Echoes Of Dirigo

Echoes Of Dirigo Preserving and sharing Maine history through historic photos, postcards and stories. AI colorization is approximate and may contain artifacts.

Originals are shown when possible. This is a personal project—I receive no compensation.

Dow Air Force Base Fire Department | Fire Station OneHere’s a look at the fire department at Dow Air Force Base in Bango...
10/14/2026

Dow Air Force Base Fire Department | Fire Station One

Here’s a look at the fire department at Dow Air Force Base in Bangor, Maine.

The photograph is labeled “Fire Station One,” and the big piece of equipment out front is marked FWD, identifying the manufacturer. This is a heavy, multi-axle fire apparatus built for the demanding work of protecting an active military airfield, where an aircraft emergency could require a fast response and specialized firefighting equipment.

Dow was a major Strategic Air Command installation during the 1950s, first hosting the 506th Strategic Fighter Wing and then the 4060th Air Refueling Wing, beginning in 1955. Protecting the aircraft, fuel facilities, buildings, and personnel was an important part of keeping the base operational.

The base’s own newspaper, Tanker Times, confirms that the fire station was part of Dow’s facilities. In September 1959, it was included among the buildings visitors could tour during the base open house. The following month, the paper reported on fire station personnel who had completed their high school GED tests.

I haven’t yet confirmed the exact year of this photograph or the model of the FWD truck, but it’s a great glimpse of the people and equipment behind the scenes at Dow.

Did you serve at Dow, or do you recognize this truck?

Sources: Bangor Public Library’s Dow AFB historical collection; Tanker Times, September 18 and October 9, 1959.

Crawford Notch, New Hampshire, 1953 | The Willey House SiteThis old color slide takes us back to the White Mountains in ...
10/14/2026

Crawford Notch, New Hampshire, 1953 | The Willey House Site

This old color slide takes us back to the White Mountains in 1953, at the Willey House Site in Crawford Notch State Park. The handwritten caption simply says “White Mts, 1953,” but the sign at the left identifies the location.

Look at those cars lined up along the road. They’re a snapshot of a time when a family drive through the mountains was an adventure in itself, and stopping to admire the scenery was part of the trip. The mountains haven’t changed, but the automobiles and the way we travel certainly have.

The location has a much older story, too. The original Willey House was built in 1793 and later operated as an inn for travelers passing through Crawford Notch. In August 1826, a devastating storm triggered a landslide that killed members of the Willey family and two hired men. Remarkably, the house itself survived. The tragedy became one of the most famous stories associated with the White Mountains and drew visitors to the site for generations.

By the time this slide was taken, the area had become part of Crawford Notch State Park, established in 1950. This photograph captures both the dramatic landscape and the growing popularity of automobile tourism in New England.

Seventy-three years later, the mountains remain. The traffic has changed considerably!

Sources: New Hampshire State Parks, Crawford Notch History and the Willey Family Story; vintage Willey House Site postcard records.

A Vintage Look at a Brunswick, Maine, ChurchThis 35mm color slide, listed as dating from the 1950s, captures a striking ...
10/14/2026

A Vintage Look at a Brunswick, Maine, Church

This 35mm color slide, listed as dating from the 1950s, captures a striking white wooden church in Brunswick, Maine. Its pointed Gothic windows, elaborate tower, and steep roof give it a very different look from the simpler country churches found throughout Maine.

Brunswick has a long Congregational history. The First Parish congregation dates to 1717, and its present historic meetinghouse on Maine Street was designed by Richard Upjohn and dedicated in 1846. It became closely associated with Bowdoin College and is famously connected to Harriet Beecher Stowe, who found inspiration for Uncle Tom’s Cabin while attending a service there in 1851.

However, I haven’t been able to confirm that the church in this slide is First Parish. Its tower doesn’t clearly match the building as it appears today, so I’m not going to attach that history to this photograph without a definite identification.

