100 years ago, 1917
Auburn traffic policemen received their first coat of paint Friday and will be out doing duty at Court House Square and at Main and Court street crossing, early next week. “Silent policemen,” you understand.

50 years ago, 1967
A public hearing on the Great Falls Urban Renewal Project in Auburn is scheduled for Wednesday at the Auburn Central School auditorium. The public hearing is one of the steps necessary to final approval of the project. Following the public hearing the question goes before the City Council, and then comes final approval by the federal agencies involved. The project, as outlined, would take in the downtown section of Auburn bounded by Court, North Main, Cushing and Turner streets but would entail very few relocations of individuals. There are several businesses in the area but already some have moved and others have made plans to relocate.

25 years ago, 1992
After stalling out more than once, the Auburn School Department is finally ordering four new buses to replace an equal number of 1974-vintage Bluebirds. The 18-year-old vehicles have gas tanks located behind the right front wheel — design that makes them vulnerable to exploding in a collision. Business Manager Jude Cyr said Friday morning that he and Transportation Director Joan Hill expected to finalize a purchase agreement that afternoon with Morrison and Sylvester Inc. The local International dealer was the low bidder for the purchase, offering four 77-passenger buses with Bluebird bodies and International cabs and chassis at a total price of $195,272, said Cyr. “In a normal year, we would’ve ordered the buses in November. They’d be sitting in our yard right now,” the business manager said.

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