The Trolley Parks of Maine

The Seashore Trolley Museum has published a book based on their Maine Memory Network online exhibit. The Trolley Parks of Maine is illustrated with more then 40 historic photographs, with hand-drawn maps by Charles Heseltine. This book takes you on a whirlwind journey to thirteen of the numerous amusement parks created by Maine electric railway companies. Available through Amazon or at the Seashore Trolley Museum store for $12.95.

Another grant!

The Seashore Trolley Museum Library Committee has received a small grant from the Maine Historical Records Advisory Board, affiliated with Maine State State Archives. Our project will be to preserve a collection of electric railway tourist brochures and pamphlets. This collection consists of more than 80 paper booklets, brochures, and timetables devoted to advertising trolley, steamboat, train, and automobile tourist excursions in Maine and around New England between 1895 and 1930. Many of the booklets are regional (i.e. trolley trips in and around Portland), but some are souvenir booklets for individual destinations, such as Underwood Spring and the Cape Porpoise Casino. All of them, except for the time tables, are illustrated with black-and-white photographs, maps, local information, and business directories and advertisements. These documents contain a wealth of primary source material in the subject areas of local history, transportation, local geography, tourism, and leisure activities.