47-588: Eastern Maine Railway may refer to: Eastern Maine Railway (1882) , a U.S. railway merged into the Maine Central Railroad in 1936 Eastern Maine Railway (1995) , a U.S. subsidiary of the New Brunswick Railway Co. See also [ edit ] Maine Eastern Railroad , a U.S. subsidiary of the Morristown and Erie Railway Topics referred to by
94-630: A council-manager form of government. Farms supplied grain and produce, but with construction of the bridge across the river to Lewiston in 1823, and especially after arrival of the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad from Portland in January 1848, the community developed into a mill town. Mills were built to operate by water power from falls on the Androscoggin River and Little Androscoggin River . In 1835,
141-645: A pulp mill. It was joined to the rest of the North American rail network through a connection with the Canadian Pacific Railway at St. Stephen, New Brunswick , and operated through New Brunswick territory for several miles between Calais and Woodland. In order to avoid union agreements that the rest of the rail system was forced to follow, Guilford leased this operation to an obscure B&M subsidiary known as Springfield Terminal Railway , because shortlines operate under different federal rules. Eventually,
188-490: A "back road" through Lewiston , which converged at Waterville into single track to Bangor and points east. Branch lines served the industrial center of Rumford , a resort hotel on Moosehead Lake and coastal communities from Bath to Eastport . At the end of 1970, it operated 921 miles (1,482 km) of road on 1,183 miles (1,904 km) of track; that year, it reported 950 million ton-miles of revenue freight. The Maine Central remained independent until 1981, when it
235-580: A major strike against the company in 1986. Guilford Transportation also moved the Maine Central's headquarters from Portland to North Billerica, Massachusetts, in the mid-1980s. One of the instigating factors which led to the labor strife at Guilford relates to a corporate reorganization at one of the company's former Maine Central properties. After the Calais Branch was abandoned, a small portion of trackage between Calais and Woodland remained in service to
282-510: A male householder with no wife present, and 41.7% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.84. The median age in the city was 39.9 years. 22.1% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 26.1% were from 25 to 44; 27.9% were from 45 to 64; and 15.2% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of
329-524: A median income of $ 32,088 versus $ 22,349 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 19,942. About 9.0% of families and 12.0% of the population were below the poverty line , including 16.6% of those under age 18 and 11.8% of those age 65 or over. Voter registration Auburn is in Maine's 2nd congressional district , Maine Senate District 20, and Maine House of Representatives Districts 68, 69, and 70. Due to Auburn's relatively expansive land area,
376-644: Is a city in south-central Maine , within the United States. The city serves as the county seat of Androscoggin County . The population was 24,061 at the 2020 census . Auburn and its sister city Lewiston are known locally as the Twin Cities or Lewiston–Auburn (L–A). The area was originally part of the Pejepscot Purchase, land bought in 1714 by an association of people from Boston and Portsmouth following
423-491: Is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Maine Central Railroad The Maine Central Railroad ( reporting mark MEC ) was a U. S. class 1 railroad in central and southern Maine . It was chartered in 1856 and began operations in 1862. By 1884, Maine Central was the longest railroad in New England . Maine Central had expanded to 1,358 miles (2,185 km) when
470-529: Is in use by Amtrak (now spelled Downeaster ), which began passenger service between Boston and Brunswick, Maine, in 2001. The Conway Scenic Railroad ( reporting mark CSRX ) is a heritage railroad in North Conway, New Hampshire , United States, owned by Profile Mountain Holdings Corp. The railroad operates over two historic railway routes: a line from North Conway to Conway that was formerly part of
517-725: Is operating these state-owned lines as the Maine Eastern Railroad . Prior to M&E, the Rockland Branch had been operated by Safe Handling , and before that, the Maine Coast Railroad . Several railroad preservation and promotion groups are seeking to have the state-owned Calais Branch and Mountain Division routes reactivated for use by short line or tourist rail operations. In March 2006, Guilford Transportation Industries changed its name to Pan Am Railways (PAR), reflecting
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#1732852821884564-612: The Bangor and Piscataquis Railroad in Bangor. As a result of its connection with the Grand Trunk, the Maine Central initially operated on a track gauge of 5 ft 6 in ( 1,676 mm ) known as " Canadian " or " Portland gauge ". Maine Central purchased the Portland and Kennebec Railroad, which ran from Portland to Augusta and was built to standard track gauge, since it connected with
