100 years ago, 1916
The voters of the town of Lisbon at the last town meeting authorized the superintending school committee to install at Lisbon Falls and at Lisbon departments of Domestic Science and Manual Training. The move seems to be justified so far as satisfaction on the part of the pupils and their parents is concerned. The young folks are delighted with the work they do in making things of wood and the sewing work. The parents seem to think it is fine for the children to learn to do these practical things. It is plain to be seen that the girls are learning something that is of practical value when they commence the cooking lessons. The heat that will be used comes from the blue flame oil cookers with ovens, etc. This, the school authorities believe, is more practical than the electric stoves, and most all homes have these oil stoves and very few, if any in this vicinity, have electricity to cook with.

50 years ago, 1966
A contingent of girls from the Poland Spring Job Corps Center for Women were hostesses Friday afternoon at a Christmas party at the Lewiston-Auburn Children’s Home for the home’s 35 children. Robert Richard, executive director of the home, was high in his praise of the Job Corps girls for the way they worked with the children. “You could tell they liked children,” Richard said.

25 years ago, 1991
Two Lewiston shelters are getting some help from the Maine State Housing Authority at a time when their resources are stretched thin. The Shelter Operating Subsidy — SOS — program, which is funded by the Legislature, recently awarded $10,200 to Hope Haven Gospel Mission and $7,800 to New Beginnings. Among other grants were $9,000 to the Abused Women’s Advocacy Project in Auburn and $6,600 to the Chisholm Family Shelter in South Paris.

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