Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-11-06
OLD ELMWOOD
DAYS REVIVED

Waterville, Me. Nov. 5.-The recent
visit to Waterville of Mr.. and Mrs. O..
! ID. Seavey brings back to the mind old
Elmwood Hotel days. 1t will be re-
called that original Elmwood was
built in 1S50.>and Mr.. Seavey has in
/ his possession the menu of some sort
OF banquet given in 1851. The loca-
1 ton then as now was unsurpassed,
and stages used to run to and from
the old house as well as the Williams
house in all directions.
1t was not unusual after the COM
/ pletion OF the Androscoggin and Ken
nebec K. X. to Waterville, and until in
1859 the opening of the Penobscot and
! Nennebec K. r. to Bangor for stages
to bring to Waterville from Bangor
and immediate points as many as IS
/ passengers a day. An old stage stable
! stood on the spot where Dr. Fish's
! house now is. and it may be the Union
! Street Garage is the same structure.
| moved back to its present location to
! make loom for the house. which by
! tn" way in its original state stood
! where the General Smith house now
! occupied by F.. G. Meader is.
! The old house a is generally known
was burned in 1868. fire for certain
reasons causing more excitement in
. Watcrville than any before or since.
! The present house was built by Mr.. q.
! ID. Seayey in 1878 and several addi-
tions have since been made. Mr..
/ Seavey not receiving the financial sup
/ port promised. became embarrassed
and had TO give up the house for the
benefit Of creditors.
Soon after Mr. Seavey relinquished
| control of the house. il fell into the
| hands of, and was for sometime run
! by DR.. Orrin Fitzgerald. Jr., who made
! his home in Dexter and used to travel
all through the State gaining an i'm
! menSe patronage as spiritualistic
medium, and while in a transitory
stage exhibiting wonderful skill in
medicine and surgery. While not
conversant with all the proprietors, it
| is known that the house was for
some time h. Mr. James f. Os
BON, a former Maine Central engi-
neer. and later by Eben Murch and
| sons of Lewiston, who We're succeeded
by Henry F. Judkins who for many
years so well and favorably conducted
tee house. only relinquishing it on its
purchase by Barrows and Cook. the
presert owners who SO ably popularize
it. one of DR.. F'itzgerald's advertising
cards has recently been found. the
hotel rates being quoted at two dol
iars per day.
| 1t is however unique from the fact
that the railroad trains are given
thereon, showing for Skowhegan but
two trains per day. six a. VI. mixed
| and AS i. NJ. for Bangor BIS A NJ,
night pullman, A. NJ. mixed and then
4.20 p. NJ. express. 4.43 p NJ ac-
commodation: for Portland via Au-
custa 5.15 A. NJ Mondays only. S.43
| A. NJ accommodation. go a. NJ. ex-
press. 30 and 1905 =. Nj. night pull
man; va Lewiston. so A. NJ. Mon
days only. $50 \. NJ. II appears that
al that time owing to limited number
e trains. the forenoon train was the
principal one of the day 50 the Maine
Central in order to ease il up. used to
, start an accommodation train out of
! Bangor ahna of the regular morning
train picking up passengers at way
stations and turning over to regular
train at Brunswick which ran express,
stopping only at principal stations,
and so on return trip an accommoda =
ton train stopping at all stations fol-
lowed the regular from Brunswick
which ran an express stopping at
Gardiner. Hallowell. Augusta. Water
vile. Burnham and Newport only.
Mr.. Q. d. Seavey's father. John l..
Seavey owned large hay farm on
what is now College avenue and Sea :
vey street is named for him. Mr. Q.
, y. Scavey has the distinction of OPEN
ing and running more famous hotels
than any person living and in MANY
cases the inception was his. Mr.. and
Mrs. Seavey will leave soon Marsh
field. Mass, their summer home for
their estate in Florida where they will
spend the winter