Hello, I've been thinking about my related KIDDER and WILKINS ancestors again this morning. I've been researching both names for 15+ years. As I've mentioned on some Lists, I spent over a week recently researching the WILKINS families in Presque Isle, ME, from 1870's to 1950's. As I've mentioned, I found out that a Joseph WILKINS moved his young family from Lawrence, MA, to Whitefield, NH, which is north of the White Mountains (and not far from the Prov. of Quebec). And, then his son, Edward, moved his wife and very young daughter from Whitefield to - Presque Isle, ME. That was ~1910. My imagination can't come up with "how" this young family would have traveled that great distance. And, my great-grandfather, "Sanford" KIDDER, in Princeton, ME (near Calais) (south of Presque Isle), had 2 brothers who left Princeton and moved their young families to Berlin, NH. And that is another town north of the White Mountains, and actually not far from Whitefield. And that would have been that 1900-1910 timeframe, also. In fact, Clinton KIDDER had a major Stroke in Berlin, and his wife had to move the family, including very young children and a sick husband - back to Princeton. And she might have been pregnant at the time. She delivered their first daughter in Princeton and Clinton died while the little girl was still a baby. "How" did Mrs. KIDDER do that ? And, for my KERR / HENDERSON ancestors in the Prov. of Quebec, my great-grandfather left Compton Co., P.Q. ~1874 and came down to Boston. "How" did he get here? His mother, Mrs. Elizabeth (HENDERSON) KERR, had a sister, Mrs. Hannah ROBBINS, who left Argenteuil Co., P.Q., and moved to North Hero, VT. Then the young couple moved again to the Worcester, MA, area. "How" did this family get from northern VT to MA in the late 1800's? I can't think of other examples of families traveling great distances during the 1880 to 1910 timeframe at the moment. But, it makes me wonder whether anyone has ever written a book about "how" men, women, and families traveled great distances during those years. In the case of Whitefield, NH, to Presque Isle, ME, there are long, wide, tall, and great mountains between them ! And there were no major waterways - between them ! I supposed they could have headed north to the St. Lawrence River and made their way to the Ocean and made their way down to Portsmouth or Boston. Or, they could have headed down the Merrimack River to that area. Or, they could have headed down the St. Croix River towards the Ocean to that area. But, these proposed "routes" would have been way out of their way ! Is any researcher looking for a possible "topic" for a new history book? I know that "train travel" existed in New England after 1850. But, most tracks would have been "south to north" or vice versa, wouldn't they? Not across mountains across northern New England? Just "food for thought." Betty (near Lowell, MA) (on Lists for 8 years; now an Administrator for 8 Lists) FYI: The "Old Canada Road" has been discussed on the Quebec-Research List this week. And, looking at an on-line history, that went from, in general, what is now Quebec City to Skowhegan, ME, in the 1700's. But, it was just - a road ! But it did allow stagecoaches to travel back and forth in the 1800's. But, Skowhegan is in the middle of the State (north of Waterville and Augusta) and "not" near Presque Isle. Etc. April and May what a wonderful way to spend your day ........ (me) How will you spend "Patriot's Day" on the 20th?

