Lewiston, Maine

Lewiston, in Androscoggin County, is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of Maine. The estimated 2006 population was 35,734. It is one of two principal cities of and included within the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan New England City and Town Area and the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area (which is part of the Portland-Lewiston-South Portland, Maine Combined Statistical Area).

A former industrial center, it is located in south-central Maine, at the falls of the Androscoggin River, across from Auburn. Lewiston and Auburn are often thought of as a single entity and referred to as Lewiston-Auburn, which is colloquially abbreviated as L-A or L/A, and have a combined population of roughly 59,000 people. Lewiston is home to Bates College, the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, the University of Southern Maine's Lewiston-Auburn College, and two significant regional general hospitals: Central Maine Medical Center and Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center.

[edit] History

Lewiston was settled in 1770 and officially incorporated in 1795. At least four houses that have survived from this period are currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

[edit] Industrial development

In 1809, Michael Little built a large wooden sawmill next to the falls. Burned in 1814 by an arsonist, it was later rebuilt. In 1836, local entrepreneurs — predominantly the Little family and friends — formed the Androscoggin Falls Dam, Lock and Canal Company:

"...for the purpose of erecting and constructing dams, locks, canals, mills, works, machines, and buildings on their own lands and also manufacturing cotton, wool, iron, steel, and paper in the towns of Lewiston, Minot, and Danville." ^[1]

Benjamin E. Bates from 1877-78 The Bates Student

Later reorganized as the Lewiston Water Power Company the new sales of stock attracted Boston investors — including Thomas J. Hill, Lyman Nichols, George L. Ward, Alexander De Witt, and Benjamin E. Bates (namesake of the Bates Mill and Bates College) – who financed a canal system and several textile mills on the Androscoggin River. This began Lewiston's transformation from a small village into a textile city on the model provided by Lowell, Massachusetts. The Bates Mill remained the largest employer in Lewiston from the 1850s to the 21st century.

Lewiston's population boomed in the 19th century. During the Civil War, high demand for textiles provided Lewiston with a strong industrial base. Starting in the 1870s, railroad connections to Canada brought an influx of French-Canadian millworkers, replacing the former "yankee millgirls", and the city's population has been largely Franco-American since. The Franco-Americans settled in an area downtown that became known as "Little Canada".

The local Kora Shrine was organized in 1891 and held its first meetings in a Masonic temple on Lisbon street. This group would from 1908 to 1910 build the Kora Temple on Sabattus street, the largest home of a fraternal organization in the state. Architect George M. Coombs designed this Moorish style structure.

City leaders decided to build a cathedral in which the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland could relocate. Construction of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul began in 1905 and ended in 1938, mostly funded through thousands of small donations from Lewiston residents. It is the largest Roman Catholic Church in Maine, and Lewiston's most prominent landmark. While the Diocese of Portland did not relocate to Lewiston, the church became a basilica in 2004. It is one of the few American basilicas located outside of a major metropolitan area.

Lewiston factories circa 1910

[edit] Industrial decline

Starting in the late 1950s,many of Lewiston's textile mills, which were the city's economic base and had once produced a quarter of American textiles, began closing. This gradually led to a run-down and abandoned downtown area. Chain stores previously located downtown -- Woolworth's, W. T. Grant, S. S. Kresge, JC Penney and Sears Roebuck -- shut their doors or moved to malls on the outskirts of Lewiston or Auburn. The city's flagship department store, the four-story B. Peck & Co. (home to Santa Claus every Christmas season), closed after more than a century in business in 1982. As businesses and jobs began to leave the city, people followed. The population stopped increasing at its previous rate and began to slowly decline after 1970. The greatest decline in population took place between the 1990 and 2000 censuses.

[edit] Economic diversification and renaissance

Following a difficult economic period in the 1980s that saw high unemployment and downtown stagnation, several key events have led to a period of economic and cultural renaissance, including the transformation of the historic Bates Mill Complex. Because the city took over the Bates Mill Complex in 1992 after backtaxes went unpaid, years of taxpayer frustration in the city's need to maintain the 1,100,000-square-foot (102,000 m²) behemoth led to two referenda (one non-binding vote, the other binding). Voters soundly supported the need to pursue redevelopment by maintaining the property and selling it to private developers. In 2001, the city sold three mill buildings to local developers Platz Associates, and in 2003, sold the Bates Mill Complex, with the exception of Mill 5 and a small support building. For the next four years, a number of business enterprises flourished after Platz redeveloped the mill building.

