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From  the  collection  of  the 

z   nm 

o  Prelinger 
v    JJibrary 


San  Francisco,  California 
2006 


PORTLAND  CITY  GUIDE 


AMERICAN  GUIDE  SERIES 

PORTLAND 
CITY  GUIDE 


Compiled  by  workers  of  the  Writers'  Program 

of  the  Work  Projects  Administration 

in  the  State  of  Maine 


Illustrated 


Sponsored  by  the  City  of  Portland 


THE    FOREST    CITY    PRINTING    COMPANY 

1940 


THE  STATE  DEPARTMENT  OF  EDUCATION, 

State-wide  Sponsor  of  the  Maine 

Writers'  Project 


FEDERAL  WORKS  AGENCY 
JOHN  M.  CARMODY,  Administrator 

WORK  PROJECTS  ADMINISTRATION 

F.  C.  HARRINGTON,  Commissioner 

FLORENCE  KERR,  Assistant  Commissioner 

JOHN  C.  FITZGERALD,  State  Administrator 


COPYRIGHT    1940   BY 

THE  CITY  OF  PORTLAND 

ALL  RIGHTS  RESERVED  INCLUDING  THE  RIGHT  TO  REPRODUCE 
THIS  BOOK  OR  PARTS  THEREOF  IN  ANY  FORM 


PRINTED  IN  THE  U.S.A. 

THE  FOREST  CITY  PRINTING  COMPANY 
PORTLAND  -  MAINE 


BERTRAM    C    PACKARD 

COUM 
EDWARD    C     RODERICK 


STATE   OF    MAINE 

Srpartment  of 


The  compilation  and  editing  of  the  Portland 
City  Guide  has  been  one  of  several  activities  of 
the  Maine  Writers*  Project  during  1939-40.  This 
project,  under  direct  sponsorship  of  the  State  of 
Maine  Department  of  Education,  has  prepared  several 
volumes  pertaining  to  the  Maine  scene,  enriching 
the  source  material  on  the  State  to  a  great  extent. 


Bertram  E.  Packard,  Commissioner 
Department  of  Education 


CITY    COUNCIL 
HARRY  E.MARXIN,  . 


CITY  OF  PORTLAND,  MAINE 


DIAL    3-0683  *  3-33O7 


The  Portland  City  Guide  is  an  attempt  in  a 
limited  space  to  cover  many  salient  facts  in  Port- 
land* s  cultural,  economic,  and  social  development. 
Not  since  John  Neal,  John  Hull,  and  Edward  ELwell 
visualized  for  us  the  years  prior  to  and  including 
the  1880»s,  has  a  comprehensive  picture  of  the  City 
of  Portland  been  ventured.  This  book  is  designed 
not  only  as  a  guidebook  for  the  interested  visitor 
to  the  city,  but  its  factual  background,  based  on 
diligent  research,  should  be  of  great  value  and 
interest  to  our  own  citizens,  revealing  as  it  does 
Portland's  rich  and  colorful  past. 


James  E.  Barlow 
CITY  MANAGER 


PREFACE 


AS  prepared  by  the  Maine  Writers'  Project  this  volume  represents  the  col- 
lective labor  of  many  persons  —  writers,  research  and  clerical  workers,  su- 
pervisors, photographers,  artists,  and  others.  Although  comprehensive,  the 
purpose  of  the  Portland  City  Guide  is  not  to  catalog  all  of  the  facts  of  the 
city's  three  hundred-odd  years  of  existence,  but  to  present  and  preserve 
significant  facts.  It  goes  beyond  the  limits  of  a  conventional  guidebook, 
first,  in  its  attempt  to  picture  and  explain  contemporary  Portland  by  present- 
ing its  people,  government,  arts  and  crafts,  physiography,  and  industry  in 
relation  to  its  historical  background;  and  second,  in  its  narrative  detailed 
description  of  hundreds  of  points  of  interest.  The  State  Supervisor  and 
Editors  realize  that  in  presenting  material  so  detailed,  and  in  many  cases 
drawn  from  fragmentary  and  conflicting  sources,  there  is  possibility  of  mis- 
interpretation. Also,  it  should  be  obvious  that,  in  discussion  of  the  many 
widely  diverse  subjects  by  many  different  writers,  various  personal  opinions 
are  bound  to  find  expression.  These  are  not  necessarily  the  opinions  of  the 
Work  Projects  Administration  or  the  sponsors  of  this  book  or  the  consult- 
ants whose  names  appear  below. 

The  book  may  be  considered  the  result  of  community  effort  rather  than 
the  achievement  of  any  person  or  group  of  persons.  The  interest  and  as- 
sistance of  individuals  not  connected  with  the  project  during  the  months  of 
preparing  the  manuscript  have  been  a  constant  source  of  encouragement. 

Project  workers  wish  to  express  their  especial  appreciation  to  Mr.  John 
C.  Fitzgerald,  State  Administrator  for  the  Work  Projects  Administration 
in  Maine,  and  to  Miss  Helen  I.  Twombly,  Director  of  Professional  and 
Service  Projects  in  Maine,  for  their  support  during  the  Maine  Writers' 
Project  work  program.  Also,  we  wish  to  thank  Dr.  Bertrand  M.  Packard, 
Commissioner  of  Education,  Mr.  James  E.  Barlow,  City  Manager  of  Port- 
land, Mr.  A.  Edwin  Smith,  City  Clerk,  and  members  of  the  Portland  City 
Council  for  their  continual  assistance. 

To  list  and  give  credit  to  all  who  have  generously  given  time  and  aid  in 
the  preparation  of  this  book  would  take  pages.  However,  we  wish  to  give 
special  thanks  to  those  consultants  who  often  put  aside  important  duties  to 
render  service  on  the  final  manuscript. 

We  are  indebted  to  Mr.  Richard  Gould,  Treasurer  of  the  Maine  Histori- 


x  Preface 

cal  Society,  Mr.  William  Hutchinson  Rowe,  author  of  many  historical 
studies,  and  Miss  Mae  Gilman  and  Miss  Marion  B.  Rowe,  Librarians  of  the 
Maine  Historical  Society,  for  their  invaluable  aid  in  their  review  of  the 
history  essay. 

Several  consultants  served  on  the  various  parts  of  natural  setting.  Mr. 
Bryan  O.  Whitney  and  Mr.  Charles  A.  Jones  of  the  Portland  Department 
of  Public  Works  reviewed  the  study  on  geography  and  topography.  Leon 
Tebbetts,  author  of  the  Amazing  Story  of  Maine,  was  consultant  for  the 
paper  on  geology  and  paleontology.  The  climate  essay  was  revamped  by 
Mr.  Robert  Dole,  official  in  charge  of  the  U.  S.  Weather  Bureau  in  Port- 
land. Mr.  Arthur  Norton,  Curator  of  the  Portland  Society  of  Natural 
History,  greatly  assisted  in  the  preparation  of  the  flora  and  fauna  article. 

Mr.  Philip  Milliken,  of  the  Canal  National  Bank,  assisted  on  the  finance 
paper,  and  Mr.  Charles  H.  Priest,  Manager  of  Port  of  Portland  Develop- 
ment, worked  with  us  on  the  commerce  essay.  Mr.  Richard  Hebert,  Presi- 
dent of  the  Maine  State  Industrial  Union  Council,  and  Mr.  David  Hast- 
ings, Executive  Secretary  of  the  Central  Labor  Board,  served  on  the  labor 
study.  Mr.  Arthur  Noon  of  the  Portland  Chamber  of  Commerce  acted  as 
consultant  on  the  industry  essay. 

We  are  deeply  indebted  to  Miss  Jane  Burbank,  Librarian  of  the  Port- 
land Public  Library,  Mr.  Harold  Oliphant,  chief  editorial  writer  for  the 
Portland  Press  Herald,  Edward  F.  Morrill,  Chairman  of  the  Board  of  Re- 
view of  the  Poetry  Fellowship  in  Maine,  and  Ray  Carter,  book  department 
head  of  Loring,  Short  &  Harmon,  for  their  work  on  the  literature  essay. 

We  were  particularly  fortunate  in  having  Mrs.  Sidney  St.  Felix  Thaxter, 
authority  on  the  Maine  theater,  Mr.  Albert  Hickey,  formerly  of  the  famous 
Jefferson  Players  and  onetime  State  Director  of  the  Federal  Theater  Pro- 
ject, Mr.  Albert  Willard  Smith,  Director  of  the  Portland  Players,  and  Mr. 
Michael  J.  Garrity,  active  for  many  years  in  the  Maine  theater,  as  con- 
sultants on  the  study  of  the  theater  in  Portland. 

Sister  M.  Honoratus,  Dean  of  St.  Joseph's  College,  Dr.  Milton  D. 
Proctor,  President  of  Westbrook  Junior  College,  and  Mr.  William  B.  Jack, 
Superintendent  of  the  Portland  Public  Schools,  reviewed  the  essay  on  edu- 
cation. 

The  study  on  radio  was  made  possible  through  the  co-operation  of  Mr. 
P.  W.  McCrum,  Secretary  of  the  Portland  Amateur  Wireless  Association, 
Mr.  Creighton  Getcheli,  General  Manager  of  Station  WGAN,  and  Mr. 
L.  T.  Pitman,  General  Manager  of  Station  WCSH. 

Although  nearly  all  of  the  local  architects  were  consulted,  the  final  paper 
on  architecture  was  submitted  to  Mr.  John  P.  Thomas,  Mr.  Ambrose 


Preface  xi 

Stevens  Higgins,  and  the  late  John  Calvin  Stevens,  dean  of  Maine  archi- 
tects. 

We  deeply  appreciate  the  close  co-operation  of  the  Right  Reverend  Mon- 
signor  George  P.  Johnson,  of  the  Portland  Diocese,  the  Reverend  Ernest 
W.  Robinson,  District  Superintendent  of  the  Methodist  Churches,  the 
Reverend  G.  Ernest  Lynch,  of  the  First  Parish  Church,  and  Rabbi  Mendell 
Lewittes,  of  the  Portland  Jewry,  in  the  preparation  of  the  religion  essay. 

The  arts  and  crafts  essay  could  not  have  been  completed  without  the  co- 
operation of  Mrs.  Dorothy  H.  Jensen,  State  Supervisor  of  the  Maine  Art 
Project,  and  Mr.  Seldon  Fox,  local  authority  on  art.  We  are  particularly 
grateful  to  Mr.  Alexander  Bower,  Director  of  the  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Me- 
morial Art  Museum,  who  spent  many  hours  revising  this  essay. 

The  study  on  Portland  newspapers  was  submitted  to  Colonel  Henry 
Bigelow,  former  editor  of  the  Portland  Press  Herald,  and  Mr.  William  H. 
Dow,  former  editor  of  the  Portland  Evening  Express. 

The  manuscript  on  music  was  submitted  to  Miss  Louise  Armstrong, 
President  of  the  Rossini  Club,  Mr.  Alfred  Brinkler,  founder  of  the  Port- 
land Polyphonic  Society  and  conductor  for  many  years  of  the  Portland 
Men's  Singing  Club,  Mr.  Herbert  Barnard  and  Mr.  Herbert  G.  Jones, 
local  music  authorities,  and  Mr.  Reginald  Bonnin,  State  Supervisor  of  the 
Maine  Music  Project. 

The  government  essay  was  submitted  as  a  whole  to  members  of  the  Port- 
land City  Council;  the  section  on  army  and  navy  to  Brigadier  General 
James  W.  Hanson,  Adjutant  General  for  the  State  of  Maine;  and  the  sec- 
tion on  courts  to  Mr.  Benjamin  G.  Ward,  Secretary-Treasurer  of  the  Cum- 
berland Bar  Association. 

We  must  make  composite  acknowledgment  of  the  sympathetic  and  valu- 
able aid  given  by  State  and  City  departments,  by  Federal  agencies,  by  his- 
torical societies,  colleges,  and  libraries,  all  of  whose  research  facilities  have 
been  made  available  to  the  project.  We  wish  to  give  special  thanks  to  the 
staff  of  the  Portland  Public  Library,  and  particularly  to  Miss  Emma  Gould 
and  Miss  Olive  Lee  of  the  reference  room,  Miss  Marion  Fryatt  of  the  art 
room,  and  Miss  Virginia  R.  Desmond  of  the  periodical  room,  all  of  whom 
were  particularly  helpful  to  research  workers.  Also,  a  great  deal  of  as- 
sistance was  extended  by  Miss  Anne  Freeman,  Librarian  of  the  Nathan  and 
Henry  B.  Cleaves  Law  Library,  Miss  Helen  M.  Libby,  Librarian  of  the 
Maine  Charitable  Mechanics'  Association,  Miss  Bernice  Breck  of  the  L. 
D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art  Museum,  Mr.  Louis  Tappe  Ibbotson,  Librarian 
of  the  University  of  Maine,  Mr.  Gerald  G.  Wilder,  Librarian  of  Bowdoin 
College,  the  staffs  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society,  the  Maine  State  Library, 


xii  Preface 

the  Portland  Society  of  Natural  History,  and  the  Portland  Chamber  of 
Commerce. 

We  wish  to  thank  the  various  artists  and  photographers  who  have  gen- 
erously allowed  us  to  include  their  work  in  the  Portland  City  Guide  y  credited 
in  the  List  of  Illustrations.  The  decorations  and  chapter  headings  are  the 
work  of  Fred  S.  Humiston,  Jr.,  a  member  of  the  Maine  Art  Project. 

The  Portland  City  Guide  was  prepared  through  the  collaboration  of 
many  workers  of  the  Project:  Continuity  —  Herbert  G.  Jones,  Adeline  E. 
Putnam,  Helen  A.  Campbell,  Donald  M.  McCormick,  Frank  A.  Howe, 
and  Herbert  H.  Fernald;  Research  and  Field  Work  —  Mildred  M.  Welch, 
Ursula  Tighe,  Frances  Wright  Turner,  Mary  O'Neil,  Lulu  G.  Ryan,  Alice 
M.  Donley,  Kate  R.  Farnham,  Clarence  H.  SeeHusen,  William  H.  O'Brien, 
Roscoe  Hilborn,  Ralph  L.  Gardner,  Robert  J.  Flaherty,  Thomas  E.  Martin, 
and  Leslie  C.  Turner;  Maps — Donald  G.  Ward  and  Henry  E.  Sylvester; 
Librarians — Willard  E.  Locke  and  Arthur  B.  Vaughan. 

This  volume  was  prepared  under  the  technical  and  editorial  advice  of  Dr. 
Frank  Manuel,  former  Technical  Advisor  of  the  WPA  Writers'  Program 
in  New  England,  without  whose  staunch  support  this  volume  might  never 
have  been  published. 

R.  RICHARD  ELLINGWOOD,  State  Supervisor 
MARIE  T.  HOWE,  State  Editor 
EDWARD  F.  MORRILL,  State  Editor 
KENNETH  H.  TOLMAN,  Research  Editor 


TABLE    OF   CONTENTS 


FOREWORD  Photostat 

By  Bertram  E.  Packard,  Commissioner  of  Education  in  Maine 

FOREWORD  Photostat 

By  James  E.  Barlow,  City  Manager 

PREFACE  ix 

By  R.  Richard  Ellingwood,  State  Supervisor,  Maine  Writers* 
Project 

GENERAL  INFORMATION  xxiii 

Calendar  of  Events  xxvi 

HOTEL  AND  OTHER  ACCOMMODATIONS  xxix 

RECREATIONAL  FACILITIES  xxxiii 


I.  PORTLAND:  THE  GENERAL  BACKGROUND 

NATURAL  SETTING  3 

Name  3 

Geography  and  Topography  3 

Harbor  and  Bay  4 

The  Islands  6 

Geology  and  Paleontology  11 

Climate  13 

Flora  and  Fauna  15 

HISTORY  18 

GOVERNMENT  53 

THE  PATTERN  OF  THE  PEOPLE  59 


xiv  Contents 

II.  ECONOMIC  AND  SOCIAL  DEVELOPMENT 

COMMERCE  65 

INDUSTRY  71 

FINANCE  78 

LABOR  86 

EDUCATION  93 

RELIGION  103 

TRANSPORTATION  118 

ARTS  AND  CRAFTS  127 

ARCHITECTURE  143 

LITERATURE  149 

NEWSPAPERS  169 

Music  177 

THEATER  195 

RADIO  206 

III.  SECTIONAL  DESCRIPTIONS 

DOWNTOWN  SECTION  211 

BRAMHALL  HILL  SECTION  262 

MUNJOY  HELL  SECTION  274 

WOODFORDS  SECTION  288 

STROUDWATER  SECTION  301 

RIVERTON  SECTION  313 

SELECTED  READING  LIST  317 

INDEX  319 


ILLUSTRATIONS 


TALL  MAST  AND  RESTLESS  SEA  between  2  and  3 

PORTLAND  HEAD  LIGHT,  a  Water  Color 

Alice  Harmon  Shaw 
REFLECTIONS 

Ralph  F.  Blood 
WRECK  NEAR  PORTLAND  HEAD  LIGHT 

Collection  of  Richard  K.  Gould 

CAPE  SHORE  SURF 

Ralph  F.  Blood 
LUMBER  SCHOONER,  an  Etching 

WIDGERY  WHARF,  an  Etching 

Lin-wood  Easton 
THE  EDNA  HOYT 

Ralph  F.  Blood 
CASCO  BAY  SUNSET 

Sachelie  Studio 

GROTTO  SUNRISE 
UNKNOWN  PATHS 

Ralph  F.  Blood 

IN  RETROSPECT  between  18  and  19 

OLD  TOWN  HALL  (1830's)  IN  MARKET,  NOW  MONUMENT  SQUARE 
OLD  EXCHANGE  BUILDING  (1835-54) 

Collection  of  Richard  K.  Gould 

CUMBERLAND  AND  OXFORD  CANAL  BOAT  ON  SEBAGO  LAKE  (1860) 
CUMBERLAND  AND  OXFORD  CANAL  (1860's) 

Collection  of  Philip  I.  Milliken 

SOLDIERS  AND  SAILORS  MONUMENT  AND  UNITED  STATES  HOTEL 

THE  PREBLE  HOUSE  (1892) 

STEAMER  Portland  WHICH  SANK  IN  1898 

OTTAWA  HOUSE  ON  CUSHING  ISLAND,  BURNED  IN  1917 

BIRTHPLACE  OF  THOMAS  BRACKETT  REED,  DEMOLISHED  IN  1938 

Collection  of  A.  Edwin  Smith 

A  GLIMPSE  INTO  THE  PAST  between  50  and  51 

THE  T)ESERT  OF  TENTS'  AFTER  THE  'GREAT  FIRE' 
SOUTHWEST  CORNER  OF  OAK  AND  CONGRESS  STREETS  (1866) 

Collection  of  Richard  K.  Gould 


xvi  Illustrations 

MIDDLE  STREET  FROM  CROSS  STREET  AFTER  THE  'GREAT  FIRE* 

OLD  FLUENT  BLOCK  ON  CONGRESS  STREET  (1870's) 

VIEW  DOWN  EXCHANGE  AND  LIME  (MARKET)  STREETS  (1862) 

PORTLAND  CITY  HALL  (1866) 

SOUTHEAST  FROM  OLD  CITY  HALL  TOWARD  WATER  FRONT  (1860) 

NORTHEAST  CORNER  OAK  AND  CONGRESS  STREETS  (1866) 

CONGRESS  STREET,  LOOKING  WEST  (1866) 

Collection  of  Richard  K.  Gould 

EXCHANGE  STREET  (1894) 

FOREST  AVENUE  NORTH  FROM  PARK  AVENUE  (1870) 

Collection  of  City  of  Portland 

EARLY  PORTLAND  FIRE  ENGINE,  a  Pencil  Sketch 

C.  A.  Good  hue 

INDUSTRY  AND  COMMERCE  between  66  and  67 

SOUTHWEST  SECTION  OF  PORTLAND,  a  Linoleum  Print 

Dorothy  Hay  Jensen 

BALED  PULP 

John  A.  Marshall 

DRYING  NETS 

Donald  Loveday 

LONGSHOREMEN 

Dominick  Avanzato 

FISHING  BOATS 

Gannett  Publishing  Co. 

FOOD  PACKING  (2) 

Burnham   &  Morri.il  Packing  Co. 
Dominick  Avanzato 

PORTLAND  is  IMPORTANT  AS  A  PETROLEUM  DISTRIBUTING  CENTER 
POTTERY  KILNS 

Donald  Loveday 

MANY  MODERN  INDUSTRIAL  PLANTS  ARE  LOCATED  IN  THE  CITY 

American  Can  Co. 

COAL  POCKETS,  an  Etching 

Josiah  Tubby 

EDUCATION  between  98  and  99 

DEERING  HIGH  SCHOOL 

William  E.  Wing 

PORTLAND  JUNIOR  COLLEGE 

Richard  H.  Woodbury 

LIFE  CLASS  AT  PORTLAND  SCHOOL  OF  FINE  AND  APPLIED  ART 

Dominick  Avanzato 

PORTLAND  JUNIOR  TECHNICAL  COLLEGE 

Everett  W.  Lord 


Illustrations  xvii 

PUBLIC  SCHOOL  MANUAL  TRAINING 
PUBLIC  SCHOOL  MECHANICAL  TRAINING 

PUBLIC  SCHOOL  KINDERGARTEN 

Collection  of  City  of  Portland 
MAY  DAY  AT  WAYNFLETE  SCHOOL 

Gannett  Publishing  Co. 

MAINE  SCHOOL  FOR  THE  BLIND 

Dominick  Avanzato 
ST.  JOSEPH'S  CONVENT  AND  ACADEMY 

Donald  Loveday 

WESTBROOK  JUNIOR  COLLEGE 

Jackson-White  Studio 

PORTLAND  HIGH  SCHOOL 

Kennedy  Studio 

PORTLAND'S  ENVIRONS  between  130  and  131 

ISLAND  STEAMERS,  a  Linoleum  Print 


Ralph 

BRIDGE  AT  YARMOUTH 
SEBAGO  LAKE 

Dominick  Avanzato 
ISLAND  EBB  TIDE,  an  Etching 

Alice  Harmon  Shaw 

GRAND  TRUNK  RAILROAD  BRIDGE,  EAST  DEERING,  an  Etching 

Josiah  Tubby 

SPURWINK  MEETINGHOUSE,  CAPE  ELIZABETH,  a  Painting 
'BUGGY'  MEETINGHOUSE,  SCARBOROUGH,  a  Painting 

Alexander  Bower 

ST.  JOHN'S  CHURCH,  BRUNSWICK 
PRESUMPSCOT  RIVER  FALLS 

Dominick  Avanzato 

ARCHITECTURE  between  146  and  147 

BELFREY  OF  GREEK  HELLENIC  CHURCH,  a  Pencil  Sketch 

Josiah  Tubby 

PORTLAND  CLUB 

Allen  Hubbard 

NEAL  SHAW  MANSION 

Collection  of  Richard  K.  Gould 

CANAL  NATIONAL  BANK  BUILDING 

Allen  Hubbard 

UNION  STATION 

Gannett  Publishing  Co. 


xviii  Illustrations 

L.  D.  M.  SWEAT  MANSION 

Dominick  Avanzato 

ST.  STEPHEN'S  CHURCH 

Gannett  Publishing  Co. 

FIREPLACE  IN  MEANS  HOUSE 

Dominick  Avanzato 

PASSING  GLANCES  between  178  and  179 

NEWBURY  STREET  FROM  FORE  STREET,  a  Water  Color 

Herbert  G.  Jones 

PORTLAND  FIRE  BOAT 

Sachelie  Studio 

CENTRAL  FIRE  STATION 

Dominick  Avanzato 

FIRE  FIGHTERS 

John  A.  Marshall 

KOTZSCHMAR  MEMORIAL  ORGAN  AND  PORTLAND  SYMPHONY 
ORCHESTRA 

Collection  of  City  of  Portland 

LONGFELLOW  HOUSE 

H.  /.  Burrowes  Co. 
FREE  STREET 

Dominick  Avanzato 

GRAND  TRUNK  GRAIN  ELEVATOR 

Donald  Loveday 

FROM  LINCOLN  PARK,  an  Etching 

Linwood  Easton 
CITY  AND  SUBURBS  between  194  and  195 

CORNER  OF  FORE  AND  CHATHAM  STREETS,  an  Etching 

Limvood  Easton 

OLD  BAILEY  HOUSE 
TATE  HOUSE 

Dominick.  Avanzato 

SUMMER  NIGHT 

Eugene  Adams 

WINTER 

Ralph  F.  Blood 
SPRINGTIME 

SURF  FISHING 

Gannett  Publishing  Co. 

BIRTHPLACE  OF  HENRY  W.  LONGFELLOW,  an  Etching 

NOVEMBER,  an  Etching 

OLD  FORE  STREET  JUNK  SHOP,  an  Etching 

Limvood  Easton 


Illustrations  xix 

PUBLIC  BUILDINGS  between  210  and  211 

PORTLAND  CITY  HALL,  a  Pen  and  Ink  Sketch 

F.  S.  Humiston 
FEDERAL  COURTHOUSE 

Dominick  Avanzato 

CUMBERLAND  COUNTY  COURTHOUSE 

W.  N.  Gay 
OLD  POST  OFFICE  BUILDING 

NEW  POST  OFFICE  BUILDING 

Dominick  Avanzato 

CITY  HOME 

John  A.  Marshall 
MAINE  GENERAL  HOSPITAL 

SHOPS  AND  STOREHOUSE  OF  PORTLAND  WATER  DISTRICT 

Donald  Loveday 
CITY  GREENHOUSES 

Dominick  Avanzato 

CITY  HALL  ENTRANCE 

John  A.  Marshall 
HEART  OF  THE  CITY 

Portland  Flying  Service 

PORTLAND'S  SEVERAL  CITY  HALLS 

Collection  of  Richard  K.  Gould 

COMPARISONS  between  242  and  243 

THE  TWENTIETH  CENTURY  CITY,  a  Pencil  Sketch 

Josiah  Tubby 

MONUMENT  SQUARE  AND  CONGRESS  STREET  (1890's) 

Collection  of  A.  Edwin  Smith 

MONUMENT  SQUARE  TODAY 

John  A.  Marshall 

AIR  VIEW  (Western  and  Eastern  Sections) 

Portland  Flying  Service 

CONGRESS  STREET  (1890's) 

Collection  of  A.  Edwin  Smith 

CONGRESS  STREET  TODAY 

John  A.  Marshall 
VIEW  OF  PORTLAND  HARBOR  (1855) 

Photograph  of  old  print 

HERE  AND  THERE  IN  TOWN  between  258  and  259 

FIRST  PARISH  CHURCH,  a  Linoleum  Print 

Ralph  Frizzell 

SCHOOL  OF  FINE  AND  APPLIED  ART 

Alexander  Bower 


XX 


Illustrations 


Alexander  Bower 


THE  PORTLAND  PLAYERS 

PORTLAND  YACHT  CLUB 

LIGHTHOUSE  WHARF 

L.  D.  M.  SWEAT  MEMORIAL  ART  MUSEUM 

PORTLAND  OBSERVATORY 

ST.  JOSEPH'S  CATHOLIC  CHURCH 
PORTLAND  CHAMBER  OF  COMMERCE 
IMMANUEL  BAPTIST  CHURCH 
ST.  LUKE'S  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 
CASSIDY  HILL,  an  Etching 

MEMORIALS,  PARKS,  AND  PLAYGROUNDS 
FORT  ALLEN  PARK 

DEERING  OAKS  PLAYGROUND 

CORNER  BASEBALL 

EAST  END  BATHING  BEACH 

'THE  OLD  SWIMMING  HOLE' 

WILDE  MEMORIAL  CHAPEL,  EVERGREEN  CEMETERY 

FLOWER  CIRCLE,  DEERING  OAKS 


GULLIVER  FIELD  POND 
BAXTER  BOULEVARD  MEMORIAL 

FESSENDEN  PARK 
WESTERN  PROMENADE 
LONGFELLOW  MONUMENT 


Dominick  Avan^ato 
Gannett  Publishing  Co. 

Dominick  Avanzato 
Gannett  Publishing  Co. 

Dominick  Avanzato 
Limvood  Easton 

between  290  and  291 

Sachelie  Studio 
John  A.  Marshall 
Dominick  Avanzato 
John  A.  Marshall 
Dominick  Avanzato 
John  A.  Marshall 
Gannett  Publishing  Co. 


Dominick  Avanzato 
John  A.  Marshall 
Donald  Loveday 
Dominick  Avanzato 
between  306  and  307 


SPORTS  AND  RECREATION 

PORTLAND — GATEWAY  TO  MAINE'S  BIG  GAME  HUNTING  COUNTRY 
SWIMMING 

Gannett  Publishing  Co. 


Maps 


xxi 


YACHTING 

DUCK  SHOOTING  is  EXCELLENT  IN  NEAR- 
GOLF 

OPEN-AIR  HORSE  SHOW 
POLO 
RACING 
PROFESSIONAL  BOXING 

ANNUAL  PATRIOTS'  DAY  MARATHON 
BASKETBALL 

BASEBALL 
FOOTBALL 


SKIING 


DOWNTOWN  SECTION 
BRAMHALL  HILL  SECTION 
MUNJOY  HILL  SECTION 
WOODFORDS  SECTION 
STROUDWATER  SECTION 
RIVERTON  SECTION 


MAPS 


Gannett  Publishing  Co. 

BY  MERRYMEETING  BAY 

Kennebec  Journal 

Gannett  Publishing  Co. 

Tomlinson  Riding  School 

Reginald  T.  Lombard 

Gannett  Publishing  Co. 

Coley  Welch 

Portland  Boys'  Club 

Gannett  Publishing  Co. 
Eugene  Adams 


pages  212  and  213 
263 
275 
259 
302 
314 


GENERAL  INFORMATION 

Highways:  Two  Federal  highways,  US  1,  Fort  Kent  to  Florida,  and  US 
302,  Portland  to  Montpelier,  Vt.  Five  State  highways,  Me.  3,  9,  25,  26, 
100.  State  police  patrol  the  highways. 

Railroad  Stations:  Union  Station,  242-296  St.  John  Street,  for  Boston 
&  Maine  and  Maine  Central  Railroads;  Grand  Trunk  Station,  15  India 
Street,  for  Grand  Trunk  -  Canadian  National  Railways;  Deering  Junction 
Station,  1201  Forest  Avenue,  and  Woodfords  Station,  729-756  Forest 
Avenue,  for  Maine  Central  Railroad. 

Bus  Stations:  Portland  Bus  &  Travel  Terminal,  159  High  Street,  for 
Maine  Central  Transportation  Co.,  Boston  &  Maine  Transportation  Co., 
Checker  Cab  Co.;  Greyhound  Bus  Terminal,  600  Congress  Street,  for 
Greyhound  and  affiliated  lines;  Portland  Bus  Co.,  498  Cumberland  Avenue, 
for  surburban  lines,  and  Gorham,  Sanford,  and  South  Windham  lines. 

Airport:  Portland  City  Airport,  7  Westbrook  Street,  for  Boston  & 
Maine  Airways,  Northeast  Airways,  Inc.,  and  Portland  Flying  Service. 
Fifteen  minutes  from  Monument  Square.  Taxi,  50c  per  passenger,  each 
way.  Stroudwater  bus,  lOc  fare. 

Street-cars  and  Local  Busses:  Cumberland  County  Power  and  Light  Co. — 
trolley  and  motor-busses  serve  all  sections  of  the  city;  fare  lOc  with  univer- 
sal transfer;  additional  5c  fare  to  Westbrook,  Riverton,  Cape  Cottage  or 
South  Portland  Heights.  Portland  Bus  Co. — motor  busses  on  several  city 
and  surburban  lines.  All  trolley  and  bus  lines  start  at  Monument  Square. 

Taxis:  All  meter  cabs;  rate,  20c  for  first  1/3  mile  and  lOc  for  each  addi- 
tional 1/3  mile.  No  charge  for  additional  passengers. 

Ferries:  Peaks  Island  Ferry,  60  Portland  Pier,  passengers  and  automo- 
biles; Casco  Bay  Lines,  24  Custom  House  Wharf,  for  passenger  and  freight 
service  to  principal  Casco  Bay  Islands  and  to  South  Harpswell;  Inner  Bay 


xxiv  General  Information 

Line  (summer  only),  operating  in  conjunction  with  bus  from  Greyhound 
Bus  Terminal,  for  passengers  between  Falmouth  Foreside  and  Chebeag 
Island;  Island  Evening  Line,  (summer  only),  50  Portland  Pier,  for  pas- 
sengers to  Gushing  Island. 

Excursions  and  Sightseeing:  Casco  Bay  Lines,  24  Custom  House  Wharf, 
for  daily  Casco  Bay  excursions;  Eastern  Travel  Bureau — Town  Motor 
Tours  Co.,  155  High  Street,  for  local  sightseeing  and  out  of  city  motor 
tours;  Portland  Bus  Co.,  155  High  Street,  for  inland,  lake-country  motor 
tour  (see  also  Recreational  Facilities) . 

Yacht  Club  and  Anchorages:  Portland  Yacht  Club,  end  of  Merchants 
Wharf,  has  landing  facilities  for  member  and  visiting  yachtsmen.  An- 
chorages in  both  inner  and  outer  harbor.  Fuel  is  available  at  Yacht  Club 
wharf.  Seaplane  anchorage  in  harbor. 

Street  Order  and  Numbering:  Streets  in  metropolitan  area  are  num- 
bered from  the  water  front  (northwest  and  southwest).  Avenues  and 
boulevards  are  numbered  from  the  heart  of  the  city,  irrespective  of  the  di- 
rection. 

Traffic  Regulations:  Care  must  be  taken  to  observe  the  signal  lights  and 
direction  signs  at  street  intersections.  These  lights  and  signs  are  either  in 
the  center  of  street  or  on  sidewalk.  Many  one-way  streets,  indicated  by 
arrow  signs,  will  be  encountered  throughout  the  city.  No  U  turns  allowed 
on  Congress  Street  between  State  and  Chestnut  streets.  Parking  regula- 
tions are  indicated  by  signs  and  painted  curb  markings — red  indicating  no 
parking,  and  black  and  white  indicating  passenger  loading  zones;  between 
12  p.m.  and  9  a.m.,  where  a  shorter  period  is  not  indicated,  four  hours 
parking  is  the  limit.  Non-resident  passenger  cars  may  operate  on  Maine 
highways  for  a  period  of  30  days  in  any  one  year;  operators  duly  registered 
in  their  state  are  not  required  to  take  out  operator's  or  chauffeur's  licenses. 

Accommodations:  Hotels,  inns,  tourist  homes,  and  boardinghouses;  rates 
vary.  Tourist  and  trailer  camps  are  located  on  the  several  main  highways 
entering  the  city.  Consult  the  Chamber  of  Commerce  or  the  Maine  Pub- 
licity Bureau  (see  Hotel  and  Other  Accommodations) . 

Theaters  and  Motion-Picture  Houses:  Ten  motion-picture  theaters  in 
metropolitan  area;  one  theater- workshop,  producing  ten  plays  yearly;  oc- 
casional road  shows;  concerts  and  ballets  at  Municipal  Auditorium  in  City 
Hall. 


General  Information  xxv 

Concert  Halls  and  Auditoriums:  City  Hall  Auditorium,  389  Congress 
Street;  Portland  Exposition  Building,  239  Park  Avenue;  Frye  Hall,  78 
Spring  Street;  Chamber  of  Commerce  Auditorium,  142  Free  Street.  Con- 
certs, plays,  etc.,  are  also  held  at  Portland  High  School  Auditorium,  284 
Cumberland  Avenue,  and  Deering  High  School  Auditorium,  370  Stevens 
Avenue. 

Newspapers:  Portland  Press  Herald,  morning  daily;  Portland  Evening 
Express,  late  afternoon  daily;  Portland  Sunday  Telegram,  weekly.  Out-of- 
town  papers  available  at  Union  Station  and  several  newsstands  in  the 
metropolitan  area. 

Broadcasting  Stations:  WGAN — The  Portland  Broadcasting  System, 
with  studios  in  the  Columbia  Hotel,  645A  Congress  Street,  and  WCSH — 
Congress  Square  Hotel  Co.,  with  studios  in  the  Congress  Square  Hotel. 

State  Liquor  Stores:  227  Middle  Street  and  959  Congress  Street;  open 
week  days  9:00  a.m.  to  6:00  p.m.;  Saturdays  9:00  a.m.  to  10:00  p.m.; 
closed  Sundays,  Government  court  holidays,  State  election  and  primary 
days.  Single  purchases  of  more  than  five  wine  gallons  must  be  made  through 
State  wholesale  liquor  store,  98  Water  Street,  Augusta. 

Information  Service:  Chamber  of  Commerce,  142  Free  Street;  Maine 
Publicity  Bureau,  3  St.  John  Street;  Travelers'  Aid  Society,  120  Free 
Street,  and  Union  Station;  State  Chamber  of  Commerce  and  Agricultural 
League,  City  Hall;  American  Automobile  Association,  212  Middle  Street; 
Automobile  League  of  America,  142  High  Street;  Gannett  Publishing  Co., 
177  Federal  Street;  all  bus  terminals  and  leading  hotels. 

Telephone  and  Telegraph:  New  England  Telephone  and  Telegraph  Co., 
55  Forest  Avenue.  The  dial  system  is  used  throughout  the  city.  For  city 
calls,  dial  desired  number;  for  Peak  Island,  dial  9,  and  for  Westbrook, 
dial  8,  and  give  number  to  operator.  Western  Union,  13  Monument 
Square.  Postal  Telegraph-Cable  Co.,  8  Preble  Street. 

Post  Offices:  General  Post  Office,  125  Forest  Avenue;  Pearl  Street  Sta- 
tion, 76  Pearl  Street;  Peak  Island  Station,  Island  Avenue;  Woodford 
Station,  647  Forest  Avenue;  West  End  Station,  947  Congress  Street;  Fort 
McKinley  Station,  Great  Diamond  Island;  and  fourteen  contract  numbered 
stations  in  various  parts  of  the  city. 

First  Aid  Stations:  U.  S.  Army  1st  Aid  Station,  93  Franklin  Street,  and 
Police  Headquarters,  132  Federal  Street. 


XXVI 


Calendar  of  Events 


National  Service  Clubs:  Kiwanis  Club,  Tuesday  at  12  m.,  in  the  Lafayette 
Hotel;  Lions  Club,  Tuesday  at  12:15  p.m.  in  the  Eastland  Hotel;  Rotary 
Club,  Friday  at  12:15  p.m.  in  the  Falmouth  Hotel;  Altrusa  Club,  on  the 
first  Wednesday  of  each  month  at  12:30  p.m.  and  the  third  Friday  of  each 
month  at  6:30  p.m.,  in  the  Lafayette  Hotel;  Business  and  Professional 
Women's  Club,  Monday  at  8:00  p.m.,  at  415  Cumberland  Avenue. 

Shopping  Information:  Main  retail  center  along  Congress  Street,  from 
Longfellow  Square  northeast  to  Monument  Square,  and  on  adjacent  side 
streets.  Greater  number  of  wholesale  establishments  on  Federal,  Middle, 
Exchange,  Fore,  and  Commercial  streets.  Marine  supplies  along  Commer- 
cial Street  and  adjoining  wharves.  Farmers  open-air  public  market  on 
north  side  of  Federal  Street  between  Franklin  and  Market  streets. 

Climate  and  Clothing:  Variable,  with  temperatures  ranging  from  the 
nineties  in  summer  to  below  zero  in  winter.  Cool  evenings  may  be  ex- 
pected in  summer,  particularly  on  the  islands.  Clothing  should  be  pro- 
vided according  to  season. 

Sports  and  Recreation:  See  Recreational  Facilities. 


CALENDAR  OF  EVENTS 

January:  Westbrook  Junior  College  Winter  Carnival.  Jewish  Community 
Center  Bowery  Party.  Children's  Winter  Garden  Party  of  Coun- 
cil of  Religious  Education. 

February:       Girl  Scouts  Winter  Carnival.  Camp  Fire  Girls  Winter  Carnival. 

March:  Four-Cornered  Track  Meet  —  Portland,  Deering,  South  Portland 

High  Schools  and  Thornton  Academy  of  Saco.  Portland  City 
Basketball  Tournament.  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Basketball  Tournament. 
L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art  Museum  Exhibition  of  Oils,  Water 
Colors,  and  Pastels. 

April:  Portland  High  School  Cadet  Ball.  Y.  M.  C.  A.  State  Swimming 

Contest.  Portland  Boys'  Club  Annual  Road  Race.  Better  Housing 
Exposition.  Portland  Veteran  Firemen's  Association  Annual  Ball. 
L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art  Museum  Annual  Photographic 
Salon. 

May:  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Annual  Gym  Demonstration.  Waynflete  School  In- 

terschool  Riding  Meet.  State  Grocers'  Association  Annual  Food 
Show.  Haylofters'  Spring  Water  Color  Exhibition. 


Calendar  of  Events 


xxvn 


June:  Westbrook  Junior  College  Horse  Show.    Interscholastic  Track 

Meet.  High  School  and  College  Commencement  Exercises.  Long- 
fellow Garden  Club  Annual  Flower  Show.  Veterans'  Association, 
Light  Infantry,  Annual  Field  Day.  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial 
Art  Museum  and  School  of  Fine  and  Applied  Arts  Exhibition. 

July:  Daily  Organ  Recitals  in  Portland  City  Hall.  Cumberland  County 

Horseshoe  Tournament.  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art  Museum 
Summer  Exhibit.  Portland  Yacht  Club  Cruise,  Regatta,  and 
Power  Boat  Navigation  Race. 

August:  Daily  Organ  Recitals  in  Portland  City  Hall.  Municipal  Golf 
Tournament  at  Riverside  Country  Club.  Municipal  Tennis  Tour- 
nament at  Riverside  Country  Club.  Portland  Yacht  Club  — 
Portland  to  Monhegan  Ocean  Race,  Open  Regatta,  Casco  Bay 
Centerboard  Yacht  Race. 

September:  Portland  Horse  Show  at  Tomlinson  Riding  Club.  Portland  Yacht 
Club  Chowder  Race. 

October:         Policemen's  Ball.   Maine  Kennel  Club  Dog  Show. 

November:  Portland  -  Deering  Annual  Football  Game.  Y.  M.  C.  A.  State 
Checker  Tourney.  Portland  Auto  Show.  Antique  Show.  Armis- 
tice Day  Parade  and  Celebration.  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art 
Museum  Art  Week. 

December:  Elks'  Annual  Charity  Circus.  Firemen's  Relief  Association  Annual 
Dance.  Christmas  Fund  for  the  Blind  Annual  Dance.  Maine 
Poultry  Association  Annual  Poultry  Show.  Longfellow  Garden 
Club  Winter  Flower  Show. 


HOTEL  AND  OTHER  ACCOMMODATIONS 

During  most  of  the  year  Portland  possesses  ample  hotel  and  other  fa- 
cilities, but  in  summer  when  many  thousands  of  vacationers  throng  the  city, 
either  to  remain  in  the  immediate  vicinity  or  en  route  to  the  forest,  lake  and 
shore  regions  of  the  State,  it  is  suggested  that  visitors  write  or  wire  in  ad- 
vance for  accommodations  desired,  to  prevent  possible  inconvenience  or  dis- 
appointment. 

HOTELS 

Ambassador  Hotel,  37  Casco  Street;  87  rooms,  all  with  private  bath  and 
housekeeping  facilities;  daily  rates  $2  up,  weekly  rates  $12  up.  European 
plan;  free  heated  garage. 

Columbia  Hotel,  645  Congress  Street;  125  rooms,  all  with  hot  and  cold 
running  water  and  100  with  private  bath;  daily  rates  $2  up,  weekly  rates 
(summer)  $12  up  and  (winter)  $8  up.  European  and  American  plans; 
garage  50c  and  75c  per  day;  and  barber  shop.  The  hotel's  Georgian  Dining 
Room,  on  the  first  floor,  features  'Down-East  Clam  Chowder'  on  Friday; 
regular  breakfasts,  luncheons,  and  dinners  are  served  at  moderate  prices. 
The  Hawaiian  Room,  with  a  mural  of  Great  Diamond  Head,  by  Portland's 
Anton  Skillin,  features  'Hawaiian  Cooler,'  'Streamline  Special,'  and  'Flying 
Yankee'  cocktails. 

East  land  Hotel,  157  High  Street,  and  Congress  Square  Hotel,  579  Con- 
gress Street;  75 1  rooms,  all  with  hot  and  cold  running  water  and  radios  and 
630  with  private  baths;  daily  rates  $2  -  $6.  European  plan;  garage  75c  and 
$1  per  day;  parking  lot  50c  overnight;  ballroom,  beauty  shop,  and  barber 
shop.  In  the  Eastland  Hotel  is  the  Egyptian  Court  Dining  Room  where 
regular  luncheons  and  dinners  are  served;  this  hotel's  Danish  Room,  on  the 


xxx  Hotel  and  Other  Accommodations 

first  floor,  serves  breakfast,  luncheon,  and  dinner,  and  features  Danish 
pastry.  The  Congress  Square  Observation  Room,  serving  luncheons  only, 
overlooks  the  city  and  presents  a  panoramic  view  over  the  harbor  and  the  is- 
landed Casco  Bay;  the  Congress  Square  Coffee  Shop  serves  breakfast, 
luncheon,  and  dinner.  In  the  Congress  Square  Lounge  a  featured  cocktail 
is  the  'Congress  Square  Special'  of  gin,  vermouth,  and  curagao. 

Everett  Hotel,  5lA  Oak  Street;  55  rooms,  all  with  hot  and  cold  running 
water;  daily  rates  $1.50,  weekly  rates  $8.  Free  parking  lot. 

Falmouth  Hotel,  212  Middle  Street;  160  rooms,  all  with  hot  and  cold 
running  water  and  100  with  private  baths;  daily  rates  $1.50  -  $4.50,  weekly 
rates  $9  up.  European  plan;  garage  50c  per  day,  $3.50  per  week;  and  barber 
shop.  One  of  the  well-known  Langley's  Restaurant's,  specializing  in  sea 
food,  serves  breakfast,  luncheon,  and  dinner;  the  Grill  Room,  on  the  second 
floor,  serves  luncheons  and  dinners.  There  is  dancing  nightly  in  the  Fal~ 
mouth  Cocktail  Lounge. 

Graymore  Hotel,  21  Preble  Street;  150  rooms,  of  which  75  have  private 
baths  and  75  hot  and  cold  running  water;  daily  rates  $1.50  -  $3.50,  weekly 
rates  $6  -  $12.50.  European  plan;  garage  near  by.  The  Graymore  Dining 
Room,  on  the  first  floor,  serves  breakfast,  luncheon,  and  dinner;  in  the  ad- 
jacent Seemayer's  Lounge,  with  dancing  nightly,  cocktails  are  served. 

Kenmore  Hotel,  104  Oak  Street;  30  rooms,  most  all  with  hot  and  cold 
running  water  and  several  with  adjoining  baths;  housekeeping  facilities; 
daily  rates  $1  up,  weekly  rates  $4  up.  European  plan;  restaurant  adjoining, 
beauty  parlor  and  barber  shop. 

Lafayette  Hotel,  638  Congress  Street;  250  rooms,  all  with  hot  and  cold 
running  water  and  200  with  private  baths;  rooms  available  for  permanent 
residence;  radio  on  request;  daily  rates  $2.50  -  $7,  weekly  rates  $10.50  up. 
European  plan;  garage  75c  daily,  $3.50  weekly;  parking  lot  50c  daily; 
beauty  shop  and  barbar  shop.  Sea  food  is  featured  in  the  Crystal  Room, 
where  breakfast,  luncheon  and  dinner  is  served.  In  the  Lafayette  Lounge  is 
William  Riseman's  mural  depicting  the  'Surrender  of  Cornwallis  at  York- 
town';  'Planter's  Punch'  is  featured  in  this  cocktail  room. 

Longfellow  Inn,  130  Eastern  Promenade;  23  rooms,  12  with  private  bath; 
housekeeping  facilities  from  October  1  to  June  1;  daily  rates  $3.50  up, 
weekly  rates  $21  up.  American  and  European  plans;  dining  room;  garage 
50c  per  day,  $3.50  per  week. 


Hotel  and  Other  Accommodations  xxxi 

St  Regis  Hotel,  196  Middle  Street;  75  rooms,  25  with  hot  and  cold  run- 
ning water  and  25  with  private  bath;  daily  rates  $1  up,  weekly  rates  $4  up. 
American  plan;  restaurant  adjoining;  barber  shop. 

Tolman  House,  6  Tolman  Place;  39  rooms  with  hot  and  cold  running 
water;  daily  rates  $1,  weekly  rates  $5.  European  plan;  free  parking. 

Victoria  Hotel,  939  Congress  Street;  35  rooms  with  hot  and  cold  running 
water  and  10  with  private  bath;  daily  rates  $1  up,  weekly  rates  $5  up. 
European  plan;  free  parking  lot. 

APARTMENT  HOTELS 

Metropolitan  Apartment  Hotel,  439  Congress  Street;  70  apartments  with 
hot  and  cold  running  water  and  private  bath;  radio;  available  either  fur- 
nished or  unfurnished;  beauty  shop  in  building.  European  plan;  daily 
rates  $2  and  $3,  weekly  rates  $12  and  $18. 

Miles  Standish  Hotel,  11  Shepley  Street;  40  furnished  apartments  with 
private  bath;  connections  for  radio;  complete  housekeeping  facilities;  daily 
rates  $3,  weekly  rates  $12  and  $18.  European  plan. 

Pilgrim  Apartment  Hotel,  30  West  Street;  43  suites  of  1,  2,  and  3  rooms, 
kitchenette  and  bath;  each  suite  accommodates  2-6  persons;  daily  rates — 
single  $2.50,  double  $3  and  $4,  and  $1  additional  for  each  extra  person  in 
same  suite,  weekly  rates  on  application.  European  plan;  garage  50c  daily, 
$2.50  and  $3  weekly. 

Wadsworth  Apartment  Hotel,  38  Preble  Street;  62  suites  of  varying  size 
with  hot  and  cold  running  water  and  private  baths;  either  furnished  or  un- 
furnished. European  plan;  weekly  rates  $7.50  -  $15.  Adjoining  is  the 
Morocco,  a  supper  club  which  is  divided  into  the  main  'Lounge,'  and  the 
'Club  Section'  on  a  mezzanine;  there  is  dancing  every  evening.  Cocktails 
featured  are  Turban  Lifter,'  'Sultan's  Favorite,'  and  'Magic  Carpet.' 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  AND  Y.  W.  C.  A. 

Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  70  Forest  Avenue;  88  rooms  ac- 
commodating 100  for  transient  and  permanent  occupation;  daily  rates  75c 
and  $1,  weekly  rates  $2  and  $5;  daily  charge  of  25c  or  weekly  charge  of  50c 
for  non-members  for  required  temporary  membership;  club  and  gymnasium 
facilities. 

Young  Women's  Christian  Association,  120  Free  Street;  60  rooms;  cen- 
tral baths;  daily  rates  75c  and  $1.25,  weekly  rates  $2.50  and  $6.  Y.  W.  C. 
A.  dining  hall. 


xxxii  Hotel  and  Other  Accommodations 

ISLAND  HOTELS 

Avenue  House,  Peak  Island;  accommodations  for  75;  daily  rates  $3, 
weekly  rates  $18  to  $20.  American  and  European  plans. 

Beach  Avenue  House,  Long  Island;  accommodations  for  25;  daily  rates 
$2.50,  weekly  rates  $16.  American  plan. 

Casco  Bay  House,  Long  Island;  accommodations  for  100;  daily  rates  $3, 
weekly  rates  $17  to  $21.  American  plan. 

Dirigo  House,  Long  Island;  accommodations  for  75;  daily  rates  $3  to 
$5,  weekly  rates  $18  to  $30.  American  plan. 

Headland  Inn,  Peak  Island;  accommodations  for  75;  weekly  rates  $10 
to  $25.  American  and  European  plan. 

Innes  House,  Peak  Island;  accommodations  for  60;  daily  rates  $3 
weekly  rates  $18.  American  plan. 

Machigonne  House,  Peak  Island;  accommodations  for  20;  daily  rates 
$1.50,  weekly  rates  $5.  European  plan. 

Oceanic  House,  Peak  Island;  accommodations  for  50;  daily  rates  $3.50, 
weekly  rates  $18  and  $20.  American  plan. 

TOURIST  CAMPS 

Tourist  and  trailer  camps  are  located  just  outside  the  city  limits  on  the 
main  highways  entering  the  city.  Nearly  all  camps  have  central  dining  hall 
or  are  near  roadside  lunch  stands.  Rates  vary  according  to  location  and  fa- 
cilities; daily  rates  range  from  75c  to  $2.50. 

ADDITIONAL  INFORMATION 

Portland  has  many  other  small  hotels,  tourist  homes,  island  inns,  and 
boardinghouses  which  may  be  found  listed  in  the  telephone  directory  or 
easily  identified  by  signs  displayed  while  driving  about  the  city  and  envi- 
rons. Cumberland  Avenue,  the  western  end  of  Congress  Street,  and  the 
northern  end  of  State  Street  are  lined  with  rooming  houses  and  tourist 
homes;  mention  is  made  of  these  particular  streets  largely  because  of  their 
accessibility  and  profuse  accommodations;  however,  there  are  many  other 
thoroughfares  upon  which  such  facilities  may  be  found. 


RECREATIONAL  FACILITIES 

Deering  Oaks  (Brighton  Avenue,  Westbrook,  and  Riverton  trolleys  from 
Monument  Square) ,  has  gardens,  a  small  lake  and  a  brook  with  a  water- 
fall, massive  oak  trees,  and  recreational  facilities.  Tennis  courts,  a  baseball 
diamond,  horseshoe  courts,  bowling  green,  children's  playgrounds,  picnic 
grounds,  a  bandstand,  boating,  and  skating  in  winter. 

Jewish  Community  Center,  341  Cumberland  Avenue,  offers  members  and 
their  guests  many  facilities  for  indoor  games:  a  basketball  court,  a  handball 
court,  pool  tables,  table  tennis,  bowling  alleys,  and  facilities  for  squash  and 
badminton.  There  is  a  locker  room  with  showers. 

Portland  Boys'  Club,  277  Cumberland  Avenue,  offers  members  a  fully 
equipped  gymnasium,  an  auxiliary  gymnasium,  a  basketball  court,  a  swim- 
ming pool,  pool  and  billiard  tables,  table  tennis,  and  facilities  for  badminton 
and  19  other  games.  There  is  a  locker  room  with  showers. 

Portland  Country  Club,  at  Falmouth  (on  U.  S.  1,  5%  miles  east  of  the 
City) ,  offers  members  and  their  guests,  with  special  rates  for  non-members, 
an  18-hole  golf  course  and  5  tennis  courts.  There  is  a  clubhouse. 

Purpoodock  Country  Club,  Spurwink  Avenue  at  Cape  Elizabeth,  offers 
members  and  their  guests,  with  special  rates  for  non-members,  a  9-hole  golf 
course  and  2  tennis  courts.  There  is  a  clubhouse. 

Y.  M.  C.  A.,  68  Forest  Avenue,  offers  members  and  their  guests,  with 
special  summer  membership  card  $2,  a  fully  equipped  gymnasium,  a  swim- 
ming pool,  a  basketball  court,  a  handball  court,  a  volley  ball  court,  6  bowl- 
ing alleys,  tennis  tables,  6  pool  tables,  a  rifle  range,  facilities  for  badminton 
and  fencing,  and  in  summer  an  outdoor  sun  roof.  There  is  a  locker  room 
with  showers. 

