100 years ago, 1915
(Instructions for telephone greetings via New England Telephone and Telegraph, Lewiston.) The Message and Answer Included in One Low Rate. 1. You will not be charged on such a call if you do not get the person for whom you ask. 2. You can make a toll call from any telephone. 3.You can obtain rates to any office by asking the Toll Operator. No charge for such a call. 4. You can talk about 100 words per minute — the average speed of a telephone message. 5. You can learn the cost at the termination of your message by asking the Toll Operator who records the details of your call. 6. If you can’t find the number in your directory, you can call for the party wanted by giving name and address. 7. If the person wanted has no telephone, we will try to arrange to call him to a pay station, if the caller will pay a small additional charge for messenger service. 6. When you leave your office or your home, tell your associates where you are going and your toll call will follow you.

50 years ago, 1965
The fate of the DeWitt Hotel of Lewiston may not be the pile of rubble as it has appeared up to now. If a prospect contacted by Lewiston Economic Development Officer Samuel Michael can negotiate successfully with officials of the Franklin Company, owner of the property, it may be saved. Michael told the Journal today that he has contacted people in Boston who may be interested in purchasing the hotel.

25 years ago, 1990
A spokesman for L.L. Bean Inc. said Tuesday that the firm is considering moving its Lisbon Falls manufacturing operation out of town. Bean opened its Lisbon Falls plant in June 1987 in the Industrial Park off Route 196, in a building formerly occupied by Lewiston Shoe Machine Co. The operation employs 100 people, most of whom were transferred to Lisbon from the Freeport facility.

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