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| This is the tack shop that my father, John Gass, opened in 1952 on Route 2 in Orono, Maine and operated for nearly 50 years. From the large paper mills of the north country, to the hard working farmer needing supplies for the draft horse, to the saddle horse owner preparing for the show, to the countless individuals and families with their "backyard" horses and ponies, my Dad endeavored to build a solid business reputation and goodwill with thousands of customers, near and far. John passed away in February 2002 after a hard fought battle with pancreatic cancer. My Dad's passing and the tack shop's closure was a shock to many people. Both my Dad and the store had become an icon in the area, well known to many from the Clydesdale Hamlet of Merrimack, New Hampshire, to the St John Valley in Northern Maine, Eastern Canada, and all points in between. Many people saw the simple way that my Dad maintained and ran his store to not only be a pleasant respite, of sorts, from the hub-bub of daily life, but indeed as a man and his store that hailed back to a simpler, less stressful, time. John Gass was a laid back kind of guy with an uncanny way of remember the names of customers, the cars and trucks that they drove, what town they lived in, and how many horses they had, etc... His approach with people was always honest and genuine. His knowledge of his store and the inventory was always impressive. As the BDN stated during an April/1989 interview that they did with my Dad, he was a walking dictionary of information regarding equine supplies, related equipment, as well as methods and approaches to caring for horses.
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| The rebirth of this establishment has been a multi-year dream of mine. To breathe life back into a family owned and operated business that had become so well known and respected was a challenge that I was finally ready for. None of which would have been possible without the kind and generous support and assistance of many friends and family members. Some of the many people who had/have encouraged me, and given of their free time to support my dream include: Ken, Pam, Katherine & Ashley Danforth, Gerry & Rose Martin, Ashley Gallant, Mike, Ann & Brad Kenny, my cousin Randy Grossman, my wife Cathy Dionne-Gass, and my two sons Aaron and Benjamin Gass. However, a very special and heartfelt thanks goes to my store manager, Sheila Griffin, who formally owned and operated Hoof'N IT Tack Shop in Bangor, for her many hours of hard work preparing for this opening and the painstaking effort she has put forth preserving the look, feel, character and charm of my Dad’s tack shop.
Our store's longstanding tradition of providing top quality horse supplies, tack and related items at reasonable prices continues at the newly reopened Gass Horse Supply. We look forward to having you rediscover our laid back, no frills, shopping environment.
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Gass Horse Supply, 476 Main Street (Route 2), Orono, Maine.
Conveniently located near Interstate 95. Just six miles north of the Bangor Mall and five miles south of the UMaine campus.
~ Barry Gass, Owner
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Our store's driveway during one of our "grand (re)opening" days.
Run mouse over image to enlarge. |
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