This Week in Winchester History: First Airplane Flies Over Residents

This is a regular column with items drawn from past editions of the Winchester Star.

1911

What's that in the sky? It's a bird, it's a plane....

On June 17, Winchester residents saw the first plane fly overhead. Earl Ovington of Waltham flew over the Mystic Lakes and as far north as Lowell before turning around.

Hurricane

Winchester was hit by a hurricane that brought hail, rain and heavy wind. The worst damage was done to a home on Thompson Street, which was struck by lightning.

1961

Property Destroyed

Winchester Police Chief, Joseph Derro, issued a warning to the vandals who destroyed the parking meters along the .

"If we apprehend the people responsible for this, we will take them to court for destruction of property," Derro said to the Star. "This is a promise."

The meters cost $106 each to replace. 

1986

Beware of the Fells

Earlier this month in 1986, the Board of Selectmen warned people that if they were illegally trespassing in the watershed area that they will be arrested. A few weeks after issuing that statement, three people were arrested for trespassing in the Fells.

Drunk Driving

Since Jan. 1, 1986, 22 people have been arrested on drunk driving charges. However, only three were convicted.

First time offenders are not legally convicted. Their guilty plea puts them on a probation for one year.

All the information for this story came from the Winchester Star.