Y.  W.  C.  A.,  120  Free  Street,  offers  members  and  their  guests,  a  fully 
equipped  gymnasium  for  indoor  games;  a  basketball  court,  a  handball  court, 


xxxiv  Recreational  Facilities 

pool  tables,  bowling  alleys,  table  tennis,  and  facilities  for  badminton  and 
squash.  There  is  a  locker  room  with  showers. 

AMUSEMENT  PARKS 

Old  Orchard  Beach,  at  Old  Orchard  Beach  (on  Maine  9  and  5,  14  miles 
south  of  the  city;  Old  Orchard  Beach  bus  from  Monument  Square;  excur- 
sions with  special  rates  operated  during  summer  by  Boston  &  Maine  Rail- 
road from  Union  Station) ,  has  many  amusement  rides,  roller  skating,  bowl- 
ing, tennis,  games  of  chance,  confectioners'  booths,  dancing,  outdoor  and 
indoor  movies,  hotels  and  restaurants,  and  summer  cottages  for  rental.  The 
beach,  one  of  the  finest  stretches  of  sand  along  the  Maine  coast,  is  excellent 
for  swimming  and  salt-water  bathing;  there  are  bathhouses,  showers,  and 
beach  chairs,  umbrellas;  bathing  suits  and  towels  may  be  rented. 

BASEBALL 

Bayside  Playground,  Smith  and  Anderson  Streets,  has  a  regulation  size 
diamond;  free. 

Cunningham  Ball  Grounds,  Smith,  Fox,  and  Boyd  Streets,  has  a  regula- 
tion size  diamond;  free. 

Deering  High  Memorial  Field,  Columbia  Road,  has  a  regulation  size 
diamond.  The  bleachers  have  a  limited  seating  capacity;  admission  fee  to 
high  school  games  varies. 

Deering  Oaks,  Forest,  Park,  and  Deering  Avenues,  has  a  regulation  size 
diamond;  free. 

North  Street  Baseball  Park,  adjoining  Eastern  Promenade,  has  a  regula- 
tion size  diamond;  free. 

Portland  High  School  Stadium,  baseball  park  entrance  on  Park  Avenue 
near  Exposition  Building,  has  a  regulation  size  diamond.  The  grandstand 
and  bleachers  have  2500  permanent  seats  and  2000  portable  seats  are  avail- 
able; admission  fee  to  high  school  games  varies.  The  baseball  park  may  be 
rented,  usually  on  a  percentage  basis. 

Reed  School  Playground,  Homestead  Avenue,  has  a  regulation  size  dia- 
mond; free. 

Numerous  playgrounds  and  empty  lots  in  the  city  and  environs  afford 
playing  facilities  for  'scrub  games.' 

BASKETBALL 

Cathedral  Guild  Hall,  317  Congress  Street,  has  a  basketball  court;  a 


Recreational  Facilities  xxxv 

seating  capacity  of  1 100.  The  court  is  available  to  members  of  the  Catholic 
parishes  and  students  of  parochial  schools;  admission  fee  to  school  games 
varies. 

Deering  High  School,  386  Stevens  Avenue,  has  a  basketball  court  with 
seating  capacity  of  600  to  1200.  The  court  may  be  rented;  admission  fee  to 
high  school  games  varies. 

Exposition  Building,  248  Park  Avenue,  has  a  basketball  court  with  a 
seating  capacity  of  3800.  The  court  may  be  rented;  admission  fee  to  school 
games  varies. 

(Jewish  Community  Center,  341  Cumberland  Avenue,  has  a  basketball 
court  with  a  seating  capacity  of  125.  The  court  is  available  to  members  only. 
Portland  Boys'  Club,  277  Cumberland  Avenue,  has  a  basketball  court 
with  a  seating  capacity  of  500.  The  court  is  available  to  members  only. 

Portland  High  School,  248  Cumberland  Avenue,  has  a  basketball  court 
with  a  seating  capacity  of  1400.  The  court  may  be  rented;  admission  fee  to 
high  school  games  varies. 

Y.  M.  C.  A.,  68  Forest  Avenue,  has  a  basketball  court  with  a  seating 
capacity  of  250.  The  court  is  available  to  members,  and  schools  on  invita- 
tion. 

Y.  W.  C.  A.,  120  Free  Street,  has  a  basketball  court  with  a  seating  capa- 
city up  to  100.  The  court  is  available  to  members;  it  may  be  rented  at  $5 
per  game. 

BILLIARDS  AND  POOL 

Congress  Square  Billiard  Hall,  10  Forest  Avenue,  has  8  pool  and  2 
billiard  tables. 

Duhie's,  482  Congress  Street,  has  11  pool  and  2  billiard  tables. 

Jewish  Community  Center,  341  Cumberland  Avenue,  has  2  pool  tables 
for  members  and  their  guests. 

Portland  Boys'  Club,  277  Cumberland  Avenue,  has  4  pool  tables  and  1 
combination  pool  and  billiard  table  for  members  and  their  guests. 

Portland  Club,  162  State  Street,  has  8  pool  and  8  billiard  tables  for  mem- 
bers and  their  guests. 

Y.  M.  C.  A.,  68  Forest  Avenue,  has  6  pool  tables  for  members  and  their 
guests. 

Several  private  clubs  in  the  city  have  pool  and  billiard  tables  for  mem- 
bers and  their  guests. 


xxxvi  Recreational  Facilities 

BOATING  AND  YACHTING 

Davidson's  Boat  Yard,  211  High  Street,  South  Portland  (South  Port- 
land trolley  from  Monument  Square  to  High  Street),  rents  various  size 
salt-water  boats  for  any  length  of  time;  12J/2  -  20-  ft.  centerboard  sail- 
boats, $3  per  day;  canoes  and  rowboats,  25c  per  hour;  and  larger  boats, 
sloops  and  cabin  cruisers,  according  to  size  and  type. 

Deering  Oaks,  Park  and  Forest  Avenues,  has  row  boats,  25c  per  hour, 
and  a  'Swan  Boat'  which  carries  passengers  around  the  small  lake,  5c  each 
trip. 

Handy  Boat  Service,  Falmouth  Foreside,  arranges  fishing  trips,  clam 
bakes  and  lobster  parties,  and  sailing  parties.  Rates  on  request. 

Portland  Yacht  Club,  end  of  Merchants  Wharf,  has  yachting  and  other 
facilities  available  for  members,  their  guests,  and  visiting  yachtsmen.  Pas- 
sengers from  seaplanes  may  be  landed;  seaplane  fuel  is  available.  Anchor- 
ages in  inner  and  outer  harbor;  docking  and  fuel  facilities. 

Willard  Beach,  South  Portland  (South  Portland  trolley  from  Monument 
Square  to  end  of  line).  Twenty-four  ft.  Hampton-type  motorboats  may 
be  rented,  $10  per  day;  22- ft.  cabin  motorboats,  $8  per  day — gasoline  extra; 
14-ft.  catboats,  $3  per  day;  and  14-ft,  rowing  skiffs,  25c  per  hour. 

In  summer  the  Mare  Point  Yacht  Club  and  Mericoneag  Yacht  Club  of- 
fer boating  and  yachting  facilities;  for  full  information  inquire  at  Portland 
Yacht  Club.  Many  individuals  rent  sailing  boats  and  cabin  cruisers;  in- 
quire at  ship  chandler  shops  along  water  front.  Boating  and  canoeing  fa- 
cilities are  available  on  several  lakes  within  a  20-mile  radius  of  the  city. 

BOWLING 

Arcade  Bowling  Alleys,  22  Preble  Street,  has  8  candlepin  alleys. 

Bofvlodrome,  9  Forest  Avenue,  has  8  candlepin  alleys. 

Bowloway,  156  Free  Street,  has  6  candlepin  alleys. 

Congress  Square  Bowling  Co.,  28  Forest  Avenue,  has  10  candlepin  alleys. 

Deering  Oaks  Bowling  Green,  near  Park  Avenue  entrance,  has  a  120-ft. 
square  bowling  green;  the  green  is  divided  into  20-ft.  wide  courts.  Bowls 
and  jacks  must  be  furnished  by  player,  although  the  local  'bowls'  club  mem- 
bers will  loan  the  equipment  to  visitors.  The  green  is  available  to  players  at 
any  time  of  the  day,  or  evening  when  it  is  flood  lighted.  Sneakers  or  soft 
soled  shoes  must  be  worn  on  the  green. 


Recreational  Facilities  xxxvii 

Jewish  Community  Center,  341  Cumberland  Avenue,  has  5  candlepin 
alleys  for  members  and  their  guests. 

Monument  Square  Bowling  Alleys,  36  Elm  Street,  has  10  candlepin 
alleys. 

Pine's  Alleys,  Island  Avenue,  Peak  Island,  has  6  candlepin  alleys  (open 
May  30,  and  from  June  15  to  September  15). 

Streamline,  115  High  Street,  has  10  candlepin  alleys. 

Wood  fords  Club,  179  Woodford  Street,  has  5  candlepin  alleys  for  mem- 
bers and  their  guests. 

Y.  M.  C.  A.,  68  Forest  Avenue,  has  6  candlepin  alleys  for  members  and 
their  guests. 

Y.  W.  C.  A.,  120  Free  Street,  has  1  candlepin  alley  for  members  and 
their  guests. 

BOXING 

Exposition  Building,  248  Park  Avenue,  has  a  boxing  ring  and  a  seating 
capacity  of  5,000.  Consult  local  newspapers  for  regular  scheduled  bouts; 
admission  varies. 

Forest  City  Gymnasium,  270  Lancaster  Street,  has  one  sparring  ring,  and 
complete  boxing  and  training  equipment;  instruction  is  available.  A  charge 
of  $1  is  made  for  use  of  the  gymnasium;  lockers  50c  -  $1. 

BRIDGE 

Facilities  for  auction  and  contract  bridge  are  available  at  the  larger 
hotels,  and  private  and  semi-private  clubs  in  the  city.  Consult  local  news- 
papers for  large  bridge  parties  held  in  various  halls. 

CHECKERS  AND  CHESS 

Facilities  for  checkers  and  chess  are  available  at  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  68 
Forest  Avenue,  and  the  larger  hotels  and  clubs  in  the  city. 

DANCING 

El  Morocco,  30A  Preble  Street,  in  Wadsworth  Apartment  Hotel,  has 
dancing  every  evening  except  Sunday;  informal;  cocktails  and  light  sup- 
pers; weekday  minimum  $1;  Saturday  minimum  $1.50. 

Falmouth  Hotel,  212  Middle  Street,  has  dancing  every  evening  except 
Sunday  in  the  West  Lounge;  informal;  cocktails  and  dining,  no  minimum 
charge. 


xxxviii  Recreational  Facilities 

Graymore  Hotel,  21  Preble  Street,  has  dancing  every  evening  except  Sun- 
day in  Seemayer's  Lounge;  informal;  cocktails  and  dining;  weekday  mini- 
mum $1. 

Jack  Oy  Lantern,  731  Broadway,  South  Portland  (  Pleasantdale  and  Cash 
Corner  trolleys  from  Monument  Square) ,  has  dancing  each  Thursday  and 
Saturday  evening  from  April  1  to  September  30;  Tuesday  evening  during 
mid-season;  informal. 

Ricker  Gardens,  511  Forest  Avenue,  has  dancing  parties  on  Wednesday 
and  Saturday;  accommodations  for  3000;  informal. 

Numerous  dance  halls  and  summer  pavilions  operate  intermittently 
throughout  the  year  in  the  city  and  environs;  consult  local  newspapers. 

FAIRS  AND  CARNIVALS 

Several  fairs  in  near-by  towns  are  annual  autumn  events.  During  winter 
and  spring,  auto  shows,  carnivals,  circuses,  food  fairs,  etc.,  are  held  in  City 
Hall  Auditorium,  Myrtle  Street  entrance,  and  Exposition  Building,  248 
Park  Avenue.  Consult  local  newspapers. 

FOOTBALL 

Deering  High  Memorial  Field,  Columbia  Road,  has  a  football  field;  the 
bleachers  have  a  limited  seating  capacity.  Admission  to  high  school  games 
varies. 

Portland  High  School  Stadium,  Park  and  Deering  Avenues,  has  a  foot- 
ball field;  there  are  8500  permanent  seats  and  2000  portable  seats.  Admis- 
sion to  high  school  games  varies;  the  field  may  be  rented,  usually  on  a  per- 
centage basis. 

GOLF  AND  COUNTRY  CLUBS 

Great  Cheheague  Island  Golf  Course,  on  Great  Chebeag  Island  in 
Casco  Bay  (steamboat  service  from  32  Custom  House  Wharf) ,  has  a  9- 
hole  golf  course;  2280  yds.,  33  par;  open  June  15 — September  15.  Club- 
house connected;  caddies  available;  green  fee  $1  per  day,  or  $5  per  week. 

Great  Diamond  Island  Golf  Club,  on  Great  Diamond  Island  in  Casco 
Bay  (steamboat  service  from  32  Custom  House  Wharf) ,  has  a  9-hole  golf 
course;  2362  yds.,  34  par;  open  July  15 — October  1  for  residents  of  Little 
and  Great  Diamond  and  their  guests.  Caddies  not  provided;  green  fee  $1 
per  day. 


Recreational  Facilities  xxxix 

Larry  Rowe's  Public  Course,  in  South  Portland  (2l/2  miles  west  of  the 
city  on  Westbrook  Street),  has  a  9-hole  golf  course;  2515  yds.,  33  par; 
open  April  1 — late  November.  Clubhouse  connected;  professional  instruc- 
tion; caddies  provided;  green  fee  reasonable. 

Old  Orchard  Beach  Country  Club,  at  Old  Orchard  Beach  (14  miles 
south  of  the  city),  has  an  18-hole  golf  course;  6150  yds.,  71  par;  open 
April  15 — late  November.  Clubhouse  connected;  caddies  available;  pro- 
fessional instruction;  green  fee  April  15 — May  30,  $1  and  May  31 — Labor 
Day,  $1.50.  Meals  and  cocktails  served  in  clubhouse. 

Portland  Country  Club,  at  Falmouth  Foreside  (6  miles  east  of  the  city) , 
has  an  18-hole  golf  course;  6350  yds.,  71  par;  open  to  members  and  visitors 
the  year  round.  Clubhouse  connected;  caddies  available;  professional  in- 
struction; green  fee,  $2,  and  Saturdays,  Sundays  and  holidays,  $3.  Rooms 
and  dining  service  at  clubhouse. 

Prout's  Neck  Country  Club,  in  Scarborough,  has  an  18-hole  golf  course; 
6045  yds.,  70  par;  open  June  15 — October  1.  Clubhouse  connected;  caddies 
available;  professional  instruction;  green  fee  on  request. 

Purpoodock  Country  Club,  on  Spurwink  Avenue,  Cape  Elizabeth,  has  a 
9-hole  golf  course;  2643  yds.,  34  par;  open  May  1 — November  1.  Club- 
house connected;  caddies  available;  professional  instruction;  green  fee, 
weekdays  $1,  Saturdays,  Sundays,  and  holidays,  $1.50.  Meals  served  in 
clubhouse. 

Riverside  Municipal  Golf  Course,  1158  Riverside  Street  (4l/2  miles  from 
the  city;  Riverton  trolley  from  Monument  Square  to  Riverside  Street,  then 
l/2  mile  walk  to  club) ,  has  an  18-hole  golf  course;  6309  yds.,  72  par;  open 
May  1 — November  15.  Clubhouse  connected;  caddies  available;  profes- 
sional instruction;  subscription  rates  for  season  $25,  husband  and  wife  $40, 
family  coupon  book  limited  to  100  9-hole,  personal  coupon  books  limited 
to  50  9-hole  rounds  $12.50;  transient  rates  daily  fee  except  Saturdays,  Sun- 
days, and  holidays,  25c  for  9-holes  before  10  a.m.,  50c  for  9-holes  and  75c 
for  18-holes  during  balance  of  day,  all  additional  9-holes  25c,  Saturdays, 
Sundays,  and  holidays  all-day  minimum  75c.  Meals  served  in  clubhouse. 

Willowdale  Golf  Club,  in  Scarborough  (6  miles  west  of  the  city) ,  has  a 
9-hole  golf  course;  3109  yds.,  36  par;  open  May  1 — November  1.  Club- 
house connected;  caddies  available;  professional  instruction;  green  fee  50c 
forenoons  except  Sundays  and  holidays,  and  $1  per  day.  Meals  served  in 
clubhouse. 


xl  Recreational  Facilities 

GYMNASIUMS 

Cathedral  Guild  Hall,  317  Congress  Street,  has  a  basement  hall  used  for 
games,  but  is  not  fully  equipped  as  a  gymnasium.  The  hall  is  available  to 
members  of  Catholic  parishes  and  students  of  parochial  schools. 

Deering  High  School,  386  Stevens  Avenue,  has  a  gymnasium  and  in- 
door track  available  to  students  only. 

Forest  City  Gymnasium,  270  Lancaster  Street,  is  equipped  for  boxing 
training  and  workouts;  instruction  available.  Gymnasium  rate  is  $1,  with 
extra  charge  for  lockers. 

Jewish  Community  Center,  341  Cumberland  Avenue,  has  a  hall  used 
for  various  types  of  indoor  games,  but  is  not  fully  equipped  as  a  gymnasium. 
The  hall  is  available  to  members  and  their  guests. 

Portland  Boys'  Club  (closed  during  July,  August,  and  September) 
277  Cumberland  Avenue,  has  a  fully  equipped  gymnasium  and  a  small 
auxiliary  gymnasium;  the  large  gymnasium  will  accommodate  500  specta- 
tors. The  gymnasiums  are  available  to  members  only. 

Portland  High  School,  284  Cumberland  Avenue,  has  a  gymnasium  in- 
cluding an  indoor  track.  The  gymnasium  is  available  to  students  only. 

Y.  M.  C.  A.,  68  Forest  Avenue,  has  a  fully  equipped  gymnasium;  will 
accommodate  250  spectators.  The  gymnasium  is  available  to  members  and 
their  guests;  summer  membership  card  $2. 

Y.  W.  C.  A.,  120  Free  Street,  has  a  gymnasium  open  to  members  only. 
The  gymnasium  may  be  rented  for  $5  per  night. 

HORSESHOE  PITCHING 

Deering  Oaks,  Forest,  Park,  and  Deering  Avenues,  has  8  horseshoe  pitch- 
ing courts;  free. 

POLO 

Pleasant  Hill  Riding  and  Driving  Club  Field,  in  Scarborough  at  the 
junction  of  Higgin's  Beach  Turnpike  and  Highland  Avenue,  is  available 
to  members  and  their  guests.  Polo  matches  are  played  several  times  weekly 
during  summer  with  local  and  visiting  teams.  Stabling  for  mounts  near  by. 

PUBLIC  PARKS  AND  PLAYGROUNDS 

Unless  otherwise  indicated  all  municipal  playgrounds  open  the  first  Mon- 
day following  the  closing  of  the  spring  school  term  and  close  at  the  opening 


Recreational  Facilities  xli 

of  the  fall  school  term.  Hours  of  play,  unless  otherwise  indicated,  are  9 
a.m.— 12  m.  and  2-4:30  p.m. 

Bayside  Playground,  Smith  and  Anderson  Streets,  is  a  municipal  play- 
ground with  a  supervised  play  program;  regular  playground  equipment  and 
a  baseball  diamond  are  available. 

Brackett  Street  Playground,  between  Spring  and  Pine  Streets,  is  a  munici- 
pal playground  with  a  supervised  play  program;  regular  playground  equip- 
ment is  available. 

Cunningham  Ball  Grounds,  at  Smith,  Fox,  and  Boyd  Streets,  is  a  public 
baseball  diamond,  supervised  and  maintained  by  the  city. 

Deering  Oaks,  Forest,  Park,  and  Deering  Avenues,  is  a  municipal  park 
with  gardens  and  regular  playground  facilities  under  municipal  supervi- 
sion. There  is  a  baseball  diamond,  2  Softball  diamonds,  6  tennis  courts,  a 
bowling  green,  8  horseshoe  courts,  a  marble  court,  and  a  small  lake  for 
rowing  in  summer  and  skating  in  winter. 

Fore  Street  Playground,  between  India  and  Franklin  Streets,  is  a  muni- 
cipal playground  with  a  supervised  play  program;  regular  playground  equip- 
ment is  available. 

Leland  School  Playground,  Stevens  Avenue,  is  a  municipal  playground 
with  a  supervised  play  program;  regular  playground  equipment  is  available. 

Lowell  Street  Playground,  Congress,  Burnham,  and  Lowell  Streets,  is  a 
municipal  playground  with  a  supervised  play  program;  regular  playground 
equipment  is  available. 

North  Street  Baseball  Park,  adjoining  Eastern  Promenade  at  North 
Street,  is  a  public  baseball  diamond  supervised  and  maintained  by  the  city. 

Payson  Park  Playground,  between  Baxter  Boulevard  and  Ocean  Avenue, 
is  a  municipal  playground  with  a  supervised  play  program;  regular  play- 
ground equipment  and  a  Softball  diamond  is  available. 

Philip  ].  Deering  Playground,  Waterville  and  Fore  Streets,  is  a  munici- 
pal playground  with  a  supervised  play  program;  regular  playground  equip- 
ment available. 

Pleasant  Street  Playground,  between  Center  and  Oak  Streets,  is  a  munici- 
pal playground  with  a  supervised  play  program;  regular  playground  equip- 
ment available. 

Reed  School  Playground,  Homestead  Street,  is  a  municipal  playground 


xlii  Recreational  Facilities 

with  a  supervised  play  program;  regular  playground  equipment  and  a 
baseball  diamond  are  available. 

RACING 

Cumberland  Fair  Grounds,  at  Cumberland  Town  (10  miles  north  of 
Portland) ,  has  one  week  of  sulky  racing  during  Fair  Week  in  the  middle 
of  September,  and  at  other  times  during  the  summer  season;  consult  local 
newspapers.  There  is  parimutuel  betting;  admission  varies. 

Narragansett  Park,  at  Gorham  Town  (11  miles  southwest  of  Portland) 
has  one  week  of  sulky  racing  during  Gorham  Fair  Week,  in  August,  and 
at  other  times  during  the  summer  season;  consult  local  newspapers.  There 
is  parimutuel  betting;  admission  varies. 

Old  Orchard  Beach  Kite  Track,  at  Old  Orchard  Beach  (14  miles  south 
of  Portland) ,  has  a  Grand  Circuit  Meet  for  12  consecutive  days,  excluding 
Sundays,  and  at  other  times  during  the  summer  season;  consult  local  news- 
papers. There  is  parimutuel  betting;  admission  varies. 

RIDING 

Pleasant  Hill  Riding  and  Driving  Club,  in  Scarborough  at  junction  of 
Higgin's  Beach  Turnpike  and  Highland  Avenue,  has  bridle  paths  and  a 
polo  field.  The  club  does  not  have  mounts  for  hire,  but  has  stables  for 
members'  horses.  There  are  club  facilities  for  members  and  their  guests. 

Presumpscot  Valley  Riding  Club,  in  Westbrook  (7  miles  west  of  the  city) 
has  30  horses  for  hire;  rates,  $1  per  hour  without  instruction,  $2  per  hour 
with  instruction,  $5  per  day,  and  $35  weekly  including  board  of  horse.  The 
club  is  in  the  near  vicinity  of  over  100  miles  of  bridle  trails. 

Tomlinson  Riding  School,  730  Westbrook  Street,  has  10-30  horses; 
available  at  an  hourly  rate  of  $1.50,  which  includes  instruction  if  there  are 
two  or  more  riders;  $2  per  hour  for  private  instruction;  and  $5  per  day; 
weekly  rates  vary. 

RIFLE  RANGES 

Caldwell  Post  American  Legion  Home,  145  Glenwood  Avenue,  has  a 
rifle  range  for  members  and  their  guests. 

Pine  Tree  Fish  and  Game  Association,  174  Maine  Avenue,  has  a  rifle 
range  open  to  the  public  by  invitation  of  members. 

Y.  M.  C.  A.,  68  Forest  Avenue,  has  an  indoor  rifle  range  for  members 
and  their  guests. 


Recreational  Facilities  xliii 

ROLLER  SKATING 

Elm  Roller  Skating  Rink,  38  Elm  Street,  is  a  large  indoor  rink,  with 
amplified  phonograph  music;  open  2-4  p.m.  and  7:30-10:30  p.m.;  admission, 
35c  for  men  and  25c  for  women  afternoons,  and  35c  for  men  and  women 
evenings.  Skates  are  furnished. 

SKATING 

Allen  Avenue  Pond,  near  Allen's  Corner  on  Allen  Avenue,  is  a  skating 
rink  under  municipal  supervision;  free. 

Canal  Rink,  at  Whittier  and  Olympia  Streets,  is  under  municipal  super- 
vision; free. 

Deering  Oaks  Pond,  at  Forest,  Park,  and  Deering  Avenues,  is  a  skating 
rink  under  municipal  supervision;  there  are  facilities  for  skate  rental,  sharp- 
ening, and  purchasing;  checkrooms  and  restrooms;  free. 

Deering  Rink,  at  Deering  High  Memorial  Field  on  Columbia  Road,  is 
under  municipal  supervision;  free. 

North  Street  Rink,  on  North  Street,  is  under  municipal  supervision;  free. 

Ocean  Avenue  Rink,  off  Ocean  Avenue  diagonally  opposite  the  Cum- 
ming's  School,  is  under  municipal  supervision;  free. 

Riverside  Rink,  at  Riverside  Golf  Course  near  Riverton,  is  under  munici- 
pal supervision;  the  clubhouse  is  open  for  accommodation  of  parties;  light 
lunches  and  suppers  served. 

SOFTBALL 

Unless  otherwise  indicated  the  Softball  diamonds  are  available  free,  al- 
though reservations  for  use  must  be  made  in  advance  with  the  Recreation 
Commissioner  at  Portland  City  Hall. 

Brighton  Avenue  Parky  at  Brighton  Avenue  and  Douglass  Street,  has 
two  softball  diamonds. 

Cunningham  Grounds,  between  Smith  and  Boyd  Streets,  has  two  soft- 
ball  diamonds. 

Deering  Oaks,  Forest,  Park,  and  Deering  Avenues  has  two  softball  dia- 
monds. 

Eastern  Promenade,  on  Eastern  Promenade  opposite  Walnut  Street,  has 
one  softball  diamond. 

Gulliver  Field,  entered  from  Stevens  Avenue  opposite  Westbrook  Junior 
College,  has  two  softball  diamonds. 


xliv  Recreational  Facilities 

Harvey  Grounds,  at  North  Street  and  Northern  Concourse,  has  one  soft- 
ball  diamond. 

Nason's  Corner  Field,  between  Brighton  Avenue  and  Capisic  Street,  has 
one  softball  diamond. 

Payson  Park,  between  Baxter  Boulevard  and  Ocean  Avenue,  has  one 
softball  diamond. 

Presumpscot  Street  Field,  opposite  Grand  Trunk  Railroad  repair  shops, 
has  one  softball  diamond. 

Sewall  Street  Grounds,  Sewall  Street,  has  one  softball  diamond. 

STADIUM  AND  OTHER  ATHLETIC  FIELDS 

Deering  High  Memorial  Field,  Columbia  Road,  has  facilities  for  base- 
ball and  football  games;  limited  seating  capacity. 

Portland  High  School  Stadium,  Park  and  Deering  Avenues,  has  facili- 
ties for  baseball,  football,  and  track  meets;  seating  capacity  for  baseball 
games  is  2,500  and  for  football  games  10,000. 

SKEET  AND  TRAP  SHOOTING 

Portland  Gun  Club,  on  Kelley  Road  in  Falmouth,  has  a  trap-shooting 
field;  arrangements  for  use  by  appointment;  all  equipment  furnished.  The 
only  charge  is  for  targets  and  shells. 

Portland  Skeet  Club,  in  West  Falmouth,  has  a  skeet-shooting  field;  Sat- 
urdays are  the  regular  shooting  days  throughout  the  year,  although  arrange- 
ments may  be  made  for  other  days  for  private  parties.  The  charge  for  a  50 
target  program  is  $2,  plus  ammunition. 

SWIMMING 

East  End  Beach,  near  Eastern  Promenade,  is  a  municipal  beach  for  salt 
water  swimming  and  bathing;  88  bathhouse  compartments  are  available;  3 
lifeguards  and  a  matron  are  in  attendance;  free. 

Old  Orchard  Beach,  at  Old  Orchard  Beach  (bus  from  Monument 
Square,  or  train  from  Union  Station) ,  has  a  splendid  sand  beach  fronting 
open  water.  Excellent  facilities  for  salt  water  swimming  and  bathing; 
lockers  and  bathhouses. 

Portland  Boys'  Club,  277  Cumberland  Avenue,  has  a  swimming  pool  with 
locker  room  facilities  available  for  members  of  swimming  classes;  instruc- 
tion available.  The  club  is  closed  during  July,  August,  and  September. 


Recreational  Facilities  xlv 

Y.  M.  C.  A.,  68  Forest  Avenue,  has  a  swimming  pool  with  locker  room 
facilities;  instruction  available;  for  use  by  members  and  their  guests,  sum- 
mer membership  cards  $2. 

TENNIS 

Deer  ing  Oaks,  Forest,  Park,  and  Deering  Avenues,  has  6  tennis  courts; 
open  for  play  one  hour  per  turn;  free. 

Portland  Country  Club,  at  Falmouth  (6  miles  east  of  the  city) ,  has  5  ten- 
nis courts  for  free  use  by  members;  50c  if  playing  with  a  member,  and  $1 
for  non-members. 

Presumpscot  Park,  Ludlow  Street  and  Columbia  Road,  has  2  tennis 
courts;  open  for  play  one  hour  per  turn;  free. 

Purpoodock  Country  Club,  Spurwink  Avenue,  Cape  Elizabeth,  has  2 
tennis  courts  available  for  free  use  by  members  and  their  guests;  50c  for 
non-members. 

Will's  Playground,  Eastern  Promenade,  has  2  tennis  courts;  open  for  play 
one  hour  per  turn;  free. 

WINTER  SPORTS 

Riverside  Golf  Course,  in  Riverton,  has  a  toboggan  chute  and  skiing 
slopes.  The  clubhouse  is  available  for  parties,  and  meals  are  served. 

Various  hills  and  slopes  on  the  outskirts  of  the  city  are  used  for  skiing. 
Within  a  radius  of  40  miles  of  Portland,  are  several  towns  which  offer  full 
winter  sports  programs.  See  also  Skating. 

WRESTLING 

Exposition  Building,  248  Park  Avenue,  has  facilities  for  wrestling;  reg- 
ular scheduled  matches  are  conducted  by  the  Arena  Athletic  Association. 
There  is  a  seating  capacity  for  5,000;  admission  varies. 


Part  I 
The  General  Background 


Portland  Head  Light 


Reflections 


Wreck  near  Portland  Head  Light 


Cape  Shore  Surf 


The  Edna  Hoyt 


Casco  Bay  Sunset 


Grotto  Sunrise 


Unknown  Paths 


NATURAL  SETTING 


Name 


The  name  Portland  was  bestowed  on  'The  Neck*  in  1786,  when  that 
section  of  Falmouth  township  became  a  separate  municipality;  Falmouth  in 
early  times  included  the  whole  or  part  of  several  present-day  cities  and 
towns  (Portland,  South  Portland,  Westbrook,  Cape  Elizabeth,  and  Fal- 
mouth). Records  are  incomplete  and  historians  disagree  on  the  selection 
of  the  name  Portland.  It  is  recorded  that  at  the  time  of  incorporation  of  the 
town  "appellation  was  recommended  by  its  local  application,  its  euphonious 
sound,  and  its  ancient  connection  with  a  part  of  our  territory."  As  early  as 
1667  Gushing  Island  was  called  Portland,  and  long  before  'The  Neck' 
was  incorporated  a  headland  on  Cape  Elizabeth  was  referred  to  as  Portland 
Head,  and  the  main  channel  between  the  island  and  the  cape  was  known 
as  Portland  Sound. 

Geography  and  Topography 

Believed  to  have  once  been  an  island  the  present  closely  packed  site  of 
Portland  was  called  Machigonne  by  the  Indians.  Translated  as  'Great 
Knee'  the  word  aptly  describes  the  peninsula.  Fore  River  flows  around  the 
kneecap,  Portland  Harbor  lies  along  the  foreleg,  and  Back  Cove  is  almost 
encircled  by  the  calf  of  the  leg  and  the  thigh.  Portland's  islands  in  Casco 
Bay,  lying  in  ranges  three  to  ten  miles  east,  northeast,  and  southeast  of  the 
mainland,  form  an  integral  part  of  the  geography  of  the  city. 

Occupying  about  22  square  miles  of  land  area,  North  Latitude  43°  43' 
05",  West  Longitude  70°  17'  35",  the  municipal  limits  of  Portland  en- 
compass a  land  and  sea  area  nearly  four  times  as  large,  approximately  72 
square  miles.  The  mainland  section,  a  knee-shaped  peninsula  jutting  into 
Casco  Bay,  contains  11,133  acres,  and  17  islands  and  parts  of  islands  in- 
cluded within  the  city's  limits,  add  2,706  land  acres.  Back  Cove,  almost 


Portland  City  Guide 


land-enclosed  with  a  bottle-necked  entrance  from  Portland  Harbor,  contains 
slightly  more  than  660  acres.  The  greatest  north  to  south  mainland  length 
of  the  city  is  4.9  miles;  the  east  to  west  width  is  six  miles;  the  approximate 
north  to  south  length  including  the  island  area  is  over  12  miles. 

Metropolitan  Portland  is  packed  on  the  3 -mile  sagging  ridge  of  the 
saddle-contoured  peninsula.  Approach  is  possible  over  land  in  but  one 
direction — from  the  northwest.  The  city  rises  from  a  tidal  frontage  of 
22.45  miles  to  an  average  height  of  100  feet  in  the  central  section,  and  at- 
tains a  maximum  height  of  192  feet  on  the  Gray  Road,  near  Falmouth. 
There  is  an  easy  slope  to  the  water  on  both  sides  from  the  peninsula  ridge, 
which  affords  excellent  drainage.  At  the  eastern  extremity  is  Munjoy  Hill, 
with  an  elevation  of  161  feet;  on  the  west  is  the  175-foot  Bramhall  Hill, 
ending  abruptly  in  a  sharp- faced  cliff.  Portland's  retail  business  section  lies 
in  the  central,  lower  area  of  the  peninsula;  the  wholesale  district  sprawls 
down  the  southerly  slope  to  encroach  upon  the  harbor  piers.  On  Munjoy 
Hill  are  clustered  residences,  mostly  middle  class,  and  a  small  shopping 
quarter.  The  Bramhall  locality  contains  the  oldest  mansions,  having  been 
spared  in  the  'Great  Fire'  of  1866. 

Harbor  and  Bay 

Portland  Harbor,  at  the  west  end  of  Casco  Bay,  is  the  most  important 
port  on  the  coast  of  Maine.  It  is  divided  into  an  inner  and  outer  harbor, 
the  main  entrance  being  from  the  southwest,  west  of  Gushing  Island, 
through  a  channel  six  fathoms  deep.  There  is  also  a  southward  approach, 
marked  by  Portland  Lightship  and  Cape  Elizabeth  Lighthouse.  The  inner 
harbor  has  been  dredged  to  30  feet,  reduced  a  little  in  places  by  shoaling. 
The  outer  harbor,  used  for  refuge,  is  behind  the  islands  of  the  bay.  A  part 
of  the  inner  harbor,  known  as  Fore  River  above  the  first  bridge,  has  a 
30-foot  channel  to  upper  Portland  Terminal  Bridge.  Back  Cove  is  also  in- 
cluded as  part  of  the  commercial  harbor,  giving  a  total  water  frontage,  in- 
cluding that  of  South  Portland,  of  about  eight  and  one-half  miles. 

In  1836  Congress  authorized  the  construction  of  a  breakwater  1,900  feet 
long,  on  the  southerly  side  of  the  harbor  entrance  giving  protection  to  the 
wharves.  This  was  completed  in  1874,  at  a  cost  of  about  $155,000;  by  1927 
the  United  States  Government  had  finished  further  extensive  work  dredg- 
ing channels.  The  controlling  width  of  the  main  harbor  is  1,100  feet,  with 
a  depth  of  35  feet  at  mean  low  water  up  to  the  side  of  the  State  Pier. 

Off  the  easterly  end  of  the  city  is  an  anchorage  basin  with  an  area  of 


Natural  Setting  5 

about  5,575,680  square  feet,  with  water  depth  varying  from  30  to  45  feet 
at  mean  low  water.  There  are  limited  anchorage  grounds  among  the  island 
roads  and  on  the  South  Portland  side  of  the  main  channel,  affording  a  total 
anchorage  of  about  6,534,000  square  feet,  all  excellently  sheltered. 

For  a  distance  of  nearly  20  miles,  between  Cape  Small  Point  near  his- 
toric Fort  Popham  on  the  east,  to  Cape  Elizabeth,  just  south  of  Portland, 
stretch  the  island-studded  waters  of  Casco  Bay.  The  name  Casco  is  said  to 
be  derived  from  the  Indian  Aucocisco,  which,  according  to  some  authorities, 
signifies  a  resting  place,  while  others  give  it  as  crane,  or  heron.  Between 
its  outer  points,  the  bay  reaches  into  the  mainland  about  12  miles.  Its 
coast  line  is  indented  with  rivers  and  notched  by  122  coves. 

Casco  Bay  is  said  to  contain  more  islands  than  any  other  body  of  water 
in  the  United  States.  The  exact  number  of  islands  has  long  been  a  subject 
of  controversy;  the  count  popularly  given  being  365 — "one  for  each  day  in 
the  year" — although  to  get  this  count  one  must  enumerate  mere  ledges 
with  sparse  tufts  of  vegetation.  It  is  generally  agreed  that  there  are  222 
large  enough  to  be  classified  as  islands.  These  islands  are  usually  divided 
into  three  general  groups:  Outer  Range,  Middle  Range,  and  Inner  Range, 
and  it  seems  that  early  settlers  tried  to  exhaust  the  zoological  catalogue  in 
naming  them.  Some  are  named  for  members  of  the  animal  kingdom:  Cow, 
Ram,  Horse,  White  Bull,  Little  Bull,  Brown  Cow,  Horse  No.  2,  and  Bear. 
Others  are  christened  after  birds:  Crow,  Goose,  Goslin,  and  Eagle;  several 
for  things  of  the  sea:  Crab,  Whaleboat,  and  Haddock  Ledge;  and  coastal 
farms  were  recalled  in:  House,  Pumpkin,  Turnip,  and  Gooseberry.  What 
circumstances,  or  whimsical  turns,  gave  birth  to  others  would  make  a  his- 
tory in  itself,  notably  the  lordly  Ministerial;  the  exciting  Bold  Dick;  the 
enigmatical  Burnt  Coat;  and  the  suggestive  Rogue. 

The  bay  is  noted  for  its  peninsulas,  the  most  important  being  Casco 
Neck,  upon  which  lies  the  City  of  Portland.  To  the  east,  Harpswell  reaches 
eight  tortuous  miles  into  the  bay,  a  host  of  small  islands  flanking  its  bor- 
ders; at  its  tip  islands  are  thick-clustered,  and  the  mainland  stretches  into 
the  water  like  a  finely  tapered  hand  with  fingers  extended,  laved  between 
by  soothing  bays  and  inlets. 

Along  the  shores  of  the  bay  the  mean  range  of  tide  is  8.9  feet,  although 
tides  of  11  feet  are  not  uncommon.  In  1909  there  was  a  tide  of  13.3  feet. 
The  effect  of  high  winds  may  cause  deviations  of  4.5  feet,  either  at  flood 
or  ebb  tide.  The  tidal  currents  that  exist  near  bridges  rarely  have  a  velocity 
that  exceeds  two  miles  per  hour. 


Portland  City  Guide 


The  Islands 

Within  the  boundaries  of  Portland  are  17  sizable  Casco  Bay  islands  to- 
gether with  15  rocks,  reefs,  and  ledges  dignified  with  names.  Typical  of  the 
State's  coastal  scenery,  this  part  of  Casco  Bay  leaves  an  impression  not  only 
of  strength,  but  of  reticence.  There  is  a  sturdiness  and  ruggedness  about  the 
vari-colored  vistas  that  make  understandable  the  undaunted  nature  of  the 
early  settlers  now  written  into  the  characters  of  their  descendants  who  wrest 
a  hard  sustenance  from  this  region  of  rocky  soil  and  stormy  seas.  Most  of 
the  larger  islands  are  heavily  wooded  with  fir,  pine,  and  cedar.  Crescents 
of  sandy  beaches  emphasize  wild  cliffs  whose  slate  sides  are  battered  by 
pitching  waves  and  wind-tossed  spray.  The  islands  have  brief,  colorful  sum- 
mers and  long,  silent  winters.  Spring  often  forgets  to  visit  their  shores  and 
autumn  flaunts  crimson  banners  for  only  a  few  weeks. 

Many  of  the  islands  have  communities  of  native-born  who  spend  part  of 
the  year  catering  to  the  whims  of  "summer- folks,"  but  who  fish  almost  ex- 
clusively in  winter.  For  the  most  part  generous-hearted,  conservative,  and 
somewhat  unresponsive,  these  fishermen  are  not  always  tolerant  in  their  opin- 
ions, whether  political,  religious,  or  social.  A  flavor  of  quiet  egoism  sur- 
rounds them.  Their  islands  are  not  entirely  isolated  but  are  inaccessible 
enough  so  that  many  of  the  old  ways  of  living  are  retained.  A  man's  boat  or 
the  day's  catch  of  fish  are  still  of  supreme  importance.  Always  their  great 
pride  has  been  in  good  ships  and  good  men  to  sail  them.  Living  with  the 
sea  as  a  constant  companion  they  have  become  a  somewhat  mystic  and 
imaginative  people.  Singularly  free  from  the  influence  of  immigration,  the 
island  people  are  to  a  large  extent  of  English  descent.  Generation  after 
generation  of  pure  English  blood  and  English  names  have  succeeded  each 
other.  The  influence  of  their  forebears  is  especially  noticeable  in  their 
speech,  similar  in  a  marked  degree  to  the  vernacular  of  England's  Sussex 
shire  in  its  nasal  qualities,  slurred  enunciation,  and  dropped  syllables  with 
a  hesitancy  in  delivery. 

Exciting  yarns  are  told  to  fascinated  listeners  who  thrill  to  tales  of  phan- 
tom ships,  of  wraith-like  shapes,  bloodcurdling  cries,  or  an  arsenal  whose 
door  will  not  stay  locked.  Even  the  names  Bold  Dick  Ledge,  Broken  Cove, 
David's  Castle,  Burnt  Coat,  or  Witch  Rock  summon  up  the  likelihood  of 
innumerable  legends.  Heartbreaking  details  of  wrecked  ships  and  men 
whom  the  sea  has  claimed  substantiate  the  fact  that  the  rocky  Nemesis  of 
Casco  Bay  all  too  frequently  has  exacted  tribute.  Perhaps  the  thought  of 


Natural  Setting 


these  quick  deaths  prompted  Captain  Johnson  a  number  of  years  ago  to 
tie  up  his  old  fishing  schooner  to  the  wharf  at  Great  Diamond  Island.  He 
called  his  ship  Excalibur  —  from  the  Legends  of  King  Arthur  he  loved  so 
well.  He  was  an  eccentric  who  tamed  a  rat  to  take  his  dead  wife's  place  at 
the  table.  At  the  captain's  death  Excalibur  was  towed  out  to  sea  and  burned. 

The  largest  of  Portland's  insular  possessions  is  912-acre  Long  Island;  its 
chief  activities  are  fishing  and  farming.  It  was  first  occupied  by  John  Sears 
who  came  from  Massachusetts  in  1646  and  lived  there  40  years.  John  Smith 
of  Boston  bought  it  in  1706,  and  on  an  old  map  of  Casco  Bay  published  in 
London  about  that  time,  it  was  known  as  Smith's  Island.  Mineral  springs 
were  perhaps  responsible  for  its  being  a  favorite  summering  place  for  the 
Abnaki  Indians  whose  relics  of  stone  implements,  flint  arrowheads,  and 
shell  heaps  bear  out  this  testimony.  It  has  also  been  the  stamping  ground 
for  treasure  hunters;  as  late  as  1840  the  Algerines,  a  social  organization  of 
Portland,  made  annual  pilgrimages  in  search  of  buried  treasure.  With  ex- 
cellent roads,  the  lure  of  "Singing  Beach"  at  the  end  of  Nubble,  its  Har- 
bor de  Grace  with  its  Hampton  boats,  Long  Island  has  become  a  great 
favorite  with  inland  people  seeking  island  delights. 

Next  in  size,  with  717  acres,  Peak  Island,  called  by  the  English  Pond's, 
and  during  the  90's  the  "Coney  Island  of  the  East"  the  most  populous  of 
the  city's  insular  wards,  is  the  chief  barrier  between  the  inner  bay  and  the 
ocean.  Leased  by  Cleeve  to  his  son-in-law  Michael  Mitton  in  1637,  for 
many  years  title  to  it  was  challenged  by  John  Winter,  agent  for  the  Tre- 
lawny  interests;  it  was  then  known  as  Michael's  Island.  Through  later  con- 
veyances it  was  known  as  Mun joy's  and  Palmer's  Island.  Some  historians 
believe  George  Mun  joy  built  a  stone  house  on  this  island  before  1675;  Wil- 
liam Willis  contends  this  was  the  island  Levett  chose  and  called  York. 
During  George  Munjoy's  occupancy  the  stone  house  was  known  as  Munjoy's 
Garrison.  A  month  before  the  destruction  of  the  'The  Neck'  in  1690  this 
island  was  the  mobilization  point  for  the  French  and  Indians.  Peak  Island 
was  also  the  locale  for  John  Josselyn's  story  of  Mitton  and  the  "triton  or 
mereman."  Mitton  was  "a  great  fouler,  and  used  to  go  out  with  a  small 
boat  or  canoe,  and  fetching  a  compass  about  a  small  island  ...  he  en- 
countered with  a  triton,  who  laying  his  hands  upon  the  side  of  the  canoe, 
had  one  of  them  chopt  off  with  a  hatchet  by  Mr.  Mitton,  which  was  in  all 
respects  like  the  hand  of  a  man;  the  triton  presently  sunk,  dyeing  the  water 
with  his  purple  blood,  and  was  no  more  seen." 

The  369  acres  of  Great  Diamond,  originally  called  Great  Hog  Island, 


8  Portland  City  Guide 

were  granted  to  Cleeve  and  Tucker  January  27,  1637,  and  have  a  variety  of 
beautiful  views,  precipitous  bluffs,  tangled  thickets,  and  grassy  leas.  Dia- 
mond Cove  has  long  been  popular  with  picnic  parties.  Facing  Hussey 
Sound  is  Fort  McKinley,  a  sub-post  of  Portland  Harbor  defenses  erected  in 
1900,  where  the  R.  O.  T.  G,  O.  R.  G,  and  C.  M.  T.  G  units  train  in  sum- 
mer; connected  to  it  by  a  sand  bar  at  low  water  is  Little  Diamond  Island, 
an  enchanting  place  peopled  by  a  semi-exclusive  colony  of  summer  residents. 

Jewell  Island  with  100  acres  lies  on  the  outer  rim  of  the  Casco  archipela- 
go. George  Jewell,  arriving  from  Saco  in  1636,  was  its  first  occupant  and 
although  he  remained  only  a  year,  this  once  safe  and  convenient  fishing 
port  has  always  retained  his  name.  During  the  Indian  outbreaks  of  1678 
and  1688  Jewell  Island  became  a  refuge  for  the  white  settlers  of  the  main- 
land. The  name  presupposes  authenticity  of  the  yarns  of  pirates  and  buried 
treasure.  One  convincingly  told  to  gullible  listeners  concerns  a  pirate  from 
Bermuda  whose  ship  foundered  on  Brown  Cow  Ledge.  Some  of  the  crew 
were  supposed  to  have  reached  Jewell  Island  with  a  great  chest  of  gold 
from  the  pirate  ship  which  they  buried  on  the  pebbly  beach  of  Punch  Bowl 
Cove  at  its  southern  end.  Years  after,  the  legend  goes,  with  the  aid  of  a 
chart  some  of  this  crew  returned  and  retrieved  the  treasure.  Much  more 
fascinating  and  complete  with  details  are  the  stories  told  of  how  Captain 
Kidd  secreted  his  gold,  booty,  and  jewels.  When  Kidd  was  the  scourge  of 
the  seas  many  ships  sought  him,  and  his  trip  to  the  island  was  the  result  of 
being  hounded  from  Cape  Cod  farther  and  farther  north  until  the  elusive 
captain  found  this  snug  harbor.  With  a  huge  copper  kettle  from  the 
galley  filled  with  his  choicest  booty,  the  famous  pirate  put  in  to  a  small  cove 
on  the  southern  tip  of  the  island.  Fearing  too  many  of  his  assistants  would 
know  the  exact  spot  where  he  was  to  bury  his  treasure,  the  captain  sent  most 
of  his  men  to  an  inland  spring  to  fill  the  water  buckets.  Standing  guard 
with  loaded  guns  over  the  remainder  as  they  dug  a  suitable  hole  for  the 
kettle  of  valuables,  the  pirate  chief  ordered  his  men  to  cover  the  spot  with  a 
huge  flat  rock.  Before  putting  to  sea  Captain  Kidd  carved  his  mark  on  the 
stone,  and  ever  since  hopeful  ones  search  the  island's  southern  swales  to 
find  the  flat  rock  with  the  carving  of  an  inverted  compass  —  pointed  south 
instead  of  north. 

An  unsavory  resident  for  many  years  was  a  man  known  as  Captain  Chase. 
Even  his  house  looked  forbidding  and  eerie;  the  first  floor  had  port  holes 
for  windows.  The  captain  had  many  visitors  —  ships  would  slip  into  the 
cove  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  where  his  house  perched,  a  procession  of  crates 


Natural  Setting 


would  be  brought  ashore,  and  the  ship  with  its  legitimate  cargo  of  sugar 
and  molasses  would  proceed  to  Portland.  Speculation  was  then  rife  as  to 
what  the  crates  contained.  The  present  owners  of  the  island  lived  several 
years  in  the  house  before  they  found  a  secret  closet  between  the  two  floors — 
it  was  filled  with  empty  rum  bottles  that  labeled  Captain  Chase  an  early 
bootlegger.  Further  suspicion  was  aroused  by  the  disappearance  of  a 
stranger  who  applied  to  him  for  the  use  of  a  boat.  The  stranger  had  told 
the  captain  he  had  a  chart  showing  where  the  buccaneer's  treasure  was 
hidden;  Chase  immediately  offered  to  assist  him.  They  rowed  away  —  the 
captain  returned  alone.  Sinister  stories  of  gruesome  happenings  were  ram- 
pant, but  Chase  upon  questioning  stocially  replied  that  the  stranger  had 
left  for  Portland.  Years  later  the  occupants  were  digging  a  drain  under  the 
barn  and  unearthed  a  human  skeleton  which  many  were  sure  was  the  corpus 
delicti. 

One-half  mile  northwest  of  Jewell  Island  is  Crotch  (Cliff)  Island,  which 
received  its  name  from  the  chasm  in  the  solid  ledge  on  the  southeast  shore. 
Weird  tales  are  told  of  a  onetime  occupant,  a  Captain  Keiff  who  was 
thought  to  be  a  smuggler  and  a  pirate.  He  lived  alone  in  a  log  hut  and  dur- 
ing stormy  weather  would  fasten  a  lighted  lantern  to  his  horse's  neck  rid- 
ing up  and  down  a  narrow  stretch  of  the  island  in  the  hope  of  luring  passing 
vessels  to  their  doom  on  the  treacherous  reefs.  Unsuspecting  pilots  soon 
found  their  ships  pounded  to  pieces,  and  their  cargoes  salvaged  and  con- 
fiscated by  this  island  ghoul.  Captain  Keiff  had  a  special  burying  place  for 
these  hapless  sailors  on  a  grassy  knoll  near  a  deep  ravine.  It  has  since  been 
called  "Keiff's  Garden." 

House  Island,  one  of  the  first  of  the  Casco  Bay  islands  to  be  occupied, 
is  believed  to  have  been  Christopher  Levett's  because  of  the  remains  of  an 
old  stone  house.  The  island  was  improved  for  carrying  on  the  fishing  busi- 
ness, and  records  of  its  sale  begin  as  early  as  1661  with  its  transfer  from 
"Nicholas  White,  of  Casco,  planter,"  to  John  Breme  for  £5,  3s.  George 
Munjoy  acquired  title  to  the  entire  island  shortly  afterward.  The  need  for 
fortification  of  the  harbor  had  been  demonstrated  in  the  Mowat  bom- 
bardment in  1775,  and  in  1808  the  southwest  part  of  Howe's  Island  (as  it 
was  then  called) ,  comprising  12  acres,  was  bought  by  the  government  for 
$1,200.  An  octagonal  timbered  blockhouse  with  a  pointed  roof  topped  by 
a  carved  wooden  eagle  with  spreading  wings  was  built  on  the  highest  point 
and  named  in  honor  of  General  Alexander  Scammel,  of  Revolutionary 
fame.  In  1862  work  was  begun  on  the  present  fort  built  to  mount  70  guns. 


10  Portland  City  Guide 

Gushing  has  been  known  as  Andrews',  Bang's,  and  Portland  Island.  One 
hundred  feet  above  sea  level,  it  was  first  occupied  by  James  Andrews  and 
confirmed  to  him  by  President  Dan  forth  in  July,  1682.  In  1676  the  inhabi- 
tants of  'The  Neck'  fled  to  Gushing  when  the  Indians  began  their  attack 
on  the  settlement,  and  from  this  retreat  the  Reverend  George  Burroughs 
(see  Religion)  wrote  to  Henry  Jocelyn  of  Black  Point  revealing  the  plight 
of  the  refugees.  In  the  early  part  of  the  18th  century  the  island  was  owned 
by  Colonel  Ezekiel  Gushing  who  lived  on  Cape  Elizabeth.  Commander  of 
a  regiment  of  the  county,  the  highest  military  office  in  the  district  at  the 
time,  he  later  was  engaged  in  fisheries  and  West  Indian  trade.  Gushing  sold 
the  island  to  Joshua  Bangs  in  1760,  and  shortly  afterwards  it  was  mort- 
gaged to  Bang's  son-in-law,  Jedediah  Preble,  in  whose  family  it  was  kept 
for  a  number  of  years.  Called  "the  most  bold  and  picturesque  of  the  is- 
lands" it  became  a  mecca  for  Canadians  after  Lemuel  Gushing  of  Chat- 
ham, Canada,  built  the  Ottawa  House  in  1853.  Rising  almost  vertically 
from  the  water,  50  to  100  feet  in  height,  White  Head,  bold  and  rugged, 
forms  a  natural  breakwater  for  Portland  harbor.  Familiar  to  both  poet  and 
painter,  it  is  a  grand  example  of  the  marine.  Besides  having  a  large  sum- 
mer colony,  Gushing  is  the  year-round  home  of  many  Portland  people.  The 
batteries  of  Fort  Levett  were  erected  in  1898. 

Raising  its  bulk  on  what  was  once  known  as  Hog  Island  Ledge,  Fort 
Gorges,  named  in  honor  of  the  Lord  Palatinate  of  the  Province  of  Maine, 
was  built  before  the  days  of  heavy  ordnance.  Begun  in  1858  to  complete 
the  harbor  defenses,  this  grim  garrison  of  granite  which  was  intended  to 
mount  195  guns  was  officially  used  only  during  the  World  War  to  store 
submarine  mines.  Picturesque  and  impotent,  Fort  Gorges  remains  a  me- 
morial to  a  man  who  never  saw  his  extensive  possessions  in  the  land  across 
the  Atlantic. 

