Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 8 : Spring 2011 | Page 30

Well Ahead on Rent:

Philanthropy in Aroostook County
by Sandy Gauvin

“If service is the rent you pay for your existence
on this earth, are you behind in your rent?” -Robert Allen,
best-selling author of Multiple Streams of Income, Creating Wealth,
Nothing Down, and The One-Minute Millionaire

Do you think that Robert Allen might have been talking
about philanthropy? If this is the case, then Aroostook
County is well ahead on its rent.
Past Philanthropy

Philanthropy has been alive and well in The County
for a long time. If you look at the beginnings of different

communities up here, it is obvious that many activities and
institutions were conceived early on to improve the wellbeing of the people in the area. However, these conceptions
may never have materialized if not for philanthropists. For
example: Presque Isle General Hospital opened in 1912
through hard work and the generosity of philanthropists
like Frank White. By horse and wagon, Mr. White visited
fellow townsmen and collected $2,500 to start a hospital.
This hospital was the forerunner of a facility which is known
as The Aroostook Medical Center.

Located in Houlton, the Cary Library was founded
by Dr. George Cary and was built between 1903 and
1904 with funding provided by the estate of Dr. Cary and