Lewiston, Maine

Androscoggin homeland

Prior to European colonization, the region of Lewiston was inhabited by the Androscoggin, an Abenaki people.^[17] During the 17th century, Androscoggin were among the first Native American tribes to make contact with European colonists in Maine.^[17] Relations soon deteriorated over colonial expansion, and conflicts with colonists and epidemics of infectious diseases devastated the Androscoggin, which responded by migrating to New France from 1669 onwards.^[17] By 1680, the Androscoggin had been completely driven out of Maine.^[17] The governor of New France, Louis de Buade, allocated them two seigneuries on the Saint Francis River.^[18]

Colonial beginnings

A grant comprising the area of Lewiston was given to Moses Little and Jonathan Bagley, members of the Pejepscot Proprietors, colonial land investors, on January 28, 1768, on the condition that fifty families live in the area before June 1, 1774.^[17] Bagley and Little named the new town Lewistown.^[17] Paul Hildreth was the first man to settle in Lewiston in the fall of 1770.^[17] By 1795, Lewiston was officially incorporated as a town.^[12]

Industrialization

Lewiston began to industrialize in the 19th century complementing a slow but steadily growing farming effort throughout its early history.^[17] By the early-to-mid-19th century, as water power was being honed, Lewiston's location on the Androscoggin River would prove to make it an ideal location for emerging industry.^[12] In 1836, local entrepreneurs formed the Androscoggin Falls Dam, Lock & 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.^[19]

The sales of stock attracted Boston investors—including Thomas J. Hill, Lyman Nichols, George L. Ward and Alexander De Witt.^[17] De Witt convinced prominent industrialist Benjamin Bates, who at the time oversaw the Union Pacific Railroad, to come to Lewiston and finance the emerging Lewiston Water Power Company.^[17] Soon after Bates arrived, the company created the first canal in the city.^[17] In the spring of 1850, some 400 Irish men recruited in and around Boston by construction contractor Patrick O'Donnell arrived in Lewiston and began work on the canal system.^[20] Impressed with the labor force and "working spirit" of the Lewistonions, Bates founded the Bates Manufacturing Company, leading to the construction of five mills starting with the flagship Bates Mill.^[17]

In August 1850, Maine Governor John Hubbard signed the incorporation act and the mill was completed 1852.^[21] Bates positioned the mill in Lewiston due to the location of the Lewiston Falls which provided the mill with power.^[22] Under Bates' supervision, during the Civil War, the mill produced textiles for the Union Army.^[23] His mills generated employment for thousands of Irish, Canadians, and immigrants from Europe.^[23] The mill was Maine's largest employer for three decades.^[23][12]

The creation of the Bates manufacturing trusts saw rapid economic growth, positioning the city as one of the wealthiest in Maine,^[24] and created budding affluent districts such as the Main Street–Frye Street Historic District.^[21] Although the majority of the population was working class, a distinctive upper class emerged at this time.^[21] The Bates Mill remained the largest employer in Lewiston from the 1850s to the mid-late 20th century.^[21][25] The Androscoggin & Kennebec Railroad was constructed by Irish laborers, many of whom joined the Lewiston canal construction crews in 1850.^[25] The Irish laborers and their families lived in shanty-town neighborhoods called "patches".^[25] By 1854, one quarter of Lewiston's population was Irish, the highest concentration in Maine.^{[26] [21]}

During the Civil War, the high demand for textiles helped Lewiston develop a strong industrial base.^[21] In 1861, a flood of French Canadian immigration into Maine began, spawned by industrial work opportunities in Maine cities with water power from waterfalls.^[27] This brought a significant influx of Québécois millworkers who worked alongside Irish immigrants and Yankee mill girls.^[27] Lewiston's population boomed between 1840 and 1890 from 1,801 to 21,701.^[27] French Canadians settled in an area downtown that became known as Little Canada, which has remained largely Francophone ever since.^[27]

It was around this time, from the 1850s onward, that local minister and statesman Oren Burbank Cheney traveled from Parsonsfield to Lewiston to establish an institution of higher learning in the city.^[28] The Maine State Legislature was petitioned by Lewiston locals to found the Maine State Seminary in 1855.^[28] Opening that year, the school educated the working class of Maine while also providing education for blacks and women at a time when other universities barred their entrance.^[28] At its founding, it became the first coeducational college in New England.^[29][30][31]

Lewiston incorporated as a city in 1863 and the seminary was renamed Bates College a year later to honor early backer Benjamin Bates.^[28] In 1872, St. Peter's church was built in the city. In 1880, Le Messager, a French-language newspaper, began printing in Lewiston to serve its predominant ethnic population. The local Kora Shrine was organized in 1891 and held its first meetings in a Masonic temple on Lisbon Street.^[32] This group would from 1908 to 1910 build the Kora Temple on Sabattus Street, the largest home of a fraternal organization in the state.^[33]

