With all the bustling high-octane activity on Sebago Lake including everything from boats and jet skis to tubing and windsurfing, it’s hard to imagine a more leisurely time when canal boats traveled across the great expanse of water delivering goods and passengers to the Lakes Region.
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| A Raymond-Casco Historical Society presentation on Monday, July 14 will explore the role of canal boats on Sebago Lake in the 19th century and their significance in opening the Lakes Region to trade and commerce. SUBMITTED PHOTO |
A 2022 WBLM article said that the Cumberland and Oxford Canal went all the way from Portland to Harrison.
“The Canal was opened in 1832, and pretty much followed the Presumpscot River going through Standish, Windham, Gorham, and Westbrook. Its total distance was 38 miles, and the canal included 27 locks, with Songo Lock still being used today,” according to information in the article.
Walter Lunt’s 2021 article in The Windham Eagle said that following the canal closure, the canal boats remained on Sebago and Long Lakes, transporting cargo and passengers to the train station. The story discussed the remnants of canals throughout the region, with the most conspicuous on Route 35 in Standish past the Presumpscot. His story said that other signs can be seen at Babbs’s Covered Bridge and Gambo Powder Mills in South Windham.
The Raymond-Casco Historical Society will host a discussion presented by historian Mike Davis at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, July 14. Davis is the former Assistant Director of the Bridgton Historical Society and has given presentations for the RCHS in the past.
Frank McDermott is President of RCHS and welcomes this presentation by Davis.
“Mike is a historian. He talks about all kinds of historical things. Last year, he did an amazing presentation on rattlesnakes in Raymond,” he said. “He is going to be talking about canal boats traveling from Portland to Sebago and Long Lake. They would bring passengers from Portland on vacation.”
McDermott explained that aside from trolleying tourists, the main focus was transporting goods to the Lakes Region.
“The Fed Ex of their day,” McDermott says.
He said that the canal boats carried all kinds of goods. “Really, the boats would bring anything that needed to be shipped such as lumber, food, or goods,” he said. “It was the quickest and most convenient way to move things to the Lakes Region. This included getting things to places in the area that were not on the lake.”
McDermott says he is certain that the presentation will be an educational and entertaining evening.
"It’s a really interesting topic,” he said. “Canal boats have wide appeal and it is fun to learn more about the history of our waterways.”
The talk will be held at the RCHS grounds located at 1 Shadow Lane in Casco. The museum will be open early at 5 p.m. that day for guests to take advantage of all the facility has to offer free of charge.
“Guests should feel free to come early and tour the grounds,” said McDermott. “If anyone sees something they want to learn more about - they should plan a return trip. We have all kinds of things this summer and hope to attract lots of new people.”
To learn more, visit https://raymondcascohistoricalsociety.org/ or visit Raymond-Casco Historical Society on Facebook or call 207-655-6389.
The museum is open from noon to 3 p.m. May through October on Saturdays and Sundays. Typically there is a blacksmith working on site giving live demonstrations on most weekends. Group tours are available by request. <
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