No. 12 Bangor Street Railway with its original type trolley
pole. This car was the first electric in Maine. Crew members
are O'Brien and Coombs. The ends were open to the men
standing are called the vestibule. The motorman would
operate the car from the vestibule with no protection
from the elements. It would be 1906 before Maine
laws were enacted to enclose the vestibules
on all trolley cars. Image from C. D. Heseltine Coll.
Here is the newest release in the Maine Bicentennial series of electric railways in Maine. This blog post features the Bangor Street Railway summary/images from the book, "Bangor Street Railway" by Charles D. Heseltine, published as Transportation Bulletin No. 81 January -December 1974 through Connecticut Valley Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society copyright 1976 Roger Borrup and Charles D. Heseltine. Some text/images may be from the NEERHS 2015 publication, "The Illustrated Atlas of Maine's Street & Electric Railways 1863-1946. Additional images will be credited.
- 3.15.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - York Utilities Company 1923-1949
- 3.14.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Atlantic Shore Railway 1911-1923
- 3.11.2020-Maine Bicentennial Series - Portsmouth, Dover & York St Rwy 1903-1906
- 3.9.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Auburn, Mechanic Falls & NorwayStRwy1902-3
- 3.7.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Portland & Brunswick Electric Railway 1902-1911
- 3.7.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Androscoggin & Kennebec Railway Co. 1919-1941
- 3.7.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Lewiston, Augusta & Waterville St Rwy 1907-1919
- 3.6.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Lewiston, Brunswick & Bath St Rwy 1898-1907
- 3.4.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Bangor Hydro-Electric Company 1925-1945
- 3.4.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Penobscot Central Railway 1898-1906
- 3.3.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Bangor. Hampden & Winterport Rwy 1896-1905
- 3.2.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Bangor, Orono & Old Town Railway 1895-1905
- 3.2.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Bangor Railway & Electric Company 1905-1925
- 3.1.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Bangor Street Railway 1889-1905
- 2.23.2020 -Maine Bicentennial Series - Portsmouth, Kittery & York St. Rwy 1897-1903
- 2.22.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Sanford & Cape Porpoise Railway 1899-1904
- 2.21.2020 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Mousam River Railroad 1892-1899
- 1.31.2019 - Maine Bicentennial Series - The Norway and Paris Street Railway 1894-1918
- 1.27.2019 - Maine Bicentennial Series - Aroostook Valley Railroad 1909-1946
- 10.17.2018 - Maine Bicentennial - Portland Railroad History 1860-1941
Bangor Street Railway
Bangor, with a total population of about 20,000, was the first community in the state of Maine to have an electric railway service. The first trial trip took place in the very early hours of April 29, 1889. Two closed cars provided the first public passenger trips on May 21, 1889. On this original 3-mile section of track, from May 21, 1889, through September 30, 1889, four closed cars and four open cars carried 215,547 passengers. During a single day of the State Fair in September that fall, 8,200 passengers were transported on these trolley cars!
Downtown Bangor, December 1889 with cars Nos. 12 and 18
in their original paint schemes with names of the contractors
painted on the dashers. Here the two cars are passing on the
Main Street turnout in Market Square. Both cars have their
original wood trolley poles.
Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
A company known as the Goff Electric Company had been organized in the early 1880s for the manufacture of electric current and was the forerunner of the power and transportation system which served Bangor over the years.
Goff was shortly joined by Frederick M. Laughton and George N. Ross and the company was reorganized as the Bangor Electric Light & Power Company on May 2, 1885. The first powerhouse, a steam generating station, opened in a three-story building at Cross and Columbia Streets in the fall of 1885.
To aid in providing for the establishment of power companies, Thomas-Houston furnished the equipment partially for cash and partly in return for blocks of securities in the various projects. In this fashion, the Bangor Street Railway and the local power interests came under the domination of the Thomson-Houston Company which became part of the Edison-General Electric Company. General Electric held a sizable interest in the Bangor properties for many years.
Veazie hydro station for Bangor Light & Power Company
on the Penobscot River was first developed in 1889 to supply
power for Bangor's trolley cars. It was one of Maine's first
hydroelectric plants. Car No. 52 seen in the photo was placed
on the site as a workman's shelter.
Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
The building of the new hydro station required additional financial arrangements and the Public Works Company was chartered on October 19, 1889, to provide for the management and closer relationship among various water power, electric light, and street railway lines in operation or planned in the Bangor area. Securities of the Public Works Company were passed, in return for the new electrical equipment, to the supplier Thompson-Houston Company.
The Bangor city council approved the electric railway project on January 18, 1887, and endorsed the proposed charter. The new company, to be known as the Bangor Street Railway, was duly incorporated by the state legislature on February 11, 1888, and the act, included was signed by the governor four days later. Capital stock was limited to $300,000.
The route chosen commenced at a point near the "Tin Bridge" close to the East Hampden town line, and extended northeasterly along Main Street to West Market Square and the municipal bridge over the Kenduskeag Stream, through State Street to Exchange Street to Washington, along Washington street to Oak, up Oak Street to State and along State Street to Pearl Street. This route was selected to avoid the steep grade of State Street Hill.
Map by Charles D. Heseltine in 2015 publication,
"The Illustrated Atlas of Maine's Street & Electric
Railways 1863-1946.
A wooden carbarn was built on outer Main Street near Dillington Street, on land purchased from the Katahdin Ice Company. The carbarn originally had only one entrance door, with a transfer table inside to direct cars to different tracks within the barn. It wasn't long before this design required that the barn be rebuilt with a separate door for each track into the barn.
Original carbarn on Main Street was a wood stable-type
building with a one-track entrance and a transfer table inside.
Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
Within two years, modifications were made to the carbarn to
include multiple doors and track entrances.
Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
One car was on the property by early December 1888, and it is apparent that some tests had been made within the carbarn, as a news item reassured citizens that "no serious damages to pocket watches have been experienced in the testing of the electric car." Electricity, it must be remembered, was still a somewhat mysterious force at that time. Even by 1910, only about ten percent of Maine homes had electricity, and those were mostly in the cities or close urban areas.
As the final touches were being applied to the line and the electrical equipment checked out, the Bangor Street Railway on March 12, 1889, received legislative approval to build a line in neighboring Brewer which had just been incorporated as a city. The line would operate as a separate division until the opening of a substantial municipal bridge in 1914.
May 21, 1889, is when regular service really was able to be consistent with two of the four original closed cars in operation. A waiting room was opened on Main Street in West Market Square.
When in front of the station, cars for the Main Street trips clanged their foot gongs once before starting, and the cars loading for the State Street trips clanged their gongs twice.
Initially, the cars operated at night with no headlights. Starting on June 22, 1889, headlights of the kerosene type were first used and were highly acclaimed. Additional cars were added to the fleet, including 8-bench open cars and a snowplow.
The Brewer division extended from a point near the exit from the toll bridge in Penobscot Square, through Center Street, and along North and South Main Streets to a point near Stone Street, close to the Brewer-Orrington municipal line. A wooden carbarn, 60' by 20' was constructed at the end of the route. Rails ran along the side of the highway the entire route.
In late August 1890, two cars were carried over the Maine Central Railroad bridge to Brewer and placed on the streetcar tracks. The service started on September 1st. During 1890, ten additional closed cars and eleven open cars were added to the growing fleet.
With the opening of these routes, the Bangor Street Railway (BSR) had 7.25 miles of track. During the fiscal year ending September 30, 1890, the company reported a total of 616,258 passengers for a total of $30,189 in receipts and a net profit of $8,632. Car tickets were issued on several lines.
In the following years, some track was extended to improve service in town and during 1895, while the new Bangor, Orono, & Old Town Railway was being constructed, having in mind its eventual route into downtown Bangor, BSR revised its track plans. In addition, the Main Street line was double-tracked as a result of plans for another new railway line project, the Bangor, Hampden & Winterport Railway.
In August 1902, President Theodore Roosevelt was a visitor to Bangor. So popular was this Great American in the Queen City, that the street railway was hard-pressed to handle the crowds which turned out to see him.
In 1902, the final construction work of the Bangor Street Railway took place. Under Public Works Company management, BSR extended the Center Street line from the junction of Center and Congress Streets through Center Street to the corner of Poplar Street. This line was further extended through Poplar, Leighton, Congress, Fountain, and Jefferson Streets back to a connection at Center Street to form a loop operation that opened on August 13, 1904. The BSR, other than the Brewer Division, had no suburban lines of its own. It remained for consolidation in 1905 to place the suburban lines, together with the city routes, into one integrated system.
The high water mark for passengers carried and gross revenues earned was during 1904.
1,656,293 passengers were carried on the 9.069 miles of Bangor Street Railway's main track, generating passenger revenue of $82,852.
June 30, 1905, was the date of the consolidation at which time the various water power, electric light, and street railway properties were reorganized in a merger creating the Bangor Railway & Electric Company.
Initially, the cars operated at night with no headlights. Starting on June 22, 1889, headlights of the kerosene type were first used and were highly acclaimed. Additional cars were added to the fleet, including 8-bench open cars and a snowplow.
Brewer-South Brewer car No. 13 is shown here in the late fall
of 1890, waiting at the toll bridge terminus - the bridge is in the
background. The crewmen in the photo are Mann and O'Brien.
The Brewer line operated without track connections to Bangor
until 1914. Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
In late August 1890, two cars were carried over the Maine Central Railroad bridge to Brewer and placed on the streetcar tracks. The service started on September 1st. During 1890, ten additional closed cars and eleven open cars were added to the growing fleet.
Open car No. 32 at the carbarn in South Brewer was
purchased in 1890 and was one of the first two assigned to
the Brewer-South Brewer line when it first opened in 1890.
Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
In the following years, some track was extended to improve service in town and during 1895, while the new Bangor, Orono, & Old Town Railway was being constructed, having in mind its eventual route into downtown Bangor, BSR revised its track plans. In addition, the Main Street line was double-tracked as a result of plans for another new railway line project, the Bangor, Hampden & Winterport Railway.
No. 20, built in 1890, ready for a run via State and Main
Streets to the Highlands.
Image from Charles D. Heseltine Collection
In 1902, the final construction work of the Bangor Street Railway took place. Under Public Works Company management, BSR extended the Center Street line from the junction of Center and Congress Streets through Center Street to the corner of Poplar Street. This line was further extended through Poplar, Leighton, Congress, Fountain, and Jefferson Streets back to a connection at Center Street to form a loop operation that opened on August 13, 1904. The BSR, other than the Brewer Division, had no suburban lines of its own. It remained for consolidation in 1905 to place the suburban lines, together with the city routes, into one integrated system.
The high water mark for passengers carried and gross revenues earned was during 1904.
1,656,293 passengers were carried on the 9.069 miles of Bangor Street Railway's main track, generating passenger revenue of $82,852.
June 30, 1905, was the date of the consolidation at which time the various water power, electric light, and street railway properties were reorganized in a merger creating the Bangor Railway & Electric Company.
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 is but one.
We are still in need of funds for creating the interpretation programs that will tell this fascinating 100+-year-old story of the Narcissus. For information on donation options, scroll down this post and find the one that best fits your position. Fund 816 to help with the restoration and Fund 817 (PLI Education-Interpretation programs ) should be noted when making a donation.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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-running 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 on a monthly basis. 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 in: 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.
Patricia Pierce Erikson photo
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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