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AUGUSTA – The Kennebec Historical Society will present “Les Magasins” which interprets as “The Stores” in a free-to-the-public event (donations gladly accepted) that will take place at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, March 15, at the Club Calumet, 334 West River Road in Augusta.
In 1952, there were at least 26 grocery stores in Augusta (source: Mannings). In addition, there were meat markets, fruit and vegetable stores, confectionaries, bakeries, fish stores and several drug stores. Most if not all were independently owned. Sand Hill, Augusta’s Franco-American neighborhood, had a larger concentration of neighborhood grocery stores known as magasins. Depending on the source, from 18 to 27 stores operated on Sand Hill at various times.
This 48-minute documentary explores the history of small, family-owned grocery stores located on Sand Hill in the early to late-20th century. Several former Sand Hill individuals whose families owned and operated neighborhood stores were interviewed to capture a representative sense of life on The Hill. The documentary uses historical photographs from the Kennebec Historical Society’s digital archive collection, as well as photos provided by the families themselves and St. Michael’s Parish.
While the documentary focuses on Sand Hill, the broader story applies to the city as a whole, describing a close-knit community made up of shopkeepers in a time before big-box stores, malls and too many cars. The speaker, Norm Rodrigue, was born in Augusta in 1949, raised on Sand Hill, and came from a family of seven children. His father and grandfather were classic Franco-American mill workers who worked at the Bate’s/Edwards Mill.
He attended St. Augustine School and graduated from Cony High School. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in English and a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Maine at Orono and an MBA from Thomas College. After a career in business, Rodrigue retired and pursued his longstanding interest in still photography. His photos have been exhibited locally and have won several awards and his photo cards are sold at various local businesses.
Recently, Rodrigue took up videography and is using it to explore local history, another longstanding interest. Rodrigue has produced two other videos including: “Streams in the Seasons,” a video depicting the sights and sounds of streams on Kennebec Land Trust properties spanning an entire year; and “A Simpler Time,” a video about three contemporary downtown Augusta tradesmen, showcasing early-20th century trades, including a milliner, cobbler and vintage audio/stereo repairman.
