The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1897-10-07
The Winterport Boom.

The Winterport water works system is
now running handsomely and is appreciated
even by those citizens who We're somewhat
opposed to its introduction. New houses
for the fire companies are to be established
and the town will now enjoy the benefits of
a first class fire department., equipped with
modern apparatus and manned by some
of the stout young men of the village. With
this addition to her municipal stock-in-trade,
and the prospect of speedy arrival of
direct trolley connection with Bangor Win
terport is now fairly in the way of claiming
the attention of investors and manufacture
ers; besides furnishing advantages for build
ing large plants and protecting them, this
town offers peculiar facilities for the ship
ment OF goods by water through all the
months of the year
II do not know of a town. said we'll
informed merchant of this county to Com
mercial reporter on Tuesday, sin all the
PenObscot valley, whose outlook seems so
bright. Winterport is in the path of boom.
L mean business boom, and not real
estate eruption. 1t seems to me that that
village ought to have board of trade With
solid organization of that character she could
obtain manufactures which would bring
thousands and thousands of dollars annual
ly into her shops and into the homes of her
people. In my opinion, the opportunity is
remarkable At the head Of open water in
river which is navigable all the wear for
great vessels, connected, as she will soon
be, by trolley line with the larger communi-
ties of the State gifted with advantages Of
fire protection and free from social distigure-
ments, believe Winterport to possess latent
energy enough to grow in five years into
town of Importance. If the right men
can start things, you will find that this is no
dream" Bangor Commercial.
That Winterport will reap the reward due
to well directed local enterprise there can
be no doubt. Towns which neglect to secure
an adequate water supply will be left behind
in the race. A water supply and au efficient
fire department mean lower rates of in
surance, and that is quite an inducement to
and good schools are also important factors
in attracting new residents, and Winterport
has both. Winterport is not only, as its name
implies, winter port, but the location and
surroundings are such as to attract summer
visitors, and in the near future it will be
necessary to provide additional accommodate
tions for them.
The grain and feed trade of Wipterport
has attained large proportions, and is esti-
mated to be eight or ten times what it was
two years ago. Two firms are engaged in
the business-C. P. Rich & Son and Charles
A. Mckinney. The latter is a native Of
Monroe, where he ran a grist mill and a
large farm. Five years ago he bought a
wharf in Winterport and built fair sized
storehouse on it for the storage of hay and
grain. His business increased so rapidly
that be found it necessary to move his mill
to Winterport and to add to his storage.
Now in addition to the mill building he has
two large storehouses, one of them used for
the storage of hay and long and short lum-
Der in which Mr.. Mckinney also deals.
Teams come here for grain and feed from 20
mills across the river and prices compare
we'll with those in Bangor and are some
times lower. Thus it will be seen that
Winterport's boom is of the substantial kind.