"Progress" Continues to Slowly Remove Remnants of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban

Circa 1920  - just to the right of the track is now the

end of the parking lot on the north end of Cole Farms

Restaurant in Gray on Route 202/100.

From the Portland-Lewiston Interurban Employees

Scrapbook in the Collection of the Library at

Seashore Trolley Museum

     The Portland Lewiston Interurban (PLI) operations served the communities between Lewiston, Maine, and Portland, Maine, through Auburn, Danville, New Gloucester, Gray, West Cumberland, and West Falmouth, and ended eighty-five years ago. Since 1933, the thirty miles of the PLI right-of-way (ROW) from Fairview Junction in Auburn to Deering Junction in Portland have been slipping away to the inevitable. Mother Nature and Progress. Yes, several vestiges remain in the communities between Auburn and West Falmouth, former brick substations have been repurposed in Danville, Gray, and West Falmouth, and there are sections of the row that are clearly visible if one knows what to look for and where, but make no mistake, as time passes, those vestiges are seen more for what they are now and not for what they were. 

The same overpass in Gray. c1936

Robert Melcher Collection at the Maine Historical Society's

Brown Research Library

July 15, 2018 - the same overpass in Gray. PWM

November 20, 2024 - the same overpass in Gray. PWM

      Starting with the years of its construction, 1910 through 1914, continuing during its nineteen years of service carrying more than seven million passengers, and ending in 1933, the Portland-Lewiston Interurban changed the communities it served. There is a story to tell, a story that is more than statistics, like passenger and mileage count, electrical output, tonnage carried by the freight service, or specifications of the vehicles that operated on the line. The PLI changed the lives of the people who lived in the communities served by the PLI. People who owned property the row passed through, people who were passengers, and the people who worked for "The Finest and Fastest Electric Railroad in All of New England."

September 7, 2017 - the same overpass in Gray. PWM

    Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, Maine, is restoring the Narcissus. The Narcissus is the only surviving high-speed luxury interurban coach from the PLI. The Narcissus has been at Seashore Trolley Museum since 1969 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Theodore Roosevelt was a passenger on the Narcissus, from Lewiston to Portland, on August 18, 1914. The Narcissus literally traveled on the remnants of the tracks that are pictured here in this bridge in Gray in this blog post.

November 15, 2017 - PWM

     The Narcissus restoration is expected to be completed in 2021. The funding for the restoration has been secured. Please scroll down this post to find the list of donors for the restoration portion of the project. The list contains the historical societies served by the PLI and members of those communities. Noteworthy and deserving of particular attention is the 20th Century Electric Railway Foundation in California and its principals, Arthur Jones and Joseph Brogan, for previous matching grants since 2014 and a major gift that secured the funding to complete the restoration portion of the Narcissus Project.

     The restored Narcissus will be the PLI time machine. At Seashore Trolley Museum, passengers will be able to enter the Narcissus, sit on the plush Mohair seats, and take in the incredible luxury of the interior; its ceiling panels with gold leaf fleur-de-lis in each corner connected by ribbons of gold leaf. The forty ornamental leaded stained glass windows above the passenger windows induce awe for passengers engulfed by an interior of mahogany walls with an inlay of Holly-Ebony-Holly decorations. And be a passenger on this majestic icon of Maine's famous Portland-Lewiston Interurban as it travels along the Museum's heritage railway. Think of it. Take it in. 

November 15, 2017 - PWM

     But.....we need to do more. The Narcissus has a story to tell. A story that needs to be told. A story that deserves to be told. For the people who built the PLI. For the people who had the line built through their farmlands. For the People who worked for the PLI. The millions of people who traveled for so many different reasons are on this line. For all those people whose lives and communities were changed by the PLI. The Narcissus can be the champion for the PLI. The Narcissus alone has the pedigree to be the common thread that connects all storylines inherent to the PLI. 

November 15, 2017 - PWM

      The interpretation portion of the Narcissus project includes the research, development, creation, and implementation of a comprehensive plan to tell the story of Narcissus. This interpretation plan may include educational programming, exhibit and display offerings, as well as outreach programs in a variety of formats, including on-site, off-site, social media, and online curriculum. Funding for this portion of the Narcissus project is now essential and the focus of our fundraising efforts. 

