Scrapbook Celebrates the People of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban

Cover page of the large scrapbook created by Charles D. Heseltine; with the help

of Oscar Adkins, a former PLI employee, and the PLI Reunion Committee. 

They used photos, newspaper clippings, and original ephemera from

the Portland-Lewiston Interurban (PLI); including poetry, personal cards,

notes, and notations from employees and their families.

My understanding is that Heseltine passed the scrapbook on to

O. R. Cummings, who in turn, passed it on to

the New England Electric Railway Historical Society's (NEERHS)
Library. Seashore Trolley Museum is owned and operated by

the NEERHS in Kennebunkport, ME.

Please consider making a donation to the Narcissus Project. Funds are still needed to complete the restoration of the National Register of Historic Places member, Narcissus.  Click here to make an online donation or scroll to the end of this post to find all donation options. All donations are currently matched, dollar-for-dollar, as part of a $40,000 matching grant challenge, thanks to the generous offer from the 20th Century Electric Railway Foundation! 

Thank You :)

The scrapbook has several pages dedicated to reunions of former PLI
employees and their families. There are four reunions specifically
cataloged on several pages; June 29, 1938, June 29, 1939, June 30, 1940,
and June 28, 1941. All four of the reunions were held in Gray, ME.
The 1938 and 1941 reunions were held at the Newbegin Hall. The
1939 and 1940 reunions were held at the Pennell Institute Gymnasium.
It is noted in newspaper articles of the times, that combined, the total of
former PLI employees and their family members who attended each of the
reunions in 1939 and 1940, well exceeded 100 in attendance.
The image above is from the final annual reunion in 1941. 


This scrapbook is made up of mementos

from these employees, or their family

members. Each item was hand-delivered,

usually when attending a reunion. Each

came with an emotional "piece" of that

 employee or that employee's relationship

with other PLI employees. This scrapbook

holds some precious moments for these folks.

We are so very fortunate.

If you recognize a person, home, or other structure in any of these
images and have additional information on the person or a current image of a home/structure that can be used to show the approximate area in recent years, please consider sending me an email with the information or a new image and a caption/explanation: p.morse31@gmail.com


W. S. Libbey was beloved by his family. He was a well-respected
businessman, not only in the greater Auburn-Lewiston area,
but around the state and throughout New England.
For more on the life of W. S. Libbey: Click Here
For more on the community's reaction to his life: Click Here



LeRoy Libby - I learned in 2015 that W. S. Libbey
is a descendant of John Libby. John Libby arrived
in the Blackpoint area of Scarborough, Maine in
the very early 1630s. I also learned that
W. S. Libbey and I have a common ancestor.
We are both descended from the second
child, of the eleventh child, born to John Libby.
So, now, every time I see a "Libby", I
wonder if we are related? I'll need to
research LeRoy (above) :)
To see more about my connections to
W.S. Libbey: Click Here


The first page of images taken during the construction of the line


For more information leading up to the opening of the
Portland, Gray, & Lewiston Railroad and circumstances that
lead to it becoming the PLI: Click Here



Mrs. Harold S. Libbey shared several photos of the construction

of what would become, the Portland-Lewiston Interurban.

Helen V. Channell, married W. S. Libbey's son,

Harold Shaw Libbey in 1907. During the construction,
Mr. & Mrs. Libbey would camp out along the right-of-way.

Harold would send his father letters with updates on

the progress of the construction of the line.

Click Here: to see Harold Shaw Libbey 1881-1919 - including the biographical section - History of Maine

Webster's had a siding (a short section of a second track that could be
accessed from the mainline) and was about fifteen miles from

the Lewiston Terminal. If you recognize a person, home, or other

structure in any of these images and have additional information on

the person or a current image of a home/structure that can be used to

show the approximate area in recent years, please consider sending me

an email with the information or a new image and a

caption/explanation: p.morse31@gmail.com


I wonder if that is Mrs. Harold S. Libbey sitting on the edge of the
cut on the upper right? If you recognize a person, home or
other structure in any of these images and have additional
information on the person or a current image of a home/structure
that can be used to show the approximate area in recent years,
please consider sending me an email with the information or
a new image and a caption/explanation: p.morse31@gmail.com


This original reinforced concrete bridge was replaced by a steel

girder span in late 1927, and early 1928.


