Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition/Lewiston

LEWISTON, a city of the United States, in Androscoggin county, Maine, is situated 36 miles north of Portland, on the left bank of the Androscoggin, and is connected by several bridges with Auburn, a city of 9556 inhabitants, and the capital of the county. As the river at this point breaks over a ledge of mica schist and gneiss, and the natural fall of 40 feet has been raised to 50 feet by a strong granite dam, Lewiston commands an abundant supply of water-power. Cotton and woollen goods (shirtings, sheetings, cassimeres, beavers, tweeds, cloakings), twine, boots and shoes, machinery, &c., are produced to the annual value of $11,000,000—there being nine considerable manufacturing corporations in the city besides the Franklin Company, which owns the entire water-power. The city hall (1872) is a very fine building; and a public library (over 6000 volumes in 1880) was founded by the corporation in 1861. Bates College, founded by the Free Baptists in 1863-64, and named in honour of Benjamin F. Bates of Boston, possessed in 1880 11 professors, 161 students, and a library of 5537 volumes.