Screening of "The Nine Lives of No. 9" at
The Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum

On August 9th, 2025, Filmmakers Blair Cole and Tom Chase screened the documentary film "The Nine Lives of No.9", the story of the Ramsdell Train, at the WWFRY Museum in Alna, Maine during the museums annual picnic. The screening was well attended considering the perfect weather and plentiful outdoor activites at the museum, and was followed by brief presentations by Blair and Tom on the stories behind the film. The film documents locomotive No. 9's journey from Wiscasset in the 1930's to West Thompson, CT, its time in the possession of the Ramsdell family and its ultimate return its home in Wiscasset in the 1990's and full restoration to operating condition.The restored No. 9 was in service that day, transporting guests at the picnic on excursions from Sheepscot Station to Trout Brook and back again.

Visit The Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington Museum at https://wwfry.org

View "The Nine Lives of No.9" on PBS.org.

Frank Ramsdell & his locomotive

Left: Rubbing of Frank’s gravestone, Mid 1960s

Caution: rubbings will damage the gravestone if not done properly.
They are now banned in some states

Right: Frank Ramsdell’s gravestone in West Thompson Cemetery

Alice Ramsdell, daughter of Frank, had the stone carved with this steam locomotive because he loved trains but never worked for the railroad. This train called “The Pequot”, “Number 10”, along the Norwich and Worcester Railroad was built about 1875. Article by Bernie Dupont, Worcester Telegram, May 29, 1983.
The movie “Nine Lives of Number Nine” depicts his life, love of trains and a locomotive he had at his home. Some footage in the movie are home movies taken by Frank and Alice. After Alice passed away the locomotive and other equipment was taken to the Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum in Alna, Maine. It has been fully restored and is operational.
Frank’s lifetime collection of train memorabilia, photographs and movies is housed at a museum in the Tourtellotte Memorial High School by the Thompson Historical Society.
Compiled and Photos by Mary Tomeo (October 2023)

At Left: Engine No 9 at Frank’s home, May 27, 1937
(photo: Ruth Child collection at the Thompson Historical Society)

At Right: Restored at Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Railway Museum Alna, Maine, August 2016 (M. Tomeo)

No. 9 and the Togus Soldiers Home

From the WW&F Newsletter July/August 2025
This is the Ramsdell Engine at the museum, restored and operating ------
see the Story/video “Nine Lives of Number Nine”, available at the THS.
Frank Ramsdell of Thompson along with his daughter Alice were railroad buffs and this engine was housed for many years on their farm.
Frank and Alice are descendents of the Ballard Family
Another descendent of the Ballards (so distant cousin) was
Andrew George a Pvt in the Civil War (1861-1864) 25th Mass Inf. Vol. Co A

Our Mayflower Ancestor

Reprinted from "The Ballard History from 1420 to 1903" (the Green Book, pages 6 - 9)

This brings us to our prlncipal Mayflower ancestor Isaac Allerton. Unlike passengers he was a business man. One writes of him "That he was a man born before his time." He returned to England several times on business for the Colony. He seems to have had some trouble with his brethren in Plymouth and removed to Marblehead, which place he and his son in-law, Moses Maverich. founded.

Soon he committed the unpardonable sin of sympathizing with the Quakers, opposing the measures used against them, and he found it convenient to leave without giving notice. We then flnd him in New Haven; then in New York, where his push soon made him a prominent man, and a member of the "Council of Eight" under the Dutch Adrninistration. His second wife was Fear Brewster, daughter of the Elder, (our line descends from the flrst wife, Mary Norris.) Their grandson Isaac, settled in Virginia and married into the Lee family, and their descendants are stiBi found there. Isaac senior died in New Haven, was buried on the common in front of the churches. No stone marks his grave. On the corner of Union and Fair Streets, set in a brick wall is a marble slab, on it is cut, "On this ground lived Isaac Allerton, a pilgrim of the Mayflower, The father of New England Commerce." On that ground he had built a house that was said by a writer of the day to have been the finest between Boston and New York. It was named the "house with four porches." It had fourteen flre places. No remains of it are left. Our descent from him was through his daughter Mary who married Thomas Cushman, and had Samuel. His daughter Mary married Ensign Noah Fuller and had Chloe, who was wife of John Bates, and the mother of Polly Bates, who was wife of our grandfather, Lynde Ballard. So it is through our Bates blood that we get our Mayflower ascendants. But I have failed to find one of that name (Bates) of our line who took part in the Colonial Wars or that of the Revolution.

Visit the Mayflower Society web site, ageneral society of Mayflower descendents.
http://www.mayflower.org/

View a complete list of Mayflower passengers.
http://members.aol.com/calebj/passenger.html

Stephen Ballard Hymnal Found at Yard Sale

A Baptist Hymnal owned by Stephen Ballard recently made a remarkable appearance in Thompson. The hymnal (shown at left) was used in the Central Baptist Church near Thompson Common which burned in 1918.

Reprinted from the Ballard History - 1996
Stephen Ballard is the first child of Winthrop Hilton Ballard and Salome (Joslin) Alton Ballard.
b. April 9, 1841, Thompson, CT
d. Dec 23, 1913, Thompson, CT
m. Jan. 1, 1863, Sarah Day Barber
She was b. Mar 26, 1839 and d. May 20, 1909

Stephen received his education in the public school and at Parker Academy. He taught school in Thompson and in 1861 went to South Orange, N.J. where he was principal of the South Orange Academy. His wife Sarah is the daughter of William and Azubah Spalding Barber of Thompson.

At the close of the Civil War he returned to Thompson and took over the homestead as his father did not feel equal to longer carry it on, and lived on it until a few years before his death when he sold it to his youger son, Winthrop.
They had six children, who lived to grow up. (The sixth, Winthrop Barber Ballard, b. Dec. 12, 1884, is Clarence' father).