100 Years Ago: 1921

The weather man waited until the 60th exhibition of the Maine State fair to usher in the opening day with sunny skies. A happy set of officials proclaimed that the fair was on and the exhibitors hastened to put the finishing touches on their exhibits. More livestock arrived, there was revelry in the midway, and the people began to pour through the turnstiles. Horsemen limbered up their steeds and In the exposition building merchants vied with one another in arranging their displays. Tuesday was a good opening day with races and vaudeville in the afternoon to entertain.

50 Years Ago: 1971

By a 615 vote margin. Atty. John R. Linnell was elected mayor of Auburn in Monday’s Municipal election defeating his lone opponent, Ward Three Councilman Eugene M. Emery  2,678 to 2,063. Linnell outpolled Emery in every ward with the exception of Ward Four. Following the results last night, the mayor elect announced there would be no frilly inaugural ceremonies at the Oct. 4 council meeting. Linnell has gone on record saying that inaugural ceremonies in Auburn are a waste of money.

25 Years Ago: 1996

There are artists in western Maine who are putting their brushes to canvas to help the McLaughlin Gardens preservation effort by donating original works of art for an October auction. On Thursday seven artists spent most of the morning sitting in the garden in front of their easels, painting images of flowers, mature green trees, watering cans and long, winding garden paths. Fifteen paintings will be donated by the Western Maine Art Group to the nonprofit McLaughlin Foundation as a result of this week’s effort. And all the artwork will be auctioned off at the Oxford Hills Business Showcase on Oct. 12. The proceeds from that sale will go toward  helping to buy and preserve the 3.5 acre garden on Main Street established by Bernard McLaughlin over the past 60 years. Artists who have volunteered their time and talent are not limiting their painting and sketched creations to the perennials in the garden, but have incorporated the rustic red barn and massive white  colonial house in the background of many of the serene scenes.

The material used in Looking Back is produced exactly as it originally appeared although misspellings and errors may be corrected.


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