DEAR SUN SPOTS: Once again we turn to you for help. What would we do without you? We are looking for a 1955 Lisbon High School yearbook to complete our high school memories. Thank you.

— No name, Lisbon Falls

ANSWER: I checked with the high school and they are searching. Meanwhile, I found out that the Lisbon Historical Society in the MTM Building at 18 School St., next to the Methodist Church, has a copy. If you want some photocopies made of certain pages, they can help you. The historical society is open Thursdays from 1 to 4 p.m. You can reach them at 207-353-8510.

If you can’t get there, they can accommodate you through the postal service and/or email. Send your request to lisbonhistsoc@gmail.com or the address above. They will let you know what it costs to make the copies and mail them to you.

Do any readers have a 1955 Lisbon High School yearbook to share?

DEAR SUN SPOTS: In a National Geographic magazine from May 1935 there is a picture of the Danish Village, which seems to be kind of an upscale motel in an old world style. The caption says it is “near Portland.” Can you find more information? Thanks for all you do.

— No name, no town

ANSWER: I went to Maine Memory Network’s website, www.mainememory.net, and found some information for you that was contributed by the Scarborough Historical Society & Museum. I went to the historical society’s website and gleaned the following information. You may want to augment it by contacting the Portland Public Library at 207-871-1700 and Scarborough Public Library at 207-883-4723.

The Den Danske Landsby, or Danish Village, was in the Willowdale area (near Big 20 Bowling Alley at 382 U.S. Route 1) and was a motor court consisting of 100 unique cottages serving travelers during the 1930s. Designed and constructed by Portland hotelier Henry P. Rines of Eastland Hotel fame, and Boston architect Peter Holdensen in 1928-29, the village was the forerunner of the modern motel model and was designed to replicate Ribe, a village in Denmark.

The Danish Village was quite successful, appealing to the well-to-do motoring public. However, when World War II came along with its gasoline rationing and rubber shortages, people traveled less and the institution went out of business. The United States government leased the buildings during World War II as housing for South Portland shipyard workers.

In 1947, a fire destroyed the restaurant. The remains of the buildings were later demolished. There is a memory written by Frank Hodgdon at http://scarborohs.mainememory.net/1554.pdf that provides a few more details.

There is also an aerial photograph of the Danish Village that was taken in 1930 that is on the Maine Memory Network and Scarborough Historical Society’s websites (www.scarboroughhistoricalsociety.org). The place looks quite grand!

The historical society is at 647 U.S. Route 1 in Scarborough. It is open every Tuesday and the second Saturday of the month from 9 a.m. to noon. The phone number is 207-885-9997.

The Maine Memory Network, a project of the Maine Historical Society, is an outstanding resource that provides access to thousands of historical items and is instrumental in telling the stories of Maine and its people through essays, exhibits, historical images, documents, and objects. MMN involves well over 200 contributing organizations across the state.

This column is for you, our readers. It is for your questions and comments. There are only two rules: You must write to the column and sign your name (we won’t use it if you ask us not to). Please include your phone number. Letters will not be returned or answered by mail, and telephone calls will not be accepted. Your letters will appear as quickly as space allows. Address them to Sun Spots, P.O. Box 4400, Lewiston, ME 04243-4400. Inquiries can also be emailed to sunspots@sunjournal.com.

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