Looking Back: 1888
Excerpts from the Hollis Times
May 1888
The Hollis Times editor criticized a competitor called the "H and B Herald" for reusing old stories. The paper's banner changed in June to "Hollis Times and Brookline Reporter."
Diphtheria, mumps, and measles were prevalent in the community. William P. Wheeler was reported seriously ill. The column notes that Mrs. John Coburn, nearly eighty-three years old, walked to the village and back — "a feat which 'the girl of the period' would hardly wish to undertake."
June 1888
High school graduating classes were small, typically seven to nine students with more girls than boys. Hollis High's Class of 1877 had six girls and one boy.
The Strawberry Festival featured "Readings, Tableaux and Marches" at Hollis Town Hall on July 3. Admission cost 10 cents, with a banquet at 20 cents. The Brookline festival included a farce titled "'The Champion of Her Sex.'"
Memorial Day 1888 drew over 400 attendees to evening exercises. Children's Day celebrations were also observed.
July 1888
Independence Day celebrations included early morning firecrackers and cannons. A false alarm was reported: volunteers "arrayed themselves quickly at the sound of the bell...and finding neither smoke or fire, returned to bed."
Notable accomplishments included Fred Swallow catching a 15-ounce trout and William Collins and Dr. P.A. Powers cycling nearly 100 miles from Meriden, Connecticut.
The paper published an item about L.L. Emery's thirteen hens producing 782 eggs in three months, following Horace Greeley's philosophy that local papers should note "'all local transactions and doings, even to the number of eggs laid by a hen.'"
August 1888
Hollis functioned as a summer resort, attracting visitors from Boston and New York seeking relief from city heat.
A family gathering at Silas Hills' residence featured "At least 37 sat down to a bountifully spread table where chicken, ham, beef, cakes, pies, bread, beans, watermelons, and blackberries really crowded each other."
Miss Gussie Bates hosted a birthday lawn party with "tennis and in a social manner enlivened by excellent music and singing."
A Home Workers' Fair featured select readings, singing, violin solos, and a farce titled "'A Thorn among the Roses.'" About 200 attended, including summer visitors and delegations from neighboring towns. Net profits reached approximately $38.
September 1888
Schools opened September 10, about two weeks later than modern schedules, allowing students to assist with harvest.
Local farmers contributed specimens for publication: S.M. Spaulding submitted plum twigs, and A.R. Lovejoy offered tomatoes for market, with one specimen weighing one and three-fourths pounds.
The Grange Fair on September 26 displayed livestock, produce, and handiwork. Prize categories included plowing methods, various horse and cattle types, poultry, and vegetables. Handiwork entries included "crayon work, silk quilts, worsted embroidery, toilet sets, paintings, Mexican work, braided rugs, afghans and crochet lace."
October 1888
Multiple accidents involving horse-drawn vehicles were reported. E.T. Hall, driving the mail coach, nearly collided with a runaway horse caused by "the breaking of the bits."
Mrs. Ezra S. Wright was thrown from a wagon near J. Smith's, dislocating her shoulder. Mark Warren's wagon was struck by a car at the Worcester and Nashua Railroad crossing in Nashua, resulting in severe leg injuries.
December 1888
No Christmas stories appeared in available December issues. Instead, the column referenced a 1987 retrospective article by Joan Tinklepaugh titled "'Flashbacks – The Ghost of Christmas Past,'" describing holiday traditions from approximately that era.
The retrospective describes Pine Hill School decorations, a Community Christmas Tree program in town hall with Santa distributing candy and oranges, and a "Christmas Tableaux" at the Community Church featuring children as shepherds and angels.
Family activities included butter-making, cranberry sauce preparation, popcorn stringing, and cutting trees from the woods. Christmas morning featured homemade ornaments, popcorn strings, cranberry strings, and tinsel. Gifts included items like "Flexible Flyer with red runners" sleds and dolls, while adults received "kid gloves, an 8-day Seth Thomas, an embroidered hankie or fancy stationery."
Christmas meals consisted of "chicken or roast pork, cranberry sauce and pies of apple, squash and mince."
