Portland had a surprise. It was a mighty big surprise, too, that came to the members of the Portland High football team and their big crowd of rooters Saturday afternoon. One hundred strong they came to witness the defeat of Lewiston High. The score was set at 12 and 0 and the Portland sports were offering odds of 2 to 1 on their team. Twelve points were made in the game to be sure, but it was the Lewiston team which made them. Portland made one touchdown, making her score 5. Lewiston won a clean cut victory.

50 Years Ago, 1954

The Thanksgiving harvest of turkeys by Maine growers, already will under way, is expected to reach or top the 270,000 mark between now and Thanksgiving, with an estimated 130,000 to 150,000 more being held for the Christmas holidays markets, according to the latest information available.

Turkey growing has become a big business here in Maine, as has all branches of the poultry business with many turkeys now being raised on much the same basis as broilers, under contract for dressing plants in large numbers, ranging as high as 35,000 or more on a single farm. Aroostook County, where turkeys have been added as a companion crop to potatoes, these birds are raised on a large scale, while elsewhere in the State, many growers, several of them in this area raise from 5,000 to 10,000 birds each.

25 Years Ago, 1979

Santa Claus came to town in all his rotund spendor Monday night. He arrived a few weeks early, but nobody seemed to mind because he was here to magically bring light to Lewiston’s Christmas tree in Hulett Square. Earmuffed and mittened, hundreds of people disregarded the 38-degree weather to catch a glimpse of the Christmas Parade which escorted Santa from Lisbon Street to the square. Flaming batons cut through the night air, strains of “Deck the Halls” wandered down the side streets, and good will pervaded as the spirit of Christmas came to town.