A small exhibit celebrating Charles Lindbergh's 1927 stop in Maine is now
available on Maine Memory Network (MMN), the virtual history museum and
archive developed by Maine Historical Society. "We Saw Lindbergh!"
highlights excerpts from the diary of Elise Fellows White, a native of
Skowhegan living in Portland at the time of his visit. Like many others,
White was entranced with Lindbergh and with airplanes.

On July 24, 1927 Charles Lindbergh landed his plane "The Spirit of St.
Louis" on the beach in Old Orchard Beach, Maine. As part of Lindbergh's
Guggenheim Tour following his successful Atlantic crossing, he was scheduled
to fly from New Hampshire to Portland, Maine. Because of heavy fog in the
Portland area, he circled the vicinity for 1 1/2 hours looking for a landing
field, finally landing on Old Orchard Beach.

Ignoring the newspaper's warning against going to Old Orchard Beach to see
him, White arose early to take the train. She recorded her impressions of
that day in her diary, describing the famous aviator's "average western
boy's face," telling how she touched the "shining tip of one of the wings"
of the "Spirit of St. Louis," and how Lindbergh waited "for low tide and for
the sand to harden" before taking off.

With text by Candace Kanes, MMN Project Historian, and images from Maine
Historical Society, Dyer Library Archives/Saco Museum, Old Orchard Beach
Historical Society and Skowhegan History House, the exhibit can be found at:
www.mainememory.net

Maine Historical Society preserves the heritage and history of Maine: the
stories of Maine people, the traditions of Maine communities, and the record
of Maine's place in a changing world.

Maine Memory Network (www.mainememory.net), a project of the Maine
Historical Society, provides access to thousands of historical items
belonging to over 200 organizations from across Maine.