History
The Mountain Division Trail follows the original Portland and Ogdensburg Railway, built to connect Portland Maine with the St. Lawrence Seaway in Ogdensburg, N.Y. with another spur ending in Montreal. The railway was purchased by Maine Central Railroad, renamed The Mountain Division Line and later abandoned by Guilford Transportation in 1994.
That same year, Alix Hopkins, director of Portland Trails, founded the Mountain Division Alliance, a group dedicated to preserving the railroad right of way. In 1997 fifty miles of the line, from Windham to the New Hampshire border in Fryeburg were purchased by Maine DOT; thus preserving the row for recreational and future rail use.
In June of 2004, the first 4.7mile section of the Mountain Division Rail with Trail opened from Gambo Road in Windham to Johnson Field in Standish. At the same time, Alix Hopkins stepped down as Mountain Division Alliance Chair and Dave Kinsman of Fryeburg accepted the position of MDA Chair.
In 2005, a loop trail was constructed on a new bike/pedestrian bridge over the Presumpscott River connecting Windham and Gorham. From the Gorham side, the loop trail passes through Shaw Park and over a connector trail back to the MDT.
In 2005, the Mountain Division Alliance became a 501c3 non-profit corporation, allowing people to make tax-deductible donations to the trail.
In the summer of 2004, four towns along the rail line filed applications for funding for new sections of the trail. Because of limited money available, only two projects were chosen. The Fryeburg to Brownfield section and the Richville to Steep Falls section did not receive funding in this cycle. The one-mile section from Gambo Road and Route 202 will be constructed. Because Guilford Transportation has indicated they are interested in selling an additional five-mile section from Route 202 in Windham to the Sappi Paper in Westbrook, negotiations are under way to make this purchase. With the new acquisition, the right of way will be very close to Portland and the beginning of the original rail line on Commercial St.
In November of 2005 a new portion of trail opened in Portland connecting Commercial St. with the Transportation Center.
The most important goal for the MDA is to connect the two ends of the trail from Westbrook to the Transportation Center in Portland. When this trail is built, it will instantly become the most widely used trail in Maine and most likely one of the most popular in New England. It will serve as a commuting route for cyclists, connecting Standish, Gorham, Windham, Westbrook and Portland. It will provide recreational opportunities for local residents and tourists visiting Maine. The long range goal is to complete all sections and connect Portland with the New Hampshire border and the new Visitors Center in Fryeburg.