Our hope is to have each of the photos in the scrapbook scanned

digitally, and where needed, restored. Contact Narcissus project

sponsor, Phil Morse, if you would like to learn more about

the scanning/restoration of these precious images.

p.morse31@gmail.com


Harry W. Ferguson in the above image, went on to become

the Line Foreman. See the 1932 list of employees in one of

the above images.

If you recognize a person, home, or other structure in any of these

images and have additional information on the person or a current

image of a home/structure that can be used to show the

approximate area in recent years, please consider sending me

an email with the information or a new image and a

caption/explanation: p.morse31@gmail.com

If you recognize a person, home, or other structure in any of these

images and have additional information on the person or a current

image of a home/structure that can be used to show the

approximate area in recent years, please consider sending me

an email with the information or a new image and a

caption/explanation: p.morse31@gmail.com

For more details on the opening of the line: Click Here

Theodore Roosevelt was a passenger on the Narcissus on August 18, 1914.
 He also rode on one of the PLI interurbans during his August 31, 1916
visit. During both trips, he stopped in Gray and spoke to the assembled
townspeople from the car. We have not been able to identify specifically,
which one of the six interurbans he rode on during his 1916 visit.
If you have any information that can help us to identify which of the
interurbans he rode in 1916, please contact the Narcissus project
sponsor, Phil Morse: p.morse31@gmail.com
Theodore Roosevelt loved Maine and traveled to Maine on several
occasions starting when he was thirteen years old in 1872.
For more information on TR's trips to Maine:
Click Here


The average newspaper reader at the time, probably

would not have clipped this article out and saved it :)


How many personal photos do you have at home, that have no

names identifying any of the people in the photos? Time passes and

in later years, it becomes very challenging to identify time, place,

and individuals. Thankfully, many of the folks in the images in

the scrapbook are noted. Not all though. Some names have

question marks and some images have no names at all. 


Does anyone recognize any of these fellas? :)

If so, send me an email with the image
and a caption/explanation to: p.morse31@gmail.com


Morrison's Hill had a milk platform, gravel pit, and spur for

work trains only. Morrison Hill was about 12 miles north of

the Portland Street Terminal in Portland.

Seashore Trolley Museum has restored the original
1915 Morrison Hill Way Station from the PLI and has it on display.






Sadler's had a siding (a short section of a second track that

could be accessed from the mainline) and was about

two-and-a-half-miles, from the Lewiston Terminal. If you 

recognize a person, home, or other structure in any of these

images and have additional information on the person or a

current image of a home/structure that can be used to show

the approximate area in recent years, please consider sending

me an email with the information or a "new" image and a

caption/explanation: p.morse31@gmail.com

Like washouts, there are several images of PLI employees
who probably contracted help, digging out after large snowstorms.
The "Exciter" is the employee newsletter of Central Maine
Power Company (CMP). The PLI became part of the CMP family
in 1920. 


The "Silo" was also known as Blake's. It was about a mile south

of Sadler's Siding and just north of the Milk platform and cattle

run at Merrow's. When first built, there were 50 cattle passes along

the line, each was reinforced concrete with an 8-foot clearance.
For more on the early details of the line: Click Here


The interurbans were large cars and took up a lot of space on the streets
in Portland and Lewiston. Each was 46 feet long and weighed 
about 36 tons. This image is dated the 29th of June. Passenger service 

ended on the 28th. I'll need to do a little more research :)
Here is a little-known Theodore Roosevelt-Portland, Maine-related fact:
The Theodore Roosevelt International Highway is 4,060 miles long
and goes from Portland, Maine to Portland, Oregon.
For More on the TRIH: Click Here


1920 was the year Maine celebrated its centennial birthday. The

large crowds mentioned above were traveling to and from visiting

the Centennial Exposition at Deering Oaks in Portland. 1920 was

also the high water mark for the number of total passengers

carried in a single year. 519,488. Over the years of passenger

service, the line carried more than 7.3 million passengers.


Freight and Express service generated significant revenues for the PLI
for several years. From 10% of total gross revenues to nearly 19% as
passenger revenues were dropping off in the mid-20s.


With about 35 miles of track and overhead wire, there was always
maintenance going on throughout the line.

Pages of pictures of the substations in West Falmouth, Gray, and Danville.
If you recognize a person, home, or other structure in any of these
images and have additional information on the person or a current
image  of a home/structure that can be used to show the approximate
area in recent years, please consider sending me an email with
the information or "new" image and a caption/explanation:
p.morse31@gmail.com

Pictures of the Section Crew members.