Hello, The railroad network was more extensive during this time. I have a neat book called "The Rail Lines of Northern New England" by Robert M Lindsell. In most cases the rails still exist but are only used for freight service. Whitefield. NH is a junction of two Boston and Maine lines. There are also interchanges with other lines. In 1907 there were 4 passenger trains between Whitefield to Berlin. Maine Central had a line from Scotts Junction, through Whitefield to Portland Maine. So to get from Lawerance to Whitefield they could take the Boston and Maine through central NH and Woodsville or go up near Portsmouth and through Conway. There are two west-east rail lines going through Fryeburg and Bethel that connect to a good rail network in southern coastal Maine. Presque Isle is served by the Bangor and Aroostock and you can get to Presque Isle through Millinocket. Princeton is served by the Washington County Railroad and you could go down by the St. Croix River and loop down near the coast and over to Bangor. There a several options from there. You could easily go from Boston to Worchester, New York, or Montreal. There is a rail line that goes from Quebec to New Brunswick by going across Maine. I could go on but I would suggest you look at "The Rail Lines of Northern New England" and also "The Rail Lines of Southern New England" by Ronald Dale Karr. http://www.branchlinepress.com/rail_titles.html One of my Nickerson ancestors ran a wagon express service between Melrose and Boston in an earlier timeframe so I assume that someone would run transport between railheads and smaller towns. If course if they owned horses and wagons they could use them. The automobile changed the transportation map. Passenger Rail Service today is a very small shadow of it's former self. 73 Eric ----- Start Original Message ----- Sent: Wed, 8 Apr 2009 07:21:12 -0400 From: "Betty" <bbffrrpp@comcast.net> To: <new-hampshire@rootsweb.com>, <genMassachusetts-L@rootsweb.com>, <MAINE-L@rootsweb.com>, <vermont@rootsweb.com> Subject: [GENMASSACHUSETTS] "How" Did Families Travel between States ~1900 > Hello, > > I've been thinking about my related KIDDER and WILKINS ancestors again this > morning. I've been researching both names for 15+ years. As I've > mentioned on some Lists, I spent over a week recently researching the > WILKINS families in Presque Isle, ME, from 1870's to 1950's. > > As I've mentioned, I found out that a Joseph WILKINS moved his young family > from Lawrence, MA, to Whitefield, NH, which is north of the White Mountains > (and not far from the Prov. of Quebec). And, then his son, Edward, moved > his wife and very young daughter from Whitefield to - Presque Isle, ME. > That was ~1910. My imagination can't come up with "how" this young family > would have traveled that great distance. > > And, my great-grandfather, "Sanford" KIDDER, in Princeton, ME (near Calais) > (south of Presque Isle), had 2 brothers who left Princeton and moved their > young families to Berlin, NH. And that is another town north of the White > Mountains, and actually not far from Whitefield. And that would have been > that 1900-1910 timeframe, also. > > In fact, Clinton KIDDER had a major Stroke in Berlin, and his wife had to > move the family, including very young children and a sick husband - back to > Princeton. And she might have been pregnant at the time. She delivered > their first daughter in Princeton and Clinton died while the little girl was > still a baby. "How" did Mrs. KIDDER do that ? > > And, for my KERR / HENDERSON ancestors in the Prov. of Quebec, my > great-grandfather left Compton Co., P.Q. ~1874 and came down to Boston. > "How" did he get here? His mother, Mrs. Elizabeth (HENDERSON) KERR, > had a sister, Mrs. Hannah ROBBINS, who left Argenteuil Co., P.Q., and moved > to North Hero, VT. Then the young couple moved again to the Worcester, > MA, area. "How" did this family get from northern VT to MA in the late > 1800's? > > I can't think of other examples of families traveling great distances during > the 1880 to 1910 timeframe at the moment. But, it makes me wonder > whether anyone has ever written a book about "how" men, women, and > families traveled great distances during those years. > > In the case of Whitefield, NH, to Presque Isle, ME, there are long, wide, > tall, and great mountains between them ! And there were no major > waterways - between them ! I supposed they could have headed north to > the St. Lawrence River and made their way to the Ocean and made their way > down to Portsmouth or Boston. Or, they could have headed down the > Merrimack River to that area. Or, they could have headed down the St. > Croix River towards the Ocean to that area. But, these proposed "routes" > would have been way out of their way ! > > Is any researcher looking for a possible "topic" for a new history book? > > I know that "train travel" existed in New England after 1850. But, most > tracks would have been "south to north" or vice versa, wouldn't they? > Not across mountains across northern New England? > > Just "food for thought." > > Betty (near Lowell, MA) > > > > (on Lists for 8 years; now an Administrator for 8 Lists) > > FYI: > > The "Old Canada Road" has been discussed on the Quebec-Research List this > week. And, looking at an on-line history, that went from, in general, what > is now Quebec City to Skowhegan, ME, in the 1700's. But, it was just - a > road ! But it did allow stagecoaches to travel back and forth in the > 1800's. But, Skowhegan is in the middle of the State (north of > Waterville and Augusta) and "not" near Presque Isle. Etc. > > > > > April and May > what a wonderful way > to spend your day ........ > > (me) > > > How will you spend "Patriot's Day" on the 20th? > > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to GENMASSACHUSETTS-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > ----- End Original Message -----