The Bath Daily Times, Monday Evening, January 7, 1946, Old Sagadahock House Coach [Willowbrook's Stage Coach] Conveys Passengers to Dude Ranch in Far West and Holding Up Well

The Bath Daily Times, Monday Evening, January 7, 1946

Old Sagadahock House Coach Conveys Passengers To Dude Ranch in Far West and Holding Up Well

[This picture is] of the old Sagadahock House stage coach [ the stage coach in 19th Century Willowbrook Village's collection ], used at the time of the dedication of the Carlton Bridge over the Kennebec river at Bath. On the coach were 21 people, including U.S. Senators White and Brewster of Maine; Governor Cross of Connecticut; State Treasurer Cox of Massachusetts; members of the Bridge Commission and their wives.

The old, familiar Sagadahock stage coach, which for years has been an object of interest to passers-by at the fine old Crooker mansion at South and middle streets, as each summer it appeared on the lawn, has not been seen for some time, nor will it be seen here again, for it is now in active service at a famous ranch in Arizona, where it carries guests from the railroad station to the beautiful lodge on the ranch, just as for many years it carried people in this city [Bath], and as it conveyed passengers from Bath to Rockland and return[ed], before the days of the Knox & Lincoln Railroad came into being. The fine old coach, relic of bygone days, was purchased some time ago by Paul Litchfield, for coaching parties into the dessert from the Wigwam ranch at Litchfield Park, a project of the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. on one of its cotton plantations near Phoenix, Arizona. Mr. Litchfield, who is chairman of the board of this great business concern, is no stranger to Bath, where he spent his Summer vacations, with his aunt, Mrs. Alvord, and where, as a young lad, he watched the great wooden vessels, and later the steel ships, come into being in the famous shipyards. In recent years he has visited here occasionally, and at Squirrel island, and he was a frequent visitor at Central church, which his mother attended, and which he has held in fine regard because of these tender memories. Beautiful flowers have adorned the pulpit of central church, in memory of his mother, a gift from Mr. Litchfield.

The old coach has a most interesting history. It was built about 1858 [1849] by the Concord Coach Co., of concord, N.H., to the order of William Jewell, a retired sea captain of Phippsburg, who was the father of William Jewell, lately deceased at Phippsburg, at the age of 77. Capt. Jewell established a stage coach route from Bath to Small Point for a number of years, and in the late 60s the coach was put on the run with the Berry coaches of Rockland, continuing in that service until the opening of the Knox & Lincoln Railroad in 1871 when it was acquired by the late H.A. Huse, father of h. Augustus Huse, night clerk at the Sedgewick. Mr. Huse was co-partner with Jerre Shanon, father of the late Mrs. J.R. Andrews, operating in connection with the Sagadahock block at Front and Center streets. It was at this time that the coach was redecorated by John Berry and also re-equipped and was given the name Sagadahock House.  

The coach remained in the possession of the Huse family until 1920 when it was acquired by Charles t. Jackson and entered in the celebration of the Centennial of the State of Maine. It was featured in the gala parade with 13 young ladies riding in it dressed in colonial costume and was driven by the late Joseph Avery with his four handsome black horses, winning the first prize, a beautiful silver cup. In following years the coach has been an attraction to the public on the lawn of Mr. Jackson’s residence throughout the summer seasons and has been used on many occasions through this part of Maine through the courtesy of Mr. Jackson. Many of the older citizens of Bath can look back to the enjoyable coaching parties of 20 to 25 young people going to a country dance or party, or to Topsham County Fair.  

Not many people in Bath can recall, as does Mr. Jackson, the early use of this coach from 1869 to the present time, or take greater pride in its use and condition today or of the other coaches that were in service in those early years. The memories of them are with him vividly, and of the men who were their drivers. The Bath to Rockland run was established by the Berry Stables of Rockland and included the Bath coach.

The coach left each city in the morning and returned in the evening, about 50 miles each way. Two steps were made each way and four wearied horses were changed for fresh ones; at Warren and at Sheepscot. The roads were rough, which nothing but Concord built coaches could stand. And the passengers were jolted considerably on the journey. But they were always on time to connect with the ferry between Bath and Woolwich he speaks of the driver of the Berry coach, a gentleman as well as a great four horse coach driver. His name was William L. White of Rockland, later of this city. Later he became the first to run Rockland and continued in that service until he was promoted to be the superintendent of the Knox & Lincoln Railroad with his office in Bath. Mr. White was the father of Miss Minnie White, who now resides at the Cosmopolitan club here.

The driver of the Sagadahock coach was William Witham, father of the late Fred and William Witham, and he was followed by the late Charles Carter of the Carter homestead on Middle street. This colored gentleman was about five feet five inches in height and weighed about 180 pounds. He was as nimble as a cat in his spring and mount over the wheel to the driver’s seat. Gathering the reins of the four horses in his left hand he would reach for the whip and with a long whoop give his “Ya hoo” and sharply crack the lash about the ears of the lead horses and off they would go on the leap for the ferry. Mr. Jackson says that many a time he has seen Charles Carter swing out of Ferry street into front street coming from the ferry at top speed to pull up at the Elliot house in the brick building now occupied by McFadden’s Pharmacy and Cohen’s grocery store. After depositing his passengers and baggage Mr. Carter would mount nimbly to the driver’s seat, crack his whip over the lead horse’s ears with a “Yep-Yah,” swing in a complete circle at the head of Arch street and drive into the alley to the stables at the rear. He was considered one of the best drivers of four horses in Maine.

During the service with Sagadahock House the coach was operated between the hotel and the railroad station and was driven by the late George M. Duley for several summers operated a stage route from Bath to Parker Head. For the many years the old coach was in the Huse family it was the greatest delight of young Gus Huse to handle the ribbons over four lively horses with a merry crowd bound to the Fair, or to a dance, or party in the country. After Gus Huse left Bath to travel in the theatrical world, where he made a name for himself, the coach was driven by the late Joseph Avery. And now it is doing fine service at the “dude’ ranch in Arizona, still going strong after nearly 90 years of service. Surely that is a credit to superb New England workmanship.