100 years ago, 1916
George H. Gilman, a former Lewiston boy, for the past five years a machinist in the Hollingsworth and Whitney paper mill, Gardiner, has recently resigned his position with that company to become master mechanic at the Webster Woolen mill, Sabattus, and will soon move his family to that place. Mr. Gilman, who is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Gilman of Lewiston, is an all round mechanic, skilled electrician, with a thorough knowledge of gasoline engine construction, this having been acquired by four year’s actual practice while with the Kennebec Engine people at Bath. He holds an engineer’s license for any kind of gasoline propelled craft up to 200 gross tons. He also holds an operator’s or pilot’s license for boats of fifteen tons and under.

50 years ago, 1966
A prominent Lewiston restaurateur announced Wednesday that he will open a branch in the proposed Shoppers’ Mall at Livermore Falls. William Dumais, owner of Chuck Wagon Inc., with units in Lewiston and Brunswick, said he recently obtained the first lease from the Livermore Falls Development Corporation for the property formerly known as the Deakin Block in a proposed downtown mall. Dumnis said he intends on investing about $50,000 in making the restaurant facility available. He noted it would include a large dining room, cocktail lounge and some banquet rooms. The total capacity may be about 150 persons, Dumais reported

25 years ago, 1991
Auburn city planners have drafted several proposed changes to the Shoreland Zoning Ordinance as mandated by state regulations that will see more stringent guidelines and enforcement of activities along bodies of water and within wetland areas. “We’re most concerned with the wetlands issue,” said Lee Jay Feldman, the city’s principal planner. “The state has identified wetlands of 10 acres or more and required shoreland zoning, but some pieces of land, by eye, don’t look like a wetland.” That designation may be pretty hard for some landowners to swallow, he said.

The material in Looking Back is reproduced exactly as it originally appeared, although misspellings and errors made at that time may be edited.