The Farmington Diner, across the road from Hippach Field and adjacent to Georgie’s Famous Hot Dog Stand, was a feature of my distant youth. In October 1957 it was the scene of the infamous Farmington Diner Horror in which I figured as victim. In those days the diner was the sole locale for Farmington’s night life, which ended at 11:30 pm, when it closed. I had stopped late one night to buy a pizza, having irrigated my liver with about a gallon of beer. On my way out Ron Pratt waylaid me to perpetrate an atrocity of unparalleled malice.
Taking advantage of my befuddled state, he advised me in urgent tones that my pizza was upside down. Without pausing for thought I flipped it over at once. In truth, it wasn’t much of a pizza, but having it mashed up did not improve it. And this from the captain of the football team on which I served as a tackle! Ron is still with us. He’s forgotten his base treachery, I have not. He’s probably never heard of the old adage that revenge is a meal best eaten cold. He will repay some day.
The diner left us several years ago, depriving the population and transients of all hope of ever again getting a plate of fried pickled tripes in my old home town. The structure was removed to make room for a large new Rite Aide store. Georgie retired from the hot dog business years ago and the sled dogs he penned behind his establishment no longer bay through long nights. Hippach Field, the last structure remaining from the Abbott School, which once attended to the educational needs of miscreant students expelled from other prep schools for misbehavior, still stands as a town facility.
The Farmington Diner actually acquired a measure on national fame when a 1978 New Yorker article featured it My older sister, a subscriber, showed this to the owner. He greeted the news with indifference, remarking that he didn’t know anybody in that city. Its standing as a local institution, now sorely missed by many, stemmed from its unique atmosphere. Conversation were general, reflecting our state’s tradition of free flowing raillery. It was no place for man or woman who couldn’t take a joke, but strangers—truck drivers, Canadians, skiers on their way to Sugarloaf or Saddleback, Summer Complaints heading up to the Rangeley Lakes, transients of all sorts who wandered in—were readily included in the back and forth.
Several of our local millionaires, a Chinese man of unknown antecedents, retired and employed mill workers, a couple of carpenters, two state legislators, a drunk house-painter (when he wasn’t serving time at the expense of the county) mingled freely. Some among them were initially rather startled when I first showed up a bowler hat, necktie and boutonniere, but they soon adapted.
It was there I first me a fellow under a baseball cap adorned with smut and cob webs dressed in blue work clothes that smelled a bit like a crank case. He showed a ready wit, a gregarious nature, and an innocent fondness for flattering the ladies. This was Charlie Webster, the former Republican senate minority leader and primary candidate for governor who became state party chairman and architect of the 2010 GOP take-over of the state legislature.
Thanks to this meeting I have since benefited from extensive tutorials on Maine’s retail politics, along with introductions to Maine’s cast of political characters, many of them idiots and some evil.
The Diner was situated on the low-lying Farmington Intervale which the otherwise tranquil Sandy River regularly floods during the spring thaw. Charlie told me of the time when he was called upon to fix the establishment’s oil burner following one of those inundations. The cellar was still partly underwater, with a lot of potatoes, turnips, beets and whatnot floating around. Next week the Diner was offering New England boiled dinners at a cut-rate price. Made him wonder. Makes we wonder as well. The place was better known for its low prices than high quality. My usual fare was a safe BLT and coffee. The pies were also pretty good and usually quite hairless.
Our regular waitress had the fastest coffee pot in New England and our cups had no bottom. Habitual patrons of Starbucks would have found the place as alien as the regulars would have found a five-dollar cup of coffee. No lap-tops were ever seen there and although a couple of elderly professors frequented the place, the University of Maine, Farmington crowd never included it in their restless quest for diversity. Having rotated in academic circles for too many years, I found this another attractive feature.
These days Farmington has quite a decent Thai restaurant and the Homestead Restaurant features some adventurous dishes without being silly. The Brickyard Café has captured about half the old breakfast crowd and the quality of the fare is undeniably superior. But the Farmington Diner social circle is gone. I haven’t seen the drunk house-painter since it disappeared.
I thought the old diner was still around town somewhere just waiting to be relocated?? How about it John ? Hows your wrist for burger flipping?
IT IS SITTING ON CEMETERY ROAD IN EAST WILTON, PLEASE COME GET IT!!
pleasant read, mr. frary, but i must take issue with your assertion that your experience in 1957 solely merits the title of “farmington diner horror”–there were certainly many more horrors to follow. also, as a student at u.m.f. i sometimes haunted the diner, although closer to 6:00 am than 11:30 pm (you rascal,) as i found the surest cure for a hangover was to rise early and eat lousy food.
