100 years ago: 1925

Sensational statements made at Augusta concerning Lewiston government and Lewiston people were the talk of the town yesterday.

On street corners, in stores, street cars everywhere the discussion was warm. It was openly asserted that those responsible for the “besmirching of Lewiston’s fair name” will have to answer to the people sooner or later.

Some were inclined to place the responsibility on a very few office holders and would-bes.

“What are things coming to in this city? What is the cause of the selfish, intolerant spirit that all of a sudden is so apparent?” asked a well-known citizen of The Sun yesterday.

50 years ago: 1975

“An Earlier Ayre,” is the theme of the 7th annual Spring Music Fest which will be held at the Bates College Alumni Gym on Saturday. Sponsored by the Music-in-Service Committee of Bates College, the event will feature short performances by campus musical organizations: the College Choir, Wind Ensemble, Merimanders, Deansmen, Pep Band, Brass Quintet and the Woodwind Quintet. John Jenkins, ‘75, of Newark, N.J. will be master of ceremonies.

25 years ago: 2000

Nearly 150 years after founding the Bates Mil itself, the company with the mill’s namesake is being forced out. Bates of Maine, under the ownership of North American Heritage Brands based in Faribault, Minnesota was recently told by the city of Lewiston to leave the Bates Mill Enterprise Complex. City officials cited a suffering mill building and a desire to move manufacturing out of downtown as the reasons for the eviction.

The action leaves the city’s oldest manufacturer looking for a new space to locate, puts 125 jobs in jeopardy and will remove the major tenant in the largest building of the city-owned mill.

City Development Director Greg Mitchell said it was all or nothing if the city wanted to fix the 360,000-square-foot building No. 5, where Bates of Maine is located. Mitchell said the people of Lewiston should view the announcement as a positive one, because it will allow the company to improve and expand in Lewiston, something that may not have been possible if it remained in the mill.

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