Lewiston is Maine's second-largest city, located in Androscoggin County. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 35,690. 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 sometimes abbreviated as L-A. Lewiston is home to Bates College, the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, the Lewiston campus of the University of Southern Maine, and several medical centers.
History
Lewiston was founded in 1770 and chartered in 1795. In the mid-nineteenth century, Boston investors 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 1870's, railroad connections to Canada brought an influx of French-Canadian millworkers, and the city's population has been largely Franco-American since. City leaders decided to build a cathedral 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 cathedral 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.
Starting in the late 1950's, 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. Today, health care is Lewiston's largest industry. Other industries inlude paper manufacturing, shoe manufacturing, and tourism. Bates College is the city's largest employer.
Somali Influx
In 2001, approximately 4,000 Somalis began immigrating to Lewiston from Somalia and the greater Atlanta area. Reactions were mixed in Lewiston, which until then had been very homogenous. 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 relocation to Lewiston. The letter angered many, prompted many community leaders and residents to speak out against the mayor, and drew 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 Creativity Movement demonstrated in Lewiston against the Somali population, prompting a simultaneous counter-demonstration of about 5,000 people at Bates College and the organization of the "Many and One Coalition", a community group opposed to discrimination.
Heritage Initiative
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. The plan was initially announced with very little input from the residents of the affected neighborhoods, leading to the formation of a neighborhood group, "The Visible Community", which has been actively involved in the planning process.
Geography
Lewiston is located at 44°5'51" North, 70°11'33" West (44.097473, -70.192416).According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 91.1 km² (35.2 mi²). 88.3 km² (34.1 mi²) of it is land and 2.8 km² (1.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 3.13% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 35,690 people, 15,290 households, and 8,654 families residing in the city. The population density is 404.2/km² (1,047.0/mi²). There are 16,470 housing units at an average density of 186.5/km² (483.2/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 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. 1.26% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 15,290 households out of which 25.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.9% are married couples living together, 11.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 43.4% are non-families. 35.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.17 and the average family size is 2.81. In the city the population is 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 are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 90.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.8 males. The median income for a household in the city is $29,191, and the median income for a family is $40,061. Males have a median income of $30,095 versus $21,810 for females. The per capita income for the city is $17,905. 15.5% of the population and 10.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 20.9% of those under the age of 18 and 12.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Trivia
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Muhammad Ali's famous 'Liston Knockout' took place at St. Dominick's Arena in Lewiston on May 25, 1965.
- The Farmer's Almanac is printed in Lewiston.
External links
Last updated: 05-07-2005 09:37:22
Last updated: 05-13-2005 07:56:04
