100 years ago: 1925

Under a front-page headline that read “We Must Raise $2,000 To Send Bates Team To Debate Britishers,” the Lewiston Journal declared it would undertake to raise the cash necessary “for this most important of all international debates. Let’s get behind the plucky Maine college and give the boys a big send off,” the paper said.  The trip would be the team’s second journey to Oxford and other English universities, the story said. “Local and state pride should be behind the project,” the Journal said. “Maine, if it has a desire to stand behind a college that DOES things, will surely not see this trip fail for lack of funds.”

50 years ago: 1975

“Members of the Abou Ben Adhem Lodge of Odd Fellows observed their 100th anniversary Saturday night, and honored four of their long-time members. The event took place at IOOF Hall on Pleasant Street, Auburn. The four honored for their lengthy membership are Leston A. Brackett, past grand master, 55 years; T. Edgar Hudson, 56 years; Ralph Howard, 60 years; and Clyde Thorpe, 52 years. Other members attending were Bernard Helwig, noble grand; John O. Neal, grand master; Lawrence A. Tidswell, past grand master and grand secretary; Charles E. Kalor, grand treasurer; Elton H. Fales, past grand master; Millard C. Stevens, deputy grand master; Ronald Överlook, grand warden; Lydia H. Curtis, representative to I.A.R.A.; James H. Bremner, past grand; and Forrest Curtis. past grand master and past grand representative.”

25 years ago: 2000

“That black coaxial cable that brings TV programs to 20,000 homes in Lewiston and Auburn is being changed to deliver the Internet, too. Adelphia Communications Corp., which took over the Twin Cities’ cable system last fall, is premiering a new, high-speed Internet service here this month. The change follows similar offerings by other cable companies in the Portland and Brunswick area. It’s meant to compete with standard phone-based systems in which people’s computers dial into a central Internet link, as well as new, higher-speed and higher-priced digital subscriber lines. Typical subscriptions for standard service cost about $20 per month. Adelphia’s new offering costs about twice the standard: $39.95. But it works much faster and doesn’t tie up a phone line. It works by running a cable — the same one that plugs into the TV — into a computer.”

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