None  of  the  remaining  islands  belonging  to  the  city  of  Portland,  except- 
ing Little  Chebeag,  is  inhabited:  Cow  Island  facing  Hussey  Sound  has 
gun  emplacements  for  Fort  McKinley;  Outer  and  Inner  Green  Islands  are 
rookeries  for  thousands  of  sea  gulls  whose  raucous  din  shatters  the  ears  of 
approaching  visitors;  Crow,  Cow,  Marsh  (Vaill) ,  Pumpkin  Knob,  and  Ram 
Island,  complete  the  list  of  Portland's  insular  possessions.  Southeast  of 
Gushing  Island  is  Ram  Island  Ledge  Light  Station  whose  beam  can  be 
seen  for  14  miles;  erected  in  1905,  it  was  the  last  built  on  the  Maine  coast. 

Junk  of  Pork,  Crotch  Island,  Cow  Island,  and  Soldier  Ledges,  Green 


Natural  Setting  11 

Island  Feef,  Stepping  Stones,  Johnson,  Trott's  Pomroy,  Obeds,  Catfish, 
and  Channel  Rocks  complete  the  list  of  charted  rocks  and  ledges  encom- 
passed within  the  city  limits  of  Portland  about  which  the  United  States 
Coastal  Pilot  warns:  "There  are  several  ledges  off  the  entrance,  most  of 
them  marked,  which  makes  the  approach  to  the  harbor  dangerous  in  thick 
weather  for  deep-draft  vessels  ....  In  clear  weather  vessels  can  easily  avoid 
the  rocks  and  ledges  off  and  in  the  entrance." 

Geology  and  Paleontology 

Portland  is  located  on  the  Coastal  Lowland,  a  region  that  has  been 
heavily  subjected  to  glacial  action,  and  whose  rocks  are  grouped  as:  heavily 
metamorphosed  sediments,  and  intrusive,  igneous  rocks  showing  some 
metamorphism.  The  dominant  formation  of  the  district  is  the  Berwick 
Gneiss  (a  laminated  or  foliated  metamorphic  rock)  which  has  been  traced 
from  Dover,  New  Hampshire,  where  it  is  narrowest,  to  Casco  Bay,  where 
it  reaches  its  widest  point.  This  formation  is  highly  crystalline,  containing 
much  biotite  (a  species  of  mica,  usually  black  or  drak-green)  and  is 
heavily  loded  with  granite  at  is  northwest  end.  The  city  is  mentioned  in 
many  geological  treatises  for  the  importance  of  its  clays,  and  if  developed, 
adequate  limestone  is  found  around  the  city  for  all  agricultural  purposes. 

There  is  a  close-packed  region  about  30  miles  long  and  12  miles  broad 
surrounding  Casco  Bay,  bearing  the  name  Casco  Bay  Formation,  which 
contains  slates  and  phyllites  (intermediates  between  mica  schist  and  slate) 
having  an  aggregate  thickness  of  from  1,500  to  2,000  feet.  This  section  in- 
cludes the  islands,  and  is  classed  as  an  overlay  of  the  so-called  Kittery 
Formation,  quartzite  in  character,  with  an  under  formation  resembling  the 
Eliot,  which  is  of  slate.  In  this  group,  Jewell  Island  has  long  been  noted 
for  its  pyrites,  which  look  like  gold  to  the  uninitiate,  and  imposters  have 
preyed  upon  the  ignorant  for  the  exploitation  of  so-called  'mines'  there. 

The  Diamond  Island  slate  is  found  on  Great  Diamond  Island,  and  is  a 
complicated  formation  of  quartz-slate  containing  much  crystal  pyrite,  and 
small  veins  of  quartz,  slightly  crumbled,  with  a  thickness  of  from  75  to 
150  feet.  Mackworth  slate  is  the  uppermost  formation  of  the  Casco  Bay 
group,  consisting  of  quartzite  and  quartz-chlorite  mica  slate  in  beds  from 
less  than  one  inch  to  three  feet  thick,  the  rock  mostly  siliceous.  The 
Gushing  granodiorite  runs  from  Scarborough  across  the  bay  in  a  narrow 
band  16  miles  long  and  about  three  and  one-half  miles  wide,  made  up  of 
gray  granodiorite,  containing  quartz,  feldspar,  biotite,  and  hornblende.  This 
is  a  relatively  late  formation  of  carboniferous  nature. 


12  Portland  City  Guide 

The  Cape  Elizabeth  formation  is  well  exposed,  and  has  light-gray  slates, 
graywacke  slates,  and  quartzites  with  thin  layers  of  black  phyllites,  the 
formation  being  about  600  feet  deep.  The  Spring  Point  formation  overlies 
this,  with  its  gray  to  dark-green  antinolite  schist.  This  rock  is  of  more 
volcanic  nature  and  seems  localized  in  the  Portland  region. 

Fossils  of  starfish  have  been  found  at  elevations  of  200  feet  not  far  from 
the  city,  and  shell  beds  within  its  borders.  During  the  ages  of  glacial  cold 
arctic  animals  ran  over  the  region,  as  evidenced  by  walrus  bones  which 
have  been  exposed  in  the  city  proper.  A  polar  bear's  tooth  was  once  picked 
up  on  Goose  Island. 

After  the  Pleistocene  or  glacial  age  the  ice  disappeared  gradually,  and 
the  whole  surface  of  Maine  was  changed.  Mountains  were  scraped  down  to 
mere  hills,  myriad  lakes  created,  and  glacial  material  deposited  from  one 
end  of  the  State  to  the  other.  A  large  glacial  moraine  runs  from  Newbury- 
port,  Massachusetts,  to  Portland,  composed  of  clay,  sand,  and  crushed  rock. 
Examples  of  this  are  the  gravel  deposits  on  the  Eastern  and  Western 
Promenades.  Portland's  clay  was  spread  over  the  surface  after  the  glacier 
retreated,  and  the  sea  relentlessly  rushed  in. 

Maine's  peneplain  (a  surface  worn  by  erosion  to  low  relief)  is  washed 
seaward  by  the  ton  each  day.  At  present  the  Maine  coast  is  sinking,  and  at 
some  distant  period  the  sea  may  again  claim  Portland  for  its  own.  This 
gnawing  action  is  responsible  for  the  singular  formation  of  the  islands  in 
Casco  Bay,  as  the  inrushing  sea  cut  off  all  but  the  most  resistant  rock  form- 
ations, isolating  them  from  the  mainland.  Petrified  stumps,  pulled  from  the 
bay,  prove  that  once  dry  land  was  there. 

There  are  no  records  for  Maine  during  the  Cenozoic  Era  which  was 
marked  by  the  rapid  evolution  of  mammals  and  birds  and  of  grasses,  shrubs, 
and  high-flowering  plants,  or  the  previous  Mesozoic  Era  with  its  dinosaurs, 
and  marine  and  flying  reptiles,  but  it  is  probable  that  prehistoric  animals 
grazed  over  the  site  of  Portland,  as  they  did  over  the  rest  of  North  America. 
The  first  true  deer  may  have  wandered  over  the  strange  growth  of  the 
peninsula  during  the  Pliocene  epoch. 

The  Psychozoic  Era,  or  proposed  designation  for  the  period  marking  the 
ascendency  of  man  on  earth,  probably  brought  to  Maine  the  race  known  as 
the  Red  Paint  People,  who  inhabited  this  region.  Some  ethnologists 
claim  that  these  were  not  true  Indians,  but  of  an  earlier,  distinct  race;  this 
claim  is  based  on  the  curious  implements  and  relics  unearthed  in  ancient 
graves,  which  differ  from  those  of  the  local  Indians. 


Natural  Setting  13 

Climate 

Portland's  annual  mean  temperature  is  about  46  degrees  Fahrenheit, 
which  is  four  degrees  less  than  New  York  City.  The  all-time  humidity 
average  is  71  percent;  the  average  noon  humidity  is  67  percent.  With  west, 
west-northwest,  or  west-southwest  winds,  a  genuine  chinook  effect  or  warm 
and  dry  wind  from  the  mountains  is  obtained  and  humidities  of  15  to  25 
percent  are  frequent.  The  monthly  sunshine  ratio  varies  little  from  the  an- 
nual rule  of  60  percent.  Hot  and  cold  spells  are  not  of  long  duration;  90° 
is  reached  about  three  times  a  year  and  the  zero  mark  is  touched  two  to 
five  times  annually.  Rapid  changes  in  temperature  are  infrequent,  and 
strong  winds  are  rare,  the  wind  velocity  never  having  exceeded  48  miles 
per  hour. 

There  are  approximately  six  to  twelve  heavy  rainfalls  a  year,  but  moisture 
is  ample  and  droughts  rare.  The  normal  annual  precipitation  is  42.3  inches. 
Few  violent  storms  pass  directly  over  the  city,  though  many  severe  gales 
blow  off  the  coast  along  the  Gulf  Stream,  and  pass  down  the  St.  Lawrence 
Valley.  There  is  some  fog  in  the  summer  months,  but  the  actual  loss  of 
sunlight  due  to  these  occasional  sieges  is  very  small,  averaging  only  two 
hours  in  June,  three  hours  in  July,  and  four  hours  in  August.  Snow  usually 
covers  the  ground  in  the  city  between  December  15  and  March  15  but  the 
winters  are  mild.  Real  blizzards  are  rare,  only  six  having  been  recorded  over 
a  period  of  60  years.  A  striking  feature  is  the  extraordinary  visibility  which 
follows  most  storms,  affording  a  clear  view  of  the  White  Mountains,  80 
miles  distant. 

On  July  4,  1911,  the  mercury  soared  to  103°,  the  highest  point  ever 
reached  in  Portland.  For  nearly  a  week's  duration  the  thermometer  hovered 
near  90° ;  it  dropped  below  88°  only  once.  A  military  parade  on  the  holiday 
was  disrupted;  many  were  forced  to  drop  from  the  ranks  and  several  col- 
lapsed trying  to  cover  the  route  of  the  march.  In  contrast,  the  extreme  of 
frigidity  was  December  30,  1917,  when  the  temperature  plummeted  to  21° 
below  zero.  There  was  a  mad  rush  for  coal;  hand-sleds,  hods,  suitcases,  and 
many  other  makeshift  conveyances  were  pressed  into  service  for  deliveries. 
Local  shipyards  were  closed;  the  island  ferries  and  the  fishing  fleet,  which 
had  remained  in  port  awaiting  a  weather  break,  were  unable  to  move  be- 
cause of  great  sheets  of  ice  in  the  harbor. 

The  all-time  record  snowfall  for  Portland  occurred  January  23,  1935, 
when  a  layer  of  23.3  inches  blanketed  the  city  for  two  days.  The  gale  of 
March  12,  1939,  deposited  21  inches  in  the  city,  and  was  the  most  severe 


14  Portland  City  Guide 

March  storm  in  Portland's  history,  the  famed  'Great  Blizzard  of  1888* 
having  left  only  13  inches  of  snow. 

The  storm  of  November  27,  1898,  will  always  be  known  as  the  'Portland 
Gale/  because  of  the  foundering  of  the  ill-fated  steamer  Portland.  The 
steamer  sailed  for  this  city  from  Boston  on  Thanksgiving  Eve,  most  of  her 
160  passengers  holiday-bound  and  many  of  them  members  of  prominent 
Portland  families.  Just  where  the  Portland  was  struck  by  the  gale  has  long 
been  a  topic  along  the  local  water  front;  and  tales  of  the  drowning  of  the 
full  passenger  list  grow  as  the  years  pass.  More  than  50  Maine  vessels  were 
lost  in  this  terrific  tempest  which  lasted  two  days,  and  on  Orr  Island  in 
Casco  Bay  the  wind  mowed  a  25-foot  swath  through  200  yards  of  dense 
woods. 

Portland  has  suffered  little  from  floods  and  hurricanes  and  has  felt  few 
earthquakes.  In  1936  when  almost  every  section  of  Maine  had  some  im- 
portant city  or  town  inundated  from  swollen  rivers,  the  city  was  untouched. 
The  hurricane  of  1938,  which  smashed  its  sinuous  path  northward  out  of 
the  tropics,  and  swept  over  most  of  Maine  destroying  buildings  and  block- 
ing roads  with  toppled  trees,  left  Portland  untroubled.  The  city  was 
rocked  by  an  earthquake  of  sharp  intensity  in  October,  1727;  it  was  part 
of  the  temblor  that  laid  waste  the  island  of  Martinique.  Of  this  quake  the 
Reverend  Thomas  Smith  wrote  in  his  inimitable  journal  that  "there  was  a 
general  revival  of  religion"  after  stone  walls  and  chimneys  tumbled  about 
the  heads  of  the  stolid  but  backsliding  citizens. 

Extremes  of  Temperature  in  Portland 

Month  Day         Year         Highest      Day         Year          Lowest 

January  21         1906          65          27         1924          -18 

February 
March 
April 
May 
June 

July 

August 

September 

October 

November 

December 


29 

1880 

58 

9 

1934 

-18 

21 

1921 

79 

6 

1872 

-7 

20 

1927 

89 

1 

1923 

9 

31 

1937 

96 

4 

1911 

27 

23 

1888 

96 

3 

1915 

38 

4 

1911 

103 

12 

1886 

48 

6 

1931 

98 

31 

1909 

45 

3 

1937 

96 

23 

1904 

32 

1 

1927 

85 

28 

1914 

22 

10 

1931 

74 

30 

1875 

-6 

12 

1911 

65 

30 

1917 

-21 

Natural  Setting  15 

Average  Number  of  Degree  Days,  1888-1937 

(Computed  from  basis  of  60°) 
Number  of  ®ct-     Nov.      Dec.         Jan.        Feb.      Mar.     Apr.    May    Season 

Degree  Days  443    780     1,153     1,321     1,168    830    678    321     6,694 

Flora  and  fauna 

Known  as  the  'Forest  City,'  because  of  its  abundance  of  trees  and  shrubs, 
Portland,  in  contrast  to  most  of  the  State  of  Maine  which  is  in  the  so-called 
Canadian  or  cooler  section,  lies  on  the  fringe  of  the  warmer  Transition  re- 
gion. Many  species  of  wild  birds  nest  in  the  city,  and  on  the  islands  of 
Casco  Bay  and  in  Back  Cove  thousands  of  migratory  birds  rest  during 
their  annual  flights  to  and  from  the  colder  and  warmer  climates. 

Soon  after  Portland's  'Great  Fire'  of  1866  the  city  began  acquiring  land 
for  the  present  park  system;  there  are  now  more  than  a  thousand  acres  for 
plant  and  animal  conservation,  including  two  bird  sanctuaries.  The  600- 
acre  Back  Cove,  with  its  salt  marsh  and  reed-fringed  shore  skirted  by  Bax- 
ter Boulevard,  is  an  ideal  resting  and  feeding  ground  for  the  thousands  of 
waterfowl  en  route  north  and  south  on  their  annual  migrations.  Baxter's 
Woods,  in  the  northeastern  section  of  the  city,  provide  ornithologists  with 
an  opportunity  for  hours  of  study  and  research  on  nesting  birds. 

Fine  old  elms  line  many  of  the  city's  streets,  especially  the  Eastern  and 
Western  Promenades;  in  Deering  Oaks  recent  late-spring  ice  storms  have 
ravaged  many  of  the  age-old  trees.  With  the  present  replanting  system, 
however,  the  Oaks'  original  oak  and  elm  growth  will  be  replaced  within  a 
few  years.  In  Bramhall  Square  there  is  a  fine  Camperdown  elm  considered 
by  some  to  be  the  best  specimen  in  the  city  and  one  of  the  finest  in  the 
State.  Along  Baxter  Boulevard,  for  the  most  part,  are  lindens;  Forest  Ave- 
nue has  an  air  of  elegance  imparted  by  the  reddish  green  leaves  of  its  many 
Norway  maples.  There  is  an  excellent  purple  beech  in  the  High  Street  yard 
of  the  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art  Museum,  and  on  Allen  Avenue  are 
some  of  the  city's  rarest  trees — virgiles  or  yellow-wood  trees.  Also  on  Allen 
and  near-by  Stevens  Avenues  are  several  smoke  trees,  which  produce  a  bil- 
lowy mass  of  fruiting  panicles  that  gives  an  impression  of  heavy  clouds  of 
smoke. 

Common  throughout  the  city,  in  addition  to  elms,  are  white,  yellow,  and 
gray  birch,  white  and  red  oak,  mountain  and  sugar  maple,  basswood,  black 
gum,  and  tulip  trees,  and,  although  they  are  mostly  replantings,  many 


16  Portland  City  Guide 

species  of  soft  wood  growth  including  pine,  hemlock,  and  spruce.  In  the 
parks  and  on  the  extensive  grounds  of  some  of  the  older  estates  are  splendid 
old  chestnuts  and  several  kinds  of  nut  trees.  Within  a  few  minutes  motor 
ride  of  Portland  are  large  forest  areas  of  white  pine,  sometimes  called 
'masting  pine'  because  in  Colonial  days  the  larger  trees  were  reserved  for 
masts  for  the  Royal  Navy.  Hemlock,  its  bark  valuable  for  tanning,  and 
pitch  pine  are  plentiful.  Balsam  fir,  often  grown  commercially  for  the 
Christmas-tree  trade,  and  red  oak  are  common,  as  is  tamarack,  locally 
called  by  its  Indian  name  of  hackmatack-  Red  spruce,  which  is  the  most 
abundant  of  Maine's  conifers  and  valued  as  the  principal  wood  used  for 
paper  pulp,  and  white  spruce,  called  'skunk  spruce'  by  lumbermen  because 
of  the  odor  of  its  foliage,  are  found  in  large  stands.  Near  by  grow  white 
cedar  or  arborvitae,  found  in  dense  growths  on  swampy  ground,  and  black 
willows,  the  largest  and  most  conspicuous  of  the  American  species. 

Enthusiastic  botanists  will  find  many  botanical  specimens  in  the  city, 
along  the  bay  and  river  shores,  and  in  near-by  sunlit  meadows  and  cool 
groves.  Several  species  of  the  fern  family  thrive  here — polypody,  maiden- 
hair, beech  and  chain  ferns,  and  the  flowering  cinnamon  fern.  Adder's 
tongue,  several  of  the  horsetail  family,  quillwort,  spiderwort,  and  a  half- 
hundred  similar  varieties  flourish.  Nearly  50  different  grasses  grow  within 
the  city's  radius,  and  many  examples  of  the  lily  family,  including  false 
Solomon's  seal,  Indian  cucumber  root,  carrion  flower,  and  lily  of  the  valley, 
spread  luxuriously.  In  the  coolness  of  thickets  and  groves,  where  dwarf 
club  moss  may  conserve  moisture,  grow  the  moccasin  flower,  lady's  slipper, 
pogonia,  rattlesnake  plantain,  twayblade,  and  several  species  of  rein  or 
fringed  orchis.  Here  and  there  along  the  roadside  may  be  found  golden- 
rod,  fleabane,  bur  marigold,  oxeye  or  white  daisy,  tansy,  devil's  paint  brush 
or  golden  lungwort,  and  many  others  of  the  composite  family. 

Occasionally  wild,  but  now  mostly  introduced,  are  mountain  fly,  Euro- 
pean fly  and  Japanese  honeysuckle,  twin  flower,  pembina  cranberry,  Ameri- 
can or  Italian  woodbine,  and  snowberry.  Not  far  from  Portland  grow  many 
of  the  common  Maine  shrubs.  Speckled  alder  cover  swamp  and  pasture  land, 
and  the  scented  white  flowers  of  several  almost  indistinguishable  varieties  of 
shad-bush  are  the  first  harbingers  of  spring;  shad-bush  wood  is  used  in  the 
making  of  fishing  rods.  Common,  too,  are  staghorn  sumac,  and  hawthorn 
or  thorn  apple.  Witch  hazel  usually  borders  most  forest  areas,  and  choke- 
berry  is  found  along  farm  fence-rows.  Bayberry,  once  gathered  by  house- 


Natural  Setting  17 

wives  who  perfumed  linen  with  its  leaves  and  moulded  candles  from  its 
berry  wax,  is  common  in  sandy  stretches  along  the  coast. 

Examples  of  nearly  all  of  the  321  known  species  of  birds  that  frequent 
Maine  have  been  found  at  one  time  or  another  in  or  near  Portland.  Twenty- 
six  of  these  are  permanent  residents  or  live  in  the  rural  area  fringing  the 
city.  Most  common  are  several  varieties  of  sparrows,  black  birds,  chicka- 
dees, and  the  ever-present  common  pigeon.  Bats  wing  out  from  downtown 
church  belfrys  as  shadows  deepen,  and  chimney  swifts  dart  over  rooftops 
in  the  metropolitan  area.  Along  the  marshy  shores,  where  deep-voiced  frogs 
croak,  nest  many  kinds  of  waterfowl;  in  the  harbor  are  great  colonies  of 
gulls.  Maine  islands  and  particularly  those  of  the  outer  Casco  Bay  group 
are  nurseries  of  many  Atlantic  sea  birds.  It  is  not  uncommon  to  see  pheas- 
ants— colorful  cocks  and  their  sedately  brownish  hens — feeding  along  the 
highways  just  outside  the  city.  In  near-by  alder  runs  the  whir-r-r  of  startled 
partridge  may  frequently  be  heard. 

Occasionally  a  red  fox,  tempted  perhaps  by  local  poultry  flocks,  is  caught 
within  the  city  limits.  Skunk  and  woodchuck  are  not  uncommon  even  on 
the  outer  edge  of  the  metropolitan  district,  and  not  far  from  the  city,  rab- 
bits bound  across  the  highway.  In  the  parks  and  along  tree-lined  residential 
streets  gray  and  red  squirrels  chatter;  chipmunks  peer  with  beady  eyes  from 
an  occasional  stone  wall.  Moles,  shrews,  mice,  and  rats  are  found  in  Port- 
land, and  deer,  bear,  raccoons,  and  other  game  have  been  hunted  near  by. 
As  recently  as  midwinter  1939  a  moose  was  sighted  within  several  miles  of 
the  city.  Seals,  sometimes  seen  in  the  harbor  and  frequently  in  the  bay, 
were  quite  abundant  until  about  1900,  but  walrus  have  not  appeared  in  local 
waters  for  many  years,  although  their  bones  and  remains  have  been  found 
in  this  vicinity.  Humpbacked  and  finback  whales  are  often  seen  outside  the 
bay,  and  little  piked  whale  have  been  found  within  Casco  Bay's  boundaries. 

Portland's  salt  water-front  yard  and  its  fresh  water  side  doors  are  tempt- 
ing testing  grounds  for  ichthyologists,  nearly  150  different  species  of  fish 
having  been  found  in  Casco  Bay  or  in  the  rivers  and  streams  that  drain  into 
it.  Mackerel,  sand,  blue  dog,  basking,  and  nurse  sharks  have  been  seen  in 
the  waters  of  the  bay,  and  several  kinds  of  lamprey  eels  have  been  hooked 
off  Small  Point.  Most  common  fish  are  cod,  mackerel,  and  other  market 
seafood,  including  shellfish;  good  shrimp  netting  grounds  have  recently 
been  discovered  outside  Casco  Bay.  Shad  run  each  spring  up  the  Nonesuch 
River,  a  few  miles  outside  the  city,  and  fresh-water  smelting  during  the 
spawning  season  is  a  popular  sport  with  fishermen. 


HISTORY 

The  "Countrey  of  Aucocisco" 

Based  on  the  discoveries  and  explorations  of  the  Venetian,  John  Cabot, 
and  his  three  sons,  Lewis,  Sebastian,  and  Sancius,  England,  in  1497,  laid 
claim  to  far-flung  lands  in  the  New  World.  Ignorant  of  the  potential  wealth 
in  these  new  possessions,  it  was  not  until  James  I  ascended  England's  throne 
in  1603  that  interest  was  again  revived  in  the  distant  land.  In  that  year 
Captain  Martin  Pring,  searching  for  "fish,  sassafras,  and  fame,"  overshot 
his  intended  destination  and  sailed  into  a  bay  in  the  country  of  Aucocisco. 
His  tales  so  stirred  the  hearts  of  acquisitive  merchants,  particularly  Sir  Fer- 
dinando  Gorges,  Governor  of  the  Fort  at  Plymouth,  that  the  Plymouth 
Company  was  chartered  in  1606  for  American  colonization.  In  the  hope  of 
finding  gold  and  copper,  and  whale  oil  for  the  lamps  of  England,  this  com- 
pany in  1614  outfitted  Captain  John  Smith  of  Virginia  fame.  Landing  at 
Monhegan  Island,  he  found  neither  copper  or  gold,  nor  profitable  whaling, 
but  his  explorations  along  the  coast  as  far  as  Cape  Cod  resulted  in  the  pub- 
lishing two  years  later  of  A  Description  of  New  England,  wherein  are 
found  names  familiar  today,  "New  England"  and  Maine's  "Cape  Eliza- 
beth," the  latter  in  honor  of  the  ten-year-old  daughter  of  King  James.  In 
time  the  name  of  the  waters  around  the  "Countrey  of  Aucocisco"  was 
clipped  by  the  English  to  Casco  Bay. 

In  the  meantime  France,  in  1603,  had  impressed  her  claim  on  America 
through  Pierre  du  Cast,  the  Sieur  de  Monts,  to  whom  Henry  of  Navarre 
had  made  a  grant  between  the  40th  and  46th  parallels  north  latitude — 
Acadia.  Not  to  be  outdone  and  unwilling  to  accept  the  attitude  of  despair 
resulting  from  previous  unsuccessful  English  attempts  at  colonization, 


If 


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Old  Town  Hall  (1830's)  in  Market,  now  Monument  Square 


Old  Exchange  Building  (1835-54) 


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History  19 

Gorges  in  1616  sent  out  a  ship  headed  by  Richard  Vines  to  ascertain  the 
feasibility  of  a  permanent  colony;  Winter  Harbor,  on  the  Saco  River  where 
they  landed,  proved  his  point. 

Following  the  re-organization  of  the  Plymouth  Company  six  years  later, 
Sir  Ferdinando  and  his  friend,  Captain  John  Mason,  drew  as  their  conces- 
sion the  region  that  now  comprises  Maine  and  New  Hampshire  between  the 
Merrimac  and  the  Sagadahoc  rivers.  In  1623  Christopher  Levett  received 
from  them  any  6,000  acres  he  might  choose  in  this  region  east  of  the  Pis- 
cataqua.  Landing  at  the  "Isle  of  Shoulds,"  he  proceeded  to  the  mainland, 
Piscataqua,  and  met  Robert  Gorges,  son  of  Sir  Ferdinando  and  newly  ap- 
pointed Governor  of  New  England,  and  others;  here,  the  first  government 
de  jure,  if  not  de  facto,  over  New  England  was  established. 

A  Century  of  Litigation 

After  examining  the  present  Maine  coast  as  far  east  as  Cape  Newagen, 
Christopher  Levett  decided  an  island  in  Casco  Bay  was  the  ideal  place  for 
the  city  he  intended  to  build.  It  is  a  debated  question  among  historians  as 
to  which  was  Levett's  island;  House,  Hog,  and  Mackworth  each  has  its  ad- 
herents. He  described  it  as  "an  island  lyeing  before  Casco  River.  ..."  The 
confusion  arises  as  to  whether  or  not  Casco  River  was  the  present  Fore  or 
the  Presumpscot  River;  an  ancient  cellar  gave  House  Island  its  name  and 
bid  for  the  honor.  The  native  name  of  the  island  was  Quack,  a  corruption 
of  the  Indian  maquack,  designating  the  red,  iron-pigmented  soil;  in  the 
summer  of  1623  Quack  was  changed  to  York,  the  name  of  Levett's  native 
town. 

Levett  and  his  men  built  a  stone  house,  fortified  their  island,  and  im- 
proved their  friendship  with  the  Indians  whom  they  had  met  on  their  jour- 
ney to  the  east.  They  caught  great  quantities  of  fish  and  exchanged  trifles 
for  the  native's  furs.  Leaving  ten  men  on  the  island,  Levett  left  for  Eng- 
land the  following  summer,  intending  to  return  with  his  wife  and  children. 
The  Indians  had  endeavored  to  persuade  him  to  stay  and  take  one  of  their 
women  for  a  wife,  but  Levett  was  not  interested.  After  his  arrival  in  Eng- 
land he  published  A  Voyage  Into  New  England  in  which  he  remarked: 
"And  if  we  will  endure  poverty  in  England  and  suffer  so  good  a  country 
as  this  to  lie  in  waste,  I  am  persuaded  that  we  are  guilty  of  a  grievous  sin 
against  God."  Levett,  however,  never  returned  to  his  Maine  island,  and  his- 
tory is  indefinite  regarding  the  garrison  he  had  left  there. 


20  Portland  City  Guide 

In  1628  Walter  Bagnall,  onetime  servant  of  the  revel- loving  Thomas 
Morton,  established  himself  on  Richmond  Island,  having  been  ousted  from 
Massachusetts  at  the  same  time  as  his  master  whose  high  jinks  at  his  home 
at  Merrymount  scandalized  the  sober  Puritans.  Legends  reveal  that  Bagnall 
was  known  as  Great  Walt  because  of  his  strength  and  stature  and  ascribe 
to  him  all  the  17th  century  vices,  which  involved  rascally  commercial  deal- 
ings with  the  Indians  and  "making  merrie"  with  the  Indian  girls.  For  this 
latter  offense,  Bagnall  was  surprised  one  night  at  his  island  home  by  Chief 
Scitterygusset  and  a  party  of  his  braves,  who  murdered  Great  Walt,  burned 
his  buildings,  and  made  off  with  all  his  portable  goods. 

In  1634  Gorges  and  Mason  divided  their  territory,  Mason  keeping  the 
western  part,  now  New  Hampshire,  and  Gorges  the  Province  of  Maine. 
Grants  had  been  made  indiscriminately,  with  frequent  disregard  to  prior 
concessions.  On  the  west  side  of  the  Saco  River  were  Richard  Vines,  who 
had  been  made  Gorges'  deputy  in  the  new  province,  and  John  Oldham;  on 
the  east  side  were  Thomas  Lewis  and  Richard  Bonython.  John  Dye  and 
others  had  been  granted  40  square  miles  between  Cape  Porpoise  and  Cape 
Elizabeth.  This  latter  area  was  known  as  the  Plough  Patent,  so-called  after 
the  ship  in  which  they  had  sailed  and  later,  the  Ligonia  Patent  in  honor  of 
Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges'  mother,  Cicely  Lygon;  it  became  the  basis  of  much 
subsequent  litigation.  Richard  Tucker  took  land  on  the  east  side  of  the 
Spurwink  River  in  Cape  Elizabeth,  Thomas  Cammock,  a  relative  of  the 
Earl  of  Warwick,  on  the  west  side  at  Black  Point,  and  Arthur  Mackworth 
on  an  island  east  of  the  Presumpscot  River. 

On  December  1,  1631,  the  Council  of  Plymouth  granted  Robert  Trelawny 
and  Moses  Goodyeare,  Plymouth  merchants,  the  land  between  Cammock's 
Spurwink  River  boundary  and  the  Bay  of  Casco;  included  in  this  area  was 
the  land  of  Richard  Tucker.  The  following  year  the  Swift  arrived  from 
England  with  George  Cleeve  of  Plymouth  aboard.  Setting  up  a  partnership 
at  Spurwink  with  Richard  Tucker,  they  built  a  house,  farmed,  traded  with 
the  Indians,  and  prospered  until  Trelawny's  agent,  John  Winter,  appeared 
on  the  scene  in  1632.  Winter,  a  former  fellow-townsman  of  Trelawny  and 
Goodyeare,  had  been  commissioned  as  agent  to  develop  their  new  grant  and 
was  to  receive  an  annual  stipend  and  one-tenth  of  the  profits.  Of  arbitrary 
temperament  and  finding  Cleeve  and  Tucker  on  land  he  asserted  was  en- 
compassed in  the  Trelawny  grant,  Winter  peremptorily  ordered  them  to 
vacate.  Tucker  stubbornly  maintained  he  had  legally  purchased  his  land 


History  21 

from  Richard  Bradshaw,  and  he  and  Cleeve  refused  to  leave.  Winter  made 
a  trip  to  England  in  the  latter  months  of  1632  and  upon  his  return  to  this 
country  the  following  year,  finding  Cleeve  and  Tucker  still  living  on  a 
claim  they  could  not  substantiate,  he  summoned  Captain  Walter  Neale 
from  Piscataqua  to  add  his  official  weight  to  eviction  proceedings.  Winter 
thus  planted  seeds  of  distrust  and  enmity  that  existed  until  all  concerned 
were  dead. 

Under  John  Winter's  energetic  supervision,  the  Richmond  Island  de- 
velopment became  the  most  flourishing  in  the  Casco  Bay  area.  Two  years 
after  his  arrival  60  men  were  engaged  in  activities  connected  with  the  fish- 
ing industry.  Dry  cod,  pickled  "core-fish,"  fish  spawn,  dried  bass,  and  fish 
oil  were  shipped  in  great  quantities  to  Spain,  Portugal,  and  the  Canary 
Islands,  where  they  were  exchanged  for  wine  which  was  then  carried  to 
England.  At  this  time  many  ships  engaged  in  this  trade  were  anchored  in 
the  harbor  of  Richmond  Island.  Beef  and  pork  were  plentiful,  the  original 
stock  having  been  brought  in  by  Winter  on  one  of  his  English  voyages. 

About  1637-38  the  Richmond,  a  square-rigged  bark  of  30  tons,  was  built 
and  made  its  first  trip.  On  July  30,  1638,  Winter  wrote  in  his  journal:  "The 
26th  of  this  moneth  departed  hence  the  Richmon,  Narius  Haukin  maister, 
bound  for  the  Bay,  or  the  Duch  plantation,  or  Keynetticot,  where  they  may 
find  their  best  markett.  In  her  I  have  laden  abord  34  pipes  of  wine,  50 
Jarres  of  oyle,  &  most  pt  of  our  earthen  ware;  God  send  yt  to  good  mar- 
kett." Several  voyages  were  made  to  England  until  the  bark  was  confiscated 
by  the  Crown  in  1642,  and  Trelawny  was  imprisoned  for  his  royalist  sym- 
pathies. Other  Trelawny  ships  traded  along  the  Maine  coast  swelling  the 
owner's  purse  with  the  sale  of  cargoes  of  fur,  fish,  lumber,  and  sassafras 
enough  to  cure  all  the  gout  in  England. 

Richard  Gibson,  an  Episcopalian  clergyman,  was  sent  to  Richmond  Island 
by  Trelawny  and  held  services  as  early  as  1637.  Winter  was  attracted  to 
the  scholarly  Gibson  and  felt  he  would  make  an  excellent  husband  for  his 
daughter  Sarah.  Sarah's  charms  failed  to  impress  the  young  minister,  for 
he  married  Mary  Lewis  of  Saco.  Chagrined  by  this  choice,  Winter  decided 
that  if  the  Reverend  Gibson  was  not  to  be  his  son-in-law,  neither  would  he 
be  minister,  so  in  1640  he  was  replaced  by  the  Reverend  Robert  Jordan. 
Sarah's  imported  gowns  and  her  father's  affluence  were  not  overlooked  by 
the  new  parson,  who  lost  little  time  in  making  her  his  wife. 

Simultaneous  with  John  Winter's  development  of  Richmond  Island  and 


22  Portland  City  Guide 

the  Spurwink  mainland,  George  Cleeve  and  Richard  Tucker,  whom  Win- 
ter had  dispossessed,  settled  on  'The  Neck/  In  1633  they  built  the  first 
house  erected  by  a  white  settler,  thereby  laying  the  foundation  of  the  city 
that  became  Portland.  This  house  stood  at  the  foot  of  what  is  now  Hamp- 
shire Street.  Three  years  later,  still  smarting  over  their  eviction  by  Winter 
and  taking  advantage  of  a  shakeup  in  the  Plymouth  Council  which  gave 
control  to  Gorges,  Cleeve  went  to  England  to  establish  ownership  to  his  new 
home  on  'The  Neck.'  Asserting  his  right  to  claim  land  under  the  royal 
edict  of  King  James,  Cleeve  convinced  Gorges  that  his  squatter  rights  were 
legal  and  obtained  from  him  the  first  deed  with  definite  bounds  within 
which  lies  the  present  Portland.  Cleeve's  lease,  dated  January  27,  1637, 
was  for  2,000  years.  All  the  land  including  'The  Neck'  west  to  the  Capisic 
River  in  Stroudwater,  thence  to  the  "falls  of  the  Presumpsca"  together  with 
"Hogg  Island,"  was  deeded  to  Portland's  original  settlers  on  payment  of 
£100.  It  was  described  as  "a  place  known  to  the  Indians  as  Machegonne, 
but  henceforth  to  be  called  Stogummer  .  .  .  .  "  The  name  was  never  used. 
Gorges  appointed  Cleeve  his  deputy,  delegating  to  him  "the  letting  and 
settling  all  or  any  part  of  his  lands  or  island  between  the  Cape  Elizabeth 
and  the  entrance  to  Sagadahock  River,  and  go  into  the  main  land  sixty 
miles."  On  his  return  to  'The  Neck,'  Cleeve  as  Gorges'  sole  deputy  started 
ouster  proceedings  in  a  tactless  manner  against  Arthur  Mackworth  who  had 
previously  been  given  his  grant  by  Richard  Vines,  Gorges'  first  deputy. 
Mackworth  considered  Cleeve's  action  a  piece  of  arrogance,  and  in  later 
years  this  was  to  rebound  with  unpleasant  results. 

When  King  Charles  I  confirmed  Gorges'  title  to  the  Maine  lands  in  1639, 
among  the  almost  unlimited  powers  granted  by  him  was  the  right  to  es- 
tablish a  general  court  in  the  new  province.  The  first  general  court  ever 
to  assemble  in  Maine  was  held  in  Saco  in  June,  1640,  and  Gorges  was  rep- 
resented in  it  by  his  agent  Richard  Vines,  who,  together  with  Sir  Thomas 
Joselyn,  Francis  Champernone,  William  Hooke,  Richard  Bonython,  Henry 
Joselyn,  and  Edward  Godfrey,  was  authorized  to  administer  oaths  and  to 
determine  all  civil  and  criminal  causes.  The  first  case  on  the  docket  was 
that  of  "George  Cleeves  of  Casco,  gen.  plit:  Jno  Winter  of  Richmond  Is- 
land, deft."  wherein  Cleeve  took  action  against  Winter  for  being  dispos- 
sessed from  his  Spurwink  holdings.  Cleeve  had  the  gratification  of  being 
awarded  a  small  amount  for  damages,  and  both  parties  agreed  to  abide  by 
the  judgment  of  a  referee.  Winter,  however,  subsequently  repudiated  the 


History  23 

agreement,  and  after  his  death  in  1645  the  judgment  in  Cleeve's  favor  pro- 
duced many  legal  encounters,  proceedings  described  by  an  early  wit  as  liti- 
gation "enough  to  have  maintained  a  greater  number  of  Lawers,  than  ever 
were  the  Inhabitants." 

In  1642  when  Oliver  Cromwell  was  attempting  to  overthrow  the  English 
government,  Cleeve  realized  his  holdings  and  authority  were  again  in  jeop- 
ardy and  made  another  trip  to  England.  With  a  timely  about-face  from 
loyalist  to  republican  ranks  he  suavely  persuaded  Alexander  Rigby,  high  in 
Cromwell's  favor,  to  purchase  in  1643  the  dormant  Plough,  or  Ligonia 
Patent.  Rigby  appointed  Cleeve  his  deputy  in  Maine,  and  Cleeve,  always 
the  opportunist,  returned  to  Maine  and  arrogantly  prosecuted  his  duties. 
He  soon  made  enemies  of  the  royalist  sympathizers  who  were  under  the 
leadership  of  Richard  Vines,  Robert  Jordan,  son-in-law  of  John  Winter,  and 
the  disgruntled  Arthur  Mackworth.  The  subsequent  struggle  for  power  by 
the  principals  of  the  Rigby-Gorges  factions  bewildered  the  local  colonists 
and  caused  the  people  in  the  western  part  of  Maine  to  form  their  own  party 
under  the  leadership  of  Edward  Godfrey.  Petitions  to  England  addressed 
by  the  leaders  of  these  factions  brought  only  the  counsel  that  they  should 
"dwell  peaceably  together  ..."  as  England  was  embroiled  in  a  conflict 
which  threatened  its  internal  structure.  The  death  of  Robert  Trelawny  in 
1644,  followed  three  years  later  by  the  death  of  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges, 
who  had  been  imprisoned  for  his  loyalty  to  the  king,  left  the  royalist  faction 
in  Maine  without  its  principal  leaders.  The  resulting  controversy  and  con- 
fusion gave  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony  in  1652  the  opportunity  to  extend  its 
power  eastward  to  Casco  Bay.  The  legality  of  this  move  was  disputed  for 
six  years,  but  in  1658  the  warring  factions  yielded  to  the  conclusions  of  a 
commission  whereby  the  jurisdiction  of  Massachusetts  was  accepted,  pro- 
vided that  religious  differences  would  not  deprive  the  Maine  colonists  of 
their  civil  privileges.  One  article  of  the  agreement  was:  "Those  places 
formerly  called  Spurwink  and  Casco  bay  from  the  east  of  Spurwink  River, 
to  the  Clapboard  islands,  in  Casco  bay,  shall  run  back  eight  miles  in  th*» 
country,  and  henceforth  shall  be  called  by  the  name  of  Falmouth." 

The  jurisdictional  encroachment  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony  met 
with  little  sympathy  in  the  Casco  Bay  section  as  the  inhabitants  were  large- 
ly staunch  Episcopalians.  The  Puritan  form  of  government  was  intolerant 
in  religious  belief,  harsh  in  its  enforcement,  and  allowed  only  Congrega- 
tional churchmen  to  vote.  An  example  of  the  utter  disregard  of  the  earlier 


24  Portland  City  Guide 

granted  right  of  religious  freedom  was  the  summoning  to  General  Court  in 
1660  of  Robert.  Jordan,  the  Episcopal  minister,  who  had  baptised  local 
children  in  the  rites  of  his  faith.  This,  and  similar  incidents,  made  the 
people  of  Falmouth  apprehensive  of  their  civil  as  well  as  their  religious 
future. 

In  the  meantime  settlers  to  whom  Cleeve  and  Tucker  had  made  grants 
crowded  into  Maine,  and  by  1662  all  the  land  around  the  Back  Cove  of 
'The  Neck'  was  occupied  by  about  forty  families,  or  400  inhabitants. 
Cleeve's  son-in-law,  Michael  Mitton,  had  a  deed  to  Peak  Island  together 
with  other  parcels  of  land  in  Falmouth.  Anthony  Brackett  had  a  large 
farm  near  what  is  now  Deering  Oaks,  George  Bramhall  owned  all  the  land 
in  that  part  of  the  city  which  now  bears  his  name,  and  George  Munjoy 
owned  the  emminence  on  the  tip  of  'The  Neck'  now  known  as  Munjoy  Hill 
and  400  acres  in  Stroudwater.  Thaddeus  Clark  had  a  farm  east  of  B ram- 
hall's,  and  the  shore  was  fringed  with  the  homes  of  new  settlers.  The  first 
Congregational  minister,  George  Burroughs,  preached  in  the  meetinghouse 
at  what  is  now  the  corner  of  Fore  and  Hancock  streets.  Falmouth  was  on 
its  way  to  become  a  prosperous  settlement,  developing  each  year  the  facili- 
ties with  which  its  location  was  naturally  endowed.  Lumber  was  cut  for 
England,  mills  were  erected  on  the  Presumpscot  and  Stroudwater  rivers, 
and  courts  were  ordained. 

A  series  of  lawsuits  between  Cleeve  and  the  Reverend  Robert  Jordan  took 
place  after  Jordan  inherited  the  property  of  his  father-in-law,  John  Winter, 
and  reopened  the  land  title  dispute;  he  succeeded  in  reducing  Cleeve  to 
penury  during  the  ensuing  years.  In  one  of  these  suits,  Cleeve  made  a 
plaintive  appeal  to  the  court  that  had  an  element  of  tragic  humor.  He 
asked  recovery  from  Jordan  of  his  "house,  cow,  Bed  and  Bolster,  and  bed 
clothes,  my  brewing  kettle,  pott  and  other  goods.  ..."  He  continued  his 
grievance  against  Jordan's  deputy  "who  was  starke  drunke,  taking  my  ket- 
tle and  pott,  being  full  of  worte  for  beere,  ready  to  tun  up,  and  threw  it 
about  the  house,  and  carried  away  said  kettle  and  detaineth  them  to  this 
day."  Jordan's  deputy  apparently  had  been  in  an  ugly  mood,  for  he  had  un- 
cermoniously  dumped  the  aged  and  ailing  Mrs.  Cleeve  from  her  bed,  which 
he  took  to  satisfy  the  court's  judgment.  Yet,  in  the  same  year  as  his  court 
battle  with  Jordan,  when  Cleeve  appears  to  have  been  in  dire  straits,  he  was 
elected  one  of  the  commissioners  of  Falmouth  by  his  party  and  in  1663-64 
was  deputy  from  the  town  to  the  General  Court.  Two  years  later  Cleeve 


History  25 

made  his  last  court  appearance,  and  his  name  fades  abruptly  from  the 
records. 

The  next  fifteen  years  in  Maine  were  marked  by  a  sturdy  unwillingness 
to  recognize  the  authority  of  Massachusetts.  Confusion,  license,  and  sub- 
version of  law  itself  followed,  and  animated  by  a  desire  for  an  authorized 
government,  an  appeal  was  again  made  to  England.  For  three  years  fol- 
lowing 1665  the  authority  of  Massachusetts  was  abrogated,  and  persons  ap- 
pointed by  the  restored  Charles  II  were  in  power.  They  held  court,  but  were 
unable  to  elevate  the  moral  tone  of  a  people  who  had  been  hardy  adven- 
turers, contemptuous  of  law  and  order.  When  the  commissioners  relin- 
quished their  charge  and  returned  to  England,  Massachusetts  re-established 
jurisdiction  by  force,  to  which  the  people  gradually  and  grudgingly  sub- 
mitted. 

With  paralyzing  suddenness  King  Philip's  War,  which  had  been  raging 
so  fiercely  in  southern  New  England,  broke  with  savage  fury  on  Falmouth 
in  September,  1675,  the  floodgates  of  Indian  revenge  providing  an  oppor- 
tunity for  satisfying  many  actual  and  fancied  grievances.  The  settlements 
on  the  east  side  of  the  Presumpscot,  at  Saco,  Blue  Point,  Scarborough,  and 
Spurwink  were  destroyed,  many  of  the  inhabitants,  unable  to  escape,  were 
killed  or  taken  prisoners.  The  Reverend  Robert  Jordan  made  his  escape  to 
New  Hampshire.  The  remaining  settlers  sought  refuge  on  Bangs  (Cush- 
ing)  Island  and  subsisted  on  fish  and  berries  for  nine  days.  Upon  petition 
to  the  Governor  of  Massachusetts,  1,500  pounds  of  bread  were  sent  to  the 
survivors  by  ship  from  Boston.  A  company  of  170  soldiers  and  friendly  In- 
dians sent  by  the  governor  for  the  protection  of  Falmouth  remained  only  a 
month,  and  raids  again  became  common.  A  treaty  was  signed  April  12, 
1678,  which  stipulated  that  each  family  pay  the  red  men  one  peck  of  corn 
annually.  After  this  treaty  was  signed  the  settlers  returned  to  their  homes, 
and  preparations  for  a  more  adequate  future  defense  were  made.  Fort 
Loyall  was  built  at  the  foot  of  India  Street,  with  Captain  Edward  Tyng 
in  command.  In  1678  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts  paid  £1,250 
to  the  grandson  of  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  for  his  rights  and  interests  in  the 
Province  of  Maine.  Adopting  a  new  form  of  government  for  the  province, 
the  General  Court  in  1680  appointed  Thomas  Danforth,  then  deputy  gov- 
ernor of  Massachusetts,  President  of  Maine.  That  same  year  he  held  court 
at  Fort  Loyall  arid  made  grants  of  three-acre  lots  to  about  thirty  persons, 
with  the  stipulation  that  they  make  improvements.  Records  of  this  meet- 


26  Portland  City  Guide 

ing  reveal  a  town  government  with  Anthony  Brackett,  Thaddeus  Clark, 
John  Walley,  and  George  Ingersoll  as  selectmen.  At  this  time  Captain 
Sylvanus  Davis  received  a  lot  between  India  and  Hancock  streets,  where 
later  he  opened  the  first  store  in  town. 

The  English  Court  of  King  Charles  II,  resentful  of  the  actions  of  the 
Massachusetts  Colony  following  its  purchase  of  the  Province  of  Maine, 
maintained  that  this  purchase  included  the  rights  to  the  soil  but  not  the 
right  to  govern.  Their  theory  was  that  only  the  aristocracy  should  rule, 
and,  in  1684  suspicious  of  the  town  meetings  and  self-government  of  the 
new  colonies,  the  English  Court  of  Chancery,  for  a  second  time  revoked 
the  charter  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony.  Falmouth  land  titles  were 
again  held  to  be  invalid,  and  hoping  for  an  alleviation  of  these  civil  con- 
ditions, 16  influential  men  of  this  region  joined  in  a  petition  to  King 
Charles  to  set  up  his  own  government.  The  disappointing  result  of  this 
plea  was  the  appointment  in  December,  1686,  of  Sir  Edmund  Andros, 
Governor  of  New  England  and  New  York.  The  new  governor's  vacillating 
dealings  with  the  Indians  together  with  his  futile  expeditions  to  awe  them 
resulted  only  in  dissatisfaction  among  the  colonial  troops  and  his  loss  of 
prestige  and  power  with  the  citizenry.  The  settlers  on  'The  Neck'  neglected 
to  pay  their  annual  tribute  of  corn  to  the  Indians  and  even  allowed  their 
garrisons  to  become  undermanned. 

The  long-existing  French  animosity  against  the  English,  subtly  inculcated 
in  the  Indian  mind  and  now  spurred  to  fever  pitch,  produced  the  French 
and  Indian  War  that  in  1689  caught  Falmouth  unawares.  Captain  An- 
thony Brackett's  farm,  now  Deering  Oaks,  was  the  scene  of  the  first  at- 
tack; 21  men  were  either  killed  or  wounded.  Fortunately,  Major  Ben- 
jamin Church  and  his  men,  sent  from  Boston  for  the  protection  of  Fal- 
mouth, arrived  in  time  to  repel  the  invaders.  With  the  coming  of  winter, 
however,  he  was  ordered  back  to  Massachusetts. 

Early  in  April,  1690,  the  French  and  their  Indian  allies  began  to  gather 
on  the  islands  in  Casco  Bay  and  opened  hostilities  a  month  later  by  ambush- 
ing a  company  of  soldiers  under  Lieutenant  Thaddeus  Clark,  who  were 
scouting  on  Munjoy  Hill;  13  were  killed.  The  terrified  inhabitants  of  'The 
Neck'  fled  to  the  garrisons,  but  lack  of  ammunition  then  forced  them  to 
flee  to  the  security  of  Fort  Loyall.  After  burning  the  houses,  the  Indians 
laid  siege  to  the  fort  and  protected  themselves  from  the  fire  of  the  fort's 
eight  cannon  by  digging  trenches  below  the  walls.  The  siege  continued  for 


History  27 

five  days  and  four  nights  until  diminishing  food  supplies  and  ammunition 
coupled  with  the  loss  of  so  many  men  at  the  outset  and  the  fact  that  the 
enemy  outnumbered  them  five  to  one,  forced  the  commander,  Captain  Syl- 
vanus  Davis,  to  ask  for  a  parley.  It  was  agreed  that  a  safe  escort  to  the 
nearest  English  village  would  be  the  price  of  the  surrender  of  the  fort.  Al- 
though the  French  officer  in  command  of  the  Indians  promised  to  grant 
this  request,  when  Captain  Davis  opened  the  gates  of  the  fort  to  begin  the 
journey  southward,  the  Indians,  inspired  by  the  French,  made  a  carnival  of 
death  in  the  Falmouth  settlement.  Only  four  besides  Captain  Davis  were 
spared  and  taken  to  Canada.  Behind  the  victors  were  left  the  ruins  of  Fal- 
mouth. 

A  New  Falmouth  Rises 

Following  this  wanton  destruction  by  the  French  and  Indians,  'The 
Neck'  was  a  wilderness  for  26  years.  A  new  charter  granted  to  the  Massa- 
chusetts Bay  Colony  in  1691  gave  it  control  of  the  entire  region  between  the 
Piscataqua  and  St.  Croix  rivers.  The  next  year  a  reconnoitering  expedition, 
under  the  command  of  Major  Benjamin  Church,  accompanied  by  Sir  Wil- 
liam Phips,  the  Royal  Governor,  removed  Fort  Loyall's  cannon  and  re- 
mained long  enough  to  bury  the  bleached  bones  of  the  massacred  inhabitants. 
Seven  years  later  Massachusetts  signed  a  treaty  with  the  Indians  at  Mare 
Point,  on  Casco  Bay,  which  stipulated  that  a  trading  post  be  set  up  for  the 
convenience  of  the  local  tribes.  In  compliance,  a  fort  was  erected  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Presumpscot  River  in  1700,  and,  to  differentiate  it  from  'The 
Neck/  was  called  New  Casco.  Garrisoned  by  36  men  under  the  command 
of  Major  John  March,  it  was  the  only  coastal  defense  on  Casco  Bay.  Major 
Samuel  Moody  succeeded  March  in  1707  and  continued  in  command  until 
the  demolition  of  the  post  nine  years  later. 

Realizing  the  advantages  and  possibilities  of  the  Falmouth  area  and  un- 
willing to  leave  this  section,  Major  Moody  petitioned  the  General  Court  for 
permission  for  himself  and  fifteen  men  and  their  families  to  settle  on  'The 
Neck/  stipulating  that  he  would  furnish  arms  and  ammunitions  at  his  own 
expense.  This  request  was  granted  July  20,  1716,  and  Moody  built  a  large 
house  on  the  corner  of  the  present  Fore  and  Hancock  streets.  Benjamin 
Larrabee,  formerly  second  in  command  at  the  fort,  located  at  what  is  now 
Middle  and  Pearl  streets,  and  Richard  Wilmot  chose  a  site  where  the 
street  that  now  bears  his  name  meets  Congress  Street. 

During  the  early  years  of  New  England  colonization  haphazard  settle- 


28  Portland  City  Guide 

ments  had  so  invited  Indian  depredations  that  the  General  Court  passed  a 
law  in  1716  forbidding  future  settlement  without  its  permission.  It  ap- 
pointed a  commission  to  "lay  out  the  town  platts  in  a  regular  and  defen- 
sible manner.  ..."  After  a  delay  of  two  years  Falmouth's  boundaries  were 
redefined,  the  site  approved,  and  on  July  16,  1718,  the  town  was  officially 
incorporated.  In  compliance  with  the  Massachusetts  ruling,  a  town  meeting 
was  held  the  following  March.  Harvard-educated  Joshua  Moody,  oldest 
son  of  Major  Moody,  was  elected  the  first  town  clerk  of  the  settlement, 
Dominicus  Jordan,  John  Pritchard,  William  Scales,  and  Benjamin  Skill- 
ings  were  chosen  selectmen,  Thomas  Thomes  became  constable,  and  Jacob 
Collings  and  Samuel  Proctor  were  appointed  fence  surveyors. 

