100 years ago, 1917
C. J. Martin of Lewiston is the inventor of a safety improvement upon a laundry boiler. It consists of a wire basket that is placed at the bottom of the boiler and on each side of which is attached a wire from the basket to the boiler’s handles. The basket is thus brought to the top of the boiler and strains the water from the clothes at the same time. Therefore, the old fashion way of pulling the clothes out of the boiling water with a stick can be done away with. Mr. Martin has been for two years on his invention.

50 years ago, 1967
While the rainy, cool weather of the few past weeks may have disappointed vacationers, it apparently didn’t keep them from taking their scheduled trips. Several motel owners in the Twin Cities said business has been as good this year as last — if not better! Much of business volume was attributed to Expo ’67 at Montreal. Lewiston-Auburn seems to be a convenient stop-over place for those on the way to Montreal, one motel proprietor said.

25 years ago, 1992
Shy smiles, big bear hugs, nervous giggles and anxious looks were all part of the picture Thursday as 68 New York children arrived at Pettengill Park in Auburn for the beginning of a two-week vacation in Maine. The children arrived under picture-perfect weather conditions as part of the Fresh Air Fund program, a program that matches inner-city New York kids with host families in Maine. Their arrival at Hasty Community Center followed a tiring but smooth seven-hour bus trip.

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