20th century

At the start of the century, city leaders decided to build a cathedral to which the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland could relocate.^[34] Construction of the Church of Saints Peter and Paul began in 1905 and ended in 1938, funded mostly through thousands of small donations from Lewiston residents.^[35] It is the largest Roman Catholic Church in Maine and the city's most prominent landmark.^[36]

In 1937, one of the largest labor disputes in Maine history occurred in Lewiston and Auburn, lasting from March to June and at its peak involved 4,000 to 5,000 workers.^[37] Governor Lewis Barrows sent in the Maine Army National Guard to quell the protestors.^[38] Some labor leaders, among them CIO Secretary Powers Hapgood, were imprisoned for months after the Maine Supreme Judicial Court issued an injunction seeking to end the strike.^[39] After World War I, profits from the textile industry in New England mill towns such as Lewiston began to decline.^[21] From the 1950s, Lewiston's textile mills began closing which led to widespread economic decline and emmigration out of the city.^[40] The population began to slowly decline after 1970, decreasing at a greater rate in the 1990s.^[40]

In May 1965, Lewiston became the venue for a heavyweight title rematch between Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston; Ali had defeated Liston in a controversial fight in Miami Beach, Florida, in February 1964, and the World Boxing Council was demanding an immediate rematch.^[41] Sixty years later, a statue of Ali would be unveiled in Lewiston to commemorate the match.^[42]

21st century

Since the 2000s, the city has passed a variety of laws and economic initiatives aimed at urban renewal.^[43] Infrastructure development was announced in May 2004 with demolishing several blocks of 19th-century millworker housing using federal Community Development Block Grant funds.^[43] Lewiston earned a 2007 All-America City Award designation by the National Civic League.^[44]

During this time, Lewiston's affordable housing initiatives attracted refugees from Somalia migrating due to the Somali Civil War.^[45] From the mid-2000s onward, ethnic Somalis migrated to the former mill town, and after 2005, many Somali Bantus, a separate ethnicity, followed suit.^[45][46] This initially created social tension with city's existing population.^[47] In August 2010, the Lewiston Sun Journal reported that Somali entrepreneurs had helped reinvigorate downtown by opening shops in previously closed storefronts.^[48][49]

In October 2023, on the outskirts of Lewiston, a spree shooting occurred at two locations where 18 people were killed, and 13 others were injured.^[50][51] It was the deadliest mass shooting in the history of Maine.^[52] In January 2026, U.S. federal agencies, including immigration enforcement (ICE), carried out raids within the city's Somali population.^[53] In line with broader federal raids against Somalis in Maine, the economy of Lewiston was negatively impacted.^[54] As a sanctuary city, protests against ICE from Lewiston residents followed.^[55][56]

Climate

Lewiston has a humid continental climate, with very significant temperature variation throughout the year. Summers are usually short, warm, and humid, while winters tend to be very cold, long, and snowy. Lewiston averages 74 inches (190 cm) of snow annually, although this number varies greatly from winter to winter. Snow tends to be the dominant form of precipitation between late November and late March, although freezing rain, sleet, and rain can also occur in the winter when large low pressure systems track directly over or west of the city. Summer in Lewiston typically consists of pleasant temperatures, although high humidity can make the temperature feel more uncomfortable at times. Severe summertime storms, such as tornadoes and tropical cyclones are rare.

Racial and ethnic composition

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Lewiston had a population of 37,121. The median age was 37.9 years. 21.4% of residents were under the age of 18 and 17.5% of residents were 65 years of age or older.^[66][67]

For every 100 females there were 94.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 92.9 males age 18 and over.^[66]

There were 15,285 households in Lewiston, of which 25.5% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 35.2% were married-couple households, 22.7% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.1% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.2% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.^[66]

There were 16,579 housing units, of which 7.8% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.1% and the rental vacancy rate was 7.2%.^[66]

87.0% of residents lived in urban areas, while 13.0% lived in rural areas.^[68]

The most reported ancestries in 2020 were:^[69]

• French (18.7%)
• English (16.7%)
• Irish (11.1%)
• Somali (4.6%)
• German (4.4%)
• African American (3.2%)
• Italian (3.2%)
• Scottish (3.1%)
• French Canadian (3%)
• Polish (1.2%)

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 36,592 people, 15,267 households, and 8,622 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,071.5 inhabitants per square mile (413.7/km²). There were 16,731 housing units at an average density of 489.9 per square mile (189.2/km²).^[70]

The racial makeup of the city was 86.6% White, 8.7% Black, 0.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.0% Asian, 2.0% Hispanic or Latino (of any race), 0.6% from some other race, and 2.6% from two or more races.^[70]

In 2010, there were 15,267 households, of which 27.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.5% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.2% had a male householder with no wife present, and 43.5% were non-families. Of all households, 34.4% were made up of individuals, and 12.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.90.^[70]