The  first  problem  of  the  newly  incorporated  town  was  the  solution  of 
land  right  disputes.  Back  in  1684  Thomas  Danforth  as  President  of  Maine 
had  deeded  to  eight  of  the  principal  men  of  the  town  as  trustees  and  to  their 
heirs  and  assigns,  all  the  land  in  Falmouth  which  had  previously  belonged 
to  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges.  Newcomers  to  the  second  settlement,  finding  the 
town  uninhabited,  selected  sites  that  pleased  their  fancy.  With  the  return  of 
some  of  the  former  proprietors,  who  had  fled  the  settlement  before  the  In- 
dian debacle,  a  continuance  of  the  early  land  feuds  ensued;  the  two  factions 
were  known  as  the  Old  and  the  New  Proprietors.  The  erstwhile  owners, 
finding  settlers  occupying  their  grants,  were  forced  to  abide  by  the  decision 
of  the  New  Proprietors — that  the  incorporation  of  Falmouth  as  a  town 
gave  to  the  New  Proprietors  the  right  and  power  to  grant  land.  The  Old 
Proprietors  were  in  the  minority,  but  whenever  possible,  the  new  government 
respected  their  land  titles.  Conciliation  was  the  new  order,  and  in  due  time 
matters  were  amicably  adjusted. 

'The  Neck'  settlement  grew  quickly;  settlers  came  from  other  New  Eng- 
land colonies,  built  their  homes,  and  in  1718  Falmouth's  population  was  in- 
creased by  the  arrival  of  its  first  real  immigrants,  20  families  who  came 
from  the  north  of  Ireland  in  search  of  better  economic  advantages  and  re- 
ligious liberty.  Streets  were  laid  out;  King  Street,  now  India,  was  the  first 
important  thoroughfare.  West  of  King  Street  ran  three  roads,  aptly  named 
according  to  their  relative  positions,  the  fore,  the  middle,  and  the  back 
streets;  two  of  these  names  still  remain,  but  Back  Street  became  successive- 
ly Queen  and  Congress  Street.  Ferry  privileges  were  granted  to  John 
Pritchard  as  early  as  1719  to  operate  a  boat  between  Clay  Cove  and  the 
Purpooduck  [South  Portland]  shore. 

Under  the  Puritan  government  of  Massachusetts  it  was  mandatory  that 


History  29 

towns  support  an  established  Congregational  minister,  and  failure  to  do  so 
meant  being  "presented  at  court."  Falmouth  had  difficulty  in  finding  an 
acceptable  minister  of  this  denomination  who  would  become  the  permanent 
pastor,  and  it  was  not  until  1725  that  the  town  fathers  invited  the  Reverend 
Thomas  Smith  to  take  charge  of  the  First  Parish.  Smith  had  been  recom- 
mended to  the  local  officials  by  Harvard  College,  from  which  institution  he 
had  been  graduated  five  years  previous.  Although  he  accepted  the  Falmouth 
pastorate,  Smith  waited  two  years  before  making  the  town  his  permanent 
residence.  On  March  6,  1727,  the  day  of  his  ordination,  he  recorded  in  his 
now  famous  journal:  "We  are  the  first  church  that  ever  was  settled  east  of 
Wells:  may  the  gates  of  hell  be  never  able  to  prevail  against  us.  Amen." 

The  young  minister  found  Falmouth  with  its  400  inhabitants  a  dismal 
contrast  to  the  grandeur  of  colonial  Boston,  his  birthplace.  The  First  Parish 
Congregational  meetinghouse  in  which  he  preached  was  a  rude  structure  with 
glassless  windows,  and  the  interior  had  neither  seats  nor  pulpit.  Parson 
Smith's  new  home,  however,  seems  to  have  been  quite  commodious  for  the 
time.  Firewood  was  supplied,  extra  lots  cleared  and  fenced,  and  Smith's 
salary  was  paid  every  six  months,  which,  with  the  additional  revenue  from 
the  "strangers'  contribution"  (collection),  gave  the  Parson  a  very  com- 
fortable living.  His  parishioners  kept  his  pantry  stocked  with  wild  game, 
which  was  plentiful,  and  his  cellar  supplied  with  fine  wines  and  liquors. 

One  of  the  recommendations  of  the  General  Court  was  "...  that  Fifty 
Families  more  (at  the  least)  than  now  are,  be  admitted  as  soon  as  may  be, 
and  settled  in  the  most  compact  and  defencible  manner  the  Land  will  allow 
of."  In  1727  Falmouth  acted  upon  this  suggestion  and  voted  to  admit  all 
of  good  character  upon  payment  of  £10.  The  Old  Proprietors  objected 
strenuously  to  this  town  vote,  but  Falmouth  was  poor  and  felt  the  need  of 
additional  funds  for  its  depleted  treasury.  About  this  time  the  headquarters 
of  the  royal  mast  industry  was  transferred  from  Portsmouth,  New  Hamp- 
shire, to  Falmouth,  causing  many  new  inhabitants  to  apply  for  residence  in 
the  town.  Among  the  first  to  be  admitted  was  Colonel  Thomas  Westbrook, 
the  royal  agent,  who  soon  built  Harrow  House  in  Stroudwater,  near  the 
stream  of  the  same  name.  He  formed  a  partnership  with  Samuel  Waldo, 
another  new  resident,  and  in  1738  they  constructed  the  first  dam  across  the 
Presumpscot  River,  the  impounded  waters  supplying  power  for  their  newly 
erected  sawmill.  In  the  same  year  the  Westbrook- Waldo  partnership  spon- 
sored the  construction  of  a  paper  mill  on  the  Stroudwater  River,  and  West- 
brook  first  bridged  Fore  River.  When  his  partner  inherited  the  Waldo 


30 Portland  City  Guide 

Patent  Westbrook  purchased  heavily  in  this  land  development  scheme, 
which  caused  his  financial  ruin  in  1743.  He  died  the  next  year,  but  his 
burial  place  was  never  revealed  for  fear  the  body  would  be  taken  for  debt. 
It  later  years  the  city  of  Westbrook  was  named  in  his  honor. 

England  paid  good  prices  for  Falmouth  masts,  and  it  was  not  long  before 
the  townspeople  were  engaged  exclusively  in  lumbering.  Shortsightedly,  they 
overlooked  the  necessity  of  raising  their  own  produce,  preferring  to  import 
it  from  Boston  and  other  coastal  points.  Many  times  their  bare  cupboards 
caused  anxious  eyes  to  peer  hopefully  down  the  harbor  when  storms  at  sea 
prevented  the  scheduled  arrival  of  the  provision  boats.  Parson  Smith  in 
his  journal  makes  frequent  references  to  famine  conditions  in  the  town. 
There  were  few  gristmills,  but  sawmills  began  to  appear  on  every  available 
stream,  and  ships  laden  with  oar-rafters,  timber,  and  masts  were  constantly 
leaving  the  harbor.  The  mast  industry  caused  improvement  in  already  exist- 
ing roads  and  the  building  of  additional  highways.  Tales  of  Falmouth's 
prosperity,  filtering  through  New  England,  brought  a  steady  influx  of  new 
settlers,  until  the  conservative  Old  Proprietors  lamented  that  people  "came 
in  like  a  flood." 

In  1740  the  meetinghouse  of  the  First  Parish,  Congregational,  was  the 
only  place  of  worship  in  Falmouth.  By  then  it  had  become  too  small  to  ac- 
commodate Parson  Smith's  growing  congregation,  and  despite  determined 
opposition  a  new  church  was  built  on  the  site  of  the  present  Unitarian  stone 
church  on  Congress  Street.  With  church  attendance  obligatory,  the  people 
across  the  harbor  on  the  Purpooduck  side  complained  of  the  inconvenience 
of  getting  to  the  meetinghouse.  After  a  successful  appeal  to  the  General 
Court  in  1733  they  built  their  own  house  of  worship,  which  was  synonymous 
with  settling  a  new  town;  Cape  Elizabeth  was  legally  incorporated.  The  new 
parish  was  strongly  Presbyterian,  the  majority  of  the  people  being  Scotch- 
Irish  immigrants  who  chose  the  Reverend  Benjamin  Allen  as  their  pastor. 
This  move  was  the  forerunner  of  further  separations  from  the  mother 
church  that  caused  Parson  Smith  to  complain,  "I  have  been  discouraged 
about  my  enemies,  they  talk  of  a  new  meeting-house."  In  1753  a  petition  of 
the  New  Casco  people  was  granted,  and  that  part  of  Falmouth  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Presumpscot  River  was  set  off  as  the  New  Casco  Parish.  The 
fourth,  or  Stroudwater  Parish  was  established  in  1765. 

To  comply  with  an  earlier  mandate  of  the  Massachusetts  Legislature  re- 
quiring towns  to  support  a  schoolmaster  for  every  50  families,  Falmouth  be- 
gan to  look  for  a  suitable  instructor.  In  1733  the  first  school  was  opened 


History  31 

with  Robert  Bayley  in  charge  at  an  annual  salary  of  £70.  In  April,  1745, 
Stephen  Longfellow,  great-grandfather  of  the  poet,  became  the  schoolmaster 
and  for  15  years  was  the  principal  instructor  in  the  town.  By  the  middle  of 
the  18th  century  Falmouth  had  attained  considerable  stature.  Trade  with 
such  outlying  towns  as  Windham,  Gorham,  Standish,  New  Gloucester,  and 
North  Yarmouth  increased  the  business  of  The  Neck.'  A  customs  collec- 
tion district,  the  only  one  in  Maine  prior  to  the  Revolution,  was  established 
in  1758  with  Samuel  Waldo,  Jr.,  as  collector.  Prior  to  1760  Maine  consisted 
of  only  one  district;  that  year  the  General  Court  organized  two  new  coun- 
ties, Cumberland  and  Lincoln.  The  first  term  of  the  Superior  Court  was 
held  on  'The  Neck'  in  1760,  and  the  records  in  the  Registry  of  Deeds  and 
of  the  Courts  began  that  year. 

Until  the  Paris  treaty  between  the  French  and  English  was  signed  in  1763 
the  fortunes  of  Falmouth  varied  with  the  outbreak  and  settlement  of  inter- 
mittent wars.  Indians  had  become  such  a  menace  that  a  bounty  of  £100  was 
offered  for  the  scalp  of  any  male  Indian  over  twelve  years  of  age.  Hunting 
parties  were  organized  for  this  purpose,  and  Parson  Smith  himself  was  not 
averse  to  increasing  his  revenue  for  he  dutifully  records  in  his  Journal  that 
he  received  his  "part  of  scalp  money."  During  Indian  hostilities  trade  was  re- 
strained, defense  measures  were  enforced,  male  citizens  were  impressed  into 
service,  and  people  fled  to  the  garrisons  at  rumors  of  the  enemy's  approach. 
Taxes  were  high,  and  money  underwent  violent  fluctuations,  causing  an  ex- 
orbitant rise  in  food  prices.  Indian  treaties  gave  the  settlers  but  momentary 
reprieves,  and  it  was  not  until  England  and  France  concluded  their  peace 
negotiations  that  the  savages  ceased  their  maraudings. 

Coincident  with  the  imposition  of  the  Sugar  Act  of  1764,  was  the  growing 
antagonism  when  trade  was  limited  to  England,  to  be  carried  in  English 
ships,  and  colonists  were  forced  to  pay  duty  on  such  articles  as  sugar,  indi- 
go, coffee,  wines,  silks,  and  molasses.  These  decrees  were  ignored  in  Fal- 
mouth until  the  local  collector  seized  Enoch  Ilsley's  rum  and  sugar  for  non- 
payment of  revenue.  This  roused  the  latent  mob  spirit;  the  collector,  Francis 
Waldo,  who  was  visiting  at  the  home  of  a  friend,  was  held  there  until  all 
of  the  seized  merchandise  had  been  safely  hidden.  When  the  first  sugar- 
tax  stamps  arrived,  Falmouth  citizens  seized  them,  tied  them  to  a  pole, 
paraded  through  town,  and  finally  made  a  bonfire  of  them. 

The  strict  enforcement  of  these  English  laws  produced  protesting  colon- 
ial pamphleteers,  and  pamphlets  printed  in  Boston  were  widely  circulated  in 


32  Portland  City  Guide 

Falmouth,  inflaming  the  local  populace.  News  of  the  repeal  of  the  Stamp 
Act  reached  The  Neck'  May  16,  1766,  via  Captain  Tate's  mast  ship,  30 
days  out  of  London,  inspiring  Parson  Smith  to  jot  down  in  his  journal: 
"Our  people  are  mad  with  drink  and  joy;  bells  ringing,  drums  beating,  colors 
flying,  the  court  house  illuminated  and  some  others,  and  a  bonfire,  and  a 
deluge  of  drunkenness."  In  contrast  was  the  local  reaction  on  the  occasion 
of  the  closing  of  the  port  of  Boston  and  the  revoking  of  the  Massachusetts 
charter  in  1774,  when  a  muffled  bell  "tolled  all  day."  Boston's  plight  pres- 
aged trouble  in  the  colonies,  and  Falmouth  citizens  held  a  meeting  in  an- 
ticipation of  the  enforcement  of  English  disciplinary  measures.  They  had 
earlier  in  the  year  resolved  not  to  import  into  Falmouth  any  taxable  mer- 
chandise and  had  sent  a  letter  to  Boston  applauding  its  Tea  Party  of  De- 
cember 16,  1773.  The  day  following  the  closing  of  the  port  of  Boston  an- 
other meeting  was  held  in  Falmouth  at  which  it  was  voted  to  write  to  the 
towns  in  Massachusetts  in  the  hope  of  enlarging  their  "non-importation" 
resolution.  In  September,  1774,  Falmouth  empowered  Enoch  Freeman,  its 
representative  to  the  Continental  Congress,  to  agree  to  the  14  articles  of  as- 
sociation, one  of  which  was  the  "non-importation,  non-consumption,  non- 
exportation"  article.  The  town  prepared  defense  measures,  arranged  for 
arms  and  ammunition,  and  enlisted  minute-men,  knowing  from  the  trend 
of  events  that  war  was  inevitable. 

One  of  the  earliest  local  violations  of  the  non-importation  agreement  was 
the  attempt  of  Captain  Thomas  Coulson,  a  Falmouth  Tory,  to  land  rigging, 
sails,  and  stores  purchased  in  England  for  the  outfitting  of  a  large  mast 
ship  he  had  built  in  a  shipyard  on  The  Neck/  When  the  English  ship 
carrying  Coulson's  supplies  arrived  in  Falmouth  early  in  April,  1775,  the 
local  inspection  committee  refused  to  allow  them  to  be  unloaded.  This  ac- 
tion angered  Coulson,  who  appealed  to  Captain  Henry  Mowat  in  command 
of  the  Canceau,  an  English  sloop  of  war.  While  the  Canceau  was  lying  in 
the  harbor,  Colonel  Samuel  Thompson  of  Brunswick  came  into  the  town 
with  50  men  with  the  intention  of  destroying  Mowat's  ship.  Thompson's 
plans,  and  even  his  presence,  were  unknown  to  the  townspeople  until  he 
seized  Captain  Mowat,  his  physician,  and  John  Wiswall,  the  local  Episco- 
pal minister,  as  they  were  walking  on  Munjoy  Hill.  When  news  of  their 
capture  reached  the  Canceau,  threats  were  immediately  made  to  "lay  the 
town  in  ashes"  unless  the  prisoners  were  released.  The  captured  trio  was 
taken  to  Marston's  Tavern,  where  they  were  detained  until  the  town  fathers 


History  33 

prevailed  upon  Thompson  to  parole  the  prisoners  until  the  following  day. 
Two  of  the  town's  leading  citizens,  General  Jedediah  Preble  and  Colonel 
Enoch  Freeman,  offered  themselves  as  hostages,  guaranteeing  the  return  of 
Mowat,  his  doctor,  and  John  Wiswall,  who  then  went  aboard  the  Canceau. 

The  next  morning,  when  Mowat  and  his  companions  failed  to  honor  their 
parole,  companies  of  raw  soldiers  numbering  600,  came  from  near-by  towns; 
the  hostages,  Preble  and  Freeman,  were  imprisoned,  kept  without  food,  and 
released  only  on  their  promise  to  supply  rations  for  the  militia.  Meanwhile 
the  soldiers  had  looted  the  homes  of  known  Tories.  Captain  Coulson's 
house  was  commandeered  as  a  barracks;  vandalism  ruled  throughout  the 
town,  and  Mowat  sent  word  from  the  Canceau  that  the  English  guns  would 
be  turned  upon  'The  Neck.'  As  the  mob  spirit  grew  among  the  soldiers,  the 
hysterical  citizens  began  removing  their  possessions  to  safe  places  in  the 
country.  However,  under  the  protecting  guns  of  Mowat's  ship,  Captain 
Coulson  rushed  to  completion  the  rigging  of  his  new  ship.  By  May  both 
the  Canceau  and  Coulson's  ship  sailed  from  the  harbor.  Almost  immediate- 
ly Falmouth  returned  to  comparative  normalcy,  prayers  of  thanksgiving 
were  offered  by  the  local  clergy,  the  soldiery  disbanded,  and  the  citizens  re- 
turned to  their  homes. 

Following  the  Battle  of  Lexington  in  April,  1775,  and  in  response  to  a 
Massachusetts  resolve,  there  was  a  muster  of  all  the  militia  companies  on 
'The  Neck.'  The  two  companies  from  Falmouth,  commanded  by  Captain 
Joshua  Brackett  and  Captain  David  Bradish,  left  for  Cambridge  in  July 
to  join  the  Continental  Army.  At  this  time  there  were  230  homes  on  'The 
Neck,'  in  addition  to  Parson  Smith's  meetinghouse  and  the  new  Episcopal 
church.  A  new  courthouse  stood  on  the  corner  of  India  and  Middle  streets, 
and  wharves  and  stores  had  been  built.  The  town  was  enjoying  a  period  of 
prosperity  and  was  the  envy  of  every  settlement  east  of  Boston. 

Although  the  spirit  of  rebellion  was  latent  throughout  New  England,  no 
local  incident  occurred  during  the  summer  of  1775  to  inflame  Falmouth's 
residents  into  open  revolt  against  England.  Therefore,  when  the  Canceau, 
under  the  command  of  Captain  Mowat,  and  four  other  English  war  ves- 
sels anchored  off  'The  Neck'  in  October,  the  residents  felt  that  the  craft 
were  on  a  foraging  expedition;  although  two  companies  of  soldiers  were  sent 
to  guard  the  islands  where  the  livestock  was  pastured,  no  particular  tension 
was  created.  Thus,  'The  Neck's'  inhabitants  were  amazed  the  next  day  as 
they  watched  Mowat's  ships  line  up  in  attack  formation  before  the  town. 
Doctor  Samuel  Deane,  Parson  Smith's  assistant,  relates  in  his  diary  of  that 


34  Portland  City  Guide 

momentous  day:  "He  came  before  it  (the  town)  the  17th  day  of  Oct.  1775, 
and  near  sunset,  made  known  his  infernal  errand,  by  a  flag  with  a  letter  full 
of  bad  English  and  worse  spelling."  Mowat's  letter  stated  that  he  had  been 
sent  "to  execute  a  just  punishment  on  the  town  of  Falmouth,"  and  he  went 
on  to  advise  that  two  hours  would  be  allowed  "to  remove  the  human  specie" 
before  Falmouth  would  be  blasted  by  the  cannon  of  his  ships. 

Mowat's  messenger  was  followed  by  hundreds  of  townspeople  who 
crowded  into  the  town  hall  and  listened  to  Theophilus  Bradbury  read  the 
insolent  phrases.  Among  those  in  the  courtroom  was  the  Reverend  Jacob 
Bailey  who  later  wrote  to  a  friend,  graphically  describing  the  "frightful 
consternation,"  the  "tumult,  confusion,  and  bustle,"  the  "repeated  cries, 
shrieks,  and  lamentations,"  and  the  "melancholy  uproar."  However,  in 
contrast  to  the  hysteria  displayed  by  the  populace,  some  of  the  more  practi- 
cal men  favored  sending  a  committee  to  Mowat  to  prevail  upon  him  to  de- 
sist in  his  threat  to  destroy  Falmouth.  This  committee,  composed  of  Doctor 
Nathaniel  Coffin,  General  Jedediah  Preble,  and  Robert  Pagan,  Episcopal- 
ians whom  it  was  thought  might  influence  Mowat,  was  dispatched  to  the 
Canceau.  Remonstrance  was  of  no  avail,  but  Mowat  capitulated  to  the  ex- 
tent of  advising  them  that  if,  by  eight  o'clock  the  following  morning  they 
deliver  up  their  cannon,  arms,  and  ammunition,  he  would  endeavor  to  have 
the  order  rescinded.  The  people  of  Falmouth  heard  the  committee's  report 
and  for  the  sake  of  the  aged,  the  ailing,  the  women,  and  the  children,  per- 
mitted eight  small  guns  to  be  delivered  to  Mowat's  ship  as  a  guaranty  of  the 
town's  safety  until  morning.  Through  the  night  the  inadequate  roads  were 
choked  with  vehicles  of  all  sorts  removing  prized  possessions.  Bewilder- 
ment, anxiety,  and  fear  rode  with  them  through  the  night — sleep  was  a  for- 
gotten luxury. 

The  next  morning  was  calm  and  bright,  and  the  hushed  crowd  in  the 
meetinghouse  spurned  Mowat's  terms  in  the  face  of  certain  destruction.  The 
committee  again  visited  the  ship,  prolonging  the  recital  of  the  town's  repu- 
diation in  the  hope  of  gaining  additional  time;  impatiently  Mowat  dis- 
missed them  at  8:30  and  gave  them  30  minutes  to  make  shore  and  safety. 

The  Reverend  Bailey's  letter  reveals  that  "at  exactly  half  an  hour  after 
nine  .  .  .  the  cannon  began  to  roar  with  incessant  and  tremendous  fury." 
At  noon  ruin  was  still  being  poured  on  the  defenseless  town,  and  men  from 
the  ships  landed  with  torches  to  spread  the  flames.  At  six  o'clock  the  firing 
ceased;  three-quarters  of  Falmouth  was  again  ashes  and  smouldering  ruins. 


History  35 

'The  Neck'  Becomes  the  City  of  Portland 

A  week  after  the  bombardment  of  'The  Neck'  the  Boston  Essex  Gazette 
inventoried  the  loss  as  follows:  "the  number  of  buildings,  exclusive  of 
dwelling  houses  destroyed,  was  278,  which  with  136  houses  makes  the  total 
number  of  buildings  burnt  414."  Also  destroyed  were  St.  Paul's  Episcopal 
Church,  the  town  house,  and  the  library.  Following  the  town's  destruction, 
the  business  of  Cumberland  County  was  carried  on  in  Widow  Greele's  tav- 
ern which  had  survived  the  bombardment.  The  exposed  position  of  The 
Neck'  offered  little  incentive  to  rebuild;  British  ships  were  in  and  out  of 
the  harbor  for  the  duration  of  the  Revolution,  but  there  seemed  to  be  noth- 
ing in  the  town  to  interest  them. 

However,  the  Mowat  bombardment  had  its  anticlimax.  In  November  the 
Cerberus,  a  British  ship,  sailed  into  the  harbor  captained  by  John  Symonds, 
who  sent  a  letter  ashore  forbidding  the  refortifying  of  the  town.  Defiantly 
the  townspeople  appealed  to  the  militia  in  the  surrounding  towns  and  rapidly 
threw  up  rough  defenses  on  Munjoy  Hill.  Before  the  effectiveness  of  their 
guns  could  be  tested  upon  the  Cerberus  Symonds  sailed  out  of  the  harbor. 
The  militia,  eager  to  avenge  the  destruction  of  the  town,  remained  on  'The 
Neck,'  crowding  into  the  houses  still  standing.  When  Parson  Smith  rode 
in  from  Windham  where  he  had  fled  during  the  bombardment,  there  was  no 
accommodation  for  him.  As  late  as  the  following  April  Smith  recorded  in 
his  journal:  "No  lodging,  eating  nor  horse  keeping  at  Falmouth." 

Early  in  1776  an  order  came  from  Massachusetts  to  James  Sullivan,  com- 
missary of  local  troops  and  later  Governor  of  Massachusetts,  soliciting  addi- 
tional soldiers  for  the  Continental  Army.  Sullivan  answered:  "The  four 
hundred  men  at  Falmouth  can  never  be  raised,  as  every  one  who  can  leave 
home  is  gone  or  going  to  Cambridge.  ..."  Later  he  wrote:  "If  the  General 
Court  should  order  another  reinforcement,  they  must  draw  upon  this  part 
of  the  province  for  women  instead  of  men,  and  for  knives  and  forks  in- 
stead of  arms."  By  December  every  fourth  man  of  the  local  militia  had  been 
drafted  for  the  Continental  Army.  In  the  following  year  the  Massachusetts 
General  Court  commended  "The  Province  of  Maine  and  town  of  Falmouth 
in  particular  ...  for  being  foremost  of  any  part  of  this  State  in  furnishing 
their  quota  of  men  for  the  army." 

Although  The  Neck'  was  the  general  recruiting  station  for  the  troops, 
no  battles  were  fought  in  or  near  Falmouth  during  the  remainder  of  the 
Revolution.  Instead,  the  jutting  peninsula  became  a  center  of  an  entirely 


36  Portland  City  Guide 

different  phase  of  the  Revolution — privateering.  During  1776  a  number  of 
Salem  merchants  outfitted  local  ships  for  this  purpose,  the  first  of  which  was 
the  Retrieve.  This  ship  was  soon  taken  by  the  English.  The  success  of 
these  privateers  stimulated  John  Fox  and  other  residents  of  The  Neck'  to 
equip  the  Fox,  a  vessel  of  only  four  iron  guns,  whose  boarding  pikes  were 
scythes  fitted  to  handles.  The  one  substantial  success  of  the  Fox  was  a  valu- 
able British  cargo  that  more  than  repaid  the  original  investment. 

During  the  closing  years  of  the  Revolution  Falmouth  became  more  and 
more  detached  from  actual  warfare,  although  in  1779  the  town  and  Cape 
Elizabeth  sent  two  companies  of  men  to  assist  an  expedition  which  had 
come  from  Boston  to  dislodge  the  British  from  their  strategic  position  on 
the  Maine  coast  at  Castine. 

Along  with  the  other  colonies  Falmouth  suffered  economically  because 
of  the  war.  Its  commerce  was  stagnant.  There  were  no  luxuries,  even  neces- 
sities were  difficult  to  obtain.  By  the  middle  of  1777  the  new  American  cur- 
rency had  depreciated  25  percent,  causing  local  people  to  live  from  hand  to 
mouth.  In  another  two  years  wood  in  Falmouth  was  $20  a  cord,  corn  meal 
$30  a  bushel,  molasses  $16  a  gallon,  coffee  $3  a  pound,  and  Parson  Smith 
was  bewailing  in  his  journal  that  a  barrel  of  flour  was  more  than  his  yearly 
salary.  Wages  had  skyrocketed  with  the  scarcity  of  men,  and  washerwomen 
received  as  much  as  ministers.  About  this  time  smallpox  broke  out  in  Fal- 
mouth; although  the  people  were  suspicious  of  the  "new-fangled"  serum, 
isolation  of  the  infected  in  the  pest  house  and  inoculation  controlled  the 
epidemic.  A  very  dry  summer  that  ruined  half  the  crops  was  just  another 
adverse  item  with  which  the  people  had  to  contend. 

Politically,  separatism  was  in  the  air,  with  a  growing  sentiment  among  the 
residents  of  'The  Neck'  that  their  section  of  Falmouth  should  become  a 
separate  township.  Regarding  this  feeling  William  Willis  comments:  "ge- 
ographical division  had  always  existed,  and  the  people  in  the  two  parts,  by 
the  pursuit  of  different  interests,  and  still  more,  by  the  secession  from  the 
ancient  parish  of  most  of  the  inhabitants  who  lived  in  the  other  sections  of 
the  town,  had  become  gradually  alienated  from  each  other.  ..."  In  May, 
1783,  this  feeling  reached  its  peak  when  separation  of  'The  Neck'  from  Fal- 
mouth was  overwhelmingly  favored  in  a  general  vote.  A  petition  was  sent 
to  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  and  on  the  basis  of  the  1783  vote, 
'The  Neck'  was  officially  created  a  town  on  July  4,  1786,  and  named  Port- 
land. According  to  the  town's  records,  its  boundaries  "begin  at  the  middle 
of  the  creek  that  runs  into  Round  Marsh,  thence  northeast  to  Back  Cove 


History  37 

Creek,  then  across  said  Cove  to  Sandy  Point,  thence  round  by  Casco  Bay 
and  Fore  River  to  the  first  bounds,  as  well  as  the  islands  in  said  town.  ..." 
Contemporaneous  with  the  incorporation  of  the  Town  of  Portland  was  the 
quickening  sentiment  of  the  District  of  Maine  toward  becoming  an  inde- 
pendent state.  This  flared  into  the  open  in  February,  1785,  when  the  Fal- 
mouth  Gazette,  in  the  second  month  of  its  existence,  published  the  follow- 
ing acrostic: 

F  rom  th'  ashes  of  the  old,  a  Town  appears, 
A  nd  Phoenix  like,  her  plumy  head  she  rears. 
L  ong  may  she  flourish;  be  from  war  secure 
M  ade  rich  by  commerce  and  agriculture 
O  'er  all  her  foes  triumphant:  be  content 
I_J  nder  our  happy  form  of  government; 
T  ill  (what  no  doubt  will  be  her  prosp'rous  fate) 
H  erself's  the  mistress  of  a  rising  State. 

The  several  separatist  movements  seemed  to  have  had  their  repercussions 
in  the  religious  life  of  Portland  at  this  time.  In  1787  the  Second  Congrega- 
tional Parish  was  formed,  and  Elijah  Kellogg  was  ordained  its  minister. 
The  Second  Parish,  however,  continued  to  pay  one-quarter  of  Parson 
Smith's  salary. 

The  closing  years  of  the  18th  century  witnessed  the  rapid  evolution  from 
a  war-torn  village  to  a  bustling  maritime  center.  A  number  of  important 
events  occurred  during  this  period.  In  1786  the  new  coach  delivery  of  mail 
had  been  inaugurated  between  Savannah,  Georgia,  and  Portsmouth  to  Port- 
land, replacing  a  postrider  system  that  had  been  started  in  the  early  days 
of  the  Revolution.  Commencement  of  this  regular  mail-coach  service  marked 
the  first  attempt  at  passenger  transportation  in  Maine.  In  May,  1790,  Port- 
land's recently  established  District  Court  conducted  the  first  capital  trial 
under  the  new  maritime  laws  of  the  young  United  States  with  a  case  which 
involved  Thomas  Bird,  alleged  to  have  murdered  the  master  of  a  ship  on 
which  he  had  served  as  sailor.  Bird  was  found  guilty  and  a  month  later  was 
publicly  hanged.  Maine's  banking  system  was  inaugurated  in  1799  with  the 
opening  of  the  Portland  Bank. 

During  these  years  Portland's  population  rapidly  increased,  and  to  pro- 
tect the  town  against  a  recurrence  of  the  Mowat  outrage,  Fort  Sumner  was 
built  on  North  Street  in  1794.  Life  having  been  rather  serious,  hitherto 
Portland  had  never  entertained  a  theatrical  company,  but  in  October  of 
this  year  a  traveling  troupe  presented  The  Lyar  and  The  Modern  Antiques, 


38  Portland  City  Guide 

or  the  Merry  Mourners.  In  1796  Tukey's  bridge  between  Seacomb's  and 
Sandy  points  was  completed;  this  was  a  toll  bridge  and  greatly  facilitated 
travel  to  the  east.  When  the  Due  de  la  Rochefoucault  visited  Portland  in 
1797,  he  was  so  impressed  with  the  town  that  he  gave  considerable  space  to 
a  description  of  it  in  a  book  published  in  London  in  1799. 

In  1806  Portland's  Commodore  Edward  Preble,  who  had  brought  fame  to 
his  country's  navy  in  1804  when  he  successfully  attacked  the  Barbary  Coast 
pirates  at  Tripoli,  received  orders  to  build  in  Portland  eight  gunboats  and 
a  bomb  ketch  for  the  "musquito  fleet"  approved  by  Congress.  These  boats 
were  constructed  in  shipyards  on  Clay  Cove.  Antedating  modern  communi- 
cation systems  was  the  Portland  Observatory,  built  in  1807  by  Captain 
Lemuel  Moody  as  a  lookout  for  incoming  vessels.  House  flags  of  many 
Portland  shipping  concerns  were  kept  at  the  observatory  and  flown  from  the 
tower's  mast  to  notify  the  owner  when  his  ship  was  sighted. 

These  first  years  of  the  1800's  saw  brick  replacing  lumber  for  construc- 
tion purposes,  and  many  new  buildings  were  being  erected  throughout  the 
town.  Benevolent  and  charitable  associations  were  being  formed.  When 
Dr.  Timothy  Dwight,  president  of  Yale  College,  visited  the  town  in  1807, 
he  made  note  that  "no  place  along  our  route  hitherto,  could  for  its  im- 
provement be  compared  with  Portland.  .  .  .  Few  towns  in  New  England  are 
equally  beautiful  and  brilliant.  Its  wealth  and  business  are  probably  quad- 
rupled." 

Although  American  trade  with  Great  Britain  had  been  suspended  in 
1806,  local  customs  receipts  in  that  year  totaled  $342,909,  and  the  water 
front  was  a  hive  of  activity.  New  wharves  jutted  out  into  the  harbor,  and 
ships  from  many  domestic  and  foreign  ports  lay  at  anchor  awaiting  dock- 
ing space.  Fore  Street  at  that  time  followed  closely  the  harbor's  outline,  and 
from  it  extended  the  busy  wharves.  Sailors  of  a  dozen  nationalities  thronged 
the  water  front,  and  grog  shops  were  merry  with  tipsy  seamen  loudly  sing- 
ing the  new  ditty: 

Old  horse,  old  horse,  how  came  you  here? 
From  Sacarap  to  Portland  Pier 
I've  carted  boards  for  many  a  year. 
Till  killed  by  blows  and  sore  abuse, 
I  was  salted  down  for  sailor's  use 
The  sailors  they  do  me  despise 
They  turn  me  over  and  damn  my  eyes; 
Cut  off  my  meat  and  pick  my  bones, 
And  pitch  the  rest  to  Davy  Jones. 


History  39 

With  the  enforcement  of  the  Embargo  Act  in  December,  1807,  shipping 
and  trade  came  to  a  standstill.  Eleven  commercial  houses  stopped  payment 
and  by  1808  Portland  was  deep  in  depression;  people  who  a  year  before  had 
entertained  lavishly,  now  stood  in  line  before  the  soup  kitchen  that  had 
been  established  in  the  town  hall  in  Market  Square. 

During  those  dark  days  Portland's  Federalists  vehemently  demonstrated 
against  the  Embargo  Act  and  frequently  violated  it.  With  repeal  of  the 
act  in  1809  the  town  immediately  forged  ahead.  In  1810  the  population  had 
increased  to  7,179;  two  years  later  35,512  tons  of  shipping  were  locally  reg- 
istered. With  the  declaration  of  war  against  England  in  1812  local  export 
and  import  trade  was  again  affected,  but  shipbuilding  spurted  ahead  with 
the  construction  of  privateers.  Built  in  Portland  during  this  period  were  the 
Yankee,  the  Hyder  Ally,  the  Rapid,  and  the  famous  Dart.  For  many  years 
Old  Dart  Rum  was  sold  locally.  The  builder  of  the  Yankee,  John  F.  Hall, 
at  this  time  invented  a  breech-loading  gun  and  sold  the  patent  to  the  United 
States  Government.  After  the  War  of  1812  Hall  supervised  the  manufac- 
ture of  this  gun  for  the  government  at  Harper's  Ferry,  Virginia.  The  Dash, 
famous  in  maritime  history,  although  built  in  Freeport  was  Portland  owned; 
this  craft  made  15  captures  in  seven  cruises.  Nearly  forty  privateers  were 
registered  in  Portland  at  that  time,  and  during  the  War  of  1812  nearly  a 
half-hundred  rich  prizes  were  brought  into  this  port. 

On  September  5,  1813,  the  War  of  1812  was  brought  forcibly  to  Port- 
land when  the  American  brig  Enterprise,  commanded  by  William  Burrows, 
and  the  British  Boxer,  with  Captain  Samuel  Blyth  in  command,  met  in  bat- 
tle 40  miles  out  from  the  local  harbor.  After  a  short  but  decisive  battle  the 
Boxer  surrendered  to  its  American  attacker.  Blyth  had  been  killed  during 
the  battle,  and  the  commander  of  the  Enterprise  was  so  severely  wounded 
that  he  died  the  following  night.  Both  vessels  came  into  Portland  Harbor; 
the  captains,  each  wrapped  in  his  country's  flag,  were  buried  with  impressive 
ceremonies  in  Eastern  Cemetery. 

When  peace  was  concluded  in  1815,  the  subject  of  the  District  of  Maine's 
separation  from  Massachusetts  again  became  a  paramount  issue.  A  year 
later  a  petition  was  presented  to  the  Commonwealth  asking  for  separate 
statehood  for  Maine;  the  referendum  held  in  the  District  resulted  in  a  bare 
majority,  not  the  five  to  four  plurality  demanded.  Again  revived  in  1817, 
it  was  not  until  June,  1819,  that  Massachusetts  agreed  that  a  majority  vote 
would  be  accepted.  The  convention  to  frame  the  constitution  for  the  new 
state  met  in  Portland  later  that  year.  On  March  4,  1820,  the  State  of 


40  Portland  City  Guide 

Maine  was  admitted  by  Congress  to  the  Union,  strangely  enough  through 
the  Missouri  Compromise.  Antislavery  feeling  was  high  and  as  Missouri 
wished  to  enter  the  Union  as  a  slave  state,  the  admission  of  Maine  was  com- 
plicated with  that  of  Missouri.  Acceptance  of  these  states  was  made  pos- 
sible by  Henry  Clay's  Missouri  Compromise  Bill  by  which  slavery  was  al- 
lowed in  that  State,  but  not  elsewhere  west  of  the  Mississippi  River  north 
of  the  southern  boundary  of  Missouri.  Portland  became  the  first  capital, 
the  first  Maine  Legislature  convening  here  May  31,  1820. 

In  1821  the  capital  of  Maine  was  a  town  three  miles  long  with  an  average 
width  of  three-quarters  of  a  mile.  Geographically,  it  was  the  smallest  town 
in  the  State.  Portland  then  had  seven  public  schools  and  about  forty  private 
schools,  six  fire  engines,  a  library  of  1,200  volumes,  ten  churches,  a  brick 
courthouse,  a  "gaol,"  and  the  new  Statehouse.  Besides  these  there  were 
banks  and  insurance  offices,  a  post  office,  a  customs  house,  an  iron  works 
with  furnace,  seven  slaughter-houses,  as  well  as  many  workshops  and  stores. 

In  this  thriving  town  a  Quaker  boy  named  Neal  Dow,  later  to  father 
Maine's  Prohibitory  Law,  was  in  his  adolescence.  In  subsequent  years  he 
told  of  certain  aspects  in  the  Portland  of  the  1820's  which  had  made  a 
marked  impression  upon  his  mind,  undoubtedly  laying  the  foundation  for 
his  "dry  law."  In  his  Reminiscences  he  wrote  that  military  musters,  obliga- 
tory for  the  contemporary  militia,  were  "little  else  than  burlesque  occasions 
for  days  for  drunkenness  and  much  that  was  worse.  .  .  .  Among  the  rich, 
educated,  and  refined  of  the  day,  frequent  victims  of  intemperance  were  to 
be  found,  as  well  as  among  those  whose  temptation  and  liability  to  excess 
are  generally  regarded  as  greater.  Liquor  found  place  on  all  occasions. 
Town  meetings,  musters,  firemen's  parades,  cattle-shows,  fairs,  and,  in 
short  every  gathering  of  people  of  a  public  and  social  nature  resulted  in- 
variably in  scenes  which  in  these  days  would  shock  the  people  of  Maine  into 
indignation,  but  which  then  were  regarded  as  a  matter  of  course.  Private 
assemblies  were  little  better.  Weddings,  balls,  parties,  huskings,  barn- 
raisings,  and  even  funerals,  were  dependent  upon  intoxicants,  while  often 
religious  conferences  and  ministerial  gatherings  resulted  in  an  increase  of  the 
ordinary  consumption  of  liquor.  ...  At  the  time  of  the  admission  of  Maine 
to  the  Union,  and  for  thirty  years  thereafter,  her  people  probably  con- 
sumed more  intoxicating  liquor  in  proportion  to  their  numbers  than  the 
people  of  any  other  state." 

Portland's  population  increased  nearly  forty-seven  percent  during  the 
next  ten  years.  The  War  of  1812  demonstrated  the  need  for  quicker  trans- 


History  41 

portation,  and  railroads  were  spreading  over  the  East.  Back  in  1791  a  com- 
mittee had  been  chosen  to  consider  opening  a  canal  from  Sebago  Lake  to 
the  lower  Presumpscot  River;  a  charter  was  granted  in  1795,  but  not  until 
1821  was  interest  again  stimulated.  A  new  charter,  under  the  name  of  the 
Cumberland  and  Oxford  Canal,  was  procured  for  a  waterway  from  Water- 
ford,  in  Oxford  County,  to  Fore  River,  for  which  in  1823  the  sum  of  $50,- 
000  was  voted  to  be  raised  by  lottery.  Falling  short  of  the  sum  needed,  the 
Canal  Bank  was  incorporated  with  the  provision  that  its  stock  be  invested 
in  the  canal.  Work  on  the  waterway  commenced  in  1828  and  was  com- 
pleted in  1830  at  a  cost  of  $206,000. 

In  1828  there  was  an  ever-increasing  feeling  in  Portland  that,  as  the 
capital  of  Maine,  as  shire  town  of  Cumberland  County,  and  as  a  port  of 
considerable  maritime  importance,  the  town  should  become  a  municipality. 
That  year  application  was  made  "to  see  if  the  inhabitants  would  take  meas- 
ures for  adopting  a  city  government."  Older  residents,  however,  were 
averse  to  the  change,  and  the  petition  was  denied.  In  the  next  few  years  de- 
termined efforts  were  again  made  to  change  the  town's  status,  and  on  April 
30,  1832,  the  City  of  Portland  was  duly  incorporated,  with  Andrew  L. 
Emerson  as  first  mayor. 

The  "Sepult  City" 

Shortly  before  the  incorporation  of  Portland  as  a  city  a  number  of  the 
lanes  and  alleys  with  their  characteristic  names  had  been  dignified  as  streets. 
Chub  Lane,  Fiddle  Lane,  Fish  Lane,  Lime  Alley,  and  Love  Lane  became  re- 
spectively Hampshire,  Franklin,  Exchange,  Lime,  and  Center  streets.  "Hog- 
Town,"  a  name  given  because  of  the  all  too  numerous  pigsties  around 
Brackett  above  Spring  Street,  continued  to  flourish.  The  swamp  around 
Federal  and  Temple  streets  where  alders  and  whortleberries  grew  and  the 
pond  at  Pine  and  Vaughan  streets  were  drained.  Portlanders  began  build- 
ing fine  new  homes  farther  west.  In  1836  the  Eastern  and  Western  prome- 
nades were  laid  out,  which  led  the  Portland  Argus  to  ridicule  editorially: 
"They  may  be  very  pleasant  for  those  that  keep  horses  and  gig  and  have 
nothing  else  to  do  but  ride  about,  but  they  will  not  be  the  least  advantage 
to  nine  tenths  of  the  taxpayers  of  the  city."  This  was  the  period  when 
Huckster's  Row,  a  long  group  of  commercial  buildings,  started  the  thriving 
business  that  developed  into  the  present-day  shopping  district  of  Congress 
Street.  Huckster's  Row  provided  Seba  Smith  with  much  of  the  color  for 
his  'Major  Downing  Letters,'  first  published  in  the  Portland  Courier,  which 


42  Portland  City  Guide 

for  a  time  convulsed  the  nation.  On  Munjoy  Hill  was  the  Muster  Ground 
where  the  Sea  Fencibles  had  drilled,  and  where,  on  the  Fourth  of  July, 
Portlanders  celebrated  America's  Independence  by  drinking  beer  and  munch- 
mg  gingerbread,  enjoying  peep  shows,  riding  flying-horses,  and  listening  to 
grandiloquent  oratory. 

By  1835  plans  were  projected  for  a  railroad  to  link  Portland  with  Can- 
ada. The  Federal  Government  appointed  Colonel  Stephen  H.  Long  to  sur- 
vey possible  routes,  but  the  severe  national  depression  of  1837-39,  in  which 
Portland  banks  lost  half  their  capital  and  suspended  specie  payment,  frus- 
trated such  an  undertaking.  However,  in  December,  1842,  five  years  after 
a  charter  had  been  obtained,  the  city  was  connected  by  rail  with  the  rest  of 
New  England  by  the  Portland,  Saco,  and  Portsmouth  Railroad.  It  ex- 
tended from  this  city  to  Portsmouth,  a  distance  of  51  miles,  where  it  con- 
nected with  a  line  into  Boston. 

Portland's  merchants  were  not  particularly  enthused  over  the  city's  rail- 
road connection  with  Boston,  for  they  believed  business  would  be  drawn 
away  rather  than  attracted;  this  had  been  demonstrated  in  the  loss  of  com- 
merce that  formerly  had  come  through  the  Notch  for  shipment  from  this 
port.  They  were,  however,  very  much  in  favor  of  facilitating  travel  to  the 
interior,  New  Hampshire,  Vermont,  and  Canada.  In  February,  1845,  John 
A.  Poor,  a  pioneer  railroad  promoter,  succeeded  in  obtaining  a  charter  for 
the  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  Railroad  to  connect  Portland  with  Mon- 
treal. On  July  4,  1848,  Judge  William  Pitt  Preble,  president  of  the  line, 
inaugurated  construction,  and  two  years  later  the  railroad  was  opened  to 
North  Yarmouth.  Early  in  1853  costal  Portland  was  connected  with  Mon- 
treal by  292  miles  of  railroad;  a  route  was  at  last  opened  beyond  the  White 
Mountains  with  connections  to  the  grain-growing  West.  A  month  after  its 
opening  this  line  was  leased  to  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway  System  of  Can- 
ada. In  1851  the  Kennebec  and  Portland  Railroad  was  opened,  and  two 
years  later  service  was  started  on  the  York  and  Cumberland  Railroad  and 
its  connecting  roads.  By  the  late  1850's  Portland  was  the  railroad  center  of 
the  State. 

Although  railroads  were  dominant  in  the  public  mind,  steamships  were 
gradually  being  improved  in  mechanism  and  appearance.  By  1823  Cap- 
tain Seward  Porter's  steam-engined,  flat-bottom  boat,  contemptuously  called 
"The  Horned  Hog,"  which  a  year  previous  had  serviced  Casco  Bay,  was 
succeeded  by  a  regular  steamer,  the  100-ton  Patent.  In  1832  Amos  Cross 
placed  the  Victory  in  service  between  Bath,  Portland,  and  Boston.  A  year 


History  43 

later  Cross  and  Cornelius  Vanderbilt  put  the  Chancellor  Livingston  on  this 
route.  The  Livingston  had  been  built  in  1816  by  Robert  Fulton  and  run  on 
the  Hudson  River  and  Long  Island  Sound.  Apparent  by  1843  that  a  prompt 
and  regular  schedule  should  be  maintained  between  Portland  and  Boston, 
the  Portland  Steam  Packet  Company  was  organized  to  supply  this  need. 
The  following  year  the  company  inaugurated  its  new  policy  with  the  Com- 
modore Preble,  a  286-ton  steamboat  propelled  by  a  50-horsepower  engine; 
the  309-ton  General  Warren  was  shortly  added.  Even  in  the  face  of  active 
competition  from  other  sailing  packets  and  from  the  railroads,  the  Port- 
land Steam  Packet  Company's  records  for  1848  reported  25,000  passengers 
and  $43,396  in  freight  receipts.  Portland's  transatlantic  service  began  in 
1853  with  the  arrival  of  the  Sara  Sands,  commanded  by  Captain  Washing- 
ton Ilsley  of  this  city,  an  accommodation  that  continued  for  over  a  half- 
century. 

With  the  growth  of  railroads  several  large  companies  set  up  offices  in  this 
city.  Among  these  was  Greely  and  Guild  of  Boston,  a  firm  of  large-scale 
importers  of  West  Indies  molasses;  in  1845  they  established  an  experimental 
plant  to  attempt  production  of  sugar  from  molasses.  The  firm  failed,  but 
its  manager,  John  B.  Brown,  carried  on  the  business  with  Dependence  H. 
Furbish,  an  employee,  who  had  discovered  a  means  whereby  sugar  was  suc- 
cessfully obtained  from  molasses  by  a  steam  process.  In  1855  the  firm  was 
chartered  as  the  Portland  Sugar  Company.  Another  large  corporation  or- 
ganized in  this  period  was  the  Portland  Company,  founded  in  1846,  which 
manufactured  steam  engines  and  railroad  equipment. 

By  1850  it  was  manifest  that  direct  connections  were  necessary  across  the 
city  between  the  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  and  the  Portland,  Saco,  and 
Portsmouth  railroads  which  had  terminals  on  opposite  sides  of  the  city. 
The  proposal  of  the  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  to  build  a  road  along  the 
frontal  tidewater  and  across  the  wharves,  if  the  city  would  construct  the 
necessary  filled-land  and  pay  any  land  damages,  met  with  opposition  which 
shrieked  "increased  taxation."  However,  by  1852  Portland's  water  front 
was  remade,  and  Commercial  Street  —  5,883  feet  long,  100  feet  wide,  with 
26  feet  in  the  center  for  railroad  tracks  —  was  constructed  at  a  cost  of  $80,- 
000.  The  new  street  was  soon  lined  with  warehouses,  stores,  and  wharves, 
and  by  this  time  the  Portland  Sugar  House  had  forged  ahead  to  become  the 
largest  importer  of  molasses  in  New  England. 

With  the  organization  in  1853  of  the  Portland  Board  of  Trade  by  50  of 
the  city's  leading  merchants,  plans  were  made  to  develop  the  port  of  Port- 


44  Portland  City  Guide 

land.  Among  its  important  early  accomplishments  were  the  securing  of 
Federal  funds  for  dredging,  marking,  and  safety-lighting  the  harbor,  and 
the  establishment  of  pier  frontage  lines  for  local  wharves. 

The  middle  and  late  1800's  marked  the  period  of  Portland's  intellectual 
giants.  In  1850  Neal  Dow  was  elected  mayor  of  the  city  and  the  next  year 
drafted  Maine's  famous  prohibitory  law.  In  1858  James  G.  Blaine,  who 
was  to  become  the  "plumed  knight  of  American  politics,"  was  wielding  a 
trenchant  pen  as  editor  of  the  Portland  Advertiser.  A  versatile  man  about 
town  was  John  Neal,  who,  a  number  of  years  previous  had  gone  to  Eng- 
land "to  prove  an  American  could  write  something  John  Bull  would  read"; 
as  early  as  1836  he  had  advocated  woman  suffrage.  In  this  period  the 
sculptor,  Paul  Akers,  was  creating  his  marble  statues,  and  Henry  Wads- 
worth  Longfellow  was  at  work  on  his  poems.  Local  writers,  such  as  Na- 
thaniel Parker  Willis,  familiarly  known  as  N.  P.,  his  sister  Fanny  Fern,  and 
Seba  Smith  were  each  establishing  international  reputations.  In  1859  Port- 
land's new  city  hall  was  opened  to  the  public;  designed  by  Boston's  James 
H.  Rand,  it  was  completed  at  a  cost  of  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  million  dol- 
lars and  soon  became  a  center,  not  only  of  civic  but  also  of  social  affairs. 

In  the  mid-century  slavery  was  a  disputed  issue  in  Portland,  but  with  the 
fall  of  Fort  Sumter  the  city  rallied  to  the  North's  call  for  troops,  sending 
3,636  men  to  the  War.  Also  mustered  into  service  were  the  Light  Infantry, 
the  Mechanics  Blues,  the  Light  Guards,  the  Rifle  Corps,  and  the  Rifle 
Guards  —  all  volunteer  militia  companies.  Ligonia  was  a  barracks,  and 
Portland  a  martial-looking  city,  full  of  uniformed  men.  The  city  paid 
bounties  to  soldiers  amounting  to  $320,116,  and  $105,473  to  dependent  fam- 
ilies; $100,000  was  contributed  to  various  benevolent  agencies.  The  Civil 
War  actually  touched  Portland  with  the  so-called  Tacony  Affair  in  June, 
1863,  when  Lieutenant  Charles  W.  Reed,  in  command  of  the  Confederate 
States  Navy  cruiser  Tacony ,  blew  up  that  ship  after  commandeering  the 
local  fishing  schooner  Archer,  intending  to  steal  into  Portland,  capture  the 
revenue  cutter  Caleb  Cushing,  and  set  fire  to  the  wharves  and  shipping. 
They  captured  the  cutter,  but  a  calm  sea  forced  the  rebels  to  tow  it  out  to 
open  sea.  By  this  time  the  city  was  aware  of  the  theft,  and  boats  were  sent 
in  pursuit.  The  raiders,  mistaking  one  of  the  pursuing  craft  for  a  Yankee 
gunboat,  fired  the  Caleb  Cushing,  which  exploded  and  sank.  The  Con- 
federate seamen  were  hauled  aboard  the  victorious  pursuers  and  brought 
to  Fort  Preble  as  prisoners  of  war. 

With  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  Portland's  economic  life,  which  had  been 


History  45 

somewhat  disrupted,  gradually  returned  to  normal.  On  July  4,  1866,  the 
city  had  a  great  but  tragic  celebration  of  Independence  Day  and  the  close 
of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion.  Bunting  and  streamers  decorated  the  city 
streets  and  buildings,  long  parades  wound  along  the  principal  thorough- 
fares —  the  entire  city  was  in  a  festive  mood.  When  the  fire  bells  clanged  in 
the  late  afternoon,  little  attention  was  paid  to  them  by  the  holiday  throngs, 
but  their  gaiety  was  soon  turned  to  horror.  A  boy  had  carelessly  thrown  a 
lighted  firecracker  which  landed  in  a  boatbuilder's  yard  on  Commercial 
Street,  igniting  chaff  which  spread  to  the  building.  The  wind  blew  hard  from 
the  south,  and  all  around  were  wooden  buildings.  By  the  time  the  firemen 
arrived  Brown's  Sugar  House  was  aflame,  and  wind-borne  embers  kindled 
row  after  row  of  adjacent  homes,  stores,  and  offices.  Half  of  the  reservoirs 
of  the  city  were  drained,  water  was  pumped  from  wells,  cisterns,  and  the 
harbor,  yet  the  fire  could  not  be  quenched.  Night  came  with  an  illumination 
not  planned,  the  fire  gaining  momentum  as  it  ate  through  the  heart  of  the 
city.  Homes,  banks,  stores,  newspaper  offices,  warehouses,  churches,  schools, 
and  landmarks  that  went  back  to  the  foundation  of  the  city  were  destroyed. 
Twelve  million  dollars  worth  of  property  was  destroyed,  and  ten  thousand 
people  were  made  homeless.  Munjoy  Hill  became  a  city  of  tents,  and  the 
old  soup  kitchen  in  the  Market  House  again  fed  the  hungry.  Portland, 
from  Commercial  and  Maple  streets  eastward  to  Back  Cove,  was  a  charred 
ghost  town.  Late  that  month  Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow  wrote  to  a 
friend:  "I  have  been  in  Portland  since  the  fire.  Desolation!  Desolation! 
Desolation!  It  reminds  me  of  Pompeii,  the  'sepult  city/  " 
Resurgam 

After  inventorying  the  property  loss  occasioned  by  one  of  the  greatest 
fires  in  the  United  States  up  to  that  time,  Portland  began  to  rebuild  the 
razed  area.  Streets  were  widened,  others  eliminated.  Pearl  Street  was 
broadened  and  extended  from  Back  Cove  to  the  harbor.  In  January,  1867, 
the  city  aldermen  provided  the  first  park;  the  lot  bounded  by  Pearl,  Con- 
gress, Franklin,  and  Federal  streets,  now  Lincoln  Park,  was  purchased  by 
the  city  for  $86,703  and  was  first  designated  Phoenix  Square. 

