Vernon Daigle moved to Lewiston at 7 years old in 1943 from Fort Kent, ME. His dad was a lumberjack and his mom was a cook, but they moved to Lewiston to work for the BIW. He explains what it was like growing up in Lewiston; his neighborhood, the stores he went to,...
Lucy Belanger, born in Canada and raised in Lewiston, Maine after a brief period in New Hampshire, speaks in this interview on her and her family’s experience in working with the mills. She talks about growing up and going with her father to work, and becoming a...
Roger Nadeau, born and raised in Lewiston, Maine, talks in this interview about his family, affiliation with the mills, his friendships growing up, and dropping out of high school during his sophomore year of high school to work in the shoe industry. He touches on...
Michael Rancourt is a local of Lewiston, Maine. In this interview, he begins by discussing what it was like to grow up in Lewiston. Looking back on his roots, he shares family history including Catholic and European traditions. He discusses his mother and father’s...
In this interview, Hermance, or “Penny,” Drouin speaks about her time working with Knapp Shoe. She explains her experience entering the shoe industry at a young age, her early life in the Lewiston-Auburn area, her children and family life, standards, benefits, and pay...
