100 years ago, 1917
Mrs. Lilia Jordan of the Hill Crest hospital in Auburn is receiving many compliments on her patriotism and generosity in offering 60 acres of land for a training ground for our troops. This land is finely located for the purpose and military men who have looked over the situation say that it is admirably adapted for the purpose. On this land is one of the finest cold springs in Maine and this would furnish all needed water for drinking and cooking purposes. Mrs. Jordan tells the Journal that in addition to the land she will place her hospital at the service of sick soldiers. The land is only a few rods away and this combination is said to be ideal.

50 years ago, 1967
Following on the heels of a U.S. Post Office Department notification that chain letters sent through the mail are in violation of the Federal lottery statute, Auburn police Capt. Leslie F. Stewart said Sunday his investigation of the rash of such letters in the community is continuing. The APD received one report from Lewiston Sunday of receipt of the chain letters, and another letter was brought into police headquarters. One woman told police she received four such letters and mailed out four, before reading a police warning that the letters constitute a Federal violation.

25 years ago, 1992
“No complete proposals” for the re-use of the Farwell Mill in Lisbon were received by the town’s March 30 deadline, the chairman of a committee trying to revive the defunct factory said Tuesday. However, the chairman, Selectman Robert Berube, said the town was successful in identifying at least four New England developers interested in the project. “Formal notification of their interest was expressed in which each indicated various plans to further study the re-use opportunities of the mill,” Berube said. The town remains interested, he said, in identifying additional developers who did not respond to the original public “request for proposals” notice.

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