Although  the  city  had  discussed  the  possibility  of  piping  water  from  Se- 
bago  Lake  nearly  twelve  years  before  the  fire,  the  proposal  had  been  re- 
jected because  of  the  cost  entailed.  The  'Great  Fire'  impressed  upon  the 
city  the  urgent  need  of  an  adequate  water  supply,  and  in  November,  1868, 
Mayor  Augustus  E.  Stevens  signed  a  contract  with  the  Portland  Water 
Company  to  pipe  from  the  inexhaustible  supply  of  Sebago  Lake  to  the  city. 


46  Portland  City  Guide 

The  lake,  V7  miles  northwest  of  the  city,  with  an  elevation  of  272  feet 
above  mean  low  tide  in  Portland,  is  about  twelve  miles  long  and  four  to 
five  miles  wide,  thus  guaranteeing  not  only  excellent  and  pure  drinking 
water  but  enough  pressure  for  fire-fighting  purposes. 

During  this  period  of  reconstruction  Middle  Street  became  the  princi- 
pal retail  center,  and  on  that  thoroughfare  in  1868  John  B.  Brown  built  the 
Falmouth  Hotel,  which  shortly  became  a  center  for  Portland's  social  life. 
Meanwhile  Exchange  Street  had  become  the  city's  financial  district.  In  the 
Bramhall  and  Munjoy  sections  new  brick  homes  were  built.  Also  in  1868, 
the  new  City  Hall  occupying  the  site  of  the  present  building  was  erected. 
The  construction  of  the  elaborate  marble  Post  Office  on  Middle  Street  and 
the  granite  Customs  House  on  Commercial  Street,  together  with  the  many 
new  edifices  so  impressed  the  local  correspondent  of  the  Boston  Journal 
that  he  wrote  in  his  column:  "The  fire  has  put  Portland  fifty  years  ahead." 

During  the  latter  years  of  the  19th  century  Portland's  harbor,  always  ice 
free,  was  included  among  the  eight  principal  eastern  seaboard  ports  rec- 
ognized by  the  U.  S.  Bureau  of  Foreign  and  Domestic  Commerce.  Due  to 
the  agricultural  expansion  of  the  western  states  and  western  Canada,  a 
steady  stream  of  commerce  started  to  flow  through  the  Great  Lakes  and 
down  the  St.  Lawrence  River  en  route  to  foreign  ports.  These  arteries,  how- 
ever, were  not  navigable  in  winter,  being  choked  with  ice,  and  to  hold  this 
commerce,  Canada  was  forced  to  find  a  winter  port.  Portland,  recently 
connected  with  Montreal  by  the  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  Railroad,  be- 
came the  American  point  of  handling  for  Canadian  commerce.  Profiting 
by  the  wars  of  Great  Britain  and  China,  Yankee  packets  were  making  trips 
from  Portland  around  the  "Horn"  to  China  in  three  months'  time.  Full- 
rigged  ships,  carrying  cargoes  of  the  West  Indies  trade,  dotted  Portland's 
harbor.  The  fishing  industry  was  also  growing,  and  Maine's  Portland  and 
Castine  were  vying  with  the  Massachusetts  towns  of  Gloucester  and  Marble- 
head  as  chief  centers  of  cod  fishing. 

By  1872  Maine's  railroading  was  nearing  its  peak,  65  trains  arriving  and 
departing  from  Portland  each  day.  Twice  a  week  steamers  were  sailing 
for  New  York;  five  months  of  each  year  the  city  was  the  winter  port  of 
Montreal.  In  August,  1874,  nearly  six  million  feet  of  lumber  were  shipped 
from  the  city  to  ports  of  the  West  Indies,  and  30  large  lumber  concerns 
were  flourishing  on  Commercial  Street.  This  period  was  the  most  pros- 
perous commercially,  and  Portland  was  primarily  a  point  of  export.  Dur- 


History  47 

ing  the  latter  years  of  the  century  Portland  Harbor  was  the  third  strongest 
fortified  harbor  in  the  United  States. 

Telegraph  facilities  were  brought  to  Portland  in  1847.  Two  years  later 
gas  was  first  introduced  and  in  1864  the  city's  streets  were  illuminated  with 
297  gas  lamps.  Horsecar  service  on  the  city's  principal  streets  was  inau- 
gurated in  October,  1863,  by  the  Portland  and  Forest  Avenue  Railroad 
Company.  In  1878  Portland's  first  telephone  was  installed,  and  five  years 
later  electricity  was  first  used  for  illuminating  purposes. 

In  1879  the  city  acquired  a  part  of  what  is  now  Deering  Oaks,  immor- 
talized by  Longfellow  in  'My  Lost  Youth,'  and  the  site  of  Fort  Allen  in 
1890,  thus  expanding  the  park  system  started  immediately  after  the  'Great 
Fire.'  In  1888  Portland's  railroads  had  come  of  age  with  the  construction 
of  the  huge  Union  Station. 

The  city  had  an  estimated  population  of  42,000  in  1893,  and  including 
the  surburban  areas,  was  a  shopping  center  for  60,000.  The  new  grain  ele- 
vator, built  to  accommodate  the  Canadian  interests  which  used  the  city  as 
a  winter  port,  had  a  200,000-bushel  capacity,  with  adjoining  warehouses 
for  450,000  bushels.  Long  wharves  jutted  from  busy  Commercial  Street, 
and  a  marginal  railroad  linked  each  dock  with  a  line  connecting  the  rail- 
roads on  the  eastern  and  western  ends  of  the  city;  ship-borne  commerce 
amounted  to  1,432,805  tons.  The  city  boasted  more  than  three  hundred 
manufacturing  plants  —  from  canning  factories  to  rolling  mills  —  which 
produced  $9,569,523  on  an  invested  capital  of  $4,659,375.  In  July,  1896, 
the  Board  of  Trade  Journal  reported  that  "the  final  subscription  to  build 
the  great  elevator  at  Portland  for  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway  system  was 
taken."  When  completed,  this  was  the  largest  grain  elevator  east  of  De- 
troit. Portland's  tax  valuation  in  1896  was  $37,801,200  with  a  tax  rate  of 
$20  on  a  thousand. 

The  Spanish-American  War  marked  the  beginning  of  Maine's  extensive 
tourist  industry.  The  Portland  Courier  Telegram  in  1898  immediately 
started  evaluating  the  war  as  follows:  "The  news  of  the  'Bottling  up'  of 
Admiral  Cervera  and  his  fleet  at  Santiago  acted  like  a  godsend  to  the  hotel 
proprietors  of  Casco  Bay  and  the  boarding-house  keepers  on  the  Cape. 
They  were  astonished  at  the  receipt  of  numerous  orders  for  rooms  and 
board,  of  which  they  had  previously  been  in  despair.  If  this  reaction  of 
feeling  continues  to  hold  good  among  the  nervous  and  the  timid,  the  moun- 
tain resorts  will  not  have  the  walkover  predicted.  The  annihilation  of  the 
Spanish  fleet,  if  it  comes  soon,  means  a  million  dollars  more  or  less,  to  the 


48  Portland  City  Guide 

shores  of  Maine."  Portland  showed  its  loyalty  by  supplying  four  of  the  12 
companies  in  the  First  Maine  Regiment  serving  in  the  Spanish-American 
War. 

While  rumors  were  rife  that  the  Spanish  fleet  had  sailed  to  bombard 
eastern  coast  cities,  the  Minneapolis  and  the  Columbia  were  sent  to  patrol 
the  Maine  Coast.  Rivers  and  harbors  were  mined,  lighthouses  were  dark- 
ened, and  other  maritime  safety  signals  were  discontinued  until  the  war 
ended.  Armed  cruisers  left  Portland  for  sea  duty,  Coast  Guard  patrol  boats 
constantly  watched  for  the  enemy,  and  men  of  the  First  Regiment  of  Con- 
necticut volunteers  were  sent  to  garrison  Fort  Preble.  At  the  outbreak  of 
the  war  the  Montauk,  a  monitor-type  vessel  with  one  turret  and  two  guns, 
was  sent  to  guard  the  city.  It  was  manned  by  volunteer  Portland  naval  re- 
serves consisting  of  125  men  in  two  divisions,  organized  through  the  efforts 
of  William  H.  Clifford,  Jr.,  and  Harry  M.  Bigelow.  The  Portland-manned 
Montauk  was  never  called  upon  to  defend  the  city,  and  in  the  latter  months 
of  the  war  it  proceeded  to  Boston  and  New  York,  but  before  it  reached 
Philadelphia  the  war  was  over.  The  Portland  Evening  Express  of  July, 
1938,  ridiculed  the  Montauk  editorially  as  "a  relic  of  the  Civil  War,  that 
somehow  had  got  by  the  junk  man."  In  1899  Portland's  Fleet  Naval  Re- 
serves were  re-organized  as  the  Maine  Naval  Militia. 

Since  its  incorporation  as  a  town  in  1786  Portland  had  been  confined  to 
the  narrow  saddleback  peninsula  that  jutted  into  Casco  Bay,  but  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1899,  Portland  annexed  the  city  of  Deering,  adding  9,381  acres  to 
its  area,  creating  two  new  municipal  divisions,  Wards  Eight  and  Nine. 

The  Twentieth  Century  City 

At  the  turn  of  the  century  Portland's  population  was  50,145,  a  gain  of 
37.67  percent  over  the  previous  decade,  about  fifteen  percent  of  this  increase 
due  to  the  annexation  of  Deering.  During  the  last  half  of  the  19th  century 
growth  had  been  steady,  and  the  20th  century  found  it  a  prosperous  com- 
munity with  a  property  valuation  of  $50,000,000.  Culturally,  the  city  had 
made  great  strides,  and  boasted  five  musical  societies,  20  scientific  and  liter- 
ary associations,  eight  temperance  organizations,  and  24  publications  and 
newspapers.  Opened  in  1897,  the  Jefferson  Theater  had  by  1900  established 
itself  as  one  of  the  leading  playhouses  of  New  England.  Casco  Bay's  is- 
lands were  in  their  heyday  as  summer  resorts  —  hotels  and  cottage  colonies 
were  springing  up  and  harbor  steamers  did  a  thriving  business.  Portlanders 
started  building  new  homes  in  the  Deering  section,  and  the  shopping  district 


History  49 

grew  rapidly.  The  city  now  entered  a  period  of  commercial  expansion 
creeping  somewhat  away  from  the  industrialism  that  had  characterized  its 
last  half-century.  Portland  soon  called  itself  "The  Convention  City." 

The  new  century  brought  the  era  of  "trolley  car  parks"  when  amusement 
areas  were  established  by  streetcar  companies  in  the  surburban  sections  of 
nearly  all  American  cities  of  the  East.  Such  a  development  was  Portland's 
Riverton  Park  on  the  Presumpscot  River.  The  Riverton  management  also 
provided  a  bicycle  house  "where  those  who  come  with  wheels  can  leave  the 
silent  steed."  In  the  open-air  theater,  audiences  were  entertained  by  "La 
Petite  Blanche,  the  Dainty  Soubrette,"  or  by  such  traveling  minstrel 
groups  as  "Gorman's  Original  Alabama  Troubadours"  who  presented  "Life 
On  The  Old  Plantation— Our  Swells  and  Belles  In  The  Great  Cakewalk." 

In  1902  the  city's  police  department  adopted  the  three-platoon  system 
which  placed  15  men  on  duty  at  all  times.  The  following  year  the  fire  de- 
partment purchased  a  $10,000  "horseless  engine."  This  engine  was  not  en- 
thusiastically received;  it  came  to  be  known  as  Old  Rosie  and  was  guilty  of 
ruining  many  porch  and  window  awnings  as  it  chugged  its  way  to  a  fire, 
belching  hot  coals  from  its  unguarded  stack.  The  year  1929  marked  the 
complete  mechanization  of  the  department. 

The  financial  panic  of  1907  failed  to  reach  Portland,  and  the  city  re- 
mained economically  stable.  The  annexation  of  Deering  had  relieved  the 
city  of  remaining  within  its  restrictive  constitutional  debt  limit  and  made  it 
possible  to  consider  municipal  ownership  of  water.  High  water  rates  had 
become  objectionable,  resulting  in  investigations  and  court  proceedings  un- 
til the  issue  finally  became  a  political  football.  The  Democrats,  campaign- 
ing in  favor  of  municipal  ownership  through  a  water  district,  won  the  1907 
election;  the  new  city  government  appealed  to  the  Legislature  the  same  year 
and  secured  a  charter  for  the  Portland  Water  District.  In  view  of  the  in- 
ability to  agree  with  the  Portland  Water  Company  and  interlocking  com- 
panies on  terms  of  purchase,  the  property  was  taken  by  the  city  by  right  of 
eminent  domain;  the  final  cost  was  $4,000,000. 

In  1908  the  city  hall,  rebuilt  following  the  'Great  Fire,'  was  again  de- 
stroyed by  flames.  By  1910  the  present  Cumberland  County  Court  House 
had  been  erected;  a  year  later  the  Federal  Court  House  was  completed.  In 
August,  1912,  Portland's  present  municipal  building  was  dedicated,  together 
with  its  auditorium  in  which  had  been  installed  the  organ  presented  to  the 
city  by  Cyrus  H.  K.  Curtis.  These  three  edifices,  within  a  short  distance 
of  each  other,  form  an  imposing  group  of  civic  buildings. 


50  Portland  City  Guide 

Up  to  the  outbreak  of  the  World  War  Portland  was  a  port  of  entry  for 
European  passengers,  the  peak  being  reached  in  1913  when  26,421  persons 
passed  through  the  local  inspection  station.  Most  of  these  arrivals  were  im- 
migrants en  route  to  Canada,  whose  western  lands  were  being  opened.  The 
city's  stature  as  a  commercial  center  was  increasing. 

In  July,  1916,  Portland's  street  railway  facilities  were  paralyzed  by  a 
labor  dispute.  The  strike  lasted  five  days  and  ended  when  the  workers'  de- 
mands were  granted  by  the  street  railway  company.  The  same  year  the  so- 
called  "Million  Dollar  Bridge,"  spanning  Fore  River  and  connecting  Port- 
land with  South  Portland,  replaced  the  earlier  wooden  structure. 

The  city's  Preparedness  Day  Parade  on  March  18,  1917,  intensified  the 
war  spirit  of  the  period  prior  to  the  entry  of  the  United  States  into  the  Eu- 
ropean conflict.  A  month  after  America  had  joined  the  Allies  local  citizens 
had  contributed  $165,000  to  the  American  Red  Cross,  and  the  Thomas  B. 
Reed  Battery  of  volunteers  needed  only  a  few  more  recruits  to  bring  it  to 
war  strength.  The  2nd  Maine  Infantry  was  fully  recruited  two  months  be- 
fore any  other  regiment  in  the  country.  In  addition  to  furnishing  recruits 
for  the  103rd  Infantry  of  the  26th  Division,  Portland  supplied  a  battalion 
of  Coast  Artillery  and  two  divisions  of  Maine  Naval  Militia  from  the  Na- 
tional Guard  Units.  Troops  of  the  26th  Division  saw  foreign  action  at 
Chateau  Thierry,  Champagne — Marne,  Aisne — Marne,  St.  Mihiel,  and  the 
Argonne  Forest.  The  56th  Pioneer  Infantry,  known  as  the  First  Maine 
(Milliken)  Heavy  Field  Artillery,  one  battery  of  which  was  organized  in 
the  city  by  Portland  men,  also  served  in  France  and  was  among  those  at 
Xivray,  Belleau  Woods,  and  Seicheprey.  In  all,  4,500  local  men  were  in 
Federal  service.  The  Third  Infantry  Maine  National  Guard  was  organized 
to  succeed  the  2nd  Infantry,  and  two  companies  of  this  regiment  were  re- 
cruited in  Portland.  This  regiment  was  not  called  into  United  States  serv- 
ice. The  present  Harold  T.  Andrews  Post  of  the  American  Legion,  the  first 
post  in  the  city,  was  established  in  July,  1919,  taking  the  name  of  the 
first  Portland  man  to  die  in  action. 

While  the  troops  were  in  the  battlefield  those  who  remained  at  home  were 
also  passing  through  trying  times.  The  winter  of  1917-18  was  one  of  un- 
usual severity,  freezing  the  inner  waters  of  Casco  Bay  to  the  islands;  it  was 
a  common  sight  to  see  soldiers  trudging  over  the  ice  from  the  city  to  Fort 
McKinley,  on  Diamond  Island.  The  "Flu"  added  to  the  general  misery  of 
that  distressful  winter.  Children  and  adults  alike  tugged  makeshift  sleds 
over  the  icy  streets  carrying  home  the  few  precious  shovels  of  coal  allowed 


The  'Desert  of  Tents'  after  the  f Great  Fire 


Southwest  Corner  of  Oak  and  Congress  Streets  (1866) 

Middle  Street  from  Cross  Street  after  the  'Great  Fire' 


Old  Fluent  Block  on  Congress  Street  (1870's) 

View  down  Exchange  and  Lime  (Market)  Streets  (1862) 


Portland  City  Hall  (1866) 

View  Southeast  from  Old  City  Hall  toward  Water  Front  (1860's) 


Northeast  Corner  Oak  and  Congress  Streets  (1866) 

Congress  Street,  looking  West  (1866) 


J 


^ 

I 


History  51 

them.  Although  local  munition  works  and  shipyards  were  paying  almost 
fabulous  wages,  the  recipients  were  forced  to  pay  sky-high  prices  for  com- 
modities. Small  quantities  of  sugar  could  be  obtained  only  with  ration 
cards;  white  flour  could  be  purchased  only  with  an  equal  quantity  of  dark 
flour.  Women  and  girls  attended  classes  at  the  local  Y.  W.  C.  A.  in  which 
they  were  taught  to  knit  socks,  sweaters,  and  mittens  for  the  soldiers. 
Crowds  flocked  to  the  Grand  Trunk  Railroad  Station  to  watch  the  thous- 
ands of  Canadian  troops  disembark  and  march  to  the  docks  where  giant 
transports  waited  to  convey  them  across  the  sea.  Commercial  Street  had  the 
air  of  a  misplaced  rodeo  as  cowboys  accompanying  their  cattle  from  the 
West  whooped  and  drove  herds  of  steers  from  the  trains  to  the  cattle  ships 
en  route  to  Europe.  To  safeguard  against  sabotage  and  espionage,  re- 
stricted zones  were  established  at  the  water  front  below  Fore  Street.  The 
signing  of  the  Armistice,  November  11,  1918,  was  the  signal  for  mad  re- 
joicing as  hysterical  throngs  crowded  the  squares  and  snake-danced  to  the 
medley  of  blaring  whistles  and  clanging  bells,  intoxicated  with  joy  that  the 
war  was  over. 

Shortly  after  the  Armistice  Portland's  taxpayers  took  up  cudgels  against 
the  existing  mayoralty  form  of  city  government  and  clamored  for  a  change 
to  the  council-manager  form  of  administration.  The  foundation  for  this 
move  had  been  laid  in  1893  when  the  incumbent  mayor,  James  Phinney 
Baxter,  appointed  a  committee  to  draft  a  new  charter  under  which  a  small 
council  would  replace  the  mayor-alderman  system.  Baxter's  plan  was 
defeated.  The  sentiment  toward  a  change  in  civic  government,  however, 
flared  to  white  heat  in  1922-23  with  the  Gannett  press  vigorously  carrying 
the  torch.  Advocates  for  the  change  charged  that  the  loose  business  methods 
of  the  adminstration  were  "killing  investment  and  freezing  capital  by  a 
tyranny  of  assessment  which  reeks  with  glaring  inequalities."  In  addition, 
the  adminstration  was  charged  with  being  responsible  for  the  hazardous 
fire  conditions  which  had  been  scored  by  the  National  Board  of  Fire  Un- 
derwriters. Those  opposing  the  council-manager  form  of  government  ob- 
jected because  all  this  muck-raking  "traduced  the  fair  name  of  Portland." 
They  claimed  that  public  interest  in  city  affairs  would  flag  when  only  one 
official  was  elected  annually,  and  bent  every  effort  to  keep  the  proposed 
charter  from  being  submitted  to  the  voters  of  the  city.  However,  the  fact 
that  the  tax  rate  was  higher  than  that  of  most  cities  of  the  country,  plus  a 
huge  bonded  indebtedness  and  a  staggering  per  capita  cost  of  maintenance 
operation  and  debt  service  forced  the  issue.  It  was  charged  that  opponents 


52  Portland  City  Guide 

of  this  measure  attempted  to  have  the  bill  changed  in  the  Maine  Legislature 
by  eliminating  its  essential  features.  Despite  determined  opposition,  the  new 
charter  was  finally  approved  in  September,  1923.  On  December  10  of  the 
same  year  the  council-manager  form  of  government  became  effective,  and 
Harry  A.  Brinkerhoff  was  appointed  first  city  manager. 

During  the  heat  of  the  1923  political  battle  the  Maine  State  Pier  was 
erected  on  the  water  front  at  a  cost  of  $1,500,000.  The  creation  of  the  Port 
of  Portland  Authority  in  1929,  together  with  the  new  pier,  existing  agen- 
cies, wharves,  and  terminal  facilities  enabled  Portland  to  be  included  in  the 
U.  S.  War  Department's  survey  of  1934-35  as  one  of  the  principal  ports  on 
the  Atlantic  Coast. 

In  1928  the  first  city  manager  was  succeeded  by  James  E.  Barlow,  the 
present  manager.  Two  years  later  the  city's  annual  report  recorded:  "Our 
City  is  both  financially  and  economically  sound.  To  confirm  this  state- 
ment . . .  attention  is  called  to  the  fact  that  the  bonds  and  notes  of  the  City 
of  Portland  find  a  ready  market  at  the  most  favorable  rates." 

Portland's  splendid  trees  which  lined  the  streets  and  shaded  the  parks 
were  the  origin  of  the  name  "The  Forest  City."  On  December  19,  1929, 
"The  Forest  City"  was  subjected  to  the  most  severe  sleet  storm  in  over  half 
a  century,  thick  coats  of  ice  damaging  nearly  15,000  trees. 

Along  with  the  rest  of  the  country,  Portland  entered  the  1930's  on  the 
heels  of  the  "Panic  of  '29."  Not  until  the  Bank  Holiday  of  March  4,  1933, 
was  the  depression  keenly  realized  locally.  The  people  of  Portland  were 
forced  to  wait  two  weeks  before  commercial  banking  was  resumed  in  the 
city,  a  period  of  severe  hardship  as  75  percent  of  the  local  people  had  their 
funds  tied  up  in  the  closed  banks.  It  was  said  that  "Portland  was  more 
nearly  paralyzed  than  any  other  of  the  large  cities  in  the  country  .  .  .  .  " 
Three  of  the  city's  banks  failed  to  open  March  15;  one  of  these  had  been 
the  largest  financial  institution  in  the  State.  Portland  steered  through  the 
storm  of  the  worst  depression  in  national  history  with  the  assistance  of  the 
various  Federal  Government  relief  agencies  embraced  in  the  Civil  Works 
Administration,  Federal  Emergency  Relief  Adminstration,  Works  Prog- 
ress Administration,  Public  Works  Administration,  and  the  Work  Projects 
Administration. 

Three  times  in  three  hundred-odd  years  of  its  corporate  existence,  the 
settlement  on  Casco  Neck  experienced  near-destruction.  Its  people  refused 
to  admit  defeat  and  doggedly  and  courageously  rebuilt.  Today  that  spirit 
is  an  integral  part  of  the  heritage  of  the  citizens  of  Portland. 


SIGILLUM  CIVITATIS  PORTLANDIAE 


GOVERNMENT 

When  Portland  was  part  of  Falmouth  township  and  known  as  'The 
Neck,'  town  meetings  were  always  held  here  and  representatives  were  fur- 
nished to  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts.  In  the  early  1780's  a  meas- 
ure was  introduced  to  set  off  The  Neck*  as  an  independent  town;  six  years 
later  the  act  of  incorporation  was  passed,  and  the  new  Town  of  Portland 
was  born.  When  the  District  of  Maine  petitioned  for  admission  to  the 
Union  as  a  State,  it  became  an  unwilling  party  in  the  controversial  Mis- 
souri Compromise  (see  History),  but  in  1820  President  James  Monroe's 
signature  on  the  Maine  Bill  made  the  new  State  of  Maine  a  reality,  separate 
and  distinct  from  its  mother  State,  the  Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts. 
Portland  became  the  capital  of  the  new  State  and  held  the  honor  until  1827 
when  the  capital  site  was  permanently  removed  to  Augusta,  although  legis- 
lative sessions  were  continued  in  Portland  until  1832  when  the  new  capitol 
building  in  Augusta  was  completed. 

In  July,  1828,  a  petition  was  presented  to  the  selectmen  of  Portland  ask- 
ing that  measures  be  taken  for  adopting  a  city  government,  but  when  the 
proposal  was  submitted  to  a  vote,  the  townspeople  defeated  it  by  a  large 
majority.  A  city  charter,  however,  was  finally  accepted  by  the  voters  on 
April  30,  1832,  and  the  municipality  was  divided  into  seven  wards  with  a 
board  of  seven  aldermen  and  a  common  council  of  21.  Andrew  L.  Emer- 
son, chairman  of  the  selectmen,  was  elected  the  first  mayor. 

With  numerous  amendments  the  original  charter  remained  in  effect  until 
1923  when  Portland  adopted  the  council-manager  form  of  government.  An 
election  was  held  in  September  of  that  year  with  the  new  charter  becoming 
effective  the  following  December  10. 

During  the  mayoralty  (1893-96)  of  James  P.  Baxter  a  committee  had  been 


54  Portland  City  Guide 

appointed  to  draft  a  new  charter  for  Portland.  Baxter  also  had  recom- 
mended an  efficient  council  form  of  government,  but  his  plan  was  defeated. 
In  1921  proponents  for  the  city-manager  form  of  government  brought  out 
a  pamphlet  composed  of  questions  and  answers  relative  to  the  system,  show- 
ing that  a  maximum  of  service  could  be  had  at  a  minimum  cost.  This 
brought  the  matter  to  a  head  and  resulted  in  action  favoring  the  council- 
manager  form  of  government. 

Under  the  present  system,  the  council  is  the  legislative  head  of  the  city 
and  the  manager  is  the  administrative  head.  The  duties  of  the  city  mana- 
ger include  responsibility  for  carrying  out  the  council's  orders,  the  enforce- 
ment of  the  laws,  and  the  submission  of  a  detailed  budget  from  which  an 
appropriation  bill  is  made  by  the  council.  His  appointments,  subject  to 
confirmation  by  the  council,  are:  commissioner  of  public  works,  city  elec- 
trician, chief  of  police,  chief  of  the  fire  department,  secretary  to  overseers 
of  the  poor,  city  physician  upon  recommendation  by  the  health  officer,  in- 
spector of  buildings,  and  all  other  department  heads  whose  position  may  be 
created  by  ordinance.  Unless  otherwise  provided  for  by  statute  the  mana- 
ger, upon  recommendation  by  department  heads,  appoints  all  minor  officers 
and  employees,  and  is  responsible  for  the  administration  of  all  departments. 

Five  members  elected  at  large,  one  each  year,  compose  the  city  council, 
each  councillor  serving  five  years.  They  elect  a  chairman  who  acts  for  the 
city  in  ceremonial  functions.  Besides  being  a  legislative  body  the  council 
serves  as  the  Portland  Park  Commission,  the  Portland  Recreation  Com- 
mission, and  the  Portland  Overseers  of  the  Poor.  The  following  officers 
and  boards  are  appointed  by  a  majority  ballot  of  the  council:  city  manager, 
city  clerk,  corporation  counsel,  treasurer  and  tax  collector,  auditor,  sealer 
of  weights  and  measures,  health  officer,  and  nine  constables  at  large.  The 
council  also  appoints  three  assessors  of  taxes,  three  trustees  for  Evergreen 
Cemetery,  and  three  members  of  the  Portland  Civil  Service  Commission. 
Acting  upon  the  advice  of  the  two  major  local  political  parties,  the  coun- 
cil appoints  two  of  the  three  members  of  the  board  of  registration,  the  chair- 
man of  which  is  appointed  by  the  Governor. 

The  Portland  School  Committee,  elected  on  a  nonpartisan  ballot  by  the 
voters  at  large,  consists  of  seven  members  with  three-year  terms.  The  city 
council  selects  one  of  its  members  as  chairman  of  the  school  committee  each 
year.  This  committee  appoints  the  superintendent  of  schools  who,  in  con- 
junction with  committeemen,  appoints  school  teachers  to  the  public  elemen- 
tary and  high  schools  of  the  city. 


Government  55 

The  municipal  court  holds  daily  sessions,  except  on  Sundays  and  holidays. 
The  court's  judge  and  recorder  are  appointed  by  the  Governor,  the  re- 
corder having  authority  to  preside  over  court  in  the  absence  of  the  judge. 
In  some  cases  a  deputy  judge  is  appointed  by  the  magistrate.  County  at- 
torneys, elected  by  the  people,  are  the  prosecutors,  and  they  in  turn  appoint 
their  own  assistants.  County  criminal  cases  are  presented  to  the  municipal 
court  for  findings;  if  beyond  the  jurisdiction  of  this  court  to  sentence  and 
if  probable  cause  be  established  the  defendant  is  bound  over  to  the  grand 
jury  and  prosecuted  in  the  Superior  Court  by  the  Attorney  General  of  the 
State,  the  county  attorney  or  his  assistants.  Civil  cases  limited  to  $300  in 
jurisdiction  are  triable  in  the  Portland  Municipal  Court  and  may  reach  the 
Superior  Court  by  appeal.  There  are  ten  terms  of  the  Superior  Court  at 
Portland  each  year,  three  of  them  criminal.  The  Supreme  Judicial  Court 
sits  each  month  at  Portland,  four  of  its  terms  as  a  Law  Court,  the  court  of 
last  resort  in  both  civil  and  criminal  matters. 

The  history  of  Portland's  police  department  goes  back  to  April,  1797, 
when  at  a  town  meeting  it  was  voted  "to  have  one  Inspector  of  Police." 
Three  years  later  a  Town  Watch  was  established,  consisting  of  six  officers 
for  night  patrol  only.  In  1847  the  City  Marshal  was  directed  "to  appoint 
two  deputies  whose  duty  it  was  to  prevent  all  violations  of  the  Sabbath," 
and  two  years  later  the  Portland  Police  Department  was  formally  organized. 
It  included  two  deputy  marshals  and  such  constables  as  were  deemed  neces- 
sary, "who  shall  carry  with  them  a  rattle  and  a  staff,  and  wear  a  polished 
leather  badge  with  the  word  'Police'  in  silver  plated  letters  thereon."  In 
1860  this  day  force  was  fitted  with  uniforms.  Not  until  the  installation  of 
a  signal  system  in  1887  did  the  "leather-medal  cops"  have  any  close  con- 
tact with  headquarters.  When  the  horse-drawn  patrol  wagon  was  sup- 
planted by  a  motor  patrol  in  1911,  skeptics  insisted  that  the  patrol  wagon 
horses  should  be  maintained  because  of  "a  doubt  regarding  the  efficiency 
of  a  gas-eating  'Black  Maria.' "  By  this  time  the  city  marshal  had  become 
the  chief  of  the  police  department  and  an  eight-hour  shift  for  patrolmen 
had  been  adopted.  In  1913  the  present  $85,000  modern  police  building  was 
erected.  The  same  year  a  police  boat  for  harbor  patrol  was  acquired  and 
is  at  present  administered  in  co-operation  with  South  Portland.  The  city's 
present  police  force  consists  of  105  officers  and  patrolmen,  but  may  in  emer- 
gencies be  enlarged  by  trained  reserves. 

To  insure  better  protection  the  townspeople  of  Falmouth  voted  on  March 
29,  1768,  to  appoint  several  fire-wards  whose  duty  it  should  be  to  look  after 


56  Portland  City  Guide 

and  direct  citizens  during  fires.  The  emblem  of  office  was  a  long  staff,  giv- 
ing them  full  authority.  The  first  fire  engine  arrived  here  from  England  in 
1787  and  was  probably  purchased  by  community  subscription,  since  in 
November  of  that  year  the  citizens  considered  at  a  town  meeting  an  article 
"to  see  if  the  town  will  raise  any  money  to  build  an  engine  house  and  pay 
what  may  be  due  for  freight,  insurance,  etc.,  on  an  engine,  lately  purchased 
by  inhabitants  of  said  [Falmouth]  town,  and  consider  any  matters  pertain- 
ing to  said  engine."  The  act  establishing  the  Portland  Fire  Department  was 
passed  by  the  legislature  in  1830  and  was  immediately  adopted  by  the  town. 
The  alarm  signal  system  was  installed  in  1867,  being  among  the  first  in  the 
country.  Portland's  fire  department  today  is  equipped  with  modern  appa- 
ratus and  a  fire  fighting  force  of  120  men.  The  equipment  consists  of  ten 
pumpers,  three  aerial  trucks,  two  city  service  trucks,  and  one  squad  wagon. 
The  city's  fireboat  (see  Points  of  Interest) ,  claimed  to  be  the  first  Diesel 
motor  pumper  in  the  world,  was  built  in  1931  at  East  Boothbay.  The  de- 
sign has  since  been  copied  by  other  municipalities  and  duplicates  have  been 
built  for  export  to  China  and  the  Soviet  Union. 

In  addition  to  being  Maine's  largest  city,  Portland  is  the  seat  of  Cum- 
berland County  and  the  center  of  many  activities  of  the  Federal  Govern- 
ment. Until  1760  the  whole  territory  of  Maine  formed  a  single  province 
under  the  rule  of  Massachusetts,  but  in  that  year  Cumberland  and  Lincoln 
counties  were  set  off.  A  term  of  the  Superior  Court  was  granted  about  this 
time  to  Cumberland  County,  and  its  sessions  were  held  in  the  vicinity  of 
'The  Neck';  from  1735  a  Court  of  General  Sessions  had  been  summoned 
in  private  homes  or  public  taverns.  In  1768  a  courthouse  was  erected  on  the 
site  of  the  present  Portland  City  Hall;  the  rude,  wooden  building  was  re- 
placed in  1816  by  a  brick  structure.  Today  the  county's  activities  are  cen- 
tered in  Cumberland  County  Courthouse  (see  Points  of  Interest),  and 
Federal  courts  and  agencies  are  housed  in  the  Federal  Court  Building  and 
the  Customs  House  (see  Points  of  Interest) . 

The  Port  of  Portland  Authority  is  a  public  agency  charged  with  the 
duty  of  making  plans  for  the  comprehensive  development  of  the  harbor. 
The  Authority  has  jurisdiction  over  the  Port  of  Portland  including 
South  Portland,  operates  the  Maine  State  Pier,  and  can  acquire  or  build  for 
the  State  of  Maine  other  piers  and  terminal  facilities,  but  must  keep  them, 
as  property  of  the  State  of  Maine,  open  to  all  teaming  and  lighterage 
traffic.  It  must  also  provide  ample  pier  trackage  to  all  railroads  entering 
the  city.  The  Authority  has  a  board  of  five  directors,  four  of  whom  are 


Government  57 

appointed  by  the  Governor  and  State  Executive  Council,  and  one  by  the 
Portland  City  Council;  the  directors  elect  their  own  president.  This  board 
is  not  subordinate  to  the  Portland  Board  of  Harbor  Commissioners,  which 
has  separate  functions. 

In  conformity  with  the  early  laws  of  Massachusetts,  every  able-bodied 
man  in  Maine  was  enrolled  in  a  company  of  militia.  Twenty-three  years 
after  Maine  became  a  State  641  companies  were  enrolled,  and  Maine  was 
divided  into  nine  military  areas,  similar  to  the  Corps  Areas  into  which  the 
United  States  is  now  divided  for  military  adminstration  of  the  War  De- 
partment's activities;  Portland  was  in  the  fifth  area.  In  1854  the  companies 
in  and  around  Portland  were  organized  as  the  First  Regiment.  When 
Lincoln  called  for  75,000  volunteers  in  1861,  the  State  Legislature  au- 
thorized the  organization  of  the  First  Maine  Volunteers.  In  September  of 
that  year,  however,  this  organization  ceased  to  exist,  and  on  September  28 
the  10th  Maine  Regiment  was  formed  and  entrained  in  October  for  the 
South.  The  regiment  returned  home  in  April,  1863,  having  served  at  Har- 
per's Ferry,  the  Battle  of  Cedar  Mountain,  and  the  Battle  of  Antietam. 
Mustered  out  on  their  return,  the  men  re-enlisted  to  form  the  29th  Maine 
Veterans  Volunteer  Regiment;  the  10th  Maine  Battalion  was  also  organized 
from  the  three-year  men  of  the  10th  Maine  Infantry  Regiment,  and  were 
afterwards  assigned  to  the  29th.  All  of  these  men  served  gallantly  until 
the  end  of  the  Civil  War. 

In  the  Spanish-American  War,  the  First  Maine  Regiment  was  sent  to 
Georgia  for  training  but  was  returned  in  hospital  trains  after  nearly  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  men  had  been  stricken  with  typhoid.  The  1st  Infantry  was 
transferred  to  the  Coast  Artillery  in  January,  1910.  The  unit  was  again 
mobilized  in  July,  1917,  for  World  War  duty.  The  56th  Pioneer  Infantry, 
begun  in  Portland  by  Portland  men,  and  known  as  the  First  Maine  (Milli- 
ken)  Heavy  Field  Artillery,  was  under  the  command  of  Colonel  Arthur  T. 
Ballantine.  The  Maine  National  Guard,  the  240th  Coast  Artillery,  as  now 
organized,  is  composed  of  three  battalions  and  is  under  the  command  of 
Colonel  George  E.  Fogg. 

The  Coast  Artillery  Organized  Reserves  were  enlisted  in  June,  1922,  and 
has  a  present  personnel  of  two  U.  S.  Army  officers  and  239  men  from  all 
parts  of  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  and  from  parts  of  Vermont.  A  training 
course  for  Reserve  Officers  of  the  303rd  Infantry  and  the  303rd  Field  Ar- 
tillery in  Maine  is  conducted  by  a  Staff  Sergeant  of  the  97th  Division. 

In  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  city,  on  Cape  Elizabeth  and  on  islands  in 


58  Portland  City  Guide 

Casco  Bay,  are  four  United  States  fortifications:  Fort  Williams  at  Cape 
Cottage,  Fort  Preble  at  South  Portland,  Fort  McKinley  at  Great  Diamond 
Island,  and  Fort  Levett  at  Cushing  Island.  There  are  Installation  Barracks 
at  Peak  and  Long  islands. 

In  1898  the  Fleet  Naval  Reserve  was  organized  as  a  volunteer  unit  to 
serve  in  the  Spanish-American  War  aboard  the  Montauk,  an  obsolete  moni- 
tor-type ship  sent  to  protect  the  local  harbor  (see  History) .  It  was  re-or- 
ganized a  year  later  as  the  Maine  Naval  Militia,  and  in  1917  its  members 
were  mustered  into  regular  U.  S.  Navy  service.  At  present  there  is  in  the 
State  of  Maine  the  3rd  Battalion,  19th  and  20th  Divisions,  of  the  United 
States  Naval  Reserves.  The  personnel  consists  of  one  line  and  two  staff 
officers,  69  fleet  reserves,  and  several  volunteers. 


THE  PATTERN  OF  THE  PEOPLE 

In  1633  when  two  Englishmen,  George  Cleeve  and  Richard  Tucker,  built 
their  log  cabin  on  'The  Neck/  they  were  the  pioneers  of  a  city  which  has 
ever  since  been  composed  predominately  of  descendants  of  former  British 
subjects.  The  early  English  immigrants  to  the  eastern  area  of  the  New 
World  along  with  the  Scotch  and  Irish  who  soon  followed,  produced  a 
dour  type  known  as  the  Yankee,  a  name  which  later  came  to  be  applied  to 
all  New  Englanders  of  the  same  general  ancestry.  Today  the  people  of  Port- 
land are  largely  of  English-Scotch-Irish  extraction,  with  a  generous  inter- 
mixture of  Canadians  and  French-Canadians.  According  to  the  1930  Fed- 
eral census,  the  city's  total  population  (70,810)  is  55  percent  native  white 
of  native-born  parentage  (38,318) ;  slightly  less  than  two  out  of  every  four 
persons  are  either  foreign-born  or  of  foreign  and  mixed  parentage  (20,502) ; 
and  about  one  out  of  every  six  persons  is  foreign-born  (11,671).  Ap- 
proximately three-sevenths  of  Portland's  foreign-born  and  native  of  foreign 
and  mixed  parentage  is  Canadian  and  French-Canadian  (12,270) ;  those 
of  English-Scotch-Irish  extraction  run  a  close  second  (9,554) . 

From  earliest  times  Portland's  population  has  steadily  increased;  the  offi- 
cial census  figures  never  show  a  decrease.  In  1790  the  population  of  The 
Neck'  was  2,240;  by  1810  it  had  swelled  more  than  158  percent.  The  great- 
est increase  came  during  the  decade  just  prior  to  the  War  of  1812,  with  its 
intense  shipbuilding  activity  and  the  expansion  of  trade  with  the  West 
Indies  and  Caribbean  ports;  there  was  a  spurt  of  87  percent.  During  the 
middle  of  the  19th  century  with  commercial  developments  sweeping  the 
city  as  a  result  of  the  advent  of  the  railroad,  the  population  grew  by  leaps 
and  bounds  to  36,425  in  1890.  The  annexation  of  Deering  in  1899  added 
significantly  to  the  city's  population;  by  1900  it  was  50,145.  Following  the 
World  War  and  through  the  period  of  'great  prosperity,'  there  was  healthy 


60  Portland  City  Guide 

and  steady  growth.  The  1939  City  Report  estimated  the  population  at 
72,000,  with  a  density  of  3,278  people  per  square  mile. 

To  England's  Cleeve  and  Tucker  belongs  the  title  of  the  'first  immi- 
grants.' Possibly  there  were  Irish  here  soon  after;  it  is  certain  that  in  1718 
a  vessel  carrying  20  families  of  immigrants  from  Ireland  anchored  off  The 
Neck.'  Many  of  these  families,  descendants  of  a  colony  which  went  from 
Argyleshire  in  Scotland  and  settled  in  the  north  of  Ireland  about  the  mid- 
dle of  the  17th  century,  remained  as  settlers;  others  drifted  inland.  In  the 
summer  of  1828  the  Oxford  Canal  Corporation  started  construction  of 
their  'big  ditch'  from  Fore  River  inland  to  Sebago  Lake  and  Thomas  Pond. 
Hundreds  of  burly  Irishmen  and  their  families  were  drawn  here;  the  canal 
bank  was  soon  dotted  with  their  rude  shacks.  Many  of  these  canal  laborers, 
originally  immigrants  to  eastern  Atlantic  ports,  stayed  on  after  the  canal 
was  completed;  their  descendants  form  a  vital  design  in  the  pattern  of  the 
city's  life.  More  Irish  trickled  into  Portland  in  the  middle  1800's,  just  fol- 
lowing Ireland's  famines  of  1846-47.  Portland's  foreign-born  Irish  popula- 
tion in  1930  was  nearly  7,000. 

Although  Scotch  immigrants  had  settled  in  this  vicinity  in  the  17th  cen- 
tury, it  was  not  until  the  late  1760's  that  any  significant  number  came  here, 
possibly  as  a  result  of  the  border  wars  between  England  and  Scotland.  A 
large  majority  of  the  city's  Canadians  came  from  the  Provinces — Nova 
Scotia,  New  Brunswick,  and  Prince  Edward's  Island;  many  of  the  French 
Canadians  are  from  the  metropolitan  cities  of  Montreal  and  Quebec. 

Although  occasional  Italians  drifted  into  Portland  prior  to  1800,  the  con- 
struction of  the  railroad  from  1837-42  drew  many;  but  it  was  not  until 
around  1900  that  the  nucleus  of  the  present  Italian  quarter  was  formed. 
These  immigrants  and  those  who  have  followed  came  principally  from  the 
south  of  Italy — Sicily,  Sardinia,  Apulia,  and  Calabria. 

Early  immigrant  groups  settling  in  the  city  showed  a  natural  tendency  to 
live  near  others  of  the  same  race,  and  although  this  quartering  has  since 
been  greatly  modified  by  migrations  from  ward  to  ward  and  by  intermar- 
riage, there  is  some  semblance  of  sectional  division.  The  largest  group  of 
Negroes  settled  in  the  eastern  end  of  the  city  on  Munjoy  Hill,  which  in 
past  years  was  known  as  Nigger  Hill;  a  smaller  group  lives  in  Ward  Seven, 
the  vicinity  of  Union  Station.  The  Italians  remained  in  the  vicinity  of 
lower  Middle  Street,  and  their  colony  includes  the  area  from  Congress 
Street  south  to  the  water  front  and  from  Pearl  Street  east  to  Waterville 
Street;  the  area's  early  name  of  'Gunmen's  Tour'  is  little  heard  today.  The 


Pattern  of  the  People  61 

Poles  are  clustered  around  Salem  Street,  in  the  western  part  of  the  city, 
and  Syrians  and  Greeks  live  generally  within  a  district  bounded  by  Wash- 
ington Avenue,  Preble  Street,  Cumberland  Avenue,  and  Back  Bay.  Other 
groups,  including  the  Jews,  are  scattered  throughout  the  city,  although 
many  Jews  are  residents  of  Middle  Street;  in  the  past  Fore  Street  was 
locally  known  as  'Jew  Town,'  probably  due  to  the  number  of  pawnshops 
and  secondhand  stores  that  lined  its  borders.  There  is  no  predominately 
Irish  section,  although  a  large  percentage  live  from  Center  Street  west  to 
Brackett  Street,  and  from  Congress  Street  south  to  the  water  front. 

Although  intermarriage  and  assimilation  of  Portland's  more  recent  im- 
migrants have  brought  them  closer  to  descendants  of  old  Yankee  stock, 
traditions  and  customs  of  "the  old  country"  are  preserved  in  some  quarters 
of  the  city.  The  Italians  of  Portland,  in  conjunction  with  the  Feast  of  the 
Assumption,  commemorate  their  patron,  Saint  Rocco,  with  a  turtle  race, 
the  climbing  of  a  greased  pole,  a  long  and  colorful  parade,  a  street  fair  near 
the  steps  of  St.  Peter's  on  Federal  Street,  and  the  making  of  pizza,  a  baked 
dish  in  which  sardines,  peppers,  tomatoes,  and  flour  are  blended.  Finns  in 
their  occasional  meetings  sing  Maamme  Laulu  (Our  Fatherland),  their 
national  anthem,  and  a  few  families  journey  inland  to  Paris  to  join  the 
Finnish  colony  there  in  a  celebration  of  the  harvest  season.  In  many  Port- 
land Greek  families  there  is  a  koumbaros,  or  godfather  who  maintains  a 
position  of  authority  in  the  household;  in  their  gatherings  the  Greeks  sing 
the  lovesong  Emnos,  and  dance  the  waltzlike  shots  or  the  tsamekos,  com- 
parable to  the  minuet;  they  celebrate  Easter  with  a  special  soup  in  which 
are  small  pieces  of  beef,  eggs,  and  lemon  juice;  and  on  March  25  rejoice 
over  Greek  Independence  Day.  The  Scotch  gather  annually  on  Robert 
Burns'  birthday  to  read  his  poetry,  sing  his  songs,  recite  in  Scotch  dialect, 
and  dance  the  spirited  Sword  Dance.  The  Germans  no  longer  have  their 
meister singer  but  family  groups  still  assemble  about  the  lighted  Christmas 
tree  to  pray,  and  sing  O  Tannenbaum,  O  Tannenbaum  (O  Evergreen,  O 
Evergreen) .  Scandinavians  retain  little  of  their  homeland  customs,  although 
the  Swedish  prepare  smorgasbord  several  times  a  year,  and  the  Danes  hold 
'socials'  in  their  church,  singing  I  Alle  De  Riger  Id  Lande  (In  All  The 
Places  In  The  Land) ,  and  on  Christmas  Eve  the  Nuharvijulaean  (Christ- 
mas Again).  Portland's  Poles  occasionally  dance  the  mazurka  and  the 
krakowiak  at  family  parties.  The  orthodox  Jewry  of  the  city  celebrates  the 
miraculous  crossing  of  the  Red  Sea  by  Moses  and  the  Children  of  Israel 
with  their  Passover,  and  during  Succoth  occasional  Jewish  families  build 


62  Portland  City  Guide 

small  booth-like  houses  in  their  dooryards,  where  the  men  of  the  family 
have  their  meals  in  commemoration  of  the  40-year  wanderings  of  the  Jews 
in  the  wilderness. 

Portland  is  still  an  active  port  of  entry  for  immigrants;  during  1938,  49 
aliens  arrived.  A  general  lowering  of  admission  quotas  is  responsible  for 
this  decrease  from  figures  of  past  years,  notably  1913  when  26,421  aliens 
passed  through  the  local  port.  House  Island,  in  Casco  Bay,  is  owned  by  the 
Federal  Government,  and  until  November,  1923,  was  Northern  New  Eng- 
land's miniature  Ellis  Island.  Of  the  immigrants  unloaded  at  this  port  only 
a  few  remained  in  Portland,  the  majority  moving  on  to  western  states  or 
northward  into  Canada. 

Portland's  population  from  the  earliest  census  to  1930: 

Year  Population  Increase  over  preceding  census 

Number  Percent 

1940  73,464*  2,654  3.7 

1930  70,810  1,538  2.2 

1920  69,272  10,701  18.3 

1910  58,571  8,426  16.8 

1900  50,145  13,720  37.7 

1890  36,425  2,615  7.7 

1880  33,810  2,397  7.6 

1870  31,413  5,072  19.3 

1860  26,341  5,526  26.5 

1850  20,815  5,597  36.8 

1840  15,218  2,620  20.8 

1830  12,598  4,017  46.8 

1820  8,581  1,412  19.7 

1810  7,169  3,347  87.6 

1800  3,822  1,582  70.6 

1790  2,240 

*  Preliminary,  U.  S.  Bureau  of  the  Census. 


Part  II 
Economic  and  Social  Development 


COMMERCE 

Portland's  splendid  harbor,  three  and  one-half  miles  from  open  sea,  was 
undoubtedly  responsible  for  the  city's  rapid  growth  into  the  most  important 
commercial  center  north  of  Boston.  Ice-free  in  winter  and  sheltered  by  the 
numerous  Casco  Bay  islands,  the  harbor  was  as  readily  navigable  by  the 
tacking  windjammer  of  600  tons,  laden  perhaps,  with  masts  for  England's 
navy,  as  it  is  by  today's  freighter  of  several  thousand  tons  burthen.  Fish 
and  lumber  were  the  first  exports  of  Portland,  then  called  The  Neck,'  and 
its  shipping  industry  created  by  this  commercial  expansion  dates  from  be- 
fore 1634 — its  shipbuilding  from  1637.  England,  Spain,  Portugal,  and  the 
West  Indies  were  its  customers,  as  were  the  colonies  along  the  Atlantic 
coast. 

Richmond  Island,  south  of  Cape  Elizabeth  and  just  outside  Casco  Bay, 
was  the  first  noteworthy  center  of  commercial  activity.  Here,  in  1634,  it  is 
recorded  that  as  many  as  17  trading  ships  were  anchored.  John  Winter, 
the  aggressive  agent  for  Robert  Trelawny  in  the  commercial  battle  to  de- 
termine whether  the  Trelawny  interests  or  those  of  George  Cleeve  and 
Richard  Tucker  should  control  this  profitable  area,  developed  the  island  and 
the  adjacent  mainland.  Winter  employed  60  men  in  his  early  fishing  busi- 
ness alone,  and  his  trade  with  the  Indians  was  a  considerable  source  of 
profit. 

Casco,  or  Falmouth  as  it  soon  came  to  be  called,  was  also  developing  an 
extensive  commerce  in  pipe  staves  (wood  for  the  manufacture  of  oil  and 
wine  casks),  clapboards,  fish,  fish  oil,  and  salt  fish — trade  that  soon  gave 
way  to  the  more  important  export  of  masts  and  timber.  In  this  latter  in- 
dustry Thomas  Westbrook  was  particularly  interested,  and  in  1727  he  be- 
came mast  agent  for  England's  king.  During  this  decade,  under  the  in- 
fluence of  Westbrook,  the  establishment  and  operation  of  sawmills  was 
the  most  important  single  industry  in  the  region.  Early  settlers  became  so 


66  Portland  City  Guide 

engrossed  in  their  lumbering  operations  that  they  neglected  agriculture  and 
were  compelled  to  import  foodstuffs  which  they  could  have  raised.  Al- 
though this  importing  of  necessities  to  a  rich  and  fertile  area  may  have  been 
false  economy,  it  was  stimulus  for  Falmouth's  commerce;  it  forged  another 
link  to  bind  Portland's  early  fortune  with  the  sea. 

British  ships  carried  all  of  the  mast  shipments,  and  a  lion's  share  of  other 
shipments;  for  Falmouth  in  1752,  although  it  had  shipyards,  could  claim 
only  seven  schooners  and  15  sloops,  the  largest  being  80  tons.  Falmouth 
sold  its  ships  abroad,  and  Falmouth  sailors  fished  and  lumbered,  limiting 
their  sailoring  to  coasting  down  to  Massachusetts  settlements  to  trade  their 
fish  and  wood  for  the  needs  of  this  frontier  town.  Yet  commerce  flourished 
and  about  1730  a  British  naval  officer  was  sent  to  this  port  to  collect  duties. 
In  1758  a  regular  collection  province  was  established  in  the  Province  of 
Maine,  with  Falmouth  as  its  seat. 

During  the  last  of  the  18th  century  when  Tory  merchants  came  to  be 
looked  upon  with  enmity  and  their  imported  luxuries  with  scorn,  and  more 
especially  after  Captain  Henry  Mowat,  a  British  naval  officer,  destroyed 
the  town  in  1775,  commerce  reached  a  low  ebb.  There  was  necessarily  a  lull 
during  the  Revolution;  though  99  vessels  cleared  from  this  port  in  1787 — 
all  but  ten  of  them  bound  for  foreign  ports — not  a  single  ship  was  owned 
by  citizens  of  'The  Neck'  in  that  year.  Six  years  later,  however,  the  citizens 
could  boast  ownership  of  100  schooners,  besides  brigs  and  sloops,  all  total- 
ing more  than  11,000  tons.  By  1807  the  town's  tonnage  had  increased  to 
slightly  more  than  39,000,  and  the  collection  of  customs  reached  $346,000. 
Molasses  for  the  town's  distilleries  and  rum  were  the  chief  imports;  sawed 
timber,  fish,  cord  wood,  masts,  and  spars  the  chief  exports. 

When  shipping  was  embarrassed  in  1807  by  the  American  Embargo  Act, 
as  well  as  by  the  Berlin  and  Milan  decrees  of  Napoleon  and  the  policies  of 
the  British  government  toward  American  shipping,  many  Portland  business 
houses  failed  and  commerce  almost  reached  a  standstill.  This  commercial 
disruption  all  along  the  Atlantic  coast  caused  considerable  movement  of 
population  and  brought  many  new  families  to  the  frontier  District  of  Maine. 
Not  until  1815  did  commerce  reach  normalcy.  In  the  meantime  privateer- 
ing had  grown  extensively — first,  in  evasion  of  the  embargo,  and  later  to 
prey  upon  British  shipping  during  the  War  of  1812. 

