A living landmark of Boothbay Harbor for 60 years
Newbert “Brud” Pierce began selling hot dogs out of a push cart in 1943
after returning home from serving his country in World War II and
continued doing so until 2004.
I first learned about King Brud in 2002 while
watching an episode of Bill Green’s Maine, ironically the same day I
watch a special on PBS called “A Hot Dog Movie”. Since then I have read
about him in Tim Sample & Steve Bither’s book “Maine
Curiosities” and read stories about in magazines and newspapers.
The general consensus was the Brud was a very
friendly, caring, and giving man that loved his home town of Boothbay
Harbor that voted in 1981 to crown him the “Hot Dog King of Boothbay
Harbor.”
I have visited Boothbay Harbor several times over the years and cannot ever remember seeing him or his truck but when I finally ventured down on July 30, 2003 specifically to buy a hot dog from him I found him exactly where Bill Green said he would be at the intersection of McKown St, Oak St, Commercial St, & Townsend Ave, the very heart of the town. And each time I returned after that, until he was forced into retirement by the town I saw him in that exact location.
According to the March 2, 2006 edition of the Boothbay Registry Brud was denied a victualer’s license in April 2004 in a move the town thought was for his own good.
When I saw him Brud’s cart was a 1964 Cushman Truckster that
was outfitted as a hot dog cart with built in steamers, the most unique
hot dog cart I have ever seen. He only had the standard natural casing
dogs and I’m not sure what brand he used.
The dogs were steamed to perfection as were the buns. His condiment
selection was ketchup, mustard, or relish nothing else. Not that I need
more than mustard.
On August 16, 2008, while visiting the Boothbay Railway Village I saw his Truckster in the car museum. They also had his original push car that he used. It wasn’t until I started researching my Hot Dogs of Maine book that I learned of his forced retirement and his death on February 18, 2006 at the age of 85.
Thank you for compiling and posting this!
ReplyDeleteI remember Brud's Hot Dogs from when we first started spending summers in BBH in the early '60's. It was always a treat to head into town and get a hot dog from Brud and maybe listen to a concert on the library lawn. Later, in college, I worked one summer for Bud Logan at the House of Logan, and Brud was a fixture there. He always had something funny to say. Brud, you may be gone but you are not forgotten.
ReplyDeleteRick B.
Many fond memories of Brud. R.I.P.
ReplyDeleteMiss you Brud. I your honor, I had a 'Brud' hot dog- as near as I could make it. Brud would even put mayo on it if you agreed to everything. (Celery salt doesn't count as I use it always).
ReplyDeleteBrud aka, "WHAT'S ON IT"?
Growing up in Boothbay Harbor from 1958 to 1972 Brud's "spot" was a 5 minute walk from home and I've lost count of how many of those hot dogs I consumed. Even though he knew what I had on them he would always ask. I loved when out-of-towners would step up to his cart and he would ask, "What do you want on it?" Some would say everything and his response was, "Do you want mustard, ketchup, relish, pickles, onions, celery salt?".
ReplyDeleteHe also had mayonnaise for a condiment, which I actually began to really enjoy on my dog, but people who weren’t familiar that asked for everything on their dog would always cringe when he ran through the list of “everything”. He would respond, “then you don’t want everything do you.” Also, if someone asked for sauerkraut, he would yell “I don’t have sauerkraut, you want sauerkraut go down to New York City, they’ll give you sauerkraut.” One time I told someone on front of me to ask for the sauerkraut because it was great, as the person asked he must have seen me snickering because he turned to me and said, “you told him to say that, do you want to get shot!” He was truly a fixture of Boothbay and is missed greatly.
ReplyDelete