TIME MACHINE ... 1953, 1886, 1939, 1890, pre-1960's, circa 1970.

(Reader-friendly viewing of newspaper archives material)

　

(Rousing success for project involving Pocomoke City citizens- from first-graders to business owners.)
 
March, 1953
(Salisbury Times)

POCOMOKE HAS FIRE INSPECTION

Pocomoke City - Fire Inspection Tuesday climaxed preparations and talks which have been going on for the past several weeks in Pocomoke City.

At 9 a.m. some fifty members of the State Fire Prevention Association gathered at the firehouse, and after preliminary instruction traveled throughout the city inspecting stores, public buildings, schools, and churches.

The inspection was made by teams of two members of the association, accompanied by a Boy Scout. Each property was checked for hazards, which if left uncorrected, might result in fire. The defects were marked with a red tag saying "Fix Me, Do It Now."

After the inspection a luncheon was served by women of the Presbyterian Church for those participating. In conjunction with the inspection, a contest was held in the schools, using the fire prevention theme. Posters, essays, and dramatic skits were prepared and presented by the children in the contest.

Mayor George S. Mathews presented awards of $10 each to the following classes: 1st grade- Mrs. Anne Bull teacher, 2nd- Mrs. Zella Lamden, 3rd- Miss Annie Ross, *5th grade- Miss May Ellis, 6th- Mrs. Katherine Thompson, *6th Mrs. Dorothy Elliot, 9A- William S. Lewis. *(Newsprint for these numbers was not fully legible.)

The grand prize was awarded to Mrs. Anne Bull's first grade class.

James Maloney of the State Fire Prevention Association said that in his many years experience in fire prevention activities he had never seen such enthusiasm and particularly fine work done by school children.

The Boy Scouts participating in the inspection were also awarded certificates of merit by William R. Finnie of the association. Mr. Finney expressed his appreciation for the spirit and assistance which was shown by the people of Pocomoke City.

Special appreciation was expressed to Fire Chief Fred U. Henderson for his efforts to make the inspection a success. As a token of recognition he was presented an inspection manual prepared by the National Fire Prevention Association.

　

March, 1886
(Peninsula Enterprise- Accomac)

The name of Upshur's Station in Northampton, has been changed to Nassawadox. A post office has been established there, with Mr. John T. Rogers as postmaster.



　

August, 1939
(Reading Eagle- Reading, Pa.)

'Fancy' Name Wanted For Public Landing, Md.

Public Landing, Md. (U.P.)- A movement is underway to rename the 150-year-old Worcester county community.

Captain Jack Lilliston, boatman and self-styled "Mayor of Public Landing," suggests that an Indian name would be more appropriate.

"One hundred and fifty years ago when Public Landing was named," he said, "it was a bay port for the shipping of crops. Today it is a nice resort and should have a fancy name."
　


May, 1890
(The Herald And Torch Light- Hagerstown, Md)

Mortgage statistics prepared for the United States census bureau to show the indebtedness of Worcester County reveal the fact that real estate in the county is less encumbered than any other county on the Eastern Shore unless it be Caroline County, the statistics of which have not yet been obtained.


　

"Number Please" (From Time Machine archive- a recollection)

Dial telephone service arrived in Pocomoke City in the early 1960's as I recall. Prior to that time all local calls were operator assisted. You'd pick up the telephone and wait for the operator to come on the line. "Number please" she'd say, and you'd give her the phone number you wanted to reach such as "187R" (that was our home phone number). If the line was busy she'd tell you, otherwise you'd hear the online ring.

The local phone numbers consisted of three numbers or three numbers and a letter (some phone numbers may have been two digits in earlier times as was true in Salisbury; a late relative who grew up in Salisbury once told me "It is said that I as a small child, I used to ask the operator for my daddy, and she would ring 60").

The local operators in Pocomoke worked at the phone office located on the second floor of a building at the northeast corner of Willow Street and Clarke Avenue. You could also pay your telephone bill there. As a youngster I remember going up the steep flight of stairs once and seeing the operators with their headsets on patching cords into their switchboards as calls were being placed. Pocomoke, I believe, was the last Eastern Shore of Maryland area to get dial telephone service. -tk

 (MAILBOX)

Do you remember when Santa came to Pocomoke via helicopter?

It was late 60's or early 70's and during the day.  The helicopter hovered over Newberrys and he came down a rope ladder onto the roof.  He then was in Newberry's for children to visit until Christmas.

Monna Van Ess

Do you have a Christmas memory or other local memory to share with PPE readers.. such as a big snow storm, a favorite school teacher, a local happening, something of interest your parents or grandparents told you about? It can be just a line or two, or more if you wish. Send to tkforppe@yahoo.com and watch for it on a future TIME MACHINE posting!