In May 2004, the City of Lewiston announced a plan for urban renewal near its downtown area. The plan is to demolish several blocks of nineteenth-century millworker housing, lay new streets with updated infrastructure, construct more owner-occupied, lower-density housing, and build a boulevard through one neighborhood using federal Community Development Block Grant funds provided over a period of ten years. Many residents of the affected neighborhoods felt that the plan was initially announced with very little input from them. They formed a neighborhood group called "The Visible Community," which has since been actively involved in the planning process. The result has been collaboration with neighbors and city officials to redesign Kennedy Park, including input on the location of new basketball courts, and feedback regarding creation of the largest all-concrete skate park in Maine.

Downtown is now home to a new headquarters for Oxford Networks, along with a $20 million upgrade in local fiber optics, a new auto parts store, a campus for Andover College, the headquarters for Northeast Bank, a parking garage, and the newly renovated Maine Supply Co. building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. That facility is now called the Business Service Center at Key Bank Plaza, and is home to the local Chamber of Commerce, the Lewiston-Auburn Economic Growth Council, and an innovative arrangement with a number of business service providers. The area's renaissance has gained local, regional, and national recognition. In 2002 and again in 2006, the L-A area led the state in economic development activity, according to the Maine Department of Economic and Community Development's list of business investments and expansions. In a 2006 KPMG International study measuring the cost of locating and maintaining a business, Lewiston ranked first among the New England communities analysed, and finished 24th out of 49 U.S. communities analyzed.

Lewiston also earned a 2007 All-America City designation by the National Civic League. The national competition “recognizes communities whose residents work together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and achieve measurable, uncommon results.” Only 10 cities are selected as All-America Cities each year. Lewiston was the first Maine city in 40 years to earn the distinction. (The last Maine city to earn the award was Auburn in 1967.)

In 2007, plans were announced for a new Wal-Mart Supercenter near Exit 80 on Interstate 95 as well as a new Marriott Courtyard downtown.

[edit] Bantu migration

In 2001, approximately 1,100 Bantus began immigrating to Lewiston from Somalia and the greater Atlanta area.

Bantus are not ethnic Somalis; they are the descendants of slaves first brought to Somalia by slave traders in the 19th century from Tanzania, Mozambique and Malawi. Bantus represent less than 2% of the population in Somalia, and are, by most accounts, a persecuted visible minority. Sharp physical differences also distinguish the Bantus from Somalis. The former have darker skin and are shorter and more muscular with broader features and kinkier hair than the Somalis.^[2]

In October 2002, then-Mayor Laurier T. Raymond wrote an open letter addressed to leaders of the Somali community, predicting a negative impact on the city's social services and requesting that Somali leaders discourage further Bantu relocation to Lewiston. The letter angered some persons and prompted some community leaders and residents to speak out against the mayor, drawing national attention. Demonstrations were held in Lewiston, both by those who supported the Bantus' presence and those who opposed it.

In January 2003, a small group from the white supremacist group The World Church of the Creator demonstrated in Lewiston in support of the mayor, prompting a simultaneous counter-demonstration of about 4,000 people [2] at Bates College and the organization of the "Many and One Coalition". Only 32 attended the rally by the World Church of the Creator. The Mayor was out of state on the day of the rallies, while the governor and other dignitaries attended.

In 2006 an incident occurred in which a severed frozen pig's head was thrown into a Lewiston mosque while they were praying. This was considered wildly offensive by the Islamic community because they are forbidden to touch pigs. The culprit admitted to the act and claimed he considered it to be a joke. He later committed suicide. ^[3]

[edit] Economy

Central Maine Medical Center is the city's largest employer. Lewiston-Auburn has also become one of Maine's busiest distribution and logistics hubs. The area is served by the Saint Lawrence & Atlantic Railroad and northern New England's only double-stack freight container service, along with an intermodal transportation facility. Auburn became a U.S. Customs Port of Entry in 2002. In 2004, Auburn received approval to establish a Foreign Trade Zone encompassing 760 acres (3.1 km²). A number of distribution centers are located in the area, including the state's largest facility, a Wal-Mart food distribution center serving New England Wal-Mart Supercenters.

