Lewiston, Maine

Lewiston (/ˈluːɪstən/;^[5] French: [luistɔ̃]) is the second-most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine, with a population of 37,121 according to the 2020 United States census. Located in Androscoggin County, the city lies halfway between Augusta, the state capital, and Portland, the state's largest city. Lewiston forms one half of the Lewiston–Auburn metropolitan statistical area, commonly referred to as "L/A" or "L-A."^[6]

The city has undergone significant demographic transformation, particularly since the late 20th century. While English remains the predominant language, Lewiston is home to a substantial French-Canadian population. According to some sources, it has the largest French-speaking population in the United States by total number, though second to St. Martin Parish, Louisiana, by percentage of speakers.^[7] The city has been recognized for its low cost of living, access to healthcare, and low violent crime rate.^[8][9]

Lewiston was first settled in 1760 and incorporated as Lewistown in 1795.^[10] The presence of the Androscoggin River and its waterfalls made the area attractive for manufacturing and hydroelectric development. The city's transformation from a farming community to an industrial center began in the mid-19th century when Boston textile magnate Benjamin Bates established manufacturing operations there. This development attracted large numbers of Irish and later French-Canadian immigrants; the population grew rapidly from 1,801 in 1840 to 21,701 in 1890.^[11] In the 1850 census, 23% of Lewiston's population was Irish-born.^[12]

The city became an important educational center in 1855 when local preacher Oren Burbank Cheney founded the Maine State Seminary, which became the first coeducational college in New England and one of the first institutions of higher learning to admit African American students before the Emancipation Proclamation. The town was renamed Lewiston and reincorporated as a city in 1863, with the seminary becoming Bates College the following year.

Notable institutions include the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul—the only basilica in Maine—along with Bates College and four other colleges and universities. The city has 44 properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Androscoggin Bank Colisée, and two major medical centers: Central Maine Medical Center and Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center.

Prior to European settlement, the region was inhabited by the Androscoggin people, an Abenaki tribe for whom the county is named. European contact began in the 17th century, but disease and conflict led to the tribe's displacement by 1680.