“Four Hundred A Day” is the caption and story accompanying a photo in a March,1953 Millinocket newspaper. Four hundred what, you ask? Well, it refers to 400 doughnuts a day being made by a local housewife! Mrs. Bryant Jenkins took over Joe’s Bakery in the 1940’s. A small establishment, she ran it for two years, then took over Hobb’s Lunch Cart (also known as Joe’s Diner). This was located next to the original MFD building (torn down & in 1951 became site of Millinocket Muni

Young and old line the streets to watch a parade in their local town and Millinocket is no exception! Memorial Day, the 4th of July, town birthdays, Union groups, the Santa Claus Parade and more…citizens and various town groups have shown up through the years to participate and/or view the parades. With another parade time upon us, it seemed appropriate to check the Millinocket Historical Society collection for parade memorabilia. Among the oldest photos in the collection i

Some older Millinocket residents (70+) may remember the days when hoboes (or tramps as they were sometimes called), were seen walking into town. These wanderers, (generally men), were most often seen during the warmer months. They might have “hitched” a ride on the train or walked and/or hitchhiked by road. They might do odd jobs for residents in exchange for a meal. The number of hoboes in the U.S. tended to increase after the Civil War when discharged veterans i

Getting from one place to another in and around early Millinocket and the surrounding area usually meant walking! Excerpts from early 1900 letters help tell that story. One letter (prior to October, 1903, from a man in Millinocket to his grandmother contains the following. “Sunday walked down to North Twin and Norcross – the only way to get there is by the single track railroad. The scenery does not amount to much going but there is an interesting dam half finish

In Millinocket’s early days, Fred W. Gates took on the role of police chief and fire chief in the rapidly growing town here in the woods. It appears that things tended to be a bit chaotic as the population grew, more businesses opened, more homes were being built and the town government was organized. Fred Gates became the town’s first fire chief in 1902 and continued in that position until 1936. MFD, a volunteer fire department, was organized after a May 1901 tow

In the 1920’s, Penobscot Avenue was a busy place. Other locally owned businesses and services could be found on other close-by downtown streets. Everything you needed, from coal to heat your home, school clothes for your children, a spinal adjustment…it all could be found along Penobscot Avenue or nearby. The following tells of a few of those businesses. Information is from the April 16, 1924 issue of The Old Town Enterprise. F. O. Daisey & Company were dealers i