[edit] Culture

The Lewiston Public Library has played a major role in the emerging culture of Lewiston. It was renovated and expanded in 1996. The library is located downtown and has over 100,000 books in its collection. Recently, it has opened the Marsden Hartley Cultural Center, holding various events such as concerts and film festivals.

The Franco-American Heritage Center opened recently in what was formerly St. Mary's Parish. The building acts as a center for Franco-American related performances as well as a museum of the city's Franco-American past.

Much of the artistic life of the city revolves around the Bates College Museum of Art and the Atrium Gallery at the University of Southern Maine campus in Lewiston.

Lewiston also features The Public Theatre, which puts on different plays throughout the year with about six to eight productions per season.

[edit] Events

The Great Falls Balloon Festival - Held annually, fills the Lewiston sky with hot air balloons for a festival weekend in August.
Festival FrancoFun - Formerly known as Festival de Joie, Festival FrancoFun is held annually at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee and is a celebration of the city's Franco-American heritage. The festival features performances from French-Canadian musicians as well as native French-Canadian food.
Liberty Festival - Held on July 4th of each year, the festival is the name given to the fireworks event over the Great Falls of the Androscoggin River in between the twin cities.

[edit] Media

The city's daily newspaper, the Lewiston Sun Journal is one of the most widely circulated newspapers in the state, serving many areas neighboring the twin cities. It was established as the Lewiston Daily Sun in 1893.

The free periodical the Twin City Times is published and Auburn and can be found at many different businesses around Lewiston.

Bates College's Radio Station, WRBC, is a very popular and widely participated college radio station. During the summer and other college vacations, citizens from the Lewiston area are allowed to participate in broadcasting and sign up for their own radio shows.

[edit] Sports and recreation

Androscoggin Bank Colisee

The center of sports in Lewiston is the Androscoggin Bank Colisée. The Lewiston MAINEiacs, the only American team in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League play here. The MAINEiacs won the President's Cup for the 2006-2007 season. Several MAINEiacs have been drafted by the NHL, some in the early rounds of the draft. The Colisée is also the home to the state Class A and Class B high school hockey championships each year. The city as a whole is known for its strong passion for the game of hockey, likely related to its French-Canadian heritage. Two Lewiston schools, Lewiston High School and St. Dominic Regional High School (now located in Auburn), combine for over half of the state class A high school hockey championships in the state's history.

[edit] Transportation

Lewiston is located on I-95 (the Maine Turnpike) at exit 80.

Vermont Transit operates a bus station downtown with buses going to Boston.

Public transportation is offered in the twin cities through CityLink, also known as "purple bus" (the buses are purple). It operates nine different bus lines throughout the twin cities, four of which go through Lewiston.

[edit] Education

Lewiston's public education system has recently seen a new building constructed for Farwell Elementary School and another is currently planned for Pettingill School. Lewiston schools generally perform below average for the state on standardized tests.

The city is also home to Bates College, one of the most prestigious small colleges in the country.

[edit] Colleges and universities

Andover College
Bates College
University of Southern Maine - Lewiston/Auburn Campus

[edit] Public schools

Lewiston High School (9-12) 1,446 students
Lewiston Regional Technical Center (9-12)
Lewiston Middle School (7-8) 723 students
Farwell Elementary School (K-6) 299 students
Governor James B Longley Elementary School (K-6) 254 students
Martel School (K-6) 291 students
Montello School (K-6) 839 students
Pettingill School (K-6) 314 students
Thomas J McMahon Elementary School (K-6) 476 students

[edit] Private schools

Trinity Catholic School (K-8) (recent merger of Holy Cross and St. Joseph's schools in Lewiston and St. Peter and Sacred Heart School in Auburn)
The Discovery School (PK-12)
Vineyard Christian School (PK-12)

[edit] Geography

Lewiston is located at 44°5′51″N, 70°11′33″W (44.097473, -70.192416)^[4].According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 35.2 square miles (91.1 km²), of which, 34.1 square miles (88.3 km²) of it is land and 1.1 square miles (2.8 km²) of it (3.13%) is water. Lewiston is drained by the Androscoggin River, which is located on its western border. Lewiston is bordered by the city of Auburn beyond the river, and the towns of Greene, Sabattus, and Lisbon. It is located between Portland, the state's biggest city and cultural center, and the state capital of Augusta.

