Lewiston

Lewiston, city, Androscoggin county, southwestern Maine, U.S., on the Androscoggin River opposite Auburn, 34 miles (55 km) north-northeast of Portland. In 1770 Paul Hildreth of Dracut, Massachusetts, settled the site of Lewiston Falls (supposedly named for a drunken Indian called Lewis who drowned there). Textile operations began in 1819 and expanded with the formation of the Androscoggin Falls, Dam Locks and Canal Company in 1836 (reorganized in 1842 as the Lewiston Water-Power Company). Lewiston remains a textile producer, with two hydroelectric dams giving the community ample power. There are footwear and metallurgical plants, and cardboard boxes and plastic products are made; Lewiston also has a printing industry. The city is the seat of Bates College (founded 1855). Mount David, 340 feet (104 metres) high, offers a panoramic view of the city. The Thorncrag Bird Sanctuary is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) east. Inc. town, 1795; city, 1861. Pop. (2000) 35,690; Lewiston-Auburn Metro Area, 103,733; (2010) 36,592; Lewiston-Auburn Metro Area, 107,702.