100 years ago: 1925

After a lawmaker said the Ku Klux Klan was behind a proposed finance commission bill for Lewiston in the state Legislature, one of the city’s representatives, Edward Gagne, called the assertion “absurd, childish nonsense.”

He said he could not understand why a Bangor colleague would make such a comment.

“I had supposed that he was a gentleman and would fight in a gentlemanly manner. But that is unfair, unjust. I am astonished.”

50 years ago: 1975

Major Eugene Hart, representing Maine’s adjutant general, told members of the Auburn Recreational Facilities Study Commission that he was “sure we can work something out” for the city to use the Hasty Memorial Armory. He told them state leaders “want municipalities to use state armories as much as possible” and promised “we try not to make any money on the situation.”

The commission chair, Malcolm Philbrook, said the panel is “looking for a facility the recreation department can call home” and the armory’s Pettengill Park location is a good one for the city.

25 years ago: 2000

Nearly two dozen chess players will represent Lewiston High School at the Maine State High School Team Chess Championship Saturday in Bangor. Last year’s team of 18 distinguished itself by placing second in the state in the championship section and winning a team prize in the reserve section. This year’s team of 22 is looking to improve those results.

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