Sometimes the most interesting part of an old photograph is the question it leaves behind. Does anyone recognize this church or know where it stood in Brunswick?

Sources: Maine Memory Network, Pejepscot History Center; Portland Press Herald, “The ‘Church on the Hill’ still stands in Brunswick today.”

J. O. Douglas Store, Upton, MaineHere’s a look at an old country store in Upton, Maine, identified on the photograph as ...
10/14/2026

J. O. Douglas Store, Upton, Maine

Here’s a look at an old country store in Upton, Maine, identified on the photograph as the J. O. Douglas Store.

This was a substantial building for such a small, remote community. The long, two-story porch runs across the front, with people standing outside and an early automobile parked beside the building. There’s also a dirt road out front, a reminder of a time when a trip to the local store was part of everyday life in rural Maine.

Upton is in Oxford County, near the New Hampshire border. It remains one of Maine’s smallest and most sparsely populated communities. In places like this, a general store could be an important stop for supplies and a place to see familiar faces.

I haven’t been able to verify exactly when this photograph was taken or find reliable records identifying J. O. Douglas beyond the caption, so I’m leaving those details open rather than guessing.

Do you recognize this building, or know anything about J. O. Douglas and his store? I’d love to hear from anyone who knows more about Upton’s history.

Portland Municipal Airport, Portland, Maine, circa 1940Before it was the Portland International Jetport, Portland’s airp...
10/14/2026

Portland Municipal Airport, Portland, Maine, circa 1940

Before it was the Portland International Jetport, Portland’s airport was a much smaller operation, and this postcard gives us a wonderful look at those early days of commercial aviation.

The airplane belongs to the North East Aviation Co., and the red brick building beside it is especially interesting. Portland’s first proper airport terminal was built in 1940 by the Works Progress Administration. That building still survives today as the airport’s general aviation terminal.

The airport began as a private flying field established by Dr. Clifford “Kip” Strange in the Stroudwater area. Boston & Maine Airways began serving Portland in 1934, and the city purchased the field in 1936. Boston & Maine Airways became Northeast Airlines in 1940, beginning a long chapter in Maine’s commercial aviation history. Northeast eventually merged with Delta in 1972.

It’s hard to imagine looking at this postcard that the same airport would grow into the busy Jetport we use today. Back then, flying was still a novelty for many people, and an airliner parked outside a brick terminal was a glimpse of a very different future.

A little piece of Maine’s aviation history, preserved on a postcard.

References:

• Maine Memory Network, Maine Historical Society, “Northeast airplane at Portland Municipal Airport, Portland, ca. 1940”
• Portland International Jetport, “History”

Old Orchard Beach, Maine, After the Great Fire of August 15, 1907This photograph captures the devastation left behind af...
10/14/2026

Old Orchard Beach, Maine, After the Great Fire of August 15, 1907

This photograph captures the devastation left behind after one of the worst disasters in Old Orchard Beach history. The ruins of the Hotel Emerson and Hotel Alberta can be seen near the end of the pier, with crowds gathering to look over what remained of the once-busy summer resort.

The fire swept through the beachfront district on the night of August 15, 1907. Hotels, boarding houses, businesses and cottages were destroyed. Contemporary accounts reported that 17 hotels and boarding houses and roughly 100 residences and cottages were lost in the blaze.

The pier itself narrowly escaped an even worse fate. People trapped out on the structure began ripping up wooden planks to create a break in the path of the fire. Their actions helped save the iron framework and the ballroom at the end of the pier from destruction.

Thousands of residents and summer visitors were left displaced. Relief trains arrived the following day to help people leave the devastated resort.

Looking at this photograph, it’s hard to imagine the lively summer destination that stood here just hours before. Old Orchard Beach would rebuild, but the fire of 1907 remains a defining chapter in its history.

References:

• Maine Memory Network, Pier and Business Ruins After Fire, Old Orchard Beach, 1907, McArthur Public Library collection.
• Maine Memory Network, Old Orchard Pier and Downtown After the Great Fire, 1907, Dyer Library/S**o Museum collection.
• Biddeford Journal, August 16, 1907.

