The End of an Era
April 24, 2026
The F. A. Peabody Company has represented the greater Mars Hill area for decades. It all began in 1979 when Reta Hersey of Bridgewater, Maine, started her career in insurance by joining FAPCO and commuting daily to Houlton. Over the next 20 years, she built a strong client base throughout central Aroostook while working from the Houlton office.
A turning point came in 1989 when FAPCO acquired the oldest agency in the County, George S. Gentle of Houlton, adding additional business from central Aroostook. The Gentle Agency had served Mars Hill since the 1970s by staffing an office two days per week. The merger provided economies of scale that allowed FAPCO to sign a long-term lease next to the law office of Hussey & Hussey at 53 Main Street, opening a small, one-room office on a full-time basis next to his law practice. As a Bridgewater native, Reta was the natural choice to lead this new venture.
At the time, another competing agency from Fort Fairfield, H. O. Perry, also staffed a part-time office in town. In 1991, H. O. Perry decided to sell its Mars Hill business to FAPCO, further strengthening our presence in the community. With the increased business, we were able to hire additional staff, including a sales agent from Houlton, Chris Anderson, who spent several days per week meeting with clients and assisting Reta in the office.
It is important to remember that the insurance business of that era was very different from today. While FAPCO was ahead of its time in computerization, wide area networks and web-based systems were not yet common. Insurance companies did not offer online customer portals for policy access, payments, or claims reporting. Agencies at the local level were required to bill customers directly and maintain account information in paper form. Mobile phones were limited to early “bag phones,” and while websites and browser-based commerce were emerging, rural Maine lacked broadband infrastructure. As a result, the insurance business relied far more on paper and hands-on local service, requiring more staff on site.
By 1992, the office had outgrown its small space at 53 Main Street and relocated a few doors down to 63 Main Street next to Mars Hill Shippers truck brokerage. In 1999, Julie Bradstreet was hired full-time to assist Reta and would ultimately become the foundation for the office’s future. Over the next 20 years, the office continued to grow, at times supporting up to three full-time employees. When Reta retired in 2010, Julie naturally assumed leadership of the office.
Another important milestone occurred in 2014 when the former bank building at 8 Lincoln Street became available for purchase. It was time to move into a location of our own, resulting in a beautiful new facility for staff and customers.
The following decade brought significant change. Our high-tech, high-touch approach created operational efficiencies, while improved broadband access allowed us to deliver more services with just a click. Customers gained the ability to pay bills, submit claims, and view policies online, slightly reducing in-office visits for those who preferred to manage their insurance digitally. And then COVID hit.
The COVID years made traditional in-office staffing increasingly difficult, particularly for smaller operations. Keeping the doors open required staff to be physically present, but shutdowns pushed customers to become more digitally independent. Fewer customers made personal visits, and at the same time, recruiting professional staff willing to work in a small rural office became more challenging.
As a result of these realities, staffing eventually returned to a single in-office position. Beginning in 2023, we adapted by adjusting public hours to three days per week. This allowed Julie to meet in-office client needs while using the remaining two days for offsite visits and uninterrupted administrative work. Julie’s positive attitude and dedication to serving Mars Hill customers during these challenging times were truly remarkable. Thank you, Julie!
Julie will be retiring at the end of April after a long and well-earned career with the F. A. Peabody Company. Congratulations, and thank you for all you have done, Julie Bradstreet.
The end of an era is now upon us. Insurance commerce has changed, and society has changed. Due to the challenges described above, the F. A. Peabody Company has made the difficult decision to close the Mars Hill office effective May 1. We remain fully prepared to continue serving our central Aroostook clients from our nearby offices in Houlton and Presque Isle.