The median age in the city was 37.4 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 12.9% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 24.1% were from 25 to 44; 25.3% were from 45 to 64; and 15.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female.^[70]

Native language

Survey Year 2000 Source:^[71]

Voter registration

Top employers

According to Lewiston's 2022 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, the top employers in the city were:^[77]

Library

• The Lewiston Public Library has played a major role in the emerging culture of Lewiston.^[78] It was renovated and expanded in 1996.^[78] The library is downtown on the corner of Lisbon Street and Pine Street and has over 150,000 items in its collection.^[78]

Museums

• Maine Museum of Innovation, Learning and Labor (MILL): is a museum set in a former textile factory building. Visitors can walk through a simulated production line, then view exhibits covering the textile, shoe, and brick industries that once thrived in Lewiston and Auburn.^[79]

• The Bates College Museum of Art features a wide variety of art, though, as of April 2026, none of the permanent collection of c. 8,000 items is on display.^[80]
• The Atrium Gallery: at the University of Southern Maine campus in Lewiston.^[81]

The Franco Center

The Franco Center opened in 2000 to host events and serves as a museum of the city's French American past with historical artifacts and documentation on display as well as a small library.^[82]

The Public Theatre

Lewiston features The Public Theatre, which puts on different plays throughout the year with about six to eight productions per season.^[83]

Androscoggin Bank Colisée

The center of sports in Lewiston is the Androscoggin Bank Colisée.^[84] The Colisée is home to the state high school hockey championships each year.^[84] The junior Maine Nordiques of the North American Hockey League have played their home games at the Colisée since 2019.^[84]

Lewiston Twins (1891–1930)

Lewiston was home to minor league baseball. Beginning in 1891, Lewiston was home to the Lewiston Twins and other teams, who played in various seasons through 1930.^[85] Lewiston teams played as members of the New England League (1891–1896, 1901), Maine State League (1907), Atlantic Association (1908) and New England League (1914–1915, 1919, 1926–1930). Baseball Hall of Fame member Jesse Burkett managed the Lewiston Twins in 1928 and 1929.^[86] Between 1901 and 1919, Lewiston teams played home games at A.A.A. Park. Beginning in 1926, the Lewiston Twins played home games at Lewiston Athletic Park.^[87][88]

Maine Nordiques (1973–1977)

The Maine Nordiques were a professional hockey team that operated in the former North American Hockey League from 1973 to 1977. They were based at the Central Maine Youth Center in Lewiston. The Nordiques served as a farm club for the Quebec Nordiques of the World Hockey Association.^[89]

Maine Nordiques (2019–present)

The Maine Nordiques are a Tier II junior ice hockey team in the North American Hockey League's East Division. They started play during the 2019–2020 season at the Androscoggin Bank Colisée.^[90] The team is coached by Nolan Howe, grandson of Gordie Howe and son of Mark Howe.^[91]

Colleges and universities

• Bates College^[94]
• Maine College of Health Professions^[95]
• University of Southern Maine^[96] (Lewiston/Auburn campus)
• Central Maine Community College^[97] (Auburn)

Public schools

Lewiston Public Schools operates eight public schools:^[92]

• Lewiston High School (9–12) 1,446 students
• Lewiston Regional Technical Center (9–12)
• Lewiston Middle School (7–8)
• Farwell Elementary School (K–6)
• Raymond A Geiger Elementary School (K–6)
• Robert V. Connors Elementary School (K–6)
• Montello School (K–6)
• Thomas J McMahon Elementary School (K–6)

Private schools

• The Discovery School^[98] (PK-12)
• Saint-Dominic Academy^[99] (Lewiston campus)
• Vineyard Christian School^[100] (PK-12)

Charter Schools

• Acadia Academy^[101] (PK-6)

Newspapers

• The Sun Journal prints a daily newspaper in four different editions statewide.^[102]
• The Twin City Times is a free weekly newspaper printed in Auburn.^[103]

Radio

Five radio stations are licensed to serve the city:^[104]

• WARX/93.9, airing a non-commercial religious format. It is the former sister station of WCOU, now WIGY.
• WIGY/1240, airing an adult contemporary format simulcasting WEZR.
• WFNK 107.5, which is branded as 107.5 Frank FM and airs a classic hits format that is targeted primarily at Portland area listeners.
• WLAM 1470, which airs a standards format branded as The Memories Station.
• WRBC 91.5, which is the college radio station of Bates College.

Public transportation

The city of Lewiston uses the Citylink or Purple Bus system in collaboration with Auburn and Lisbon.^[105] The downtown shuttle runs through the downtown of both Lewiston and Auburn.^[106] It maintains only one line that goes into Lisbon.^[105] The Citylink services on average approximately 235,000 people a year.^[105]