100 Years Ago: 1924

One of the old landmarks on the county fair grounds in South Paris known as the “Bill” Twitchell dining hall, was handled to Fore Street this week.

The monkeys that escaped from Sam Cohen’s side show at the midway on the fairgrounds were finally captured after a week’s outing in the trees back of the grounds.

An ear of corn and a box trap was used as bait Merritt Anderson of Boston, their keeper, and the monkeys have gone to another fair.

50 Years Ago: 1974

“That’s a Hell of a feeling!”

Those were the words used of Auburn Police Detective William Fournier after he successfully completed his first skydiving attempt this morning. The obviously elated Fournier said, “That’s something else unreal,” upon describing his leap from an airplane, 2,800 feet up.

Recently, Gene Drouin, an avid skydiving fan, said he was seeking candidates to join his skydiving club which currently consists of only a few members. Fournier, who has been piloting airplanes for about two years now, thought skydiving might be a great adventure.

25 Years Ago: 1999

American Legion Post 22 and participating veterans groups will present a program honoring Gold Star mothers and Gold Star sisters at 10: a.m. Thursday, Sept. 23, at the Veterans Memorial marker in Kennedy Park at Park and Pine streets.

In 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt issued a proclamation designating the last Sunday in September as Gold Mothers Day.

Post 22 Adjutant Jerry Der Boghosian will discuss the origin of Gold Star mothers and their work. The program will conclude with laying of a wreath at the Veterans Memorial.

The material used in Looking Back is produced exactly as it originally appeared although misspellings and errors may be corrected.