Each week, the Gazette looks back on stories from the past. Here is what happened this week, by year…

1911

• B. Frank Wilson, Northport, one of the best known cheese salesmen in the County, having been chosen in that capacity seventeen years ago by the Northport Cheese & Butter Co., Limited, and has continuously represented that Company in the Picton Cheese Board.
• The 11th annual excursion of the Prince Edward Old Boys, will be run from Toronto Saturday, giving the homecomers the usual Saturday to Monday night stay in town and county. The opportunity is given the Old Boys this year to take in the historic gathering at the old Methodist church at Hay Bay.
• The 11th Annual Picnic at the Loyal True Blue Orphanage, held Thursday, was the biggest success yet. Six Thousand people crowded the grounds, receipts totalling over $1200.00. A beautiful summer’s day brought large crowds on excursions from bay ports.

1951

• The second annual field day and demonstration sponsored by the Prince Edward Crop Improvement Association attracted some 150 men to the farm of Holmes Matthie Tuesday afternoon. This year’s demonstration was devoted to orchard sprayers and field crop equipment. 
• A six-year-old Picton girl was rescued from the Bay by Sandra Frair, 14, on Wednesday. The child was playing with Sandra and her sister, Gertrude, who were fishing off the Yacht Club dock while their mother, Mrs. James Frair watched from the park bank.
• J. N. Woodcock, retired professor of Classics and former Registar of Trinity College, University of Toronto, addressed Rotarians Tuesday noon, when he made some observations on the nature and value of a university education. “It is not what you know, but how and why you think,” which evidences the educated man, the speaker said.

1971

• Sunday afternoon at two o’clock, a colorful and unique events, the Mariners’ Service, is being held in South Bay church. It is the second annual service in that church and carries on the marine services held for many years at Cherry Valley church.
• There’s more to Picton.s municipal water system than most people realize. Managed by H. C. Blakely, Les Trolley, Public Utilities Commission foreman and four operators, the water filtration plant plays a vital role in our everyday lives. Located at the foot of Spencer Street, the pump house supplies the Town of Picton with an average consumption of 700,000 gallons of water per day.
• By a vote of six to two, Town Council rejected H. J. McFarland’s request for a $20,000 reimbursement for construction of the Spencer Street extension into ProctorLewyt plant. Speaking for rejection, councillor Lane said, it was his legal opinion the town did not have to assume responsibility for this particular portion of the road.

1981

• When Gladys Beaumont boarded a bus in 1977 to visit her son she didn’t realize it would be the beginning of a friendship that would last until this very day. What makes Mrs. Beaumont’s story interesting is that she speaks only English while her friend speaks only Finnish.
• Legal action now seems certain to be the next chapter in the ongoing battle between Picton businessman Joseph Lightfoot and town council. At a meeting of the town’s planning and development committee Wednesday night, Mr. Lightfoot was denied permission to erect a sign advertising his television and antenna business at 8 Main St. because of the area’s R1 residential  zoning.
• “The English as a Second Language Summer Project ’82” is now over for the summer. This was a new summer project sponsored by the provincial government through the Experience ’81 program and operated by the Prince Edward County Board of Education.