The cover of the May/June 1975 Seashore Trolley Museum newsletter,
The Dispatch. 1901 Connecticut Company open car No. 303 in
the background at Meserve's Crossing. Passengers crossing the mainline
tracks to attend the fundraising concert to benefit The School Around Us in
Arundel, Maine. The caption for O. R. Cummings cover photos reads:
Heading for the second annual "Maine Made May Day Music" concert
at the Seashore Trolley Museum on Sunday, May 11, is part of the throng
of 1,047 people who attended the merry affair. The scene is
Meserve's Crossing and Car 303 looms in the background.
Seashore Trolley Museum provided parking and transportation for the event.
Yesterday morning, Saturday, September 23, 2023, I was at Meserve's Crossing in Arundel, Maine. I was cutting brush in preparation for day two of the first weekend of the four-weekend event, Pumpkin Patch Trolley, hosted by Seashore Trolley Museum. This is the 25th Annual Pumpkin Patch Trolley. Each year the pumpkin patch is on the field owned by the Wentworths which is adjacent to Meserve's Crossing and Seashore Trolley Museum's mainline track.
Most years during the preparation of the Pumpkin Patch event at Meserve's Crossing, I'll usually take a couple of minutes and walk into the woods and check on the old decaying outhouse that was used during the May Day concerts. The School Around Us had the annual fundraising event for eleven years beginning in 1974 and ending with the 1984 concert. I recorded my visit to the May Day Concert outhouse yesterday. I uncovered an artifact while looking the inside over. You can click on a link to see the short YouTube clip at the end of this post :)
Finding the artifact inspired me to look through the 1974-1984 Trolley Museum newsletters and annual reports today to locate and share photos and write-ups from the Museum's perspective in transporting attendees to the May Day concerts. The School Around Us May Day Concerts were well attended.
Here we go:
1974 -
No photos or write-ups in the 1974 newsletters or the 1974 annual report. I do have a ticket of my own from attending the 1974 event.
Front - PWM
Back - PWM
1975 -
The opening paragraph states it's the "5th" annual. That is an error. 1976 was the 3rd.
1977 -
1978 -
The caption for this cover photo above reads: "With Walter Davis at the controls,
Sydney 1700 loads passengers at Meserve's Crossing for Arundel Station during
the fifth annual May Day Concert on Sunday, May 7th." O.R. Cummings Photo
1979 -
1980 -
1981 -
1982 -
1983 -
1984 -
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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!
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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
