And we wanted to make it so people could access the information all the time.”So Muskie Archives, which celebrated its 40th birthday last month, set out to build a time machine. For now it’s available only if you’re on campus using Bates wi-fi (including if you’re on campus for Back to Bates this weekend) but by early 2026, it should be available from anywhere. “Step into my time machine,” said Sam Howes, typing away at his keyboard to pull up an early 20th century map of Bates. “You do,” said Jake Paris, “Every week, it’s ‘I found another tennis court!‘”At left, the Bates campus in 1867, when there were just a handful of buildings. Lampman says historical trees, including trees planted by a particular class, or ones named in recognition of faculty members, will eventually be included.