From collection Jake Gillison Collection
LB2016.15.944
Oxton's Store, "Where Everybody Meets," at the corner of Main and Park Streets, Rockland, Maine, purveyors of ice cream sodas, candy, cigars, tobacco, hot roasted peanuts, fresh boiled lobsters, etc. Sim's lobster Co. and Sim's Lunch is seen next door followed by Charlie's Place, featuring Ballantine Beers and Ales. A Central Ice Co. truck is seen passing in front of the stores. The alleged story of Rockland's first lobster roll: One day, Carl Simmons brought in a container with fresh lobster meat and asked Charles Swett, the chief cook at Sim's, to make up a lobster stew for a luncheon special. Well, the natives at that time, lobster was not one of their favorites, and lobster stew did not sell very well. Charles said to Carl, "We have quite a bit of lobster meat we haven't used. What do you want me to do with it?" Carl said, "Mix up the lobster meat with mayonaise and make sandwiches out of it." Charles looked around and discovered he was out of white sandwich bread and Carl said to use hamburger rolls. Thus, the lobster roll was born. "262"
