100 years ago, 1913
“Next year,” said the people as they turned away from the open square at the head of Lisbon street, Christmas Eve, “we must have another community Christmas tree, with more singers and a band of music, and a more general gathering of all the people.” But just the same, the scene of Christmas Eve at ten o’clock in Lewiston, and a like one in Auburn in the little square in front of the County buildings, were full of the true Christmas spirit, sweet in suggestiveness, and in each case attended by crowds of people. In Lewiston fully 1000 were gathered around the trees, when from the curbing, where the carol singers had gathered. There sounded the first note of the old English carol, “When Shepherds Watched Their Flocks by Night.” On every side were shoppers with their parcels.

50 years ago, 1963
Residents of two apartments had to flee into the street as a two-alarm fire heavily damaged a three-story building at Birch and Knox streets in Lewiston yesterday afternoon. Fire fighters from Lewiston and Auburn, working in sub-freezing temperatures, knocked out the stubborn blaze as it was licking at nearby dwellings in the heavily populated district. Damage to the building and contents was estimated at $10,000 by Lewiston Fire Chief Roland G. Dumais. He reported the blaze started inside Norm’s Café, which is situated on the first floor of the wooden building. The cafe was badly gutted. The owner had left the premises about a half hour earlier. He had no idea how the holiday blaze got started.

25 years ago, 1988
Michael Allen said his roommate had to remind him to buy a Tri-State Megabucks ticket last week, but that reminder resulted in Allen’s being the only winner of a jackpot of $5.66 million. Allen, 26, a former taxi-driver who got a job about a week ago gluing checks together at Veribest Business Systems Inc. in Auburn, said he used to play the Massachusetts state lottery when he was in the U.S. Army a few years ago.