Mileage and Fare Tables. O.R. Cummings used many of these original

documents as resources for his first two books on the PLI.
May 1956 - Portland-Lewiston Interurban,  NRHS, Connecticut Valley

Chapter Pub. September 1967 - Maine's Fast Electric Railroad -

Portland-Lewiston Interurban through New England Electric Railway

Historical Society. O. R. Cummings passed away early in 2013. He left

a significant portion of his railway-related collection to the Library at

the New England Electric Railway Historical Society. Included in

that collection is his, approximately, 50-page manuscript for

volume three, in the series of books on the Portland-Lewiston Interurban.

If you have an interest in learning more about the process of publishing

this manuscript, please contact the Narcissus project

sponsor, Phil Morse email at p.morse31@gmail.com


The telephone directory includes retired and laid-off employees.


The last car page. Followed by a 1933 page.


The Arbutus is pictured above: The Last "Interurban"


Mrs. Gertrude Libbey Anthony purchased the Arbutus, complete, as a fully
operating interurban, and had it relocated on a set of tracks at her home in
Saco, Maine. The "body" of the Narcissus traveled to Sabattus, Maine,
near the Sabattus Pond/Lake, and became the summer camp for the
Vallee's family for nearly 35 years. The body of the Narcissus would
become the property of the Seashore Trolley Museum in 1969.
To read more on "Camp" Narcissus: Click Here
To watch a short video interview of Daniel Vallee talking about
living in the Narcissus: Click Here


Newspaper article in Lewiston Magazine section
August 19, 1939.


Another image of the complete Arbutus in Saco, Maine in 1940.
In 1945, the Arbutus was scrapped. Some of the beautiful
interior Santo Domingo mahogany with inlay would go to the
St. Francis Monastery Chapel. Some of the clerestory
ornate leaded stained glass windows, in their mahogany sash,
would end up in the Shoreline Trolley Museum in Connecticut.

These clerestory windows and sash would be donated to

the Seashore Trolley Museum in 2002.


The first of four "annual" reunions took place five years after the PLI

service came to an end, on June 29, 1928. Held at the Newbegin Hall

in Gray, Maine. A baked bean supper was served by the Gray Grange,

with entertainment and dance following.


The second and third reunions were held at

the Pennell Institute Gymnasium in Gray, Maine


The reunion pages include many cards, letters, and photos

explaining happy times and tough times since the years of

working together on the PLI. This card explains how the "29"

crash impacted one of the reunion members.

Reunion Invitation

There are many cards, obituaries, letters, and poems that
pay homage to those former PLI employees and or

family members that did pass away.

This poem by former PLI patron, Margaret Turner, was first read at the
1939 reunion. It is a touching tribute to the PLI and the community that

was served so well for 20 years by dedicated employees.
To see and hear the poem put to music: Click Here

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We continue the restoration work on the 1912, Narcissus, the only surviving high-speed, luxury interurban coach of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban. 

Click Here: Narcissus Restoration-Related Posts

Being more than a century old, the stately, "Elegant Ride," Narcissus, is a gem.  This shimmering precious stone of Maine transportation history is brilliantly resplendent as it emanates so many elements of history, including; time, places, people, and events, that it was coupled to, that when just a smattering of its seemingly innumerable stories are shared, the contents captivates, fascinates, then generates, interest to learn more 🙋. The majestic Narcissus is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

Please consider joining the epic journey to complete the Narcissus Project by making a donation today!

Click Here: Donation Options

The restoration of this majestic icon of Maine's electric railway history is but one in a series of captivating stories containing an abundance of incredible coalition of narratives.

Click Here: History-Related Posts - Narcissus and Portland-Lewiston Interurban

     The Narcissus is featured in the national Gold Award-winning novel, Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride. The "Elegant Ride" is the Narcissus. Theodore Roosevelt was a passenger on the Narcissus on August 18, 1914, between Lewiston and Portland, Maine, while campaigning for the Progressive Party candidates.

Click Here: Bookstores and Businesses promoting the Narcissus Project

Independent book publisher, Phil Morse, holding

the Gold Book Award Winner plaque for

 the Middle Reader category for The Eric

Hoffer Book Award. Congratulations to

award-winning Maine author,

Jean M. Flahive