Compiled by Dave Greenleaf
150 Years Ago – December 1871
Christmas was very generally celebrated in town according to the fashion of the times, the custom of the churches and the taste of the individual. All of the churches except the Congregational had exercises of one kind or another.
Mr. George Hall, a blacksmith, when returning from the Christmas festival, discovered a broken rail about three feet in length with the end pointing toward the approaching train. He gave a signal by wrapping a red handkerchief around a lantern in time for the train to stop. The conductor upbraided him for giving the signal, saying the train could have jumped the rail, but the engineer sided with Mr. Hall, thanking him for his timely signal.
On Monday evening, there was great ringing of skate metal on Muzzy’s Mill pond. Many were the skaters, among them Leck Lee and Wals Lee. The latter gave chase to the former. Leck fell in and wet himself and Wals went tumbling after. The bath was not fatal to either, only to their evening of entertainment.
125 Years Ago – December 1896
Bristol’s present lockup is a delight to Weary Willies and other wayward tenants of the institution. The big hole that was punched some time ago remains and when a prisoner becomes weary of detention he simply crawls out. That makes it easier for the officers who are relieved of the necessity of unlocking the door. One of these days a new brick jail with steel cages will need to be built.
There was a narrow escape from a fatal accident at the Main St. crossing. James Quinn, a traveling salesman from New York, crawled under the gates as the 7:40 east bound train was approaching and stumbled and fell while the incoming train was 50 feet away. Lester Nearing, who was nearby, at considerable personal risk grabbed him and succeeded in pulling him to the platform. He escaped with nothing more than bruises and a fright. The engineer had reversed the train and closed his eyes but happily was spare the horror of an accident.
Chief Arms destroyed a barrel or so of whiskey that had been confiscated in a Forestville raid.
The B.F. Judd residence has become the new quarters of the free public library.
100 Years Ago – December 1921
City businesses protested a proposal to impose ten minute parking limits and one-way parking on Main and North Main Streets, saying ten minutes was not enough time to transact business. The council tabled the proposal.
The city council delayed approval of the newly laid out Crown Street pending improvements.
Residents objected to the plan to straighten Jacobs Street, city the cost of assessments to be levied against property owners
Sports 100 Years Ago – December 1921
Bristol High School downed Terryville 40-17 before the largest crowd ever to see a game in Bristol. More than 1,000 filled the hall including an estimated 300 from Terryville. Cross led the Bristol scorers with six goals.
Bristol High School downed the alumni team 42-27 in the annual Christmas evening clash.
75 Years Ago –December 1946
A skeleton found on the Wolcott St. estate of Harry C. Barnes is believed to be that of a man who had been missing for 12 years and was wanted for a 1934 murder.
Fuller F. Barnes was honored for his 25 years of service as Bristol Hospital president.
The freight embargo due to the coal miners’ strike has impacted local manufacturing and the postal service. Local merchants are unable to display Christmas lights due to the embargo.
The police traffic commission recommended widening Memorial Boulevard be seven feet to make it accessible to commercial traffic.
The local post office added 200 extra workers, mostly veterans and high school students, to handle to holiday rush. More than 228,000 pieces of mail were cancelled in a single day at the Bristol Post Office.
Sports 75 Years Ago –December 1946
The Tramps took control of the state league’s Northern Division with a 55-36 win over the Naugatuck Zephyrs.
Bristol High School squeaked by Middletown 43-36 for its fourth straight win to open the season.
Bristol defeated unbeaten Hall 42-31 before 1400 fans at the Armory to close 1946 at a perfect 7-0. Raymond Noel, Clyde Brouker and Eddie McHugh were all in double figures for the maroon.
50 Years Ago – December 1971
Mayor Longo abruptly ended a Press Conference and threatened to smash the camera of a press photographer after WBIS news director Jeff Maker showed up for the conference. Longo had told Maker not to attend after he aired a news report that the mayor didn’t like.
The City council broke with the mayor and approved the Middle St. Industrial Park by a 6-1 vote with the mayor casting the lone dissenting vote.
More than 800 people attended the first meeting of the new city council, forcing it to adjourn to the Memorial Boulevard school auditorium in what was described as a “circus atmosphere”.
The city faced a snow removal crisis as contractors balked at the $20 an hour offer and demanded $25.
A city man, Bill Brajczewski and his father Adam, won $1 million in the New York state lottery.
Sports 50 Years Ago – December 1971
Bristol Central upset St. Paul to end the Falcons 23-game winning streak. Ed Swicklas and Donnie Gunn led the offense for the Rams.
25 Years Ago – December 1996
The campaign for lights at Breen Field got an $11,000 boost from Massachusetts Little League District Administrators.
The Board of Education unanimously approved a plan to implement block scheduling in the high school despite concerns expressed by students and the teachers union at the December meeting.
A major pre-Christmas snowstorm knocked out power to thousands and resulted in a snowmobiling fatality on Stevens Street.
The third annual Children’s Holiday Parade went off without a hitch under sunny skies after the big snowstorm as thousands attended the parade in reverse.
The city opened a new parking area on Burlington Avenue for sledders using Nelson’s Field.
The city’s experiment of taping city meetings for rebroadcast in Nutmeg TV was deemed a success and plans were made to make the practice permanent.
Sports 25 Years Ago – December 1996
Bristol Central all state basketball player Ernestine Austin, who led the Rams to the state finals in the spring, switched to Bristol Eastern for her senior year.
The Bristol Central girls basketball team broke a season opening losing streak with a 49-27 win over St. Paul as Holly Richardson scored 16 points.
From the annals of the Bristol Press.