Text Box: My Summer Vacations at Poplar Tavern A Photo Story by Dorothy Ficken The Bethel Journals Text Box: A remarkable coincidence occurred in the annals of Bethel’s vacationing history when two young girls from Massachusetts families left us memoirs of their summers in our home grounds. Dorothy Ficken lived in Ashmont Village, a section of Dorchester, and for reasons left untold spent part of her summers at the Poplar Tavern in North Newry. Her story is told in her keepsake photo album which was recently discovered by her grandson Bruce Pierce. Bruce is now a Newry resident but like many of us Bethelites and Newryites, Bruce also eventually made the move from Mass to Maine . After settling in Newry he discovered his grandmother’s photo album with her record of summer experience at Poplar Tavern during the years 1909 to 1911. Dorothy had made an exciting earlier trip in 1905 when she rode in the front seat of a four passenger open topped steam car from her home in Ashmont to the Poplar Tavern. The car was made by the Prescott Automobile Company of Passaic, New Jersey. On the back of a photo taken at the Poplar Tavern Dorothy had written “ George Peacock and family in Prescott Steamer. I road from Ashmont to Newry in the front seat. D.S.P 1905”. While Dorothy Ficken was vacationing in North Newry and likely enjoying every minute of it, about 12 miles away
Text Box: The Peacocks and Dorothy Ficken probably caused many eyes to turn during their trip along unpaved roads of the day from Portland through Gray, Auburn, Norway, South Paris, Bethel and Newry to the Poplar Tavern in North Newry. In 1905 Route 26 from Portland to Colebrook, NH had not been laid. The route from Gray to Norway ran to Auburn, then Mechanic Falls and to Oxford. The Poplar Tavern’s location on a frequently traveled route for vacationers and sightseers also made the hotel a well known establishment for publishers of touring guides. The White Mountains and Western Maine, especially Grafton Notch and Old Speck Mountain were highlighted destinations and must see places in railroad, steam ship and regional touring publications. Wallace Kilgore who owned the hotel at this time, was an astute business man who widely advertised in media circulating in Boston and New York City.

Poplar Tavern views in the years 1910 and 1911. Note Dorothy’s photo caption to the left “Forever”.  Above—”July 1910”.  Wallace Kilgore built the cottages after buying the hotel in 1901. The Ficken party stayed in the cottage nearest the hotel.

 

The Poplar Tavern  in North Newry and the Locke Mountain House in North Bethel were typical summer vacation places of those times. The Poplar Tavern had been built as an inn during the 1840’s by Ithiel Smith who was a descendant of one very first families to settle in Newry. On the other hand, the Locke Mountain House had started as a traditional family farm; the farm’s turn of the century owners, Phila and Mary Ellen Locke, had gradually added summer boarding for city people to the regular farming routine.  The sisters were third generation Locke’s—the founder, Samuel B. Locke had come to Bethel and established the farm at the end of the 18th Century. 

 

A key feature for the success of both summer vacation businesses was the Grand Trunk Railway depot in Bethel. One could buy a ticket in Boston or New York that would cover the entire trip to either of the two places. Ticket cost also included stage service from the depot to inn or farm. Both  railroad management and innkeepers promoted the ease of travel by rail from southern New England cities and New York City to their respective inns and boarding farms.

 

As it turned out once automobile travel into Maine became a practical reality, the Poplar Tavern seemed to attract vacationer who came by car more than the Locke Mountain House.  Dorothy’s  photo album has a number of automobile party photos while cars are barely mentioned by Ruth Crosby.  Although Ruth’s father did make the trip from Massachusetts to Bethel by car more than once.

 

Vacation activities for the guests usually depended on horse drawn mountain wagons or hay racks when parties went for picnics at Screw Auger Falls or up the Sunday River valley to go mountain climbing.