Guide to the Central Maine Power Company Archival Collection, 1853-2001 by Chuck Rand, CMP Project Archivist Maine Historical Society December 7, 2011 Maine Historical Society Coll. 2115 Central Maine Power Archival Collection, 1853‐2001 Introduction………………………….pg. 2 Subgroup 49 thru 53………………pg. 151 Historical note…………………….....pg. 3 Subgroup 54 thru 58………………pg. 152 Scope & Content…………………….pg.10 Subgroup 59 thru 62………………pg. 153 System of arrangement………...........pg. 12 Subgroup 63 thru 66………………pg. 153 Subgroup descriptions………............pg. 13 Subgroup 67 ………………………pg. 156 Series description……………............pg.41 Subgroup 68 thru 71………………pg. 157 Related collections, Subgroup 72 thru 75………………pg. 159 bibliography and subject headings......pg.49 Subgroup 76 thru 78………………pg. 160 Acquisitions & processing note……...pg. 57 Subgroup 79 thru 80………………pg. 162 Subgroup 81 thru 82………………pg. 163 Inventory Subgroup 83 thru 85………………pg. 164 (For series descriptions, see pg. 41) Subgroup 86 thru 88………………pg. 166 Subgroup 89 thru 93………………pg. 167 Series 1, Organizational Records.…..pg.60 Subgroup 94 thru 96………………pg. 168 Series 2, Administrative Records…...pg. 62 Subgroup 97 thru 98………………pg. 169 Series 3, Financial Records……....…pg.67 Subgroup 99 thru 101……………..pg. 170 Series 4, Legal Records……………..pg.71 Subgroup 102 thru 104…………....pg. 172 Series 5, Power Prod. & Delivery…..pg. 72 Subgroup 105 …………………….pg. 173 Series 6, Engineering Records….…..pg. 79 Subgroup 106……………………..pg. 176 Series 7, Customer Service…..……..pg. 84 Subgroup 107 thru 111……………pg. 181 Series 8, Public Affairs/Marketing…pg. 85 Subgroup 112 thru 115……………pg.182 Series 9, Employee Relations…..…..pg. 97 Subgroup 116……………………...pg. 183 Series 10, Blueprints, Maps, etc……pg.105 Subgroup 117 thru 120……………pg. 189 Series 11, Publications…….……….pg.111 Subgroup 121 thru 123……………pg. 190 Series 12, Scrapbooks……………...pg. 120 Subgroup 124 thru 128……………pg. 191 Series 13, Photographs………….….pg. 206 Subgroup 129 thru 133……………pg. 192 Subgroup 134 thru 138……………pg. 193 Subgroup 139 thru 141……………pg. 194 (For subgroup descriptions, see pg. 13) Subgroup 142 thru 145……………pg. 195 Subgroup 146 thru 150……………pg. 196 Subgroup 1 thru 5………………….pg.123 Subgroup 151 thru 153……………pg. 197 Subgroup 6…………………………pg. 124 Subgroup 154 thru 157……………pg. 198 Subgroup 7…………………………pg.125 Subgroup 158…………………..…pg. 199 Subgroup 8 thru 10…………………pg. 126 Subgroup 159……………………..pg. 200 Subgroup 11 thru14………………..pg. 127 Subgroup 160……………………..pg. 201 Subgroup 15 thru 19……………….pg.128 Subgroup 20 thru 23……………….pg. 129 Series 14: Audio/ Visual materials Subgroup 24 thru 25……………….pg. 130 transferred to Northeast Historic Film Subgroup 26 thru 27…………….…pg. 131 (NEHF) in 2014. Please see NEHF for Subgroup 28 thru 29……………….pg.132 inventories and access. Subgroup 30 thru 31……………….pg. 133 Subgroup 34……………………….pg. 143 Subgroup 35…………………….…pg. 144 Excel Spread Sheets: Subgroup 36 thru 37………………pg. 146 Transmission Line Key Sheets…….sheet 1 Subgroup 38 thru 42………………pg. 147 Business Family Tree……………...sheet 2 Subgroup 43 thru 44………………pg. 149 Generation Assets…………………sheet 3 Subgroup 45 thru 48………………pg. 150 Guide to the Central Maine Power Company Archival Collection, 1853-2001 Title: Central Maine Power Company Archival Collection Creator: Historical Committee of the Old Timers Club Dates: 1853-2001 (inclusive) Extent: 188.8 linear feet in 302 document boxes (125.8 lf), 15 oversize boxes (32.5 lf), 11 storage cartons (11 lf), 28 oversized folders (7 lf), 8 flat boxes (6 lf), 1 costume storage box (3.5 lf), and 4 unboxed ledgers (3 lf) Location: Maine Historical Society, John Marshall and Alida Carroll Brown Research Library Collection no.: 2115 Accesssion no.: 2004.090 Introduction The Central Maine Power Company Archival Collection provides not only a case study of urban and rural electrification efforts in Maine through hydroelectric, steam, and nuclear power plants, but also a context for contemporary efforts to develop alternative energy resources. These records and secondary resources reflect the nature and growth of the electric power business in Maine. From small locally owned gas or electric companies furnishing power for businesses, trolleys and, for a few hours a day, street lighting in communities to the transmission of power to residential customers, these resources reflect this evolution. Because the records of 160 predecessor and ancillary companies are represented in this collection, an insight into the growth of CMP is provided through its mergers with and acquisitions of these companies. The electrification of the greater Portland area is documented through representative records of the Casco Bay Light and Power Company, Consolidated Electric Light Company of Maine, Cumberland County Power and Light Company, Deering Electric