PORTLAND, ME — Wigon Office Supplies is turning its last chapter into a community handoff. As the Free Street store in Portland prepares to close after more than 90 years, it opened its doors Wednesday for a back to school giveaway that sent notebooks, binders, pens, pencils and other supplies to local teachers and students at no cost.
Dozens of people came through the shop to fill bags from the remaining stock. Store assistant Margaret Busby said teachers often buy classroom materials with their own money, and the giveaway was a way to make useful supplies go straight into schools instead of sitting on shelves as the business winds down this fall.
What The Store Announced
Wigon has confirmed that the business is preparing to shut down in October, ending a run that began in 1932 when Joe Wigon founded the store. His daughter, Sally Wigon, took over in 1951 and has led the company for decades, building a name that many Portland residents said became part of the city’s fabric.
Busby said the giveaway was meant as a final act of giving back. She described the shop’s remaining supplies as items that could still serve classrooms well, and said the store wanted them to reach people who need them now rather than go unused during the closure process.
A Family Legacy Ends
The closing carries a personal dimension for the family that has run it for generations. Busby said Sally Wigon viewed the store as more than a retail business; it was tied to family history and to the standard set by earlier years of ownership. The store is now 106 years old, according to the business, and its end marks the loss of one of Portland’s older storefronts.
Several local customers stopped in Wednesday to talk about what the shop has meant to them. Michael Lisicky said the closure will remove a familiar piece of Portland, while Rebecca Stephan praised Sally Wigon and said she would miss both her and the store. Their remarks reflected the attachment many longtime customers feel toward a business that has served the city for generations.
What Comes Next
The store is expected to officially close in October, though Wigon Office Supplies has not announced a more exact date. For now, the giveaway appears to be one of the last public moments for the Free Street shop before the lights go out and the remaining inventory is cleared out.
People who want to follow the closure or learn more about the store’s plans can check directly with Wigon Office Supplies. The business has not said what will happen to the building after the closing, and no successor operation has been announced.
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