From the pages of the Banner
25 years ago
The proposed ferry to run from Taylors Island to the western shore and back has been put on hold. The owner of the landing site on the western shore has terminated negotiations with Bayway Ferry.

The owner of Bayway, Paul Tobin, confirmed the end of negotiations for the site. Mr. Tobin calls the change “a setback,” but says he will continue to pursue the project. He also says he is looking at another landing site and would “like to get it within approximately six months.”

Mr. Tobin outlined his plans for the ferry, saying it would consist of two boats, running 12 hours per day. That would work out to five round trips per boat.

50 years ago
A 38-year-old man was named Man of the Year last night by the North Dorchester Chamber of Commerce. Charles E. Dayton Sr. was presented with a plaque in recognition of the honor.

It was pointed out in the presentation that Mr. Dayton is the assistant fire chief of the Vienna Fire Company, chairman of the county radio committee, a member of American Legion Post 91 of Cambridge and an active member of the Vienna United Methodist Church. His family has been honored twice in recent months as Family of the Year of the North Dorchester High School PTA, and most recently as Scouting Family of the Year for the Two Rivers Scout District.

100 years ago
I noticed in the newspaper a few days ago, Mr. Howard Spedden, one of our county commissioners, expressed the opinion that it might be a good plan to have all men work a number of days on the road. I don’t agree with him. This was done about 25 years ago, and very little work was done here.

Plenty of laborers can be hired for 30 cents an hour who can do three times as much ditching as some of us whose time is worth twice or three times that much to us in our usual trades. I think it would be alright for all male persons between the ages of 18 and 55 to pay a road tax.

This has been a tough winter roads, but they have been badly neglected down this way for several years. Our roads now need scraping to give them an oval shape before putting on shells.

I have measured several places in the road here and find some holes more than two feet deep. People can’t get to church, children can’t get to school, the doctor has to walk most of the time, automobiles are of no use at all.

Last week, Mr. Gore, one of the best mail carriers in the state, had to hire two different teams each day to get the mail down to us. He is now making out by hiring one man. This don’t look fair for Mr. Gore to be put to this extra expense.

There are some scows here that have been loaded with shells for two months, waiting for someone to haul them out. I was talking with one of our oyster packers here, he said about 170,000 bushels of oysters had been shucked on the Island this season.

They are being carried away from here. After all the shells are gone, where will we get any to repair the roads?

Last summer and fall, Cambridge was doing a thriving business here. J.E. Andrews, wholesale grocer, had a truck here, so did Applegarth and Meekins, the Cambridge Bakery, the Coca-Cola Firm, Standard Oil Co., Red C Oil Co., M. Nathan Furniture Store. All made weekly and semi-weekly trips here, now none of them seldom get down.

I am told the Red C Oil truck on its last trip down here had to pay $15 to get pulled out of the mud different times. Give us good roads and Cambridge will get some of the good money made down here.

A. Hallie Creighton
Fishing Creek