Guy Wells
GUY WELLS PURCHASES PETRIE HARNESS SHOP
Guy Wells, who formerly resided here, but who has been living near Chesterton the past few years, purchased the harness repair ship of the late Samuel Petrie, and has taken possession.Guy, well known here, is qualified to continue the first-class workmanship of Mr. Petrie and is prepared to handle the work in the same efficient manner.
Because most farmers are now using power equipment, the local harness shop is one of the few remaining places of its kind in this region.
This unidentified newspaper article, hand-dated May 1945, was found in a scrapbook owned by Town Historian Richard Schmal:
NO HARNESS SHOP HERE FIRST TIME IN 50 YEARS
For the first time in the memory of most of our older residents, Lowell is without a harness repair shop. Because of his inability to find a suitable building to move his business into, Guy Wells closed his shop ten days ago to permit Murrell Belanger, new owner of the building and lot, to take possession of the property. For many years there has been at least one shop here, and until a few years ago when machinery began to displace horses two harness shops were kept busy the year around.Among the harness makers in business here in the past fifty years were: Frank Shurte, Hugo Carstens, Alex Beatty, John Bain, Walter Staff, Sr., and Sam Petrie, all deceased and Nick Jourdain, who had lived with his brothers near Crown Point since his retirement. John Foun___n, also dead a number of years, worked in shops in Lowell several years.
Mr. Wells and son purchased the shop after the death of Sam Petrie about two years ago, conducting the business until about a week ago when he was forced to close for lack of a suitable business room. He is now employed in the Gary mills.
Go to Guy Wells, "Pioneer History Index," for further information.
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