100 years ago, 1914
The last touch needed to consecrate the Lewiston Athletic park to the national game was added Thursday afternoon with the raising of the American flag and long blue pennant underneath It. John West, a patriotic man of Lewiston, member of the First Maine Cavalry in the War of the Rebellion, headed a list of 20 men who bought the flag staff. The teams formed a semi-circle at the western end of the grandstand. Mr. West had decided that ceremony would be out of place and that a simple hauling of the flag to the masthead would be in the better form. Mr. West took the halyards and as some one held the under rope from catching in the folds of the flag he hoisted until far above the grandstand, bellying idly but proudly with the slothful breeze was the flag of the nation and the flag of the club.

50 years ago, 1964
Some Lewiston Aldermen have complained about plans of the Urban Renewal Authority which calls for doing away with the Bates Street Playground, but actually, the city fathers can relocate the same playground just a few feet away from its present location, it was stated today by a URA official who said the URA has set aside a plot of land which contains 37,260 square feet of area for municipal use, and the aldermen can “do whatever they want to do with it.” The area runs about 175 feet on Bates Street, and 225 feet on Oak, and if a playground were to be located there, “it would be closer to the residential areas of College and Oak Sts., than the present playground is right now,” he said.

25 years ago, 1989
Harriman Associates of Auburn has been selected to design the proposed $4 million new Lewiston Public Library. According to library director Richard Speer, Harriman’s offered “a combination of things” in beating out 16 other competitors for the job. The building committee is calling for a structure of 38,000 square feet, which includes about 28,600 usable square feet. The current library has about 12,500 square feet of usable space. The committee also is recommending that the new library be located across the street from the Lewiston post office at Park and Ash streets, fronting on Ash. The new facility will present “a major change in direction,” Speer said.