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
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. 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
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 Narcissus, the only surviving interurban coach of the PLI. Please consider making a donation to the Narcissus Project to help the restoration work continue to completion.
Click Here for the post that has the short virtual 3-D video of the digital model of the Narcissus, with components added to the file from earlier this year (the gold leaf file had not been added yet).
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Restoration work continues on the Narcissus. The Narcissus is more than 100 years old now and has so many incredible stories to share. The restoration of this majestic icon of Maine's electric railway history is but one of those incredible stories.
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.
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
Seashore Trolley Museum Promo Video
The paperback edition of Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride can be purchased online through the Seashore Trolley Museum's store website. Books purchased through the Museum's website directly benefit the Museum and the Narcissus project.
Click Here to go to the Museum Store web page to order online
Click Here to go to the Amazon page to order the ebook or audiobook online
Paperback books are available at these local bookstores in Maine:
Center for Maine Crafts, West Gardiner Service Plaza
The Book Review, Falmouth
The Bookworm, Gorham
Letterpress Books, Portland
Maine Historical Society Store, Portland
Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad, Portland
Morph Gallery & Emporium, Kennebunk
New Gloucester Historical Society, New Gloucester
Nonesuch Books and More, South Portland
Seashore Trolley Museum, Kennebunkport
Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shops, All Locations
Thompson's Orchard, New Gloucester
Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride
by Jean M. Flahive
Illustrations by Amy J. Gagnon
Listen to a 2-minute, 30-second, Retail Audio Sample of the Audiobook
Millie Thayer is a headstrong farmer's daughter who chases her dreams in a way you would expect a little girl nicknamed "Spitfire" would run full tilt and with her eyes on the stars. Dreaming of leaving the farm life, working in the city, and fighting for women's right to vote, Millie imagines flying away on a magic carpet. One day, that flying carpet shows up in the form of an electric trolley that cuts across her farm. A fortune-teller predicts that Millie's path will cross that of someone famous. Suddenly, she finds herself caught up in events that shake the nation, Maine, and her family. Despairing that her dreams may be shattered, Millie learns, in an unexpected way, that dreams can be shared.
A resource for teachers
Companion curriculum State-standard-based units,
vocabulary, and reading activities for use in grades 3-8
are available online as downloadable resources through
Seashore Trolley Museum's website
www.trolleymuseum.org/elegantride/
Maine Historical Society has created eight companion lesson units in Social Studies and ELA that were inspired by Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride - These State-standard-based lesson plans for use in grades 6, 7, and 8 are easily adapted for use in grades 3-5. Vocabulary and Reading activities for grades 3-8 along with the eight lesson plan units are available free and may be downloaded through Seashore Trolley Museum's website www.trolleymuseum.org/elegantride/
Go to the Teacher Resource Page in the pull-down for more details.
A 60-second intro to Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride by author, Jean Flahive
Click Here to watch the video on YouTube
Award-winning author, Jean M. Flahive
Please Consider a Donation to the Narcissus Project to help us tell the incredible story of the Narcissus through the interpretation portion of the Narcissus Project.
Here is an example of how donations to the Narcissus Project now will help with the interpretation portion of the project. The interpretation programming will include exhibits, displays, and education programming. During 2019, through generous donations to the Narcissus Project, we were able to conserve, replicate, and have high resolutions digital image files made of the original, 1910, 28.5-foot long, surveyor map of the elevation and grade of the 30-mile private right-of-way of the Portland, Gray, and Lewiston Railroad (Portland-Lewiston Interurban) Click Here
Thank You!
the crowd gathered in Gray, Maine on August 18, 1914.
Image courtesy of Gray Historical Society
The Narcissus as the Sabattus Lake Diner in Sabattus, Maine,
circa 1940. Photo by John Coughlin in the Kevin Farrell
Collection at Seashore Trolley Museum
L. Henri Vallee (right) and family members in the
Narcissus, when it was Vallee's summer camp in
Sabattus, Maine circa 1958. Photo courtesy
Daniel Vallee
Inside the Donald G. Curry Town House Restoration Shop, the Narcissus is in the midst of major work as we strive to complete its restoration. We are now planning the interpretation portion of the Narcissus Project. Donations to the Narcissus Project may be used in the future to help tell the incredible 100-plus-year-old story of the Narcissus. Your donation to the Narcissus is helping to make the dream of the project's success, a reality.
See below for Donation options -
It starts with YOU
Your Donation Matters
Make a Donation TODAY
Please Help the Narcissus.
