100 years ago, 1917
Better get to the Empire Theater early tonight, as Lewiston’s Bill Carrigan, the great World Series leader, is only one of the great crowd which will turn out to welcome the Baseball Four, the quartet of baseball players who are appearing in vaudeville this winter. These four huskies are as much at home toying with the music and lines of their sketch, “Twenty Minutes in the Clubhouse,” as they are chasing the festive fly or bumping the horsehide for a triple. A box near the stage has been reserved for Mr. Carrigan. (Editorial note: One of the performers was Red Sox backup first-baseman Hughie Bradley, who hit the first-ever home run at Fenway Park on April 26, 1912.)

50 years ago, 1967
A total of 21 buildings were torn down in Lewiston’s Park Street Urban Renewal project area during 1966, according to the annual report of the Lewiston Urban Renewal Authority which was submitted last night to the city’s board of Mayor and Aldermen. In the report, Frank S. Hoy, chairman of the board of trustees of the URA, told the aldermen that the URA has acquired title to 35 properties — 67 percent of the total.

25 years ago, 1992
For the Santa Comes to Poland Committee, it’s never too early to think about Christmas — not even on Feb. 1. The volunteer group, most visible during December holidays, has developed into an almost year-round organization. The committee met last week to critique its work of last December and to begin planning for 1992 events. “It was another busy year,” Pat Beausang reported. “Even during the month of July, Santa and his sleigh (aboard a flatbed truck) visited the Hemlocks Campground, Worldpeace Camp, Range Pond Campground, Poland Pines and Agassiz Village.” The group also experimented with a Halloween Haunted House activity, to be repeated next October.

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