The front page of the July 6, 1923, issue of the Granville Sentinel had a personal mention column for a community named “Hebron Center.” There were only five news items, which are reprinted here: “Anthony Mitchel of West Pawlet, is occupying ‘Brier’ Crest. – Leslie Nelson is taking piano lessons of Mrs. Ryder of Rupert. – Miss Alice Lincoln has gone to Teachers Training school at Plattsburg. – Mrs. Jessie Lincoln-Boise of Detroit, Mich., visited at M.W. Hannibal’s last week. – Both roads leading from Rupert to Hebron are in the best condition they have been for over thirty years.”

The question here would be where Hebron Center was located. One possibility is that this was another name for East Hebron, the corner of the Chamberlain Mills and Sheldon roads with Route 22, which NYSDOT signs as simply “Hebron.” Another is that it was referring to another intersection in town, perhaps more centrally located. A third possibility is that it was a “catch-all” for the central part of Hebron outside of the hamlets such as North Hebron, West Hebron and East Hebron.

Over in Poultney, management of the post office was to change: “The Sentinel extends congratulations to Charles W. Humphrey, editor of the Poultney Journal, who has received the appointment of postmaster in that place to succeed Dr. P. Mahoney, who has held the office for two terms. The salary is to be $2,500 per year, an increase over the old salary.” The Poultney Journal published in Poultney on a weekly schedule from the late 1860s to the early 1930s.

Two years ago in our column of July 8, 2021, we wrote of the work on the Salem-Rupert town road that was in the July 3, 1931 issue of the Sentinel. In that issue the writer of the article made a nice remark about the beauty of the drive from West Pawlet to Salem by means of West Rupert and Rupert. This highway is now designated in Vermont as Route 153; the part in New York east of Salem also has that number, first as a state highway in the 1960s and 1970s, and now as a county route.

In the aforementioned 1923 issue, eight years earlier, there was a news item entitled “A Picturesque Ride,” entirely devoted to lauding the beauty of the same thoroughfare: “The highway from West Pawlet to Salem by way of the Ruperts has got the state road beat forty ways when it comes to the matter of comfort and picturesqueness. There is no finer scenery on earth than the Rupert valley affords. The highway is in fine condition and is flanked by prosperous farms and attentive buildings. Many fine lawns and old-fashioned flowers are in evidence. A Sentinel man motored over this road the Fourth of July and the trip was an inspiration. The spirit of patriotism was everywhere seen, sparsely a home but which displayed the flag. Especially this was the case with West Rupert.”

The reasons for these compliments are evident today. Route 153 is less hilly than Route 22 to its west, and the valley still shows its beauty and farms are still operating.

A bank had proof of its success and prosperity: “At a regular meeting of the directors of the Granville National Bank last Wednesday the regular semi-annual dividend of 5 per cent was declared payable on and after July 2. The bank started in 1875 and has declared ninety-six semi-annual dividends.”

South Granville gained a new business: “Thomas I. Roberts has purchased a gasoline tank to supply his customers with gas at twenty-four cents.” The monetary amount is referring to the cost per gallon.

More new cars in Granville: “Stanley Porter has a new Studebaker car. Also Steven Krannick.” We believe the correspondent intended to refer here to Steven Kranak.

The Granville Odd Fellows elected their new officers: “The following officers were elected by Mettowee lodge, No. 559, I.O.O.F., for the ensuing term at the regular meeting Friday evening: Nobel Grand, Richard Tudor Roberts; vice grand, Joseph Loesch; representative to grand lodge at Watertown, William H. Hughes; proxy, Raymond Roberts. Their installation will take place at a later date.”

A major event was being prepared for Granville: “Through the courtesy of O. P. Munson and M.D. Whedon the grounds committee has been able to secure from them the playground lot at the end of Glen avenue for the Chautauqua tent. This will insure ample space for parking cars, is centrally located and an ideal spot for the purpose. Next Wednesday afternoon the place will be cleaned and leveled and the wish is to get volunteers for the work. The boys of the juniors are asked to help. – Chairman.” The Chautauqua was a popular speaking and educational program in the northeast at the time, but which faded into obscurity by the 1940s.