Traveling south from Fort Kent on my return from the Author’s Conference, I stopped in Caribou, Presque Isle, and Houlton, Maine. On Routes 161 and then 1, expansive vistas open one after the other as though on a reel of film. It had been years since I’d been back to this part of Maine, but instantly, the phenomenon of “farmed mountains” impressed me all over again. The countryside is remarkably similar to farm country I’ve seen in Scotland, Ireland, France, and Nova Scotia. Rolling hills of cultivated land, framed by forest. In “The County” as Aroostook County is known, potato is king, followed by broccoli, canola, and various grains, and I was enthralled to see so many working draft horses. There are also solid, industriousness enclaves of Almish communities in Aroostook, and several times, I was greeted by someone waving from a horse-drawn “gig” trotting along the road.
The larger towns of The County look anything but bereft or downcast. They appear vibrant, well-kept, even prosperous. All have bustling downtowns with businesses of almost every description–in Fort Kent, I found an Italian Bistro. The land mass of Aroostook is greater than that of Connecticut and Rhode Island–combined! That’s one county larger than two states.
I had lunch at the landmark Elm Street Diner in Houlton, then scouted the center of town. It is an incredibly attractive hub of historic buildings and businesses where city planners have given admirable forethought to parking. Always keen for bookstore sightings, I immediately noticed York Books. There was easy, free parking within 50 yards of the store.
Along one wall and also on turnstile displays, I found titles like Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman, and Essays by Ralph Waldo Emerson. York Books featured the classics! Farther along the wall, I came to the Maine section and was very pleased to locate my own book among many others. It was my chance to meet Lynn York, owner of York Books for 44 years. When I offered to sign the copies he had, our conversation opened almost as many vistas as I had seen on my way south.
As a sort of sideline hobby, Lynn York has been bringing celebrity entertainers to Houlton for many years. He showed me a photo album that included performing shots of Kris Kristofferson, Billy Swan, Charlie Daniels, and many others. Lynn also has designed and commissioned fair and festival rides which have been featured at the August events in which he has been so instrumental. As if that weren’t enough to take up all his time, this Renaissance man collects calliopes, vintage organ grinding machines, and other esoteric music makers. Watch him working his Original Raffin Oberlingen in this video.
York.