Before we begin, a hearty “Thank You” is in order for the readers who missed this column over the seven-and-one-half months. It was beyond touching to know folks wanted to see its return. Your “historeporter” is once again able to walk up the slope to reach the Norway library’s microfilm projector.

Without further delay then, lets take glance back at the “Advertiser’ reporting in the autumn of 1929.

On November 1 of that year, one of the page one headlines proclaimed:

Norway Municipal Court

Wm. F. Jones, Judge

Vance L. Porter of Portland pleaded guilty of reckless driving and settled a fine of $25 and costs in court. He was represented by Attorney Haskell of Portland.

The hearing was the outcome of a collision in Welchville, the evening of Oct. 22, when the respondent’s car struck the rear end of a wood team driven by Bernal Thurston of Welchville. A stick was pushed into the leg of one of the horses, cutting a bad gash. The wagon was not damaged, but the auto needed some repairs. Highway Officer George Wood investigated and made the arrest.

“Geo. Frye of Bath was taken before the court, Thursday, charged with malicious mischief. The respondent threw a rock through the window of Greenleaf’s Restaurant the night before and was arrested by Officer C. H. Coffran. He was found guilty and was sent to the parish jail for 30 days.

Other issues reported on the paper’s front page that week included news that was probably much anticipated by some local amateur athletes.

Norway Country Club

Batchelder and Doughty Farms Bought For The Golf Course.

The purchase of the farms owned by G. M. Batchelder, known as ‘Hazelhurst’ and the portions of the farm owned by Thaxter B. Doughty that adjoins the Batchelder property, has been closed and the active work on the links began Thursday.

The property acquired by the Country Club is one of the most beautiful and sightly spots in Oxford County. Its elevation, about 400 feet above Penneseewassee Lake, gives it a view of the entire lake with the wonderful panorama of the foothills and the White Mountains in the distance.

George Dunn, formerly golf professional and man in charge of the Martindale Country Club, of Auburn, Me., has been engaged to build the course and act as manager and golf instructor.

It is confidently expected that the course will be in playable condition by August first, next summer.

The advantage of having a good golf course in Norway is very apparent to everyone conversant with the value of golf to a community like ours that has a real natural appeal to summer visitors and residents.

The preliminary financing has been accomplished and the real work of completing the course, making necessary improvements to the buildings, etc., will immediately be undertaken.

In order to start work this fall, the purchase of the real estate was made possible by certain interested parties agreeing to underwrite the proposition which the obligations must be taken up by the sale of the due stock of the Country Club.

A meeting will be held to elect officers and incorporate the Country Club.

This town is certainly to be congratulated of having a group of men able to plan and carry out such a sizable and important addition to the town’s prosperity, when consideration is given to the fact that this has all been done in less than five weeks, but this was made by cooperation and generous response given by local people.

From the story, we can infer that some of the steps to assemble the incorporation of the course were taking place on October 28 and 29, 1929. Those have been recorded as the dates of another big corporate event. On those days the stock market failed, heralding “the great depression.”

There were, of coarse, other business and related activities that took place that week.

For instance, the paper noted that the Oxford County Farm Bureau met in South Paris. An unusual feature of the meeting came early in the session. The meeting place was moved to “The Strand Theatre,” where free motion pictures were shown, courtesy of the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture, covering forest conservation, up-to-date grain harvesting and the 4-H club.  During the afternoon, after lunch at the Grange Hall, speakers reported on events of the year ending and projections on the one to come.

In all, the assembly included 273 men and 537 women. The previous year, there had been 281 men and 515 women.

The Bryant Pond town column in May had reported on a routine monthly local Farm Bureau meeting.

The Farm Bureau held its regular meeting at the Grange Hall, Saturday. The subject taken up was Table Furnishings. Miss Effie Bradeen II, H to A, was present and gave a very interesting talk on Table Furnishings and Table Manners. There were twenty-three members and three visitors present.

A square meal for health was served at noon, consisting of scalloped fish, tomatoes, white and black bread, sponge cake, rice pudding and coffee.

In the South Albany town column, yet other business maneuvers were  revealed. While not as dramatic nor as large as the creation of the golf club. Instead, they were immensely practical.

Ernest Brown has traded the horse which he recently bought with Charles Mercy for a cow. Merton Sawin has sold a cow and a calf of Will McAllister of Fernald’s Mills, Albany. Mr. McAllister and son, Albert, took it down in their truck, Monday.

Henry Durgin of Bisbeetown was here after calves, Monday.

As a purely practical note, the report noted that, “Mrs. Lillian A. Brown, tax collector out with bills for poll taxes.

Roy Wardwell and Charles Morey have been at work on the telephone lines. The storm recently broke down some poles and snarled up things generally.

So, that was the week before the start of what came to be called, the Great Depression.