100 years ago, 1915
Eyes never danced brighter than those of Emil Schott of Lewiston, when he was informed by a Lewiston Journal representative that he had won the prize for the best corn raised from seed furnished by the Atherton Furniture company, Lewiston. The contest was entered by 100 contestants under 16 years of age, and tho many of them were forced to drop out on account of the poor season, many remained to show their corn the first of October. Master Emil was found in school, where he is studying in the ninth grade of the Frye grammar. When he was told of his fortune, his eyes fairly danced and he hopped off the floor in his excitement. “Then I really got the $10? Oh, I was so afraid I wasn’t going to get it,” he excitedly said.

50 years ago, 1965
A nationally known shirt manufacturer is conducting a labor survey in the Lewiston-Auburn area to determine if the company can find a large enough labor force to construct a plant in Auburn. Auburn City Manager Woodbury E. Brackett confirmed Friday night that the C. F. Hathaway Company of Watervale, Dover – Foxcroft and Lowell, Mass., is considering Auburn as a possible location for operations. He said the Maine Employment Security Commission office in Lewiston will be registering women today who are interested in working for the company.

25 years ago, 1990
Franco-Americans hold the balance of power in Maine politics, according to Dr. Christian P. Potholm II, professor of government at Bowdoin College in Brunswick. In a presentation to the Bowdoin Club of Androscoggin County Friday, he noted that in typical elections the Republican candidate trails the Democrat by 23,000 votes in Androscoggin County due to the Franco-American vote. Across Maine 18 percent of the voters identify themselves as ethnic French.
Noting that the Democratic party in Maine has traditionally been dominated by Irish-Americans who favor liberal policies, he said the only reason Franco-Americans are generally Democrats is because the mill owners were Republicans.

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