The Republican journal., 1919-10-23
THE REPUBLICAN JOURNAL. THURS DAY OCTOBER 49, 1913

From the rock-ribbe coast of Kenne-
bunk to the far-off Canadi an border the
name of Huston for half century has
played most important part in the life
of Ma ines citizens. The proposed splen-
did new Diri 90 factory of r A. Huston &
Company, to be uilt in Portland as an
adjunct to their Auburn plant, offers an
opportunity to reminisce over the long
Ii fe of this Maine concern controlled in
the Huston family since its inception.
The firm was founded in the year 1869
fifty years ,ago-by Mr.. I. A. Huston,
now deceased, at the corner of Court and
Turner streets in Auburn, now the site of
the National Shoe & Leather Bank. The
elder Huston started in a very unpreten-
tious way, making crackers and running
his machinery by the old-fashioned but
picturesque horse power, the horse run
ming on q treadmill. With patience and
foresight that could do nothing but spell
success eventually, T. A. Huston started
in with the idea of producing crackers
not in quantity but of higher quality
than the country had seen up to that
time. Furthermore he developed the idea
of service to his customers that in
large measure has been responsible for
the remarkable success of the firm that
bears his name.
The Turner street location was occu-
pied about ten years. The company then
moved to North Main street, the present
location, and brick building was erected
there, installing the first reel oven OPP
Grated in the State of Maine, which at
that time was a very recent invention.
The business at this period was operated
under the name of Huston & Boynton,
but within the space of few years Mr.
Boynton retired and the name of the
concern was changed to T. A. Huston
Company and it has been conducted I'M
der that title ever since:
The cracker business developed by
leaps and bounds and in the year 1882
confectionery department was added
that jumped into instantaneous success
and constant additions to the plant have
been made every few years up to the
present time. The Huston concern
serves about $500 customers scattered
over Maine. Vermont, and eastern Mas
sachusetts. They employ about fifteen
statesmen on the road, conduct branch
in Bangor and another in Portland to
distribute the Huston product. In their
cracker and fancy goods department
they manufacture about one hundred diff
ferent varieties of fancy cakes. crackers
and biscuits, all produced by modern ma
chinery as well as making a full line of
marshmallow g. DDS with practically no
handling of the product until it reaches
the consumer. The confectionery de-
partment manufactures a great many va
rleties of candies, high grade chocolates,
cocoanut biscuit in the form of cakes,
etc.
1t was inevitable that a new factory
must be obtained because in the last few
years the demand for the Huston line
was much greater than the output of the
Auburn plant, and it was decided to build
the last word in a modern factory in the
city of Portland with production that
would double the sales which in 1918
reached $3.50, OOO This factory will be
located where great many of the cars
into and out of Portland will pass in
front of the building, and the building
and grounds will be made a veritable
show place to Portland as we'll as an ad-
vertisement for the concern. Visitors
will be welcomed and intelligent guides
will explain the various processes of OPP
Grafton. The building itself will be of
the most modern re inforced concrete
construction and with the machinery
entirely run by electricity, and the entire
production will be from top floor down,
the ovens being located on the top floor
where all raw materials will be taken and
subjected to the rigid test for purity that
is one of the strict rules OF the Huston
business, and after being baked will 60
down to the lower floors by gravity, with
a series of conveyors III spiral chutes
A marked innovation will be the use of
oil in the ovens instead of coal, thereby
eliminating all dust. dirt, and gases, and
insurlng product with all the goodness
of taste of the original pure ingredients
left intact.
The good people of the State of Maine
may well be proud of this organization
that is a by-word throughout the entire
Maine community. There is no doubt
that large measure of interest will De
evinced in the new factory as it nears
completion. Construction work will be
started almost Immediately and the new
plant should be in operation in the early
part of 1920. The name "Dirigo" selected
for the new factory is the Latin motto on
the seal of the State of Maine, the literal
translation being Il lead" which by the
way is the keynote of the entire Huston
organization,