Despite the fact that the area has become polluted by corporations who have little tie to the population or environment they have built capital on, Waterville remains home to Marden’s. The business was established over forty years ago by Mickey Marden who was inspired by the philosophy, “buy great stuff and sell it cheap.” He opened up his first business in Fairfield and soon established his first store in Waterville with support from his friends. As a treasure hunter, Marden discovered his wide array of goods in strange places—floods, fires, and overflowing warehouses. The stores mottos lies in providing bargains for its customers “item for item, nobody will beat our price, and that’s the truth.” With their money back guarantee, Marden’s is known for doing business the old- fashioned way or rather, “the right way.” Marden’s has seemed to maintain its traditional-feel in this era of impersonality and commerciality.
After walking across its huge parking lot, most customers enter Marden’s, greeted by displays of items on final sale. Walking towards the back, the left hand side is packed with racks of clothing. Leopard purses, fanny packs and fake leather belts adorn hooks on the left wall. As one makes its away through the store, customers pass aisles stuffed with a wide assortment of goods. Rolls of floral prints lie next to neons, flannels and every type of fabric one could imagine. Then comes the carpeting. Whether you’re interested in bathroom or shoe mats, wall-to-wall carpeting, or an oriental-type carpet for your living room, Marden’s has a striking range of things. Then there are the couches, bed frames, and outdoor patio furniture. The aisles in the center of the store are stocked with toys, knick-knacks, beauty products, food, home décor and just about any odd item you might be looking for.
While Marden’s provides necessities for the local community, the way in which it is perceived by members of the Colby community demonstrates the huge disconnect that exists between the natives and students. The majority of Colby students do not go to Marden’s to pick up shampoo or snacks for our room. In fact, I believe that most of us would chose to buy our goods from Walmart as opposed to Marden’s because shopping in the former allows us to avoid the true reality of Waterville’s struggling population. Though the majority of us say we do not like to support huge chain stores that treat their workers unfairly, when push comes to shove the anonymity of a place like Walmart allows us to escape the reality of Waterville. In addition to this, it allows us to turn a blind eye to how isolated we are on our hill from the real community of our environment. When Colby students do pay Marden’s a visit, it is in the face of a holiday that requires silly dress up clothing or something of the sort…Halloween…Doghead…An Ugly Sweater Party. To us, Marden’s is that place where you go to buy goods that can be disposed because they are so cheap. In this way, Marden’s exists as a struggle between two differing socio-economic communities. Where locals purchase their everyday needs is where Colby Students spend frivolous bucks on costumes to be simply thrown out.the goods they need at the prices they can afford, it illuminates how truly poor Waterville has become. The fact that it’s such a favorite among the older generation may be explained by its ability to reminds them of a time when they were young and Waterville was prosperous.
Though Marden’s represents the financial struggles of the surrounding Waterville area and its residents, it also stands as a last reminder of what Waterville used to be. Marden’s is reminiscent of a time when the city was busting and the small-town feel, thriving. Marden’s stands to represent the triumph of the family business in the face of capitalist domination. Its survival also highlights the importance a community has over their built environment—without its local support and loyalty, Marden’s would have ceased to exist.