Our History

The history of the Mountain Road Trading Post (MRTP) goes back to the early 1960's. Mountain Road was a small dirt (and often muddy) road winding along the hilly passage to only a few local residents. Most residents at the time had camps on Pawtuckaway Lake and the local roads reflect their presence. Most of the roads branching off Mountain Road are named for these early settlers of the area. Sachs, Miendl, Mooers, Brustle, and Jampsa are all named after the original locals of the area.

Another fairly early resident of the area, Timothy Crowley, started the MRTP in the small camp which is now the house in front of the Trading Post. It was a small, rustic, dirt drive store – with emphasis on gifts & candy (I imagine many people still remember it for real 'penny' candy).

Tim Crowley was an accountant who re-located from Peabody, Massachusetts and apparently 'threw it all in' and opened the MRTP. He also started Crowley Real-Estate Co. and had a hand at selling the local properties – as few as there were in the late 1960's.

The house out front slowly became more permanent living quarters for Tim (and his mother) and the barn – now the location of the MRTP – was decided to be built. Done mostly by Tim and local friends and relatives – it was a barn raising – as it used to be done. The barn, as it really is, remains as rustic and original as it was in the 1970's when it was built. A few improvements have been made (there is central heat) but the original wood stove remains the main source of heat. Even today there are 18 cords of firewood lined up for about two years of heat.

And....The ceiling has also been closed in....when Tim opened his new building he added 'Old Town Canoes' and a line of sailboats – both fitting for the remote location near a beautiful lake. He had left a large section of the second floor open, a full two stories, so he could display sailboats with the sails and masts fully assembled. This opening has since been closed in as sailboats are no longer displayed and the large hole was extremely hazardous to those who entered the second floor. The timber frame, which supported the large opening, can still be seen.

The location remains an Old Town Canoe Dealer since 1970 when Tim introduced them to the area. Some of the other products introduced (as the small business started to grow) would include Massey Furgeson Tractors and, yes, Massey and Rudd Snowmobiles.

Many of our customers and local friends have fond memories of this original owner and his mother - a CPA who threw it all in for a slower pace, significantly less income, and a much more remote place to enjoy.