It is a shame that someone spent money to rescue the dinen from demolition & relocated it to the Cemetery Rd. in Wilton to now just letting it rust and rot away. I would of love to have seen it relocated, restored and reopened as a nice classic railroad car style diner.
I, for one, miss the old diner….it had such a cast of characters…many now gone. I loved the food there…Mike made some of the best soup and certainly the best grapenut pudding. I was hoping it would be re-located to the fair grounds as a part of Farmington’s past…seems like a fitting place for it. I know many folks thought the kitchen was not the cleanest., but then how many other restaurant kitchens in the area have you been in?? I never felt any ill effects from the food, which was plentiful. If you thought the food was lousy…why on earth did you go back for more??? Just quit drinking! That also cures hangovers.
“… the University of Maine, Farmington crowd never included it in their restless quest for diversity. ” Poor Dapper Frary’s failing eyes (or his not letting the facts get in the way of a misplaced jab) must not have seen through the Diner’s smoke filled haze the countless UMF students, staff and real professors who made the Farmington Diner a favorite early morning and late night go-to. It’s still spoken of fondly by UMF alumni and old-time employees. One of a kind.
Thing that I miss about the diner is going in for morning coffee and seeing the “regulars” swilling their coffee and thinking of ways to tease the waitresses or other customers that they knew. I too, have been a victim of Mr. Pratt, except it was an packet of jelly that somehow found its way into my pocket open….imagine my surprise when I put hand into my pocket to retrieve my keys…..It never fails to bring a smile to my face.
Given Stan Jonathan’s observation, the phrase their restless quest for diversity must be matched by their frantic search for tolerance. As we all know, the only thing a real professor wears on his head is his eyeglasses, pushed up into his thinning hair, and a necktie of any sort is verboten, as it interferes with the sweater worn over the shoulders with studied casualness.
The old eatery, which I think was known as the Trolley Diner at one time, was one of our softball team’s hangouts when I worked at WKTJ in the early 1980s. The cast of characters would have made a good TV series at the time: the Schantz brothers, Niles Gage, Bernard Cassidy, etc.
I remember someone “streaking” through the place during that craze. The manager – I think her name was Glenys – was not amused, but we were.
Thanks for the memories, Professor!
I recall such a welcome feeling from the Diner. We would pile in with anywhere from 10-20 FLATLANDERS after a wild pig roast
All hung over and hungry. And they were always welcomed with open arms. And did become part of the conversations. I for one would be a regular again. How about the Gravy.the best ever
Sadly, in its later years, the “teasing” of waitresses often escalated to sexual harassment and the “not the cleanest” kitchen became filthy.
The Farmington Diner made the old Fortune Fountain look like the cleanest restaurant in town! I guess there was some amusement to fighting off the cockroaches while eating your $4 breakfast, memories, memories…
I to remember the Farmington Diner. When I first came to Farmington back in 1968, I worked there part-time for about a year. The manager was Kermit Beane. I remember the old 5 cent jukebox and the old tunes, and the regulars that would come in and sit in their favorite space. Now it’s gone by the wayside. When I heard it was going up for sale back in 2007 I went over and took many pictures ( a whole roll), with my camera. We view them often. We took the best ones and made PLACEMATS from them. People stop in and check them out now and then.
Not patronized by UMF students? Wrong! I know of many who strolled down to the dinner for a “friendly cup of coffee” in the 1960s.
@ Mike Lange
The waitress you remember was Glenys Timberlake. She was a character!! I had the pleasure of working with her at Porter’s Steak House. She will forever be in my memories!!
If I ever needed to find my father…I checked the diner. More often than not he was there. Selling his maple syrup and finding a job for the day. He’s got pictures of it coming in to town over the bridge, and more of it leaving. Many times I rode through town with him as he grabbed his CB to refer a hungry trucker toward the best and cheapest meal in town. RIP Pete Pillsbury
Aah the memory of the roaches how could on e possibly forget. Ken L. serve up an awesome seafood chowder he made from scratch. Those were the ” Days my friend, we thought they’d never end.
This place was horrible, it should have been closed down by the health inspectors decades ago!!!!! Im glad it closed and is gone, what an eyesore. Rite-aid is a far nicer and more respectable looking building and gives the town a better over all look and feel
I think the diner should have been a Historical save! If the walls or tables could talk, just imagine……When I think of the diner I think of Eugene Lambert, Chassie, Jim Meader among others, and yes, Bernard Cassidy was a regular when he wasn’t in Florida. Those days are forever gone!
