100 years ago, 1915
One hears a lot of talk of how the warring nations are wonderfully united in the present war. But they have nothing on the local Franco-Americans. The people in the city of Lewiston follow the war news just as closely, as tho the battlefield were but fifty miles away. Even in the darkest hours of the war, they have never despaired of the outcome. “France and England are going to win. They cannot lose.” This is the cry that is heard everywhere. Many of the local French can trace their ancestors to the provinces of Brittany and Picardy where some of the fiercest fighting of the war has taken place.

50 years ago, 1965
(Photo Caption) FARMINGTON MAN HAS NEW INVENTION — Harry G. Trefry, 82-year-old Farmington inventor and engineer, is pictured with his latest invention, a mobile fruit gathering apparatus that may soon replace the conventional A-type ladder used in orchards throughout the world. The unit is designed to move through an orchard with a minimum of effort and to cut down on tree and fruit damage. Trefry has filed for a patent with the U.S. Patent Office, and if secured it will be his third successful patent.

25 years ago, 1990
More than 70 parents turned out Tuesday night for a hearing on a plan that would force 163 elementary school children in Auburn to transfer buses, and the School Committee heard a variety of concerns for the children’s safety. The committee voted on Oct. 3 to implement the transfer system, but it was later put on hold following a petition drive asking for a public hearing on the issue. Jude Cyr, the business manager for the school system, said that during the second week some students were having trouble getting to school by 8:30 a.m. Some of the problems were attributed to the fact that students from all over Auburn attend Annie Woodbury School, which offers an alternative program. “It became apparent that without transfers, we couldn’t get the students to school on time,” Cyr told the committee.

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