     We are very interested in hearing from you if you have artifacts, ephemera, family stories of the PLI, photographs, etc. We are still researching, collecting oral histories, and looking to find pieces that help us tell the whole story. Email Phil Morse, Narcissus project manager: p.morse31@gmail.com 

     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. Scroll down this post to see options for making a donation today :) 

Click Here: Donation Options for Helping the Narcissus

November 15, 2017 - PWM

November 15, 2017 - This section has been removed as

of July 2018 - PWM

November 15, 2017 - This section has been removed as

of July 2018 - PWM

November 15, 2017

This section is gone in 2018

PWM

From the parking lot on the north end of Cole Farms

Restaurant. November 15, 2017 - PWM

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

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 captivate, fascinate, then generate 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 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

Gold Book Award Winner plaque for

 Middle Reader category for The Eric

Hoffer Book Award. Congratulations to

award-winning Maine author,

Jean M. Flahive

2018 Teddy Roosevelt Days - A Wonderful Weekend

Many happy guests are seated in the 1901 Connecticut Car

Company, open-trolley car No. 303 just before departure for

an early evening ride on Seashore Trolley Museum's

heritage electric railway. The ride followed a wonderful

opening reception with programs for the 2018 Teddy

Roosevelt Days fundraising event to benefit the

1912 Portland-Lewiston Interurban No. 14,

Narcissus. PWM

The arrival of the two vintage horse-drawn

vehicles on loan from Skyline Farm & Carriage

Museum, in North Yarmouth, Maine, that would

be on exhibit during the weekend event. Both

vehicles would have been in use in 1901

when Tower "C", seen here in the background,

began its service as a switching station for

Boston Elevated Railway. PWM

The circa 1880s multi-use wagon would have carried people

and also would be used to carry produce to market.

The seat can easily be removed or relocated

anywhere along the open wagon body. It has a rear

tailgate that opens and closes. A very common wagon during

the timeframe that Theodore Roosevelt was in Island Falls,

Maine in 1878 & 79. It was also very popular out west during

the 1880s, when  Roosevelt and his friends and Maine guides,

William Sewall & Wilmot Dow were his ranch hands while
living with Roosevelt in North Dakota.
Photo courtesy of Kathy Allen Merrill

Guests arrive at the Seashore Trolley Museum. They

 registered between 3 pm and 4 pm.

Photo courtesy of Kathy Allen Merrill

     Guests included members from historical societies in Falmouth, Cumberland, Gray, New Gloucester, and, of course, the Seashore Trolley Museum. Earlier this year, Donald Curry and I did presentations about the Portland-Lewiston Interurban in the communities of West Falmouth, West Cumberland, and Lewiston. Another guest at Friday's opening gala was Jean Flahive. Jean has been contracted through Maine Authors Publishing to write an early reader historical fiction chapter book about the Narcissus.

Guests look over the many silent auction items displayed

to bid on. Generous donors of silent auction items allowed for

100% of the proceeds from the auction and raffle items

go to the Narcissus Project.

Photo courtesy of Kathy Allen Merrill

Shortly after 4 pm, guests boarded 303 for a short ride to the 

1915 Portland-Lewiston Interurban waiting station from

Morrison Hill in West Cumberland, Maine. They would

disembark, then take a short walk to the

Donald G. Curry Town House Restoration Shop

for a tour and slideshow of the Narcissus

and the restoration progress. PWM 

Picture-perfect late afternoon. Guests on 303 before making

their way to Morrison Hill Station. PWM

A grinning Theodore Roosevelt greets the guests at

Morrison Hill Station. Inside the station is an

exhibit on the PLI and the Narcissus. The Narcissus

would pass and occasionally stop at the station from

1915 through 1933, as it sat along the line in

West Cumberland.

