For the longest time, the second thing that came to mind upon hearing mention of Gate City Fence Co. was the little, cement-floored hall they used to rent out to anyone who had 50 bucks and agreed to not to do anything outrageously illegal.
My first thought, of course, is always the Nashua born-and-bred family business and how its inimitable founders, Charlie and Rita Forrence, nurtured a shaky startup with a few shovels and a beat-up truck into the thriving enterprise that Gate City Fence is today.
Still, even with so much Nashua and Forrence family history at the corner of Pine and Ledge streets, it’s Rita’s face that seems to pop up first when Gate City Fence is the topic.
And I know why, too: Back in the day, Rita was in charge of rental arrangements for that little hall at the same time a bunch of us 20-something guys got up the 50 bucks to party away the Super Bowl “in style,” meaning “free from the silly behavioral boundaries normal-thinking wives or significant others might impose just to spare the family from embarrassment and the house from structural damage.”
For some reason, I was the guy to make the rental arrangements, which meant passing muster with Rita.
“OK, you can have it all day, but not too late,” she said. “Here’s the key. Make sure I get it back Monday.![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
↧