[edit] Climate

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Avg high temperature °F (°C)	29 (-2)	32 (0)	41 (5)	53 (12)	66 (19)	75 (24)	81 (27)	79 (26)	70 (21)	59 (15)	46 (8)	33 (1)	55 (13)
Avg low temperature °F (°C)	11 (-12)	13 (-11)	24 (-4)	34 (1)	45 (7)	55 (13)	61 (16)	60 (16)	51 (11)	41 (5)	31 (-1)	18 (-8)	37 (3)
Precipitation in. (cm)	3.5 (9)	3.4 (9)	4.0 (10)	4.1 (10)	3.7 (9)	3.7 (9)	3.4 (9)	3.2 (8)	3.0 (8)	3.9 (10)	5.0 (13)	4.5 (11)	45.3 (115)
Source: Weatherbase

[edit] Demographics

Historical populations
Census	Pop.	%±
1790	532	—
1800	948	78.2%
1810	1,038	9.5%
1820	1,312	26.4%
1830	1,549	18.1%
1840	1,801	16.3%
1850	3,584	99.0%
1860	7,424	107.1%
1870	13,600	83.2%
1880	19,083	40.3%
1890	21,701	13.7%
1900	23,761	9.5%
1910	26,247	10.5%
1920	31,791	21.1%
1930	34,948	9.9%
1940	38,598	10.4%
1950	40,974	6.2%
1960	40,804	-0.4%
1970	41,779	2.4%
1980	40,481	-3.1%
1990	39,757	-1.8%
2000	35,690	-10.2%
Est. 2006	35,734	0.1%
sources:^[5]^[6]

As of the census^[7] of 2000, there were 35,690 people, 15,290 households, and 8,654 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,047.0 people per square mile (404.2/km²). There were 16,470 housing units at an average density of 483.2/sq mi (186.5/km²).

The racial make-up of the city as of the 2000 Census was 95.75% White, 1.07% African American, 0.28% Native American, 0.84% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.36% from other races, and 1.66% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.26% of the population.

People of French descent are by far the most represented ethnic group in Lewiston, with 29.4% being of French-Canadian descent and 18.3% French. Following French are Irish at 10.2% and English at 9.9%. These numbers are from the 2000 Census, so do not include the recent migration of Bantus to the city.

There were 15,290 households out of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% were married couples living together, 11.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% were non-families. 35.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.17 and the average family size was 2.81.

The median income for a household in the city was $29,191, and the median income for a family was $40,061. Males had a median income of $30,095 versus $21,810 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,905. About 10% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.8% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.

Language
From Modern Language Association Data Center

Language	Population	Percentage (%)
English	24,250	72.51%
French	8,620	25.77%
Spanish	280	0.83%
Other languages	293	0.88%

Voter Registration

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of November, 2006^[8]
Party		Total Voters	Percentage
	Republican	4,146	17.7%
	Democratic	10,678	45.6%
	Unaffiliated	7,680	32.8%
	Green Party	869	3.8%
	Minor Parties	27	0.1%
Total		23,400	100%

