100 years ago, 1915
Called by a suspicious moan which came from beneath the Grand Trunk bridge at about 8 o’clock Saturday evening, persons being in that vicinity investigated to find Will Condon, who resides at 280 Main street, Auburn, immersed in the icy waters of the Androscoggin river and holding himself from being submerged by clinging to bushes on the bank. He was taken from the water and found to be suffering severely from his experience. Apparently he had fallen from the bridge and the shock caused by the fall and the numbing effect of the icy water nearly paralyzed his lower limbs. He was taken to St. Mary’s General hospital Lewiston, where it is said he is rapidly recovering.

50 years ago, 1965
Maine’s Eighth District Court which went into operation just over one month ago, is providing a busy schedule for presiding Judge Israel Alpren, as well as for his staff, and longer days are foreseen. The new court system, which replaced the Municipal Court on Feb. 3, has Judge Alpren traveling between the Southern Androscoggin Division in Lewiston and the Eastern Cumberland Division at Brunswick several times weekly. In recent days, the docket in Lewiston has kept the judge moving at a rapid pace.

25 years ago, 1990
Oxford Plains Speedway owner Michael Liberty said Thursday there are no concerts scheduled this summer at his racing facility, but he would consider allowing promoter Frank Russo to book “family-type” bands to play there. We definitely would not do any heavy metal rock concerts or anything like that.” During the summer of 1988, two successive weekend rock concerts were held at OPS. They featured Van Halen and four other heavy metal bands one weekend and The Grateful Dead over the Fourth of July weekend. The crowd of about 45,000 for the Monsters of Rock show headlined by Van Halen closed down Route 26, the major north-south highway that runs in front of the speedway. The two-day Grateful Dead performances drew an estimated 135,000 people, although only a reported 70,000 tickets were sold.

The material in Looking Back is reproduced exactly as it originally appeared, although misspellings and errors made at that time may be edited.