611-577: The Boston and Maine Railroad at Portland. By 1871, the Maine Central completed its conversion to standard gauge to facilitate interchange of cars. The MEC established rail service to the Penobscot Bay in 1871 by leasing (for fifty years) the then just-completed 33-mile (53 km) of track built by the Belfast and Moosehead Lake Railroad (B&ML). The B&ML's grade ran the length of Waldo County from
658-556: The Bridgton and Saco River Railroad in 1912, and operated both as narrow gauge branch lines. The Maine Central was at its height by 1917 when it became nationalized during World War I under the United States Railroad Administration , having trackage which extended over 1,358 miles (2,185 km). It ran from Vanceboro , Calais and Eastport in the east, to Portland in the south, St. Johnsbury, Vermont in
705-541: The Canadian Pacific Railway purchased trackage rights from the Maine Central on the portion of the former E&NA from Mattawamkeag to Vanceboro. This Maine Central trackage formed part of the CPR's Montreal - Saint John mainline, upon completion of the International Railway of Maine . This line was an important rail route for Canadian war material heading to the port of Saint John for shipment overseas to Europe. In
752-710: The Conway Branch of the Boston and Maine Railroad , and a line from North Conway through Crawford Notch to Fabyan that was once part of the Mountain Division of the Maine Central Railroad. The Conway line is owned by Conway Scenic, and the Mountain Division is owned by the State of New Hampshire . [REDACTED] Media related to Maine Central Railroad at Wikimedia Commons Auburn, Maine Auburn
799-563: The Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area (which is part of the Portland -Lewiston- South Portland , Maine combined statistical area ). As of the census of 2010, there were 23,055 people, 9,974 households, and 5,818 families living in the city. The population density was 388.6 inhabitants per square mile (150.0/km ). There were 11,016 housing units at an average density of 185.7 per square mile (71.7/km ). The racial makeup of
846-683: The Treaty of Portsmouth , which brought peace between the Abenaki Indians and the settlers of present-day Maine. In 1736, however, the Massachusetts General Court granted a large section of the land to veterans of the 1690 Battle of Quebec . Conflicting claims led to prolonged litigation; consequently, settlement was delayed until after the French and Indian Wars . Auburn was first settled in 1786 as part of Bakerstown, renamed Poland when it
893-614: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 65.74 square miles (170.27 km ), of which 59.33 square miles (153.66 km ) is land and 6.41 square miles (16.60 km ) is water. Auburn is drained by the Little Androscoggin River and Androscoggin River . Auburn is one of two principal cities of and included in the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine metropolitan New England city and town area and
940-502: The United States Railroad Administration assumed control in 1917. The main line extended from South Portland, Maine , east to the Canada–United States border with New Brunswick , and a Mountain Division extended west from Portland to St. Johnsbury, Vermont , and north into Quebec . The main line was double track from South Portland to Royal Junction, where it split into a "lower road" through Brunswick and Augusta and
987-624: The White Mountains of New Hampshire via Crawford Notch , and into St. Johnsbury, Vermont , where it connected with the Southeastern Railway (owned by the Canadian Pacific Railway ). Maine Central also operated a line southeast from Bangor along the coast through Machias to Calais , with branches to Bucksport , Bar Harbor and Eastport . Maine Central gained stock control of the Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad in 1911 and
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#17328528218841034-630: The 1930s it began to change its locomotives from steam -powered to diesel -powered. Beginning in 1933, Maine Central entered into a "joint management" agreement with the Boston and Maine Railroad , with which it shared the Portland Terminal Company (a switching railroad in Portland). Faced with increased competition from cars, trucks and buses, Maine Central operated its last passenger train on September 5, 1960, and continued to reduce its freight business to reflect changing traffic. In 1980,
1081-568: The Androscoggin River from Lewiston to Auburn, Governor Lewis Barrows sent in the Maine Army National Guard . Some labor leaders, CIO Secretary Powers Hapgood , were imprisoned for months after a Maine Supreme Judicial Court judge issued an injunction seeking to end the strike. Auburn is located at 44°5′N 70°14′W / 44.083°N 70.233°W / 44.083; -70.233 (44.089, −70.241). According to
1128-411: The average family size was 2.88. In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.2% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.9 males. The median income for a family was $ 44,012. Males had