Donation Options to Help the Narcissus Project:
The New England Electric Railway Historical Society
is the 501c3 organization that owns and operates the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, ME, and the National Streetcar
Museum in Lowell (MA).
The New England Electric Railway Historical Society registered with the IRS (EIN# 01-0244457) and was incorporated in Maine in 1941.
Check or Money Order ***** should be made payable to:
New England Electric Railway Historical Society
In the memo: for a donation to the Interpretation programming
please write: PLI Education Fund 817
For a donation to help with the restoration write: Narcissus Fund 816
Mail to: Seashore Trolley Museum
P. O. Box A
Kennebunkport, ME 04046
Credit Card ***** donations can be a one-time donation or you
may choose to have a specific amount charged to your card
automatically each month. Please contact the Museum bookkeeper, via email at finance@trolleymuseum.org or by phone at
207-967-2712 ext. 5.
Online Donations - may be made by using a Credit Card:
Click Here to make an online donation through the Museum's website - When at the Donation page: Fill in donor info, etc., when at "To which fund are you donating? Scroll down to "Other" and type: 816 Narcissus, then continue on filling in the required information.
Click Here for PayPal - to make an online donation: you can email: finance@NEERHS.org and in the message box write:
For "Narcissus Fund 816" - if supporting the restoration
For "PLI Education Fund 817" - if supporting Interpretation programs
Donation of Securities ***** We also accept donations of
securities. You can contact the Museum bookkeeper, via email at finance@trolleymuseum.org or by phone at 207-967-2712 ext. 5,
for brokerage account information for accepting donated securities.
BONUS ***** If you work for a company/corporation that will
"match" an employee's donation to an approved 501c3 non-profit
educational organization, please be sure to complete the necessary paperwork with your employer so that your donation is matched :)
Questions? ***** Please contact Narcissus project sponsor:
Phil Morse, narcissus@gmail.org or call 207-985-9723 - cell.
Thank You :)
Thank You for our Current Funding Partners
* 20th Century Electric Railway Foundation - 2018 - Major Gift, 2017/2014 Matching Grants
* Renaissance Charitable Foundation (LPCT) by Fiduciary Trust Charitable Giving Fund
* Renaissance Charitable Foundation (LPCT) by Fiduciary Trust Charitable Giving Fund
* Mass Bay RRE - 2018 Railroad Preservation Grant
* Thornton Academy (Saco, ME) - Staff & Alumni - Matching Grant Challenge 2014
* New England Electric Railway Historical Society (Kennebunkport, ME) - Member Donations
* Amherst Railway Society - 2015 Heritage Grant
* National Railway Historical Society - 2016 & 2015 Heritage Preservation Grants
* Enterprise Holding Foundation - 2015 Community Grant
* Theodore Roosevelt Association - Member Donations
* John Libby Family Association and Member Donations
* The Conley Family - In Memory of Scott Libbey 2018/2017/2016/2015
* The W. S. Libbey Family - Awalt, Conley, Graf, Holman, Libbey, McAvoy, McLaughlin, Meldrum, O'Halloran, Salto, - 2018/2017
* The Hughes Family 2017/2016/2010
* New Gloucester Historical Society and Member Donations
* Gray Historical Society and Member Donations
* Gray Public Library Association - Pat Barter Speaker Series
* Scarborough Historical Society - PRR/PLI
* LogMein - Matching Employee Donation
* IBM - Matching Employee/Retiree Donations
* Fidelity Charitable Grant - Matching Employee Donations
* Richard E. Erwin Grant - 2017/2016
The Narcissus, with interior back-lit, majestic stained glass windows.
Make a donation today to help restore the interior of this Maine gem.
Help Theodore Roosevelt's Maine Ride get back on track! Once restored,
you will be able to ride in luxury on this National Register Treasure at
Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine.
PWM photo
Please Consider Making a Donation to the project of the National Register of Historic Places member, Narcissus. We are currently raising funds to advance the restoration and to tell the incredible story of this Maine gem.
Various News stories during the summer of 2015 about the
Narcissus and its connection to Theodore Roosevelt. TR
was a passenger on the Narcissus on August 18, 1914.
Photo by Patricia Pierce Erikson
The Narcissus - July 31, 2015. Make a donation today.
Help Theodore Roosevelt's Maine Ride get back on track!
Once restored, you will be able to ride in luxury on this
National Historic Treasure at
Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine.
