The Portland–Lewiston Interurban and Its Passage Through Gray
From 1912 to 1933, the electric interurban railway linking Portland and Lewiston ran directly through the heart of Gray, passing just behind Pennell Institute. This video explores that remarkable chapter of local and regional history through the Gray Historical Society’s exhibit Building the Dream, tracing the vision, construction, daily operation, and eventual decline of the Portland–Lewiston Interurban.
Conceived as a fast, clean, and efficient transportation system, the line was championed by W. Scott Libby and his partner Henry W. Dingley of the Androscoggin Electric Company. The interurban was notable not only for its technological ambition but also for its elegance. The first six passenger cars were named after flowers—Arbutus, Azalea, Clematis, Gladiolus, Magnolia, and Narcissus—reflecting Libby’s belief that personality mattered as much as performance. Inside, passengers enjoyed plush seating, mahogany paneling, and stained-glass clerestory windows, making the short trip between cities a surprisingly luxurious experience.
The video highlights how the trolley shaped daily life in Gray. It carried passengers and freight, operated on precise schedules, and relied on sidings along its single-track route to allow cars traveling in opposite directions to pass. Artifacts such as bells, signal signs, lamps, uniforms, and timetables illustrate both the routine and the risks of early electric railroading. After a series of accidents involving the trolley’s quiet operation, safety features like bells, lights, window grills, air horns, and bright warning dashers were added.
One dramatic local event recalled is the 1920 fire at the Gray substation and car sheds, likely caused by careless smoking. The blaze was visible from Pennell Institute, and students were excused from class to help fight the fire alongside crews from surrounding towns. Weather also posed constant challenges, from washouts and fog to major snowstorms that required powerful plow cars to keep the line open.
At its height, the interurban was celebrated as one of the finest electric railways in the nation. In August 1914, former president Theodore Roosevelt rode the line and reportedly declared it the best electric railroad in the United States. Ridership peaked during Maine’s 1920 centennial celebrations, when hundreds of passengers were packed into cars to reach events in Portland.
Despite its success, competition from automobiles and improved highways led to a steep decline in passengers during the 1920s. The line closed in 1933, marking the end of an era. Some cars were sold and repurposed as cottages or businesses, while others were preserved.
The video concludes with visits to the Seashore Trolley Museum, where several historic streetcars and interurban vehicles— including the flower car Narcissus—are undergoing careful restoration. Together, these stories connect Gray’s local experience to the broader history of electric railways in Maine and New England, preserving the memory of a time when the trolley truly helped build the dream.