Portland & Yarmouth Electric Railway
On November 31, 1894, it was announced that the Portland & Yarmouth Electric Railway would pass through Cumberland, providing a more convenient mode of transportation than the steam railway.
Regular service began in August 1898, following the route from Monument Square in Portland to Yarmouth along what would later become Route 88. In 1914, the Portland-Lewiston Interurban Railroad began service through West Cumberland.
With the ability to travel longer distances with ease at an affordable fare, hotels, tearooms, and other attractions soon became common in the area. Portland & Yarmouth Electric built the Underwood Springs pleasure resort, complete with casino and shore dinners to draw more traffic through the area.
West Cumberland’s farmers relied on the Interurban to ship their milk and farm produce to Portland and the Lewiston-Auburn area. As the automobile usurped both steam and electric rail lines in terms of convenience, ridership on the trolley lines declined, and both the Portland & Yarmouth Electric Railway and the Portland-Lewiston Interurban Railroad ended service on June 28, 1933.
Portland & Yarmouth Electric Railway
