100 years ago, 1915
It is good news that the Grand Trunk and electric railway systems centering in Lewiston and Auburn are to be united by a track radiating from the electric tracks on Lincoln Street. It is shown that this federation will save freight-payers a lot of money. It is a beginning of the realization of that broad co-operation which the Journal urged upon the city governments of Lewiston and Auburn last spring, but which neither city government up to this time has taken seriously. There has been no concerted action, such as there should be on the part of our Boards of Trade, Chambers of Commerce and city governments to prevent such outrageous discrimination against business as threatens to drive Auburn’s big bakers out of the city.

50 years ago, 1965
People in the Rumford area with a 364 or 369 telephone exchange must remember to dial all seven numbers when placing local calls, beginning Saturday. On that date, touch-tone, call waiting, call forwarding and three way calling will go into effect, according to Peter Novak, public relations manager for New England Telephone. The new service is made possible by conversion to digital, or computer assisted switching facilities installed by New England Telephone. According to Novak, one of the most frequent complaints the company receives after advanced calling features are in effect is that calls aren’t going through. “When someone calls,” he said, “and says they can’t reach a number they are used to dialing, we always ask if they are dialing all seven numbers.”

25 years ago, 1990
Structural work on the new Hahnel Bros. Sheet Metal plant located on Strawberry Avenue in Lewiston is nearly completed, and the firm should move its operation to the new site in the spring. When completed the building will consist of a 95×176-foot work area and 100×24 feet of office space. The firm plans to eventually move its entire operation to the new plant, but in the meantime, the company’s radiator repair shop will remain at the lower Main Street building. Hahnel Bros. plans to either sell or demolish the older structure.

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