My father-in-law loved the place.He met friends for breakfast there several times a week.I had heard rumors,but HE seemed o.k.I decided to try dinner one day.NOBODY warned me not to eat the seafood newburg.I nearly made it to MGs before I had to pull over to throw up.(seriously.)
I made Bub a ceramic Farmington Diner candy dish for his birthday that year and filled it with mints,rolaids and an airline barf-bag.He used to laugh at me and ask if I wanted to go for coffee and donuts-said the donuts were fine if you scraped the mold off.I am glad he enjoyed the place.I thought it was cool looking but I was never brave enough to go back in.(I think you needed to have a cast iron stomach and a strong immune system…) :)
that idiot that says the place was horrible should look at the way he lives i worked there for thirteen years mike and rose were like parents to me never saw a roach.maybe a little dirty but thats what happens when you serve five or six hundred people a day. rite aid looks out of place i never go there and never will.miss frank cooking rip frank
Lots of great memories of eating breakfast with my grandfather and Merlin during hunting season. And let’s just say the place was “well fertilized” by all the bull that flew around in there. Sure do miss the place.
I remember the “finer diner” with great fondness. When we lost the diner we lost a GREAT Farmington institution, Mike and Chickadee’s flawed memories notwithstanding. The seafood dinner for $12 was excellent, breakfasts were wonderful and the coffee cup was always full.
I lament its passing.
As for Rite-aid, as far as I’m concerned, the only good that came from that big-box store coming to town is that the tin ceilings from one of the houses torn down for the first one are now up in my home. I’d give it back the have the diner again.
I remember when juke boxes on the tables belted out your personal version of “Hillbilly Heaven,” and Lefty Frizzell singing “My Heart Skips a Beat.” I would like to see the Diner–or part of it–situated at the entrance of town below the fairgrounds, under the trees where the town garage used to be. It would make a great “welcome center” and a showroom for local products and services. There could be juke boxes again.
These folks who like Rite Aid better,,,well I guess they dont mind if every town in America looks the same…Rite Aids and Walmarts,,,(did someone already say idiot)
Some people cant “handle” honesty is what it is.
You would have benefited greatly from spending some time there.
It had a way of taking the SNOB outa folks (so a public service side dish there…)
If you dont like the place ,,,go to McDonalds where the food is exactly the same in all 25BiZillion of them (meaning you “really” still dont know what’s really in that food,,,,).
But Hey,,,Suit your self Amigo.
Go to Rite Aid and Walmart too. That way it wont matter what town you are in cause they ALL LOOK THE SAME…
Guess that makes it SIMPLE ENOUGH for YOU TO HANDLE??
We deperately need places like the Diner.
Real People went there.
Students,,,Townies,,Old,,Young,,,Governors,,,Rich,,,Poor.’
“People” who ” Get It”.
It was TRUE DIVERSITY.
Go in a know it all snob,,,and you either leave and bitch about it or “get it”.
SAD for you that You Missed it,,(of course YOU dont understand that).
Great article Mr.Frary but I was born in 1956 (my father was the “Famous” George of hot dog fame) and when I was a kid the diner was a little white wooden building run by Hugh Stewart and called Stewarts diner.I don’t remember when the silver diner appeared but it certainly wasn’t there in 1957.
All we need is some backing and some generous support from local electricians carpenters metal fabricators And building owner.ates in exchange for a lifetime of free coffee. Id be happy to lend a hand! Once we get it there and running, start the process of claiming it as a landmark. If we all want it bad enough we can make it happen. There are some great folks with many talents in this town, Just need to bring them all together.
much like the british and their late iron lady, it sounds to me like farmingtonians are pining over the nostalgia of the diner and overlooking any less desirable inherent virtues. we may miss her (the diner,) but she really never did us any good.
MIKE is probably right about the date, yet the Famington Diner Horror took place while I was still in high school; I took a chance and located the incident according to that time span. I did not explore the menu much, so those who praise the fare—and those who deplore it— speak with more authority.
I’ve always been treated courteously at Rite Aide, but it can’t provide the sort of society the old Diner created. As for those who prefer more antiseptic surroundings, some of us have sometimes enjoyed places where the occasional cockroach mingled with interesting and amusing people. Different folks, different priorities.
