Moving as a family across Maine, Mary Jane Gervais and her family were looking for work from Houlton down through Biddeford, eventually setting in Lewiston at the age of 12. She had started working at the Bates mill at the age of 16, and has been working on-and-off at...
The owner of Pamco, Maurice “Moe” Cote worked at the shoe machine part facility with his father Paul Cote. Both of his parents worked in the shoe industry, his mom worked at one of the shoe factories as a stitcher and his father was a carpenter who worked...
Ralph Gould was a shoe worker and business owner. He discusses the story of his father’s company, Gould and Scammon Incorporated, and the challenges they faced. He then discusses taking over his father’s company and their attempts to face a dwindling...
Roland talks about growing up in Lewiston and all the activities that were available for kids to do in the 60s and 70s. He describes his family and his father’s BBQ chicken restaurant. He talks about working at Falcon Shoe and how he went from begging for his...
Roland Gosselin, the oldest of nine children, worked as a weaver in the Bates Mill for 48 years and as a business agent for the union office. He shares stories about his family, his time in the mill and union, as well as his involvement in his community, the Richelieu...
