100 Years Ago: 1923

Suspended by his foot from an airplane 1,000 feet in the air, George  M. Sparks, noted “daredevil,” narrowly escaped falling to his death while practicing a new balancing feat on the tip of the upper wing of the  airplane, above their landing field on upper Main street, Lewiston, Friday morning. It was the first time in his life he had ever become nervous, he told a Journal reporter. He said he has not lost his nerve, however, and will perform the feats contracted for at the fairgrounds Friday and Saturday afternoons.

50 Years Ago: 1973

The report of an ape having been seen in Durham last night took on new dimensions today, as several more individuals reported they, too, had seen “it”.  According to Auburn Dog Officer Louis Pinette, the “thing” has been described as being anywhere in size and reality from a small chimpanzee to a 350-pound black bear. It all began last night when Mrs. George Huntington of Durham spotted “it” running into the woods along the River Road, at the Durham-Brunswick town line. She called the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department and they contacted Pinette. Incoming reports have described the animal as “a  gorilla,” “a bear”, “an orangutan” or “a large dog.”

25 Years Ago: 1998

A fire at 184 Bartlett St. forced the evacuation of more than two dozen residents early Sunday evening. No serious injuries resulted from the blaze, which fire investigators said spread behind a wall in the rear center of the top floor of the four story apartment building. One firefighter was believed to have suffered a sprained ankle at the scene.

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