There’s a lesson here folks
If you let your teen aged sons “irrigate their livers with gallons of beer” look what they become when they grow up
I like Janet’s idea of reenshrining the Diner at the old town garage site.
Don’t forget Mike Grimanis of course, the keeper of the Diner flame for some 24 years from 1980 until he sold to Russell Wood and Russ’s brother in 2004.
In the late 70’s and until his tragic death in 1984, Frank Hemenway or Hemingway was often one of the first customers in the day showing up at about 5 a.m.
Millions of Americans for several generations grew up eating at “greasy spoon”establishments and they were vastly stronger,fitter,and in better shape than todays younger folks who eat sterile antiseptic fare ,devoid of taste and nutrition. I am only 57 but a fat kid was exceedingly rare in my youthand usually attracted unfavorable attention. Now they are the norm.
A sparkling sterile restaurant is of no use if the food is inedible and unwholesome and it is staffed by rude,apathetic soulless people
Also,the old joints were thankful for your business and didn’t respond to your “thank you” with a “no problem”.Nor did they expect a tip for handing you a take out bag.
I, too, like Janet Mills’ idea of someone or some organization purchasing and re-purposing the old Farmington Diner building as a welcome center of some sort. Hopefully the structure is still salvageable.
People of the Diner
Old Bill Lovell when he ran the trash truck…with the most disagreeable disposition if anyone took his stool
Frankie Hemingway and his radio..with Ray Magno’s crew or without
Etta and Leo – enough said
Tamo Sade with or without the Helgrens
Yes…it was Bernard Cassidy who streaked! He laughed about that for years.
Charlie Hartwell…
Chassie, Eugene Lambert, Bob Cushing and many others did more business in that
diner than any other office in town.
When there was beer served….
When there was nothing but coffee/coke served…
Eating breakfast with the Town Crew after doing snow removal
Where everyone knew your name…
Yes, we miss the Diner…
Thanks for the memories. I was a waitress at the diner in the late 60’s – kitchen was just fine then! Worked with some awesome folks; would be great to have the diner back in Farmington.
maybe the diner didn’t do “you” any good jonboy..
dont speak of “US” as if you are a part.
it did a lot of us a lot of good.
Look at the list of supporters.
Case closed.
Even if the whole structure isn’t salvageable, the stools, the mirror, at least some of the facade would be workable. Maybe the students at Forster Tech could refurbish it, or build a foundation on which to set it. It could be a bit of a showpiece at the entrance to town, something to make people stop, something to make them wonder and want to learn about our town, our people, something to remember us by, even if no one ever ate there again. A picnic table and a porta-potty would also help.
I thought I heard once upon a time that the Diner was being restored and relocated to the Farmington Fair. I really like that idea!
“Let’s go to the dinah for chowdah’ is the first thing my husband would say when we arrived at camp – and he’s a city boy. I loved to listen to the friendly banter back and forth between the regulars. Teasing in a respectful way seems to be a dying art. Now we go to Brickyard where some of the diner regulars still gather,
This was a fun read. Seeing familiar names like Eugene Lambert, Ron Pratt, Ray Magno and Georgie’s Hotdogs. I go back to the time when you never heard bad things about Stewart’s Diner.
yes, there are many “supporters” of the diner here in the almighty bulldog comments section. but if, out there in the real world, the supporters had outnumbered the detractors, the diner would still be around.
case closed.
The diner was known as my second home in the eighties & nineties. My wife even had Stan Keirstead paint a picture of it for my birthday one year. Later I gave it to Mike and Rose. Loved talking to the diner people – even met the governor & his stare trooper bodyguard there one day. Couldn’t convince my wife that she liked the place, though!
I must confess I approached the Farmington Diner with caution the first
few times I ate there but I found nothing to complain about . The food
was always palatable (and I’m a pretty darn good cook myself), it was affordable
the waitresses were friendly and caring, the service was good, and never
saw any cockroaches there. Had I seen any creepy-crawlers I would never
have gone there again! Some of these commenters are eternal pessimists!!!!
Get a life. . . . . put your energy into something positive.
Having said that, I enjoyed chatting with the locals from all walks of life, doctors,
lawyers, Indian chiefs and people in general.
I agree with Janet and Paul — the Diner would make an excellent Welcome Center
and become a permanent part of Farmington’s history. It could used as a welcome
center / coffee house combined and could provide a couple of jobs for people to run,
serve coffee, pastries, donuts, etc.
P.S. The baloney about ‘moldy doughnuts’ being served at the diner is just that
BALONEY! . . . .Guess I’m not a believer.
