Article and photos by Anderson Calderon
In Millinocket’s heyday, Penobscot Avenue was a bustling commercial street lined with a slew of small businesses. These days, it’s rare to see more than five people walking along its sidewalks. Its residents have few options if they want to buy a drink.
There is the Scotia Inn and, across the street, a wine bar that is only open in the warmer months and the Blue Ox Saloon, where the town’s ill fortunes are reflected in the number of beers kept in stock.
“We used to order 300 cases of beer back when the the town was thriving. Now we order just 12 a month,” said bartender Jaime Whitehead.
When the Blue Ox Saloon opened in 1994, the bar was filled with workers from the nearby paper mill. Business dropped off sharply after the mill closed in 2008.
As I was exploring the deserted avenue on a recent visit, owner Tom St. John emerged through the doorway. He is tall, about six feet, with pure white medium-length hair and a full beard of the some color.
“Come in all of you,” St. John shouted as he showed me and my friends into his bar.
The Blue Ox Saloon holds an impressive array of trinkets such as a typewriter, baseball bats, old TVs, books, and of course, drinks. The antique-themed bar simultaneously serves as a sports and music museum. A life-sized stuffed bear and moose head decorate the bar’s front seating area. Undoubtedly, the Blue Ox Saloon holds enough history to charm anyone lucky enough to wander in.
St. John, an enigmatic man with a host of stories to tell said, “I once owned a wolf,” as he pulled up pictures of the wild animal he once befriended. He went on to recount an eclectic array of stories, such as Bob Dylan’s unrequited high school love.
While the town of Millinocket has suffered greatly in recent years, the Blue Ox Saloon survives for now and remains a reminder of the town’s more prosperous past.