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Aroostook Valley Railroad By Heseltine & Robertson Potatoland Interurban ME SC
Aroostook valley Railroad by Charles D Heseltine & Edwin B Robertson
History of the Potatoland Interurban in Northern Maine
Soft Cover
92 pages
Copyright 1987
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements4
Introduction5
Early Maine Railroad History8
Arthur R. Gould 13
Construction 16
Extensions24
The Good Years28
Changes32
Roster36
Maps 90-92
INTRODUCTION
In the northerly reaches of the State of Maine lies the city of Presque Isle up in Aroostook County. It is split almost through the center by the Presque Isle Stream giving it the appearance of being an island. This geographical characteristic gave the place its name when it was incorporated as a town on April 4, 1859. Its location at the junction of the Aroostook River and the Presque Isle Stream allowed the town to assume importance as a trading center.
Although the stage line from Bangor and Houlton eventually reached Presque Isle, it was not until 1880 that the first railroad line reached the town. This Railroad was a three foot narrow gauge line built from Aroostook Junction, New Brunswick, across the Canadian border to Caribou, by way of Fort
Fairfield. This line was widened to standard gauge and became part of the Canadian Pacific Railway.
Farmers and other shippers in this part of Aroostook County were able to ship and travel by rail for the first time. The problem was that to use the new line, goods and travelers had to take a roundabout route into Canada to get to other parts of Maine and the rest of the United States. Rail traffic from Presque Isle was forced to travel in an easterly direction to Aroostook Junction in Canada, southerly to McAdam Junction, then in a westerly direction back into Maine at Vanceboro, and on to Bangor on the European and North American Railroad.
The first carload of potatoes was shipped over this roundabout route by James H. Oak in 1881. The initial consignment was followed by many others as the area began to develop.
Several years later in 1894 the Bangor and Aroostook Railroad reached Presque Isle giving the area a direct line to Old Town and a connection to all points south via the Maine Central.
Closely allied with the town of Presque Isle is the town of Caribou, also located on the Aroostook River. Incorporated as a town in 1859, it would lend its weight to the development of the region, notably in the growth of potatoes and forest products. To the northwest of Presque Isle is Washburn, incorporated as a town in 1861 and named for Governor Washburn. North of Washburn is Woodland and New Sweden. The name of New Sweden was due to a large population of Swedish immigrants. These new settlers developed a highly successful agricultural community.This was the region that was eventually served by the Aroostook Valley Railroad.
Just what was the Aroostook Valley Railroad? It has always been difficult to pinpoint accurately the classification of this electric rail line. Chartered as a "street railway", the Aroostook Valley Railroad did not meet the established concept of the urban street car system operating from the center of population to the suburbs, nor does it meet the definition of the typical interurban road with high speed, on the hour, every hour schedules.
Operating over private right of way, and concerned from the outset with the importance of freight as opposed to passenger traffic, the Aroostook Valley Railroad was indeed a "railroad" in the conceptual meaning of the word!
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