1175-553: The city is divided up into five wards . The city's governing body is a City Council , consisting of a mayor and 7 councilmembers (one from each of the five wards, and two elected at large). The mayor is elected at large. Auburn's current mayor is Jeff Harmon. John Jenkins was a former mayor and state senator from Auburn. Public primary and secondary education is provided by the Auburn School Department , including Edward Little High School . In addition, there are
1222-571: The city was 48.3% male and 51.7% female. As of the census of 2000, there were 23,203 people, 9,764 households, and 5,907 families living in the city. The population density was 388.1 inhabitants per square mile (149.8/km ). There were 10,608 housing units at an average density of 177.4 per square mile (68.5/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 97.04% White , 0.59% African American , 0.30% Native American , 0.59% Asian , 0.05% Pacific Islander , 0.10% from other races , and 1.32% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.73% of
1269-420: The city was 93.7% White , 2.5% African American , 0.4% Native American , 0.9% Asian , 0.3% from other races , and 2.1% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population. There were 9,974 households, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.9% were married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.4% had
1316-453: The corporate reorganization under Springfield Terminal would extend to the full extent of Guilford operations, and attempting to run a class 1 under short line rules would lead to years of union troubles. The former Maine Central locomotive shops in Waterville continue as Guilford's main repair shops. In the early 1990s, Guilford ended its practice of putting the full "Maine Central" name on
1363-492: The dominant industry by the late 19th century. The City Seal, depicting a spindle with different types of shoes at each outside point, was designed when Auburn was positioning itself as the shoe manufacturing center of Maine in the mid-19th century. In 1917, one factory in Auburn was producing 75 percent of the world's supply of white canvas shoes; however, after World War II the shoe industry began to decline, and between 1957 and 1961
1410-489: The factory system of shoe manufacture originated at Auburn. Other firms manufactured cotton and woolen textiles, carriages, iron goods, bricks and furniture. The population in 1860 was only about 4,000 but by 1890 it had tripled to 12,000 as a result of its shoe factories attracting many French Canadian immigrants, many of whom arrived by train from Quebec . Steady population growth continued until around 1960, plateauing at roughly 24,500. In Auburn, shoe manufacturing became
1457-618: The following schools in the city: Auburn is the home of the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal Airport , located off Hotel Road. Two freight railroads pass through the city. Pan Am Railways (formerly Springfield Terminal Railway and Maine Central Railroad) is the primary rail connection for the city. Pan Am's main line from Rotterdam Junction, New York to Northern Maine Junction, Maine closely parallels US Route 202 through much of Auburn. The St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad 's main line from Portland to Montreal also runs through
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1504-658: The largest manufacturers closed their factories. The area became noted in 1985 due to the plane crash that took the life of Samantha Smith . In 2023, Joe Biden became the first sitting United States president to visit Auburn in 111 years, with the previous being William Howard Taft in 1912. In 1937, one of the largest labor disputes in Maine history occurred in Lewiston and Auburn. The Lewiston-Auburn Shoe Strike lasted from March to June and at its peak involved 4,000 to 5,000 workers on strike. After workers attempted to march across
1551-467: The long hoods of MEC locomotives. Instead, the locomotives would wear the "Guilford Rail System" moniker, with small "MEC" reporting marks underneath the cab windows. On November 1, 2003, the Morristown and Erie Railway (M&E) took over the former Maine Central "Lower Road" (main line) and Rockland Branch routes (aided by significant public funding from the state Department of Transportation). M&E
1598-413: The mid-1980s, Guilford began to rationalize its system and fully one-third of Maine Central's trackage was eliminated, including the "Mountain Division" from Portland to St. Johnsbury, Vermont; the "Rockland Branch" from Brunswick to Rockland ; the "Calais Branch" from Bangor to Calais; and the "Lower Road" from Augusta to Brunswick . Guilford also forced many management and salary changes, resulting in
1645-482: The months before the United States entered World War I , a German Army lieutenant attempted to blow up the railway bridge which crossed the St. Croix River at the international boundary . The lieutenant was arrested by Washington County sheriff Still Woodman, who later became chairman of Maine's Highway Department. In 1888, the Maine Central leased the Portland and Ogdensburg Railroad , which ran from Portland, through
