100 years ago, 1912
The improvements now going on to better the Dennison Street bridge in Auburn will virtually make a new structure. All the old planks were taken up and new three-inch planks put down in their place. Over these were placed a layer of tarred paper and this in turn was covered with inch boards. This made the foundation for a thick layer of concrete. This will be two inches thick at the edges and four inches in the middle where the greatest strain from autos and teams will come. The bridge has been closed to all traffic except the electric cars. Altho there are signs up saying that the street is closed many autos try to pass. The bridge has now been closed one week and it will take several days more to lay the concrete and have it dry sufficiently for traffic.

50 years ago, 1962
The Lewiston-Auburn Chapter of the American Red Cross received an unexpected windfall this week when its treasurer was made richer by a donation of $88.60. The funds came from the bank account of the now-defunct Maine Sweet Corn Growers Association. The organization operated some years ago and with great success, but changing times diminished interest and many of its members are now deceased. Its president gained permission of the remaining members to make a gift of its funds to the Red Cross’ program, letting the M.S.C.G.A. slide quietly into history.

25 years ago, 1987
Auburn officials will meet Wednesday with a representative of the federal Environmental Protection Agency over the status of the Gracelawn Road landfill site, City Manager Paula R. Valente said Monday. The EPA has been studying the background of the long-term municipal dumping site to determine if it poses enough of a health hazard to qualify for federal clean-up dollars under the Superfund law. But it could be years before the site is eligible for the money, depending on how high it ranked, so Valente said the city is looking into what could be done locally between now and then.