100 years ago, 1916
An iron bridge will replace the wooden one on Bridge street, Lewiston, over the M.C.R.R. tracks. The railroad company promises to build a fine new station and the city should build a good bridge. It was the desire of the railroad to have the Bridge Street bridge discontinued to allow more trackage space. The railroad owns land north of tracks and it would have been short work for a steam shovel to raze the knolls on it. Such a move would have facilitated the making and breaking of trains and relieved periodic congestion in other freight yards. notably those of Portland.

50 years ago, 1966
One section of an Auburn street was closed by the city of Lewiston today. No — that’s right — the city of Lewiston did close a section of an Auburn street. It became necessary because of a leak in a Lewiston water pipeline. The leak developed in a line on Coolidge Street, between Bradman and Brainard streets. Lewiston Water District Superintendent Charles Vaillancourt informed Auburn police this morning that the section would have to be closed off for about two weeks. The pipe at this location is down about 20 feet.

25 years ago, 1991
If a child wants to play an instrument, he should, regardless of whether he has the money to buy one, jazz clarinetist Brad Terry believes. So the 53-year-old Topsham man has formed Encore, a non-profit organization that takes donated used instruments, cleans them up and gives them to new, young owners. “Maybe some of the strongest musicians don’t necessarily come with families that can afford (an instrument), and we may be burying a whole lot of talent,” Terry said. “If you don’t give them a chance, you will never know.” Some of the donated instruments have come from California subscribers to a jazz newsletter that mentioned Encore. Comedian/musician Steve Allen sent an uncommon instrument called a mellophone, which looks similar to a French horn. Terry himself took up the clarinet when he was dating the daughter of big band leader Benny Goodman, who lived near where Terry grew up in Stanford, Conn.

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