Lewiston, Maine
Lewiston, Maine | |
|---|---|
| The city of Lewiston to the right, with the twin-city of Auburn on the left. The Androscoggin River separates the cities. The city of Lewiston to the right, with the twin-city of Auburn on the left. The Androscoggin River separates the cities. | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Maine |
| County | Androscoggin |
| Government | |
| Area | |
| • City | 35.2 sq mi (91.1 km2) |
| • Land | 34.1 sq mi (88.3 km2) |
| • Water | 1.1 sq mi (2.8 km2) |
| Elevation | 217 ft (66 m) |
| Population (2006) | |
| • City | 35,734 (city proper) |
| • Density | 1,047.0/sq mi (404.2/km2) |
| • Metro | 107,552 |
| Census estimate | |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP codes | 04240, 04241, 04243 |
| Area code | 207 |
| FIPS code | 23-38740 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0569502 |
| Website | ci.lewiston.me.us |
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 southwest 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.
History
Industrial Development
Lewiston was settled in 1770 and officially incorporated in 1795. At least four houses that have survived since 1795 are currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
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]
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, beginning Lewiston's transformation from a small community into a hub of textile production.
Lewiston's population boomed during these years. 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, 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 would design its Moorish style structure.
City leaders decided to build a church to which the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland would 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.
While the Diocese of Portland did not relocate to Lewiston, the church is a prominent landmark and source of pride, and became a basilica in 2004. It is one of the few American basilicas located outside of a major metropolitan area.
Industrial decline
Starting in the late 1950s, lower production costs elsewhere led to the closure of many of Lewiston's textile mills, which were the city's economic base and once produced a quarter of American textiles. This led to an increasingly run-down and abandoned downtown area that the city has just recently begun to make a significant effort to fix up. Today, health care is Lewiston's largest industry. Other industries include high-precision manufacturing, transportation and logistics, financial services, and tourism. Central Maine Medical Center is the city's largest employer.
Economic Diversification and Renaissance
Following a difficult economic period in the 1980s that saw high unemployment and downtown stagnation, several key events lead 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 1.1 million square foot behemoth led to two referenda (one non-binding vote, the other binding.)Local voters were asked to decide the future of the mill, and whether to tear it down. 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, came out with an exit strategy that led to selling 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 by building, including a seafood restaurant, an Italian restaurant, a museum, and bank operations centers for TD Banknorth and Androscoggin Savings Bank, to name a few.
Another turning point came when Auburn Mayor Lee Young and other city officials created a blueprint for Auburn's downtown that led in part to a new community-wide economic boom. The plan, adopted by the Auburn City Council in 1999 as Auburn's Downtown Action Plan for Tomorrow (ADAPT), called for an outdoor performing arts venue, walking trails along the Androscoggin River, a mix of downtown retail and office space, and a parking garage. A downtown hotel, an amenity that the community hadn't seen in many years, was the cornerstone of the plan. A few years later, each of those goals had been implemented, and a community-wide construction boom began.
In May 2004, the City of Lewiston announced an ambitious plan for urban renewal near its downtown area. The plan, still in its formative stages, 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 the 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 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.)
While much work has been done to renovate the city, much more work still needs to be done. Currently the only major retailers in the city are Sears and Staples, while most of the new retail businesses have chosen to move into Auburn next door. The downtown area is still full of abandoned buildings despite efforts to fix this. In 2007, plans were announced for a new Wal-Mart Supercenter near the Lewiston exit on Route 95 as well as a new Marriott Courtyard downtown.
Distribution and Logistics
Lewiston-Auburn has also become one of Maine's busiest distribution and logistics hubs. The area is served by 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. 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 Super Centers.
Somali Migration
In 2001, approximately 1,100 Somalis began immigrating to Lewiston from Somalia and the greater Atlanta area. Lewiston, being a heavily white Catholic town, had problems getting used to the vastly different Muslim culture of the Somalis (especially shortly after September 11, 2001. Problems also stemmed from Lewiston citizens who did not see the Somalis as putting forth enough effort to assimilate themselves into their new community as well as frustrations with the language barrier. Rumors began to arise that Somalis were getting massive amounts of welfare money and even free cars.
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 Somali relocation to Lewiston due to the problems the city had had with becoming comfortable with their new neighbors. 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 Somalis' 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 against the Somali population, prompting a simultaneous counter-demonstration of about 4,000 people [3] at Bates College and the organization of the "Many and One Coalition" while only 32 attended the rally by the World Church of the Creator. Widespread publicity was given to the fact that the mayor chose to be out of state "on vacation" on the day of the rallies, while the governor and other dignitaries attended.
In 2006 an incident occurred where a severed frozen pig's head was thrown into a Lewiston mosque. This was considered wildly offensive to the Somali community, who as Muslims consider pigs to be dirty and are banned from contact with them. The culprit admitted to the act and claimed he considered it to be a joke.
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Mills and canal in c. 1915
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Kora Shrine in c. 1915 -
Kennedy Park in c. 1915 -
Hospital Square in c. 1910
Notable residents
- Benjamin E. Bates, industrialist
- Edward Burgess Butler, businessman
- Tom Caron, sportscaster
- Bill Carrigan, baseball manager
- Ernie Coombs C.M., children's television entertainer and Order of Canada recipient
- Patrick Dempsey, actor
- Thomas A. Desjardin, historian
- Thomas Edward Downey, baseball player
- William P. Frye, senator
- Joey Gamache, boxer
- Alonzo Garcelon, governor
- Marsden Hartley, artist
- Edward C. Hayes, sociologist
- Luscious Lance Levesque, professional wrestler
- James B. Longley, governor
- James B. Longley, Jr., politician
- Cynthia McFadden, newscaster
- Daniel J. McGillicuddy, congressman
- Frederick G. Payne, governor
- Orland Smith, railroad executive & soldier
- Walter Thornton, baseball player
Geography
Lewiston is located at 44°5′51″N 70°11′33″W / 44.09750°N 70.19250°WInvalid arguments have been passed to the {{#coordinates:}} function (44.097473, -70.192416)Template:GR.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.
Climate
Template:Lewiston Maine weatherbox
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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% | |
| 2006 (est.) | 35,734 | ||
| sources:[2][3] | |||
As of the censusTemplate:GR 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 makeup of the city 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. 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. 72.51% of residents spoke only English at home, while 25.77% spoke French [4].
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% |
In the city the population was spread out with 20.7% under the age of 18, 12.6% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.8 males. 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 10.0% of families and 15.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.9% of those under age 18 and 12.5% of those age 65 or over.
Facts and figures
- 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 fictitious Kingdom Hospital, featured in the thirteen-episode miniseries developed by horror writer Stephen King.
- 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.
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, an 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.
- Mount David, often referred to as "Mount Davis" or "Davis Mountain." A small mountain with several trails, located on the campus of Bates College.
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
External links
- City of Lewiston, Maine
- Lewiston Public Library
- Lewiston Sun-Journal Online
- L/A Arts
- Lewiston, Maine detailed profile
- The Public Theatre
Somali immigration related
