100 years ago, 1912
A rare old veteran is James M. Chesley of 131 Winter St., Auburn. Mr. Chesley, on this 63rd anniversary of his wedding, is now 84 years old, but his eye is bright, his step elastic and his memory unimpaired. Especially does he love to tell of the incidents when he was down in Dixie defending the flag of his country. He was in the great battle of Drury’s Bluff when the late Wallace Smith and Delance Young of Auburn were captured and sent to Andersonville. He tells the Journal that on the morning of that day the fog was so thick that it was impossible to see more than a few feet away. It was under the cover of this fog and darkness that a large force of the enemy made a desperate charge into the union ranks and captured quite a number of our men. Among these were the two Auburn men and these never again returned to the regiment.

50 years ago, 1962
Three Auburn youngsters won awards yesterday in playground archery championships at the White Tail Archery Club grounds on the Wilson Road. Richard Clark of Fairview, David Noel of Moulton Field and Michael Taylor of Pulsifer Field won top honors. Awards for the first three places in each of the three classes of the William Tells, the Straight Arrows and the Little Johns will be presented at the Playground Review Show at Pettengill Park next Tuesday night.

25 years ago, 1987
The origins of most of the city’s streets are not listed in town records, making it difficult to determine the status of any street in the city, according to Auburn Highway Department Director Robert Belz. “There are 450-odd roads in the town,” he said, “and most of these are not in the town records because they are older than the state or the town.” One road is listed as “accepted road from Brown’s barn to the big pine tree.”