January 1957 issue of the Bates Alumnus magazine
included this article by the late Seashore Trolley Museum
historian and prolific electric railway lines author,
O. R. Cummings. Image from the Bates Alumnus.
Thank you to Bates College Muskie Archives for sharing with us, this copy of O. R. Cummings' story on the "Figure-Eight" published in the Bates Alumnus, January 1957. O. R. Cummings was the Seashore Trolley Museum's historian for decades and published fifty books or more on electric railways in New England. O. R. passed away in 2013 and is greatly missed by this blogger and all who knew him in the historic railway circles.
O. R. Cummings, better known as "Dick," was a member of the Class of 1944 at Bates until World War II tore him away from his studies. He later graduated from the Bentley School of Accounting and Finance in Boston and joined the staff of the Newburyport, Mass., Daily News. Last April he moved to Manchester, NH, Union-Leader, where he is employed as a rewrite-man.
Dick is the official historian of the New England Electric Railway Historical Society, Inc., owner of the Seashore Electric Railway trolley museum at Kennebunkport, and the author of several histories of Maine electric railways, including the Portland-Lewiston Interurban; the Atlantic Shore Line Railway; the Rockland, Thomaston, and Camden Street Railway; and the Biddeford and Saco Railroad. His history of the Portland Railroad system is now in the process of publication and he is working on a two-part history of the Lewiston, Augusta, and Waterville Street Railway.
Dick is the son of Mary Audley Cummings, '12, who makes her home in Newburyport.
The time was September 1940, and at the corner of Campus Avenue and College Street, more than a hundred members of the Class of 1944 waited for the start of the annual Stanton Ride.
Soon, with a shriek of whistles as they passed John Bertram Hall, two large trolley cars came lurching down Campus Avenue and with a hiss of air and the grinding of brakes, stopped in front of the freshman group. Within a few minutes, everyone was aboard and the cars started, rounding the sharp, curve onto College Street and heading for Lake Auburn.
Last Trip 1941 - Motorman-Conductor Mr. Turgeon (?)
for many years. Courtesy Androscoggin Historical Society
Last Ride by Trolley
Now, the Stanton Ride has been a regular event of Freshman Week since it was established by the late Professor "Uncle Johnny" Stanton way back before the turn of the century. But the 1940 trip had special significance, for it marked the last time that the traditional trolleys were used for transportation on the annual outing. When September 1941 rolled around and the Class of 1945 arrived on the Bates campus, the ancient streetcars in Lewiston and Auburn had been replaced by shiny new buses.
Figure-Eight map from O.R Cummings 1963 publication,
"Lewiston, Augusta, & Waterville Street Railway.
PWM Collection
The passing of the trolleys, in addition to ending one of the traditions of the Stanton Ride, also meant goodbye to the good old "Figure Eight," the line which had served the Bates campus, first with horsecars and later with electrics, for half a century. The new buses ran directly to the College from downtown Lewiston, looping around campus via College and Russell streets and Central and Campus avenues instead of following the old circuit through Lisbon, Pine, and Sabattus streets and down Campus Avenue.
Interior of an electric car probably Figure 8, Last Trip 1941
Image courtesy Androscoggin Historical Society
Lewiston at Hub of Electric Lines
It should be noted here and now that in the heydey of the trolley, the twin cities of Lewiston and Auburn were the hub of an extensive network of electric railway lines through south-central Maine. The Lewiston, Augusta, and Waterville Street Railway, the largest system in the state, extended from Lewiston to Brunswick and Bath, to Augusta and Waterville, to Mechanic Falls, and to Turner, while the luxurious Portland-Lewiston Interurban provided direct service from Union Square, Lewiston, to Monument Square, Portland.
LA&W St. Rwy
Courtesy Androscoggin
Historical Society
LA&W St. Rwy Motoman
PWM Image
Three Maine Colleges Were Linked
The Lewiston, Augusta, and Waterville system, incidentally, served three of Maine's four colleges - Bates, Bowdoin, and Colby - and it would have been possible to ride to Lewiston all the way to the University of Maine had a proposed line between Waterville and Bangor ever been built.
Both Bates and Bowdoin frequently chartered special cars to convey athletic teams and student rooters from one college to the other as the distance was only twenty miles - a ninety-minute ride. Trips to Colby, however, were usually made by steam railroad because of the distance, fifty-five miles, and the three hours (of time) by trolley. Moreover, the Maine Central station in Waterville was practically in the backyard of the old Colby campus.
Trolleys Were Popular for Class Rides
In the days when each Bates class took an annual trip, many of the journeys were made by trolley to such places as Merrymeeting Park in Brunswick, New Meadows Inn in West Bath, Tacoma Inn at Litchfield, Island Park on Cobbosseecontee in East Winthrop, near Augusta, and Casco Castle Park in South Freeport, on the trolley line between Brunswick and Portland.
Tacoma Inn, incidentally, was noted for its bountiful dollar dinners and if a student became weary of the fare at the Commons or Rand Hall, he or she had only to ride up to Tacoma for a repast fit for a king. The round-trip trolley fare from Lewiston added another fifty cents to the cost, but the meal was well worth it.
