Photo of Robert C. Melcher from Westbrook, Maine,
in the newspaper that mentioned he had been re-elected
President for the Portland Division of the Electric Railroaders
Association - Portland Press Herald - December 3, 1938
Robert's obituary in the April 7, 2007, Portland Press Herald, states: "He was raised, educated, and resided in Westbrook (Maine) all his life. He served in the Army Air Corps. Following his military service, Robert had been employed by the S.D. Warren Co. for over 30 years.
He was a member of the Westbrook Warren Congregational Church. He was a railroad enthusiast and historian, who spent a lifetime creating a pictorial and written history of New England's railroad and trolley car heritage, he was a member of the 470 Railroad Club. Robert also volunteered much of his time to Mercy Hospital of Westbrook and the Warren Memorial Library."
Personally, I never met Robert, but I had seen his name as the photographer on some photos and also as a resource for some electric railway publications. In recent years, his name popped up several times as I was conducting research. I put some of those accountings together for this post.
Here is Robert's story of his very first railfan trip, with him visiting the Lisbon Street Carbarn of the Androscoggin & Kennebec Railway, with fellow fan enthusiast, Edwin "Bill" Robertson, in 1936.
Early Railfan Trip
A page from Robert Melcher's Journal dated Saturday, June 6, 1936 -
Bill (Edwin "Bill" Robertson...blogger) and I left Westbrook at 3:00 A.M. this morning because we went into Cushman's Bakery in Portland with his mother and father when they went to work. I got up about 2:30 a.m. and had breakfast. From the bakery, Mr. Robertson took us over to Union Station after he picked up his load of bakery products. We got to Union Station about 5:45. We purchased our tickets and our train left for Auburn at 7:10 A. M."
We enjoyed the train ride very much, we saw many places and things from the train that we had seen while we were watching trains. After stopping at most every station on the way, we arrived at Auburn at 8:30.
We walked directly to the trolley car yards on Lisbon Street in Lewiston, where someone stole our lunches, Bill's leather camera case, and some pictures of mine while we were taking pictures in the yard. Two car barn workers aided us in trying to find our loses, but, it was in vain.
No. 128 of the Androscoggin & Kennebec Railway in the yard
outside the Lisbon Street Carbarn in 1940.
Photo by Robert Melcher
After leaving the Lisbon Street Carbarn Yard, we walked along Lisbon Street, and across to the Lewiston Upper Station and engine house where we saw two engines. From there we decided to ride the trolley to Sabattus. I went to the A&K (Androscoggin & Kennebec Trolley Line) office and found the fare to be 20 cents each way. We rode out to Sabattus Pond, a distance of nearly 10 miles. Car 138 covered the trip in a half-hour. On the way, we saw a girl struck by a car. There are some places where the electrics do not follow the highway. One of those places is at Sabattus where the car passed by the store, through the woods, and crossed over the Maine Central track away from the highway. On the way to Sabattus Pond, there was an interurban car in the field. When we got back to Lewiston, we got a transfer and rode a four-wheeled car out towards Lake Auburn, but we got off about halfway and visited Mr. Adkins, a friend of Mr. Jamison who had some interurban pictures. Mr. Adkins took us to the Auburn Station in his truck so that we could board the 4:08 P. M. Train. We got off the train at Woodford's Station and walked home to Westbrook. So ended a most enjoyable day.
No. 132 at Sabattus. The track that continued on to Sabattus Pond
shows behind the car. Ralph Brule was the motorman in this 1938 photo.
Photo by Robert Melcher
A trolley crossing the Maine Central Railroad as it travels away from
Sabattus village. In the map below, the overpass is seen between #3 & #4
on the LA&W, later to be the Androscoggin & Kennebec Railway.
