Lewiston, city in southwestern Maine in Androscoggin County, on the Androscoggin River, opposite Auburn. The second largest city in Maine (after Portland), Lewiston is a commercial and manufacturing center. Major products of the area include textiles, footwear, processed food, machinery, electronic equipment, printed materials, and plastic and metal items. Lewiston is the site of Bates College (1855), Lewiston-Auburn College (1988), a school of nursing, and the L.A. Public Theatre. Settled in 1770, the community grew as a manufacturing center after the development of waterpower from Lewiston Falls. Lewiston was incorporated as a city in 1863. According to the 1990 census, whites constitute 98.2 percent of the city's population; people of Asian origin, 0.7 percent; blacks, 0.7 percent; and Native Americans, 0.2 percent. Hispanics, who may also be counted among other groups, comprise 0.7 percent of the population. Population 40,481 (1980); 39,757 (1990); 35,690 (2000).
