100 years ago, 1908

A Lewiston businessman remarked Thursday, “I would like to take a contract to care for the streets of Lewiston at $5,000 per year less than it costs the city to do it. For one thing, I will tell you there would not be so much time spent in handling gravel over. There are other ways I could economize, too. Yes sir, I will guarantee I could do it for $5,000 less and still make money on the contract.”

50 years ago, 1958

OLD ORCHARD BEACH – The fifth major fire at this ocean resort since 1900 destroyed two hotels and three other buildings Thursday at a quarter of a million dollars lost.

State fire inspectors joined town officials in seeking the cause of the spectacular early morning fire on East Grand Ave. at the edge of the amusement district.

Nobody was injured. Most of the affected property was closed for the winter. Flames raged through six wooden structures.

The two hotels leveled quickly were the 47-room Palmer House and the 32-room Vendome.

25 years ago, 1983

The legendary L.L. Bean may have known how to wield a fly rod or hunting rifle, but even his closest companions acknowledge that his skills as a camp cook left much to be desired.

So there’s probably no doubt that the late founder of the world-famous outdoors outfitter in Freeport would have benefited from the cooking tips contained in a new book that bears his name.

With nearly 500 recipes ranging from moose bourguignon to mallard Millinocket, “The L.L. Bean Game and Fish Cookbook” is a comprehensive guide on how to convert the bounty of the field and stream into a culinary masterpiece.

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