100 Years Ago: 1924

Brunswick was first in having an airplane landing field. She also was the first town to receive a postal delivery by airplane. And last week. unexpected, unheralded, the waters of Mere Point, Brunswick’s summer resort, held the magnetic needle and drew the American Army Airmen who have encircled the world to make their first landing in America and be welcomed home in Brunswick. This event will be written on the pages of history.

The welcome was not planned; there were no escorting planes, no forty thousand people waiting to give a rousing cheer, but the welcome was of the heartiest, and Brunswick’s summer colony was certainly not lacking in hospitality.

We have heard claims being made that other towns have more advantageous sites for landing fields, and that may be true, but the landing of the World Fliers at Mere Point adds to Brunswick’s location, as she has an ideal harbor for naval planes to drop into. This fact will be brought to the attention of the aeronautical authorities and to the Army and Navy Air Service.

50 Years Ago: 1974

Mrs. Charlene Pelletier has been named Cystic Fibrosis Breath of Life Campaign chairman for Mechanic Falls. The mother of five children is an also an active member of the PTA and the Head Start Program. She was named as Mechanic Fall’s top Cystic Volunteer by Maine Chapter president Donald  H. Marden of Waterville.  Marden said Mrs. Pelletier will have help to recruit other volunteers to cover the entire Town in an educational and fund raising program designed to take place  this month (September.)

25 Years Ago: 1999

It’s the biggest motorcycle event in Maine, the “crown jewel of the summer” for the United Bikers of Maine and a major boost for the Salvation Army’s Christmas drive.

That’s why Joe Savoie was glad to see great weather for the 1999 edition of the 18th annual UBM Toy Run from the Augusta Civic Center to the Maine State House. The bright, balmy day helped attract more than 10,000 riders from all corners of the state and New England who stuffed at least three large trucks full with toys and games to brighten the Christmas mornings of kids all over Maine.

“They usually have three-trucks there at the State House, but this year there were four and it’s a good thing,” said Savoie, a Bangor resident and UBM president. “We don’t know exactly how many people rode with us, but everyone said there were more than last year when we had 10,000, so that’s a good place to start.”

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