Photo from the O. R. Cummings Collection at Seashore Trolley Museum
Map from O. R. Cummings 1963 book, "Lewiston,
Augusta, & Waterville Street Railway
Note:
Money was hard to come by back in 1936, so the loss of our lunch and pictures was very serious to a couple of schoolboys out on their first railfan trip. As I remember the day, we had to make hard choices of buying a lunch or riding the trolley to Sabattus. The Interurban Car in the field on the way to Sabattus is now at the Kennebunk(port...blogger) Trolley Museum. Bill Robertson
Blogger Note - 9-9-2024 - Robert mentions visiting Mr. Adkins in Auburn. I shared this post with Mr. Oscar Adkins' granddaughter. She was thrilled to learn the names of the two boys who visited her grandfather...she shared Mr. Adkins' entry from his diary...
Oscar S. Adkins - Diary (He served as a conductor, motorman, and dispatcher for the Portland-Lewiston Interurban - He also led the PLI Reunion Committee for the former PLI employees' annual reunions in 1938, '39, '40, and '41)
Saturday, June 6, 1936
Fair & Warm
"...Two young friends of Ed. Jamieson Called on me and brought me a letter.
"...The Boys came up to the House and I showed them Pictures of the Interurban and then took them down to the Train with the Truck."
Oscar Adkins did attend the April 19, 1938, Portland Division - ERA fan trip to the Androscoggin & Kennebec Railway excursion that Robert Melcher helped organize...here is Oscar's diary entry of the trip...
April 19, 1938
"Got up at 8:00 AM. Shaved and Dressed up and Took the 8:45 AM car to McFalls. Met the electric Railroaders Assn Special Car There. Went to Lake Auburn then to Sabattus. Had our Dinner there. Box Lunches. Took Pictures all the way out and Back. From Sabattus, we went to Lisbon Fall and Back to Lew. Then at 3:45 went to the Aub. Sta. I saw them off on the train."
Here is a photo of the Narcissus, with Oscar Adkins
on the left, and John Cluff on the right in Gray
1918 - Photo supplied by Oscar and placed in the
Very cool for me to be able to find connections to stories from back over 80 years ago 😊
Here is the Narcissus in the field near Sabattus Pond in the late 1930s
filmed during an A&K fan trip that Robert Melcher helped organize.
Click Here: to see the film footage as the A&K trolley
approached and passed the Narcissus. Footage from the O.R. Cummings
Collection at the Northeast Historic Film in Bucksport, Maine
Click Here: to see the post on the very first issue of the Portland Division - Electric Railroaders Assoc. newsletter, The Maine Electic Transiteer. March 1938. Robert Melcher working with the A&K to plan the first fan trip is mentioned, along with many very interesting electric railway-related topics; a short history of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban, that motormen in South Portland were known as "Motorneers,"...and so many more :)
From the Maine Historical Society archives in Portland, ME.
Front cover of a copy of the first issue of the newsletter
of the Portland (Maine) Division of the Electric
Railroaders Association (ERA) - March 1938 Volume l, Number 1
Click Here: to open the post with newspaper articles featuring the first year of the Portland Division - Electric Railroaders Association in Portland, Maine - 1937-1938 - Robert Melcher and several other well-known Maine Electric Railway fans/photographers/history buffs were actively involved.
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Robert C. Melcher presents to, Miss Mary Godell, librarian at
Warren Memorial Library the "History of the
Westbrook Electric Cars" from the Portland Division of the ERA -
local Maine electric railway historian, Charles D. Heseltine, was
also a key member of the ERA in researching and creating
the Westbrook history contents.
Portland Press Herald - April 10, 1938 page 38
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Ibid
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Ibid
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Ibid
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Another fan trip that Robert helped organize took place on June 5, 1938.
Journal Tribune - June 2, 1938 - page 1
Click Here: to see the post with details and photos of the June 5, 1938 Portland-Division - ERA fan trip that ended with visiting the 1912 Portland-Lewiston Interurban, No. 10, Arbutus, at Mrs. Gertrude Libbey Anthony's home in Bay View, Saco.
Click Here: to open the post with 1939 and 1940 newspaper articles featuring the activities of the Portland Division - Electric Railroaders Association in Portland, Maine - 1939-1940 - Robert Melcher and several other well-known Maine Electric Railway fans/photographers/history buffs were actively involved - including founding members and other very early members of what would become the first trolley museum in the world, the Seashore Trolley Museum.
