100 Years Ago: 1922

W. L. Harwood picked a quart of delicious raspberries Thursday afternoon in South Harpswell while on an afternoon hike. He made the find near a deserted farm house. They were in a protected place and he said they looked so nice that he considered sometime before picking them. These were evidently a second crop.

50 Years Ago: 1972

The Lewiston-Auburn Business and Professional Women’s Club, meeting at the Casco Bank meeting rooms, observed Hobby Night with Mrs. Valerie Bussiere telling of her interest in interior design. At the present time she is taking a course at Portland. She has redecorated her own home and likes to use the unusual to decorate, preferably something with a story behind it.

Mrs. Lillian Marcoux described her hobby of raising orchids, which may be found in all parts of the world in varying sizes and exquisite shapes and colors. Today there are over 2,500 species and over 3,500 hybrids. The orchid found in Maine, known as the Lady Slipper, is of the paphiopedilum family. Miss Ruth Smalley hooks rugs for her hobby and guest Mrs. Virginia Collins sews her own clothes and does weaving.

25 Years Ago: 1997

The state’s oldest and largest agricultural fair opens Sunday with dozens of new touches to the traditional entertainment and exhibits. The 147th Fryeburg Fair features $500,000 in improvements, including a 2,000-square-foot addition to the farm museum.

“Fryeburg Fair is an old-time fair that has strived to hold onto its agricultural heritage,” said Philip G. Andrews, a retired dairy farmer whose involvement with the fair spans more than half a century. “We’ve had the good fortune to be able to continue to improve our fair each year, thanks to the many people who continue to support us.”

The new complex includes a little red schoolhouse, a working black smith shop, and an old-fashioned wood stove, tool and machinery demonstrations and dozens of other presentations during the week.

Free nightly entertainment this year includes The Continentals on Monday, Masquerade on Tuesday, the Lonesome River Band on Wednesday, BJ Thomas on Thursday, Regina Regina followed by fireworks on Friday and Mark Lindsay, formerly of Paul Revere and the Raiders, on Saturday.

More than 400 steers and oxen take part in what is believed to be the largest steer and oxen show in the world. Other animals include llamas, alpacas and emus, as well as other more traditional farm animals.

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