Lewiston is the second largest city in Maine and the most central city in Androscoggin County. The city has a population of 36,202 and has a population of 1,071 per square mile, making it one of the least densely populated in Maine as of 2015. Located in south-western Maine, the city borders the coastal sideways of the Gulf of Maine and is south of Augusta, the state's capital and north of Portland, the cultural hub of Maine. It is one-half of the Lewiston-Auburn Metropolitan Statistical Area, commonly referred to as "L.A." or "L-A." Lewiston exerts a significant impact upon the diversity, religious variety, commerce, education, and economic power of Maine. It is known for a relatively low cost of living, substantial access to medical care, and an extremely low violent crime rate. While the dominant language spoken in the city is English, it is home to the largest French-speaking population in the state; the language is spoken by nearly 15% of locals.With a total of 2,441 business establishments, the city has a service-based tertiary economy worth approximately $4.
1 billion in gross domestic product output, primarily in the natural resources, mining, finance, insurance, real estate, rental/leasing, transportation, and utilities sectors. The influx of Somali and Bantu immigrants has created a secondary goods-manufacturing economy that supplements economic growth. The spread of globailzation and capital/labor flight has made the economy of Lewiston small-scale, underdeveloped, and growing. Although 63.3% of the population composes the labour force, 23.2% of the permanent population live in poverty with an average income of $37,500.The Lewiston area traces its roots to 1669 with the early presence of the Androscoggin tribe . In the late 18th century, the area slowly became populated by New French families and was incorporated as "Lewistown" in 1795. The presence of the Androscoggin River and Lewistown Falls made the town an attractive area for manufacturing and hydro-power businesses. The rise of Boston rail and textile tycoon Benjamin Bates saw rapid economic growth rivaling that of Cambridge, Worcester, and Concord. The increase in economic stimulus prompted thousands of Québécois to migrate causing a population boom; the populace rose from 1,801 in 1840 to 21,701 in 1890. During the mid-19th century, Lewistown was the wealthiest, and most rapidly growing city in Maine and began to develop a distinct upper-class in the Frye Street District. The Bates Mills employed thousands of Lewistown locals, Canadians, and Europeans maintaining itself as the largest employer for three decades. The town's reationship with Bates was strained with the 1861 Lewistown cotton riots, but gradually improved over time during the American Civil War. During the war, local preacher Oren Burbank Cheney founded the Maine State Seminary, the first coeducational university in New England and one of the first universities to admit black students before the Emancipation Proclamation. Lewistown quickly became associated with the liberal arts and was incorporated as "Lewiston" in 1864, a year before the college was chartered as Bates College. The mid-20th century saw the expansion of textile investments and the 5,000-person Lewiston-Auburn Shoe Strike of 1937. Lewiston was the final stop of John F. Kennedy before he assumed his presidency; he spoke at a park now known as "Kennedy Park." It was also the site of the 1965 Muhammid Ali vs Sonny Liston rematch, where the iconic photo of Ali standing over Liston with his hands up was taken.The city is home to the only basilica in Maine, Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul, 15 colleges and universities, 44 listings on the National Register of Historic Places, the Androscoggin Bank Colisée, the Stephens Observatory, the Olin Arts Center, the Bates College Museum of Art and two significant general hospitals: Central Maine Medical Center and Saint Mary's Regional Medical Center. Lewiston hosts the Bates Dance Festival, the Patrick Dempsey Challenge, Liberty Festival, Festival FrancoFun, The Great Falls Balloon Festival, and the Emerge Film Festival.