[edit] Notable residents

City Hall in 1908

Erin Andrews, television sports reporter
Benjamin E. Bates, industrialist, founder of the Bates Mills and benefactor of Bates College
Louis J. Brann, governor of Maine during the Great Depression
Edward Burgess Butler, businessman and founder of Butler Brothers Department Stores
Tom Caron, sportscaster
Bill Carrigan, manager of Boston Red Sox and two-time World Series winner
Ernie Coombs C.M., children's television entertainer and Order of Canada recipient
Patrick Dempsey, actor and star of the television series Grey's Anatomy
Thomas A. Desjardin, historian of the American Civil War
Nelson Dingley, Jr., governor of Maine, U.S. congressman, and chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee
Thomas Edward Downey, major league baseball player
Howard Fogg, film composer
William P. Frye, U.S. congressman, U.S. senator, and president pro tempore of the Senate
Joey Gamache, boxer and World Lightweight Champion
Alonzo Garcelon, governor of Maine
Joe Harris, actor in 45 silent films (1914-23), mostly Westerns
Marsden Hartley, modernist painter
Edward C. Hayes, sociologist, and president of the American Sociological Association
Ray LaMontagne, folk singer and song-writer
Luscious Lance Levesque (aka Jon Paradis), professional wrestler
James B. Longley, governor of Maine
James B. Longley, Jr., politician
Cynthia McFadden, newscaster
Daniel J. McGillicuddy, U.S. congressman
Frederick G. Payne, governor of Maine and U.S. senator
Rene Rancourt, singer
Caleb Sampson, film composer
Orland Smith, railroad executive & soldier
Walter Thornton, major league baseball player
Clarence White, guitar player and member of the rock group The Byrds

Many others have ties to Lewiston from attending Bates College:

See also: List of Bates College people

[edit] In popular culture

Muhammad Ali's famous Liston Knockout took place at what is now known as the Androscoggin Bank Colisée, formerly Central Maine Civic Center (on Birch St.) in Lewiston on May 25, 1965. Photographer Neil Leifer made a trip back to the venue in May 2005 to commemorate his famous color photograph for a feature to be published in a future edition of Sports Illustrated.
The Farmer's Almanac is printed in Lewiston.
The Lewiston MAINEiacs of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is the league's lone U.S.-based franchise.
Lewiston is the setting for the fictitious Kingdom Hospital, featured in the thirteen-episode miniseries developed by horror writer Stephen King. In 1999 when King was struck by a car while walking in Lovell, Maine, he was flown by helicopter and treated at Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston. In the mini-series, the hospital is built on the site of a textile mill which made military uniforms during the American Civil War, which the Bates Mill and other Lewiston textile factories actually did. King attended elementary school in the nearby town of Durham, Maine and high school in the neighboring town of Lisbon Falls, Maine
Twins Francis Edgar Stanley and Freelan O. Stanley invented the photographic dry plate process, that they used in their studio on Lisbon Street in the late 19th century. They later sold the patent to a company that became Eastman Kodak. They eventually went on to invent the Stanley Steamer.

[edit] Places of interest

Railroad Park, a large park in downtown Lewiston. Also the launching point of the largest balloon festival in New England, the Great Falls Balloon Festival.
Grand Trunk Rail Station, a historical look at the railroad running through downtown Lewiston.
Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary, just off of Highland Spring Road, it is the largest bird sanctuary in New England.
The Public Theatre, a nationally recognized theatre for their artistic excellence, The Public Theatre is a professional Equity theatre located in the heart of downtown Lewiston.
The Lewiston Skate Park, on Park Street. It includes a nine foot pool coaping-bowl, snake-run, pole-jam, stair-set, hand-rail, and ledges. The entire park is surfaced with concrete. It is one of the largest skate parks north of Boston.
Mount David, often referred to as "Mount Davis" or "Davis Mountain." A small mountain with several trails, located on the campus of Bates College.
Lewiston Falls on the Androscoggin River separates downtown Lewiston and Auburn. The falls, also known as the "Great Falls", were once a fishing destination for Native Americans. The river has since become polluted and is no longer a popular fishing place.

[edit] National Historic Sites in Lewiston

Empire Theatre in 1907	Hospital Square in c. 1910	Kennedy Park in c. 1915	Kora Shrine in c. 1915
Mills and canal in c. 1915	Old Post Office in 1915	Lewiston from Auburn in 2004, showing the James B. Longley Bridge

[edit] References

History of Lewiston, Maine
History of Lewiston, Maine (municipal site)
Elder, Janus G., "A History of Lewiston, Maine with a Genealogical Register of Early Families." Heritage Books, Inc., 1989
Hodgkin, Douglas I., "Lewiston Memories: A Bicentennial Pictorial." Jostens Printing & Publishing, 1994
Finnegan, William, "Letter from Maine: New in Town, the Somalis of Lewiston." The New Yorker, December 11th, 2006