ANNOUNCER: THIS IS OPEN CHRONICL -- THIS IS CHRONICLE ON WCVB NEWS CHANNEL FIVE.
>> YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A BEAUTIFUL, WILD PLACE.
>> PRACTICE FRENCH.
THIS CITY’S MILLS STOOD SILENT FOR DECADES.
>> WE DID NOT TAKE THEM DOWN BECAUSE THEY ARE MAKING SOME MONEY FOR US.
YES, THEY ARE.
>> ITS PEOPLE STAND PROUD AND RESILIENT.
THE MAIN STREETS AND BACK ROADS OF LEWISTON, MAINE, NEXT ON CHRONICLE.
>> GOOD EVENING.
THE HISTORY OF NEW ENGLAND MILL TOWNS IS FILLED WITH CYCLES OF BOOM AND BUST.
>> PERHAPS NOWHERE IS THAT MORE EVIDENT DAN ALONG THE MAIN STREETS AND BACK ROADS OF LEWISTON, MAINE.
WE LOOK AT A CITY ON THE RISE.
>> THE INNER SKY AGAIN RIVER -- THIS RIVER FLOWS 178 MILES ON ITS WAY TO THE ATLANTIC.
THE LARGEST CITY THE RIVER PASSES THROUGH IS LEWISTON.
THE CITY, LIKE THE RIVER, HAS HAD ITS SHARE OF ABSENT FLOWS.
THE RIVER SEPARATES LEWISTON FROM ITS SMALLER TWIN CITY, AUBURN, MAKING UP WHAT MEINERS REFERRED TO AS L.A.
THE RIVER GAVE RISE TO THE AUBURN SHOE INDUSTRY AND LEWISTON’S BOOMING GROWTH AS A TEXTILE CENTER.
LEWISTON HOME TO WITH PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFITS UNTIL IT ALL WENT SOUTH, LITERALLY.
IN 1965, A YOUNG MUHAMMAD ALI KNOCKED OUT SONNY LISTON HERE.
IT MIGHT HAS WELL HAVE BEEN THE CITY ITSELF HITTING THE MAT.
THE DECLINE SEEMED TO BE COMPLETE.
>> IT WAS A TOUGH TIME.
>> THE SAME TIME THAT SAW BOB MCDONALD MOVE HERE, JOIN THE LEWISTON POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND ULTIMATELY BECOME MAYOR, SERVING HIS THIRD AND FINAL TERM DURING OUR VISIT.
>> AND I CAME HERE, THE MILLS WERE JUST EARNING TO GO DOWN, -- WHEN I CAME HERE, THE MILLS WERE JUST STARTING TO GO DOWN, 40 YEARS AGO.
IT STAYED THAT WAY FOR 20 YEARS OR SO.
NOW IT’S ON THE RISE AGAIN.
>> YES, IT IS.
>> THESE FORMER MILL BUILDINGS ALLOWED YOU TO DO THIS REVITALIZATION.
>> THEY ARE MAKING SOME MONEY FOR US.
YES, THEY ARE.
>> IN DEED, THE MILL BUILDINGS THAT ONCE ATTRACTED LABORERS ARE NOW ATTRACTING NEW COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL BUSINESS.
A WHOLE NEW LIFE, INCLUDING A MUSEUM DEDICATED TO THE CITY’S WORK AND COMMUNITY HISTORY.
>> I AM THE DAUGHTER OF A MILL WORKER, VERY PROUD OF IT.
THEY WERE INVENTORS.
THEY WERE HARD WORKERS.
THEY HELP TO THEIR NEIGHBORS AND THEY BUILT THESE COMMUNITIES.
>> MANY OF THEM WERE FRENCH-CANADIAN.
IN LEWISTON, THEY LIVED IN LITTLE CANADA, WHERE THE TWO CENTERS OF THEIR DAILY LIVES STOOD SIDE-BY-SIDE.