Photo courtesy of Kathy Allen Merrill

The Narcissus is decorated with images and directional arrows

along its side sills and the lower section of the vestibule. These

are for guests during their tour to see where the various

components operate, National Register of Historic

Places icon, Narcissus.  PWM

The tour began with guests along the visitor gallery being

addressed by Ernie Eaton & Donald Curry. Ernie & Donald

are the lead restoration staff and volunteers working on

the Narcissus. The next stage of the tour was for guests to

go downstairs and be seated to watch & listen to

a presentation on the restoration. PWM

The number one end of the Narcissus with images of

headlights. PWM

Photos and a detailed drawing showing the exact location of

all components that will be attached to the underside of the

Narcissus. PWM

More photos and location points. PWM

Photos describing the patented interlocking rubber floor tiles

that are in the smoking compartment and down the center

of the passenger compartment. PWM

Drawing of the complicated brake system. PWM

Old photographs are so helpful when locating or verifying

the locations of components on the Narcissus. PWM

     Upon the conclusion of the tour and presentation at the shop, guests returned to the visitor center by trolley and enjoyed a meet-and-greet reception with food and beverages. This was followed by Phil Morse, project manager of the Narcissus Project, opening the evening program by welcoming guests. Phil asked the guests to have a moment of silence to honor two gentlemen who were dedicated to the Narcissus and had passed away since the 2017 Teddy Roosevelt Days event. Daniel Vallee and Norman Downs. Dan's father, J. Henri Vallee, had purchased the body of the Narcissus in the 1930s for use as the family summer camp at Sabattus Pond. Dan spent the first eighteen summers of his life living in the Narcissus. Norm had pictures of the Narcissus from when it first arrived at Seashore in 1969. He, like Dan and so many others with a connection to the Narcissus that have gone before them, so wanted to see the Narcissus restoration completed. 

     Phil then continued with his opening remarks to the gathered guests and gave his sincere thanks to Arthur Jones and Joseph Brogan, principals of the 20th Century Electric Railway Foundation, for the very generous pledge (a check for one-half of which had arrived that very afternoon) of a gift that will fund the remaining costs associated with completing the restoration of the Narcissus. Phil went on to say that additional funds, above those needed for restoration, are still needed for the costs that will be associated with researching, creating, and implementing the interpretation portion of the Narcissus Project. This portion of the project is to tell the incredible story of the Narcissus that has taken place over more than one hundred years. This will be done through static and online exhibits, displays, and curriculum programs. The ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the restoration of the Narcissus and the unveiling of the interpretation programs is expected to take place in the fall of 2021.

     Then Phil introduced the first of two guest speakers, Sheila Libby Alexander. Sheila is a Board member of the Skyline Farm & Carriage Museum in North Yarmouth, Maine. Sheila explained how the Farm & Museum started and the various collections and activities carried out by the members of the organization. She also explained the history of the 1880s wagon on display. She then spent time explaining the story of how the circa 1840s Libby Family sleigh came to become part of the collection of the Museum and the steps taken to clean the original hand-painted winter scene on the exterior of the back panel of the sleigh. The guests were captivated by her presentation.

Sheila Libby Alexander starts her talk.

Photo courtesy of Kathy Allen Merrill

Guests were very engaged as Sheila spoke.

PWM

The Libby sleigh on display - PWM

     Following the conclusion of Sheila's presentation, Phil introduced the second guest speaker,          Donna Davidge. Donna is the owner of the Sewall House & Yoga Retreat in Island Falls, Maine. 

Phil first met Donna during a trip to Island Falls to visit Bible Point in the fall of 2015. Theodore Roosevelt would walk to this spot to read his Bible while he was in Island Falls, staying at the Sewall House. William Sewall and William's nephew, Wilmot Dow, were Roosevelt's guides during Roosevelt's three trips to Island Falls in 1878 & 1879. Sewall and Dow, and later their families, would join Roosevelt in North Dakota in the mid-1880s. Sewall & Dow were ranch hands for Roosevelt and built his Elkhorn Ranch, and then lived on the ranch with him and their families. The original mirror from the Elkron Ranch was on display at the Seashore Trolley Museum during the 2016 Teddy Roosevelt Days weekend. The mirror is in the collection of the Presque Isle Historical Society in Presque Isle, Maine.

     Donna is the great-granddaughter of William Sewall and owns the original Sewall House, where Theodore Roosevelt lived during his three visits to Island Falls, Maine, in 1878 & 1879.

Donna Davidge, the owner of The Sewall House & Yoga

Retreat tells the guests about her great-grandfather, William

Sewall, and how he and Theodore Roosevelt were lifelong friends. PWM

While Donna was expressing her passion for nature and

her emotional connection to her grandfather, a few guests

were brought to tears. PWM

Donna brought original artifacts from the Sewall House.

Correspondence between Theodore Roosevelt, Mrs.

