100 Years Ago: 1922

The Maine State Fair has donated space on the grounds to the Lewiston and Auburn Red Cross Chapter for a first aid tent during Fair week.

50 Years Ago: 1972

The History of the Little World’s Fair, sponsored by the East Auburn World’s Fair sponsored by the East Auburn Community traces back to September of 1949 and plans are nearly completed for this year’s one day event, which will mark the 24th annual fair. It will open to the public on Saturday, August 12.

The first fairs were sponsored by the summer residents of East Auburn to benefit the boys and girls of the community to aid them to go to summer camp. The event was in the form of a carnival and was held by the East Auburn Baptist Church.

Today the proceeds from the fair benefit the community in general and scholarships are presented to boys and girls who are graduating from high school.

The activities offered at the modern-day fair take place at the East Auburn Community Unit Building and the arrangements are the joint efforts of the East Auburn Men’s Unit and the Auxiliary.

Although the auxiliary has been organized only four years, the women have enthusiastically participated in arrangements for the successful event. Mrs. Larry Douglass serves as president of the East Auburn Women’s Auxiliary which is completing the final touches on various attractions to be featured. including the white elephant table, general foods table, the fortune telling tent and the supper which will be served from 5:30 pm. to 7 pm. The menu for this will include beans and also, American Chop Suey.

Mrs. James Campbell and Mrs. Roger Dubois are serving as chairmen for the supper and Mrs. Bryant Tribou is the dining chairman.

In charge of the fortune telling are Mrs. Annette Douglas, Mrs. Eugene DeCoster and Mrs. Ralph Wagg. Food sale chairman is Mrs. Samuel Michaels; white elephant, Mrs. William Tiffany; food tent chairmen, Mrs. Henry Davenport 3rd, Mrs. Arnold Burgess, Mrs. Julien Bernard, Mrs. Robert Oliver and Mrs. Larry Douglass.

The Huff and Puff train will again be in operation as an attraction for children. Last year the train was in operation and hauled over 400 people around the grounds. It was built by William Tiffany, an active member of the East Auburn Men’s Club.

25 Years Ago: 1997

The 57th annual State of Maine Writers’ Conference will be held from Aug. 19-22 at Ocean Park. Lewiston poet John Tagliabue will be featured Wednesday. The schedule begins with registration at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday at Porter Memorial Hall on Temple Avenue. At 4 p.m. there will be a get-acquainted session followed by an open prose reading session, where conferees may read (500 words maximum) something they have authored.

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