100 years ago, 1913

The Milford Congregational Church celebrated its 125th anniversary with, among other things, old time hymns.

Fr. Marshall D. Richards of Lyndeborough was held without bail for the grand jury on a charge of assault. Richards, the paper said, was an elderly man who practiced herb doctoring in Lyndeborough, where “he has not enjoyed a very enviable reputation.” The assault was the result of a confrontation with Philip Champlain, a saw mill worker in Wilton, who got into a verbal confrontation with Richards who went into his home and brought out a shotgun. In a scuffle, the gun went offr and some glancing shot struck Agnes Richards, 8, the defendant’s daughter.

In Milford, a small boy on his way to school tried to catch a ride behind a load of lumber. In front of the Post Office, he jumped for the back of the load, caught his foot in a chain and fell. He was suspended head down but was so securely caught by the chain that he did not go under the wheels. He was dragged along for 100 feet before onlookers could attract the attention of the driver.

In Amherst, Mrs. E.M. Hartshorn closed his house for the winter and went to Milford to be with her son, Charles P. Hartshorn.

Joseph Dagusta, a quarryman at the Lovejoy quarries in Milford, injured his hip when he was caught in a chain attached to a heavy grout box, thrown down and dragged a considerable distance.

Laurel pickers were in Wilton picking for the Boston laurel houses where wreaths would be made.

70 years ago, 1943

A Finnish coffee party at the home of Mrs. John Santti in Milford raised $30.76 for the U.S.O.

When the Milford liquor store closed on a Saturday night, there wasn’t a bottle of whiskey left on the shelves. The run on liquor stores was sparked by the belief that all stocks of whiskey would be used up long before more was made3 because distilleries were making only alcohol for war use.

Local merchants said turkeys for Thanksgiving would be scarce. There were some locally raised turkeys but nobody to kill and dress them for local use.

The Rev. Edmund F. Quirk, pastor of St. Patrick Church in Milford, heard that his brother, the Rev. Thomas Quirk, would be coming home. Thomas, a member of the Maryknoll order, went in 1930 to the Orient as a missionary and immediately after Pearl Harbor, was imprisoned by the Japanese and nothing had been heard from him since. The message to his brother said, “Arrived in Rio. Will see you soon.”

In Italy, generals Clark of the U,.S. and Montgomery of Britain brought full pressure on the Germans’ Massico ridge mountain line and the Nazis began to slowly give ground.But they planted extensive mines and dynamited and blocked off roads to impede the advance of pursuing allies.

Cp. Eugene Ciardelli of Milford, stationed at Fort Eustis, Va., broke his toe in a football game.

The Latchis Theatre in Milford was showing “Ladies’ Day” with Lupe Velez, Eddie Albert, and Patsy Kelly.

50 years ago, 1963

The granite marker on the Milford Oval, erected on the site of the first meetinghouse, was dedicated. At the ceremony were Judy Webster and her father, Daniel Webster, direct descendants of Elisha Hutchinson, first deacon of the church.

The Boston and Mane Railroad’s Milford office was to be open only part time, and indication of a further reduction in freight service to the Souhegan valley.

In an editorial, William B. Rotch praised the writer James Baldwin and recommended his books “The Fire Next Time” and “Nobody Knows My Name,” which were available at the Wadleigh Memorial Library.

Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Peters of Mont Vernon were presentd with 60-year pins by the Advance Grange.

Don Draper led the Wilton I.O.O.F. Indoor Baseball Team to a big doubleheader win over Hollis, correspondent Francis Gros Louis reported.

The Latchis Theatre in Milford was showing “Rock-A-Bye Baby” with Jerry Lewis.

Devine Sporting Goods in Milford was offering a disoucnt on guns and the ad said, “We can’t tell you about it in this advertisement, but we can tell you about it in person. You won’t believe it, but show us some cash and you own one.”

25 years ago, 1988

Amherst Selectman Richard Verroci proposed building a $22.3 million cooperative high school in Amherst’s Bon TAerrain industrial park but Ann Logan, the chairman of the cooperative school board, said his chances of success were slim.

Diane Vaudreuil of the Hollis branch of the New Hampshire Savings Bank presented the book “God Save the People” to Wadleigh Memorial Library director Arthur Bryan. The book addressed the contribution minorities made to New Hampshire.

Five people from the Souhegan Valley were to receive “Beyond War” awards when the Beyond War organization paid tribute to President Ronald Reagan and Soviet Union General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev. The five were Cabinet publisher William B. Rotch, Evelyn Higgs and Jeanne Nieuwejaar, all of Milford, and Helen Ring of Wilton and Richard Verrill of Amherst. The were recognized for their work toward peace and reconciliation.

Amherst selectmen came out in support of construction of 100 unites of affordable housing on Amherst Street proposed by Justin Bielagus.

The Town Hall Theatre in Wilton was showing “Gorillas in the Mist” and “The Last Temptation of Christ.”

The Musical Theatre of Wilton was presenting the original production “Fortune Cookies” with Alice Mitchell, Harold Melcher, and Francine Chodorov.

The Milford Area Senior High girls’ soccer team, led by Stephanie Ulicny, won the state Class L championship 4-0 over Manchester West.