Bates College faculty, students and friends are rejoicing over the announcement that W. S. Libbey, one of Lewiston’s most prominent business men, is to build and donate to the college a magnificent auditorium. This announcement was made in chapel yesterday morning by President George C. Chase. Mr. Libbey will begin the construction of the building in the fall of 1907, and when completed the structure will cost about $50,000. Bates College has long felt the need of just such a building as Mr. Libbey proposes to build, as it will meet all of the requirements for commencements and the important meetings of a literature nature.

50 Years Ago, 1956

Hillcrest Poultry Co. of Lewiston announced yesterday it will construct several pre-fabricated chicken boiler houses on a large tract of land on Hamel Road, off College Street, for expansion purposes.

President William J. Mendelson said 10 two-story units will be built to house a quarter million birds. Construction is expected to begin Monday.

Hillcrest already is operating a pre-fabricated broiler house near its nearly-completed poultry processing plant on Pleasant Street. Here about 12,000 birds are raised under the best of conditions.

25 Years Ago, 1981

Maine’s budget bureau said Wednesday it has no record of a potential $955,835.25 windfall dating back 144 years.

Back in 1836, the federal government divvied up a $28 million surplus among the states. But there were strings attached: If the secretary of the Treasury ever wanted it back, the states would have to hand it over.

After 144 years, those strings were quietly cut in the waning moments of the Carter administration.

“The money apparently was distributed according to the proportion of members in the House and Senate, but there’s no documentation of that.” U.S. Treasury staff accountant James Zurawski said Tuesday.

Martin Cloutier of the state bureau of the budget said “nobody seems to know” what happened to the money.