100 years ago: 1925

“The annual Patriot’s Day snow storm struck Lewiston and vicinity yesterday noon with telling effect, bringing with it between eight and nine inches of snow. Motorists out for a day’s jaunt wholly unprepared for the sudden change in the climatic conditions, found themselves, in many cases, in serious plights. Several accidents were reported on various roads leading out of Lewiston though none more serious than slightly damaged cars as result of skidding or slight collisions.

“The A. & K. had its snow plows out about the two cities early last evening, local (rail) cars in several incidents finding much difficulty in keeping schedule due to slippery rails. During the early part of the evening an Auburn heights car became temporarily derailed. Other cars were stalled along the line for several minutes duration.”

50 years ago: 1975

“Valerie Ruth Davis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Davis of 186 Main St., Auburn, was given a birthday party Friday night at her home in honor of her seventh birthday.

“Decorations were in a clown motif with a cake in the same design made by Mrs. Kathy Clark.

“Valerie has one brother, Butch, 15, and Cindy, 14. Her grandparents are Mrs. Marguerite Parker of Lewiston, and Mr. and Mrs. Willie Gosselin of Auburn, and her great-grandmother is Mrs. Abbie Fogg. Valerie attends Chamberlain School and is in the first grade.”

25 years ago: 2000

“AUBURN — City Councilor Joseph DeFilipp wants a ‘living downtown.’ It would be a place where people would want to go, where they might walk to specialty shops, watch artisans at work or spend the night in an intimate bed and breakfast.

“And best of all, it won’t cost the city any money, he said.

“The solution — the city’s “downtown enterprise zone” — is ‘elegant,’ he said. ‘You take property that already exists and you make it more valuable.’

“The rest of the council agreed, voting 6-0 on Tuesday to approve the creation of the new area. It was the first of two needed votes on the measure. The second is tentatively scheduled for a council meeting sometime in May.

“If that too passes, some kinds of small businesses would be able to move into first-floor areas beneath apartments. Rules mandating how many parking spaces would be loosened.

“The affected area would be located behind Court Street, Main Street and Minot Avenue while stretching as far south as Academy Street.”

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