Feb. 17, 1993

Westbrook would be the hub of a massive $350 million pipeline project intended to substantially increase New England’s access to prime Canadian and Gulf Coast natural gas fields, the American Journal has learned. Granite State Gas Transmission Inc., with offices in Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, later this year will file state and federal application permits for the work. The company is planning to build and operate a new, 210-mile pipeline from Sabrevois, Quebec, to Westbrook, and to simultaneously replace an existing 83-mile pipeline that runs from Westbrook to Haverhill, Massachusetts.

Construction is expected to start in early 1996 and be completed later that year. The company currently brings natural gas into the region through an 18-inch pipeline rented from the Portland Pipe Line Corp. of South Portland. But that 11-year lease expires in late 1998, and Portland Pipe Line officials say they want the line back based on crude oil needs.

Gunnar Hagstrom is leaving as Gorham High School principal when his contract expires June 30. He accepted the Gorham post five years ago. He has no other jobs lined up. The school board accepted the resignation last month and has already started searching for a new principal. The deadline for applications is March 12.

Westbrook Mayor Fred C. Wescott has established temporarily an evening police foot patrol in response to complaints about “the Seavey Street Gang.” It started Saturday, delayed a day by Friday’s snowstorm, and will continue through Feb. 29. It is part of a larger strategy to deal with perhaps 15 boys ages 10-14 – and a couple who are older – whose antics have been upsetting some residents of Seavey, Lamb, Oak and other nearby streets in the Cumberland Mills area for many months.

Six cars at a time would get 15 or 20 minutes of engine emissions testing in a 13,000-square-foot building proposed for Thomas Drive in Westbrook to carry out requirements of a new state law that covers seven southern Maine counties. The law will take cars off the road that release too many pollutants. The Thomas Drive proposal comes from F.W. Cunningham & Sons, which would build the facility for the state to run. It is one of a few competing for selection as the only location in Cumberland County. The Planning Board will hold a public hearing March 9 on changing the zoning to permit “automobile testing facilities” in industrial zones.

The criminal case against a Gorham man charged with stealing a tree from a public park was dismissed last week in court. Judge Leigh Saufley ruled that the prosecutor failed to prove any intent by Robert Frazier to deprive the town of anything of value. Frazier was charged with taking the tree from Robie Park last year. He said the action was part of a public service project in which he supervised a group of high school seniors during Senior Service Week. He said only dead trees were cut. Fifteen went to the dump and one other was cut into planks. “We had hoped for a conviction, because Mr. Frazier had not had prior permission from any town official to cut trees in Robie Park,” said Town Manager Paul Weston.

Members of the Gorham Sno-goers spent Feb. 5-7 at The Forks for their annual outing. The snow was just right for the snowmobiles, and they enjoyed the heated outdoor pool. However, on Sunday morning the temperature was 33 degrees below zero, and they decided it was too cold for snowmobiling. They headed home, but it took hours to get all of their vehicles started.

Turn of the century photo looking down Bridge Street just in from Main Street, Westbrook.

The building in the distance was located on Bridge Street at Dana Court and was known as the Bean House.

The building near the bridge was Mill # 1 of the Westbrook Manufacturing Company and was built in the early 1830’s alongside the Presumpscot River. This building was torn down many years ago with the foundation wall remaining as the only visible indication of its location.

The buildings in the photo on the Main Street side of the bridge are also long gone.

The old iron bridge in the photo was replaced by a modern bridge in 1957. The Riverfront Plaza Office building now occupies the site of the Westbrook Manufacturing Company. A new bridge was built in 2015 and no longer directly connects to the Main Street side at Vallee Square.  

Photo and research courtesy of Mike Sanphy