Maine Memory Network

Prepay electric meter, 1907

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1907 Media: Metal

General Electric Type I electric meter, 1913

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1913 Media: Metal, glass

343-345 Cumberland Avenue, Portland, 1924

Owner in 1924: Androscoggin Electric Co. Use: Garage & Storage

Electric Building, Presumpscot Street (rear), Portland, 1924

Owner in 1924: Canadian National Railroad Use: Electric Building

Hydo Electric Company storefront plan, Bangor, 1945

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: 1945 Location: Bangor Client: Bangor Hydro Electric Architect: Eaton W. Tarbell

Storehouse for Androscoggin Electric Co., Lewiston, 1916-1919

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: 1916–1919 Location: Lewiston Client: Androscoggin Electric Co. Architect: Harry S. Coombs

Wired! How Electricity Came to Maine

As early as 1633, entrepreneurs along the Piscataqua River in southern Maine utilized the force of the river to power a sawmill, recognizing the potential of the area's natural power sources, but it was not until the 1890s that technology made widespread electricity a reality -- and even then, consumers had to be urged to use it.

History in Motion: The Era of the Electric Railways

Street railways, whether horse-drawn or electric, required the building of trestles and tracks. The new form of transportation aided industry, workers, vacationers, and other travelers.

Presque Isle: The Star City - Electric generator delivery, Presque Isle, 1959

"Electric generator delivery, Presque Isle, 1959 Contributed by Oakfield Historical Society Description Chase Transport Corporation…"

Seashore Trolley Museum

View collections, facts, and contact information for this Contributing Partner.

making light
by David Johansen

My relationship with Maine and how and why I make neon lights here.

Monument Square 1967
by C. Michael Lewis

The background story and research behind a commissioned painting of Monument Square.

Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride Companion Curriculum

Grade Level: 3-5, 6-8 Content Area: Social Studies
These lesson plans were developed by Maine Historical Society for the Seashore Trolley Museum as a companion curriculum for the historical fiction YA novel "Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride" by Jean. M. Flahive (2019). The novel tells the story of Millie Thayer, a young girl who dreams of leaving the family farm, working in the city, and fighting for women's suffrage. Millie's life begins to change when a "flying carpet" shows up in the form of an electric trolley that cuts across her farm and when a fortune-teller predicts that Millie's path will cross that of someone famous. Suddenly, Millie finds herself caught up in events that shake the nation, Maine, and her family. The lesson plans in this companion curriculum explore a variety of topics including the history of the trolley use in early 20th century Maine, farm and rural life at the turn of the century, the story of Theodore Roosevelt and his relationship with Maine, WWI, and the flu pandemic of 1918-1920.