Page 11 - Newsletter_Spring_2019

Cole’s Shoe Store
HOMEGROWN
HOULTON

the “SOLE” Of The West End

By Paula Woodworth ‘70

Eighty years. Eighty years of shoe shines, harness making,
shoe repairs, Merrells and Tevas. Eighty years of being a part
of the ‘Tough End” community. Eighty years of serving the
people of Houlton.

Cole’s Shoe and Harness Shop opened in 1939. Men
arrived in the parking lot with their horses and Mr. Cole
went out and measured them for their harness and made
it in the shop. Shoe repair was a busy business back in the
days before we just bought new shoes when the old ones
broke down or wore out.

Brian (Class of 1970) started working in the business when
he was 12 years old. He waited on customers, did janitorial
work and shined shoes for twelve cents. He recalled
Saturdays in the shop when the town fathers came in to get
their shoes shined for church on Sunday. Brian was careful
to not get shoe polish on their white socks. He watched his Melburn Cole, James Cole, Colby Stewart and Brian Cole
Dad repair shoes and learned how to do it himself.

Brian and I chatted about our high school days. We talked about thirty-fi ve cent lunches, Elwood Scott who we agreed was
a fantastic principal, the high school fair and the year we went to the basketball tournament and got snowed in and spent the
night sleeping in the locker rooms of the old Bangor Auditorium. at seems to be a favorite memory of our classmates.
Brian thinks that his senior year was the best year because he got involved in some of the school activities. He didn’t have time
for sports due to his work at the shoe store. He was in the Industrial Arts program and particularly enjoyed woodworking. He
listed some of his favorite teachers and Mrs. Maher, Mr. Robb and Mr. Cushman. One of his favorite memories was the Hi-Y
trip to Augusta where his group won fi rst place in volleyball. He still remembers the family he stayed with during that trip.

By Karen Donato ‘69
I asked Brian if he had ever thought about leaving Houlton or doing another type of work. He said he lived in Bangor for
a year and attended Beal College but realized he didn’t want to stay in Bangor. He wanted to be back in Houlton. He has
always loved the shoe business.
While we were talking, I realized that the store has always been a gathering place for the community and does more than sell
and repair shoes. It’s more of an old fashioned general store without the pot belly stove. People come in for shoes and Brian
knows just what they need. He off ers to repair a shoe that seems beyond help. Someone comes in to pick up a repair job.
Someone drops by just to talk. Brian seems to be continuing a tradition begun by his father who often helped people in need.
He told me a great story of his father loaning someone a dollar and the man left his dentures as collateral and didn’t come back
to get them for six months.

As with most small businesses now, things have changed with people’s shopping habits. Online shopping has aff ected many
small businesses, but Cole’s still has a presence in the community and you can’t beat the service and quality of their shoes.
ey do a lot of orthopedic work for customers with special needs and have established relationships with physicians who call
to see how they can adapt footwear for their patients. Brian showed me several examples of this type of work that he has done
recently. ey also have a program with some of the larger businesses in town to provide work shoes/boots for their employees.

It was a treat to sit and talk with Brian and see what a diff erence a small business makes in a community.

Remember to shop local!

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