1692-523: The new shop site, but the railroad decided to remain in Waterville and constructed new, modern shops north of the old ones along the Kennebec River . By 1915 about 2,000 people were employed at the roundhouse, shops, and yards. Following World War I, Maine Central began retracting. It sold or abandoned lines such as the narrow gauge and logging branches, as well as its hotels, ferries and steamships. In
1739-409: The population. There were 9,764 households, out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.5% were non-families. 32.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.28 and
1786-626: The port town of Belfast inland to Burnham Junction , where its single track connected with the MEC's Portland to Bangor mainline. Maine Central operated the road as its "Belfast Branch" for the next 55 years, but on June 30, 1925, MEC President Morris McDonald — after repeated public denials — gave the B&;ML (and the city of Belfast as its majority owner) the required six months notice that it would not renew its by then year-to-year lease when it expired on December 31, 1925. The reason eventually given
1833-465: The purchase of Pan American World Airways brand in 1998. PAR began repainting locomotives in the sky-blue Pan Am colors shortly thereafter. Pan Am was acquired by CSX Corporation in 2022. The MEC passenger trains, often advertised as "M.C. R.R." in the early 20th century, were essential to the sporting camp movement as early as the 1880s when people from Boston , New York , Philadelphia , and Detroit would make their way north to hunt and fish in
1880-519: The railroad was purchased by U.S. Filter Corporation and was then sold in 1981 to Guilford Transportation Industries , which later purchased the Boston and Maine Railroad (and thereby the Portland Terminal) in 1983 and the Delaware and Hudson Railway in 1984. Initially Guilford operated the system intact, although the system now permitted run-through traffic between central Maine and Boston . By
1927-438: The same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Eastern Maine Railway . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Eastern_Maine_Railway&oldid=543984397 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description
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1974-401: The town became county seat of Androscoggin County at its creation in 1854. By annexing land from towns around it, including part of Poland in 1852, Minot in 1873, and all of Danville (first called Pejepscot) in 1867, Auburn grew geographically into one of Maine's largest municipalities. Incorporated as a city on February 22, 1869, Auburn in 1917 would be the first city in the state to adopt
2021-401: The west, and to Lime Ridge, Quebec in the north. It also operated resorts and coastal steamships and ferries. The main repair facilities for locomotives and cars were located in Waterville, Maine . The first primitive shops were built in the 1850s, but by the 1880s it was apparent that these could no longer handle modern equipment. The city of Portland, Maine vied with Waterville to become
2068-642: The western mountains and the Maine North Woods . From Portland's Union Station , the MEC had unnamed trains to Bangor via Lewiston , to Bangor via Augusta, to Rockland, to Calais via Ellsworth , to Farmington and to Montreal via North Conway . Among the named trains operated by the MEC prior to ending passenger service in 1960 were the Bar Harbor Express , Down Easter , Flying Yankee , Gull , Katahdin , Kennebec , Mountaineer , Penobscot , Pine Tree , and Skipper . The Down Easter name
2115-552: Was a net loss to the MEC on the Belfast Branch operations of $ 113,230 for the year 1924. The B&ML took over operation of its road on January 1, 1926. It continued to exchange passengers and mail with the MEC at their jointly owned station at Burnham Junction until 1960 and freight interchange traffic until 2002. In 1882, Maine Central leased the European and North American Railway (E&NA) between Bangor and Vanceboro . In 1889,
2162-426: Was incorporated by the Massachusetts General Court in 1795. It was then part of Minot , formed from parts of Poland and incorporated in 1802. Auburn would itself be formed from parts of Minot and incorporated on February 24, 1842. The name was apparently inspired by "Auburn", a village (real or fictitious) featured in the 1770 poem " The Deserted Village " by Oliver Goldsmith . Originally part of Cumberland County ,
2209-586: Was purchased by Guilford Transportation Industries and became part of what is now CSX Corporation . The Maine Central was created in 1862 through the merger of the Androscoggin and Kennebec Railroad and the Penobscot and Kennebec Railroad , resulting in a line from Danville (now Auburn ) to Bangor . The line connected with the Grand Trunk Railway on its Portland - Chicago mainline at Danville and with
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