The Narcissus was Born in Laconia, NH in 1912: Laconia Presentation and Weekend - Great Turnout, Great Time!

Saturday, August 19, Donald Curry, from Seashore Trolley Museum,

addresses the near-capacity audience in the Rotary Hall of the

  Gale Memorial Library in Laconia, NH.

The Laconia Historical Society & Museum invited

Donald and Narcissus project manager, Phil Morse, to speak on

  SeashoreTrolley Museum's ten Laconia Car Company-built electric streetcar vehicles.

PWM

Additional blog posts on Seashore Trolley Museum's Laconia Car Company-built Collection:
Click Here: No. 14 - 1912 Laconia Car Company-built Collection

Click Here: No. 38 - 1907 Laconia Car Company-built Collection
Click Here: No. 60 - 1895 Laconia Car Company-built Collection
Click Here: No. 100 - 1906 Laconia Car Company-built Collection
Click Here: No. 108 - 1904 Laconia Car Company-built Collection
Click Here: No. 235, No. 50 & No. 9 - 1895, 1902, & 1904 Laconia Car Company-built Collection
Click Here: No 4175 - 1914 Laconia Car Company-built Collection
Click Here: No. 4387 - 1918 Laconia Car Company-built Collection

Laconia Historical Society and Museum Executive Director, Pat Tierney,

opens the public presentation with a welcome and introductions. Local

TV cable access recorded the presentation that will then be broadcast

in the area over time. PWM

One of the early guests to arrive before the start of the presentation was

Theresa Doucet. Theresa lives in Laconia and mentioned that her grandfather,

Alfred Doucet was a motorman for the Laconia Street Railway. She went

on to say that her grandfather generally was the motorman when operating

No. 17. She then shared an image of her grandfather in the doorway of No.

17. Alfred is standing inside at the top of the doorway in the image above.

Seashore Trolley Museum has the original body of No. 17. It is not restored,

does not have trucks, and is not an accessioned vehicle in the collection

of the Museum. No. 17 at Seashore Trolley Museum may be the only

original streetcar body that survives that was built by the Laconia Car

Company for the Laconia Street Railway?

Image Courtesy of Theresa Doucet

A negative of No. 17 from the collection of the Laconia Historical Society

and Museum.

Of course, No. 17 seemed to be omnipresent over the weekend in Laconia :)

Cover of the book, "Slates, Shingles, & Shakes: A Renovation

Guide for Laconia's Historic Homes", published in 1978 by the City of

Laconia. Courtesy of LHSM

Theodore Roosevelt was a passenger on the Narcissus on August 18, 1914,

so, of course, the Narcissus displays would include Theodore Roosevelt-related

items; such as Ken Burns' signed poster from his documentary on

The Roosevelt: An Intimate History. As well as a Narcissus restored

window, an exterior poplar arch for a large leaded stained glass

"eyebrow", a shoebox promoting Laconia with an image of the Seashore Trolley

Museum's 1906 Laconia Car company-built No. 38, from Manchester, NH.

Also displayed is an original Western Electric portable phone exactly like

those used on the Portland-Lewiston Interurbans. PWM

Another Narcissus display. This one included a tri-fold with pictures of

restoration work, the Narcissus Blog address, and five of the forty,

restored original leaded stained glass windows from the 1912 Laconia Car

Company-built, Portland-Lewiston Interurban (PLI) No, 14, Narcissus. Also

on display was a large print of the new original work of art by

Maine artist, Wade Zahares, that depicts The Narcissus operating alongside

the  builder of the PLI, W. S. Libbey, with his wife Annie, as they are riding

in Libbey's very rare 1908 Stanley K 30-hp Semi-Racer. PWM

Two more Narcissus displays included items for sale. 100% of the proceeds

from the sale of Theodore Roosevelt-related books (all signed by

the respective authors), and Narcissus art prints and greeting cards for

sale. Click Here: if you would like to purchase prints or greeting cards. PWM

Main Street view of beautiful Gale Memorial Library in Laconia, NH. PWM

Church Street view of the Gale Memorial Library in Laconia, NH.

The Laconia Historical Society & Museum, in cooperation with the library,

had beautiful exhibits on display that detailed the Laconia B & M

Railroad Station, the Laconia Car Company, and the Laconia Street Railway.

PWM

The Veteran's Square view of the 1892 passenger B & M Railroad Station.

"Celebrate Laconia" held a day-long celebration on Saturday, August 19,

the 125th anniversary of the station's dedication. PWM

New Salem Street view of the 1892 B & M Railroad Station in Laconia, NH.

PWM

Various businesses provided financial

support for the station renovation. PWM

The stonework is beautiful. PWM

Stonework and walkway to access the front

of the station by walking to one's left. PWM

Stonework and walkway to access the front

of the station going to one's right. PWM

Laconia, NH, home of the Laconia Car Company. Laconia Car Company

was a major manufacturer of railway vehicles. PWM

A number of the buildings built by the Laconia Car Company are still

in place in Laconia, NH. This was the last building built by the Company.

Like most of the remaining Laconia Car Company buildings, "Streetcar

Place" has been repurposed and now is home to several

businesses, including Hector's Fine Foods & Spirits. PWM

Streetcar at the top of the menu of Hector's Fine Foods and Spirits in

Laconia, NH. PWM

The Laconia Historical Society & Museum (LHSM) owns this former Laconia

Car Company building. The LHM's archives and collections are held in

this building. This building was where sash trimming, glazing, and

varnishing were done while it was part of the Laconia Car Company.

PWM

Map with drawings of the Laconia Car Company buildings. Courtesy LHSM

Donald Curry is next to the old railroad tracks that are seen on the

map above. The next image shows the smokestack in the map above.

PWM

What is now seen as the top of the smokestack is not what was the top

when the Laconia Car Company had it built. The section of the

stack seen here has its interior "lined" and therefore is much

stronger and more stable than the section above where the lining ceased.

The unlined section deteriorated over the years and the crumbling bricks

began to break away causing safety concerns. The unlined section was

removed and the top was covered and sealed. The remaining section is

stable. PWM

Map of Laconia Car Company with descriptions written on the rooftops.

Courtesy of LHSM

Across the street from the Laconia Historical Society & Museum building

are (left to right) Laconia Car Company tenement buildings and

passenger shops. PWM

This full map gives you a real sense of the scale of the Laconia Car Company operations.

Courtesy of the LHSM

Had the privilege of  looking through

some of the many materials in

the LHSM collection that has to do with

the Laconia Car Company.

Courtesy of LHSM

So cool to find materials that have to do with specific vehicles

built by the Laconia Car Company which now is among the

amazing collection of electric railway vehicles at

Seashore Trolley Museum. Seashore Trolley Museum

has the last original car from the 4100 series, No. 4175. 4175

was among the cars built for the Bay State Street Railway. Builder

order  No. 700 was received on April 4, 1913, for 50 City/Semicon

(semi-convertible) DE (Double End) Deck (Roof style) DT

(Double-Truck) 28-foot Nos. 4150-4199 with

Bay State 12 (original trucks).

4175 at Seashore Trolley Museum three days ago. Here it is being

prepared to receive one of its new fenders. 4175 is in the final

stages of its complete restoration. Currently 4175 needs about

$10,000 for materials and some labor to finish up the restoration.

Contact this writer via email at p.morse31@gmail.com

if you would like to help 4175 financially reach its completion.

PWM

One of two newly-built fenders for 4175. PWM

The Narcissus was part of Builder Order No. 661 :)

Courtesy of LHSM

Breakdown with some details of the Builder Order No. 661 from 1912

Courtesy of LHSM

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

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