10 to 15 minutes about 2 p.m. Thursday, flooding city streets temporarily and causing some minor scattered power failures within the Bangor area.

The storm that passed through the city resulted in the loss of some power, but power was quickly restored, said Janice Piper, a supervisor at Bangor Hydro-Electric Co.’s headquarters on Exchange Street in Bangor.

The airport, Union Street and side streets off Union Street were without power for a portion of the afternoon. The airport and Maine Air National Guard base continued to operate through auxiliary power.

David Bellomy, airport dispatcher, said the storm was no problem. Although tower and runway lights were still operational, the auxiliary power supplying the terminal had to be shut down because of a power feedback, Bellomy said. The entire terminal was plunged into darkness around 6 p.m.

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BANGOR – The recent merger of the Unitarian and Universalist churches in Bangor has various congregations in the area looking at a possible game of musical buildings.

The Unitarians still own the 168-year-old church on the corner of Main and Union streets, but officially held their last service there Sunday. The newly combined congregation will attend services at the Universalist Church on Park Street.

The Jewish Temple Beth El congregation continues to rent space for services at the Unitarian Church and has an option to buy the building. But Dr. Erwin Gross of Beth El said his congregation was negotiating with a real estate firm about the possible purchase of the Messiah Baptist Church on French Street.

25 years ago – Sept. 15, 1980

BANGOR – While Vermont gave birth to the Morgan horse in the United States, Maine will play a big part in doing the same for England.

Fawnledge Amy Girl, a 3-year-old bay mare owned by William and Ellen Frederick of Wisperwin Farm, Bangor, will travel to London later this month to a new home and future as foundation stock for the Morgan horse in England. Her owners are as pleased as the parents of a newborn.

“We were ecstatic, thrilled,” said Mrs. Frederick when she related the conversations held earlier this summer with Angela Connors of Mornington, England, the moving force to introduce the breed into her country.

Gentle of disposition, kind in nature and spirited enough to be a park horse, the animal is a fine example of what the breed should be, Frederick said.

The Morgan horse is the only breed to have been founded in this country. It is a cross between Arabian lines and, probably, Thoroughbred. The original horse, Figure, came to be known by the name of the kindly schoolteacher who owned it, Justin Morgan.

The horse was of such singular appearance and strength that his progeny still bear the resemblance with small ears, large expressive eyes, short back, strong croup and arched back. The horse is known to be adaptable, both by temperament and physique, for trail riding, show work, carriage work, pleasure riding and farm work.

50 years ago – Sept. 15, 1955

ORONO – Freshmen begin arriving on the campus of the University of Maine Thursday, and some of them will move into the school’s brand new men’s dormitory, Hart Hall.

The dormitory is located adjacent to Aubert and Oak Halls in the men’s residence hall area of the campus. It will not only provide excellent accommodations for men students, but also be a fine location for conference groups when students are on vacations.

There are 130 sleeping rooms, 118 doubles and 12 singles. Wardrobes and dressers are built-in to provide a wall between rooms. Green laminated plastic covers the desk tops and the same material in a light-colored linen finish covers the dressers.

One wall of each study room is covered with a plastic material in blue, red, yellow or green. The asphalt tile flooring is in matching colors. Large squares of cork tile in light, random colors are used on other walls to provide places to pin banners, pictures and mementos.

The building has a laundry room equipped with coin-operated automatic washers, electric dryers, sinks and ironing boards. Trunk storage, janitor’s rooms, utility rooms and a large canned foods storeroom are located in the basement.

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BANGOR – “We have boundless resources locked up in our forests and we must not let red herrings be drawn across the path of full utilization for the greatest good, not only for our business community, but also for our entire population,” declared Curtis M. Hutchins, president of the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad. He spoke at a dinner meeting of the Maine Executive Forestry Tour.

Discussing the forest products industry, Hutchins emphasized some of the problems facing the business currently and in the future. He spoke of labor, stream pollution, taxes and disease in reference to the forest products industry.

The speaker emphasized the importance of Maine utilizing its natural resources and converting them into dollars, pointing out that without its natural resources the state hasn’t much left in its economy due to the fact that it is too far away from the source of many raw materials to be a place where “converting” industries can locate.

100 years ago – Sept. 15, 1905

BANGOR – Samuel White, long prominent as one of the heaviest independent lumber operators, died at his residence in Pine Street at the age of 83.

Mr. White was born in Winterport, Jan. 28, 1822. He completed his education in Winterport and early in life moved to Monroe, where for a number of years he drove a stage daily between Monroe and Bangor, being one of the pioneer stage drivers. Later, he was to be one of the pioneer lumbermen of eastern Maine.

An epidemic of cholera had broken out in Bangor and all who could do so fled to neighboring towns and states. But day after day, Mr. White continued to drive his stage into the infected city. Urged by his friends to discontinue his route, he replied, “They want me now more than ever – I’m not going to desert the people of Bangor in their hour of need.” And until long after the epidemic had become only a memory, the lumbering coach and pair of familiar gray horses traveled daily the dusty road between Bangor and Monroe.

In politics, Mr. White was a Democrat. He was three times married, his first two wives being the daughters of Gen. Robert Sargent of Monroe, and his third, Mrs. Sarah Chase, originally of Eddington. He was always a lover of horses and a good judge of horse-flesh.

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BRADFORD – Mrs. Lydia Drake Palmer leaves Friday for California to spend the winter with a son. It is quite a journey for a woman of 75 and in poor health, but she thinks she had rather do it than stay another Maine winter.

. Fred Stanhope, who lives on the old family homestead which has always been occupied by one of that name, is making extensive repairs on the house, which will make it one of the finest-looking places on the road. He is shingling, clapboarding, painting and putting in new windows, as well as finishing and making changes inside.

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BUCKSPORT – News has been received here of the death of Sewell P. Lake last week at Georgetown, Mass. Mr. Lake was a former resident of Bucksport. His father, Colonel Lake, kept a hotel here. Mr. Lake has been in ill health for a number of years and was 88 years old. He did blacksmith work for many years at Fort Knox. He was never married.

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DEDHAM – A most pleasant and enjoyable event took place at the residence of Mr. and Mrs. Daniel S. Burrill when about 70 of their friends and relatives gathered by invitation to commemorate the 10th anniversary of their marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Burrill received many fine and useful presents, among them a nice set of dishes from 20 of their friends.

Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin