In January 2013, The Weekly ran a four-part series on the history of the Bangor Auditorium, starting with its first incarnation in 1897. Here are links to those four parts.

• Part I: The First Arena

  In 1897, Bangor needed a venue large enough to bring a music festival to the city. People made it happen.

• Part II: Bangor’s economic engine

  The original building had outlived its usefulness, and Bangor needed a bigger and better venue. The new auditorium would become a center of the regional economy for decades.

• Part III: Citizens divided

  A replacement for the 1955 structure was needed, but many people didn’t agree. Nostalgia, tradition, and finances were the key points of debate.

• Part IV: The Next Generation

  It all came down to a citizen referendum to determine whether the new arena would be built.