Portland-Lewiston Interurban Employees Reunion Scrapbook to be Conserved and Digitized

One side of the 82 pages that make up

the Portland-Lewiston Interurban Employees

Reunion Scrapbook.

How Seashore Trolley Museum acquired the incredible scrapbook of the PLI Empoyees' reunions:

O. R. Cummings was a passenger in one of the interurbans of the PLI only once - in 1932 when he accompanied his mother to her 20-year reunion at Bates College. They traveled from Newburyport, MA to Portland, ME by train and continued on to Lewiston over the PLI. He so very much wanted to see the day the Narcissus was fully restored to operating condition. He even signed over his royalties to the Narcissus restoration fund from his 1967 book, "Maine's Fast Electric Railroad: Portland-Lewiston Interurban". 

O. R. was given the PLI Employee Scrapbook by its maker and fellow electric railway historian, Charles Heseltine. O. R., in turn, gifted the scrapbook to the NEERHS Library in 2013. 

Title Page of the scrapbook

     The PLI Employee Scrapbook has 112 pages (82 have content) of incredible memories from the construction & operating years (1910-1933) of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban and of the four reunions (1938-1941) of former PLI employees. In looking through the scrapbook the first time, one of my first reactions was to say that these photos and other attachments in the scrapbook need to be professionally conserved and, if possible, digitized the contents so that they would be available for use in creating exhibits, displays, and educational offerings.

     Knowing we had this one-of-a-kind precious PLI employee scrapbook as a potential resource for creating interpretation materials - if quality digital images of the items held in the scrapbook were made available. The next step became clear. To find where the scrapbook contents could be professionally conserved and while doing so, have the contents professionally digitized.

Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) in Andover, MA was referred to us and they provided us with an estimate for conserving our first two PLI treasures. The original, 1910 surveyor's map of the 30-mile-long, PLI right-of-way and the reunion scrapbook. Beginning early in 2018, we began fundraising for having the map and the scrapbook, and other PLI-related ephemera acquired conservation, and digitization work done. 

The first item to be conserved was the original PLI surveyor's map at a cost of a little more than $11K

Click Here for the post: Conserved! January 1910 Original 28-foot-long PGLRR Map

Click Here for the post: 1910 Surveyors' Map of the PLI Interpreted 2020 by Thomas P. Blake, PLS

We are so very happy to report, that we now have raised the funds necessary to have the contents of the PLI reunion scrapbook work done at a cost of more than $16K. The scrapbook will be dropped off at NEDCC later this month (January 2022).

Here are a few photos and words about the four reunions (1938-1941) of the former PLI employees. 

The first annual reunion of the former Portland-Lewiston Interurban (PLI) employers and employees was held in Gray, Maine, on June 29, 1938; five years to the day that the electric railroad ended service.

The initial page in the scrapbook with

contents from the first reunion in 1938.

The first reunion was held at Newbegin Hall in Gray. Construction having been completed, followed by its dedication, in November 1937, the Newbegin Hall was the new Gym at Pennell Institute.

A portion of November 25, 1937, clipping

from the Lewiston Journal describing the 

newly constructed/dedicated Newbegin Hall.

PLI Employees Scrapbook 

For the first reunion, O. S. Adkins, of  Center Street, Auburn (ME), led the reunion committee arrangements, along with George Davis and Dana Russell. The musical entertainment was provided by the Liberty Brothers of North Yarmouth (ME).

A baked bean supper was served by the members of the Gray Grange. Miss Mildred Yeaton was chair of the supper committee. She was assisted by the following committee members: Dining Room - Mrs. Marguerete Duplisea, Mrs. Phyllis Dolloff, Earle Sawyer, Gerald Kimball, Warren Cole, Lee Duplisea, and William Duplisea; kitchen - Mrs. Lois Dolloff, Mrs. Jennie Cole, Mrs. Jessie Barrows, Mrs. Emma Sawyer, Mrs. Inez Yeaton, Mrs. Carrie Loring, Mrs. Nancy Wallace, Mrs. Bertha Bubler, Mrs. Alice Caswell, Mrs. Eva Wilson, and Mrs. Alice Hitchcock.