Light Company, Portland Electric Company, Portland Lighting and Power Company (nee Cumberland Illuminating Company), Westbrook Electric Company, and Westbrook Electric Light & Power Company. Representative records from several railroad companies are present including Androscoggin and Kennebec Railway Company, Biddeford and Saco Railroad Company, Cape Elizabeth Street Railway Company, Cape Shore Railway, Lewiston, Augusta & Waterville Street Railway, Norway and Paris Street Railway Company, Ocean Street Railroad Company, Portland and Cape Elizabeth Railway Company, Portland and Yarmouth Electric Railway Company, Portland Railroad Company (nee Portland and Forest Avenue Railroad Company), Portland, Gray & Lewiston Railway Company, Rockland, Thomaston & Camden Street Railway, Waterville and Fairfield Railway and Light Company, Waterville, Fairfield, and Oakland Street Railway Company, and the Westbrook, Windham, and Naples Railway Company. Central Maine Power Company has been a pioneer in the industry. The first floating power plant ever constructed in the world called the Jacona was built in 1930. The gas turbine installed at the Farmingdale steam plant in 1950 was the first in New England and the second to be utilized in the United States. Safety hard hats were first issued in 1952 by CMP which was one of only a few electric companies that pioneered their use. In 1954 CMP joined 11 other New England electric utilities to form the Yankee Atomic Electric Company, one of the early organizations to Maine Historical Society Coll. 2115 Central Maine Power Archival Collection, 1853-2001 investigate and experiment in atomic sources of power production. In January 1966 Maine Yankee Power Company was formed to build a nuclear power plant in Maine. Historical note During the 1890s small independent hydroelectric plants on Maine riverbanks supplied power to local communities, shops, mills, and manufacturing plants. According to CMP historian Clark T. Irwin, Jr., “Almost 2,000 local electric companies were providing power and light from central generating stations around the United States in 1891. But many thousands of other generators were strictly on-site units, powering only lights or machinery in a single building or mill complex...Dozens of Maine communities had one or more local gas-light or electric companies in the 1890s: Augusta, Bangor, Bath, Biddeford, Brunswick, Camden, Gardiner, Hallowell, Portland, Rockland, Saco, Waterville and others.” (p.8) Typical of these plants, the Oakland Electric Light Company, organized on October 14, 1887 and led by president Orestes Crowell, harnessed the waters of the Messalonskee Stream flowing out of Belgrade Lakes at Daniel Lord’s 1850 dam. Its plant consisted of one 22.5-kilovolt electric generator that served about 100 customers by lighting Oakland streets from dusk to 10pm— except on moonlit nights. The generator was belted to a water wheel shaft in a small, leased annex to the Benjamin & Allen Agricultural Works. Walter Scott Wyman and Harvey Doane Eaton were the partners who would purchase this company. Born May 6, 1874 in Oakland (known as West Waterville until 1883), the son of Hiram and Ellen (Augusta Frizzell), Walter S. Wyman had summer jobs during his three years at Tufts that included station operator at the Oakland Electric Light Company. His first job after college was as inspector and assistant superintendent of the Maine Water Company. By 1893 Wyman was manager of the Waterville and Fairfield Railway and Electric Company which started in 1892 as a 4-mile electric railway between Waterville and Fairfield. After unsuccessful attempts to interest this company in furthering the development of a small electric station at Oakland and producing sufficient electricity to meet the needs of nearby Waterville, Wyman decided to pursue these ideas on his own and would enlist the assistance of Eaton. Born September 20, 1862 in North Cornville, Harvey D. Eaton, a Waterville attorney, graduated with a B. A. from Colby College in 1887 and with a Bachelor of Laws from Harvard Law School in 1891. Wyman and Eaton met in the early 1890s. Eaton, convinced of the feasibility of Wyman’s ideas, mortgaged a building he was erecting in Waterville and with the borrowed $4,500 as copartners purchased the Oakland Electric Light Company on November 7, 1899. Their operation of the property began on November 14, 1899 and on December 26, 1899 they reorganized as the Oakland Electric Company with Eaton as president and Wyman as general manager. Eaton was 37 years old, Wyman was 25. In 1901 Wyman left the Waterville and Fairfield Railway and Light Company to devote full time to expanding this new electric company. By this time Wyman and Eaton had abandoned their original station and had strung wires