During  this  period  of  privateering  the  clipper  design  for  ships  and  brigs 
was  developed,  for  speed  was  at  a  premium.  Falmouth  bid  for  its  share  of 


Southwest  Section  of  Portland 


Baled  Pulp 


Drying  Nets 


Longshoremen 


Fishing  Boats 


Food  Packing 


Portland  is  Important  as  a  Petroleum  Distributing  Center 


Pottery  Kilns 


Coal  Pockets 


Commerce  67 

this  lucrative,  risky,  and  not  altogether  legitimate  trade  with  several  rakish 
ships  manned  by  adventuresome  Yankees.  This  port  was  a  favorite  with 
privateers  of  other  states,  some  of  them  maintaining  an  agent  here  to  watch 
over  their  prizes.  A  New  York  privateer  captured  the  Peter  Waldo,  an 
English  ship  out  of  Newcastle,  with  a  cargo  of  crockery;  haled  into  this 
port  the  ship's  cargo  was  sold  at  auction  to  local  retailers  who  immediately 
displayed  it  for  sale  in  their  shop  windows,  and  today,  in  many  china  closets 
of  old  Portland  families,  may  be  seen  pieces  of  'Peter  Waldo  Ware.'  An- 
other profitable  prize  was  the  brig  Diana,  out  of  London  with  a  cargo  of 
rum.  The  Diana  was  seized  by  the  famous  Portland  privateer  Dart  and 
haled  into  the  harbor.  Long  after  the  District  of  Maine  had  become  a 
State,  Old  Dart  Rum  was  sold  at  fancy  prices  and  advertised  as  "from  the 
original  casks" — although  no  claim  was  made  that  it  was  the  original  rum. 

With  the  close  of  the  War  of  1812  regular  lines  of  commerce  were 
rapidly  recovered,  and  for  many  years  there  was  an  extensive  reciprocal 
trade  with  the  West  Indies.  Molasses  was  imported,  and  boxes  and 
casks  in  which  molasses  and  sugar  were  shipped,  were  exported.  Mills, 
not  only  in  the  vicinity  of  Portland,  but  throughout  Maine,  New  Hamp- 
shire, and  Vermont,  sent  cargoes  of  bundled  shocks  here  in  vessels  and  by 
rail  for  shipment  to  Cuba  and  Puerto  Rico;  Portland  also  was  the  distribut- 
ing point  for  the  imported  molasses,  and  especially  for  the  sugar  and  rum 
into  which  it  was  converted  by  local  refineries  and  distilleries.  This  exten- 
sive trade  reached  its  height  during  the  last  half  of  the  19th  century,  with 
1868  as  the  peak  year;  not  only  Maine,  but  Canada,  Boston,  New  York, 
and  Philadelphia  were  served  by  Portland's  West  Indies  trade.  Keener 
competition  that  came  with  the  introduction  of  the  centrifugal  system  of 
sugar  refining,  Maine's  prohibitory  laws  which  closed  Portland's  distilleries, 
the  shipping  of  molasses  in  bulk  cargoes  instead  of  in  hogsheads,  and  of 
sugar  shipments  in  bags  instead  of  boxes  to  save  expense — all  tended  to  end 
the  molasses  trade  here. 

The  War  of  1812  had  demonstrated  the  need  of  manufactories;  later 
glass,  woolens,  metal,  and  cotton  goods  began  to  be  produced.  Thus,  a  de- 
crease in  commercial  activity  was  paralleled  by  growing  industrial  con- 
sciousness. Checked  temporarily  by  the  effects  of  the  panic  of  1857  and  the 
Civil  War,  Portland's  trade  appeared  to  increase  steadily  thereafter.  In 
1872  the  total  value  of  imports  and  exports  of  the  city  was  $45,000,000. 

During  the  same  half-century  of  the  expanding  West  Indies  trade,  Port- 


68  Portland  City  Guide 

land  had  developed  as  a  center  for  receiving  and  trans-shipping  grain,  to- 
gether with  other  agricultural  products,  principally  livestock,  animal 
products,  and  apples.  The  agricultural  expansion  in  the  western  states  and 
in  Canada  had  sent  a  stream  of  commerce  via  the  Great  Lakes  to  Montreal, 
and  down  the  St.  Lawrence  River;  during  winter  months,  however,  the  St. 
Lawrence  could  not  be  navigated,  and  to  hold  its  commerce  Canada  was 
forced  to  find  an  Atlantic  port  to  which  goods  could  be  shipped  by  rail  and 
reloaded  on  transatlantic  cargo  vessels.  Portland,  with  its  natural  harbor 
facilities  and  flourishing  commerce,  was  chosen  instead  of  Boston.  This 
influx  of  commercial  activity  greatly  expanded  the  port  of  Portland,  an  ex- 
pansion which  continued  until  the  1920's  when  Canada  started  the  develop- 
ment of  Halifax  and  St.  John  as  winter  shipping  ports.  In  1899  Portland's 
peak  year  in  this  winter  trade,  21,894,423  bushels  of  grain  were  received 
here;  12,831,248  bushels,  or  about  58  percent,  were  shipped  as  foreign  ex- 
port. During  the  'boom'  that  came  with  the  World  War,  more  grain  was 
exported  annually  than  the  total  which  had  been  received  in  1899;  by  1921 
this  export  figure  had  reached  554,264  tons.  Six  years  later  when  Canadian 
ports  had  absorbed  a  great  deal  of  the  trade,  not  quite  150,000  tons  were 
shipped  locally,  and  in  1931  this  figure  had  tapered  to  less  than  50,000 
tons.  In  1940  with  England  again  at  war,  Canadian  grain  once  more  flowed 
through  Portland's  elevators  en  route  to  Europe. 

Anthracite  coal  was  brought  to  Portland  for  the  first  time  in  1830,  in  a 
hogshead.  Since  that  time  commerce  in  coal  has  steadily  increased  in  im- 
portance, although  the  growing  demand  for  petroleum  products  within  the 
last  ten  years  is  beginning  to  be  shown  in  tonnage  figures.  The  following 
table  combines  figures  on  foreign  imports  and  coastwise  receipts  of  fuel 
products,  in  approximate  five  year  periods: 

Receipts  in  Tons                          1921  1927  1931  1937 

Anthracite  Coal                 88,043  111,774  67,074  39,205 

Bituminous  Coal           1,156,406  1,679,768  1,061,317  1,066,595 

Petroleum  Products,        292,202  360,559  532,728  972,894 

including  gasoline, 

kerosene,  fuel  oil,  etc. 

Coastwise  shipping  of  these  products  is  increasing,  except  anthracite, 
which  is  giving  way  to  bituminous  and  petroleum  products.  In  1937  all 


Commerce  69 

of  the  bituminous  coal  and  about  10,000  tons  of  anthracite  came  from 
American  coal  mines,  via  Hampton  Roads;  29,000  tons  of  anthracite  came 
from  the  Russian  Black  Sea  ports. 

Fish  and  wood  products  are  still  important  items  of  Portland's  com- 
merce, but  in  constrast  with  Colonial  days,  shipment  of  these  products  is 
into  the  city  and  not  from  it.  Paper  mills  in  the  immediate  vicinity  are  re- 
sponsible for  coastwise  pulpwood  shipping  and  the  200,000  tons  of  manu- 
factured pulp  imported  annually  from  Baltic  ports.  China  clay  and  sulphur 
used  in  sizing  and  manufacturing  paper  are  brought  here  in  quantities  of 
approximately  50,000  tons  annually;  the  clay  is  mostly  used  in  paper  mills 
in  Maine,  and  some  is  shipped  from  here  to  mills  in  Michigan.  Much  of  the 
clay  is  imported  from  England,  with  some  from  Georgia;  the  sulphur  is 
entirely  shipped  here  from  southern  states.  Annually  exported  are  ap- 
proximately 34,000  tons  of  printing  paper,  and  49,000  tons  of  Solka,  a 
cellulose  product  developed  and  manufactured  from  wood  pulp  and  shipped 
from  the  United  States  exclusively  through  Portland  since  1935. 

Local  packing  plants  in  1937  produced  22,000  tons  of  fresh  and  canned 
fish  and  shellfish,  and,  although  much  of  this  canned  and  processed  fish 
was  shipped  overland,  17,000  tons  of  canned  goods  were  shipped  that  year 
by  water. 

The  total  annual  traffic  through  the  Port  of  Portland,  including  imports, 
exports,  and  coastwise  receipts  and  shipments,  has  averaged  approximately 
2,500,000  tons  annually  during  the  period  1891-1937.  There  was  a  notice- 
able increase  about  1900,  the  average  for  the  years  prior  to  that  date  being 
1,374,584  tons.  The  average  for  38  years,  beginning  with  1900,  has  been 
2,762,938  tons.  The  peak  year  was  1916  when  3,738,074  tons  passed 
through  the  port  at  a  valuation  of  $217,325,014.  The  tonnage  figure  in 
1937  was  3,254,472,  valued  at  $73,103,478. 

The  value  of  1938-40  foreign  imports  and  exports  as  registered  at  the 
U.  S.  Customs  House  fell  off  considerably,  especially  of  exports.  This 
condition,  of  course,  was  logical  in  view  of  unsettled  affairs  abroad  which 
tended  to  disrupt  shipping  in  the  Mediterranean  and  the  Pacific;  the  Eu- 
ropean unrest  also  contributed  toward  a  decrease  in  the  city's  commercial 
activities  with  South  American  ports.  Japan  and  Mediterranean  ports  were 
markets  for  Portland's  Solka;  salt  was  imported  from  Spain;  and  an- 
thracite from  the  Russian  Black  Sea  ports.  Scrap  iron  was  in  1937  a  large 
item  of  export,  the  demand  in  that  year  being  abnormal. 


70  Portland  City  Guide 

General  Water-borne  Tonnage  and  Valuation,  1937 

Tonnage  Valuation 

Foreign  Imports                                352,164  #  8,803,664 

Foreign  Exports                                155,356  #  5,691,895 

Coastwise  Shipments                         379,167  #18,637,011 

Coastwise  Receipts                           2,367,785  #39,980,908 


3,254,472  #73,103,478 

Foreign  arrivals:  118  steamers,  90  motor  and  1  sailing  vessel  Net  reg- 
istered tonnage  433,331. 

Foreign  departures:  119  steamers,  84  motor  and  4  sailing  vessels.   Net 
registered  tonnage  438,956. 


INDUSTRY 

Fishing  and  cutting  cordwood  were  Portland's  first  industries,  and  were 
closely  followed  by  shipbuilding.  Agriculture  was  given  scant  attention  as 
firewood  could  be  sold  at  a  good  price  in  Boston  and  fish  exported  to  all 
ports  of  the  world;  a  sloop  to  carry  them  could  be  built  in  almost  any  door- 
yard,  for  Casco  Bay  waters  literally  lapped  the  steps  of  the  houses.  Lack- 
ing the  abundant  water  power  of  its  neighboring  cities,  Portland  has  never 
been  important  industrially,  but  has  capitalized  on  market  accessibility  and 
today  ranks  first  in  importance  as  a  distribution  center  for  the  entire  State. 

The  small  group  of  adventurers  who  comprised  the  pioneer  white  inhabi- 
tants of  'The  Neck*  developed  it  into  a  thriving  community  during  the 
first  half-century.  The  first  local  industry  seems  to  have  been  a  "corne  mill" 
at  Capisic  Falls  in  Stroudwater,  which  was  sold  in  1684  by  George  Ingersoll 
to  Sylvanus  Davis.  Previously  the  settlers  had  their  corn  ground  in  Boston 
where  a  power  mill  had  been  established.  In  addition  to  being  one  of  the 
most  enterprising  of  the  early  settlers,  Davis  conducted  the  first  and  only 
store  in  the  community.  As  Falmouth's  tradesman  he  carried  on  his  busi- 
ness in  the  vicinity  of  India  and  Fore  streets  until  the  town's  destruction  by 
the  French  and  Indians  in  1690. 

Following  the  French  and  Indian  annihilation  of  1690,  a  fresh  start  was 
made  when  a  company  of  new  settlers  came  to  'The  Neck.'  Dams  were 
flung  across  nearly  every  waterway;  gristmills  and  sawmills  soon  began  to 
line  the  streams.  Crude  windmills  were  erected  for  grinding  grist;  present 
Free  Street,  center  of  much  of  this  early  industrial  activity,  was  then  known 
as  Wind-Mill  Lane.  With  the  incorporation  of  Falmouth  as  a  town  in 
1718  the  citizens  became  industry-conscious  and  decided  "that  every  saw- 


72  Portland  City  Guide 

mill  already  erected  and  that  hereafter  shall  be  erected,  shall  pay  six  pence 
per  M.  for  each  thousand  sawed  in  said  mills  for  three  years  next  ensuing." 
In  1727  an  important  industry  came  to  the  settlement  when  the  mast  busi- 
ness between  New  England  Colonies  and  the  Royal  Navy  was  transferred 
from  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  to  Falmouth,  Colonel  Thomas  West- 
brook  acting  as  mast  agent  for  the  English  Crown. 

During  the  early  years  of  the  18th  century  the  building  of  small  sloops 
increased;  about  1750  Falmouth  became  industrially  important  with  the 
establishment  of  its  first  major  shipyard  on  a  cove  east  of  India  Street. 
Other  shipyards  soon  followed,  and  Falmouth-built  ships  were  widely  en- 
gaged in  foreign  commerce.  These  vessels  together  with  their  cargoes  were 
often  sold  when  they  reached  their  destinations.  From  interior  communities 
to  Falmouth's  water  front  streamed  an  endless  procession  of  teams  trans- 
porting masts  for  the  British  Navy  and  Merchant  Marine.  So  profitable 
was  this  mast  industry  that  it  was  not  unusual  for  a  giant  pine  to  bring  as 
much  as  £100. 

Established  about  1744,  the  West  Indian  trade  had  by  mid-century  be- 
come fairly  profitable;  shocks  and  pipe  staves  were  exchanged  for  molasses 
and  rum,  the  latter  having  ready  sale  in  the  town's  dozen  stores  and  four 
taverns.  Later  the  rising  clouds  of  the  Revolution  cast  their  shadow  over 
Falmouth's  industry,  somewhat  retarding  its  progress  until  the  recovery  that 
followed  the  rehabilitation  of  the  town  several  years  after  the  Mowat  bom- 
bardment in  1775. 

Lumbering  made  great  strides  after  the  Revolution  when  the  hewing  of 
ton  timber  (large  pine  logs  squared  with  an  adz)  became  a  major  occupa- 
tion. Several  distilleries,  utilizing  West  Indian  molasses  brought  here  by 
Falmouth-owned  ships,  were  erected;  locally  manufactured  candles  and 
soap  were  in  turn  exported  to  the  West  Indies.  Business  and  industrial  en- 
terprises, formerly  centralized  in  the  neighborhood  of  India  Street,  had 
gradually  crept  farther  westward  along  Fore  and  Middle  streets.  By  1850 
the  local  distilleries  had  been  supplemented  by  several  sugar  refineries,  a 
result  of  the  rapidly  expanding  molasses  trade.  These  refineries  supplied 
not  only  local  but  out-of-State  markets. 

Construction  of  privateer  ships  for  evading  the  Embargo  Act  of  1807 
provided  an  incentive  to  local  shipbuilding.  The  town  became  a  haven  also 
for  other  than  locally  owned  privateers,  and  to  a  great  extent  it  shared  in 
the  illegitimate  profits  made  through  merchandising  of  bootleg  cargoes. 
Commerce,  brought  almost  to  a  standstill  by  the  Embargo,  was  over- 


Industry  73 

shadowed  by  the  establishment  of  many  small  industries.  Previously  ac- 
customed to  import  even  necessities  in  some  cases,  Portland  was  now 
forced  to  build  up  local  manufactories.  The  continued  commercial  stag- 
nation of  the  country  was  an  added  factor  in  booming  land  possibilities 
which  brought  to  the  town  many  new  arrivals  eager  to  invest  their  remain- 
ing funds  in  almost  any  venture  except  shipping. 

A  new  undertaking  was  the  establishment  of  a  foundry  in  1823.  When 
transportation  facilities  created  a  demand  for  locomotives,  marine  engines, 
boilers,  and  hundreds  of  incidental  parts,  Portland  competed  successfully 
for  that  type  of  business.  By  1843  steam  engines  and  machinery  for  rail- 
road construction  were  being  manufactured  in  local  foundries.  An  out- 
growth of  these  early  foundries  is  the  plant  under  construction  in  1939  for 
the  manufacturing  of  industrial  and  marine  hardware.  Occupying  three 
and  one-half  acres  in  the  northeastern  end  of  the  city,  the  plant  has  been 
termed  "one  of  the  finest  drop  forge  plants  in  the  country." 

Yankee  ingenuity  saw  another  opportunity  in  the  natural  clay  deposits 
found  in  the  Portland  area,  and  a  pottery  was  erected  in  1846  to  manufac- 
ture drain  tile,  fire  brick,  flues,  lawn  vases,  and  umbrella  stands.  That 
first  pottery  has  grown  into  a  modern  factory,  the  only  one  in  New  Eng- 
land supplying  the  peculiar  kind  of  pipes  necessitated  by  modern  sewerage 
systems. 

Commercial  canning  of  food  products  in  America  is  said  to  have  ori- 
ginated in  Portland  in  1842  when  Nathan  Winslow  attempted  to  pack 
corn.  Based  on  ideas  sent  to  him  from  France  by  his  brother,  Winslow's 
efforts  were  not  successful  until  several  years  later.  The  process  was  further 
developed  in  1863  when  corn  as  well  as  other  vegetables  were  packed  in 
tins.  Today  the  packing  industry  is  one  of  Portland's  largest  enterprises 
and  includes  the  preservation  of  fish,  lobsters,  crabmeat,  shrimp,  vegeta- 
bles, fruit,  berries,  and  meat.  This,  together  with  the  manufacture  of 
metal,  wooden,  and  cardboard  containers,  makes  up  a  considerable  part  of 
the  city's  industrial  activities. 

The  famous  Portland  Glass  Factory,  organized  in  1864,  went  out  of  ex- 
istence in  1873,  but  it  is  still  remembered  for  the  beauty  and  artistic  quality 
of  a  ware  which  had  a  country-wide  reputation  for  superior  workmanship. 
Today  Portland  Glass  is  avidly  sought  by  collectors.  Among  designs 
which  became  popular  throughout  America  during  the  life  of  this  factory 
were  the  Tree  of  Life/  'Portland  Pattern/  'Shell  and  Tassel/  'Loop  and 


74  Portland  City  Guide 

Dart,'  'Grape  Leaf  and  Buckle/  'Frosted  Band/  and  most  noted  of  all — 
the  'Dahilla.'  Even  Maine's  strong  prohibition  law  passed  in  1851  had  little 
effect  on  one  type  of  local  glass  production,  for  as  late  as  1867  more  than 
100,000  ale  and  whiskey  glasses  were  being  produced  annually.  During 
Lincoln's  presidency  a  set  of  Portland  Glass  dishes  valued  at  $45,000  was 
made  for  Mrs.  Lincoln. 

When  Portland's  John  B.  Davis  in  1850  successfully  developed  his 
father's  crude  attempts  to  prepare  and  market  spruce  gum,  he  laid  the  foun- 
dation of  the  chewing  gum  industry,  and  started  the  tireless  wagging  of 
stenographers'  jaws  throughout  the  world.  The  establishment,  in  1852,  of 
a  local  factory  to  manufacture  chewing  gum  was  the  forerunner  of  the 
present  gum  industry.  His  first  factory  started  production  with  a  chewing 
confection  having  spruce  gum  as  its  base.  Later  it  was  discovered  that 
paraffin  could  be  used  for  this  purpose,  and  about  1871  chicle  supplanted 
the  use  of  both  spruce  gum  and  paraffin.  During  the  early  years  of  the  in- 
dustry the  original  Portland  company  maintained  a  monopoly  on  produc- 
tion, but  toward  the  end  of  the  19th  century  it  merged  with  another  firm  and 
later  suspended  operation. 

Fishing  was  a  major  industry  during  the  early  settlement  of  'The  Neck/ 
and  as  late  as  a  half-century  ago  salt  bankers  unloaded  cod  to  be  dried  on 
flakes  and  shipped  to  out-of-State  markets;  on  the  'bright  of  the  moon'  or 
with  'falling  glass'  a  hundred  'sail'  of  seiners  crowded  the  harbor.  While 
jiggers  rumbled  along  Commercial  Street  and  fishermen,  in  their  cups, 
lurched  against  iron-screened  windows,  Portland  wharves  were  busy  split- 
ting and  salting  mackerel.  Now,  though  it  is  not  first  from  an  occupational 
standpoint,  fishing,  with  its  varied  processes  of  packing  and  shipping,  em- 
ploys a  considerable  number  of  local  workers.  Headquarters  for  a  sizable 
fishing  fleet,  Portland  is  listed  by  the  United  States  Department  of  Com- 
merce as  one  of  the  three  principal  New  England  fishing  ports,  and,  based 
on  figures  compiled  by  the  United  States  Bureau  of  Fisheries,  in  1937  the 
local  fleet,  augmented  by  other  New  England  fishing  craft,  landed  on  local 
wharves  17,121,512  pounds  of  fresh  fish,  valued  at  $403,886.  While  ac- 
tivities are  spread  over  a  major  portion  of  the  water  front,  the  busiest  fish 
piers  are  Central,  Custom  House,  Brown's,  and  Union  wharves.  Tied  up 
at  any  of  these,  one  usually  will  find  a  colorful  assortment  of  boats — large, 
steel  beam  trawlers,  green  trimmed  'guinea  draggers/  two-masted,  auxi- 
liary 'dory-fishermen/  fifty-foot  'gillnetters/  and  small  'Hamptons.'  Today 


Industry  75 

aside  from  the  canning  industry,  local  fishermen  sell  their  catches  of  ground 
fish,  the  collective  name  for  cod,  hake,  haddock,  cusk,  pollock,  and  other 
similar  varieties,  to  wholesalers  who  ship  them,  packed  in  ice,  to  commission 
merchants  in  Boston,  New  York,  and  Western  markets. 

A  majority  of  the  boats  leave  during  the  night  or  early  morning  to  fish 
in  near-by  grounds,  the  'gill-netters'  and  small  boats  returning  the  same 
day.  The  large  beam  trawlers,  although  not  locally  owned,  operate  out  of 
Portland  particularly  in  the  spring,  when  their  large  fares  of  ground  fish 
can  be  absorbed  by  local  packers.  As  most  of  these  boats  are  equipped  with 
wireless,  their  movements  can  be  checked  and  directed  from  the  owners' 
offices,  so  that  canning  operations  can  be  co-ordinated  with  the  amount  of 
the  catch  and  the  arrivals  of  vessels.  The  small  beam  trawlers,  ranging  from 
two-masted  schooners  to  30-foot  motor  boats,  drag  for  various  species  of 
flounders  and  red  fish.  A  number  of  these  draggers,  from  Boston  and  Glou- 
cester, are  operated  by  Italians  who  sell  their  'trips'  in  Portland  while  fishing 
Maine  waters.  The  bright  green  and  the  blue  hulls  of  these  out-of-State 
boats  lend  an  almost  European  touch  to  the  everyday  scene. 

Sardine  (small  herring)  fishing  usually  starts  here  early  in  May  and 
continues  until  October.  The  various  'mother'  boats  of  the  fleet,  with  their 
seines,  dories,  and  motor  tenders  cruise  among  the  numerous  coves  and 
bays  along  the  coast  on  dark  nights  until  fish  are  sighted.  After  they  are 
'stopped  off',  the  canning  factory  is  notified  and  it  dispatches  swift  'run 
boats'  to  transport  the  fish,  which  are  dipped  directly  from  the  seine  to  the 
carrier.  About  once  a  week  the  seiners  return  to  port  or  send  their  tenders 
for  supplies.  Mackerel  seiners,  their  long  white  seine  boats  in  tow,  are 
frequent  callers  in  the  harbor  during  the  late  summer,  loaded  with  catches 
for  local  markets. 

Lobstering  is  carried  on  around  the  numerous  islands  and  seaside  hamlets. 
The  fishing  itself  is  done  from  small  motor-propelled  boats;  larger  boats, 
called  lobster  smacks,  are  equipped  with  wells  in  which  to  transport  the 
catches,  and  these  operate  out  of  the  local  harbor,  visiting  near-by  fishing 
communities  to  purchase  for  Portland  wholesalers.  Many  of  these  lobster 
and  ground  fishermen,  particularly  those  living  on  Casco  Bay  Islands,  dig 
clams  between  trips,  although  some  depend  solely  on  clamming  for  their 
livelihood. 

A  new  and  separate  branch  of  Maine  fishery  has  been  slowly  developing 
since  1936,  when  Dr.  Johan  Hijort,  a  Norwegian  fisheries  expert  from  Oslo 


76  Portland  City  Guide 

University,  dropped  a  net  into  near-by  waters  and  secured  a  mass  of  small 
pink  shrimp.  Two  years  later  a  local  boat  secured  a  catch  of  2,000  pounds, 
using  a  special  net  at  a  depth  of  40  fathoms.  The  Maine  Department  of 
Sea  and  Shore  Fisheries  is  continuing  its  experiments  along  the  Gulf 
of  Maine,  but  as  yet  this  industry  is  still  in  its  infancy. 

Although  overshadowed  for  many  years  by  commercial  and  industrial 
activity,  agriculture  has  never  quite  lost  its  local  importance.  The  1935 
Maine  Census  of  Agriculture  listed  82  farms,  comprising  2,522  acres,  in 
Portland  proper;  their  land  and  building  valuation  amounted  to  $592,308. 
The  principal  agricultural  revenue  comes  from  hay,  sweet  corn,  potatoes, 
apples,  and  dairy  products.  Truck  gardens  produce  peas,  cabbage,  bunched 
vegetables,  and  beans;  early  cucumbers,  lettuce,  spinach,  and  tomatoes  are 
grown  in  greenhouses.  A  farmers'  market  occupies  reserved  space  on  Fed- 
eral Street,  between  Market  and  Franklin  streets,  and  operates  on  Wednes- 
day and  Saturday  forenoons,  except  during  the  severe  winter  months.  Pro- 
duce can  be  purchased  directly  from  the  farmer.  This  display  of  vegetables, 
fruit,  and  flowers,  strikes  a  colorful  note  in  the  downtown  business  section. 
Occasionally  a  squawking  hen,  or  honking  goose,  escaping  from  its  crated 
companions,  dashing  in  and  out  of  traffic,  and  chased  by  an  irate  owner,  adds 
a  bit  of  excitement  to  the  day's  trading. 

Maine's  tourist  business,  with  its  many  allied  branches,  has  reached  a 
peak  where  it  is  now  referred  to  as  a  recreational  industry.  The  Maine 
Publicity  Bureau  for  August,  1938,  recorded  53,560  cars  entering  the  city 
from  the  west.  Because  of  its  geographical  position  near  the  entrance  to  the 
great  northern  section,  the  eastern  shore,  and  the  lake  country,  Portland 
receives  a  good  percentage  of  the  State's  recreational  industry  total  of  over 
$100,000,000.  The  Maine  Development  Commission,  in  a  report  showing 
the  various  channels  into  which  this  money  actually  passes,  lists  the  fol- 
lowing for  the  State  as  a  whole:  "Groceries,  11%;  all  other  stores,  10%; 
garages  and  filling  stations,  9%;  hotels  and  sporting  camps,  16%;  rooms, 
overnight  camps,  and  eating  places,  7%;  construction  work,  7%;  amuse- 
ments and  sports,  6%;  boys  and  girls  camps,  5%;  utilities  and  transporta- 
tion, 4%;  insurance,  3%;  farm  produce  and  fuel,  3%;  direct  employment, 
2%;  antiques  and  gifts,  2%;  all  other  items,  15%." 

According  to  the  1937  Federal  Census  of  Manufacturers,  Portland  led 
all  other  Maine  cities  in  industrial  activity  for  that  year.  An  analysis  of 
recent  industrial  census  shows  that  although  the  number  of  manufactories 


Industry  77 

in  the  city  has  decreased  during  the  1930's,  the  total  value  of  products 
manufactured  nearly  equals  the  peak  year  of  1929: 

1937  7955  1933  1929 

No.  of  Mfg.  Establishments        151  159  155  213 

Value  of  Mfd.  Products      $26,793,410  $21,715,382  $16,416,309  $28,291,351 

In  recent  years  several  food  canning  and  packing  companies  have  erected 
large  modern  plants  in  Portland,  and  these,  together  with  manufactories 
producing  boxed  bakery  products,  high-grade  furniture,  clay  and  foundry 
items,  stoves,  printing  and  publishing,  and  boots  and  shoes  constitute  a 
great  part  of  the  city's  total  valuation  of  industrial  products.  Located  in 
and  near  Portland  are  several  large  lumber  concerns  and  the  storage  tanks 
of  various  nationally  known  petroleum  companies.  Among  miscellaneous 
articles  manufactured  in  the  city  are  confectionery,  ice  cream,  wearing  ap- 
parel, screens,  card  and  portable  pool  tables,  elevators,  and  metal,  paper, 
and  wood  containers. 


FINANCE 

Growing  from  the  first  financial  operations  of  British  traders  who  were 
eager  to  exploit  the  seemingly  limitless  resources  of  the  rich  area  surround- 
ing the  'The  Neck,'  Portland  has  become  the  financial  center  of  the  State 
of  Maine.  In  Portland  were  organized  the  first  two  commercial  banks,  the 
first  savings  bank,  and  the  first  trust  company  in  Maine.  Local  banks  were 
organized  toward  the  close  of  the  18th  century;  Portland,  however,  was  the 
fifth  city  in  Maine  to  change  from  State-governed  banking  to  the  present 
national  system.  Today  Portland  banks  have  over  one-fifth  of  Maine's 
banking  assets,  including  about  one-fourth  the  value  of  its  national  bank- 
ing business,  nearly  one-third  of  its  savings  bank  business,  and  approxi- 
mately four  percent  of  its  trust  company  assets.  Operating  in  Portland  in 
1940  are  three  national  banks,  two  savings  banks,  one  industrial  bank,  two 
trust  companies,  ten  loan  and  building  associations,  and  seven  other  or- 
ganizations issuing  loans.  Fifty-nine  insurance  agencies  issue  policies  cov- 
ering accident,  fire,  marine,  life,  workmen's  compensation,  automobile,  and 
other  types  of  risk.  In  addition  there  are  numerous  bond  and  other  invest- 
ment companies. 

In  1620  England's  Council  of  Plymouth  was  formed.  Made  up  largely 
of  British  merchants  who  financed  men  and  ships  to  the  new  Province  of 
Maine,  the  Council  hoped  to  reap  fabulous  profits  on  their  investments. 
Beaver,  pipe  staves,  fish,  oil,  and  sassafras  filled  the  holds  of  their  ships 
leaving  these  shores,  and  the  vessels  returned  from  England  with  neces- 
sities for  the  settlers  and  articles  to  carry  on  the  rich  Indian  trade.  When 
Robert  Trelawny  and  Moses  Goodyeare,  merchants  of  Plymouth,  England, 
sent  their  fellow-townsman,  John  Winter,  to  this  region  as  their  agent  for 
the  Richmond  Island  development,  the  rough  graph  of  present-day  Port- 
land's financial  status  was  drawn.  Winter  received  for  a  salary  about  £40 
a  year  and  also  shared  to  the  extent  of  one-tenth  of  the  profits  of  the  Rich- 


Finance  79 

mond  Island  trade.  Spanish  and  English  coins  and  bartered  goods  were  the 
acceptable  mediums  of  exchange  through  these  pioneers  days  of  local  fi- 
nance. 

When  the  United  States  Mint  opened  in  1793,  a  little  specie  began  to  be 
circulated.  During  this  period  checks  and  drafts  were  rarely  used  by  mer- 
chants; they  preferred  bank  notes  when  they  were  sure  of  their  value,  for 
it  was  inconvenient  to  trade  with  kegs  of  silver  and  coins.  Farmers  within 
a  radius  of  a  hundred  miles  came  to  Portland  and  made  direct  exchange  of 
their  produce  for  molasses,  sugar,  tea,  and  rum.  Financial  adventures  too 
large  for  the  personal  capital  of  the  parties  directly  interested  were  backed 
by  the  subscriptions  of  groups  of  local  merchants,  each  willing  to  invest  a 
certain  sum  or  proportion  of  the  whole.  A  shipowner,  wishing  to  insure 
his  vessel  and  cargo  against  shipwreck  or  capture,  could  readily  find  an 
agent  who  would  secure  a  guaranty  from  half  a  dozen  or  more  merchants 
that  each  would  pay  a  stated  sum  if  the  vessel  failed  to  return. 

During  the  late  1700's  most  of  the  local  banking  transactions  were 
handled  through  Massachusetts  institutions;  these  banks  had  started  print- 
ing paper  money  and,  as  this  new  medium  of  exchange  trickled  into  Maine, 
local  merchants  were  stimulated  to  plan  banking  accommodations  nearer 
home.  Petition  was  accordingly  made  to  the  General  Court  of  Massa- 
chusetts, which  had  jurisdiction  over  the  District  of  Maine,  for  the  in- 
corporation of  the  Portland  Bank,  the  first  local  financial  institution.  With 
a  charter  granted  June  15,  1799,  the  Portland  Bank  opened  its  doors  with 
a  capital  of  $100,000,  which  the  stockholders  were  privileged  to  increase 
later  to  $300,000.  Although  this  initial  commercial  bank  made  liberal  loans, 
the  town's  expanding  commerce  further  increased  the  demand  for  currency, 
and  in  1802  the  Maine  Bank  was  incorporated. 

The  dawn  of  the  19th  century  heralded  a  quarter-century  of  speculative 
fever.  Through  these  years  fortunes  were  made  and  lost  almost  overnight; 
glib-tongued  schemers  with  fanciful  plans  for  accumulating  great  wealth 
from  a  few  invested  dollars  awaited  every  gullible  investor.  Often  told  in 
Portland  is  the  'gold  brick'  story  of  a  group  of  venerable  merchants  who  in 
1803-4,  invested  in  a  scheme  by  which  dew  from  Freeport  was  to  be  mi- 
raculously turned  into  silver,  a  king's  ransom  to  be  had  from  the  mystical 
drops  with  which  the  world  is  bedecked  at  twilight.  Into  the  town's  count- 
ing houses  one  sunny  morning  glided  a  smooth-spoken  Frenchman,  immacu- 
lately dressed  in  top  hat  and  tail  coat;  when  he  told  of  his  great  discovery 
of  changing  dew  into  virgin  silver  his  sincerity  and  bland  manner  soon 


80  Portland  City  Guide 

quieted  the  skepticism  of  his  listeners.  A  small  group  of  Portland's  early 
merchants  literally  cupped  their  hands  to  their  ears  the  better  to  learn  of 
the  Frenchman's  plan,  and  after  some  discussion,  they  unanimously  agreed 
to  form  a  'dew-silver  company'  and  make  their  fortunes  from  the  several 
thousand  dollars  which  the  Frenchman  had  requested  as  an  investment  in  his 
scheme.  Later  after  the  investors  had  been  advised  that  dew  collected  in 
Freeport  was  adaptable  to  the  needs  of  the  project,  the  merchants  collected 
with  much  labor  several  quarts  of  the  magic  liquid.  Poured  into  a  huge 
cauldron,  it  was  brought  to  the  boiling  point,  but  to  their  dismay  the 
Frenchman,  after  inspecting  the  boiling  contents,  informed  them  that  the 
experiment  was  a  dismal  failure.  Upon  learning,  however,  that  the  dew 
had  not  been  collected  at  exactly  midnight,  the  Frenchman  sent  the  mer- 
chant-investors scurrying  back  to  Freeport  for  more.  In  the  dark  hours 
preceding  dawn  the  weary  group  reassembled  about  the  boiling  cauldron, 
and  to  their  astonishment,  saw  glimmering  in  the  boiling  depths  shining 
pellets,  later  found  to  be  silver.  Subsequent  boilings  produced  additional 
silver,  and  the  investors,  under  the  suave  talk  of  the  Frenchman,  contributed 
additional  money  toward  the  cause,  and  envisioned  for  themselves  a  princely 
life  in  a  personal  world  of  silver.  One  morning,  however,  when  the  'silver 
man'  could  not  be  found  in  Portland,  the  investors  in  the  scheme  carefully 
examined  their  pellets,  and  to  their  dismay  found  on  several  of  them  frag- 
ments of  engraved  Spanish  words,  similar  to  phrases  that  appeared  on 
Spanish  silver  coins  common  to  the  period. 

A  more  practical  money-making  plan  was  that  of  Portland's  John  Taber 
&  Son.  Their  business  firm  enjoyed  high  credit,  and  in  connection  with  it, 
the  Tabers  carried  on  a  sort  of  banking  business,  which  William  Goold, 
local  historian,  records  was  operated  "to  the  extent,  certainly,  of  issuing  bills 
whenever  Daniel,  the  son,  got  hard  up."  Portland  merchants  of  the  period 
honored  Taber  notes  quite  as  much  as  if  they  had  been  issued  by  the  Port- 
land or  Maine  Bank.  With  the  crash  that  followed  the  enactment  of  the 
Embargo,  the  Taber  concern  failed;  old  John  Taber  was  obliged  to  say  to  a 
debtor  who  paid  him  with  his  own  notes:  "Why,  that  money  ain't  good  for 
anything."  To  this  the  debtor  replied:  "I  understand  so,  and  thee  should 
have  made  it  better."  Soon,  however,  issuance  of  personal  notes  by  firms 
comparable  to  the  Tabers,  was  corrected  by  legislative  acts. 

The  Portland  Bank  suffered  severely  during  the  Embargo  days,  and  it 
finally  suspended  operations  in  1815,  closing  its  doors  with  a  loss  of  25 
percent  of  its  capital  stock.  The  second  bank,  the  Maine,  survived  the 


Finance  81 

crisis,  but  its  charter  expired  in  1812,  and  many  of  its  stockholders  joined 
in  organizing  the  Cumberland  Bank  that  same  year.  During  this  period  of 
stagnation  of  American  commerce  and  industry  Portland,  on  its  jutting 
peninsula  surrounded  by  Casco  Bay  waters,  feared  British  invasion  from  the 
sea;  all  the  gold  and  silver  in  the  town  was  carted  in  a  six-ox  team  to  Stan- 
dish,  where  it  remained  for  two  years.  The  Marrett  House,  where  the 
treasure  was  hidden,  remains  practically  unchanged  from  the  days  when  its 
huge  lock  guarded  the  capital  of  Portland.  Honesty,  in  those  days,  seems 
to  have  been  taken  for  granted,  because  it  is  recorded  that  it  was  not  un- 
usual to  see  stout  wagons  loaded  with  kegs  of  silver  coins,  guarded  only  by 
large  dogs,  parked  in  an  inn  yard  at  night.  This  was  the  sort  of  'armored 
car'  the  Boston  banks  sent  to  this  region  to  collect  specie  in  return  for  the 
notes  issued  by  the  Banks  of  the  District  of  Maine. 

The  third  local  bank  to  conduct  business  was  the  Bank  of  Portland,  es- 
tablished in  1819;  the  Commercial  Bank,  chartered  four  years  prior,  was 
never  organized.  Immediately  the  Bank  of  Portland  and  the  Cumberland 
Bank  became  rivals,  not  only  commercially,  but  politically  as  well;  most  of 
the  directors  of  the  former  were  Federalists,  and  of  the  latter,  Democrats, 
and  they  divided  on  all  questions  of  moment.  Accounts  between  the  two 
banks  were  settled  daily,  and  often  with  some  feeling.  Each  cleared  its 
counters  every  afternoon  of  all  notes  issued  by  its  rival;  exchange  was  made, 
and  whenever  there  was  a  balance  of  specie  owing  one  institution  or  the 
other,  it  was  wheeled  over  in  a  wheelbarrow. 

Maine's  first  savings  bank,  opened  in  Portland  the  same  year  as  the  Bank 
of  Portland,  had  a  rather  diffuse  title,  "The  Institution  for  Savings  for 
the  Town  of  Portland  and  Vicinity."  This  first  savings  bank  had  for  its 
president  Prentiss  Mellen,  who  later  became  the  first  Chief  Justice  of 
Maine;  among  the  incorporators  was  Stephen  Longfellow,  father  of  the 
famous  poet. 

The  Casco  Bank,  in  process  of  liquidation  in  1939,  was  organized  in 
1824.  In  this  bank  in  the  1830's  Eliphalet  Greely  gave  dignified  greetings 
from  his  president's  box,  standing,  as  he  thought  proper,  with  his  right 
hand  uncovered,  and  his  left  hand  gloved.  A  year  after  the  opening  of  the 
Casco  Bank,  the  Canal  Bank  was  incorporated;  it  had  been  organized  in 
part  from  funds  raised  by  a  lottery  authorized  by  the  State  Legislature  in 
1823,  with  the  provision  that  one-quarter  of  its  capital  should  be  invested 
in  the  Cumberland  and  Oxford  Canal  (see  Transportation) .  Still  in  oper- 
ation, the  present  Canal  Bank  stands  on  the  site  of  the  original  Bank  of 


82 Portland  City  Guide 

Portland.  In  1831  the  Cumberland  Bank  became  the  Maine  Bank,  under 
its  original  management. 

A  branch  of  the  Second  Bank  of  the  United  States  was  opened  here  in 
1827,  and  after  President  Jackson's  successful  fight  to  abolish  the  Bank 
of  the  United  States,  its  affairs  were  largely  taken  over  by  a  "pet  bank" 
called  the  Bank  of  Cumberland,  which  was  organized  in  1835.  The  Port- 
land branch  of  the  government  bank  had  been  inefficiently  managed,  but 
such  was  the  political  setup  of  the  Bank  of  Cumberland  that  a  country 
doctor  was  chosen  to  be  cashier  on  the  recommendation  of  his  friends  that 
he  was  a  "faithful  man  and  a  fine  penman."  After  a  short  preliminary 
training  in  Boston  he  set  to  work,  and  mixed  up  his  accounts  to  such  an 
extent  that  he  soon  found  he  had  lost  $1,000.  He  resigned.  With  a  change 
of  management,  however,  this  bank  continued  over  a  period  of  78  years. 

Portland  entered  the  1830's,  along  with  the  nation,  in  search  of  new  en- 
terprise; this  was  the  period  of  expansion  of  America's  commerce,  indus- 
try, and  land  investment.  The  town  became  the  City  of  Portland  in  1832, 
boasting  15,000  inhabitants  supporting  nine  commercial  banks  and  one 
savings  institution.  However,  with  the  financial  crash  of  1837,  when  bank- 
ing institutions  throughout  the  country  ceased  to  redeem  their  notes  in 
specie,  Portland  finance  was  badly  crippled.  The  Institution  for  Savings  for 
the  Town  of  Portland  and  Vicinity,  which  had  invested  almost  exclusively 
in  other  local  banks,  failed;  the  stock  of  the  Bank  of  Cumberland  was  re- 
duced to  40  percent  of  par;  the  Canal  Bank  lost  heavily,  and  four  other 
banking  establishments  went  into  liquidation. 

In  1850  not  a  savings  bank  existed  in  Maine;  but  in  the  '50's  three  more 
commercial  banks  were  locally  organized,  the  first  of  which  liquidated  after 
the  burning  of  the  Exchange  Building  where  it  was  located.  The  Portland 
Savings  Bank  opened  in  1852,  and  seven  years  later  the  Portland  Five 
Cent  Savings  Bank  was  incorporated;  in  1868  this  latter  bank  became  the 
Maine  Savings  Bank.  The  International  Bank,  incorporated  in  1859,  be- 
came the  First  National  Bank  of  Portland  in  1864,  under  the  provisions  of 
the  National  Banking  Act,  and  gave  up  its  State  charter.  A  year  later  all 
other  commercial  banks  in  the  city  adopted  the  national  banking  system. 

In  the  period  following  the  Civil  War  when  most  of  the  country,  and 
particularly  the  eastern  States,  was  suffering  from  commercial  paralysis, 
Portland  was  little  affected.  On  October  9,  1874,  the  local  Eastern  Argus 
commented  in  an  editorial:  "The  panic,  which  caused  such  a  crash  in  New 
York  and  other  large  business-centres,  hardly  made  a  ripple  here  .  .  .  and 


Finance  83 

the  business  of  Portland,  as  a  whole,  has  never  been  so  large,  safe  and 
sound,  as  it  has  been  this  year."  Before  the  turn  of  the  century  two  of  the 
banks  formed  after  1850  were  consolidated,  and  two  more  National  Banks 
sprang  up.  Four  trust  companies  were  organized  during  the  period,  the  first 
in  1883,  and  the  second,  which  failed  after  ten  years  of  speculation  in 
western  lands,  in  1887;  the  remaining  two  banks  were  incorporated  in  the 
1890*8. 

Also  during  this  period  four  loan  and  building  associations  were  es- 
tablished, the  first,  the  Casco,  in  1888;  today  it  is  the  third  largest  building 
and  loan  association  in  Portland.  The  second  association,  the  Cumberland, 
established  in  1890  is  today  the  largest  in  Maine.  During  the  20th  cen- 
tury five  more  loan  and  building  associations  have  been  organized  in  Port- 
land. The  Morris  Plan  Bank,  the  State's  first  industrial  bank,  was  locally 
established  in  1918;  twenty  years  later  it  changed  its  name  to  the  First  In- 
dustrial Bank  of  Maine,  and  today  is  the  only  institution  of  its  kind  in  the 
State. 

Under  Maine  laws,  trust  company  banking  is  not  as  restricted  as  national 
banking  under  Federal  rulings.  In  the  early  1930's  five  of  Portland's  na- 
tional banks  either  had  become,  or  their  places  had  been  taken  by,  trust 
companies,  and  only  one  of  the  original  trust  companies  was  taken  over  by 
a  national  bank.  By  1933  accounting  for  consolidations  among  trust  com- 
panies, of  which  there  had  been  four,  Portland  had  three  national  banks, 
two  savings  banks,  and  two  trust  companies. 

In  the  1930's  security  prices  and  business  activities  were  cascading  into 
the  trough  of  the  depression,  and  the  diminishing  waves  of  income  alarmed 
the  Roosevelt  administration  to  the  point  of  declaring  a  national  banking 
holiday  on  March  4,  1933.  For  ten  days  no  checks  were  cashed  in  Port- 
land, and  depositors  could  not  withdraw  money  from  any  local  bank.  The 
suspension  of  payments  in  specie  a  century  before  could  hardly  have  been  a 
greater  blow  to  the  confidence  of  the  people  in  their  financial  institutions, 
and  there  was  a  good  deal  of  impatience  and  confusion.  On  the  tenth  day 
the  Canal  National  and  the  Portland  National  received  certificates  from 
the  Federal  Reserve  Bank  of  Boston,  enabling  them  to  open  on  a  tem- 
porarily restricted  basis.  The  next  day  the  State  Banking  Commissioner 
authorized  the  two  savings  banks  to  transact  regular  business,  with  tem- 
porary restrictions.  A  receiver  was  appointed  for  the  First  National  Bank 
of  Portland,  and  by  October  31,  1938,  it  had  paid  95  percent  of  its  de- 
posits; the  depositors  of  the  liquidating  bank  secured  by  subscription 


84  Portland  City  Guide 

$500,000  and  organized  the  new  First  National  Bank  at  Portland,  an  in- 
stitution in  no  way  connected  with  the  old  bank.  The  two  trust  companies, 
Fidelity  and  Casco  Mercantile,  were  placed  under  conservatorship  and  to- 
day are  still  in  process  of  liquidation.  They  have  paid  respectively  75  and 
60  percent  on  savings  deposits,  and  52.5  and  40  percent  on  commercial 
deposits.  In  1933  the  National  Bank  of  Commerce  was  organized;  a  year 
later  the  Casco  Bank  and  Trust  Company,  entirely  independent  of  the  origi- 
nal Casco  Mercantile  Bank,  was  established.  With  the  consolidation  in 
January,  1940,  of  the  Portland  National  Bank  and  the  First  National  Bank 
under  the  name  of  First  Portland  National  Bank,  Portland  has  the  largest 
commercial  bank  east  of  Boston. 

Deposits  in  Portland's  banks  are  increasing,  with  a  total  of  nearly  forty 
million  dollars  in  the  five  commercial  banks  alone.  Thirty-eight  percent 
of  this  amount  is  represented  in  cash,  and  about  one-third  in  loans.  Capital 
accounts  increased  about  five  percent  in  the  city  up  to  the  close  of  1938. 

In  Portland's  schools  a  modern  school  bank  has  been  formed,  with  the 
same  equipment  and  facilities  as  many  large  institutions,  giving  pupils  first- 
hand knowledge  of  banking  methods,  as  well  as  an  incentive  to  save  money. 
Accounts  may  be  started  as  low  as  one  cent,  when  the  child  first  goes  to 
school,  and  when  the  sum  has  reached  one  dollar,  it  is  transmitted  to  the 
Maine  Savings  Bank.  Students  use  these  accounts  for  various  activities, 
often  financing  their  own  senior  high  school  trip  to  Washington,  D.  G, 
the  Junior  Prom,  and  the  expense  of  graduation. 

Our  present-day  financial  institutions,  controlled  by  State  and  Federal 
laws,  are  in  marked  contrast  to  the  old-time  methods  of  banking.  The  Port- 
land historian,  William  Goold,  who  was  himself  a  bank  clerk,  tells  the  story 
of  the  cashier  of  the  Maine  Bank  who  had  some  difficulty  in  balancing  his 
cash  account.  After  some  discussion  the  bank  directors  voted  to  sue  the 
cashier's  bondsmen  to  make  up  the  deficiency.  The  bondsmen  learned, 
however,  that  the  directors  were  accustomed  to  meddle  in  the  cash  drawer, 
and  they  in  turn  informed  the  accusers  that  just  as  much  evidence  could  be 
produced  to  prove  that  those  in  higher  positions  could  have  filched  the 
money  as  that  the  cashier  had  lost  it,  whereupon  the  suit  was  dropped. 

As  far  as  is  known,  there  has  been  but  one  robbery  in  the  banking  his- 
tory of  the  city;  it  occurred  in  1818  at  the  Cumberland  Bank.  Locks  were 
not  over-complicated  in  those  days,  and  while  the  Cumberland's  lock  was 
being  repaired  at  a  blacksmith's  shop,  Daniel  Manley  got  an  impression  of 
the  key  and  made  a  duplicate.  He  and  an  accomplice  entered  the  bank  on 


Finance  85 

a  Saturday  night,  taking  $200,000  which  they  buried  on  the  shore.  Manley, 
suspicious  of  his  own  partner  in  crime,  stole  back  and  changed  the  hiding 
place.  It  appears  that  the  bank  directors  acted  as  'G-men*  pro  tem  in  the 
complicated  events  that  followed;  they  questioned  the  men  after  obtaining 
the  incriminating  evidence  that  Manley  had  bought  molding  sand  at  a 
local  foundry.  His  accomplice  weakened,  in  the  best  fictional  manner,  and 
led  the  perambulating  directors  to  the  shore;  finding  the  money  gone,  the 
aghast  ally  produced  a  pistol  and  shot  himself.  Manley  was  not  informed  of 
this,  and  was  offered  a  large  reward  if  he  would  return  the  money;  it  later 
developed  that  third  parties  had  been  silent  and  furtive  witnesses  to  the 
whole  financial  interment,  and  had  dug  up  the  cash  hoping  to  get  the  re- 
ward. In  the  final  adjustment,  Manley  was  given  two  things:  one-half  of  the 
money,  and  twelve  years  in  Charlestown  (Mass.)  prison.  It  is  said  that  he 
returned  to  Portland  later,  and  followed  the  straight  and  narrow  path. 


LABOR 

Somewhat  shielded  by  the  continuous  development  of  the  surrounding 
frontier,  and  sheltered  by  its  thriving  commerce,  Portland  did  not  feel 
keenly  the  early  economic  crises  that  intensified  the  problems  of  wage- 
earners  in  other  sections  of  America  and  prompted  the  formation  of  labor 
unions.  It  was  not  until  1863  that  the  first  union  was  established  in  the 
city,  the  Portland  Typographical  Union  No.  75.  It  had  about  30  members 
and  established,  in  its  trade,  the  10-hour  day  and  the  6-day  week;  the 
standard  wage  for  day  work  was  $13  a  week,  and  for  night  work  $15.  This 
was  23  years  before  the  American  Federation  of  Labor  officially  came  into 
existence. 

Organization  of  local  labor  unions  has  continued  since  1863,  and  spread 
to  new  fields;  it  has  been  considerably  stimulated  by  the  late  depression. 
There  are  at  present  approximately  8,000  wage  earners  in  the  Portland 
metropolitan  area  organized  into  unions.  Of  this  number,  6,000  are  directly 
represented  in  the  Portland  Central  Labor  Union  of  the  American  Federa- 
tion of  Labor,  and  the  remainder  are  divided  between  Railroad  Brother- 
hoods, Congress  of  Industrial  Organizations,  and  A.  F.  of  L.  locals  un- 
affiliated  with  the  city's  central  organization. 

Details  of  labor  conditions  in  the  early  days  of  the  settlement  are  lack- 
ing. During  the  years  1638-45  John  Winter,  the  Englishman,  as  agent  for 
the  Trelawny  interests  on  Richmond's  Island,  had  at  one  time  60  men  in 
his  employ  in  the  first  fishing  and  shipbuilding  industries.  Men  received 
very  small  wages  when  getting  out  the  masts  for  the  English  Royal  Navy 
from  1727  until  the  Revolutionary  War.  Two  shillings  eight  pence  was  the 
daily  wage;  16  shillings  were  paid  a  man  and  two  oxen  for  three  days'  work. 

During  the  pronounced  inflation  and  labor  scarcity  occasioned  by  the 
Revolutionary  War,  Parson  Thomas  Smith  pettishly  exclaimed  in  his 


Labor  87 

diary:  "Common  laborers  have  four  dollars  a  day,  while  ministers  have  but 
a  dollar,  and  washerwomen  as  much."  However,  this  was  an  exceptional 
statement  about  an  extraordinary  situation. 

In  1820  clerks  in  stores  received  $50  to  $75  a  year  for  their  services,  with 
board,  sleeping  in  the  attic  or  the  rear  of  the  store.  In  the  following  decade 
William  Goold,  a  local  historian,  was  able  to  secure  a  job  on  a  ship  for  his 
partner's  son.  He  quoted  the  shipmaster  as  saying:  "We  can  load  our 
ship  with  rich  men's  sons,  who  will  serve  without  wages,  but  at  the  request  of 
Mr.  Lawrence  we  will  take  the  boy  at  six  dollars  a  month."  These  sketchy 
statements  are  the  only  inferences  from  which  we  may  construct  any  pic- 
ture of  working  conditions  a  century  ago. 

To  Neal  Dow  in  his  Reminiscences  we  owe  the  following  picture  of  labor 
in  the  early  part  of  the  19th  century:  "Most  of  the  men  who  did  not  work  at 
lumbering  were  engaged  in  the  fisheries,  in  which  industry,  during  the  sea- 
son, many  vessels  were  employed  ....  My  employers  built  vessels  on  a  large 
scale,  and  employed  many  men,  who  took  up  their  wages  mostly  at  the 
store  in  family  supplies  and  rum  for  themselves  ....  Working  men  and 
their  families  were  always  poor In  the  winter  of  1829,  the  Maine  Char- 
itable Association  took  under  consideration  a  proposition  to  change  a  cus- 
tom almost  universal,  and  appointed  a  committee  to  recommend  some  plan 
by  which  masters  would  stop  furnishing  their  journeymen  and  apprentices 
with  ardent  spirits So  general  was  the  custom  that  even  the  small  num- 
ber of  workmen  who  did  not  care  for,  or  would  not  drink,  the  liquor,  re- 
ceived no  more  pay  in  cash  for  the  same  amount  of  labor  ....  The  practice 
of  ringing  the  'Eleven  O'clock  Bell'  was  a  signal  for  workmen  to  rest 
from  labor  and  refresh  themselves  with  liquor." 