TODAY, IN ANALOGY CONSECRATED ST. MARY’S -- IN THE NOW D CONSECRATED ST. MARY’S, FRENCH DESCENDENTS HELP MOVE IMMIGRANTS.
>> WHAT IS HAPPENING IS RELATIONSHIPS ARE CREATED BETWEEN THE FRANKEL AMERICANS WHO HAVE BEEN HERE FOR GENERATIONS, AND THE NEW MEINERS WHO COME HERE FROM FRENCH
COUNTRIES IN CENTRAL AFRICA AND SPEAK FRENCH FLUENTLY.
THEY FIND THEMSELVES IMMERSED IN ENGLISH AND A LITTLE LOST, IF YOU WILL.
>> SOMALIA AND OTHER AFRICAN IMMIGRANTS BEGAN SETTLING IN LEWISTON A FEW YEARS AGO.
>> THEY WERE LOOKING FOR SAFETY FOR THEIR KIDS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF SIMILARITIES.
>> THE CITY’S CHANGING FACE HAS NOT OCCURRED WITHOUT FRICTION, BUT FEW WOULD ARGUE THE NEW DIVERSITY HAS NOT BEEN A BOOST AS WELL.
>> WHEN I CAME HERE, THIS WHOLE DOWNTOWN AREA WAS REALLY DEAD.
NOW, IF YOU GO UP TO LISBON STREET, IT IS ONCE AGAIN HUSTLING AND BUSTLING.
>> AND A MERE BLOCK AWAY, AS ALWAYS, THAT RIVER, WHERE THERE IS ALWAYS NEW LIFE AGAIN.
>> WHEN WE HAVE 50 OR 60 PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY COMING OUT TO HELP US CLEAN UP THE RIVER, THAT TELLS ME THE COMMUNITY IS RALLYING AROUND THIS RIVER.
>> 50 YEARS AGO, THE RIVER WAS ONE OF THE MOST POLLUTED IN AMERICA.
THE CLEAN WATER ACT HELPED CHANGE THAT.
>> THIS IS SO EXCITING.
>> TODAY, THE LAND TRUST HELPS ENSURE THAT PROGRESS BY CONSERVING AND STEWARDING OVER 5000 ACRES, INCLUDING ALONG THE RIVER ITSELF, WHERE THEY HOST A VARIETY OF ANNUAL EVENTS.
>> WE WANT TO BE CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH THE OUTDOORS.
>> THIS FORMER RAILROAD AND PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE ENCOURAGES RIVER ACCESS AND THE RIVER WALK SINCE 2008 RECONNECTS PEOPLE WITH THE RIVER AND THE CITY AT HELPS DEVELOP.
>> YOU GET AN INCREDIBLE VIEW OF THE CITY AND THE FALLS.
>> THE LAND TRUST WALKING TOURS APP ALSO POINTS OUT MUCH OF THE HISTORY THAT LINES THE RIVER.
THE MILLS THAT MANAGED TO STAY STANDING ARE NOW GIVING LIFE TO THIS CITY ONCE AGAIN.
>> YOU FAIL, THAT’S OK.
YOU GET UP AND START OVER AGAIN.
THAT IS THE SPIRIT WE ARE SEEING THAT IS RENEWING THIS AREA AGAIN.
>> BACK TO THE LEWISTON BOYS HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER TEAM.
THEY ARE ABSOLUTELY CRUSHING IT.
STATE CHAMPS ONCE AGAIN.
IT MUST HAVE BEEN EXCITING BECAUSE IT WAS AN OVERTIME WIN.
>> THE SOMALI KIDS WERE THE ONES WHO SCORED THE WINNING GOAL.
THAT WAS EXCITING.
ALL OF THESE EVENTS HAVE BEEN UNIFYING FOR THE CITY.
LEWISTON WAS RECENTLY NAMED THE MOST UNDERRATED CITY IN MAINE BY THE WEBSITE THRIIST.
>> UP NEXT, THEY ARE THE POTATO CHIPS OF MUSICAL INSTRUMEN