>> IN LEWISTON’S LONG TEXTILE HISTORY, NO MILL WAS MORE STORIED OR SIGNIFICANT THAN THE ONE FOUNDED IN 1850 BY BENJAMIN BATES.
FOR OVER A CENTURY, THE BATES MANUFACTURING COMPANY WAS FAMOUS FOR FINE FABRICS AND BEDSPREADS.
RECOGNIZE ANYONE IN THIS 1948 AT?
THAT WOULD BE YOUR GH AND BARBARA BUSH.
-- GEORGE H W AND BARBARA BUSH.
BUT THE SAME ECONOMY THAT SHUT DOWN OTHER MILLS FINALLY CAUGHT UP WITH BATES, TOO.
>> MY GRANDFATHER WAS A HUGE SUPPORTER OF KEEPING BATES MILL IN MAINE.
HE WAS REALLY SAD TO SEE THAT THE TEXTILE INDUSTRY IN LEWISTON COULD JUST FADE INTO THE PAST.
>> IN 2002, USING EQUIPMENT SALVAGED FROM OTHER CLOSED MILLS, HE AND HIS DAUGHTER CREATED MAINE HERITAGE WEAVERS AND PUT MANY OF BATES’ FORMER EMPLOYEES BACK TO WORK.
>> FAST FORWARD 10 YEARS, WE ARE LOOKING FOR A BUILDING THAT CAN HOUSE OUR GROWING OPERATION.
>> THEY FOUNDED 50 MILES NORTH OF LEWISTON IN MONMOUTH, MAINE, WHERE TODAY, WEAVERS KEEP THE TEXTILE HERITAGE ALIVE.
THE SAME ICONIC BATES PRODUCTS ARE STILL LEAVING THE LOOMS.
>> THEY LEARNED WEAVING, STITCHING.
THEY CAME FROM THAT TRADITION.
>> LIKE DON MCAFEE, WHO WAS HIRED BY FRED LABELLE IN LEWISTON.
>> I TAKE PRIDE IN GOING TO A STORE AND SEEING A BEDSPREAD BECAUSE RIGHT NOW I AM THE ONLY WEAVER THAT MAKES THESE.
I TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN WHAT I DO.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY MOTIVATED MY GRANDFATHER WAS TO MAKE SOME OF THE FINEST PRODUCTS NOT JUST IN AMERICA, BUT IN THE WORLD.
>> WE COULD NOT RESIST STOPPING BY THE TOWN LIBRARY, WHICH IS LOCATED IN COMES TO AN HALL.
COMES TO HALL, YOU MAY GATHER, IS NOT SOMETHING YOU MAY PASS BY EVERY DAY.
>> IT IS A MAGNIFICENT, ICONIC SPACE.
ANOTHER NEWSPAPER DESCRIBED IT AS WALKING INTO A CONFECTION, LIKE A WEDDING CAKE.
I LOVE WORKING HERE.
>> DAWN MCANDREWS IS THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE THEATER AT MONMOUTH, A PROFESSIONAL THEATER COMPANY LOCATED AT THE HALL.
THE TOWER.
THEY WANT TO KNOW IF THE GHOST LIVES THERE, RAPUNZEL.
WHO IS IN THE TOWER?
>> THE REAL FAIRYTALE IS HOW IT CAME TO BE BUILT.
A LOCAL BOY OFFERED TO BUILD MONMOUTH A N TOWN HALL COMPLETE WITH LIBRARY AND MUSIC HALL.
HE TAPPED A LOCAL ARTIST WHO HAD NEVER DESIGNED A BUILDING BEFORE.
SAID WHY DON’T YOU DRAW UP SOME PLANS TO HOUSE ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT THINGS AND USE YOUR IMAGINATION?
>> AND HE DID.
THE BUILDING IS NOW ON THE REGISTER OF NATIONAL HISTORIC PLACES.
THE ACOUSTICS OF THE THEATER ARE STRIKING.
BUT MOST OF ALL, HIS GIFT TO HIS HOMETOWN KEEPS ON GIVING.
>> THIS COMMUNITY HAS A VERY STRONG COMMITMENT TO THIS BUILDING BECAUSE THEY OWN IT.
EVERY EVENING WHEN WE WELCOMED THE AUDIENCE, WE THANK THE PEOPLE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PERFORM HERE.
>> HEADING BACK TO LEWISTON, WE DETOUR JUST NORTH TO THE TOWN OF MECHANIC FALLS.
WHEN WE PASS SILVER SPUR, WE KNOW WE HAVE FOUND OUR STOP.
>> MAINE IS ONE OF THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTORS TO COUNTRY MUSIC IN THE COUNTRY.
>> SLAM ANDREWS WAS JUST GETTING WARMED UP.
>> WE ARE THE ONLY STATE NONPROFIT HALL OF FAME FOR COUNTRY MUSIC NORTHEAST OF THE NATIONAL TURNPIKE.
>> WHEN PEOPLE COME HERE WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN, WHAT KIND OF REACTIONS DO YOU GET?
>> MY GOD, WE NEVER REALIZED WE HAD SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN MAINE.
>> THREE WHOLE ROOMS OF MEMORABILIA ABOUT A NEW ENGLAND MUSICAL AND CUTURAL PHENOMENON THAT IS NOT WELL KNOWN OUTSIDE THESE PARTS.
>> MAINE IS ABOUT AS FAR AS YOU CAN GET FROM THE SOUTH AND WEST.
NOT TO MENTION NASHVILLE.
WE WORSE APPRISE TO FIND OUT -- WERE PEOPLE SURPRISED TO FIND OUT MAINE HAD THIS TRADITION OF COUNTRY MUSIC?
>> YEAH, ALL THE TIME.
AT EIGHT YEARS OLD, I WOULD FALL TO SLEEP LISTENING TO THE NIGHTHAW IN WEST VIRGINIA.
>> BECAUSE IT WAS THE ONLY STATION YOU GOT.
>> YES.
>> THUS, AN ENTIRE GENERATION OF MAINERS TOOK TO COUNTRY MUSIC, INCLUDING ONE WHO WAS INDUCTED INTO THE HALL OF FAME IN 2002 AND JUST PLAYED HIS LAST CONCERT IN BANGOR.
>> THIS MUST BE NICE TO SEE THIS STUFF IN THE HALL OF FAME.
>> YOU’D BETTER BELIEVE IT.
>> MOST PEOPLE ASSOCIATE BEING BOOTS WITH MAINE AS OPPOSED TO COWBOY BOOTS.
YOU ARE HERE TO PROVE OTHERWISE.
>> THAT’S GREAT.
BACK TO MAIN HERITAGE.
WEAVERS SAYS 2018 HAS BEEN THEIR BUSIEST YEAR SINCE 2002 WHEN THEY STARTED.
>> WE LOVE THE BEDSPREADS.
THEY CAN SURVIVE A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE.
WE LEARNED THAT BECAUSE ONE MADE AN APPEARANCE IN THE SEASON EIGHT FINALE OF THE WALKING DEAD.
>> THERE YOU GO.
THIS CANDY STORE HAS A HEAVY SPRINKLE OF NOSTALGIA.
>> ALL THAT GOOD STUFF