Photo credit: The Lakeside Press Co., Portland, Maine, as printed on the original postcard.

👻 Remember the Haunted Mansion at Funtown and Splashtown?For a lot of people who grew up visiting S**o, Maine, this plac...
10/13/2026

👻 Remember the Haunted Mansion at Funtown and Splashtown?

For a lot of people who grew up visiting S**o, Maine, this place was a summer memory they never forgot!

The Haunted Mansion opened in 1986 at Cascade Water and Amusement Park, next to Funtown. It wasn’t your typical family-friendly haunted house. The attraction featured live actors, creepy rooms, a hearse parked outside, and scares that could leave visitors wishing they had stayed outside the gate.

The attraction closed in 1996 because of the risks involved in operating it. The building was later destroyed in a controlled burn.

Thankfully, former employee and actor Dave Gagne helped preserve photographs and memories of the attraction through TheHauntedMansion.org.

It’s a fascinating look back at a time when a haunted house in Maine could become a legend all on its own.

Did you ever go through the Haunted Mansion? I’d love to hear what you remember!

Sources: Funtown Splashtown USA history; Seacoast Current; TheHauntedMansion.org.

**oMaine

Dow Air Force Base, Bangor, MaineA look inside the control tower at Dow Air Force Base, in a photograph published in one...
10/13/2026

Dow Air Force Base, Bangor, Maine

A look inside the control tower at Dow Air Force Base, in a photograph published in one of the base’s welcome books.

The image shows two airmen working at their consoles, with the caption simply reading “Control Tower.” Dow was a Strategic Air Command installation during the 1950s and 1960s, supporting military aircraft operations from Bangor.

Dow AFB closed in 1968, and the facility became Bangor International Airport. Today, the airport continues to serve both civilian aviation and military operations.

An interesting glimpse into the people and equipment behind the operations at Dow.

Source: Dow Air Force Base welcome-book photograph. The exact edition and publication date have not been confirmed.

🚂 Where Did Conway Scenic Railroad No. 1055 Come From, and Where Did It Go?This handsome black-and-white diesel has quit...
10/13/2026

🚂 Where Did Conway Scenic Railroad No. 1055 Come From, and Where Did It Go?

This handsome black-and-white diesel has quite a Maine railroad history!

Built by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) in November 1950, No. 1055 is an S-4 switcher rated at 1,000 horsepower. It was purchased new by the Portland Terminal Company, a subsidiary of the Maine Central Railroad, and spent its early years switching freight cars around Portland, Maine.

In 1981, the Conway Scenic Railroad purchased the locomotive and put it to work hauling passenger excursions in New Hampshire. It became an important part of the railroad’s early diesel operations, serving as primary power for the Valley Train until the arrival of No. 573 in 1996. It continued in service as backup power.

In 2010, Conway Scenic acquired larger locomotives, and No. 1055 was sold to the Downeast Scenic Railroad. It arrived at Washington Junction, Maine, that May and went on to become the primary locomotive for many of Downeast Scenic’s excursion trains.

So this old ALCO went from switching freight in Portland to hauling tourists in the White Mountains, then returned to Maine for another chapter in its railroad career.

A locomotive with Maine roots that never stopped finding work on the rails! 🚂

Sources:

• Downeast Scenic Railroad, Railroad Equipment
• Portland Terminal Company locomotive roster
• Conway Scenic Railroad locomotive history

Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to my weekly engagement list! 🎉Wes Stanhope, Thomas Curry, Ralph Chamber...
10/12/2026

Thanks for being a top engager and making it on to my weekly engagement list! 🎉

Wes Stanhope, Thomas Curry, Ralph Chamberlain, Elery Wheeler, Peter Noddin, Mary Lou Koskela, Pete Boilard, Bob Willard, Kathleen Cronin, Raymond Faulkner

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Limerick, ME

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