1938 was also the first year that the former employees of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban held a reunion of the closing of the PLI. The annual reunion took place in 1938, '39, '40, and '41. Robert Melcher was featured on a page in the 1941 Reunion Scrapbook.
On page 61 of the incredible PLI Employees Reunion Scrapbook -
The first photo of Robert Melcher and his A&K collection.
Sun Journal - February 15, 1941 - page 17
The PLI Employees Reunion Scrapbook was in the
possession of Charles Heseltine. He worked with the PLI Reunion
Committee and 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.
After several years of fundraising, we were able to
have the incredible contents of the scrapbook professional
conserved and each page/photo photographed (800 dpi)
by the Northeast Document Conservation Center
(NEDCC) in Andover, MA
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. Below are the remaining newspaper clippings featuring Robert Melcher.
Ibid
Click Here: for the post on the history of the Androscoggin & Kennebec Railway 1919-1941
Click Here: for the post by O. R. Cummings, the "Figure Eight" route through Lewiston-Auburn and shares photos of the last trolley trips in 1941
Ibid
Ibid
Ibid
Ibid - February 15, 1941
Click Here: for the post on the history of the Lewiston, Brunswick & Bath Street Railway 1898-1907
Click Here: for the post on the history of the various railways serving Kennebec County-1889-1932
Click Here: for the post on the history of the Lewiston, Augusta & Waterville Electric Railway 1907-1919
Click Here: for the post on the history of the Portland-Brunswick Street Railway 1902-1911
Click Here: to see the post on the history of the Casco Castle Trolley Park 1902-1914
Click Here: to see the post on the history of the Underwood Spring Trolley Park 1899-1907
Click Here: to see the post on the history of the Merrymeeting Trolley Park 1899-1906
Click Here: to see the post on the history of the Riverton Trolley Park 1896 -1933
Back to 1939...Robert Melcher helped organize several fan trips hosted by the Portland Division - ERA in Portland, Maine. One of them was the final trip of the Portland Railroad's Thornton Heights route on April 15, 1939.
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Portland Press Herald - April 17, 1939 - page 14
Click Here: for the post on the history of the Portland Railroad 1860-1941 - including the Horse Railroad, the Portland-Saco line, the Portland-Yarmouth line, and all other aspects throughout the history of public transportation service 1860-1941
On to 1940...
Portland Press Herald - April 22, 1940 - page 12
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Sun Journal - April 22, 1940 - pages 1 & 12
Robert enlisted in the Army Air Corps. The announcement was made on 10-19-1941.
Robert served through WWII and returned to Maine when his service time was over. As his 2007 obituary mentions, throughout his entire life, Robert was very active in helping his community.
We continue the restoration work on the Narcissus, the only surviving interurban coach of the PLI. Please consider making a donation to the Narcissus Project to help the restoration work continue to completion.
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
Androscoggin Historical Society, Lewiston
Eliot Historical Society, Eliot
Gray Historical Society, Gray
Kennebec Historical Society, Augusta
Letterpress Books, Portland
Maine Historical Society Store, Portland
Morph Gallery & Emporium, Kennebunk
New Gloucester Historical Society, New Gloucester
Roosevelt Campobello International Park, Welshpool, NB, Canada
Seashore Trolley Museum, Kennebunkport
Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shops, All Locations
Thompson's Orchard, New Gloucester
Winthrop Maine Historical Society, Winthrop
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 run 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 a one-time donation or you
may choose to have a specific amount charged to your card
automatically each month. Please contact the Museum bookkeeper, Jill, via email at finance@trolleymuseum.org or by phone, at 207-967-2712 ext. 5.
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: 816 Narcissus, then continue filling in the required information.
Click Here for PayPal - to make an online donation: you can email: finance@NEERHS.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, Jill, via email at finance@trolleymuseum.org or by phone, at 207-967-2712 ext. 5,
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 - 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, majestic stained glass windows.
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.
Photo by Patricia Pierce Erikson
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
Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine.
