Radio Script #331

Little Talks On Common Things
February 10, 1957

Do you remember how the motorist used to find his way around the countryside in the days before the present road maps? I wonder how many of you ever used the big road books of 40 years ago. I remember them very we I I, but had neglected to save one of the many that I once owned. So I am indebted to my friend Adelbert Wright, retired r’~aine Central employee, for showing me a copy of the Maine Road Book, issued in 1914 by the ~/1aine A,utomobi Ie Association. The full title is r..1 aine Automobile Road Book and Pine Tree Tour of Maine and the V1h i te fv10unta ins.

In those days there were no numbered routes and only the cross-road signs to te II the way to towns. \1orst of a II, there was no marking to gui de the motorist through a large town or city. So the road book had to be very explicit in its directions, and the driver had to be on the watch for I isted landmarks as we I I as keep track of his mil eage •

For instance, the route from Augusta to Bangor gives the fol lowing directions concerning Watervi lie. Interestingly enough, the route from Augusta to ltJatervi lIe is given via Sidney, with the distance 19.3 mi les. Here are the di rections as one approached VJatervi lie: :Turn right at end of road across iron bridge over small stream and then left at three corners on to Silver Street. At corner of Si Iver and Main Streets, turn sharp left on to Main Street and continue through principal business section of the city. 19.6 mi les (that would be .3 mi les from the junction of Si Iver and Main Streets) bear right at diagonal four corners, pass Elmwood Hotel on left, and just beyond rai I road crossi ng pass Colby College bui Idings on right and shortly after again cross rai Iroad. 3.2 mi les from \’Jatervi lie, in Fairfield, turn sharp right with trolley at Bridge Street and cross i ron bridges over Kennebec River and under the ra i I road. V~here tro I I ey turns left, keep stra i ght ahead. H

\tIe who are familiar with the excellent, permanent surfaced road from Newport to Bangor may be surprised to know that in 1914 the recommended route was to turn sharp left two mi les out of Newport and go to Sangor via Stetson: South Levant, North Carme I and Leather’s Corner. That way one entered Bangor on Un ion Street, at right angle to the present Hammond Street approach. Commenting on this route, the 1914 road book, in its direction for the point two mi les out of Newport, has these words: ‘!”furn sharp left at four corners, leaving po les. No’- tice! The road straight ahead goes to Bangor via Etna and is six mi les shorter, but not so good, and there is likely to be a lot of construction work this season. ItJe advise going via Stetson.”

Here is the way the Road Book told the traveler to get through my native town of Bridgton on his way from Portland to the v!hite Mountains. 3.8 miles beyond Nap les he was to I d to ~!bear ri ght at fork and at reverse fork just beyond curve rightTT. Then, .9 mi Ie farther on, he reached Bridgton Center, where the book sa i d to I’cross narrow guage ra i I road, then bri dge with mi lion ri ght, and at four corners wi th iron wateri ng trough in center, turn sharp left on to fV1ain street. Straight ahead goes to Bethel via North Bridgton and ~~aterford.q

After travel ing Bridgton’s Main Street for .4 mi Ie, the directions said: “Keep straight ahead on Main Street and pass public library on left, and just beyond at fork bear left and climb short, steep hi I I. At top of hi II turn sharp right . at end of road with So I d i ers’ r’~onument in center. f1 Afte r anothe r 1.3 miles ”

the direction was rrPass small cemetery on right, and after another half mi Ie, turn sharp left at road to left at tall pine tree. Straight ahead goes to Sweden.”

Then, 2.4 mi les further on the driver was told to Hcross stone bridge over tvJorse Pond”. One mi Ie more, and the notation was f!schoolhouse on rightl’. I’ve taken you six mi les from the fvionument Square in Bridgton on the way to Fryeburg in order to bring in the Road Book’s notation about that schoolhouse, because it is the schoolhouse I mention in “Kennebec Yesterdays!’. In that book’s chapter on schoo Is I wrote: ‘~I n my boyhood town of Bri dgton, in the western part of the town, stood a schoolhouse referred to in the 1914 Road Book, when it says, i1schoolhouse on right”.

As one skims through Del ~’Jright’s old road book, he notes the constant repetition of objects used to help the traveler find his way. Most frequent were br i dges • Next in number are the telephone lines and then the tro Iley lines. ‘lJatering troughs, monuments, cemeteries, schoolhouses, churches, mi lis and even trees are mentioned. Any object which would identify this location in respect to the whole route was mentioned for the traveler’s guidance. Let us pick a few of these at random, on different routes, of course, and not for one journey.