Roosevelt and Donna's grandfather, William Sewall. PWM

Guest speaker Donna Sewall Davidge pauses to have her photo taken

with the group behind her. (l-r) Her great-grandfather,

William Sewall, Wilmot Dow, and Theodore Roosevelt in

Island Falls, Maine, ca February 1879

Houghton Library, Harvard University 

Photo courtesy of Ernie & Ann Eaton

L-R - Guest speaker Donna Davidge sits in the front seat with

motorman Ed Dooks at the controls of the 1901 Connecticut

open car trolley No. 303 before departing for the early

evening ride along the Museum's heritage electric railway.

PWM

     The raffle winners on Friday night were:

• J. Melanson - Book (1923) "Theodore Roosevelt" by Lord Charwood
• N. Latham - the Ashwood barrel pen - wood from the Narcissus
• S. Snowman - the Pinewood barrel pen - wood from the Narcissus
• K. Merrill - Poplar wood barrel pen - wood used in the Narcissus
• G. Snow - "Volunteer" - Teddy Days T-shirt (new XL) - 1 of 2 original 100 shirts from 2015

     The 50/50 winner was drawn at the end of the day on Sunday, 7.22.2018

• T. Tello - Mr. Tello was very generous and donated the winnings back to the Narcissus Project

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

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 captivate, fascinate, then generate 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 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

Gold Book Award Winner plaque for

 Middle Reader category for The Eric

Hoffer Book Award. Congratulations to

award-winning Maine author,

Jean M. Flahive

Collecting Oral Histories and Identifying Artifacts - Portland-Lewiston Interurban

These charming ladies all rode on the interurbans of

Portland-Lewiston Interurban when they were young girls

growing up in Gray, Maine. Two nonagenarians and one

centenarian. The interview took place on Saturday

morning, June 23, 2018, at the Gray Historical

Society. PWM photo.

      With the ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completed restoration of the 1912 Portland-Lewiston Interurban, No. 14, Narcissus, set for the fall of 2021 at the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport, plans to create the interpretation portion of the Narcissus project are a high priority. And no planning is more important than working to identify individuals to tell us, first-hand, what their experiences were growing up in a community that had the services of the interurbans of the PLI. 

      The PLI ceased operations on June 28, 1933, eighty-five years ago! During our spring series of public presentations in communities along the PLI, starting in Lewiston (Public Library), then on to West Falmouth (West Falmouth Baptist Church), and ending in West Cumberland (Recreation Hall), many attendees had a personal interest in the interurban line. The right-of-way that the interurbans operated on may have gone through their property, they may have had a family member who worked for the PLI, or they might have had an interest in learning more about their local history.

      This renewed interest in the Portland-Lewiston Interurban, especially in the communities that it served, has generated opportunities to collect first-hand accounts from individuals who were riding the interurbans and for families to share some photographs and hand-me-down accounts, for PLI-related stories.

      The first of what we hope are many interviews to collect and record these accounts that took place at the Gray Historical Society on Saturday, June 23, 2018, at 10 am. Organized by the Gray Historical Society's President, Donald Whitney, three residents of Gray made themselves available for interviews. Last summer, Don had brought his aunt Elizabeth to visit the Narcissus at the Trolley Museum. Elizabeth grew up in South Gray. The PLI tracks were built through her family's farm, the Whitney Farm. That visit last year led us to connect with Don this spring to discuss the possibility of interviewing Elizabeth. As it turned out, we hit the trifecta! 

      Don was able to make arrangements to have his Aunt Elizabeth and two peers join Elizabeth to be interviewed. Pictured above, L-R: Miriam Bisbee, Charlotte Verrill Frost, and Elizabeth Whitney Megquier. The ladies had family members and some family friends in attendance during the interview. An audio version of the interview was recorded and will be transcribed for the collection of the Gray Historical Society and the Seashore Trolley Museum.

      Jean Flahive was present and introduced to the ladies and the others in attendance. Jean, an award-winning Maine author, is researching a new book she is writing. The book will be an early reader's historical fiction chapter book about the Portland-Lewiston Interurban and will feature a young girl from Gray as the main character. The book will be released in time for Maine's Bicentennial in 2020. Proceeds from book sales will benefit Narcissus.

      Stay tuned for more details as we continue to collect stories and information.

Click Here for  the post on Clyde Walker Pierce, Jr. recalls "Racing" the High-Speed Interurbans

In the meantime, make plans to visit the Trolley Museum for the 4th Annual Teddy Roosevelt Days event.

A Fundraising Event to Benefit 1912 Portland-Lewiston Interurban,

No. 14, Narcissus. Theodore Roosevelt was a passenger on the

Narcissus on August 18, 1914. The three-day event is hosted by
Seashore Trolley Museum.

