100 years ago, 1914
The “old hotel” so-called, at North Auburn, probably the oldest structure in this section of Auburn was totally destroyed by fire Monday morning. For years it had been an inn, but, of late, had been occupied by a general store, conducted by George S. Stoddard. Stoddard managed to save the furniture from the living rooms but the stock in his store was a complete loss. He had but recently opened the business. With the store went the nearby barn owned by Eugene O. Johnson, and five tons of hay in it. With the hook and ladder horses hitched to the exercising wagon, six men from the Auburn fire department, made the trip to North Auburn in record time, considering the distance of fully six miles and the very bad condition of the roads.

50 years ago, 1964
(EDITORIAL) The State of Maine received some excellent news over the weekend with respect to industrial growth, and people in the Livermore Falls area in particular had reason to be enthused. The Allied Chemical Corporation announced its intention to construct a soda ash plant in Livermore Falls at a cost of about $4,000,000. It is the intention of the company that the plant shall be in operation by the end of 1965. Estimates are that it will provide 100 jobs. Also in Livermore Falls one of the town’s established firms, the Conte Glove Co., has announced expansion plans. These call for construction of a $100,000 plant and would bring about an increase in employment from the current 40 employees to a total of 150 and possibly more.

25 years ago, 1989
Six public school students who cannot fluently communicate in English will receive special tutoring next year after the School Committee Wednesday increased the 1989 budget proposal to pay for the services. The students, from Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, have attended the city’s schools for part or all of the past year, but it was only recently discovered by administrators that some of them could not speak or write English. It was unclear during Wednesday’s committee meeting whether any of the students had been promoted from one grade level to the next while in the Auburn system.