In early days of Maine, stagecoaches transformed the way people thought about commerce and transportation as the reliability of mail delivery improved, roads began to take shape and opportunities to travel longer distances rose. Those journeys were not without potential peril though and a new presentation offered by the Raymond- Casco Historical Society will explore what it was like to travel by stagecoach here in the late 1800s.
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| The Harrison Stagecoach is shown in a photo from the late 19th century. Historian Mike Davis is offering a free presentation called 'A Night of Stagecoaches, Highwaymen & Rum Runners' at 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 20 at the Raymond-Casco Historical Society Museum, 1 Shadow Lane in Casco. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
The free presentation invites the public to step back into a world where the roads were rough, the nights were dark, and every bend in the Route 302 corridor held the promise of danger or discovery.
Before guests even enter the building for the presentation, they’ll be greeted by the museum’s striking mural of the Murch Stagecoach, frozen in time as three powerful horses pull a Concord Coach on its daily run from South Casco to Portland. It’s a vivid reminder that the stories Davis will tell were once the everyday reality of those who braved these roads.
Mark Twain himself captured the drama of stagecoach travel in “Roughing It,” describing a stagecoach that “swung and swayed … an imposing cradle on wheels,” flying over hard roads, its horses changed every 10 miles. Twain’s words echo the experience of countless travelers who trusted their lives to the craftmanship of Lewis Downing, whose 1827 Concord Coach became the gold standard of rugged travel with its tall, wide chassis with huge wheels and spokes, and weighing 2,500 pounds of wood, leather, and grit.
Sumner Davis of Harrison became a prominent stagecoach entrepreneur of the era. He ran stagecoach lines connecting Waterford to Portland, Brownfield to Bridgton, and Bridgton to Norway. During the peak of his business, Davis operated several coaches and was known to employ more than 30 stagecoach drivers.
According to the New England Historical Society, coaches operated by Davis carried passengers, mail, and other services.
Sue Spiller Pride of the Raymond-Casco Historical Society says that her own great-grandfather, Lyman H. Spiller was once employed by Sumner Davis, driving a coach from Harrison to Bridgton.
Later Spiller found work as an Express driver in Bridgton and whose encounter with a robbery attempt reads like a chapter in the dime store thrillers.
In 1895, while delivering packages for the American Express Company, Spiller turned his team from Main Street onto West Depot, on a pitch-dark deserted night. As he approached the bridge, voices rose from the darkness – “Here he is --- now it’s our time.” Two men then lunged at the team, one grabbing the horse’s head, and the other climbing onto the wagon.
Spiller drew his revolver and fired into the night. One attacker fled shouting that he had been hit in the leg. The robber also ran away. By the following morning, the story had spread across Bridgton like wildfire.
Serving as a stagecoach driver in the late 19th century was a tale of danger, ingenuity, and endurance and also one of the people who kept communities connected long before roads became smoother and paved.
The Raymond-Casco Historical Society invites the public for an unforgettable journey into the past. This dramatic, story rich program is open to the public. Refreshments will be served afterward in the air-conditioned museum building.
For further details about the “A Night of Stagecoaches, Highwaymen & Rum Runners” presentation, visit www.raymondcascohistoricalsociety.org and follow the Raymond-Casco Historical Society on Facebook. <
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