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
Francis Monahan did the sketch of a trolley on the cover of this issue of
the Transiteer newsletter. No. 22 is the 1920 Portland-Lewiston Interurban
named in honor of the State of Maine, celebrating its Centennial in 1920.
The Maine is seen in this photo in service, circa 1925, on the PLI ROW.
O. R. Cummings Collection at the Seashore Trolley Museum
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Last summer (2023), I conducted research on the founders of the Seashore Trolley Museum in 1939. I reached out to some Museum friends, asking them to share any information they might have to help with my research. Several were able to share some great information. I was very grateful. Kevin Farrell shared two original copies of the Maine Electric Transiteer newsletter from 1938. I had never heard of the newsletter. I found them incredibly interesting, full of wonderful information, and very timely, as the contents clearly were stepping stones for the path leading to what would become the activities that saved Car 31 and began what we know today as the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine.
Click Here: for the post on the April 1938 MET newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the May 1938 MET newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the June 1938 MET newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the July 1938 MET newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the Aug/Sept 1938 MET newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the Oct/Nov 1938 MET newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the Dec 1938/Jan 1939 MET newsletter
Click Here: for the post on the Feb/Mar 1939 MET newsletter
I looked online and was able to acquire one original copy of the Maine Electric Transiteer newsletter from 1939. It too was full of stepping stones for the path leading to the founding of the Museum. And that was how the summer ended. Only three newsletters were located.
Last week, I began my summer 2024 research for additional materials on people and places during the late 1930s. This year, I subscribed to the Portland Press Herald so that I could access the online newspaper archives. Wow! What a great choice I made. I located more than 50 articles, so far (in just a few days), that feature the Portland (Maine) Division of the ERA, their members, activities, fan trips, etc.
Seeing how several of the members lived close to the greater Portland area, and in Charles D. Heseltine's case, for some time, he worked for the Maine Historical Society (MHS) in Portland. I reached out via email to the research department at MHS. Gave some background on what I was up to and asked for help on a couple of topics...Charles D. Heseltine and the Portland Division of the ERA, and in particular, the Transiteer newsletter.
I received a prompt reply from Mia Sigler, Reference Librarian at the Brown Research Library. She provided a list of Charles's Collections, and yes, there were five original issues of the Transiteer newsletter. Three that I did not have. Mia shared the process and costs related to the scanning of the items. We moved ahead, and I received all three copies this afternoon!! (Thursday, June 19, 2024) Awesome!
Thank you, Mia 😊 I look forward to planning time to spend checking out the Charles D. Heseltine Collections :)
I will be reviewing the three posts done last year on the Transiteer newsletters. To see if I need to update.
This will be the first in a series of posts related to the Portland Division of the ERA. I look forward to sharing their activities over the short time they were an active group. I haven't located the date when the end of the group came about. Conversations have generated ideas that perhaps when the trolley operations in Portland came to an end in 1941. The onset of WWII may have had an impact on the ending of the group. I'll keep searching...
The Portland Division of the ERA was officially established on October 4, 1937. Below, the October 6, 1937, issue of the Portland Press Herald features the new organization, its meeting place, and its leadership members. Current trolley fans may recognize a couple of these names. They became well known in the electric railway book publishing field.
The first issue of the Maine Electric Transiteer newsletter is mentioned in the March 4, 1938, issue of the Portland Press Herald. The article focuses on the Portland Division ERA group and the topic of Portland considering adding Trolley Buses to the public transportation system.
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The article also mentions the Portland-Lewiston Interurban.
Portland Press Herald - March 4, 1938 - pg 34
Click Here: for the post on the beginning of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban on July 2, 1914
Click Here: for the post on the end of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban on June 28, 1933
Editorial staff members for the Transiteer.
Page 2
News Items - happenings at various electric railways.
Page 3
Click Here: for the post on the history of the Aroostook Valley Railroad (Seashore has two of the AVRR cars, No. 52, and No. 70. Both are on the National Register of Historic Places
Click Here: for the post on the history of the A & K (Androscoggin and Kennebec Railway
Editorials
Page 4
Click Here: for the post on Car 31 arriving and the Biddeford and Saco Railroad activities that year - 1900
This month in Maine's Electric Railway History
This page mentions many Maine Street Railways
Page 5
Click Here: for the post that will link you to the history of every electric railway in Maine
Click Here: for the post on the Casco Castle Trolley Park
A poem - Fan trip - Some brief stories
A quote from the above page:
We Just Found Out:
"That, legally, streetcar operators are known as Motorneers" in the city of South Portland.
Page 6
Trolley Bus Rumors in Portland and the ERA
Page 7
Portland-Lewiston Interurban - Short History
The above page mentions that the builder of the
Portland-Lewiston Interurban, W. Scott Libbey,
died unexpectedly on May 18, 1914, just a few weeks
before the official opening of the PLI - June 28, 1914
Page 8
Click Here: for the post on the sudden death of W. Scott Libbey
Click Here: for the post of the biography of W. Scott Libbey
Click Here: for the post from his Biographical section of History of Maine - pgs 175-177
Several of the PLI crossing/stops are listed above
Page 9
See the locations of some of the PLI crossings/stops that are mentioned
Charles D. Heseltine hand-drew every map of every Maine electric railway,
2015 NEERHS book, by Charles D. Heseltine
and O. R. Cummings
"The Illustrated Atlas of Maine's Street & Electric Railways
1863-1946"
Wrapping up the PLI history and mentioning the Arbutus
going to W. Scott Libbey's daughter's home in
Bay View, Saco, Maine, Mrs. Gertrude Libbey Anthony
Page 10
Mrs. Gertrude Libbey Anthony was a passenger on the Arbutus
when it operated for the public on the opening day of the PLI
on July 2, 1914. Mrs. Anthony was also a passenger aboard
the Arbutus during the final public trip on June 28, 1933.
Image and caption from the incredible scrapbook
containing materials from the reunions (1938-1941)
of the former employees of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban.
The PLI employees' Scrapbook is among the holdings
of the Seashore Trolley Museum Library
Even though Ted Santarelli, one of the founders of the Seashore Trolley Museum, had visited Mrs. Anthony and discussed the new Electric Railway collection in Kennebunkport and asked her to consider having the Arbutus join the new collection in Kennebunkport, as late as 1940, she responded, she was keeping the Arbutus as a memorial to her beloved father.
However, sadly, later, near the end of WWII, she did scrap the Arbutus to benefit the War coffers.
A few years later, in the 1960s, the members at the Seashore Trolley Museum were able to negotiate with the owner of the body of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban, No. 14, Narcissus, and by building the owner a new home, to replace the Narcissus where they had lived, the members were able to acquire the Narcissus body.
Click Here: for the post on looking back 50 years at the Narcissus being acquired.
Click Here: for the post on the beginning of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban on July 2, 1914
Click Here: for the post on the end of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban on June 28, 1933
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Click Here: For the list of links to Theodore Roosevelt Maine Heritage Trail Posts in Easy Order to View
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 first 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
Middle Reader category for The Eric
Hoffer Book Award. Congratulations to
award-winning Maine author,
Jean M. Flahive
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