Thanks for your article Mr Frary. We rarely if ever agree but the diner must be saved. When a town loses an integral part of its history it can never be retrieved by mere photos. I am a long distance from rich and my bank account has lost considerable weight as a result of the recent animal abuse unpleasantry but I will pledge the first $20.00 to restore this landmark. We’ll forever regret it if we do not and always be happy and proud if we do.
Who’s with me on this? Farmington can do ANYTHING! ANY IDEAS?
Fond memories of Stewart’s Diner, when it was still a wood building.
It was the bus stop after away basketball games for Italian sandwiches.
Then the dining car took it’s place and it was the place to go for an “after the movie” snack. Remember well going there after an Elvis movie and playing all the songs we had just heard in the movie on the jukebox.
I worked at the Trolley Diner for a year or so, probably 1969-1970. As a townie and a college student, it was a perfect job for me. The Trolley was a wild place at night, with lots of beer drinking and fun. Waitressing wasn’t always lucrative, but we sure had a good time! Janis Joplin and Hendrix on the jukebox – I thought they were singing to me.
Wonderful memories of “Stewart’s” from the early-mid ’60’s FHS contingent. Never went there after that, but the Class of ’65 will have our special times to hold in our hearts. Without “Hugh” and his girls, it is lost in the shuffle. Whatever happened later is part of someone else’s history. Having said that, I surely miss ours………..
From about 1974 right up to the last day the diner was in operation I would come in the front door, often partly in hopes of not getting caught in Lauris Bailey’s topic of the day sermon (on the right side tables) or getting snared by Bob Bean senior sitting on the left side with his yellow floppy hat on; classes called and I had little time for lunch. If lucky I would catch Frank’s eye looking out from the kitchen before I was actually inside the diner and I would raise either one finger or two as a silent order for one or two very thick, freshly carved turkey sandwiches. I would then walk rapidly out to the store next door to buy a water or soda to drink with my lunch. By the time I returned to the diner Frank would have one or both sandwiches nicely wrapped and ready for me to carry away. I gained about 50 pounds during those years, but they must have been healthy pounds.
Rumors of moldy food…never! Food never stayed in the diner for more than a few seconds…in it came and out went…even for a few minutes during the flood of ’87.
Hear hear Janet, Paul, and others. Save the diner, save the memories.
Bulldog, why can Frank call someone an idiot above but I can’t say the same thing when making a political comment about liberals?
Born and raised in Farmington but only went to the Diner once — in 1981 my Army recruiter bought me a BLT and a soda as we discussed my future. The sandwich was good, the recruiter was effective, and as with so many other changes over the years I was shocked when the Diner was no longer part of the landscape. I agree the old place would probably draw quite a crowd — especially outta statuhs — if it were refurbished and returned to business.
During my senior year (1962-62) I worked Saturday nights at the diner. Went to work at 4:00 and arrive home around 1:00 am on Sunday. It was never dull. The diners were varied and interesting. I have
never had another job quite like my “diner” experience.
…when I was 14 & Mom tried to put me in rummage sale clothes, from the old North Church……. I refused..she said then you’d better get a job…..I did, I wrote to the Governor for special dispensation as I was under age, & got a job at Stewarts Diner. Every day after school I went there, no experience at all , but driven to be the best waitress……. put my books in the last booth on the north side so I could slide in & study when it wasnt busy! Hugh was a great boss, & I made tons of $$, enough to buy brand new clothes from the Sears & Roebuck Catalog. Nothing but fond memories for 2 yrs. Roaches, you’re crazy, food was the BEST too. Then in the 70’s & 80’s it became my Dad’s (Joe Paradis) fave place to go each & every am for breakfast & to discuss local & nat’l politics with the likes of Pete Mills et al. THEY had it all figured out!! :)
SAVE THE DINER !!
No UMF students? I attended back in early 2000’s, and we went there. One of my favorite teachers took me there for wonderful conversation, and a hot meal, we returned again and again. The prices were good, and it was walking distance to campus. I miss that place, wish I had money so I could buy it and fix it up, and re-open it. Miss the Granary a lot too! It’s tough owning a restaurant in Maine. Too many have closed.
read em and weep jonboy…
“YOU” are proven wrong.’
(remember when you said it did us no good and thaat we were just pining away at the past.)
Look at all the people who benefited from this establishment.
Open Your Eyes and actually LEARN something.
The Diner had it’s day,,,,and it was a GREAT TEACHER.