Compiled by Dave Greenleaf
150 Years Ago – April 1872
The freight train from the west met with disaster just above the North Village. An axle broke throwing off a car and injuring another. A wrecking train from Hartford came to clear the road. The evening passenger trains were obliged to return to Waterbury and Hartford after an exchange of passengers.
The election resulted in the choice of J.H. Mitchell, Democrat, as representative of the town by ten majority. The vote stood Democratic 425, Republican 380, Temperance 34, Labor Reform 1.The vote on the state ticket varied little from this.
125 Years Ago –April 1897
Arbitrators awarded $1225 in damages to Mr. Strunz and Mrs. Rockwell for damage to their properties caused by the change of grade during Burrough construction work on Spring St.
The selectmen passed an ordinance prohibiting the riding of bicycles on sidewalks in the village of Forestville punishable by a fine of not less than two and not more than seven dollars. On Sunday constable Manross, deputy sheriff Morse and constables Glassman and Hinman watched the streets and gathered in those who persisted in ignoring the warnings. Five arrests were made and were tried before Judge Newell and settled for two dollars plus court costs.
Rev. John F. Nichols was also accused of riding on the walk. He denied the charge, stating that he confined himself to the bicycle path alongside the walk. The judge postponed the case and made a personal inspection. He found the walk very rough and alongside it a smooth path used by wheeled vehicles. Deciding that it would be poor judgment to take to the walk for riding purposes, the judge dismissed the charges.
Sports 125 Years Ago – April 1897
Local interest in baseball is awakening. Manager Riggott is getting everything in readiness and the Center Street Ground is in the process of reconstruction with an improved grandstand.
Bristol was defeated 10-2 by the Cuban Giants in their first game.
100 Years Ago – April 1922
The city council approved adopting a four-rod highway designation for Pine St. for its entire length from Middle St. to the Plainville line. The plan for keeping the highway at this width is necessary for the new state highway designation.
Fire damaged the large ice house of Snyder and Norton on the east side of Birge’s Pond.
The Board of Education voted to go along with the Chamber of Commerce and adopt Daylight Savings time for the school schedules starting on May 1.
In accordance with state statutes, city offices, schools, libraries and banks will keep their clocks on standard time once the daylight savings goes into effect, but will open one hour later. Trains will run on the Daylight Savings schedule. The post office will adopt the Daylight Savings schedule for deliveries because the post train will arrive one hour later.
Sports 100 Years Ago – April 1922
The New Departure Girls downed South Manchester 26-3 behind eight field goals from Mary Bachman.
Bristol High defeated the Hartford All Stars 30-29 in a game to benefit the Boys Club’s Camp Woodson at Bantam Lake. Bristol was only the second high school team to defeat the All Starts this season.
75 Years Ago –April 1947
City Veterans in a poll supported building a community center, sports arena or living memorial in honor of World War II Servicemen.
Fire at Longo‘s Sports Mart on School St. caused $300 in damages.
City bus service shut down as drivers went on strike over wages. After four days off the job, they settled for an offer of $1.11 per hour after Mayor Daniel Davis joined the negotiations as mediator.
Fire in the roof of the Bristol Brass Rolling Mill caused an estimated $10,000 in damages.
Frederick G. Hughes announced his retirement as General Manager of New Departure and vice present of General Motors after 36 years with the company. Hughes was instrumental in making New Departure part of the founding of General Motors and led the company to become the world’s largest producer of ball bearings.
The Police Board requested the elimination of downtown bus stops in front of Bristol Savings Bank on Main St. and at the Lilly Building on Riverside Avenue due to loitering and vandalism complaints.
Sports 75 Years Ago – April 1947
Bristol’s new professional baseball team adopted the name Bristol Bees after a naming contest and began workouts at Muzzy Field. Paul Manwaring was the winner of the naming contest. Robert Kelly and Stanley Barlowski took the place and show awards..
St. Joseph opened the grammar school baseball league season with a 4-3 win over St. Stanislaus. Burns pitched the win and had the only extra base hit. South Side downed Jennings 11-2 in the other opener. Briatico fanned nine and gave up just three hits for South Side but was rather generous with bases on balls.
Bristol High School’s track team beat Plainville 84-31. Sam Thorpe broke the school record in the javelin with a throw of 166 feet.
50 Years Ago – April 1972
Mayor Longo vowed to hold down spending after city budget requests projected a 9 mill increase and called for the resignation of Finance Board Chairman Alexander Carros.
Carros rejected Longo’s call that he resign ”out of personal atonement for voting for you.”
The city council approved the Police Union contract despite the Mayor’s plea to reject it.
Longo fired city Claims Inspector Emil A. Raboin after an investigation onto corruption in the city’s sidewalk and snowplowing contracts.
The Board of Finance approved a budget with a 1.5 mill increase in property taxes.
Michael Landry and Thomas Euley were named Bristol and Forestville Boys Clubs Boys of the Year.
Sports 50 Years Ago – April 1972
The Bristol Champlains captured their third straight Champlain Cup with a 5-3 win over New Haven, overcoming a 3-0 deficit in the final period.
Robert “Duke” Snyder was named the new coach of the Bristol American Legion team, replacing long time mentor Jim Bates.
St. Paul baseball opened defense of its Class B State championship with an 8-0 victory over East Catholic behind Jim Garney’s two-hitter.
George Fanelli’s clutch hitting and Rob Nicoletti’s nine inning complete game effort led Brstol Central to a 2-1 win over Windham to open the season.
25 Years Ago – April 1997
An April Fool’s Day snowstorm dropped 8-15 inches of snow, closed schools and snarled traffic.
Police Captain John Divenere was named the city’s new Police Chief.
Residents spoke out to oppose plans to reconstruct the Woodland Street and King Street intersection.
The city announced plans to try to fix the algae problem at the Rockwell Park Lagoon by increasing water flow.
The city gave approval to a local developer’s plans to build a hockey rink in Forestville.
An ethics complaint filed against city wetlands Commissioner Ellen Zoppo-Sassu was dismissed by the ethics board and set off a firestorm of allegations against mayoral hopeful Richhard Kricenski who had filed the complaint.
A term limits proposal was voted down by the city’s charter revision committee.
A four-year old was kidnapped from a Stafford Avenue preschool and later found in New York City after a 36-hour ordeal. Chen Xing Chang, a former employee of the Lee Po restaurant was arrested in the abduction of the son of the restaurant owners.
Vandalism complaints rose in the West End. City Councilor Gerard Couture called for action after his restaurant’s window was damaged.
Ethics board alternate Mark Sarra resigned in a dispute over the handling of the Zoppo-Sassu complaint.
Democratic Mayoral hopeful Rick Kriscenski said Bristol has a ‘Fascist Government” as dispute over the ethics board vote continued.
The Board of Finance approved a $112 million budget with a tax freeze.
Sports 25 Years Ago – April 1997
Bristol residents joined the rest of the state in saying goodbye to the Hartford Whalers as they played their last game at the Civic Center.
Jen Hadley no-hit Farmington and New Britain in back-to-back games for Bristol Eastern softball.
Karoline Pain threw a no-hitter for Bristol Central softball
Bristol Central pitcher Dan Ogonowski threw a perfect game to beat Bulkeley
Bristol Park Commissioner John Fortunato and City Historian Bob Montgomery announced plans to organize the Bristol Sports Hall of Fame with its first induction slated for the fall.
From the annals of the Bristol Press.
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