The American Auto Association held its first ever auto tour in 1904 with sixty-six autos driven by their wealthy owners traveling from New England to the World’s Fair in St. Louis. The 1905 Tour was the first year of competition, as just getting to all the waypoints over the muddy rural carriage roads was a feat unto itself. Charles Glidden donated the trophy and the tour was then named after him. Glidden was from Lowell; Massachusetts made a huge fortune as a pioneer in the telephone and telegraph field. The 1906 event began in Buffalo, NY on July 9 with 55 entrants scheduled to travel a total of 1029 miles.
The Glidden Tour provided many rural citizens with their first ever glimpse of a horseless carriage. In many towns citizens came out in force to welcome them. However, in some towns, local sheriffs were waiting for these infernal contraptions to halt them for speeding despite no posting of speed limits. Imagine the days before Google Maps, let alone good, printed road maps, so drivers often lost their way. Road hazards were many as the “roads” were just crude dirt tracks. In several towns, the motorists were not welcomed at all as the noise “scared the horses causing them to run wild and frightening the cows into producing less milk.”
The article on the Tours stop in Rangeley found below was published in the June 13, 1906 issue of the Maine Woods newspaper. It shared the route to be taken by participants on their way to Rangeley thus providing the ‘locals’ with the necessary information to perhaps get their first glance at a horseless carriage.
(Contemporary commentary shared in italics)
Details of Glidden route through the Dead River Region
“Today’s trip through the densely wooded lands proved to be quite a severe strain on springs, tire and axles. The route led along the Kennebec into Dead River country and across a summit. Up and down the rough mountain side the roads were too narrow to permit one car passing another, and deep ruts were the cause of terrible bumps experienced by the travelers. A peculiar feature of the day was the number of cars that had their right-hand forward tires blown out, which was probably due to wrenching the car out of ruts to the right hand side of the road. Of yesterday’s fifteen perfect records, but one was cancelled from the list today. This was N. H. Van Sicklen, car No.1, a 45 HP Apperson, which was the first car to enter for the contest, and which, on nearly every day, has been the first to start. Mr. Van Sicklen is one of the few amateur drivers in the contest and is carrying three women in his party.”
(The “Directions”)
Leaving the Dirigo House at North New Portland, take first left hand turn, .2 miles, following the telephone wire, passing a farmhouse on the left. At the next fork of the roads take the left-hand road, following the single telephone wire to the left. Cross bridge. This is the beginning of Lexington Flats, a four mile straight-away course wide enough for two, and in many places three, automobiles, with no natural or artificial speed limitations The road is clean, no holes, bridges or dangerous places (evidently a freeway by comparison so let’er rip). At four miles a road comes in from the left hand but does not cross the road upon which you are driving; continue straight ahead. At 7.9 a brown unpainted building on the left side with the sign “post-office;” the road branches right and left. Whether you take the right or left road is optional, both roads coming together two and a half miles away. Both roads are good going the right-hand road having a slight preference in quality (That part sounded like it was written by my mother-in-law). Marking the course by the right hand road, at 8.9 the road forks; continue on the left hand course. There is a white house on the right hand. At 9.4 a farm road branches off to the left across a bridge to a farmhouse which is plainly in view. Do not take this road (Then why mention it!) At 9.6 there is a water trough; a small white schoolhouse on the right hand side is passed at 10.1 At 10.4 the other road —that is, the left hand road from the post office— joins both roads and the road from this point gradually ascends to the height of the land at 12.4. (In other words; You’ll wish you stopped at the water trough and topped off your radiator). From 12.4 there is a slight descent and again a rise and at 16 the road drops into a short valley and across the head of a small pond; the going is right. At 17.6 a sign board is passed “Flagstaff 11 miles.” At 19.1 the Ledge House of Good Woods Inn is passed. (the Motel 6 of its day as I have never heard of it), At 21.9 Parsons farm, a comfortable country boarding house, where transient guests are entertained, appears. (“transient had a different connotation back then) At 24, Dead River. At 26.9 small schoolhouse. At 29.6 turn to the left and away from Flagstaff (A town that no longer exists due to the damming of the Dead River creating Flagstaff Lake). Do not turn to the right and cross the bridge that takes you into Flagstaff. At 32, turn right into Stratton passing through the village by Hotel Blanchard, and at 39.8 a water fountain (for the horses). Turn left at 41; turn sharp left at signpost. The road here forms a T. You leave the straight road and turn into the left hand road. (These spots begin to sound familiar) At 42.2 is Greene’s Farm Hotel, where the road curves to the right and then again to the left. You cross for the first time the narrow gauge railroad at 42.9, the second time at 44.3 and immediately thereafter for the third time at 46.8, for the fourth time at 46.9, for the fifth time at 47.3 and for the sixth time at 48.2 and finally at 51.3 ( That is a lot of RR crossings). At the Dead River station 51.9 you turn to the right. Then crossing the track to the left take the straight road to Rangeley, about five miles distant. Just before entering Rangeley at 54.5 you cross the railroad track, from this point the Rangeley Lake House is plainly visible. Then follow into Rangeley, turning left at the second street after entering the village, following down into the main street, then turning back left again through the village, down a slight descent, and then by another ascent in the main street of the village, then turning right into the private road which leads to the Rangeley Lake House.
Phew, what a trip, but I bet the scenery, as it remains so to this day, was fantastic. Have a wonderful week, and happy motoring as you venture forth to make some timeless Rangeley history of your own.