•Maine’s latest gold mine to report is on the farm of Mrs. Martha Barrows at Stow. Some time ago parties discovered a gold vein on the farm of Mrs. Barrows, and they have been working it this past summer. The rock assays about $3.80 to the ton, but those who are working the vein intend to go down some distance farther. It will not be worked if the rock does not come to $5 a ton.

•A Portland paper which recently spoke of 67 sailing vessels as an unusually large number to be in the harbor at once was told by one of the older citizens that about fifty years ago he remembered counting 360 sails in the harbor at one time.

50 Years Ago, 1956

Auburn needs a shopping center. That’s one of the conclusions of the planning report recently made for the Auburn Planning Board by John T. Blackwell of Boston.

The planner suggests a site of between 30 and 50 acres on vacant land to the south or west of the present built-up section of Auburn as the best location for a shopping center.

“Any such development in Auburn, to compete with other similar developments, will have to be on a relatively low cost vacant land with the very best highway and major street access that can be provided,” said the report.

Such a development probably could not be in downtown Auburn because of the land costs.

25 Years Ago, 1981

A Lisbon Street building that once housed a Lewiston shoe store will be the home of this year’s Haunted House, and the organizers of the traditional Halloween event are glad for the space.

Last week, the Lewiston Board of Appeals turned down a request from the Lewiston-Auburn Jaycees and the Boy’s Club regarding the use of the former St. Dom’s School Building on Bartlett Street for the Haunted House. But a downtown merchant came to the rescue, promising to use the former Lamey-Wellahan store for Halloween week events.

Jaycees President Jim Parker said Wednesday afternoon, “We want to thank Jim Wellahan for the use of his building and supporting us with the whole Halloween effort.”