Theodore Roosevelt's journal page with entries of his time spent
in Maine during his August 1872 visit.
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Update 1-28-2024
I first started researching Theodore Roosevelt in 2010. As a volunteer at Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine, overseeing the Narcissus project (Roosevelt was a passenger on the Narcissus on August 18, 1914), I felt the need to learn more about Roosevelt's visit to Maine. That initial research piqued my curious nature to want to learn more about Theodore Roosevelt.
Twelve years later, that seed of curiosity has taken root and blossomed, into the development of what is the: Theodore Roosevelt Maine Heritage Trail: Connecting Maine Communities. Insight throughout the State of Maine is what this trail provides by tracing and describing Theodore Roosevelt's connections with each of these communities.
Each community is identified with a star with a number or
a moose with a letter. The key to the logo landmarks is below.
Each moose represents a community that has an indirect
connection with Roosevelt, meaning he may not have paid the
community a visit, but there is a meaningful connection to
Roosevelt in that community. The stars indicate a community
that Roosevelt visited and probably engaged with the people
and or the local geography. As research continues, other
communities will be added to the logo.
Logo: "Designs by Reece" - Reece Saunders
Over the ensuing weeks, each of these
communities/landmarks with its Roosevelt
connections will have a separate page describing
details of TR's connections. Each will also
have a link(s) to local resources/venues.
Key by "Designs by Reece" - Reece Saunders
Today, we describe "Star 20" shown on the list (key) above - Dexter
Theodore Roosevelt's own biography and any number of TR historians have spoken about TR's first trip to Maine. He traveled by stagecoach to stay at a camp at Moosehead Lake. The stagecoach ride became a life-changing event for TR. During the ride, he was bullied by a couple of young boys. TR was physically unable to defend himself. Following that incident, he made a pledge to himself to work diligently to become physically fit so he could defend himself in the future. The steps he took to do just that are well documented. This stagecoach ride in Maine in 1872, clearly had a direct impact on the boy who would become the man that we now know.
Excerpt from Theodore Roosevelt: An Autobiography - Chapter 2 -The Vigor of Life - pg 30
"I was sent off by myself to Moosehead Lake. On the stagecoach ride thither I encountered a couple of other boys who were about my own age, but they were boys! They found that I was a foreordained and predestined victim, and industriously proceeded to make life miserable for me. The worst feature was that when I finally tried to fight them I discovered that either one singly could not only handle me with easy contempt but handle me so as not to hurt me much and yet to prevent my doing any damage whatever in return.
The experience taught me what probably no amount of good advice could have taught me. I made up my mind that I must try to learn so that I would not again be put in such a helpless position; and having become quickly and bitterly conscious that I did not have the natural prowess to hold my own, I decided that I would try to supply its place by training. Accordingly, with my father's hearty approval, I started to learn to box."
So, for me, being the curious person that I tend to be, in the very brief explanation of TR's visit, I see, what I consider to be several questions that need answers. I want to know more details about TR's time in Maine in 1872. I searched published books for more details. I wasn't successful in finding many answers locally. Even some info I did find had conflicting dates and stories of his visit. Nothing on what railroad company he traveled to Maine on. What town/city did he arrive in? What stagecoach line did he take to Moosehead? What town did he arrive in? What camp did he travel to? Did he take a steamer? If so, what was the steamer's name? Was it a boys' summer camp? Did someone meet him and spend time with him in the area? What did he do during his stay?
1872 - August - Dexter
When reading Roosevelt's accounting of his trip to Maine in August of 1872, I was very happy to read some details that helped answer some questions I had. There is no mention of an act of bullying that was to have taken place during the stagecoach ride in either direction from or to Dexter.
I took this information and shared it with Carol Feurtado, who, at the time was the Acquisitions staff member at Dexter Historical Society.
Carol Feurtado (Dexter HS) was able to uncover some interesting details (since her initial research, we have found more details on the stage line, the Lake House, and the steamship most likely used by TR :).
- The railroad that stopped in Dexter in 1872 was built in 1868 by the Dexter and Newport Railroad. It was leased by the Maine Central Railroad in 1869. Initially, the railroad station was located in the southern part of town (Dexter), on what is now Railroad Avenue. The station was relocated into town in 1889. No timetables are on hand.
- There were many stagecoach lines in Dexter over the years to places like Bangor, Skowhegan, and Greenville. Currently (2016), there are no specifications for them or any schedules/timetables. The stage would have traveled to Greenville from Dexter, on what was (then) Valley Avenue Road. The road was built in 1836 and connected Bangor and Greenville while passing through Dexter. The road no longer exists as a whole. There are a few sections here and there that are used locally Update below; with help from the Androscoggin Historical Society, the Stage line from Dexter to Greenville was identified.)
- Jerry MacDonald of Dexter was a stagecoach driver in a listing dated, September 1870.
- Merchants' Exchange was built in 1866 and was enlarged in 1890. If the building looks white in an image, it's probably the earlier version. If the image shows a tower on a dark(ish) building, it's probably the more recent version. Torn down in the 1930s to make way for the Post Office.
The stagecoach driver, "Jerry," is mentioned in
this newspaper article in the Daily
page 2, the bottom of column 2.
Library of Congress
Thirteen-year-old Theodore Roosevelt's diary entries speak to spending the night
of Wednesday, August 21, 1872, in a room at the Merchants' Exchange in Dexter,
Maine. He traveled by stagecoach all the next day and arrived in Greenville. He
would return to the Merchants' Exchange and stay there in a room on the evening
of Wednesday, August 28, 1872, before leaving on the train for NY on the 29th
and arriving in NY on the 30th. This image was scanned from a black and white
negative labeled "Merchant's Exchange, Dexter, Maine L. D. Hayes, Proprietor,"
This is seemingly a photograph of a rather ragged poster. It depicts tall
buildings, perhaps a hotel, surrounded by a vast crowd, which includes carriages
and horses. Written at the bottom of the poster are the words, "Merchants'
Exchange, Dexter, ME., L. D. Hayes, Proprietor." From the Bert Call
The Androscoggin Historical Society has a
copy of the 1872 Auburn Directory. The
above advertisement is from that directory.
It shows that the Frye Stagecoach line
had a schedule to leave Dexter at 11 a.m.
for Greenville during the summer of 1872:)
.jpg)
Pages from the 1874 "Guide to Moosehead Lake."
.jpg)
Travel mileage and time from Boston, MA, Ibid
.jpg)
Description of travel nearing Dexter by train, Ibid
.jpg)
Maine Central Railroad in 1872 that
included transporting passengers
from Dexter by Stage to Greenville, and
then by the Frye-owned steamer,
Twilight, to Mount Kineo House, Ibid
The results of the research on the Greenville/Moosehead Lake Region of TR's visit are detailed in the post for Star #21 - Greenville/Moosehead Lake Region
We are still seeking information on Mr. Peter Strong, the guide for TR during his fly fishing trip at Echo Lake near Dexter on August 26th.
The location of Echo Lake brings up a question of logistics and timing based on TR's entries - more research is necessary.
We continue seeking other support materials (photos, etc.) that will add more context. Contact me, Phil Morse (p.morse31@gmail.com) if you have any information or materials that would assist our research.
A portion of my collection of TR-related books :)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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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.
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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.
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Independent book publisher, Phil Morse, holding
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Hoffer Book Award. Congratulations to
award-winning Maine author,
Jean M. Flahive
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