FRANKLIN COUNTY MEMORIES
The first two stories related here (from Norman Richardson) get credit for the introduction of this page. It is the webmaster's hope that others will come forth to share their memories, or those of friends and family who were there! The intent is to post stories that have been related by persons who lived in (or visited) Franklin County during, or shortly after, the period of common carrier operation (1879-1935). The stories may relate either to the railroad, or simply life in Franklin County at the time.
Submissions should be addressed to webmaster@srrl-rr.org, who will determine suitability, and edit as he deems appropriate.
Phillips:
Norman Richardson, Jan 29, 2003:
Is the brick house, AMBLESIDE, on Amble street ? [webmaster: yes, that's it] If so, it is my birthplace in Phillips. My father was employed on S.R. & R.L. as a machinist. I spent much time around the shops. I knew the "Old Timers" like Dana Aldrich, Ed West, Bob McMullen. I was not very old when my parents moved to a house at the end of Mill Street and about 100 yards from the railroad. The train stopped there for a minute or two before entering the station and shop area. I would board the baggage car and ride rest of the way. ( Orris Vose and others would have had a fit if they had known). On Halloween, a group of us boys would 'borrow' a hand car and pump it to Strong and back at night. It was a sad time when SR & RL RR ceased operation. I am now age 83 and have been retired from the Department of Energy's Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque for 20 years. My wife and I were in Phillips in 1987 for Old Home Days and my 50th high school reunion ( it was also our first). We rode the railroad in the company of Glendon Dill, owner of the old woolen mill. Due to several medical problems, I can no longer travel and have restricted ability to walk, but I enjoy the Internet.
Norman Richardson, Jan 30, 2003:
Is the sawmill mentioned the one that Dana Witham operated which was water powered. [webmaster: No, ours is a gasoline powered portable, the old mill site is reduced to a foundation, but I've been told its machinery exists somewhere] The dam was intact then and the mill was was fed by a flume. I recall that Moses Harden had a barber shop on Amble Street and Bill Lovejoy had a blacksmith shop kitty cornered from the saw mill. Bill was also a veterinarian and sometimes I would assist him in minor surgery on cats and dogs by giving the anaesthetic. Enough rambling. I will make frequent visits to your website. Nostalgia is creeping up on me as well as Arthur Ritis.
Eustis:
Richard Frost, Feb 14, 2006:
My folks go way back in N. Franklin Co., and especially Eustis, and I was intrigued to see mention of a Eustis branch of the Narrow Gauge RR - I suppose these were named for ultimate destinations which didn't always pan out. I assume this branch was the one that only ever got to Bigelow Station at the Sugarloaf side of Bigelow Hill ? My Great-Grandmother, Hilda Sylvester always spoke of the Mail Truck as the 'stage' from the days when an actual 'stage' came up from the RR terminus at Bigelow.
webmaster's response:
You're right. Most railroad names had visions larger than their accomplishments.
The Eustis branch ran from a point in Dallas on the Phillips & Rangeley line. This point is about two miles east of where the Rangeley line crossed today's Rte. 16 in Dallas at the Dead River Station. So, the Eustis RR was the line that ran up through Greene's Farm (on or close to Rte 16 most of the way). After Greene's Farm, it turned southeast into the timber lands more or less along the two branches of Nash Stream, which fork around the north slopes of Black Nubble. So, the Eustis RR hit the fringes of Stratton, but never made Eustis. Beyond Greene's Farm there was never passenger service, only a few years of logging operations.
The branch to Bigelow was a different one. That was originally part of the Kingfield & Dead River RR which was operated as part of the Franklin & Megantic RR out of Strong. More destinations not reached.
Of course, after 1908 all these railroads became branches of the SR&RL system.
Submitted by John Barrington on March 31, 2009:
This tale was recounted to John Barrington many years ago by Virgil Starbird (pronounced "Stahbid") of Strong Maine.
Back while the Sandy River and Rangley Lakes (SR&RL) two-foot gauge railroad of Maine was still a "system", Ed West was the engineer on the Kingfield to Phillips passenger run, and Dana Aldrich was an engineer on the Phillips to Farmington run. When the Kingfield runs were suspended, Ed West had seniority, so he bumped Dana down to fireman position and took the right-hand side on the run from Phillips to Farmington.
Dana was familiar with the Farmington station platform, with its platform on the fireman's side of the cab. Dana had his spots picked out on the ground on the engineer's side so that when he stopped the engine just so, the coach would be exactly at the platform. But with West driving, Aldrich had to tell West when the coach was lined up.
On day, on arriving at Farmington and stopping, West asked Aldrich how they were. "Three feet more," said Aldrich. West moved forward. "How are we now?" "About six inches past," said Aldrich. West moved the train backward six inches, and asked, "Now how are we side-to-side?"
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Webmaster: Bob Troup (webmaster@srrl-rr.org)
Revised: 04/09/2009