With information of the planned U.S. Route 1 bypass in Presque Isle becoming more transparent it makes sense to look back at a similar event in the nearby town of Houlton.
In 1967 Interstate 95 was extended north to Houlton in an attempt to stimulate economic growth, while also establishing a new and easy route south to cities like Bangor, which before I-95, was at least a three-hour trip. The idea was brought forth in order to not only grow the area economically, but to connect northern and southern Maine.
The southern part of Maine has always been more populated than much of the northern area. This has caused somewhat of an imbedded rivalry into the state’s culture. The extension of I-95, proponents believed, would hopefully help to bridge the gap between the two halves.
Local Houlton business owner, Frank Dunn, was running Dunn Furniture when the Interstate extension process was taking place. The extension of the Interstate may have happened many years ago, which makes it difficult to uncover first-hand knowledge of such an important event in the town’s history; however, being a young business leader back in the 1960s, Dunn was right in the middle of the action.
“In my opinion, we have been well served by I-95,” said Dunn. “For the actual number of American citizens that it serves it is a bit of a luxury, but when you add in the Canadians it makes more sense.”
Dunn also mentioned just how important he felt the connection northern Maine had to the southern part of the state was.
“Had it not been built, the southern part of the state that hardly knows who we are, would have completely forgotten about us,” said Dunn.
The Interstate 95 situation and the future Presque Isle bypass are different, in the way that one was built to bring people in, while the other is purposed for routing people around an urban center. It still doesn’t hurt to look back and perhaps learn from some of our mistakes, whatever they may be.
In the case of the Interstate, there were a number of reasons to build the highway all the way to Houlton.
“We service thousands of trucks a year, hauling freight to the northern end of the state and to and from Canada. Our agricultural products make it to the market fresher and quicker,” said Dunn. “We even have a few tourists from time to time.”
The fluid connection to New Brunswick the highway allows has certainly proved one of the most beneficial aspects of the extension.
“Canadian traffic across the border has increased tremendously. Eventually, someone will notice that we are the logical connection to the Maritime provinces, and we will see some additional development,” said Dunn.
As far as the Interstate extension doing much to stimulate the local economy in Houlton, it’s really not something anyone is able to calculate. The highway allows for much easier access to the town, but for Shiretown business owners the situation was ‘hit or miss.’
“In 1965 our store was located at 75 Main Street. We had about 24,000 square feet of display on five floors and an annex building. We also had one parking space in front of the building and we needed about twenty-five for our customers,” said Dunn. “So we planned to find a location out of the downtown area. We built our new store on North Street that opened in April 1971. It was the exact location we had hoped for; on an intersection of two major roads and across from a shopping center.”
The move was somewhat already predetermined for Dunn and it worked out well, but the extension was certainly not a fix-all for local businesses.
“The shopping center opened across the street with W.T. Grant as the anchor. The addition of the large department store caused some of the small stores in the square (Market Square) to suffer considerable loss of business,” said Dunn. “In later years, the town, thinking they were investing in industrial development, invested thousands to create a location for Walmart. This business can be credited with killing off many more small businesses. Industrial development is vastly different from commercial development.”
One can’t credit the Interstate extension with bringing large companies like Walmart to Houlton, but the connection cannot be overlooked. Regardless of whether or not some Aroostook County residents wish to maintain some sort of “small-town” lifestyle it is impossible to stop progress.
“Change is not always easy, but it is inevitable,” said Dunn.
As for the bypass being built around the town of Presque Isle, it’s hard to say whether or not the plan will detract from commerce, or if the benefits outweigh any possible negatives the bypass may create. One thing that is for certain is the bypass will begin construction sometime in 2015. For small business owners in Presque Isle this may mean it’s a time to be looking ahead to the future, and prepare for any economic changes the bypass may bring.
