Charm of Lewiston includes slow pace and wide-open space

By Stevie Stewart

April 20, 2007 | LEWISTON -- In a town seemingly left behind by the '50s, dirt trails and cattle outnumber people. Entertainment for outsiders is hard to find, but for those who know Lewiston, there is no place they would rather be.

Living in Lewiston creates a need to be creative. For its inhabitants, finding things to do is part of Lewiston's country charm.

According to Gay Jorgenson, a proud historian and lifelong Lewiston resident, the best part of Lewiston is the people and the space.

"Most people here are farmers by trade and farmers at heart," Jorgenson said. "We live here because we choose to and love to."

Even those who commute to town enjoy the peacefulness of returning to Lewiston after a day at the office, explained Jorgenson. She said most of the people that work in an office come home to a farm.

From riding horses safely down Main Street and fishing in nearby streams to learning to drive at age 5 and sleeping out on the front lawn, Jorgenson said Lewiston is a playground for the young and a paradise for the old.

"Where else can you go and recognize every person and vehicle you see," Jorgenson laughed.

With just over 1,800 residents, it is hard to believe that Lewiston is a "big town" but it is. In fact, the town is so spread out that in its 32 square-miles, there are 20,480 acres, which boils down to 11 acres per person. If each person in Lewiston built a house, each house would be more than a city block apart.

Kristan Earl, a newlywed and Lewiston native, said she settled in Lewiston with her husband because she loves the comfort of small-town living. There are only three houses between her house and her parents', yet she lives a mile and a half away.

"It sounds cliché, but there is nothing I would rather do than help on the family farm," Earl said. "Our neighbors sometimes see us in the fields or out mowing the lawn and they all wave, know us by name, and sometimes stop to chat."

Earl, who works at Gossner Foods Inc., has farming and agriculture running deep in her veins. The granddaughter of Dolores Gossner Wheeler, she not only loves working at the family business, but loves the 30-mile trek home each night.

Earl, like many in Lewiston, grew up on horses and around cattle. She said living next to her grandparents her whole life instilled values in her that most people can't find today.

"I take as much pride in working at the family cheese plant in Logan as I do coming home to the family farm in Lewiston. I was raised on the same plot of land that my grandparents raised my mom on," Earl said.

Aside from learning to work hard and appreciate the land, Earl said there is nothing in Lewiston you can't find in a big city.

"We have gas stations, a grocery store, a bank, a post office and a movie theatre," Earl said. "But we have things that big cities can never have."

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