100 years ago, 1916
The breaking of a knuckle pin caused two cars to jack-knife in the Bates Street Maine Central Railroad yard Saturday night. The train was moving slowly and more serious damage was averted. The main line was blocked and was not cleared until early Sunday morning. The freight, including 60 cars, the greater part of which were loaded, was eastbound, arriving in Lewiston shortly after 5:15 o’clock. As it neared the round house just above Holland Street a knuckle pin between the first and second freight cars broke allowing the engine, tender and the first car to pull away from the remainder of the train. With the train broken apart the air brakes worked automatically. The strain on the heavy load was too much for an empty box car and flat car and both were jack-knifed, derailing the train.

50 years ago, 1966
Today’s the deadline for paying poll taxes in Lewiston. City Tax Collector-Treasurer Alfred Plourde pointed out that the tax, by vote of the City Council, is legally due June 1 and will be delinquent if unpaid by Oct. 1. The city will charge interest of six percent, retroactive to Aug. 1, on all delinquent bills. Plourde indicated that many of the $3 poll tax bills are still not paid.

25 years ago, 1991
There are two key points for Lewiston residents to remember this fall about their leaves: they are going to be part of a composting program, and the city will collect them during only three weeks. In previous years leaves have been collected along with regular trash and dumped in the landfill. This fall the city will pick up the leaves in separate collection vehicles and turn them over to a local landscaper to be used as mulch and for composting. The agreement calls for no money to change hands.

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