Approximately 150 attended the supper, with about 300 in total attending the entertainment portion of the first reunion. Speakers during the reunion included Mrs. Gertrude Libbey Anthony of Saco, whose father, W. Scott Libbey, Sr., was the intrepid builder of the electric railroad, Fred Gordon of Portland, Percy Weymouth of Lewiston, and S. B. Cobb of Augusta.

A photo from the scrapbook shows a sign 

with a list of former PLI employees who were

being sought by the reunion committee.

More than 120 former employees attended the second reunion on June 29, 1939. This reunion took place at the Pennell Institute gymnasium (Newbegin Hall) in Gray. As was the case during the 1938 reunion, members of the Gray Grange served the food for the dinner banquet at the 1939 reunion.

Among those present at the 1939 reunion were; Fred D. Gordon, former general manager of the company and at the time, vice president and general manager of the Cumberland County Light and Power Company, and Elden A. Way, who attended from Canterbury, New Brunswick (Canada). Mrs. Gertrude Libbey Anthony, daughter of the builder of the PLI, was unable to attend.

Following the banquet, there was an exhibition of pictures of the rolling stock, line, and personnel of the company when it was in operation. The reunion concluded with a dance. O. S. Adkins of Auburn was the chair of the reunion committee that arranged the gathering.

The initial page in the scrapbook with

contents from the second reunion that

took place in 1939.

The sign from 1938 was effective in finding 

a few former employees. The search for 

others still not found continued in 1939.

The third reunion took place on June 30, 1940, at the Pennell Institute gymnasium (Newbegin Hall) in Gray. 105 attended, including 40 former employees and their families. Featured was a memorial service for members who had passed away during the previous year. Dinner was served by the Pythian Sisters of Gray with Mrs. Guy Prince in the lead role.

Following the dinner, many of the former employees were called upon to speak to the attendees. A ball game followed. The Casco League teams of New Gloucester and Gray played with Gray winning, 15-9.

Special mention was made at the dinner of Orrin Jenkins of Cumberland, RI, and Alden A. Way of Canterbury, NB (Canada), who had traveled the furthest to attend the reunion. Others mentioned were Charles Frost of North Wood, NH, and Peter Sanderson of Cooper's Mills, who were attending their first reunion.

During the day, a special scrapbook of old photographs of the railroad was passed around! 

(Text from Newspaper paper clippings on the scrapbook pages from the Lewiston Journal and Lewiston Sun was used in this post...)

Mrs. Gertrude Libbey Anthony was unable to attend.

The reunion committee included Oscar S. Adkins, Auburn, chair of the committee, Marvin L. Shackford, A. C. Clement, R. H. Shaw, and J. Fred Pollock, all of Portland.; George F. Davis, Dana M. Russell, both of Gray; John E. Cummings, New Gloucester; and A. P. Buchanan, Norman H. Merrill, Auburn.

The initial page in the scrapbook with

contents from the third reunion that 

took place in 1940.

The final reunion was the fourth reunion. It took place on June 28, 1941, at the Newbegin Memorial Hall in Gray. The first event of the reunion was a ball game at 3:30 played by teams in the Casco Bay League. The game was followed by a casual gathering. A supper, which was served by the Congregational Church, was followed by musical entertainment provided by Al Ricker & Company. 

The initial page with contents on the fourth

and the final reunion that took place in 1941.

One of many notes of appreciation in the scrapbook

from family members of former PLI employees who

had passed away. 

The pages of the scrapbook are full of photos, newspaper clippings, original poems, and so many other items that will all be resources to help tell the amazing story of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban.

Another of the many pages from the

PLI employee reunion scrapbook.

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

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