!1Go th rough covered br i dge over Saco River.

it.

T:Turn ri ght over iron br i dge past red factory on left.

~~Pass sma I I cannon in square on left and stone watering trough on left.

l’Turn left at end of road and pass Hose No.3 bui Iding “‘lith 1881 date on

t:Sear right at stone watering trough and pass car barns on right.

frSear ‘ ri ght past large church and Mt. Pleasant Grange Ha lion left.

~:So I d iers’ monument and county ja i I on left.

PTurn sharp left at reverse fork, with set of bui Idings 9.Jrrounded by elm

trees in center. H

Such were the landmarks by which the Maine Road Book 9uided the motorist

4:3 yea rs ago.

vI/hat did that road book have to say about the highways and the towns through which they passed? The book begins with what it cal Is the first day of the Pine Tree Tour, Port I and to Be I grade Lakes. ‘t says: “Fa i r dirt and gravel roads from Portland to Poland Spring; from Poland Spring to Auburn, fine state road; Auburn to Greene, fair dirt road with some macadam; part of the way from Greene to vJinthrop, rather poor clay road; three mi les through \;nnthrop~ good gravel roads; rest of the distance to Belgrade Lakes, the road is rather narrow and winding with a fair surface. The route is directly through the grounds of the Poland Spring House and through the business and residential sections of Lewiston and Auburn. It passes through the famous apple belt of ~~aine in the vicinity of vlinthrop and traverses the magnificent Belgrade Lakes region with its wonderful scenery. A point of interest along the route is the Shaker Colony at Sabbathday Lake, whi Ie what is considered one of the most beautiful views in al I New England is obtained from the top of the hi II just before reach i ng Be J grade Lakes vi I I age. H

Here is what the Road Book says about Watervi lie: ‘1Jatervi Ile._ situated on the Kennebec Ri ver, is one of the most wide-awake mun i c i pa Ii ti es in Ha i ne.

It showed, at the last census, the greatest percentage of gain of any city in the state. It is beauti fu II y situated with fine automobile ri des on every side, and is rapidly becoming a popular summer resort. One of its principal claims to fame is that within its borders is located Colby College, one of the four leading universities of the state. ‘tJatervi lie is also the home of Governor Iv~ i I I i am T. Ha i nes .

Among the directors of the Maine Automobile Association in 1914 appear some familiar names. The secretary was the widely known John C. Scates of \’Jestbrook; among the vice-presidents were Phi lip Deering of Portland, Forrest Colby of Bingham, R. J. Peacock of Lubec, and John S. Hyde of 8ath. Chairman of the Good Roads Committee was a distant relative of mine, Professor George T. Fi les of Bowdoin College. The legislative chairman was Central r··~aine’s best known hotel man, Charles A. Hi I I of Belgrade Lakes. Chairman of the Directors was the proprietor of the Poland Spring House, Hiram Ricker.

Li ke all such pub I ications of the time, the 1914 Road Book is fi lIed with ads appropriate to the subject. The back cover is devoted to Knight Tires, for which the Maine distributor was the Maine Tire and Auto Supp Iy Comoany of Portland. The ad says: PNon-skid and round tread tires. Knight tires are and will always remain the highest quality known to the science of tire bui Iding, and nothing could be supplied which has not already been provided to permanently and economically maintain their standard.V?

VJhat about garages and service stati ons? There were no fi II ing stations then, in the modern sense. But the ads revea I what servi ce was ava i I ab Ie for automobiles. The Ell sworth Foundry and ~:1ach i ne ‘/-Iorks adverti sed a garage in connection with their plant. They said: :’It is a new and modern concrete garage, perfect in every way_ Tourists wi I I find every accomodation and reasonab Ie pri ces. VIe are very strong on repa i r It/ork as we are not on I y manufacturers of gasoline engines, but do a general machinists and founders business.!~

The Watervi lie ~~otor Company advertised a garage with capacity for 100 cars. They announced :lthe largest and most completely equipped repair department in Maine. Vulcanizing, autogeneous welding, and changing station.”

The old road book says very little about the different makes of cars. ~~ost  of the garage ads say nothing about car sales, but the ad of the Regent Garage in Kennebunk does say that they have the agency for the Ramb I er car. The ~/ade and Dunton [‘v10tor Car Company at Lewiston sold Cadi Ilacs, Chevrolets and Fords.

