Lakeville Journal celebrates 125 years

SALISBURY — The Lakeville Journal’s 125th anniversary celebration got underway with a reception at the Salisbury Association Saturday evening, Aug. 13, and a street fair on Sunday, Aug. 14, that drew a steady stream of strollers who enjoyed food, drink, music and visiting with neighbors.

Aug. 14, 1897, was the actual date of the newspaper’s first publication, and The Journal today remains one of the oldest among New England’s newspapers.

The exhibit detailing its history inside the Academy Building will be open through September.

Jeanette Weber, president of the Salisbury Association, presented Publisher Janet Manko with a check for $7,000 from the association, in the memory of the late Donald Ross, who was an active member of the Salisbury community.

Weber explained that former Journal owner Stewart Hoskins (who owned and operated the paper from 1940-71) left the association a bequest of $15,000 to index the back issues of The Journal.

That didn’t happen, and in 2012 the newspaper archive was digitized, making indexing a simpler process.

During The Journal’s 2019 fundraising campaign, the association gave the paper $10,000 from the Hoskins’ funds. The $7,000 presented Aug. 13 represents the balance of the original donation.

Weber said the gift was made in memory of Ross, who was instrumental in helping the paper seek nonprofit tax status.

In 2021, The Lakeville Journal Foundation was founded as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

On Sunday, Academy Street was closed for the Anniversary Day Street Fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Besides food and drink, the fair featured stilt walkers, face painters, free cake and a bubble machine.

Traffic heading for LaBonne’s market was diverted down Library Street, and volunteers directed traffic out on Main Street (Route 44).

A reporter achieved a personal best by consuming one hot dog with sauerkraut and mustard and a second with chili and melted cheese without getting any of it on his shirt.

By around 1:30 p.m., some 180 people had been in to see the exhibit.

Two bands played (the Northwest Passage and students from the Music Cellar in Millerton).

The Lakeville Journal table had T-shirts for sale, with amusing headlines from years past, such as “Raccoon murder case apology ordered” from Aug. 10, 1978.

The top seller was “Bistro responds to tomato pie accusations” from Feb. 9, 2012.

Along with The Journal, there were tables lining the perimeter of a tent that were  staffed with volunteers from many of the nonprofit organizations that provide services to the community.

Nonprofit organizations that participated in The Lakeville Journal’s 125th Anniversary Street Fair Sunday, Aug. 14

Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Connecticut

Housatonic Youth Service Bureau

Lakeville Hose Company

Lakeville Ladies Auxiliary

Music Mountain

Noble Horizons Auxiliary

Rotary Club of Salisbury

Salisbury Association

Salisbury Family Services

Salisbury Housing Trust

Salisbury Winter Sports Association

Sharon Audubon Center

Sharon Playhouse

SOAR (Seek, Originate, Aim, Reach)

The 21st Century Fund for HVRHS

The Corner Food Pantry

The Salisbury Forum

The Scoville Memorial Library

Photo by Patrick L. Sullivan