Out of the Past

125 Years Ago

Feb. 15, 1883

It is reported that the Massachusetts Legislature will adopt Governor Butler's recommendation that the experiment be tried of permitting women to participate in municipal elections.

Winter is on the home stretch.

During the past week, Mr. J.B. Youngs has had sawed at the Williamsville Mills one of the finest pine trees ever cut in this section. The tree was killed by the fire in the swamp last summer. It made four logs, each 16 feet long. The smallest log measured two feet across the top, and in three of the logs, not a single knot was visible. The tree made 2,591 feet of lumber.

Mr. George W. Hoover, having sold his farm, will hold public auction at his farm on the Hoover Road, west of Swormville, on Wednesday, March 7th, at ten o'clock A.M. He will dispose of livestock, farming implements, a threshing machine and engine; also a clover huller.

A little ashes or sawdust sprinkled on your sidewalks just about now will be a real blessing to pedestrians.

Mr. Henry M. Brown is the owner of a valuable Jersey cow and a two-year-old Jersey heifer. In this last season, 560 pounds of butter have been made from the milk of the two cows, besides furnishing butter, cream and milk for a family of six.

"A man was asked what he would do if burglars came into his house. 'I'd do whatever they required of me,' he said. 'I never had my own way in that house yet, and it is too late to begin now.'"

100 Years Ago

Feb. 13, 1908

Beginning this week, the Lehigh Valley station at Williamsville will close at 6:00 P.M. for the night.

Forty chickens were stolen from the farm of Jacob Seitz on the Skinnersville Road.

The piano house of Denton, Cottier & Daniels, the oldest music house in Buffalo, having been formed over 80 years ago, has moved from its Main Street location to a magnificent new building at the corner of Pearl and Court streets.

75 Years Ago

Feb. 16, 1933

Owing to the fact that a series of burglaries are going on in the town, Chief E.H. Evans advises using precautionary methods about the home as regards safe-guarding them. Homes entered recently included four in the Snyder district.

Voters in District No. 3 decided against supplying bus transportation for pupils in the western section of the district at the special meeting held Friday evening. Results were 210 opposed; 155 in favor.

When Charles Walter took down his sign from his harness shop on Main Street in Williamsville and closed his store during the past month, it left the community without a business of that nature in - well, who can say how many years? Certainly there was a harness shop here 60 years ago. Townsfolk will now have to travel to Clarence Center, where Charles Maybach is still plying the trade.

50 Years Ago

Feb. 13, 1958

Philip C. (Sandy) Rose, executive director of the Northeast Branch YMCA, and his wife will be honored at a farewell banquet to be held Wednesday, Feb. 26 at the Amherst Community Church. Mr. Rose has resigned his duties to serve as executive director of the YMCA at New Canaan, Conn.

The death of Louis Benny, 63, who developed "The Common" at Main Street and Youngs Road, occurred at his home early Wednesday morning, Feb. 12, 1958.

Miss Karen Ann Miller of Williamsville was crowned Beauty Salon Queen at the annual Hair Fashion Review at the Town Casino.

Sattler's University appliance branch store, 3610 Main Street near Bailey, advertises Hotpoint refrigerator, $196. A UHF-VHF 14-inch Hotpoint portable TV, $118.

25 Years Ago

Feb. 9, 1983

The Amherst Town Board Monday night approved plans by M.J. Peterson Corp. and Tonawanda Housing Inc. to build 44 moderately-priced homes on 10 acres of land on the south side of South Ellicott Creek Road between Niagara Falls Boulevard and Sweet Home Road.

Dick Gallagher will run for village trustee on the new Independent People line.