A Look Back, Nov. 30

200 Years Ago

■Jonathan Smith, agent, respectfully informs the inhabitants of Northampton and vicinity that he has taken the shop opposite the house of the Hon. Samuel Hinckley, where he will keep constantly on hand a complete assortment of school and other books, with a great variety of stationary, which will be sold at reasonable prices.

■Thanksgiving in Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont and Rhode Island, will be on the Dec. 2; in Connecticut, on Dec. 9; in New York on Tuesday, the Dec. 21. In New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the governors have issued their proclamations for Thanksgiving on some day next month.

100 Years Ago

■All the members of the first class that entered the silk department at the Smith’s School are now working at their trade. The demand for Smith’s school boys in the silk mills is more than the school can supply.

■James Lucey of Gothic Street, who was defeated for the office of representative from this district at the recent election, has filed a notice of intention to contest in the general court the election of his opponent, James H. O’Dea.

50 Years Ago

■The construction of an addition to Smith College’s Neilson Library, as well as renovations of the building, have been approved by the college’s board of trustees. The project, which is scheduled for late 1977, is based on a cost ceiling of $9.5 million.

■Christmas lighting will be at a minimum in downtown Northampton this year, with the Greater Northampton Chamber of Commerce foregoing its usual Christmas decorations, but individual merchants are still decorating their own windows, and some are using lights.