The Town Line newspaper "Up and Down the Kennebec Valley" Sept. 2020 articles

[Bill Reidy]

Mary Grow, a reporter for the non-profit weekly community newspaper The Town Line newspaper and recently retired China librarian, writes the history column "Up and Down the Kennebec Valley."  Her September history columns have focused on regional transportation history and are of interest to folks familiar with our favorite railway.  Here are the titles and links to her September articles:

September 2nd:  Stagecoach routes in central Kennebec Valley:  https://townline.org/up-and-down-the-kennebec-valley-stagecoach-routes-in-central-kennebec-valley/.

September 9th:  Railroad and Trolleys:  https://townline.org/up-and-down-the-kennebec-valley-railroad-and-trolleys/.  This article includes discussion of the Lewiston, Augusta and Waterville Street Railway, which ultimately doomed the WW&F's Winslow branch.

September 16th:  Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington:  https://townline.org/up-and-down-the-kennebec-valley-wiscasset-waterville-farmington/. 

September 23rd:  Railway Transportation:  https://townline.org/up-and-down-the-kennebec-valley-railway-transportation/.  This is also W&Q/WW&F focused.  It also includes a sidebar by Phil Dow on the Albion Historical Society's restoration of the Albion depot.

[John McNamara]

It's interesting to note that the fares quoted in these articles are not cheap. A fare of $1.50 in 1913 is $39.38 adjusted for inflation today.

[Graham Buxton]

While $39 seems like a lot of money, its is only so in comparison to the 1913 alternatives.  If you need to get there, what are your alternatives? Walk?  Drive your car?  Do you have  a car? Are the roads suitable for your car? Are you really prepared to ride a horse all that way?

Perhaps $1.50 fare  is  looking good about now ....