2018 Teddy Roosevelt Days

a three-day event  being held

at

Seashore Trolley Museum

Kennebunkport, Maine

July 20, 21, & 22

A Benefit Event For the Narcissus Project

The Friday Katahdin Expedition is SOLD OUT!

4th Annual Teddy Roosevelt Days Event at Seashore

      As in previous years, the fundraising event will benefit the Narcissus Project and will kick off with a Friday activity that requires tickets to be purchased in advance for the limited-seating gala opening. The Friday activity will include a reception, trolley rides, a guided tour of the Narcissus, presentations, raffles, a silent auction, and Theodore Roosevelt-related items for sale. All proceeds benefit the restoration and companion interpretation programs (Exhibits & Education Program Development) of the 1912 Portland-Lewiston Interurban, No. 14, Narcissus. 

Saturday and Sunday activities are open to the public with the purchase of general admission tickets to the Museum. 

Tickets for the Friday gala opening are now available to purchase online.

Tickets are $30 each. Click Here to Order Tickets Online. Sold Out

 Full Schedule for the Weekend Event:

The Mount Katahdin Expedition

Friday Opening, July 20th, 2017 - 3pm-8pm Sold Out

Tickets to the Expedition are $30. Click Here to Order Tickets Online. Sold Out

(Each ticket includes an all-day Friday (July 20, 2018), a general admission ticket to Seashore Trolley Museum, access to a meet & greet reception with light refreshments, two drink tickets (beer/wine), one raffle ticket, and a silent auction bidder #)

Friday Opening Schedule - Prepaid tickets required for this opening activity: Sold Out

3 pm         Guest arrival, check-in, silent auction preview

4 pm         Vintage Trolley Ride to Riverside Barn and walk to Town House Shop for Tour of 

                  Narcissus (currently under renovation) with Project Manager Phil Morse

5:30 pm    Reception at Exhibit Gallery, Visitor's Center with light refreshments (beer & wine) and                       silent auction (rare TR-related books, glass art, etc.) bidding ongoing

6 pm         Welcome & Opening Remarks: Mr. Phil Morse, Narcissus Project Manager, Seashore                          Trolley Museum - Introduction of each guest speaker  

* Presentation: Ms. Sheila Libby Alexander,  Board Member, Skyline Farm, and Carriage Museum,       North Yarmouth, ME - History of Skyline Farm & Carriage Museum, How the Libby Sleigh was acquired, and comments on the restoration of the art on the Sleigh by Conservator Nina Roth Wells.

* Presentation: Ms. Donna Davidge, Owner of  Sewall House Yoga Retreat, History of her great-grandparents' National Historic Registry home and the William Sewall, Theodore Roosevelt family's lifelong friendship. 

7:15 pm    Raffle, Silent Auction closes

7:45 pm    Vintage Historic Trolley Car exclusive trolley ride along Seashore Trolley Museum's                            Heritage Main Line

Tickets for the Mount Katahdin Expedition are $30. Click Here to Order Tickets Online

Seating is limited for the Friday opening, Sold Out

FMI contact p.morse31@gmail.com  

Following the close of last year's Teddy Days opening night
gala activities, the early evening trolley ride was aboard

 the beautifully restored 1901 CT Co. No. 303.
PWM photo

This Narcissus Blog post has details on both guest speakers below:
Donna Davidge from the Sewall House Yoga Retreat and
Sheila Libby Alexander from Skyline Farm & Carriage Museum

Speaker bio
Donna Davidge
Keenly interested in health and exploration, Donna (Amrita) Davidge is a highly experienced 500 E-RYT yoga teacher. She received her Master's in Nutrition in the late 70s, then acted and modeled (living in Europe from 1982-85) from the mid-80s into the early 90s. In 1985, Donna discovered Kundalini Yoga in New York City when she was practicing and studying this form as a powerful tool for healing and personal growth. Her teacher, Ravi Singh, encouraged her to begin teaching within a year. Pursuing yoga avidly, she became certified by 3HO and Yoga Alliance. She has been a full-time yoga and meditation teacher ever since and can be found in NYC during the winter months when she’s not at Sewall House. She has taught tens of thousands of hours in New York City in groups and privately, as well as in workshops in the Northeast, Canada, Italy, and Costa Rica. Her first yoga teacher was Yogi Bhajan, who gave her the spiritual name Amrita (nectar) in the late 80s. She has studied Ashtanga with Eddie Stern since 1999, Dharma Mittra since 1999, and Iyengar with Genny Kapuler since 2004. She views yoga as a way to grow from within and study the physical and emotional marks our lives have made on us. Her teacher, Yogi Bhajan, said happiness is our birthright, so she explores ways to serve her students in a manner that can aid them in finding health and happiness in their own lives. Sewall House offered its first Yoga Teacher Training by request in 2009, with a small group of committed students. 

