Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 20 : Spring 2014 | Page 72

Ben’s
Trading
Post

As a small boy I would sit in the barber shop waiting to
get my hair cut, looking at hunting and fishing magazines
thinking, this is what I’m going do when I grow up, hunt
and fish. I would sneak into my grandfather’s closet and
look at the guns in the corner of the closet thinking ,
someday I will be hunting with these. Little did I know, I
would be selling the products that I would be using.

Ben’s Trading Post opened its doors. I was open six days a
week with just myself operating it. In July 2006 my father
became sick and to spend some time with him, I hired a
part-time employee.

In September 2006 the Harry’s Motor Sports building,
owned by Peter Hunt, had become available, and the
thoughts of being back on Main Street again sounded
I started working for Dana and Sherman Packard, pretty good. That September was a very busy month, I
owners of Roy’s Army and Navy Store, in 1990. They had lost my father and had to move a complete store again
sold Redwing Boots, Levi Jeans and hunting and fishing in less than 30 days, before the opening of bird season.
supplies to people of The County for years. In 2005 Roy’s
A&N store was celebrating their 60th Anniversary with Well again with family and good friends we did it. We
Dana and Sherman (Sonny) Packard owning it for about opened October 1st, 2006, with a much larger store and
17 years.
better location. We were doing well but with a growing
business and a bigger store. My part-time help, Darlene
On September 1st, I was approached by Dana Packard to Ackley (Beanie), went full-time, and we hired another
buy the business. He had an offer on his business property part-timer and my son Ben II.
that he could not refuse and wanted to know if I would
be interested in buying the business. I asked him to let me In the spring of 2010, we decided to try a new location
think about it and after speaking with my wife Penny, we on the Parsons Road owned by Dan Delucca of Houlton.
decided to do it. I told Dana we would buy the business Moving off Main Street did raise some concerns about
and to my surprise he said good, but we have to be out of traffic flow, however, we moved and opened April 1st,
here by October 1st. With less than a month to be out, I 2010. Business was better there than the past two
also had to find a new location to do business.
locations. Better parking made easier access for elderly
customers and people with trailers hauling boats to
I found the old Beaulieu Hardware Building for rent on moose, everyone seemed to enjoy the new location.
the corner of Chapman Street and Riverside Park. The
building belonged to Frank Lavway, and he was very In June 2013 the Dexter Shoe Building, now MoJo’s,
excited to have me move in and start business. So with became available for purchase. My wife Penny agreed that
the help of family & friends on November 16th, 2005, the location with the log building would be the perfect

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SPRING 2014