B & A Milage Tickets

            The Millinocket Insurance Agency closed recently after many years of conducting business on Penobscot Avenue.  The museum has recently received items from the business from third generation owner Robert Speed. From the beginning of town, Millinocket Insurance was the place to purchase railroad tickets.

            One item, a Bangor & Aroostook Railroad Time Table from 1907, has many rules and regulations “for employees only.” It outlines the movement for trains and includes “important changes in many rules, read carefully.”

            Another small item is a small booklet of railroad coupons (two pages left of 30 coupons). These coupon books were sold at Millinocket Insurance. Each remaining ticket appears to be worth one cent and is labeled baggage. There are specific rules for detaching the coupons, but it is unclear just how these were used. The conductor removed coupons from the booklet as the person boarded. If there were not enough coupons left in the booklet, the conductor would receive the remainder in cash.

            A typed note written on Millinocket Insurance Agency stationary (undated) by Robert E.C. Speed to Robert G. Speed and Frank E. Speed on August 24, 1977 states: “Your grandfather, Frank Hillman Speed, when he started the business here used to sell railroad mileage tickets as part of this business: here are some milages. He used to ride his bicycle with his coat tail flapping in the wind (so they tell me). Out to the railroad station six times each day to sell to passengers before trains left and also on train from Millinocket to Norcross; this was cheaper for the passengers and profit for him if they bought these instead of ticket at the station. At Norcross he got off the train to walk back to Millinocket along the tracks. When railroad stopped selling milages, he borrowed $1000 or $2000 from Dominic Moscone of East Millinocket, who was the Head Italian at East Millinocket and friend of my Dad, “How long?” Dad told him I think sixty days; he loaned Dad the money on handshake only and Dad paid him on time; When these last milages were all sold, there were no more and that part of his business ended; so, that was why he borrowed to buy more before they stopped using them. Best of friends till Moscone died. Robert E. C. Speed 

The Millinocket Insurance Agency was located at 204 Penobscot Avenue in a small brick building. Frank Hillman Speed and wife Lena started selling fire insurance policies there in 1910. They also sold wallpaper, magazines, books and pharmaceuticals at their office as well as railroad tickets and the above-mentioned mileage tickets. A photo at the museum shows a sign indicating the business, at some time, served as a Great Northern Paper Company employment office. When the business closed, it had been run by three generations of the Speed family.

The museum has recently received several other items from the Speed family including three books of secretary’s minutes from the Millinocket Chamber of Commerce, 1930’s-1950’s when Frank H. Speed was secretary. The minutes are all typed on single sheets of paper and these sheets have been glued onto the pages of a large business ledger book. Also tucked in between the pages are various news clippings and other timely paper items. Very interesting information!