All for a Nickel Fare!
Getting back to Figure Eight, it provided a convenient way for Bates students to enjoy a cooling ride before "hitting the books" on a hot early fall or late spring evening. The round-trip through Lewiston and Auburn took a half hour and the fare was a nickel. Open bench cars were used on the line in the days before the First World War, and there was always a scramble for the front or rear seat where, out of sight of the rest of the passengers, a student, and his favorite coed could engage in a little discreet handholding.
Lisbon Street, Lewiston at night.
Postcard Collection of PWM
In connection with Figure Eight, we recall a story told us by a Bates graduate many years ago. It appears that she was being initiated into a "top-secret" girls' sorority on campus and as part of her initiation, she was required to signal a Figure Eight car to stop in front of Milliken House. When the car stopped, she put her foot on the running board, untied and tied her shoe, and then stepped back, thanking the motorman and conductor for their courtesy. Trolley car crews always accepted such antics in good spirits and "anything the college kids did was all right."
Remember Lake Auburn?
Another favorite trip of college students in the heydey of the trolley was to Lake Grove Park on the shore of Lake Auburn in East Auburn. This park, with its summer theatre and other amusements, was once a favorite recreation spot for residents of the Twin Cities. Bates people weren't supposed to go there unless accompanied by a proper chaperone, but they'd occasionally take a chance on Saturday afternoons and ride out to Lake Grove. Canoes were available for hire and there was nothing more enjoyable than a paddle around the lake, provided, of course, that a feller had his best girl along.
Lake Grove, Auburn
Postcard Collection of PWM
And East Auburn Grange Hall?
Near Lake Grove Park was the East Auburn Grange Hall and some members of at least one Bates class occasionally hired the place for a Saturday afternoon dance during the days when tripping the light fantastic was forbidden on the college campus. The group made the trip to and from East Auburn by trolley and the girls, in particular, were always certain to be back on campus by six o'clock in time for the evening meal at Rand Hall. Their absence would have taken a lot of explaining.
Off-campus students found the trolleys convenient and easy to ride distances. The winter months were the worst for such commuters, of course, for occasionally the trolley lines in the outlying areas would be blocked by snowdrifts and the trolleys couldn't run until the tracks were cleared. At such times, if a student were stranded at College, there were always emergency accommodations, but if he or she were stranded at home, there was a valid excuse for missing classes.
Coal for Heating Plant Delivered by Trolley
One of the most valuable services performed for Bates by the street railway was the hauling of coal from Bath to the College's heating plant behind Hathorn Hall. Rails were laid from Campus Avenue along Bardwell Street and the back of Hedge Lab to the plant. The fuel was brought in large gondola cars which could dump their loads directly into the coal bunkers at the college. Coal delivery by trolley ended after the Bath streetcar line was abandoned in 1937 and the tracks on Bardwell Street were removed.
We mentioned the Portland-Lewiston Interurban earlier in this story and it might well be pointed out that the builder of the line was W. Scott Libbey, a Lewiston industrialist, who gave the Libbey Forum to the College. His daughter, Mrs. Gertrude Libbey Anthony, was the wife of Professor Alfred Williams Anthony, who taught at Bates for several years. His son, Scott Libbey, is now a member of the Bates Board of Trustees.
Libbey Forum at Bates College
Postcard Collection of PWM
It might also be pointed out that William B. Skelton, '92, senior member and current chairman of the Board of Trustees, was the president of the Androscoggin and Kennebec Railway, successor to the Lewiston, Augusta, and Waterville Street Railway, during its last years of operation, and that he was president at one time and is now board chairman of Central Maine Power Company, which owned the Portland-Lewiston Interurban.
Our own memories of the Lewiston trolleys are rather scant, for they were operating only during our freshman year. We do recall, however, riding the Figure Eight downtown, getting a transfer, and then taking a Weber Avenue car back to the College - all for a single fare. We also remember the night that a railroad torpedo we placed on the trolley tracks near Chase Hill - just before the last Sabattus car of the evening was due to pass. The loud explosion that resulted brought lights twinkling on in nearly every house in the neighborhood and we think a police cruiser came to investigate.
That last car from Sabattus in the late evening always sounded a whistle as it came down Campus Avenue toward the College, and unless we were (studying) for an exam to be written the following day, the sound of the whistle was our signal to shut up the books and hit the sack. It was only a few hours until breakfast and that 7:40 class in French.
A conductor of the electric car poses with people on his route.
1941.
Image courtesy Androscoggin Historical Society
Conductor carrying "cash box" (fare
register) from the last car, 1941.
Courtesy Androscoggin Historical Society
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 110 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. In 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 one-time donations 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 207-967-2800 ext. 3.
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 filling in the required information.
Click Here for PayPal - to make an online donation: you can use email: finance@trolleymuseum.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 207-967-2800 ext. 3,
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 - 2020/2018 - 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, stained glass windows is majestic.
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
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