A Look Back, May 17

200 Years Ago

■The cornerstone of the meetinghouse for the second congregational society of Northampton will be laid on Wednesday next. An address will be delivered by Charles E. Forbes, Esq.

■Henry W. Lord informs his friends and the public that he has taken the stand formerly occupied by Mr. Oliver Warner, and recently by Mr. Andrew Lord, where he will be happy to provide for the wants of the traveler. Opposite his tavern, a large variety of combs and other fancy articles are kept constantly for sale.

100 Years Ago

■The honor of being chosen “Miss Northampton” in the beauty contest conducted by Northampton Lodge of Elks last night fell to Miss Katherine Urbon of Smith Street, who was selected from a group of over 200 contestants. This morning Mayor William H. Feiker presented Miss Urbon with a bouquet of beautiful pansies picked from his own garden.

■Motorists who stopped on Main Street this morning found that parking lines had been painted near the curb from Gothic Street to the Union station. The markings were done in yellow paint and a specified amount of space left for each machine. The eight-foot space around the hydrants is marked with a semi-circular line.

50 Years Ago

■Two Hollywood movie makers visited Northampton yesterday as a preliminary step in planning a movie based on the great 1876 Northampton National Bank robbery. While it was no joke in 1876, the robbery will be restaged by Columbia Film Co. as a comedy titled “Harriet and Walter Go to New York.”

■Northampton Fire Chief, James C. Murray, has expressed concern over the safety of future residents of the elderly housing project on Conz Street. The age of the fire department’s ladder truck and lack of sprinklers in the soon-to-be-completed project might create problems should a fire break out there, according to the chief.