50 Years Ago — September 18, 1974
Penney closes store – The J.C. Penney store in Fort Kent, closed for good on Saturday, Sept. 28, 1974, after 46 years of serving the St. John Valley. But there’s a chance that the clothing and dry goods outlet may relocate to another site in the Valley, possibly in Madawaska. Paul Spangler, district manager for Penney stores in New England cited “the economics of the situation” that “just don’t permit us to continue” in the Fort Kent location. Penney opened its Fort Kent store in March, 1928, making it one of the oldest retail businesses in the Fort Kent area. But Penney’s three-story store has been hard hit by flooding in recent years.
25 Years Ago — September 22, 1999
Unsafe structure forces Reny’s to close doors – For more than two decades, it has withstood fires and floods but ultimately could not withstand the ravages of time. Much to the dismay of Fort Kent shoppers and beyond, owners of the landmark retail store Renys, chose to close their doors this week in 1999, when suddenly faced with “circumstances beyond their control,” said co-owner Robert Reny Jr. in a phone interview. An engineer’s inspection concluded the stability of the building was a problem.
10 Years Ago — September 17, 2014
Eagle Lake town manager retires — James Nadeau retired on Aug. 15, 2014 from his position as town manager, a job he had held for 20 years, according toPat Crane, town clerk. The board of selectmen has hired Gene Collogue as interim manager.
