(As reported in the Bangor Daily News)

10 years ago – Oct. 6, 1995

OLD TOWN – The waterlogged bow of the last-known example of an American-made clipper ship rolled into the yard of Old Town Lumber Co. on the back of a Mack truck.

At the lumberyard, the remnants of the 144-year-old Snow Squall ended a 158-mile journey from the Spring Point Museum in South Portland. The bow has been kept wet by a computerized sprinkler system to inhibit decay since it was pulled eight years ago from the mud on the ocean floor near the Falkland Islands.

The bow’s arrival in Old Town marked the start of a daring rescue never before attempted on a wooden artifact of that size, to the best of the project participants’ knowledge.

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INDIAN ISLAND – For members of the Penobscot Indian Nation, the Penobscot River is more than a namesake. For centuries, the river has been the center of their lives.

“The tribe views the river as a living, breathing entity,” said John Banks, director of the Penobscot Nation’s Department of Natural Resources. “It’s provided all the physical and spiritual needs of the tribe since time immemorial.”

In a sense, the Penobscot people now are returning the favor. In the late 1980s, they became the Penobscot River’s federally recognized guardians. Six years ago, they established a water quality monitoring program and a testing lab headquartered in a log cabin on their Indian Island reservation.

Penobscot Indians have fished and hunted in the valley for thousands of years, said Banks. But it was in the Penobscot River valley that members of the nation spent up to half of each year. By the mid-1600s, Old Town had become the tribe’s chief settlement.

From the river and islands and riverbanks, the Penobscots gathered most of what they needed to live.

The arrival of European settlers brought a hunger for lumber, and the Penobscot River saw new demands as a highway for logs en route to the sawmills which sprang up along it. Then came the industries which introduced pollutants, and the dams that impeded the river’s natural flow. The Penobscot River became a dump for industrial and municipal waste.

25 years ago – Oct. 6, 1980

ORONO – Two University of Maine alumni, one of whom is a professor, were honored by the university’s College of Engineering at its first college recognition banquet at Hilltop Commons.

Robert B. Tackaberry, Class of 1941, and Dr. Waldo M. Libbey, Class of 1943 and a member of the electrical engineering faculty for the past 37 years, were cited for their outstanding achievement. Tackaberry was the recipient of the first Distinguished Engineering and Science Award, and Libbey was presented the Ashley S. Campbell Distinguished Faculty Award which includes a citation, a medal and $2,000.

Libbey was cited for distinguishing himself as a teacher by his superb ability to first develop in his students a sound theoretical understanding of subject matter, and then to carry this understanding through to productive application.

Tackaberry, director of technology with American Optical Corp., was recognized for outstanding service in engineering and applied optics. He is a member of the first group to be graduated with a degree in engineering physics at UMaine and has had a notable career in some of the country’s leading industrial corporations.

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BREWER – The fire alarm atop the Brewer Auditorium will be sounded – loudly.

It will not, however, be a reinstitution of a curfew.

In conjunction with Fire Prevention Week, the alarm will be sounded as part of a citywide program to test Operation EDITH, or Exit Drills in the Home.

Lt. Stephen Carpenter of the Brewer Fire Department said the program is aimed at having all homeowners practice a fire escape procedure.

Carpenter cited statistics saying that half of all fire fatalities occurred in the home, yet the home was usually the last place thought of for fire escape planning.

Part of the prudent fire escape plan, according to Carpenter, is a functional smoke detector with a loud-enough alarm to awaken sleeping occupants in a home or apartment.

50 years ago – Oct. 6, 1955

BREWER – Miss Lura Hoit, director of girls physical education at Brewer High School, will present several of her students in a trampoline demonstration at a meeting of the Maine Association of Health, Physical Education and Recreation during the Maine Teachers Convention.

The girls will demonstrate basic fundamentals of trampolining. Some of the girls have individual stunts which they will do such as: the front drop, back drop, swivel hips, turntable, cannonball, somersaults and the split.

Girls from Brewer who will participate in the demonstration are Donna Aubrey, Jean Baker, Patricia Bowden, Judy Cann, Ann Clark, Nancy Clendenning, Susan Downes, Lynn Gerhard, Jean Gerry, Judy Ivers, Jane Laing, Marilyn Leathers, Janice McLaughlin, Sandra Ruuk, Barbara Warren and Sandra Young.

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BANGOR – The annual Country Fair, sponsored by the Women’s Auxiliary of the Eastern Maine General Hospital, proved once again to be one of the area’s outstanding fall functions. It was a source of inspiration and delight to nearly 3,000 persons who attended the affair at the Nurses’ Home, from as far away as Fort Fairfield, Rockland, Presque Isle, Houlton and Moncton, New Brunswick.

A baker’s dozen booths were artistically arranged throughout the building, and at these, one could buy practically anything from balloons to flatirons, and that is just what the folks did. Among the most popular booths was the old standby, the apron booth. Here were the daintiest of cocktail aprons, colorful utility ones and even the old-fashioned big type that Grandma wore.

The white elephant booth was cheerfully active as over the counter went jewelry, golf bags, curtain rods, lamps, laundry racks and loads and loads of neckties.

100 years ago – Oct. 6, 1905

BANGOR – The theater season of 1905 was ushered in with the most magnanimous flourish in the form of a reception for Madame Eames at City Hall. Decorations of a broad, beautiful and dignified scale – magnificent gowns – an orchestra of 40 pieces, the like of which Bangor has never heard before, a receiving line headed by a United States senator – no wonder the prima donna was pleased.

Inspector Knaide and Deputy Chief of Police O’Donohue worked at the Columbia Street entrance looking after the carriages. Capt. Fred Perkins was at the foot of the main hall stairway, and Patrolman Meade was farther down the corridor directing people to the proper rooms. A committee of young ladies also was stationed just inside the Columbia Street entrance welcoming guests.

The hall was beautifully decorated, the work having been done by Frank P. Lane. Notwithstanding the artistic creation, however, very little hothouse material had been used. Autumn leaves formed the principal tone. There were small pines and firs and yard upon yard of evergreen. Great double streamers of evergreen were draped from the central chandelier to the sides and corners of the hall. On the floor at either side were tables beautifully dressed from which tea and refreshments were served.

A score or more of society young men, faultlessly attired, acted as ushers. They kept the crowd on the move, and everybody had an opportunity for shaking hands with the distinguished guest of honor.

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BREWER – Mayor Clapp presided at the regular monthly meeting of the Brewer City Council, and all aldermen were present. The following order was introduced by Aldermen DeRusha and was passed:

Ordered that the municipal officers be directed to make application to the railroad commissioners to determine whether or not Century Street and the extension of King’s Court be permitted to cross the track on the Bucksport branch of the Maine Central Railroad at grade; to determine the condition of said crossing, the expense of building and maintaining, and by whom born.

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HAMPDEN – A very enjoyable picnic was held at the Old Pond Landing, Patten Pond, by the members of the Patten family. A picnic dinner was served under the trees and a merrier party had not spent a day there for many years. Fishing was indulged in after dinner and a good string of pickerel was the reward.

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EAST ORRINGTON – A horsepower machine from Eddington is working in the village threshing this week, and Mel Kendall will be here with his new gasoline engine machine.

Compiled by Ardeana Hamlin