AI lenTs Garage at Brunswick handled Buicks and Fords, as did also the Rockland Garage. Gi bson ‘s Garage at ~v1ach i as ca lied i tse I f the home of the Ford car. The Maine f.’10tor Company of Portland, however, distributed the most diversified line — Peerless, Steavens-Duryea, Pope-Hartford, Chalmers and Paige-Detroit.

The hotels and camps, however, suppl ied the largest number of ads in the 1914 Road Book. Among the names, tonight’s listeners wi I I recognize some camps sti II in operation today: Brown’s Camps on Lake Kezar, the Lake View Camps on Grand La ke Stream, the ~…rlinB:>rrl . Camps, the Sea r Mounta i n Camps at Patten, and the ~fi,aples at \tleld. In 1914 prominent attractions for the tourist were the Skin Pond House, the Seboeis Bridge Sporting Camps, the Heald Pond Camps at Jackman, the Hook Point Camps at Island Fal Is, Clearwater Camps at Farmington, and Camp Eothen at Long Pond. Best known of the advertised resort hotels were the Poland Spring House,the Belgrade Lakes Hotel, the Rangeley Lake House, the Samoset at Rockland,  the Marshal I House at York, the Louisburg at Bar Harbor, the Bethel Inn, the \tJhitehall at Camden, the Arcadian at Castine, the Argue Not at Fryeburg, the j-100selookmeguntic at Haines Landing, the Breakwater Court at Kennebunkport; the New r’J1t. Ki neo House, a nd the New Meadows Inn.

Hote I sand inns in the sma lIer towns a re not neg lected in the 0 I d road book. The Hote I Cob urn i n Skowhegan sa i d: “Auto pa rt i es wi I I fin d th is hote I directly on the route from Portland to Rangeley Lakes, Jackman and Quebec.

Rooms en suite with or without bath. Rates $2.50 to $4.00 per day American P I an. H The Rob i nson House at Bucksport ca I led attent i on to the ne i ghborhood’ s good fish i ng and hunt i ng • The ‘flay I and at Dunstan made a spec i a I ty of shore dinners. The Exchange Hotel in Farmington announced complete remodeling and refurnishing to accomodate guests desiring a quiet, clean hotel with excellent cuisine, and special attention given to automobile parties. The Blethen House at Dover boasted of steam heat, electric I ights, long distance telephone, and a fire proof garage with livery connection. The Bingham Hotel’s genial proprietor, F . L. Gipson, wanted folks to know that excellent accomnodations awaited them between Port land and Quebec. “.!. E. Cobb of the Vaughan House at Caribou assured the Road Book reader that he Imade no extra charge to tourists and that he had Pstorage for machines at reasonable rates”. The Hubbard House at Paris Hill featured tenn is, bow ling and croquet. The Presque I s Ie House had one of the humorous kind of ads you sometimes run across in those days. It said: ·’Enlarged, refurnished and painted inside and out. Many bathrooms added. Under new management the tables are just as poor as we can get by with. O. E. Blackden. Owes eve rybody •

vlhat were some of the things the boosters for Maine raved about half a century ago? Though some of them will ha rd I y stand up today t he re they are;  straight from the old road book: ‘lThe soi I of Maine is very ferti Ie and sp lendid I Y adapted for agri cu Iture. Ma i ne ranks second among a I I the states in the production of granite, fourth in slate, and sixth in limestone and marble.There are 30 fine mineral springs in Maine. The state abounds in fruit and berrybearing trees and plants. The value of Maine’s annual hay crop exceeds 16 mi II i on do I lars. Ma i ne has 25,000 miles of roads of wh i ch 93% are country roads. ,.

Whether or not those statements would stand up in 1957, some of the facts about Maine presented in the 1914 Road Book are just as true today as they were 43 yea rs ago. He re a re a few of them: nMa i ne is exact I y ha I f way between the equator and the North Pole. I t has a tota I of 31 ,500 square mi les. Th ree thousand square mi les of its surface are water. Its coast I ine, as the crow flies, is 226 mi les, but in reality, because of the numerous indentations, Maine has 2,500 mi les of seacoast. t’1aine has 1,580 lakes, including in r’~oosehead the largest body of inland water in New England. The finest sweet corn in the world is ra i sed in jv1a i ne, and Ma i ne app les are renowned the wor I dove r. T~ We II, anyhow, I have had a lot of fun going through De I vJright’s’ cherished copy of the !\1a i ne Road Book for 1914, and I hope you too have foun d th is account of it not wholly uninteresting.

Year: 1957