Special to the Star-Herald
In 1859, a Maine State surveyor named Hiram Chapman was commissioned to survey a section of T 11 R 3. Some of the area he surveyed was named in his honor, including Chapman Rd., Chapman Plantation and West Chapman. Originally named Chapman Rd., Chapman went to ‘street’ designation and in the recent 9-1-1 re-numbering returned to the name of Chapman Rd. Who would have thought that exactly 100 years later, in 1959, the street would be such a mini hub of business and industry? The potato industry in this area hadn’t slowed down by 1959, and there was a wide array of businesses, churches, housing and industry on the small street. Starting at the head of the street, the fire box call was five blasts with a short waiting time between that, and two blasts followed by three blasts.
At the corner of Main and Chapman streets was Saint Mary’s Catholic Church and the priest was Reverend Father John J. Harris. One of the sisters was Mary Benedicta, who was known for her musical abilities including piano teacher and putting on musical programs, her most famous being the annual St. Patrick’s Day concerts. Former students and able assistants Dan Ladner and Carol Panscofar Pierson, well-known today, were more than motivated by her. The sister in charge of the convent and overseeing of the church duties was Sister Mary Charles, a very tall and commanding lady, but cared about by all.
Also on the corner of Main and Chapman was Columbia Motors Dodge dealership, owned and operated by Ritchie Pelletier. Just below the site of the Columbia Motors building is the still-standing apartment building that was formerly a livery house for the Phair family.
Next door to the Livery house, the U. S. Government had a field office located at 4 Chapman St. This building contained the U.S. Federal Aviation Agency, the Airways Technical Field Office and the office of the Farmer’s Home Administration.
Below that and across the tracks was the Milliken Tomlinson wholesale grocer for a large area of central Aroostook, providing products for towns ranging from Presque Isle, Mapleton, Ashland, Portage, Caribou, Fort Fairfield, Easton and Washburn. On the opposite side of the livery house was Roberts St., which was the site of Garland’s Electric which was directly opposite the B&A Freight Shed. They sold “Auto-Lite” parts and did motor and lock repairs, as well as making keys. The building and the home beside it are still there — located to the south of the Knights of Columbus Hall.
Efforts by Albert P. Burleigh, a builder and promoter of the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad, along with those of Presque Isle Attorney Philip D. Phair, who tirelessly worked toward bringing the terminal to Presque Isle — specifically to the Chapman St. area. Much was brought into Presque Isle from the railroad siding located on Chapman St. from all over the Northeast. Imports included not only food and supplies, but entertainment including the much-anticipated circus. Many of the offloads were done near the “roundhouse” and Chapman Siding.
Further down Chapman St. were rows of potato houses, mostly on the left going down Chapman, but a few were on the right as well.
On one of the “house roads” (sites for potato houses), there were even some houses that shipped via the CP-Canadian Pacific, and these roads were located in what is now the upper parking lot of the courthouse along the old track line.
There was also an A & P (Atlantic and Pacific) Tea Company building, a division of the National Produce Company at the B&A Siding.
There were nearly a dozen potato houses, some with railroad spurs of their own and some of the houses were spaced out so that trains on their spur lines could load on both sides of the track, making the loading twice as speedy. These spur lines ended up back at the B&A Siding to be hooked to locomotives heading south.
Some of the more familiar houses included C.F, Perry and Sons; Davis V. Tompkins Farms; Herman Zimmerman; the B. Marks Company, Inc.; and the nearest one to Beaulieu’s Hardware and the last Chapman St. potato house standing was the James Brothers house.
Edmund G. Beaulieu owned and operated a Nationwide grocery store on the corner, at 31 Chapman St., across the road from where the courthouse now stands. He sold everyday groceries, some Philco appliances and a favorite of many, Ballantine Beer! Edmund “Spike” Beaulieu was also a member of the Presque Isle Board of Assessors in 1959. The structure was recently torn down to make way for the city’s new Rec Center, which will replace the Haskell Center on Main St. Plans are still being worked out for the new center, with no specific date set yet for the building’s construction.
The next business on the street was the Mobil Oil Company which had a tank facility at 34 Chapman St. as well as their business office. They supplied the new “Mobilheat,” complete with the new RT-98, to their customers, and the business one of the first companies to offer automatic delivery.
Across the street at 40 Chapman, Don Merriam was a sales representative for the Fleischman Yeast Company.
A few houses down at 53 Chapman St., Maurice Glidden had a repair shop covering radios, televisions and phonographs in a building attached to his home.
A bit further down the street, a convenience store owned and operated by Alice Frazier was located at 59 Chapman St., and the property also was the site of approximately six apartments.
At 71 Chapman St., Harry Michaud also operated Michaud’s Market, a grocery store with apartments above and behind. His sister, Lou, as well as her mother, Victoria Michaud, lived right beside the store, sharing the driveway and also had apartments behind her house.
The next business was located past the tracks at 100 Chapman St. and belonged to Norman Bourgoine who repaired and sold televisions, radios and phonographs. He was also a member of the Aroostook County Sheriff’s Department.
Near the current water company building, Rathbun Company-Contractors were located at 122 Chapman St., and not very much further down, the Armour Agricultural Chemical Company had their storage depot. They advertised themselves as providers of “Big Crop” fertilizer.
Also in this area were Dave Palmer’s Welding Shop and Lawrence Willette and Sons Construction, located at 123 Chapman St.
There was a Pentecostal Church located on Chapman St., just before the entrance to Saint John St., that was known for their large membership.
There was an entrance road that led to the Rod and Gun Club. This entrance was listed as 187 Chapman Rd. and was the site of the Presque Isle Ice Company, owned and operated by Joseph A. “Joe” Gagnon. Ice was harvested from the Presque Isle Stream and shipped throughout Aroostook County, the state and even to locations along the East Coast, via rail. Joe was well-known in town for his facility at Long Lake, known as ‘Long Lake Boys and Girls Camp.’ He operated the camps for many years, enabling those less fortunate to have a chance at a fun week or two at camp. Many area children took part in this every year, enjoying the outdoors and field trips. Joe also was known for volunteering in civic activities including being the Director of Civil Defense and Public Safety for many years, including 1959. The Rod and Gun Club area is now only used for a boat launch.
On the opposite side of the street, Aroostook Auto Salvage, Inc., was known to carry a “complete line of good used auto parts.”
Along Chapman St., there were six side streets and several had businesses located on them during 1959. At 33 Bishop St. — also called ‘The Island’ and, later, ‘Bishop’s Island’ — Ernest Smart had a taxi company operating out of his home after closing the stand formerly located at the Hotel Commander. The foot bridge south of the Presque Isle Rec Department’s soccer field provides today’s travelers access to what was formerly known as ‘The Island,’ via the bike path.
Several garages for small repairs included George Maskell’s, located at the end of Phair St. Eddie Gardiner operated in a building behind his home on High St., and mechanic Bernard McManus had his garage at his Saint John St. property.
Times certainly have changed, but the times past hold many memories and good friends from the 1959 era. Many thanks go out for informational and photographic help from BR Smith Inc., George Howe, Dr. Richard Graves, Voscar, Frank Grant, Jim Thompson and the archives at the Mark & Emily Turner Memorial Library.
