100 Years Ago
December 30, 1898

…Draper Bros. Distributed Christmas turkeys among their employees, last Friday.

…The eclipse of the moon attracted much attention this week and although the scientists complained that the clouds disturbed their observations, the common people thought it a very good display. The weather prophets all predicted a cold snap to follow and we haven’t seen anybody who ventured to deny their foresight.

…As we go to press, the news comes to us of the dangerous illness of Mr. William Bense of Dorchester, recently a well known resident of this town.

…We regret to learn that there have been instances of people taking advantage of some of our paper boys and cheating them out of their pay.

75 Years Ago
December 28, 1923

…Mayor Curley To Speak Here January 29—Confirmation of Mayor James M. Curley’s appearance in Canton on the evening of January 29 at the big 50^th anniversary celebration of the Division 2, A. O. H. was received this week by Andrew Leonard, a member of the order, and who was in charge of securing the principal speaker of the evening.

…Record Business For Post Office—The greatest amount of holiday mail in the history of the local post office was cleared up to the last package at noon Christmas Day. With the regular postal force on the job, backed up by four extra men, all mail matter came in and left the office in a systematic manner and when the clock struck twelve not a letter or package remained.

…Joseph P. Draper has sold a parcel of land on Prospect Street to Lydia A. Sanford.

…The Community Club is to hold a Food Sale in the Legion Rooms on January 16.

…Car Turns Turtle At York Street—John Roach and his son , Keith Roach, escaped injury when the sedan in which they were riding turned turtle at the corner of York and Randolph Streets last Saturday morning. The car was damaged considerably about its front end. It was towed to the Ponkapoag service station by Charles Bryant.

…Christmas Eve In Canton—Christmas Eve in Canton was celebrated as of yore. Although lacking the heavy blanket of snow that gives the night its full significance, a better evening could not have been hoped for. Thousands of stars, any one of which might have been taken as the Star of Bethlehem, sparkled in a cloudless sky while the crisp weather gave a pleasant touch to it all.

All over the town, colored lights and illuminated evergreen trees radiated the Christmas cheer. Candles were placed in windows while many residents very uniquely illuminated evergreen trees in front of their homes.

On Chapman Street large spruce and cedar trees were fitted with electric lighting equipment which produced a beautiful effect.

Scores of Canton homes kept open house Christmas Eve. Although the youngsters were sent off to bed early in order to be found asleep when St. Nick arrived, the older members of the family spent the evening in decorating the tree, wrapping gifts, etc, or making an occasional call on a neighbor.

Stores kept open until late in the evening and did a thriving business. Last minute purchases were many and kept the clerks busy until the time of closing. Grocery stores and markets supplied the family wants so far as the Christmas dinner was concerned and it is safe to say that no family went without its holiday feast.

That the townspeople spent Christmas Day very pleasantly at their homes was evidenced by the general quietness that prevailed about the town.

…Canton police today are making a diligent search for an Essex coach, owned by Thomas D. Mullin of High Street, which was stolen early last evening from in front of the Canton Public Library.

…C. W. Crowell & Son of Ponkapoag are sporting their new Dodge delivery truck. The first truck which the firm owned was badly damaged when it tipped over in an accident at Ponkapoag several weeks ago.

…John Cook of Church Street is now with the Canton and Blue Hill Bus Line.

…At 12:45 this noon Mr. Mullin got word from the chief of police of Foxboro that his car was found beside the road in Foxboro near the Mansfield town line.

…Dog On Shopping Tour Robs Family Of Dinner—One Neponset Street family recently went without its usual roast of beef for the Sunday dinner all because a stray dog thought it was Christmas.

As a result the folks spent the day quietly brooding over the lost article.

Up to a certain hour the night previous all was well. The good woman of the house had gone to much trouble to order a particularly nice cut of beef and after it had been delivered, had it done up to a nice brown. That evening she put the roast of beef on the back porch and was musing pleasantly on a picture of the family at dinner the following day. But the picture was never realized. It was an hour later when the good woman went to take a peek at her roast of beef only to find that a vile deed had been committed. It was gone.

Investigation showed that some four footed denizen had made a visit to the back porch. Not a trace of the beef could be found although the perpetrator of the deed very obligingly left the pan in which the article had been prepared.

…The millionth telephone was added to the system of the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company on Monday this week.

It was placed in the home of Armand Bouthellette on Mosher Street. New Bedford.

…Mr. and Mrs. Fred J. Bullock and son Lewis, Sumner and William of Messinger Street, and Mr. and Mrs. John Tate of Revere Street were Christmas Day guests of Mr. and Mrs. John Mullin of Dorchester.

…Miss Miriam Draper, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph P. Draper of Ponkapoag, received a unique Christmas gift when she found awaiting her on Christmas morning a beautiful Shetland pony.

50 Years Ago
December 31, 1948

…Selectmen’s Notes—Granted license to operate the Canton Bowladrome to Herbert Meltzer of Dorchester.

Appointed Jeremiah T. Kelleher as a permanent patrolman in the Police Department effective January 1, 1949. The new patrolman has been a permanent intermittent officer since 1939, and has been assigned to the early night patrol in Ponkapoag.

…Dr. and Mrs. Charles P. Callery have moved into their new home at 1803 Washington Street.

…James A. Brown of 480 Sherman Street filled in as a reserve member of the police department last week.

…Temperatures as low as 8 below zero were reported in Canton on Monday morning. The thermometer registered from a few degrees above to below zero on Saturday, Sunday and Monday mornings.

…The Canton Bowladrome and Recreation Centre, 602 Washington Street, will reopen under new management on Monday January 3, the Centre will be open each day from 3 P. M. to 11:30 P. M.

25 Years Ago
December 27, 1973

…William Mosher has announced that he will seek election to the Canton School Committee in the March town election.

…Citing his total involvement for the twenty-three years of his residency in Canton, in government, youth oriented and church activities, Mr. John Morgan declared his intention of entering the contest for the office of Selectman today.

…A Little Belated Christmas Present—Rev. and Mrs. David P. Mahn are the happy parents of a brand new baby daughter, who will be welcomed home by her big brother and sister.

Laura Karin Mahn arrived at 1:00 p.m. on December 26^th.

The baby, mother and father are all in excellent condition.

…Police Notes—Police stopped three fights in one day at the Tri-Town Mall between rival Canton and Sharon youths last week. The brawl involved more than twenty young people.

Another fight broke out on Christmas Eve in front of Mario’s Pizza House on Washington Street. Four youth were taking part in the scuffle.