100 Years Ago: 1923

The rate of infant mortality In Lewiston, which has been designated the highest in proportion to that of any city in the United States, has decreased during the period of the past six months, according to figures available Thursday at the office of the Lewiston health department. In 1922 statistics show that the mortality rate of infants under one year of age was 154 per thousand. In the six months of 1923 ending July 1, the rate for the same mortality class has fallen to 129, a decrease of 25 per thousand. While no direct reason for this improvement in the records is attributed by Dr. L. J. Dumont, he regards several situations as greatly bettered by parents educating themselves on subjects pertaining to child welfare.

50 Years Ago: 1973

Displaying no lack of resourcefulness over the more than half a century it’s been in existence, the Winthrop YMCA Camp at Lake Cobbosseecontee, in need of facilities, this year, called out the National Guard. With the assistance of area vocational schools and the guard, 12 new cabins, a lodge, shower building, latrine and 1,000 feet of road will be completed. For two weeks a group of six officers and 142 enlisted men of the first and second Gen. Const. P. L. T. Co. D 1330 Eng. BN. (Construction), South Portland, spent their training period with the National Guard working project. In addition to carpentry the men corrected plumbing, installed electrical appliances, built a fireplace, just to mention a few incidentals, proving a little efficiency goes a long way.

25 Years Ago: 1998

A Canadian bakery co-founded by a National Hockey League star is looking to score in Maine. Tim Hortons, Canada’s second  largest quick-service restaurant chain, has submitted a proposal to build a restaurant between the entrance of the Promenade Mall and Portland Glass on Lisbon Street. The Lewiston proposal is the third one in Maine. The other two proposals are for South Portland, according to James J. Lysen, Lewiston’s planning director.

The material used in Looking Back is produced exactly as it originally appeared although misspellings and errors may be corrected.