The  building  and  outfitting  of  privateers,  brought  on  by  local  repercus- 
sions to  the  Embargo  Act  of  1807  and  the  War  of  1812,  revived  the  stag- 
nant commercial  trade.  By  1832  Portland  had  412  vessels  employing  2,700 
seamen.  Although  not  a  few  Maine  vessels  had  the  unenviable  reputation 
of  being  "hell"  or  "blood"  ships,  the  local  men  willingly  shipped  out; 
mutinies  and  ill-treatment  were  just  part  of  their  day's  work. 

With  the  building  of  the  Cumberland  and  Oxford  Canal,  completed  in 
1830,  and  the  Portland,  Saco  and  Portsmouth  Railroad  in  1842,  came  an 
influx  of  immigrant  Irish  and  Italian  laborers.  A  picture  of  these  foreign 
canal  builders  is  given  by  S.  B.  Cloudman  in  his  Early  Recollections  of  the 
Cumberland  and  Oxford  Canal:  "The  banks  were  dotted  all  along  with 
rudely-built  shanties  which  overflowed  with  little  children  and  healthy-look- 


88  Portland  City  Guide 

ing  mothers.  From  four  to  six  families  were  somehow  packed  in  each 
shanty.  Locks,  waste  ways,  and  farm  bridges  were  built  by  a  crew  of  rough- 
and-tumble  carpenters." 

As  early  as  1851  better  working  conditions  were  advocated  by  John 
Sparrow,  manager  of  the  Portland  Company,  when  he  directed  a  "strong 
and  urgent  petition"  to  the  officers  of  the  corporation,  recommending  a  re- 
duction of  the  number  of  hours  in  the  day's  work  to  ten.  Prior  to  this 
workmen  were  accustomed  to  put  in  an  almost  unlimited  number  of  hours, 
covered  by  the  phrase  "a  long  and  hard  day's  work."  The  concern  finally 
conceded  the  point,  but  their  example  was  not  universally  followed,  for  in 
1863  when  Portland's  first  labor  organization  declared  itself  in  favor  of 
the  10-hour  day,  employees  of  the  Portland  Glass  Works  were  put  to  work 
on  a  "watch  and  watch"  system,  six  hours  on  and  six  hours  off,  12  hours  out 
of  24. 

Local  railroad  employees  began  to  organize  in  1871  with  the  formation 
of  a  union  for  locomotive  engineers.  Ten  years  later  firemen  and  engine- 
men  had  a  joint  union,  Great  Eastern  Lodge  No.  4,  which  was  char- 
tered January  15,  1881.  Conductors  formed  a  union  in  1890,  and  in  1896 
the  Henry  W.  Longfellow  Lodge  No.  82  of  the  Brotherhood  of  Railroad 
Trainmen  was  instituted.  Its  membership  increased  gradually  but  steadily, 
until  it  became  the  largest  lodge  in  New  England  with  a  membership  of 
more  than  500;  in  1920  it  was  divided  because  of  its  size,  a  portion  of  its 
membership  forming  another  lodge.  The  closed-shop  principle  was  never 
favored  by  the  Railroad  Brotherhoods;  they  preferred  to  leave  it  to  the 
employee's  sense  of  fairness  whether  or  not  he  should  join  the  union.  Re- 
lationship with  the  companies  has  been  amicable  and,  except  in  one  in- 
stance, entirely  free  from  strikes.  That  incident  occurred  in  1910,  when  the 
men  on  the  Grand  Trunk  Railroad  were  called  out  on  July  18  on  the  demand 
for  an  increase  in  pay;  they  went  back  to  work  August  4,  having  won  their 
point. 

In  1872  a  mutual  benefit  association  was  established  among  the  em- 
ployees of  the  Portland,  Saco  and  Portsmouth  Railroad.  Although  not 
actually  a  labor  union,  it  was  the  first  organization  of  its  type  in  the  city.  A 
few  months  later  another  was  formed  among  the  employees  of  the  Portland 
Company;  the  bylaws  of  this  association  stated:  "The  objects  of  the  Asso- 
ciation shall  be  to  aid,  and  benefit,  such  of  its  members  as  are  by  sickness 
or  accident,  unable  to  work  ....  Regular  employees  of  the  PORTLAND  Co., 
without  regard  to  nationality,  or  station  of  life,  of  good  moral  character, 


Labor  89 

healthy,  sound,  and  free  from  any  mental  or  bodily  infirmity,  able  or  com- 
petent to  earn  the  means  necessary  for  the  support  of  himself  and  family, 
are  eligible  for  membership  in  this  association."  This  organization  paid 
benefits  in  case  of  sickness  or  accident,  as  recommended  by  an  investigating 
committee;  a  death  benefit  was  collected  by  a  stipulated  assessment  on  the 
brotherhood. 

The  Portland  Longshoremen's  Benevolent  Society  adopted  its  bylaws 
and  rules  of  order  January  31,  1881,  and  the  following  year  the  Portland 
Laborers'  Benevolent  Union  was  organized.  The  preamble  to  their  consti- 
tution read:  "Realizing  the  fact  that  for  years  the  class  of  laborers  employed 
throughout  the  city  as  assistants  to  builders  and  mechanics  on  excavations 
and  improvements,  have  not  been  dealt  with  in  that  just  manner  which  is 
conducive  to  their  well  being,  and  wishing  to  advance  their  interests  as 
regards  remuneration  for  labor  performed,  we  shall  in  the  future  be  sub- 
ject to  the  tariff  which  shall  be  formulated  and  adopted  by  this  association, 
and  without  becoming  arbitrary  in  our  demands,  shall  always  and  by  every 
legalized  means  endeavor  to  obtain  a  'fair  day's  pay  for  a  fair  day's  work,' 
and  also  mutually  assist  each  other  in  obtaining  just  demands  from  em- 
ployers in  all  cases  where  those  demands  may  be  disputed  or  withheld  .... 
We  shall  be  benevolent  by  forming  a  fund  for  the  relief  and  sustenance 
of  any  of  our  body,  who  may  become  sick  or  disabled,  and  endeavor  in  all 
cases  to  discharge  our  duty  to  the  sick,  by  attending  to  their  wants,  and 
also,  in  the  event  of  death,  to  use  our  funds  in  such  manner  as  hereafter 
stipulated  in  our  Constitution." 

In  1883  the  Portland  Bricklayers'  and  Masons'  Benevolent  and  Protec- 
tive Union  came  into  being.  This  union  not  only  provided  benefits  in  case 
of  accident  on  the  job  and  sometimes  during  sickness,  but  also  concerned 
itself  with  wages  and  hours,  taking  action  against  the  discharge  of  a  worker 
due  to  membership  in  the  organization.  The  Bricklayers'  and  Masons' 
Union  even  had  certain  articles  to  protect  the  contractors  for  whom  its 
members  worked,  for  while  it  provided  that  the  standard  rate  of  pay  was  $3 
a  day  for  10  hours,  the  union  required  its  members  to  work  only  for  con- 
tractors, or  to  demand  the  contractor's  rate.  Members  were  also  forbidden 
to  work  with  non-union  men  wherever  the  union  men  were  in  the  majority. 

In  1885  the  pioneer  labor  organization,  Portland  Typographical  Union 
No.  75,  was  re-organized  and  chartered  as  No.  66  of  the  International 
Typographical  Union,  affiliated  with  the  A.  F.  of  L.  In  this  decade,  also, 
the  Portland  locals  of  the  Carpenters'  and  Joiners'  Union,  and  the 


90 Portland  City  Guide 

Brotherhood  of  Painters,  Decorators,  and  Paper  Hangers  had  their  origin, 
although  the  present  charters  of  these  organizations  are  both  dated  1900. 
The  Portland  Central  Labor  Union  was  organized  in  1900  to  co-ordinate 
the  activity  of  Portland  organizations  affiliated  with  the  A.  F.  of  L.  insofar 
as  they  cared  to  participate.  Today  this  central  union  has  over  30  affiliated 
local  unions. 

Studies  made  by  the  State  Bureau  of  Industrial  and  Labor  Statistics  of 
Portland  wage  earnings  during  the  early  1900's  showed  that  trades  that 
were  organized  were  receiving  higher  wages  than  the  unaffiliated  workers. 
In  1907  bricklayers,  locomotive  engineers,  and  typographical  workers  were 
earning  $4  a  day;  the  most  common  union  wage  in  the  other  trades  was  $2.50 
a  day.  In  contrast,  unorganized  laborers  were  receiving  $1.50  a  day  for 
skilled  work  and  $1  for  ordinary  labor.  Women  worked  a  10-hour  day, 
receiving  from  $2  to  $4.50  a  week.  On  local  conditions  among  women 
workers  of  that  period,  a  survey  booklet  states:  "In  New  York  the  living 
wage,  the  very  least  on  which  a  girl  can  exist,  is  placed  at  $5.00  a  week,  and 
only  then  when  several  girls  club  together.  In  Portland,  at  the  present 
rates,  it  could  hardly  be  placed  at  less,  and  yet  there  are  many  girls  re- 
ceiving below  this  figure." 

The  Portland  Musicians'  Association,  Local  364  of  the  American  Federa- 
tion of  Musicians  was  chartered  in  1904.  Since  its  inception  its  growth  has 
been  sound;  today  it  includes  the  majority  of  professional  musicians  in 
Cumberland  County.  The  object  of  this  union  is  to  unite  the  instrumental 
portion  of  the  musical  profession  for  the  better  protection  of  its  interests 
in  general,  the  establishment  of  a  minimum  scale  of  prices  to  be  charged 
by  members  for  their  services,  and  the  enforcement  of  good  faith  and  fair 
dealing  between  its  members.  The  organization  is  affiliated  with  the  Port- 
land Central  Labor  Union  and  the  State  Federation  of  Labor,  both  of  the 
A.  F.  of  L. 

In  a  Portland  Board  of  Trade  publication  of  1909  appeared  a  notice 
which  is  in  marked  and  amusing  contrast  to  current  advertisements  that 
pay  tribute  to  the  city's  intelligent  labor  supply;  after  urging  that  land  and 
materials  should  be  sold  cheaper  for  new  industries  than  for  any  other 
purpose,  the  item  continued:  "Why?  Because  if  you  have  plenty  of  manu- 
factories you  are  bound  to  have  three  mighty  valuable  acquisitions,  viz: 
Brains  and  energy  of  the  management.  Capital  invested  in  the  industry. 
Employees  and  animals  to  do  the  work." 

In  1936  the  International  Seamen's  Union,  at  that  time  affiliated  with 


Labor  91 

the  A.  F.  of  L.,  opened  an  office  here.  It  later  joined  the  industrial  union 
movement,  and  in  May,  1937,  was  changed  to  the  National  Maritime 
Union,  the  first  of  the  local  organizations  now  affiliated  with  the  Congress 
of  Industrial  Organizations.  The  Portland  Newspaper  Guild  was  chartered 
July  6,  1937,  and  the  following  year  successfully  negotiated  a  contract  with 
the  largest  newspaper  in  the  State.  Other  C.  I.  O.  organizations  represented 
here  are  the  American  Communications  Association  and  the  United  Furni- 
ture Workers  of  America. 

In  1936  the  United  Truck  Drivers  of  Maine,  an  independent  union,  was 
organized  with  headquarters  in  Portland,  and  the  following  year  was  char- 
tered as  Local  No.  340  of  the  International  Brotherhood  of  Teamsters, 
Chauffeurs,  Stablemen  and  Helpers,  of  the  A.  F.  of  L.  In  1937  the  In- 
ternational Machinists  Association  chartered  its  Local  No.  1256  here,  also  of 
the  A.  F.  of  L.  There  has  been  a  tendency  in  several  trades  for  larger  locals 
to  split  up  and  form  two  or  three  smaller  organizations  comprising  workers 
employed  on  work  of  a  kindred  nature.  This  has  been  the  case  with  long- 
shoremen, electrical  workers,  painters,  building  trades  laborers,  and  others. 

In  1938  the  Maine  Labor  League,  an  organization  open  to  all  union 
members  and  designed  to  bring  together  informally  local  people  in  both  the 
craft  and  the  industrial  union  movement  to  discuss  their  problems,  adopted 
bylaws  and  held  several  meetings  here.  Although  these  meetings  were  not 
continued  regularly,  and  the  league  has  apparently  ceased  to  function,  it 
did  serve  as  a  common  meeting  ground  for  members  of  local  unions  affi- 
liated with  the  A.  F.  of  L.  and  the  C.  I.  O.,  two  organizations  which,  while 
their  national  policies  may  seem  at  variance  with  each  other,  nevertheless 
do  co-operate  in  many  localities  and  situations. 

Perhaps  no  better  indication  of  a  generally  healthy  relationship  between 
labor  and  the  employer  could  be  found  than  in  a  substantial  growth  of 
labor  organization,  coupled  with  a  relative  freedom  from  strikes  or  re- 
fusals to  meet  with  employee  representatives.  Portland  strikes  have  been 
comparatively  short  and  peaceful.  They  have  usually  been  entirely  local 
in  character  and  application,  with  the  exception  of  those  participated  in  by 
the  National  Maritime  Union,  an  Atlantic  seaboard  organization  negotiat- 
ing on  a  coast-wide  basis. 

Greatest  excitement  in  the  labor  history  of  the  city  was  caused  by  the 
streetcar  strike  of  July,  1916.  This  was  occasioned  by  the  discharge  of 
several  employees  on  account  of  their  activity  in  organizing  a  union;  the 
strike  lasted  five  days,  completely  tying  up  the  streetcar  system.  On  July 


92  Portland  City  Guide 

17,  the  day  the  strike  was  settled  the  Portland  Evening  Express  and  Ad- 
vertiser  reported:  "The  dominant  note  of  comment  on  the  street  is  satis- 
faction over  the  settlement  of  the  trouble  and  great  commendation  for  the 
attitude  of  the  striking  carmen  throughout  the  whole  trying  period.  That 
out  of  a  group  of  over  400  men  not  one  had  resorted  to  any  but  legitimate 
means  for  gaining  the  ends  they  sought  was  considered  a  feature  of  the 
strike  of  which  few  cities  in  America  have  been  able  to  boast." 

Along  with  the  rest  of  the  nation,  Portland  workers  have  enjoyed  the 
benefits  of  the  Fair  Labor  Standards  Act  passed  by  Congress  guaranteeing 
minimum  wages  and  a  set  maximum  of  hours;  so  well  have  Portland  em- 
ployers and  employees  co-operated  in  the  enforcement  of  the  Wage-Hour 
Act,  that  since  its  inception  there  has  been  but  one  case  of  local  violation. 
In  this  case  government  inspectors  were  able  to  obtain  evidence  that  resulted 
in  the  conviction  of  the  firm  and  a  restoration  of  wages  to  the  employees 
involved. 

Portland,  at  the  time  of  the  Federal  Census  of  1930,  had  over  30,000 
gainfully  employed  workers,  approximately  75%  of  whom  were  wage 
earners;  these  Portland  figures  compare  favorably  with  those  of  the  State 
which  show  308,603  gainfully  employed  workers,  72%  of  whom  were  wage 
earners.  According  to  the  figures  in  the  Federal  Census  of  Manufacturers 
for  1937,  the  total  annual  pay  roll  for  the  4,000  employees  in  manufacturing 
industries  was  slightly  over  $4,000,000.  The  Federal  Census  of  1935  re- 
cords that  an  annual  average  of  4,627  retail  employees  received  a  total  of 
$4,755,000  in  wages;  an  annual  average  of  2,441  employees  in  wholesale 
establishments  received  during  the  year  $4,678,000;  and  an  average  of  739 
employees  in  service  establishments  received  $736,000.  While  these  figures 
cover  very  few  of  the  relatively  large  groups  of  people  occupied  in  trans- 
portation and  communication,  domestic  and  personal  service,  and  profes- 
sional and  public  service,  they  do  show  that  in  Portland  more  wages  are 
paid  per  person  employed,  in  average  figures,  then  in  any  other  city  in 
Maine. 

The  1937  Federal  Unemployment  Census  reported  3,000  wage  earners 
totally  unemployed,  in  addition  to  450  new  workers;  nearly  1,900  were  part- 
ly unemployed;  and  921  were  emergency  workers.  An  annual  average,  dur- 
ing 1935-39,  of  about  1,000  Portland  people  have  been  employed  on  the 
various  projects  of  the  Emergency  Relief  Administration,  Works  Progress 
Administration,  and  the  Work  Projects  Administration. 


EDUCATION 

A  century  after  the  first  settlement  of  The  Neck'  early  Falmouth 
grudgingly  conceded  the  necessity  of  formal  education.  Evidently  fear  of 
the  law  rather  than  the  urge  for  book  learning  spurred  them  on,  for  the 
first  notice  on  the  subject  is  in  the  town  record  of  September  15,  1729,  when 
the  Puritan  fathers  of  Massachusetts  Bay  Colony  ordered  the  local  select- 
men "to  look  out  for  a  schoolmaster  to  prevent  the  town's  being  presented." 
Thus,  grudging  obedience  to  the  Massachusetts  law  was  the  foundation  of 
present-day  Portland's  41  public  schools,  with  an  attendance  during  1938- 
39  of  12,537  students  and  an  investment  of  $4,500,000  in  school  build- 
ings. There  are  also  1 1  parochial  schools,  with  approximately  2,300  pupils, 
as  well  as  numerous  academies  and  colleges  offering  all  branches  of  learn- 
ing and  vocational  guidance. 

Popular  education  in  Massachusetts  had  begun  as  early  as  1647  by  the 
enactment  of  a  law  requiring  elementary  schools  to  be  established  in  every 
town  of  50  families,  and  secondary  schools  where  there  were  100  or  more. 
Although  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Massachusetts  from  1658,  Maine  did 
not  feel  the  effect  of  this  mandate  for  nearly  three-quarters  of  a  century. 
The  early  inhabitants  were  more  interested  in  procuring  means  of  physical 
support  than  in  considering  the  need  of  intellectual  improvement.  Dwellings 
were  widely  separated,  and  continual  danger  from  hostile  Indians  kept  the 
children  closely  at  home.  The  result  was  that  the  children  were  solely  de- 
pendent on  their  parents  for  any  instruction  they  received.  Not  until  the 
town  fathers  were  threatened  with  severe  penalties  for  evading  the  law  did 
they  finally  submit.  In  1733  they  hired  a  blacksmith  named  Robert  Bay  ley 


94  Portland  City  Guide 

as  schoolmaster  at  the  annual  salary  of  £70.  His  contract  called  for  six 
months  teaching  at  The  Neck,'  three  months  on  the  Cove,  and  three 
months  at  Purpooduck.  In  view  of  this  munificent  salary  it  was  thought 
that  he  might  also  preach  on  Sunday. 

In  addition  to  the  'three  R's,'  Mr.  Bayley  taught  a  little  geography  and 
grammar,  and  tempered  the  various  outbreaks  of  the  day  with  cowhide, 
rattan,  and  ruler.  A  most  important  feature  of  his  corrective  methods  was 
the  dunce  cap.  Always  worn  by  some  child  who  sat  in  a  corner  in  full  view 
of  the  class,  the  cap  painted  the  miscreant  as  a  horrible  example  of  mis- 
behavior. Girls  were  barred  from  attending  school,  as  their  sole  art  was 
that  of  becoming  useful  housekeepers  which  could  be  taught  at  home; 
parents  saw  no  necessity  of  girls  engaging  in  scholastic  pursuits. 

A  salary  increase  of  £6  a  year  to  Mr.  Bayley,  in  1736,  is  the  first  inti- 
mation of  the  serious  enforcement  of  the  Massachusetts  law,  although  the 
population  of  'The  Neck'  had  reached  100  several  years  previous.  The 
following  year  the  grammar  school  became  a  separate  unit;  higher  branches 
of  learning  were  taught  by  Nicholas  Hodge,  then  a  student  at  Harvard 
College.  After  graduating  in  1739  he  resumed  his  teaching  at  'The  Neck,' 
at  the  same  time  studying  for  the  ministry  under  the  instruction  of  the 
Reverend  Thomas  Smith,  the  journalistic  pastor  of  the  First  Parish  Church. 

Notwithstanding  the  sincerity  of  these  early  teachers  education  was  at  a 
low  level.  The  money  appropriated  was  not  sufficient  to  attract  the  undi- 
vided attention  of  qualified  instructors,  and  as  a  result  the  schools  were 
neglected  or  left  to  men  who  divided  their  time  between  teaching  and 
studying  to  obtain  their  degrees  in  law  or  divinity. 

The  town  took  steps  to  secure  its  first  full-time  teacher  when  the  follow- 
ing invitation  was  sent  to  Stephen  Longfellow  by  Parson  Smith: 

Falmouth,  November  15,  1744. 

Sir,  we  need  a  schoolmaster.  Mr.  Plaisted  advised  of  your  being 
at  liberty.  If  you  will  undertake  the  service  in  this  place  you  may 
depend  upon  our  being  generous,  and  your  being  satisfied.  I  wish 
you'd  come  as  soon  as  possible  and  doubt  not  but  you'll  find 
things  much  to  your  content. 

Your  humble  ser't 
Thos.  Smith 

P.S.  I  write  in  the  name  and  with  the  power  of  the  selectmen 
of  the  town.  If  you  can't  serve  us  pray  advise  of  it  per  first 
opportunity. 


Education  95 

Mr.  Longfellow,  great-grandfather  of  Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow, 
was  a  graduate  of  Harvard  College.  He  had  made  teaching  his  profession, 
and  was  in  charge  of  the  school  at  York.  Longfellow  accepted  the  invita- 
tion and  became  the  principal  instructor  at  Falmouth,  his  salary  being  paid 
mainly  in  cordwood  and  produce.  As  there  were  no  local  newspapers  in 
that  day,  the  following  notice  was  posted  each  year  on  the  schoolhouse  door: 

Notice  is  hereby  given  to  such  persons  as  are  disposed  to  send 
their  children  to  school  in  this  place,  the  ensuing  year,  that  the 
year  commences  this  day,  and  the  price  will  be  as  usual,  viz., 
eighteen  shillings  and  eight  pence  per  year  for  each  scholar  that 
comes  by  the  year,  and  eight  shillings  per  quarter  for  such  as 
come  by  the  quarter. 

Steph'n  Longfellow. 

Longfellow's  school  was  the  first  of  many  private  schools  which  were  to 
flourish  here  during  the  late  18th  and  early  19th  centuries;  to  them  the 
more  affluent  families  sent  their  children.  It  also  seems  that  free  public 
schools,  attended  by  those  who  lacked  the  necessary  shillings  and  pence, 
were  in  operation  during  Mr.  Longfellow's  period  of  local  teaching.  While 
Longfellow  was  paid  by  the  town,  and  also  by  the  parents  of  his  scholars, 
his  system  seems  to  have  been  in  direct  contrast  to  the  liberal  methods 
later  adopted,  which  guaranteed  equal  educational  opportunities  to  all. 

Sometime  in  1756  Jonathan  Webb  came  here  from  Boston  and  opened  a 
private  school  on  India  Street;  in  a  very  short  time  he  was  given  the  un- 
dignified name  of  "Pithy  Webb,"  from  his  practice  of  putting  in  his  mouth 
the  pith  of  his  quill  when  he  cut  it.  Edward  Preble,  one  of  his  scholars  who 
became  one  of  America's  naval  heroes,  is  said  to  have  broken  him  of  this 
habit  by  making  the  quill  unpalatable. 

Massachusetts  adopted  in  1789  a  law  requiring  liberal  instruction  for  all 
children  and  a  college  or  university  education  for  schoolmasters.  The 
settlers  of  the  District  of  Maine,  however,  were  of  a  different  stamp  from 
the  Puritans  of  Massachusetts  Colony;  in  this  region  education  was  some- 
what in  the  background,  since  it  still  required  the  more  practical  efforts  of 
young  and  old  alike  to  wrest  a  living  from  virgin  forest  and  surging  sea. 
After  the  passage  of  the  1789  law  Portland  began  to  expand  its  school 
system  into  the  field  of  academies  and  schools  of  more  advanced  curricula. 

A  newcomer  to  Portland  in  1795  was  the  Reverend  Caleb  Bradley  who 
purchased  an  inn  on  Free  Street  and  opened  a  school.  Among  those  who 
attended  it  was  Nathaniel  Hawthorne,  who  doubtless  contributed  his  share 


96  Portland  City  Guide 

in  all  sorts  of  pranks  that  were  played  upon  the  easygoing  teacher.  Brad- 
ley's  custom  of  propping  his  chair  back  against  a  door  was  a  constant 
source  of  temptation  to  his  students.  Several  of  them,  including  his  own 
son,  would  prearrange  the  latch  so  that,  when  pressed  lightly,  the  door 
would  fly  open,  sending  the  Parson  sprawling  with  feet  waving  comically 
aloft. 

Portland  was  becoming  a  recognized  and  thriving  town;  the  standard  of 
living  had  increased  materially,  and  it  became  important  to  raise  the  stand- 
ard of  education.  A  few  of  the  influential  men  took  measures  to  establish 
a  higher  school  and  secured  an  act  to  incorporate  an  academy.  The  Gen- 
eral Court  granted  a  half  township  of  land,  providing  that  $3,000  could  be 
raised.  After  considerable  effort  this  was  done  and  Portland  Academy  for 
boys  were  opened  in  1803  in  a  two-story  wooden  building  under  the  in- 
struction of  Edward  Payson,  who  later  became  pastor  of  the  Second  Parish 
Church.  Five  years  later  a  new  brick  schoolhouse  replaced  the  old  build- 
ing, and  here  the  poet  Longfellow  prepared  for  college  under  the  supervi- 
sion of  Preceptor  Bezaleel  Cushman  and  his  assistant,  Jacob  Abbott,  author 
of  the  familiar  "Rollo"  books.  Longfellow  had  come  to  admire  the  irrit- 
able old  schoolmaster,  with  whom  he  always  associated  the  odor  of  tobacco 
and  indiarubber,  but  the  Preceptor's  farewell  lament  on  the  tribulations 
attendant  on  his  work  intensified  Longfellow's  dislike  of  making  teaching 
his  profession,  and  may  have  tended  to  bring  into  flower  the  budding 
genius  of  the  young  poet. 

The  Portland  Latin  School  for  boys  opened  in  1821  with  20  scholars 
drawn  from  the  three  grammar  schools  then  in  the  town;  eight  years  later 
it  was  divided  into  an  English  high  school  and  a  Latin  high  school,  with 
separate  masters.  Some  time  before  1834  they  were  reunited  under  the  name 
English  High  School,  and  in  1863  joined  with  the  Girls  High  School.  The 
resultant  Portland  High  School  had  an  entrance  on  Congress  Street  and 
another  on  Cumberland  Avenue;  boys  and  girls  were  effectively  separated 
by  a  solid  brick  wall  dividing  the  building,  the  only  connecting  passageway 
then  being  on  the  ground  floor.  A  new  principal,  who  came  in  1864,  called 
it  the  "wall  of  prejudice"  and  persuaded  the  school  board  to  have  a  door 
on  every  floor.  Partially  destroyed  in  the  fire  of  1866,  the  building  was  re- 
paired and  in  use  until  again  burned  in  1911.  Once  more  put  in  usuable 
condition,  it  was  replaced  in  1918  by  the  present  modern  structure. 

From  1824  until  1849  Master  Henry  Jackson  taught  in  Portland,  and  the 
old  adage  of  'spare  the  rod  and  spoil  the  child'  was  put  into  everyday  use 


Education  97 

in  his  grade  school  where  a  good  switching  was  his  favorite  form  of  punish- 
ment. However,  when  switching  grew  monotonous,  he  had  other  original 
methods,  his  jail  corner,  where  unruly  students  were  forced  to  sit  perfectly 
rigid  or  be  clipped  on  the  ankles,  and  his  punishment  rail  were  heartily  dis- 
liked by  the  pupils.  The  latter  punishment  was  almost  torture  to  these  ac- 
tive youngsters,  because  misbehaving  pupils  were  made  to  lie  on  the  rail 
in  front  of  the  teacher's  desk,  suspending  a  piece  of  wood  on  their  ankles, 
and  balancing  it  for  a  certain  length  of  time  before  it  could  be  picked  up. 
One  of  Jackson's  pupils,  knowing  he  was  due  for  a  switching,  thought  he 
would  outwit  the  school  teacher  and  placed  a  codfish  under  his  flannel  shirt; 
he  took  his  punishment  until  the  fish  began  to  prick  his  spine,  when  he 
wiggled  and  howled  in  pain. 

"What's  the  matter?"  demanded  Master  Jackson,  wielding  the  switch. 

"The  bones,"  roared  the  boy. 

"What  bones?" 

"Fish  bones,"  screamed  the  pupil,  removing  his  shirt  and  pulling  forth 
the  codfish.  Whereupon  he  was  switched  even  harder  while  the  teacher 
shouted,  "Come  here  and  let  me  take  the  dust  out  of  your  jacket!" 

Westbrook  Seminary,  now  the  Westbrook  Junior  College,  was  incor- 
porated in  1831,  and  a  building  was  erected  three  years  later.  This  was  the 
first  institution  of  learning  established  in  Maine  under  the  patronage  of  the 
Universalist  denomination,  and  one  of  the  first  in  the  United  States  to 
offer  co-educational  facilities.  At  the  time  of  its  opening  the  Portland 
Eastern  Argus  commented  that  "males  and  females  will  be  admitted  to 
equal  privileges."  In  1925  the  name  was  changed  to  the  present  title,  and  it 
became  an  institution  exclusively  for  women.  Today  with  an  annual  stu- 
dent body  of  over  300,  the  college  offers  a  curriculum  of  five  major  courses: 
Transfer,  preparing  students  for  specialization  in  science,  liberal  arts,  pre- 
education,  secretarial  science,  and  commerce;  Teacher  Training,  leading  to 
baccalaureate  degrees  in  commerce  and  art;  Terminal,  providing  two-year 
courses  for  medical  secretary,  secretarial  science,  business,  junior  college 
general,  and  recreational  leadership;  Pre-professional,  giving  certain  speci- 
fied course  requirements  in  pre-occupational  therapy,  pre-merchandising, 
and  pre-nursing;  Exploratory,  with  courses  in  music,  art,  and  journalism. 

As  a  result  of  a  consolidation  that  had  been  in  effect  from  the  turn  of  the 
19th  century  a  local  school  system  was  created.  In  1832  this  consisted  of  a 
high  school  for  boys,  four  monitorial  schools  (schools  in  which  honor  pupils, 
as  monitors,  assisted  the  teacher  as  instructors),  six  primary  schools,  one 


98  Portland  City  Guide 

school  for  colored  children,  two  island  schools,  and  one  infant  charity 
school,  to  which  the  city  contributed  $150  annually.  The  average  attend- 
ance of  these  schools  was  1,074  out  of  a  population  of  12,000. 

The  Portland  Academy  continued  until  1850.  With  a  population  of 
about  21,000  the  town  realized  that  the  girls  needed  more  in  the  way  of 
knowledge  than  that  offered  by  the  grammar  grades,  and  a  high  school  for 
girls  was  temporarily  established  on  Brackett  Street  with  Moses  Woolson 
as  principal.  On  January  6,  1851,  the  new  high  school  quarters  were  opened 
on  Chestnut  Street,  the  first  class  being  graduated  in  1854.  The  school  was 
discontinued  in  1863,  when  it  joined  with  the  English  High  School;  the 
new  school  became  the  Portland  High  School.  This  identical  building,  al- 
though enlarged  at  a  later  date,  still  serves  the  city  as  the  Woolson  Primary 
School. 

An  increasing  desire  for  education  on  the  part  of  many  adults  deprived  of 
early  education  resulted  in  the  establishment  of  an  evening  school.  The  first 
was  held  in  the  basement  of  Preble  Chapel,  and  from  1851  night  classes 
have  played  an  important  part  in  the  city's  educational  program.  The 
present  evening  school,  held  in  Portland  High  School,  has  five  distinct  de- 
partments which  deal  with  citizenship,  elementary  and  high  school  sub- 
jects, vocational  training,  home  economics,  and  discussion  classes.  Many 
nationalities  have  been  represented,  some  of  whom  could  not  speak  Eng- 
lish upon  registration.  In  addition  to  these,  industrial  and  commercial 
workers  and  college  graduates  may  secure  aid  in  better  fitting  them  for 
their  work. 

The  Maine  School  for  the  Deaf  was  started  in  1876  when  Doctor  Thomas 
Hill  and  Frederick  Fox  opened  a  school  in  a  room  on  Free  Street,  their  first 
three  pupils  being  residents  of  this  city.  Interest  in  the  work  grew  to  such 
an  extent  that  in  1897  an  act  of  the  Maine  Legislature  made  the  school  a 
State  institution.  It  is  open  to  children  whose  hearing  is  seriously  impaired, 
and  who  desire  an  education;  all  such  handicapped  children  throughout  the 
State,  between  the  ages  of  five  and  twenty-one,  are  educated  free  of  charge. 
Out-of-State  pupils  are  eligible  by  paying  a  nominal  fee,  and  courses  are 
given  which  range  from  kindergarten  to  regular  high  school  grades,  in- 
cluding vocational  training. 

In  1881  St.  Joseph's  Academy  (Roman  Catholic)  for  girls  was  opened, 
and  taught  by  the  Sisters  of  Mercy,  under  whose  guidance  it  still  con- 
tinues. It  combines  elementary  and  high  school  grades,  the  latter  offering 
Classical,  Latin-Scientific,  and  English-Commercial  courses.  Difference  of 


m 


Deering  High  School 


•HB 


Portland  Junior  College 


Life  Class  at  Portland  School  of  Fine  and  Applied  Art 

Portland  Junior  Technical  College 


Public  School  Manual  Training 


Public  School  Mechanical  Training 


Public  School  Kindergarten 


May  Day  at  Waynflete  School 


•; 


Maine  School  for  the  Blind 


St.  Joseph's  Convent  and  Academy 


West  brook  Junior  College 


Portland  High  School 


Education  99 

religion  is  no  obstacle  to  admission  provided  the  applicants  are  willing  to 
conform  to  the  general  regulations  of  the  school.  In  1915  St.  Joseph's  Col- 
lege was  established  in  conjunction  with  the  academy  and  is  the  only  ac- 
credited Roman  Catholic  college  for  women  in  the  State.  Courses  are  of- 
fered in  languages,  mathematics,  natural  and  social  sciences,  philosophy, 
and  education.  A  division  of  the  college  is  an  accredited  normal  school. 

The  private  Waynflete  School  for  girls,  established  in  1897,  has  inherited 
the  tradition  of  a  series  of  local  private  institutions.  Today  the  school  is 
divided  into  two  sections:  the  Lower  School  for  primary  and  intermediate 
grades,  and  the  Upper  School  for  junior  and  senior  high  school  classes. 
The  Upper  School,  specializing  in  college  preparatory  work,  has  consis- 
tently maintained  high  scholastic  record. 

In  1909  two  Roman  Catholic  parochial  schools  were  established  in  the 
city:  the  Roman  Catholic  Institute,  for  boys,  which  became  the  Catholic 
Institute  High  School  eight  years  later;  and  the  Cathedral  High  School, 
for  girls,  which  has  continued  since  its  inception  under  the  same  name. 
About  1924  the  boys'  school  adopted  the  name  Cheverus  Classical  High 
School,  and  today  offers  a  four-year  course  in  commercial  and  classical  sub- 
jects. Cathedral  High  School  opened  with  a  strictly  commercial  course, 
but  this  method  was  modified  in  1922,  and  the  curriculum  broadened  to  in- 
clude classical  and  general  courses. 

Hebrew  and  Greek  are  both  taught  in  the  city  at  their  respective  schools, 
the  former  under  the  auspices  of  Portland  Jewry,  who  contribute  toward  its 
support,  and  the  latter  sponsored  by  the  Holy  Trinity  Church  (Hellenic 
Orthodox).  Classes  in  both  instances  are  held  after  regular  public  school 
sessions,  and  boys  and  girls  are  taught  to  read  and  write  the  ancient  lan- 
guages as  they  study  the  history,  grammar,  and  religion  of  their  ancestors. 

The  Lincoln  Junior  High  School  offers  the  adolescent  opportunity  to 
select  more  intelligently  courses  of  study  for  which  they  are  better  fitted 
when  entering  high  school.  This  is  provided  against  a  suitable  background 
of  student  clubs,  shops,  library,  assembly  hall,  and  a  gymnasium.  Portland's 
two  senior  high  schools  offer  college,  scientific,  general,  commercial,  house- 
hold, and  practical  art  courses,  together  with  a  wealth  of  extra-curricular 
activities.  Shop  work  of  all  kinds  is  taught  in  these  public  high  schools 
from  printing  to  the  dismantling  of  an  automobile,  and  the  girls  may  select 
courses  in  home  hygiene,  care  of  the  sick,  and  even  laundering. 

The  chief  objectives  of  the  Portland  public  schools  have  been  often  stated 
as  follows:  (1)  to  educate  the  children  so  that  they  will  get  the  greatest 


100  Portland  City  Guide 

values  out  of  life  by  helping  them  to  develop  their  individual  talents  and 
abilities  and  overcome  their  handicaps;  (2)  to  implant  in  them  a  genuine 
and  growing  desire  to  give  as  much  as  possible  to  the  lives  of  others  and  to 
become  worthy  American  citizens;  (3)  to  help  them  prepare  for  the  kinds  of 
life  work  for  which  they  are  adapted  and  by  which  they  will  most  enjoy 
making  a  living. 

The  city's  public  schools  have  many  social  organizations,  which  include 
foreign  language,  debating,  dramatic  societies,  glee  clubs,  and  units  of  the 
Junior  Red  Cross.  The  major  sports  are  baseball,  football,  basketball,  and 
track,  and  facilities  are  provided  for  tennis,  swimming,  and  hockey.  Physical 
fitness  test  equipment  has  been  installed,  which  includes  machines  for 
measuring  height,  weight,  chest  expansion,  lung  capacity,  and  even  strength 
of  hand  grip,  back,  and  legs. 

An  example  of  the  modern  methods  employed  in  the  city's  high  schools,  is 
the  vivid  manner  in  which  journalism  is  correlated  with  a  study  of  Shake- 
speare's Julius  Caesar;  this  requires  a  thorough  study  of  the  text  notes,  and 
develops  an  interest  in  Roman  history  and  customs.  Articles  are  written  and 
sent  to  the  'city'  desk  where  they  are  corrected  and  converted  into  a  com- 
plete newspaper  with  typically  modern  headlines:  "THOUSANDS  KILLED  As 
WORST  STORM  IN  HISTORY  SWEEPS  ROME — GODS  VENT  ANGER  ON  IM- 
PERIAL CITY."  The  quarrel  between  Cassius  and  Brutus  is  written  as  today's 
war  correspondents  would  cover  it.  Commercial  advertisements  are  not  for- 
gotten as  a  "Used  Chariot  for  sale"  item  may  appear,  and  even  Portia's 
death  notice  has  its  place  in  the  'Obit'  column.  In  decided  contrast  to 
earlier  methods  the  student  is  getting  a  deeper  knowledge  of  the  English 
classics  and  newspaper  training  as  well. 

The  Parent-Teacher  Association,  which  today  is  so  closely  allied  with  our 
schools,  has  brought  a  new  fellowship  between  parents  and  teachers  in  the 
interest  of  the  children.  Chief  among  its  objects  has  been  a  health  survey 
or  'summer  roundup'  of  preschool  children;  a  cultural  course  is  given,  com- 
prising musical  concerts,  educational  movies,  art  collections,  and  lectures 
suitable  for  children  of  various  ages.  Another  important  part  of  their 
works  is  the  Child  Welfare  and  Safety  Program,  through  which  under- 
nourished children  are  provided  with  milk  during  the  winter  months;  cloth- 
ing is  also  provided  for  needy  children. 

A  general  interest  is  taken  in  the  schools  and  their  activities  by  alumni 
associations,  the  Portland  Chamber  of  Commerce,  service  clubs,  women's 
clubs,  welfare  and  medical  associations,  and  various  other  civic  bodies,  as 


Education  101 

well  as  individual  citizens.  Many  organizations  act  as  sponsors  for  school 
contests,  entertainments,  and  sports,  and  assist  in  the  vocational  guidance 
programs.  Funds  are  contributed  for  library  books,  school  scholarships,  and 
prizes.  Several  bequests  have  been  made  for  free  care  in  convalescent  homes 
for  teachers  who  have  become  ill,  or  who  may  be  in  need  of  financial  aid. 

Portland's  school  system  employs  a  group  of  special  teachers  who  give 
instructions  in  the  homes  of  children  physically  unable  to  attend  the  regular 
schools;  an  attempt  is  made  to  accustom  these  pupils  to  their  environment, 
eliminating  any  possible  sense  of  inferiority  they  might  acquire  while  seg- 
regated from  group  educational  activities.  Pupil  health  is  stressed  in  the 
present  local  school  system,  and  when  the  public,  parochial,  and  private 
schools  combined  for  a  tuberculosis  survey  in  1935,  so  much  interest  was 
aroused  that  an  X-ray  machine  was  purchased  by  the  Portland  School  De- 
partment and  through  the  direction  of  the  Superintendent  of  Public  School 
Buildings  a  developing  room,  commodious  and  fully  equipped,  was  installed. 
General  physical  examinations,  teeth  examination,  vaccination,  toxoid  for  the 
prevention  of  diphtheria,  tuberculin  tests,  cardiac  examination,  audiometer 
tests,  and  examination  of  the  eyes  are  all  included  in  the  general  health  pro- 
gram. Some  of  the  special  classes  maintained  in  the  Portland  Public  schools 
are:  a  Sight-Saving  Class,  Lip  Reading  classes,  Open  Window  Room  classes, 
and  Ungraded  classes  which  have  been  organized  to  give  some  children 
special  aid  and  direction  in  their  school  work.  Safety  activities  of  the  Port- 
land public  schools  include:  courses  of  study  in  safety,  safety  films,  safety 
playlets,  safety  radio  talks,  the  School  Boy  Patrol  to  assist  in  directing 
traffic,  fire-drills,  and  lessons  in  accident  prevention. 

In  co-operation  with  the  Federal  Government,  through  its  Adult  Educa- 
tion Program  established  in  the  early  months  of  work-relief,  the  Portland 
School  Committee  has  alleviated  unemployment  among  teachers  by  utilizing 
their  services  in  presenting  courses  in  literacy  and  home  economics.  The 
National  Youth  Administration,  through  its  Student  Aid  Fund,  has  as- 
sisted needy  college  and  high  school  students,  between  the  ages  of  16  and 
25,  by  placing  them  at  work  in  their  respective  schools  and  in  local  offices 
of  units  of  the  Federal  Government. 

Although  Portland's  public  and  private  schools  offer  many  diversified 
educational  mediums,  the  city  has  additional  facilities  for  advanced  train- 
ing. Complete  business  courses  are  offered  at  Northeastern,  Shaw's,  Gray's, 
and  the  Maine  School  of  Commerce.  The  Portland  Junior  College,  estab- 
lished in  1933  and  sponsored  by  the  local  Young  Men's  Christian  Asso- 


102  Portland  City  Guide 

ciation  in  affiliation  with  Boston  University,  offers  extension  courses  in 
business  administration,  practical  arts  and  letters,  liberal  arts,  social  work, 
journalism,  education,  and  law.  Portland  Junior  Technical  College,  es- 
tablished in  1937,  has  aligned  its  curriculum  with  several  eastern  univer- 
sities and  offers  fourteen  professional  programs,  leading  to  the  various 
fields  of  engineering,  science,  and  industry.  Peabody  Law  School,  established 
in  1927  and  incorporated  in  1934,  is  the  only  accredited  law  school  in 
Maine,  and  the  local  School  of  Fine  and  Applied  Art  is  the  only  institution 
of  its  kind  in  the  State.  Students  interested  in  aviation  receive  instruc- 
tion at  the  government-approved  flying  school  located  at  the  Portland 
Airport. 


RELIGION 

The  history  of  religion  in  Portland  extends  over  more  than  two  hundred 
years,  from  the  early  days  of  old  Falmouth  and  its  journalistic  Reverend 
Thomas  Smith,  to  the  modern  city  with  27  established  beliefs  taught  in 
over  seventy  churches  and  missions.  In  the  early  days  Congregationalism 
was  the  only  faith  approved  by  the  Puritan  authorities  of  Massachusetts; 
today  foreign  groups  have  their  own  houses  of  worship,  in  which  services 
are  conducted  in  their  native  tongues.  Greeks,  Jews,  Italians,  and  others  have 
large  and  influential  parishes.  The  early  feeling  of  religious  animosity  has 
been  tempered  by  liberalism;  religious  persecution  has  given  way  to  friendly 
co-operation  and  interdenominational  activity  for  the  communal  good. 

Early  Falmouth  was  not  long  entirely  without  spiritual  comfort,  as  only 
four  years  elapsed  between  the  settlement  of  'The  Neck'  by  Cleeve  and 
Tucker  and  the  coming  to  this  region  of  the  first  minister.  Traveling 
Jesuits,  under  the  leadership  of  Father  Rale  of  Norridgewock,  visited  the 
settlement  on  their  trips  among  the  Indians,  whom  they  endeavored  to  con- 
vert to  Catholicism.  In  spite  of  these  intermittent  visits  by  itinerant 
preachers,  the  religious  needs  of  the  first  settlers  were  not  well  cared  for, 
according  to  William  Willis,  the  historian.  For  nearly  a  hundred  years  after 
the  settlement  of  the  town  there  was  no  organized  church  with  its  own  or- 
dained minister;  and  when  the  young  Thomas  Smith,  later  to  be  the  first 
pastor  invested  with  ministerial  functions,  visited  Falmouth  in  1725,  he 
found  most  of  the  people  poor,  and  some  "that  were  soldiers,  who  had  wives 
on  the  place,  and  were  mean  animals." 

The  Episcopalian  religion  was  the  first  faith  in  this  region,  established 
under  the  leadership  of  Richard  Gibson,  a  graduate  of  Cambridge,  who 


104  Portland  City  Guide 

arrived  in  1637  to  administer  spiritually  to  the  settlement  on  Richmond 
Island.  He  was  the  first  permanent  pioneer  of  the  church,  and  was  suc- 
ceeded three  years  later  by  Robert  Jordan  who  officiated  in  the  same  capa- 
city for  38  years.  The  General  Court  of  Massachusetts  had  no  respect  for 
men  of  this  faith,  and  in  1669  ordered  the  inhabitants  "to  get  a  Congrega- 
tional minister."  George  Burroughs,  a  Harvard  College  graduate,  came 
the  following  year  and  remained  until  driven  away  by  the  Indians  ten 
years  later.  He  returned,  however,  and  remained  until  Indians  destroyed  the 
town  in  1690.  Once  more  he  escaped  death,  but  in  1692  was  executed  in 
Salem  for  witchcraft  on  the  spurious  testimony  of  a  12-year-old  child. 

Local  opposition  to  the  government  of  Massachusetts  arose  from  differ- 
ence of  religious  opinion  and  the  continued  conflict  for  supremacy  between 
the  Episcopalians  and  the  Puritan  authorities.  This  caused  a  constant  fever 
of  agitation  and  party  animosity  which  created  an  unfavorable  spiritual 
climate.  About  1719  Jonathan  Pierpont  was  sent  to  The  Neck*  as  chaplain 
of  the  garrison;  remaining  about  six  years,  Pierpont  preached  Congrega- 
tionalism to  the  townspeople. 

The  first  church  to  be  erected  in  the  town  was  the  First  Parish,  Con- 
gregational, a  crude  wooden  building  at  King  and  India  streets.  Up  to  this 
time  the  poverty  of  the  inhabitants  had  prevented  them  from  having  a 
house  of  worship.  With  the  incorporation  of  Falmouth  as  a  town  in  June, 
1718,  it  was  advised  that  a  meetinghouse  should  be  built  "after  the  most 
commodious  manner,  for  the  benefit  of  the  town  in  general."  However,  it 
was  not  until  two  years  later  that  the  town  voted  to  erect  a  church  struc- 
ture; financial  conditions  prolonged  the  start  of  construction  until  the  fol- 
lowing year.  It  was  a  memorable  day  in  the  annals  of  Falmouth  when,  in 
1727,  Thomas  Smith  was  ordained  here  as  the  first  permanent  preacher  at 
the  head  of  an  established  meetinghouse.  He  was  solemnly  inducted  into 
office  with  style  and  ceremony  never  before  witnessed  in  this  part  of  the 
country.  A  young  student  fresh  from  Harvard,  he  found  things  in  a  sad 
state — a  population  in  poverty,  a  church  half  completed,  without  seats  or 
pulpit.  His  salary  was  £70  a  year,  with  board  and  contributions  from 
parishioners.  The  settlers  built  him  a  home  which  was  considered  the  most 
pretentious  house  in  the  neighborhood,  boasting  the  only  papered  room  in 
town,  the  paper  being  fastened  on  with  nails  instead  of  paste.  Along  with 
his  spiritual  work  Parson  Smith  practiced  the  art  of  medicine,  being  often 
called  to  minister  to  the  needs  of  the  body  as  well  as  to  those  of  the  souL 

This  expanding  parish  rapidly  outgrew  such  small  accommodations,  and 


Religion  105 

to  meet  the  growth  of  the  town,  a  new  meetinghouse,  also  of  wood,  was 
completed  in  1740  on  the  site  of  the  present  stone  church,  which  was  then 
considered  as  "being  far  in  the  country."  The  history  of  this  early  edifice, 
later  dubbed  'The  Old  Jerusalem/  is  inextricably  interwoven  with  Port- 
land's own  story,  for  certainly  no  church  has  played  a  greater  part  in  its 
development.  It  was  long  the  favorite  church  of  the  first  families,  includ- 
ing the  Prebles  and  the  Longfellows.  In  the  British  bombardment  of  the 
town  in  1775  cannon  balls  struck  'The  Old  Jerusalem.'  When  the  present 
church  was  built  in  1825,  one  of  the  shot  was  used  in  the  suspension  of  the 
glass  chandelier. 

Considerable  agitation  was  aroused  among  the  parishioners  in  1758  on 
the  acquisition  of  a  church  bell  from  England.  Some,  living  on  the  out- 
skirts of  the  village,  complained  they  could  not  hear  its  peal  and  they  were 
therefore  late  for  meeting;  others  considered  it  a  form  of  religious  degen- 
eracy, an  adoption  of  popish  ideas,  and  feared  a  decline  of  Congregational- 
ism. In  spite  of  these  conflicting  opinions,  the  First  Parish  Church  was  en- 
larged in  1760,  a  steeple  was  built,  and  the  bell,  previously  hung  in  a 
frame  in  the  churchyard,  was  installed;  a  year  later  a  spire  was  added. 
Throughout  these  years  there  was  bitter  religious  dissension  among  the 
parishioners.  Also,  about  this  time,  a  tendency  toward  a  more  liberal  reli- 
gion in  New  England  was  creeping  into  the  Province  of  Maine.  To  combat 
this,  the  'Great  Whitefield,'  a  revivalist  from  England  extolling  Puritanical 
doctrines  toured  New  England  in  the  1740's.  Whitefield's  preaching  in 
Portland,  instead  of  assisting  the  Congregational  faith,  subsequently 
brought  about  dissension  in  the  First  Parish;  some  of  the  congregation, 
Episcopalians  at  heart,  began  openly  to  proclaim  the  Church  of  England. 
Thus,  the  installation  of  a  bell,  rancorous  to  ardent  Congregationalists, 
coupled  with  other  conflicting  incidents,  including  the  grumblings  of  the 
Episcopal-minded  in  the  parish,  formed  the  basis  of  conflicts  which  event- 
ually brought  about  the  cleavage  in  the  original  First  Parish  Church. 

Over  a  period  of  years  disgruntled  parishioners  had  been  involved  in  sev- 
eral skirmishes  over  religious  activities;  eventually  the  First  Parish  was 
split  into  four  divisions,  according  to  localities.  The  smoldering  sparks  of 
Episcopalianism  flared  forth  in  November,  1763,  when  by  a  written  agree- 
ment of  41  parishioners  the  first  Episcopal  Society  was  tentatively  formed. 
In  February,  1764,  subscribers  of  the  First  Parish  met  to  discuss  future  pro- 
ceedings. Differences  of  opinion  over  some  of  the  proposed  plans,  includ- 
ing those  for  the  new  Episcopal  Society,  were  so  great  that  two  important 


106  Portland  City  Guide 

church  members  quarreled  and  fought  in  the  street,  causing  Parson  Smith 
to  record  in  his  diary  that  "the  foundation  for  a  church  was  laid — the  pil- 
lars tremble!"  In  July  the  seceding  members  of  the  First  Parish  Church 
voted  to  adopt  the  forms  of  the  Church  of  England;  in  a  short  time  the 
first  Episcopal  Society  was  officially  organized.  John  Wiswall,  a  Congre- 
gational preacher  with  Episcopal  leanings,  was  invited  to  become  the  first 
rector  of  the  new  church,  although  at  that  time  he  had  not  been  ordained 
by  the  Church  of  England;  in  October  he  sailed  for  England  for  Episcopal 
ordination,  returning  the  following  May  to  find  that  his  supporters  had 
built  him  a  church,  dedicated  to  the  sacred  memory  of  St.  Paul. 

At  the  commencement  of  the  Revolution  there  were  three  religious 
groups  in  this  vicinity:  the  scattered  Congregationalists  of  the  First  Parish 
Church,  the  growing  number  of  adherents  to  the  Church  of  England,  and 
a  straggling  group  of  Quakers,  who,  although  they  had  their  own  small 
meetinghouse  just  outside  the  limits  of  'The  Neck/  were  forced  to  con- 
tribute to  the  support  of  the  First  Parish.  The  First  Parish,  Congrega- 
tional Church,  was  somewhat  affected  by  the  events  of  the  war,  but  Episco- 
pal St.  Paul's  Church  suffered  greatly;  St.  Paul's  church  structure  was  de- 
stroyed in  the  bombardment  of  the  town  by  the  British,  and  its  minister, 
John  Wiswall,  a  Tory,  fled  to  English  soil.  This  combination  of  tragic  cir- 
cumstances resulted  in  the  disbanding  of  the  Episcopal  society,  which  lay 
dormant  for  over  a  decade. 

Following  years  of  dissension  during  which  occurred  the  breaking  up  of 
the  First  Parish  into  several  divisions,  the  formation  of  an  Episcopal  so- 
ciety, and  the  dark  days  of  the  Revolution,  religious  activity  on  'The  Neck' 
entered  its  most  momentous  decade.  Staunch  supporters  of  Parson  Smith, 
who  realized  their  beloved  pastor  was  becoming  aged,  gave  him  an  assistant, 
Samuel  Deane.  For  20  years  Deane  labored  with  Parson  Smith,  aiding 
him  in  the  transformation  of  the  poor  fishing  village  on  'The  Neck'  into  a 
cultured,  enterprising  seaport.  In  1786  when  Parson  Smith  was  84  years  old, 
the  parish  asked  him  to  relinquish  his  salary,  as  he  was  not  able  to  perform 
the  whole  of  his  church  duties.  Smith  refused  to  resign,  causing  much  ex- 
citement in  the  town;  many  of  the  parishioners,  dissatisfied  with  maintain- 
ing two  ministers,  were  clamoring  for  a  new  church  building,  others  favored 
repairing  the  original  building.  In  1787  a  vote  was  passed  to  dismantle  the 
old  structure  and  build  a  new  church  by  subscription.  This  step  precipitated 
the  crisis  that  completely  severed  the  warring  Congregational  factions  of  the 
First  Parish;  in  September  the  new  Second  Parish  was  set  off.  Parson 


Religion  107 

Smith,  rapidly  aging,  fretfully  recorded  in  his  diary:  "Poor  Portland 
is  plunging  into  ruinous  confusion  by  the  separation.  A  great  flocking  to  the 
separate  meeting  last  Sunday  and  this,  in  the  schoolhouse."  In  March, 
1788,  the  Second  Parish  Congregational  Church  of  Portland  was  incor- 
porated; by  early  fall  its  new  preacher,  Elijah  Kellogg,  had  arrived  in  Port- 
land for  his  duties.  Kellogg's  peculiar  and  ardent  style  of  preaching  drew 
so  large  a  congregation  to  the  new  parish  that  for  a  time  the  First  Parish 
suffered  considerably. 

