DEAR SUN SPOTS: The answers to two of the questions that appeared in the July 10 Sun Spots have to do with Central Maine Community College.

First, the old poor farm was located on what is now the CMCC campus. The buildings were destroyed to make room for construction of the then Central Maine Vocational and Technical Institute.

Second, a former CMCC employee who lived in the area tells us that Dr. True’s Elixir was manufactured in a building that was located on the current CMCC campus. Only the foundation of that building remains. We have recovered some bottles from the site. — Scott E. Knapp, president, CMCC, Auburn

ANSWER: The poor house inquiry generated considerable interest. Too much for one column, in fact.

Many readers noted that the poor farm was at the CMCC site. It was there for about 90 years, after two others sites that didn’t work out as well, including one that burned to the ground.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Regarding the poor house inquiry, the use of town farms was a common method to care for the poor. The last Auburn poor house or city farm from 1873 to 1964 was on Upper Turner Street. The land now is occupied by the campus of Central Maine Community College.

The history of Auburn’s poor farms is contained in the book “Auburn: One Hundred Years a City,” pages 227-230.

Incidentally, the Lewiston city farm was on Alfred Plourde Parkway at the intersection with Goddard Road. — Douglas Hodgkin, dhodgkin@bates.edu

DEAR SUN SPOTS: Your July 10 column had an inquiry from Roberta Proctor regarding the poor farm in Auburn. I happen to be in the process of reading a book from the Auburn Public Library titled “Auburn: 100 Years a City.” On pages 228 and 229 there is a picture and a history of the poor farm.

The first poor farm was started in 1848 on a 75-acre piece of land on what is now Maple Hill. It led directly down to Lake Auburn; Lake Shore Drive did not exist at the time.

In 1852 that property was sold and another purchased in 1856. This property bordered on the old road to North Auburn, which today is directly across Lake Shore Drive from Taber’s.

The old building sat approximately where the late Donald Taber built a new home in 1967. Some of the foundation was uncovered during the grading of the grounds.

The town farm remained there for 17 years, until it burned on July 26, 1873. Shortly after that, the city purchased a piece of land on Upper Turner Street, reaching down to Lake Auburn’s southeast shore.

The farm continued until 1964 when the land was given to the state to use as a campus for the new Central Maine Technical and Vocational Institute. I must say, this book is very interesting, and the library has several copies. — Lucy Wyse, wyseone@roadrunner.com

ANSWER: An anonymous reader actually dropped off a photocopy of those pages at the Sun Journal newsroom.

Sun Spots found the section about what they did with the poor when there was no poor farm most interesting. They “bid them off.” For example, a resident who could afford it might bid a small annual stipend for a middle-aged widow in return for her housekeeping services. The bidder was also responsible for the “pauper’s” room, board and medical care and had to return her in clothing as good as what she arrived in.

DEAR SUN SPOTS: I read the Sun Spots inquiry about the old city “poor house.”

I believe they are referring to the old Auburn city farm that was located on the grounds where Central Maine Community College is now located. You can find some online information at www.mainememory.net/artifact/6684/.

In the history of the Auburn Water District, there are references back to taking water from springs located on the city farm, which is now CMCC.

Somewhere in the office we have a historical write-up about the farm. I can’t seem to find it, but will keep looking.

Always thought it was a neat piece of history. I believe the farm originally started on the north shore of the lake, but eventually moved to the CMCC location.

Just thought I’d pass this along. — John B. Storer, Auburn Water & Sewerage Districts, Auburn, jstorer@awsd.org

ANSWER: If you go to the link John provided, you can see an aerial photo of the poor farm.

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