From the pages of the Windsor Locks Journal, selected and lightly annotated by Lester Smith, Historian of the Town and the Suffield Historical Society.
March 2
The second meet in the triangular set-back tournament, between the Masonic Clubs of Windsor Locks, Thompsonville and this place, was held at the club rooms in this town last Friday evening. Thompsonville won from the Windsor Locks team by a score of 542 to 525.
Now that the trapping season is in swing it would be a good idea for the young fellows about town who trap to be sure and take out hunter’s licenses before putting out their sets. The law requires that a hunter’s license shall be taken out in order to trap fur bearing animals.
March 9
The Village of Suffield has received a deed of the new site for the hose house back of the Town hall. The site is the best one that could be found for the department and as soon as possible the hose house will be moved from Bridge street to the new site.
The military census in this town has been completed and the agents enrolled 1,409 names. The agents in this town met with very little trouble in in taking the census, aliens and citizens alike showed a patriotic spirit that was surprising.
George A. Peckham and Henry Roche were in Washington, D. C., to attend the inauguration [of President Wilson].
Joseph Adams, who was expected home last Sunday from the West with a car-load of horses, has not been able to ship the horses on account of the shortage in [rail] cars and so has not yet arrived. His two sons, George and John, accompanied him.
March 16
At a meeting of the board of selectmen to dispose of the road work of the town, this week, the contract for furnishing teams was let to Henry Adams, Charles Chaplin and Judson Phelps. Each man will furnish two teams.
Arthur Case of Rising Corner has sold his 1917 crop of fifteen acres of tobacco, which he will prime [pick the leaves, rather than cut the stalk], to Alfred Mendelsohn.
The [West Suffield] dancing school class, which has been conducted by Miss May Quilty of Springfield for several months, had its last lesson Tuesday evening.
March 23
Rev Daniel B. Kennedy, Jr., pastor of the first Congregational church for the past nine years, read his resignation at the morning service last Sunday . . . Last year Mr. Kennedy bought the Gay place on Main street [now 222 North Main Street, the Gay Mansion], which he has remodeled for a summer home and some time expects to come here to live.
The thirteenth annual masquerade ball of the Suffield fire department was held in the Town hall last Saturday evening with a good attendance. The grand march was started at 9 o’clock and was led by Howard W. Prout, foreman of the hook and ladder company, and Mrs. L. G. Allen, wife of Chief L. G. Allen of the department, and consisted of about forty couples.
March 30
A meeting to discuss the formation of a home guard was held at the Masonic Club rooms Monday night. . . . After some discussion the question of the constitutionality of the bill creating the guard was raised and the recruiting officers decided to wait until Congress met before going ahead with the organization. [The U. S. Congress declared war on Germany and the Austro-Hungarian Empire on April 6, 2017.]
The Suffield school military company held its first outdoor drill Tuesday in front of the school.