100 years ago: 1925

After a Bates College professor, George M. Chase, told state legislators that many city voters had not lived in the country long enough to “understand our ideals,” Lewiston’s Quebec-descended residents grew “much aroused.” They made up about half of the city’s 36,000 population.

One unidentified “prominent Franco-American” said, “We are proud of our American citizenship. We go peaceably about our lives in Lewiston, engage in business, manufacturing and the professions, and exercise the right of franchise after we have satisfied the Supreme Court that we have met the qualifications imposed upon us for citizenship. We believe that we meet every test and requirements of American citizenship. At least we yield to no group of citizens of whatever extraction in our love for Lewiston and our loyalty to the flag.”

50 years ago: 1975

The Lewiston City Council Tuesday night unanimously denied the request for a solicitor’s license by a marijuana law reform group to raise money to support state legislation of the drug in their first meeting since numerous budget and community development sessions.

25 years ago: 2000

How best to provide municipal services while accommodating growth was the prevalent concern of voters at Saturday’s annual town meeting. Voters approved a number of zoning changes and authorized construction of a new public safety building. The public safety building, to be built on a 2.3-acre piece of land on Route 26 that voters agreed to accept from Bob Bahre, will replace the town’s aging fire and rescue barn. Voters authorized selectmen to obtain up to a $1.5 million, 30-year bond and $85,000 for construction planning to build the structure.

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