End of the Waterville, Fairfield & Oakland Street Railway - October 10, 1937

 

One of the many newspaper clippings in the Reunion Scrapbook

of the former employees of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban. Four

annual reunions, 1938, 1939, 1940, and 1941, took place at the Newbegin

building in Gray, ME. O. R. Cummings Collection 

 at the Seashore Trolley Museum

Click Here: post on the history of the Waterville, Fairfield & Oakland Railway - 1887-1937

Click Here: post on the history of the Benton & Fairfield Railway 1898-1928

Click Here: post on the history of the Fairfield & Shawmut Railway 1903-1927

Click Here: post on the history of the Androscoggin & Kennebec Railway 1919-1941

Click Here: post on the history of the  Lewiston, Augusta & Waterville Street Railway 1907-1919

Click Here: post on the history of the Trolleys that Served Augusta - 1889-1932

Click Here: post on the biography of Amox Fitz Gerald - Electric Railway King of the Pine Tree State

Click Here: post on having the PLI Employees Reunion Scrapbook Conserved

A single page, within the 88-pages 

double-sided, of the incredible Portland-Lewiston

Interurban (PLI) Employees Scrapbook. The Scrapbook

includes contents from the four reunions held

in Gray, Maine at the New Begin Hall

in 1938, '39, 40, and '41.

The PLI Employees Reunion Scrapbook was made by

Charles Heseltine. He worked with Oscar Adkins, leader

of the PLI Reunion Committee. Charles was thanked accordingly.

Heseltine gave the Scrapbook to his friend and electric railway

history colleague, O. R. Cummings. O. R. Cummings, is the

well-known and prolific publisher of dozens of books on the

histories of various electric railway companies. O. R. passed

the Scrapbook on to Seashore Trolley Museum's Library.

    As you looked at the above photo of the PLI Employees' Reunion Scrapbook, you may have noticed that the photo of the open scrapbook was each labeled at the bottom with the word; BEFORE

That is because, on November 11, 2022, I was able to pick up the newly conserved Scrapbook and the memory stick full of its professionally digitized contents!

    This is one of several posts that will include materials and related stories connected to the contents of the PLI employees' reunion scrapbook. This post includes materials related to the preparation and opening of the electric railroad from 1911 to 1914. 

Below is the video taken on April 8, 2014. If needed, you may Click Here to access the YouTube video

My first view of the scrapbook in 2014, as seen in

in a video, I took using my phone.

    Great Thanks to the staff at Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) in Andover, MA for the amazing work they did in cleaning, repairing, and photographing the contents during the conservation process.

    Using the scrapbook's page with the date of the newspaper articles, I went online and downloaded the clippings, hoping they would be easier to read.

Morning Sentinel - October 11, 1937 - Front Page

Morning Sentinel - front page

Morning Sentinel - front page

Morning Sentinel - page 8 

Morning Sentinel - page 8

Morning Sentinel - page 8

Morning Sentinel - page 8

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

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