The Sewall House & Yoga Retreat in Island Falls, ME

Ms. Davidge purchased the Sewall House in 1997 to keep the

home in her family, and to keep the legacy of her

great-grandfather's (William W. Sewall) life and love of

nature alive. PWM 

Theodore Roosevelt, William Windgate Sewall, and Wilmot Dow,

ca March 1879, somewhere in the Island Falls area

TRC 520.12.-016 Houghton Library, Harvard University

Speaker bio:
Sheila Libby Alexander

A Maine native from Yarmouth originally had paternal Libby family relatives' Maine land in 1637. A friend of Dorothy Plummer donated the Libby Family Sleigh to Skyline Farm when Ken Sowles was putting the Carriage Museum together in North Yarmouth. A graduate of the University of Maine with a degree in History, with a Master's Degree in Library Sciences from Simmons College. Retired from a 36-year career at the Portland Public Library. Have been on the Board at Skyline for several years and, in fact, learned to ride there as a kid when Skyline was a riding stable, and I'm still happily riding almost every day.

The John Libby Family sleigh is seen here in a photo courtesy of

Skyline Farm and Carriage Museum in North Yarmouth,

Maine. The Libby Sleigh will be on display at Seashore

Trolley Museum during the 2018 Teddy Roosevelt Days

event to benefit the Narcissus on the weekend of

July 20-22, 2018

1) The John Libby Family Sleigh. John Libby was an early settler (the 1630s) in the Black Point area of Scarborough, Maine. W. S. Libbey, the builder of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban, is a descendant of John Libby (as is this blogger :) This sleigh is described as an "Early Painted Sleigh." The original artwork on the back exterior panel is exquisite.  Ms. Alexander's presentation will include a description of the conservation of the beautifully painted scene on the back of the Libby Family Sleigh.

                                    

2) A wagon from the late 1800s. Theodore Roosevelt visited Maine several times before his New England tour as President in 1902. His early visits to Maine included using horse-drawn transportation of the day. A passenger in a Stagecoach from Dexter to Greenville in 1872. Several trips in a wagon while visiting Island Falls in the company of Maine's William Sewall and William's nephew, Wilmot Dow, during guided expeditions in the Maine woods in the summers of 1878 and 1879. Also, as a passenger in sleighs during his February 1879 visit to Island Falls. He escorted his future wife in a pony-drawn buggy while they were visiting Mount Desert Island in 1880. As President, he was a rider in an open landau carriage pulled by horses in Portland during his August 1902 visit. You will learn more of these details over the weekend :)

Skyline Farm and Carriage Museum 

95 The Lane

North Yarmouth, ME 04097

Skyline Farm

A UNIQUE PLACE WHERE HISTORY AND NATURE ARE JOINED FOR LEARNING AND RECREATION

"Skyline Farm is a fabulous example of how historic preservation, land preservation, and adaptive reuse can come together to create a wonderful community resource." - Hillary Bassett, the Executive Director of Greater Portland Landmarks

At Skyline Farm & Carriage Museum PWM

At Skyline Farm &

Carriage Museum PWM

At Skyline Farm & Carriage Museum PWM

Click Here to go to the Museum Store web page to order online

Paperback books are available at these local bookstores: 

Androscoggin Historical Society, Lewiston

Cumberland Historical Society, Cumberland

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

Print: A Bookstore, Portland

Roosevelt Campobello International Park, Welshpool, NB, Canada

Seashore Trolley Museum, Kennebunkport

Sherman's Maine Coast Book Shops, All Locations

Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library, Medora, ND

Thompson's Orchard, New Gloucester

Winthrop, Maine Historical Society, Winthrop

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

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

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 captivate, fascinate, then generate 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 donating 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 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

Gold Book Award Winner plaque for

 Middle Reader category for The Eric

Hoffer Book Award. Congratulations to

award-winning Maine author,

Jean M. Flahive