FARMINGTON — A 100th-year anniversary celebration for the Farmington Farmers Union takes place on Saturday, July 14, at the store on Front Street.

The store was developed to help farmers buy supplies, said Lawrence Yeaton, president of the board of directors for the past 34 years.

It was originally set up with 1,000 shares available at $10 a piece. An amount that probably gave them the capital to start the business, said Russell Black of Wilton, also a director on the board.

Now there are 4,000 shares with 3,954 shareholders receiving yearly dividends.

“You bought a share, you owned a shingle in the building,” Yeaton said. “Shares are the same price today as they were 100 years ago.”

Returns have ranged from a low of 2 percent to as high as 14 percent, Yeaton said. It depended on what was left over for profit after the bills were paid.

For a farmer spending $40,000 to $50,000 a year at the Farmers Union, getting an average 8 to 10 percent dividend back was good, Yeaton said.

Now there are more “gentleman” farmers, people who own a few goats, pigs and chickens than the large dairy farmers of earlier years, store manager Larry Donald of New Sharon said.

A few years ago when more shares were needed Yeaton found adding shares couldn’t happen easily. The group advertised to purchase them back from families where the share owner passed, he said. They were bought back for the price paid.

There are some available now but to purchase a share a person must save receipts showing they purchased $500 worth of merchandise within one year, Donald said. That doesn’t have to continue each year but they want shareholders to be people who buy there regularly, he said.

According to information compiled by former store manager John Wilbur, a group of men met in Farmington Falls in July of 1912 to discuss forming an organization called the Maine Central Produce Exchange.

The next month, August of 1912, the organization incorporated and started selling shares. 

The name was changed to the Farmington Farmers Union in 1917. The next year, land was purchased on Front street for $1,200 and a committee formed to start building. The amount of stock also rose from 1,000 to 4,000 shares.

The store enlarged in 1926 and again in 1936 selling to share members and then the general public a line of grain, groceries and clothing.

Now the groceries, clothing and front gas pumps have been replaced with a variety of hardware items, paints and garden supplies.

The old railroad station across the street was purchased in 1966 by the Farmers Union. Grain supplies for the store came by rail until 1981 when the decision was made to have them trucked in.

The store became a True Value franchise in 1982 and started the rental business in 1983 where small machinery and hand-tools can be rented, Donald said.

The seven-member board of directors hires a manager and assistant manager to run the store with about 15 employees. Each is paid a good salary with benefits, Black said.

“The store is doing well. It pays taxes and employees. Supporting the local economy … compounds in the community,” Black said.

A farmer himself since he bought a herd of cows while still in college, Black, now a state representative, will give the store a legislative sentiment Saturday in recognition of the 100 years.

State Sen. Tom Saviello and Secretary of State Charlie Summers will be there between 1:30 and 2 p.m. Board Directors and feed company representatives will attend, Donald said.

Door prizes, refreshments and giveaways including commemorative yardsticks are available from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.  A store discount is offered all day.

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