Immediately  an  intense  rivalry  started  between  the  two  Congregational 
parishes.  In  May,  1795,  the  First  Parish's  aged  Person  Smith  died  and  his 
entire  duties  were  turned  over  to  Deane,  who  was  assisted  in  parish  activi- 
ties by  Ichabod  Nichols,  a  liberal;  in  the  Second  Parish,  Parson  Kellogg 
had  in  1807  ordained  Edward  Payson  as  a  colleague.  At  NichoPs  ordina- 
tion in  1809  this  rivalry  was  flagrantly  exhibited  when  Payson  challenged 
the  right  of  the  neophyte  to  act  as  a  Christian  minister,  and  refused  to  al- 
low him  to  preach  in  the  Second  Parish  pulpit.  Previously  there  had  been 
an  exchange  of  ministers.  Under  Nichol's  pastorship,  the  First  Parish 
Congregational  Church  soon  joined  other  churches  in  New  England  in  the 
growing  liberal  movement  toward  Unitarianism. 

In  1819  Nichols  journeyed  to  Baltimore  to  participate  in  the  ordination 
of  Jared  Sparks,  the  famous  ceremony  at  which  William  Ellery  Channing 
first  formulated  Unitarianism,  outlining  its  five  points  in  contrast  to  those 
of  Calvinism;  Channing  had  consulted  Nichols  previously  regarding  the 
sermon.  Six  years  later  the  First  Parish  Church,  together  with  other  New 
England  Churches,  openly  declared  themselves  Unitarian  and  joined  the 
American  Unitarian  Association. 

During  the  years  the  First  Parish  was  drawing  away  from  Congrega- 
tionalism, the  Second  Parish  was  more  closely  embracing  orthodox  Calvin- 
ism. Prior  to  actual  formation  of  a  Unitarian  church  in  the  First  Parish 
the  two  churches,  despite  rivalry  and  differences,  had  worked  in  unity 
to  the  extent  of  fostering  the  erection  of  several  new  Congregational  church 
buildings  in  various  sections  of  the  town.  In  1923  the  Second  Parish 
Church  abandoned  Congregationalism  and  became  Presbyterian.  Through 
the  years  several  branches  of  the  original  Congregationalist  First  Parish  have 
sprung  up.  Today  in  Portland  there  are  eight  Congregational  churches: 
North  Deering  Community,  Scandinavian  Bethlehem,  St.  Lawrence 
[Wright  Memorial],  State  Street,  Stevens  Avenue,  West,  Williston,  and 
Woodfords. 


108  Portland  City  Guide 

To  Portland's  Williston  Congregational  Church  goes  the  honor  of  found- 
ing, in  1881,  the  world-wide  Young  People's  Christian  Endeavor.  This  so- 
ciety, originated  by  the  Reverend  Francis  E.  Clark  of  the  Williston  Church, 
has  been  called  the  most  valuable  religious  advance  made  in  a  century.  Be- 
ginning with  a  little  band  of  neighborhood  children  who  gathered  in  the 
church  vestry  for  a  religious  meeting,  the  nucleus  of  a  movement  was  formed 
which  became  nation-wide,  and  has  spread  to  foreign  lands. 

The  Presbyterian  faith  had  its  start  in  this  area  with  the  arrival  in  1718 
of  20  emigrant  families  from  the  north  of  Ireland,  all  devout  Presbyterians; 
these  families  had  previously  fled  from  Scotland  to  Ireland  to  avoid  the 
persecutions  of  Charles  I.  It  was  not  easy  for  them  to  lay  aside  the  reli- 
gious convictions  of  their  faith  when  they  arrived  in  America,  and  abruptly 
accept  the  Congregational  faith  as  ordered  by  Massachusetts'  Puritans.  It 
was  known  that  the  Purpooduck  parish  [Cape  Elizabeth]  was  strongly 
Presbyterian  under  the  pastorship  of  Benjamin  Allen.  In  May,  1739,  when 
Allen  had  been  replaced  by  William  Macclanghan,  Parson  Smith  paid  a 
visit  to  the  Purpooduck  parish;  on  his  return  he  laconically  recorded  in  his 
diary:  "Mr.  McClanathan  installed:  I  had  a  clash  with  him."  However, 
it  was  not  until  1885  that  the  First  Presbyterian  Church  in  this  city  was 
established,  with  John  R.  Grosser  as  the  first  pastor.  Early  services  were 
held  in  Mechanics  Building  on  Congress  Street.  In  1923  this  first  local 
Presbyterian  society,  which  had  grown  to  a  membership  of  92,  merged  with 
the  Second  Parish  Church,  in  which  Congregationalism  had  become  imbued 
with  Presbyterian  principles;  the  two  churches  united  to  form  the  present 
Second  Parish  Presbyterian  Church,  the  only  one  in  Maine  still  retaining 
orthodox  Presbyterian  beliefs. 

Although  a  few  Quakers  settled  on  'The  Neck*  in  1743,  their  first  house 
of  worship  in  Portland  was  not  erected  until  1796.  Prior  to  their  arrival  the 
First  Parish  Church  observed  a  day  of  "fasting  and  prayer  on  account  of  the 
spread  of  Quakerism  ..."  in  New  England.  The  plainness  of  dress,  man- 
ners, and  speech  of  the  town's  first  Quakers  were  the  source  of  much  ridicule 
by  the  townsfolk.  Although  required  to  contribute  toward  the  support  of 
the  Congregational  church,  the  Quakers  soon  established  their  own  beliefs 
and  with  others  of  the  same  faith  assembled  for  communal  service  in  a  small 
meetinghouse  near  the  Presumpscot  River,  outside  the  limits  of  'The  Neck/ 
One  of  the  first  prominent  Quakers  in  this  region  was  'Aunt'  Sarah  Horton, 
who,  at  the  age  of  96,  has  been  described  as  "straight  and  majestic  as  a 
palm  tree,  and  in  full  possession  of  her  faculties."  'Aunt'  Horton  and  her 


Religion  109 

husband  owned  the  first  four-wheeled  carriage  in  Portland,  and  in  it  they 
accompanied  visiting  Quaker  preachers  through  the  interior  of  the  District 
of  Maine.  Today  the  Society  of  Friends,  commonly  called  Quakers,  has 
two  meetinghouses  in  the  city. 

The  Quakers  were  the  first  to  bring  to  their  church  services  some  medium 
of  comfort.  Early  churchgoers  endured  much  physical  distress,  for  the 
churches  were  without  heat  as  late  as  the  early  1800's;  it  was  thought  sinful 
to  "mix  religion  with  bodily  comfort."  Ministers  were  often  obliged  to 
pound  the  pulpit  to  get  warmth  into  their  chilled  fingers,  and  occasionally 
some  embarrassment  was  caused  officiating  ministers  when  water  for  bap- 
tisms froze.  Although  the  Quakers  were  much  ridiculed  when  they  first 
set  up  a  stove  in  their  local  meetinghouse,  other  congregations  soon  realized 
the  benefits  and  adopted  them.  These  early  Quaker  stoves,  described  as 
large  boxlike  heaters  placed  in  the  middle  aisle,  were  covered  with  loose 
bricks  which — when  thoroughly  heated — the  members  of  the  congregation 
took  to  their  seats  for  warmth  during  the  long  sermons. 

Church  attendance  in  early  days  was  compulsory,  and  no  travel  was  al- 
lowed on  the  Sabbath  except  to  religious  service.  Ministers  wore  black  robes 
and  flowing  wigs,  presenting  a  somber  picture  that  fitted  their  lengthy  and 
tedious  sermons.  The  tithingman  was  kept  continually  busy  quieting  rest- 
less children  ranged  on  the  stairs,  and  waking  the  elders  drowsing  in  the 
hard  pews.  The  early  churches  had  decided  opinions  on  Sabbath-day  dress; 
it  was  considered  an  offense  for  a  'brother'  to  wear  more  buttons  on  his 
clothes  than  needful,  or  for  a  'sister'  to  wear  ruffles,  ribbands,  or  lace  on 
her  dress  or  cloak.  Likewise,  there  was  a  pronounced  sentiment  against 
theatrical  productions,  and  many  a  show  troupe  was  obliged  to  close  its 
engagement  and  leave  town. 

Doctrines  of  Shakerism  were  brought  to  Falmouth  by  converts  of 
'Mother*  Ann  Lee,  founder  of  the  sect  who  arrived  in  this  country  in 
1744.  Converts  instilled  several  of  the  families  on  The  Neck'  with  her 
tenets,  and  within  a  few  years,  a  small  Shaker  colony  was  formed  within 
the  township;  in  1793  this  local  group  joined  the  newly  formed  colony  at 
New  Gloucester.  The  Shakers,  or  members  of  the  United  Society  of  Be- 
lievers in  Christ's  Second  Appearing,  organized  some  of  the  first  religious 
colonies  in  Maine.  Their  settlements  at  Alfred  and  New  Gloucester,  both 
established  in  1793,  were  active  for  many  years;  in  1925  the  Alfred  village 
was  abandoned,  but  the  New  Gloucester  settlement,  though  greatly  di- 
minished, still  continued  in  1939.  The  Society's  doctrines  somewhat  re- 


110 Portland  City  Guide 

semble  those  of  the  Quakers,  except  that  they  hold  to  complete  celibacy. 
New  converts  are  made  by  the  adoption  of  orphans. 

Jesse  Lee,  a  'circuit  rider,'  or  preacher  who  traveled  through  the  country 
on  horseback  without  purse  or  script,  first  introduced  Methodism  to  Port- 
land with  his  arrival  in  1793.  Lee  preached  the  first  Methodist  sermon  in 
Maine  at  Saco  on  September  10;  two  days  later  in  a  private  home,  he 
delivered  his  first  sermon  in  Portland.  Riding  eastward,  Lee  preached  al- 
most daily  at  other  communities,  and  on  his  return  to  Portland  "was  per- 
mitted to  preach  for  a  time  in  Mr.  Kellogg's  meetinghouse;  but  as  certain 
difficulties  arose  he  did  not  long  enjoy  that  privilege,  being  degraded  at 
length  to  the  humble  situation  of  a  private  house."  Lee  again  returned  to 
the  town  in  December,  "preaching  in  the  Court  House  to  a  large  and  at- 
tentive throng."  Lee  is  credited  with  forming  Portland's  first  group  of 
Methodists,  for  Joshua  Taylor,  Presiding  Elder  of  Maine  in  1797,  records 
in  his  The  Rise  of  Methodism  in  Portland  that  a  Portland  society  was  or- 
ganized in  1794.  In  December,  1795,  the  first  quarterly  meeting  in  Maine 
was  held  at  Poland,  and  Elder  Philip  Wager  was  appointed  the  traveling 
preacher  for  the  circuit  which  included  Portland.  When  Bishop  Francis 
Asbury,  America's  first  Methodist  Bishop,  visited  Portland  in  1798,  he 
made  the  entry  in  his  diary  that  he  "preached  in  the  back  room  of  Widow 
Boynton's  house  to  about  twenty-five,  chiefly  women.  In  the  afternoon 
preached  to  about  double  that  number." 

Perhaps  Joshua  Taylor  may  be  called  the  actual  father  of  the  Methodist 
Church  in  Portland;  it  was  he,  while  en  route  through  Portland  in  March, 
1804,  for  the  Fourth  General  Conference  which  met  in  Baltimore,  who 
solicited  subscriptions  from  local  Methodists  for  the  purchase  of  the  old 
Episcopal  church  building;  the  purchase  made,  the  structure  was  removed 
to  another  site.  Later  Taylor  was  appointed  to  the  pastorate  of  this  first 
Methodist  church  in  Portland.  By  1812  the  Methodists  had  built  the 
Chestnut  Street  Church,  called  the  mother  church  of  Portland  Methodism. 
Today  Portland's  Methodist  churches  include:  Chestnut  Street,  Clark 
Memorial,  Congress  Street,  Italian,  Warren  Avenue,  Washington  Avenue, 
Peaks  Island,  Long  Island,  and  the  African  Methodist  Episcopal  Zion.  This 
latter  church,  the  only  one  in  Maine  for  negroes,  is  the  result  of  the  Abys- 
sinian church  founded  in  1835  by  honorably  dismissed  negro  members  of 
the  Second  Parish  Congregational  Church;  the  society  became  Methodist 
in  1891. 

Although  the  first  Baptist  church  in  America  had  been  founded  by  Roger 


Religion  111 

Williams  in  Providence,  Rhode  Island,  in  1639,  it  was  not  until  the  close  of 
the  18th  century  that  any  effort  was  made  to  organize  a  Portland  society. 
During  the  1790's  local  communicants  of  other  established  churches  began 
to  attend  services  held  by  the  Reverend  Ephraim  Clark,  a  Congregation- 
alist,  in  Cape  Elizabeth.  His  more  spiritual  sermons  influenced  the  local 
dissenters  to  study  the  Scriptures  intensively  with  the  result  they  were 
"surprised  on  finding  that  they  had  received  ...  the  views  of  the  Baptist 
denomination."  This  local  group  continued  to  maintain  a  "Congregational 
polity,"  but  diverged  from  the  path  of  strict  Congregationalism  to  include 
adult  immersion  in  their  religious  ritual.  In  July,  1801,  ten  of  the  local 
pioneer  Baptists  met  in  council  to  form  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Port- 
land, although  it  was  not  until  three  years  later  that  they  were  able  to  build 
their  first  meetinghouse.  This  modest  building  was  erected  on  Federal 
Street  on  ground  purchased  from  and  adjoining  the  house  of  Benjamin 
Titcomb  where  the  Baptist-minded  local  people  had  met  following  the 
death  of  the  Reverend  Clark.  Titcomb  was  elected  the  first  pastor  of  the 
new  church. 

In  1810  the  city's  first  Freewill  Baptist  group  was  formed  under  the 
leadership  of  the  Reverend  Elias  Smith;  during  its  existence  this  society 
bore  several  names — Christians,  Freewill  Baptists,  and  the  Union  Society. 
During  subsequent  years  the  history  of  the  Baptist  denomination  in  Port- 
land is  one  of  steady  growth — new  societies  were  formed  and  churches 
erected.  In  January,  1836,  members  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  who  resided 
in  the  western  part  of  the  city  formed  the  Second  Baptist  Church,  purchas- 
ing for  their  church  edifice  the  former  Portland  Theater  and  forming  the 
Free  Street  Baptist  Society  under  the  Reverend  Thomas  O.  Lincoln.  In 
1922-23  the  Free  Street  Baptists  merged  with  the  First  Free  Baptist  Church, 
eventually  forming  the  Greater  Immanuel  Baptist  Church;  the  new  edifice 
for  this  combined  group  was  erected  on  High  Street  in  1926-27.  There  are 
in  Portland  today  five  Baptist  churches:  The  First  Baptist,  Central  Square, 
Glenwood  Square  Community  Church,  Immanuel,  and  the  Stroudwater 
Baptist. 

Portland's  first  Universalist  Society  was  organized  in  April,  1821,  first 
services  being  held  in  the  townhouse;  there  is  a  vote  on  record  that  the 
"parish  committee  appoint  two  persons  to  carry  around  the  box  on  Sunday, 
and  that  they  be  authorized  to  alter  the  windows  of  the  Town  House  by  per- 
mission of  the  selectmen."  Though  followers  of  John  Murray's  principles 
of  universal  salvation  were  not  part  of  the  original  religious  picture  of 


112  Portland  City  Guide 

Portland,  many  local  people  adhered  to  these  doctrines  as  early  as  1786. 
Thirteen  years  later  services  were  held  in  a  cooper  shop,  and  occasional 
preachers  from  Connecticut  and  Massachusetts  visited  Portland,  although 
churches  and  meetinghouses  were  forbidden  them  at  that  time.  Once  the 
society  was  organized,  it  did  not  take  the  Universalists  long  to  raise  a 
church  structure.  In  April,  1821,  at  a  parish  meeting,  it  was  voted  to  pur- 
chase land  for  the  erection  of  a  church;  less  than  four  months  later  this 
building  was  dedicated.  By  1860  a  movement  was  begun  to  establish  a 
second  Universalist  church  in  the  city;  the  next  year  a  temporary  organiza- 
tion was  established,  and  meetings  were  held  but  in  four  years  this  second 
society  was  suspended.  During  the  last  decades  of  the  19th  century  the 
First  Universalist  Parish  became  the  present  Congress  Square  Universalist 
Church,  and  present-day  All  Souls  and  the  Church  of  the  Messiah  were 
organized. 

Portland  Unitarians,  long  a  dissenting  factor  in  the  old  First  Parish  Con- 
gregational Church,  were  officially  recognized  in  1825,  when  the  First 
Parish  joined  with  other  liberal  New  England  churches  in  the  formation  of 
the  American  Unitarian  Association.  Unitarianism,  however,  had  played 
an  important  role  in  Portland's  religious  life  since  the  late  18th  century. 
As  early  as  1792  Thomas  Oxnard  was  preaching  its  doctrines;  originally  an 
Episcopalian  who  headed  a  small  local  society,  Oxnard  had  become  instilled 
with  Unitarianism  through  the  writings  of  the  Englishmen  Lindsey  and 
Belsham,  and  attempted  to  convert  the  Episcopal  society  to  that  belief.  He 
was  unsuccessful,  but  when  the  society  dismissed  him  as  speaker,  a  few  Uni- 
tarian-minded members  followed  him  and  attended  meetings  he  led  in  a 
near-by  schoolhouse.  Thus,  the  sparks  kindled  by  Oxnard  were  ready  to  be 
fanned  into  a  brisk  flame  with  the  ordination  of  Ichabod  Nichols,  the 
liberal  assistant  of  Doctor  Deane  of  the  First  Parish  Congregational 
Church.  In  1835  members  of  Unitarian  First  Parish  Church  formed  a 
second  society,  purchasing  a  former  Methodist  church,  and  installing  as 
their  first  pastor,  Jason  Whitman,  general  agent  of  the  American  Unitarian 
Association.  Twelve  years  later  under  the  direction  of  Ichabod  Nichols 
another  Unitarian  society  was  formed;  in  April,  1849,  W.  H.  Hadley  was 
invited  by  them  to  become  missionary-minister  for  local  Unitarian  work. 
By  the  following  August  an  act  of  incorporation  had  been  passed  in  the 
Maine  Legislature  placing  the  local  Unitarian  societies  under  the  direction 
of  the  Portland  Ministry  at  Large.  A  year  later  the  Nichols-sponsored  so- 


Religion  113 

ciety  had  erected  a  new  chapel.  In  present-day  Portland,  Unitarian  congre- 
gations worship  in  the  old  First  Parish  Church  and  in  Preble  Chapel. 

First  introduced  into  Maine  at  Bath  in  1805,  Swedenborgian  doctrines 
found  a  sincere  follower  in  Portland's  Doctor  Timothy  Little,  a  leading 
physician  and  surgeon  of  the  town,  who  was  converted  in  the  winter  of 
1824-25.  Early  meetings  of  the  first  group  were  held  in  private  homes, 
later  they  were  conducted  in  the  vestry  of  the  Chestnut  Street  Methodist 
Church;  in  June,  1829,  the  first  public  meeting  of  the  new  Church  took 
place.  By  1831  followers  of  the  teachings  of  Emanuel  Swedenborg  had 
permanently  organized  under  the  name  of  the  Portland  Society  of  the  New 
Jerusalem;  in  1836  the  parish  was  incorporated  under  the  laws  of  the  State, 
and  a  year  later  the  first  church  building  was  erected.  Portland  Sweden- 
borgians  were  honored  in  1854  when  the  general  convention  of  the  new 
Church  met  with  the  Portland  society  in  this  city.  The  present  Church 
of  the  New  Jerusalem  dates  from  the  spring  of  1910. 

Mormonism  made  its  appearance  in  Portland  a  few  years  after  the  found- 
ing of  the  sect  in  1830,  three  years  after  Joseph  Smith  is  said  to  have  dis- 
covered the  Book  of  Mormon  engraved  on  thin  gold,  near  Palmyra,  New 
York.  The  city's  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints,  a  so- 
ciety, is  a  part  of  the  Salt  Lake  City  mother  church's  missionary  system. 

Catholicism  in  Portland  had  its  inception  with  the  advent  of  missionaries, 
particularly  Father  Sebastian  Rale,  who  visited  the  mainland  and  the  is- 
lands of  Casco  Bay  as  early  as  1698.  With  colonization  of  the  Province  of 
Maine,  a  few  families,  mostly  of  Irish  descent  who  found  conditions  in 
Massachusetts  unfavorable  to  the  practice  of  their  faith,  settled  in  this 
eastern  region.  They  were  served  by  occasional  missionaries  en  route  to  and 
from  the  Indian  missions  of  the  Kennebec  and  Penobscot  river  valleys.  The 
first  permanent  Catholic  church  in  Maine  was  established  at  Newcastle  in 
the  first  years  of  the  19th  century  by  Father  Jean  de  Cheverus,  later  to  be 
the  first  Roman  Catholic  Bishop  of  New  England.  Official  records  show 
that  Father  James  Romagne,  who  was  stationed  at  Pleasant  Point,  baptized 
children  in  Portland  in  1811,  1812,  and  1815.  Bishop  Cheverus  visited 
Portland  in  1813  and  nine  years  later  the  town's  43  Catholics  petitioned 
Bishop  Cheverus  for  a  local  parish.  To  comply  with  their  wishes,  the  Bishop 
himself  came  to  Portland  to  offer  the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass  in  a  pri- 
vate home;  at  the  same  time  he  administered  Baptism  and  Confirmation. 
Soon  a  Catholic  society  was  formed;  it  was  visited  regularly  by  Father 
Denis  Ryan,  the  pastor  of  the  parishes  at  North  Whitefield  and  at  Damari- 


114  Portland  City  Guide 

scotta,  and  by  missionaries  on  the  way  from  Boston  to  Eastport.  When 
Bishop  Benedict  J.  Fenwick  visited  Portland  in  1827  there  were  nearly 
two  hundred  Catholics  in  the  local  parish. 

Although  the  early  Catholics  were  not  numerous  or  wealthy,  their  great 
hope  was  to  have  a  church;  in  those  days  it  was  considered  dangerous  to 
show  them  friendship,  but  John  Fox,  a  Protestant,  disapproved  of  this  con- 
duct. He  sold  them  land  on  the  corner  of  Gray  and  State  streets  in  1829 
and  gave  them  a  donation  for  their  first  church,  St.  Dominic's,  which  was 
erected  at  once;  Holy  Mass  was  offered  November  1,  1830.  The  first  resi- 
dent pastor  was  the  Dominican  Father,  Charles  Ffrench,  an  English  con- 
vert, appointed  by  Bishop  Fenwick  in  1828.  When  this  first  church  was 
erected,  Portland  Catholics  were  under  the  Bishop  of  Boston,  but  it  was 
decided  by  the  Holy  See  in  July,  1853,  under  recommendation  of  the  Bishops 
of  the  United  States  in  council  at  Baltimore,  that  a  new  Diocese  of  Port- 
land be  established.  This  was  to  include  the  states  of  Maine  and  New 
Hampshire;  Father  David  W.  Bacon,  of  Brooklyn,  New  York,  was  ap- 
pointed the  first  Bishop  in  1854,  consecrated  in  April,  1855,  and  a  month 
later  he  took  possession  of  the  See  of  Portland.  By  this  time  there  were 
1,600  Catholics  in  the  city. 

Catholicism  continued  to  expand,  and  in  1856  the  Cathedral  Chapel  on 
the  site  of  the  present  one  was  completed;  at  the  same  time  the  founda- 
tion of  the  Cathedral  itself  was  laid.  The  construction  of  the  latter  build- 
ing dragged  on,  interrupted  by  the  Civil  War,  and  later  when  the  devastat- 
ing fire  of  1866  swept  across  the  city,  the  Chapel  and  part  of  the  walls  of 
the  Cathedral  were  consumed.  "Courage  and  Hope"  was  the  motto  of 
Bishop  David  William  Bacon,  who  gathered  his  flock  in  the  sheds  of  the 
Grand  Trunk  Depot  and  accepted  plans  to  rebuild.  A  temporary  chapel 
was  erected  on  the  site  of  the  present  Kavanagh  School;  rebuilding  of  the 
original  chapel  was  completed  in  December,  1866.  The  cornerstone  of  the 
Cathedral  proper  had  been  laid  in  May,  1866,  and  blessed  by  Bishop  Bacon; 
after  the  Portland  fire  rebuilding  commenced,  being  pushed  vigorously 
forward  the  next  three  years.  The  church  was  ready  for  solemn  conse- 
cration in  September,  1869.  This  day  of  sacred  and  impressive  ceremony  was 
climaxed  with  near  tragedy,  when  a  severe  wind  and  rain  storm  in  the 
evening  blew  down  the  tall  steeple  over  the  main  tower;  it  hurtled  across 
the  street,  smashing  a  roof-top.  The  present  steeple,  crowned  with  a  gilt 
cross,  was  completed  a  month  later. 

Portland's  Catholic  churches  today  number  eight:  the  Cathedral  of  the 


Religion  115 

Immaculate  Conception,  St.  Dominic's,  Sacred  Heart,  St.  Joseph's,  St. 
Patrick's,  St.  Christopher's,  St.  Louis'  for  Poles,  and  St.  Peter's  for  Italians. 

A  Hellenic  society  was  organized  in  the  city  about  1922,  by  a  group  of  50 
Greek  residents;  they  had  no  meetinghouse  at  first,  but  were  afforded  the 
use  of  a  church  by  the  officials  of  St.  Luke's  Episcopal  Cathedral.  In  1924 
the  society  purchased  the  historic  Presbyterian  church  at  Park  and  Pleasant 
streets.  The  church  today  is  known  as  Holy  Trinity,  Hellenic  Orthodox. 

Adventism  in  Portland  was  unknown  prior  to  1839,  but  about  this  time 
William  Miller,  a  New  York  farmer,  came  here  and  gave  a  course  of  lec- 
tures on  Second  Adventism.  By  1850  the  Church  of  the  Second  Advent  had 
been  organized,  holding  their  meetings  in  a  hall,  with  B.  B.  Morgan  as 
their  first  pastor.  Although  several  local  sects  have  from  time  to  time  en- 
tertained Adventist  beliefs,  they  have  held  various  names,  and  had  varia- 
tions in  holyday  observances;  some,  called  First  Day  Adventists,  observe 
the  Christian  Sunday,  others  known  as  Seventh  Day  Adventists  keep  the 
sabbath  or  Saturday.  One  of  the  early  'Sisters'  of  this  latter  church,  Ellen 
G.  Harmon,  lived  in  Portland;  when  17  years  of  age  she  began  to  receive 
visions  which  she  related  to  friends  at  a  local  meeting.  Sixty  Portland  peo- 
ple who  believed  her  to  be  divinely  inspired,  indorsed  her  visions  as  the 
work  of  the  Lord.  Later  Miss  Harmon  married  Elder  E.  G.  White,  and 
together  they  traveled  throughout  the  world  in  the  interests  of  Seventh 
Day  Adventism.  The  White  Memorial  Church  and  the  Advent  Christian 
Church  are  active  in  present-day  Portland. 

An  association  of  Spiritualists  was  formed  here  in  1850;  the  society  had 
no  regular  speaker,  nor  any  adopted  creed,  believing  in  spiritual  manifesta- 
tions and  communications  with  the  departed  whom  they  visualized  as  being 
in  constant  sympathy  with  the  living.  Today  their  ceremonies  are  still  con- 
ducted without  regard  to  established  ecclesiastical  ritual.  The  present  First 
Spiritual  Society  meets  in  a  local  hall. 

The  first  local  Lutheran  society  was  formed  when  a  group  of  Scandina- 
vians started  meetings  in  old  Mechanics  Hall  in  1874;  later  the  meetings 
were  held  in  Scandinavian  Hall.  The  society's  first  minister  was  N.  Elle- 
stad.  In  1877  the  First  Lutheran  Church  was  erected,  and  services  were  con- 
ducted alternately  in  Norwegian  and  English.  The  early  Lutheran  congre- 
gations were  composed  principally  of  emigrant  Danes,  Norwegians,  Swedes, 
and  settlers  from  German  Schleswig-Holstein.  Present-day  Lutheran  serv- 
ices are  conducted  in  three  churches:  First,  Immanuel  Lutheran,  and  St. 
Ansgars. 


116  Portland  City  Guide 

Portland's  first  Christian  Science  services  were  held  in  a  hall  of  the 
Calhoun  Block  in  1894,  although  the  First  Church  of  Christ,  Scientist  was 
not  organized  until  two  years  later.  A  Second  Church  was  organized  soon 
after,  holding  services  in  the  Perry  Block;  this  group,  however,  was  dis- 
banded in  1903,  and  its  members  joined  with  the  original  society.  A  church 
was  erected  in  1915  in  which  services  of  the  combined  societies  have  since 
been  held. 

Portland's  Jewry  for  many  years  was  without  a  synagogue  and  the  ser- 
vices of  a  rabbi.  For  some  time  meetings  were  held  in  the  homes  of  the 
earlier  Jewish  arrivals;  eventually  a  small  temple  was  built.  The  first  re- 
ligious teacher  was  Rabbi  Lasker.  Within  a  few  years  a  second  small  house 
of  worship  was  erected  on  Fore  Street  and  a  Hebrew  School  formed,  as 
well  as  charitable  organizations  to  care  for  Jewish  needy.  About  1902  the 
city's  first  major  synagogue  was  built,  thus  climaxing  the  first  era  of  Jewish 
history  in  Portland.  With  the  completion  of  this  synagogue  Portland  be- 
came a  center  of  Jewish  activities  in  the  State.  Rabbi  H.  Shohet,  a  scholar 
well  known  in  America  and  abroad  and  the  author  of  important  works  on 
the  philosophy  of  the  Talmud,  was  secured  as  presiding  pastor  of  the  new 
temple.  Jews  today  worship  in  the  Shaarey  Tphiloh,  Etz  Chaim,  and 
Anshei  Sphaard  synagogues.  These  synagogues  are  united  in  a  Jewish 
Community  Council,  founded  in  1929,  which  engages  a  spiritual  leader  for 
the  Jewish  community.  In  1938  the  former  Knights  of  Pythias  building  on 
Cumberland  Avenue  was  purchased  and  remodeled  into  the  Portland  Jewish 
Community  Center  for  the  social  and  club  activities. 

Many  unusual  incidents  have  been  etched  into  Portland's  religious  pic- 
ture. In  the  early  1900's  when  Frank  W.  Sandford  was  gathering  con- 
verts to  join  his  so-called  'Sandfordites'  or  'Shilohites,'  a  group  of  his  ad- 
herents came  to  Portland  on  an  odd  mission.  The  'Sanfordites'  had  been  in- 
duced by  their  leader,  self -termed  the  modern  'Elijah'  commissioned  by  the 
Lord  to  go  forth  and  convert  the  heathen,  to  pool  their  earthly  belongings 
in  a  common  fund.  They  had  been  waiting  at  Shiloh,  their  hilltop  temple 
in  Durham,  for  the  end  of  the  world  which  their  leader  had  assured  them 
was  soon  to  come;  when  this  ultimate  event  failed  to  materialize,  Sandford 
announced  that  the  Lord  had  commissioned  him  to  journey  to  distant  lands 
for  conversion  of  the  natives.  Aboard  three  small  ships  the  'Sandfordites' 
sailed  from  Portland  for  Jerusalem.  Guided  by  'Elijah,'  who  had  a  flowing 
beard  and  was  garbed  in  a  purple  robe  and  a  sailor  hat,  the  religious  sea- 
farers soon  met  with  stormy  seas,  strong  winds,  and  numerous  mishaps;  lack 


Religion  117 

of  food  forced  them  to  return  to  Portland  Harbor  in  October,  1911.  Per- 
haps this  society,  the  Church  of  the  Holy  Ghost  and  Us  Society,  was  the 
most  important  of  Maine's  many  strange  sects;  it  flourished  with  most 
fervor  at  the  turn  of  the  last  century,  becoming  national  in  scope.  How- 
ever, the  modern  'Elijah'  was  jailed  two  months  after  his  arrival  in  Port- 
land, convicted  as  responsible  for  the  death  of  six  of  his  flock  during  the 
ill-starred  voyage  because  they  had  been  denied  proper  care. 

Aside  from  religious  groups  interesting  mainly  for  uniqueness,  Port- 
land can  boast  of  the  first  radio  parish  in  the  United  States.  Formed  in 
1926  by  the  Reverend  H.  O.  Hough,  the  First  Radio  Parish  of  America, 
through  the  facilities  of  Station  WCSH,  a  local  broadcasting  unit,  has  be- 
come a  household  word  in  thousands  of  homes.  The  broadcasts  are  designed 
primarily  for  persons  who  have  no  opportunity  to  attend  regular  church 
services;  the  parish  is  now  supported  by  nine  denominations. 

The  Bible  Society  of  Maine  was  established  in  Portland  in  1809;  it  dis- 
tributes thousands  of  Bibles  annually  in  more  than  50  different  languages. 
This  society  was  the  fourth  of  its  kind  in  the  United  States  and  in  1816  it 
became  auxiliary  to  the  American  Bible  Society. 

Portland  has  had  several  religious  groups  or  classes  that  were  active  in 
past  years,  some  of  which  still  continue.  Most  widely  known  of  contem- 
porary groups  is  the  Thirteen  Class,  headed  in  1906  by  Henry  F.  Merrill 
of  the  St.  Lawrence  Congregational  Church  where  class  meetings  are  still 
held.  Today  this  class,  which  makes  no  distinction  as  to  race,  creed,  or  color 
in  its  membership,  has  about  three  hundred  men  in  active  attendance.  A 
clubhouse  is  maintained  on  Custom  House  Wharf. 

In  Portland  there  are  also  meetinghouses  and  halls  of  many  associations 
and  missions:  the  Missionary  Alliance,  Salvation  Army,  Volunteers  of 
America,  Church  of  God  [Pentecostal],  Jehovah's  Witness,  Sail  Loft  Mis- 
sion, Disciples,  First  Church  of  the  Nazarene,  Christian  and  Missionary 
Alliance,  Gospel  Temperance  Mission,  Portland  Seamen's  Bethel  and 
Mariners  League,  and  Bethel  Mission. 


TRANSPORTATION 

Highways 

Prior  to  1790  Portland's  means  of  land  communication  were  merely 
woods'  trails,  weaving  from  point  to  point  near  the  shore  whose  occasional 
sand  beaches  afforded  a  natural  highway.  These  trails  of  early  Colonial 
days,  blazed  by  the  Indians  and  later  by  huntsmen,  were  gradually  widened 
by  use,  and  after  official  action  on  the  part  of  the  authorities,  became  ac- 
cepted roads.  The  absence  of  numerous  settlements,  coupled  with  the 
roughness  of  the  terrain  and  the  distances  to  be  traversed,  were  conditions 
which  postponed  the  development  of  land  travel  in  the  frontier  Province  of 
Maine.  Serious  road  building  was  hindered  by  the  prevalence  of  Indian 
wars,  and  the  poverty  of  the  first  communities;  as  a  consequence  all  long 
distance  trips  were  made  by  water. 

The  first  improved  road  in  Portland  of  which  we  have  record  is  Fore 
Street,  which  was  in  time  paved  with  cobble  stones.  When  the  Commis- 
sioners of  the  Colony  of  Massachusetts  came  to  the  Province  of  Maine  to 
hold  court,  they  could  get  no  farther  than  Wells  because  of  bad  roads;  in 
1653  the  Massachusetts  government  ordered  that  the  inhabitants  of  Wells, 
Saco,  and  Cape  Porpoise  should  make  "sufficient  highways  within  their 
towns,  from  house  to  house,  and  to  clear  and  fit  them  for  foot  and  cart  be- 
fore the  next  county  court,  under  the  penalty  of  ten  pounds  for  every 
town's  defect  in  this  particular,  and  that  they  lay  out  a  sufficient  highway 
for  horse  and  foot,  between  towns  and  towns  within  that  time." 

A  few  years  later  Falmouth  and  Scarborough  were  bidden  to  make  their 
roads  passable;  as  the  population  and  business  of  old  Falmouth  increased, 
it  became  necessary  to  improve  further  the  facilities  of  travel.  An  early 
road  was  laid  out  from  the  ferry-way  in  Cape  Elizabeth  past  the  lighthouse 
and  the  head  of  Pond  Cove,  bending  westerly  across  the  cape  directly  to 


Transportation  1 19 

Spurwink  River,  which  was  crossed  by  ferry  about  a  mile  from  its  mouth. 
This  road,  known  as  the  'King's  Highway/  was  taken  by  Thomas  Smith, 
the  young  parson  of  the  First  Parish  Church  when  he  journeyed  to  Boston 
on  horseback  in  1726;  it  was  20  miles  longer  than  the  present  road.  Much 
of  the  land  travel  in  frontier  Maine  was  done  in  the  winter,  as  the  other 
seasons  were  occupied  with  efforts  to  raise  farm  products  and  in  making 
'home'  merchandise.  Winter  was  the  time  for  visiting  and  undertaking 
trips  to  distant  towns  to  find  markets  for  commodities;  during  the  cold 
months  the  roads  were  no  longer  "seas  of  mud  with  archipelagoes  of  tree- 
stumps,"  but  were  frozen  highways,  as  were  the  streams. 

Sleigh  travel  appeared  locally  at  an  early  date;  the  pung  drawn  by  two 
horses,  and  the  'pod'  by  one,  were  in  general  use  about  1700.  The  pung, 
when  loaded  for  a  journey,  must  have  presented  an  interesting  spectacle. 
In  the  body  of  the  vehicle  sat  the  farmer's  wife  with  maybe  a  child  or  two 
bundled  up  in  blankets  and  mittens  against  the  cold.  Around  them  were 
heaped  the  things  they  had  prepared  for  sale:  cheeses,  dried  herbs,  bundles 
of  knitted  stockings  and  mittens,  vegetables,  flax,  and  other  essential  com- 
modities of  domestic  growth  and  manufacture.  The  farmer  himself  jogged 
alongside.  To  the  side  of  the  pung  were  securely  tied  a  huge  round  chunk 
of  frozen  bean-porridge  and  a  hatchet  with  which  to  chop  off  a  piece  when 
hungry.  This  porridge  was  prepared  some  days  in  advance  of  the  journey 
by  the  housewife,  who  then  set  it  out  of  doors  to  freeze. 

The  first  U.  S.  Census  in  1790  lists  only  a  single  highway  within  the 
District  of  Maine,  running  along  the  Atlantic  shore  east  from  Boston  as 
far  as  Wiscasset.  Three  years  later  a  road  was  laid  out  from  Portland 
through  the  townships  of  Gray,  New  Gloucester,  Greene,  and  Winthrop  to 
Hallowell,  thence  to  Augusta;  in  1799  a  road  was  built  to  Bridgton  and  in 
1802  extended  to  Waterford.  Joseph  Barnard,  an  old  postman  who  car- 
ried the  mails  on  horseback,  operated  the  first  passenger  stage  service  be- 
tween Portsmouth  and  Portland  in  1787.  It  was  a  crude  two-horse  wagon 
affair,  and  Barnard's  curious  advertisement  read:  "Those  ladies  and  gen- 
tlemen who  choose  the  expeditious,  cheap,  and  commodious  way  of  stage- 
travelling  will  please  leave  their  names  at  Motley's  Tavern."  Departure  was 
on  Saturday  morning  and  the  destination  was  reached  on  Monday. 

The  first  four-wheeled  carriage  owned  in  Portland  was  driven  by  the 
early  Quakers,  'Aunt'  Sarah  Horton  and  her  husband,  when  they  ac- 
companied their  preachers  through  the  interior.  Regular  passenger  service 
by  coach  from  Portland  to  Boston  was  inaugurated  in  1818,  with  three 


120  Portland  City  Guide 

trips  a  week,  and  the  town  soon  became  a  center  of  coach  travel.  By  the  time 
Portland  became  a  city,  14  years  later,  there  were  12  lines  in  operation,  five 
arriving  and  departing  each  day.  The  principal  terminals  were  the  Elm 
Tavern,  formerly  at  the  corner  of  Federal  and  Temple  streets,  and  the 
American  House,  where  the  Ciapp  Building  now  stands.  The  journey  to 
Boston  consumed  two  days,  with  an  overnight  stop  at  Portsmouth.  When 
speed  was  desired,  there  was  an  'express'  that  left  Portland  at  2  a.  m.,  pull- 
ing into  Boston  at  10  p.  m.  with  cracking  whip,  blaring  horn,  and  cargo  of 
satisfied  and  shaken  passengers. 

Bridges 

Bridges  have  been  a  necessity  in  the  development  of  the  transportation 
facilities  of  Portland  which  is  nearly  surrounded  by  water.  Many  of  the 
early  spans  were  often  built  and  owned  by  private  parties  under  a  grant  of 
some  sort  from  the  Massachusetts  Colony.  Thomas  Westbrook,  the  King's 
mast  agent  at  Stroudwater,  was  instrumental  in  building  a  bridge  over 
Fore  River  in  1734;  this  was  the  first  bridge  of  size  to  connect  the  city  with 
other  shores.  Originally  640  feet  long,  it  was  made  a  toll  bridge  in  1749, 
and  came  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Portland  when  it  became  a  separate  town 
37  years  later.  Tukey's  Bridge,  leading  eastward  from  the  city,  was  opened 
to  traffic  in  September,  1796;  named  for  Lemuel  Tukey,  one  of  its  early 
toll-collectors,  it  did  not  become  free  until  1837.  Tukey's  Bridge  was  re- 
built 61  years  later,  and  an  iron  draw  was  put  in.  The  original  Vaughan's 
Bridge,  the  western  artery,  was  put  in  place  in  1800  and  named  in  honor  of 
William  Vaughan,  its  chief  advocate.  It  was  unique  in  construction,  built 
of  cob  work  like  a  wharf,  and  filled  with  earth;  in  1908  it  was  replaced  with 
a  modern  iron  structure. 

The  original  Portland-South  Portland  Bridge  was  built  on  piles  and 
completed  in  1823;  it  was  freed  from  tolls  in  1851  when  its  maintenance  de- 
volved upon  the  county.  The  railroad  tracks  crossed  this  span,  and  at  one 
time  pedestrians  had  to  traverse  a  hazardous  grade  crossing,  the  whole 
bridge  long  being  known  as  'The  Gridiron  of  Death.'  The  present  struc- 
ture, termed  the  'million  dollar  bridge,'  was  opened  in  July,  1916.  Martin's 
Point  Bridge,  finished  in  1828  and  made  free  32  years  later,  is  a  State  bridge 
extensively  rebuilt  in  recent  years.  It  has  a  length  of  2,050  feet.  In  1806  a 
span  was  built  to  connect  Portland  and  the  village  of  Deering;  always  a  free 
structure  known  as  Deering's  Bridge,  today,  because  of  reclamation  of  the 


Transportation  121 

western  end  of  Back  Cove,  it  is  an  ordinary  street  with  no  vestige  remaining 
of  the  ancient  span. 

Waterways 

Prior  to  the  coming  of  the  first  steamboat,  small  sloops  and  other  sail- 
rigged  boats  took  passengers  though  there  was  no  regular  schedule  from  the 
port.  Reverend  Thomas  Smith  in  his  journal  often  mentions  trips  to  Bos- 
ton by  water,  sometimes  consuming  two  or  three  days;  in  September,  1736, 
Smith  notes  a  trip  he  made  from  Boston  in  17  hours.  This  mode  of  travel 
lasted  until  about  1822  when  Captain  Seward  Porter  placed  an  engine  in  a 
flat-bottomed  boat  and  inaugurated  a  service  to  North  Yarmouth  and  the 
islands  of  Casco  Bay.  Porter  christened  his  boat  the  Kennebec,  but  popu- 
larly it  was  dubbed  the  'Horned  Hog/  In  July  of  the  following  year  this 
enterprising  skipper  purchased  the  first  real  steamer  ever  to  come  to  Maine, 
The  Patent,  100  tons  burthen,  which  made  the  trip  from  New  York  to 
Portland  in  five  days.  Ten  years  later  the  Chancellor  Livingstone,  built  by 
Robert  Fulton,  was  running  between  Portland  and  Boston.  It  was  a  wood 
burner,  and  the  fuel  was  piled  on  the  open  decks  near  the  three  stacks,  with 
no  protection  from  the  belching  sparks.  With  a  bowsprit,  three  masts  and  a 
jibboom,  the  craft  presented  a  formidable  appearance  plowing  the  water 
at  an  average  speed  of  nine  miles  per  hour. 

The  historic  arrival  in  1853  of  the  Sara  Sands,  the  first  transatlantic 
liner  to  steam  into  this  port,  gave  Portland  a  sharp  impetus  in  the  direction 
of  regular  transoceanic  passenger  service.  Cannon  boomed  an  echoing 
welcome  and  bells  pealed  throughout  the  city  as  the  boat  nosed  through  the 
island  channels  under  the  command  of  the  local  mariner,  Captain  Washing- 
ton Ilsley.  A  lavish  banquet,  with  at  least  92  delicacies  and  a  lavish  supply 
of  beverages  was  spread  in  old  Lancaster  Hall  for  the  captain,  members  of 
the  crew,  and  local  notables. 

The  Portland  Steam  Packet  Company  put  their  first  boat,  the  Commo- 
dore  Preble,  on  the  Boston  run  in  1844.  Later  this  firm  was  known  as  the 
Portland  Steamship  Company,  finally  evolving  into  the  Eastern  Steamship 
Line.  By  1891  the  Allan  Line  was  running  steamers  from  this  port  to  Liver- 
pool, and  six  years  later  the  Dominion  Line  was  operating  from  the  Grand 
Trunk  Wharf;  after  the  opening  of  the  Grand  Trunk  Railroad  to  Montreal 
in  1853,  ships  from  Europe  discharged  thousands  of  immigrants  here  for 
transportation  over  that  line  to  Canada  and  points  west. 

So  great  was  the  volume  of  water  traffic  through  the  local  port  that  by 


122  Portland  City  Guide 

1897  there  were  three  steamers  running  to  Boston,  the  Bay  State,  the  Port- 
land, and  the  Tremont;  an  optimistic  local  journal  of  the  day  stated  that 
"the  Tremont  will  take  freight  if  necessary,  but  will  be  kept  to  accommodate 
passenger  traffic,  which  grows  heavier  each  year."  The  ill-starred  Portland, 
built  at  Bath,  had  163  staterooms  and  was  described  as  a  'floating  palace.' 
This  same  year  the  Maine  Steamship  Company  operated  three  boats  to  New 
York,  sailing  five  days  a  week,  and  the  transatlantic  Thompson  Line  was 
making  weekly  trips  to  London.  Seven  years  later  there  were  15  lines  sail- 
ing from  Portland,  and  they  carried  1,301,742  passengers.  The  city  was 
known  as  the  Castle  Garden  of  the  East,  and  in  1911  a  peak  of  nearly 
two  million  passengers  was  reached.  A  sharp  decrease  is  noted  from  the 
time  of  the  World  War;  by  1935  yearly  passenger  traffic  through  the  port 
had  dwindled  to  289,957. 

The  building  of  the  Erie  Canal  in  New  York  State  was  the  stimulus  for 
the  construction  of  a  waterway  from  Sebago  Lake  to  Saccarappa  (West- 
brook)  ;  a  company  was  formed  in  1821  to  build  the  Cumberland  and  Ox- 
ford Canal  to  connect  inland  waters  with  Portland  Harbor.  Along  this  40- 
mile  water  route,  20  of  which  was  canal,  it  was  planned  that  timber,  wood, 
stone,  ashes,  sand  for  glass  manufacture,  and  produce  would  move  out  of 
the  interior,  and  plaster,  fish,  and  needed  merchandise  would  come  in.  In 
addition  to  specific  appropriations  the  State  devoted  the  proceeds  from  lot- 
teries to  the  canal.  It  was  not  completed  until  1830;  an  extension  to  the  An- 
droscoggin  and  the  Chaudiere  Rivers  had  been  proposed  in  the  early  stages 
of  the  project,  but  this  work  was  never  undertaken. 

The  gaudy  George  Washington,  flat-bottomed,  square-sterned,  and  drawn 
by  two  horses,  was  the  first  boat  to  make  passage  up  the  canal.  Rates  were 
one-half  cent  a  mile  for  passengers,  and  on  the  initial  trip  Nathaniel  Haw- 
thorne journeyed  to  the  tantara  of  the  pilot's  bugle  which  warned  the  lock- 
tenders  of  the  approaching  boat.  Freight  was  the  main  revenue;  a  hogs- 
head of  rum  was  transported  for  ten  cents  a  mile,  but  nothing  moved  on  the 
Sabbath.  This  waterway  was  abandoned  soon  after  the  coming  of  the  rail- 
way; its  glory  now  faded,  the  course  is  all  but  obliterated. 

The  establishment  of  ferries  was  contemporaneous  with  the  opening  of 
roads  or  trails,  whenever  the  early  travelers  encountered  streams  they 
could  not  ford.  The  earliest  mention  of  regular  service  is  the  account  pre- 
viously quoted  of  John  Pritchard's  rude  boat  that  crossed  the  Casco  River 
in  1719.  It  is  natural  to  suppose  that  there  were  many  of  these  small  boats 
in  service  from  point  to  point,  and  from  the  mainland  to  the  many  islands 


Transportation  123 

in  the  bay.  For  many  years  there  has  been  scheduled  service  by  a  line  of 
steamers  to  the  more  important  of  the  islands,  and  a  regular  service  to 
Peak  Island.  Today  the  Peaks  Island  Ferry  Company  operates  a  Diesel- 
powered  passenger  and  automobile  ferry  from  Portland  Pier.  The  Casco 
Bay  Lines,  with  five  steamers  (some  Diesel)  augment  this  service,  and  the 
boats  touch  at  12  other  islands  in  the  bay. 

Railroads  and  Railways 

Railroads  grew  up  in  Maine  with  Portland  as  a  center,  and  there  was 
much  rivalry  in  the  early  days  for  the  western  traffic.  Due  to  its  geographi- 
cal position,  Maine  had  more  contact  with  the  British  Provinces  than  with 
her  neighboring  states.  Its  railroad  system  was  therefore  quite  independent 
of  other  lines  and  had  few  natural  relations  with  them.  The  first  railroad 
to  be  constructed  from  the  city  was  the  Portland,  Saco,  and  Portsmouth, 
chartered  in  1837;  five  years  later  it  had  been  completed  for  a  distance  of 
51  miles  to  Portsmouth.  The  Boston  and  Maine  extended  its  line  to  South 
Berwick  to  connect  with  the  new  railroad,  and  a  continuous  passage  was 
then  afforded  from  Portland  to  Boston.  However,  Portlanders  were  at  that 
time  in  favor  of  extending  the  railroad  into  the  interior,  with  a  line  con- 
necting Canada  with  the  sea,  and  not  particularly  interested  in  developing 
southward. 

The  scheme  for  constructing  the  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  Railroad  from 
Portland  to  Montreal  was  started  in  1844,  and  a  charter  obtained  in  Feb- 
ruary of  the  following  year.  Arrangements  were  made  so  that  the  con- 
struction formally  commenced  the  Fourth  of  July,  1846.  This  was  a  gala 
day  in  the  city,  and  there  were  people  crowded  from  everywhere  for  the 
long  parade.  On  Munjoy  Hill  a  huge  canvas  sheltered  6,000  gathered  to 
hear  the  orations  of  Judge  William  Pitt  Preble  and  the  dignitaries  of  the 
Canadian  government.  The  road  was  opened  to  North  Yarmouth  the  Fourth 
of  July,  1848,  and  in  December  of  the  same  year  was  completed  to  Dan- 
ville Junction.  Construction  lagged  during  the  next  few  years,  but  finally 
the  road  was  opened  to  Montreal  on  July  18,  1853.  A  month  later  it  was 
leased  to  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway  System  of  Canada  for  999  years,  the 
first  line  to  extend  east  of  Portland,  completing  a  valuable  link  between  this 
port  and  the  far  west.  Thousands  of  immigrants  were  transported  over  this 
line  in  the  heydey  of  Portland  as  a  port  of  entry,  and  during  the  World 
War  it  carried  Canadian  soldiers  to  Portland  on  their  way  to  the  battlefields. 

In  1849  the  Androscoggin  and  Kennebec  Railroad,  chartered  four  years 


124  Portland  City  Guide 

before,  opened  its  line  from  Waterville  to  Danville  Junction.  Since  this  line 
connected  with  the  Penobscot  and  Kennebec  at  Waterville  for  Bangor, 
this  was  an  event  of  great  importance  for  Portland,  for  it  opened  a  con- 
tinuous line  east.  At  about  the  same  time  the  Kennebec  and  Portland  was 
built  from  Augusta  to  this  city,  also  opening  a  branch  from  Brunswick 
east  to  Bath.  The  York  and  Cumberland  Railroad  was  chartered  in  1846, 
from  Portland  to  Buxton,  and  re-organized  in  1860  as  the  Portland  and 
Rochester.  The  Portland  and  Ogdensburg  (Vt.)  line  was  built  nine  years 
later,  after  the  death  of  its  founder,  John  A.  Poor. 

The  Boston  and  Maine  system  came  into  being  January  1,  1842,  formed 
by  the  consolidation  of  the  Boston  and  Portsmouth,  the  Boston  and  Maine, 
and  the  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  and  Massachusetts  railroads.  The  Port- 
land, Saco  and  Portsmouth  became  a  part  of  this  system  in  1884,  when  it 
acquired  a  lease  of  the  old  Eastern  Railroad.  In  1862  the  Maine  Central 
was  incorporated,  a  consolidation  of  the  Androscoggin  and  Kennebec  and 
the  Penobscot  and  Kennebec  lines.  Portland's  Commercial  Street  was 
laid  out  in  1852  to  accommodate  railroad  interests,  and  in  1912  the  Port- 
land Terminal  Company  was  established,  granting  the  Boston  and  Maine 
and  the  Maine  Central  equal  use  of  its  facilities. 

Old  records  contain  interesting  anecdotes  of  conditions  in  the  early  days 
of  railroading  out  of  Portland,  especially  of  excursion  trips  over  the  Port- 
land, Saco  and  Portsmouth  line  shortly  after  it  had  been  opened.  It  seems 
that  the  engine  was  "absurdly  inadequate,"  making  it  necessary  for  pas- 
sengers to  alight  when  reaching  a  grade,  many  of  them  pushing  the  train 
in  a  spirit  of  sport.  The  train  left  Portland  between  four  and  five  o'clock 
in  the  morning,  and  did  not  arrive  in  Boston  until  12  hours  later. 

Early  newspapers  record  that  the  early  engines  were  about  20  tons  in 
weight,  and  burned  wood,  tugging  low,  flat-topped  coaches.  A  brakeman 
lived  up  to  his  profession  for  there  were  no  air  brakes  or  automatic  shackles, 
and  hand  brakes  were  used  to  stop  the  train  on  a  downgrade.  Before  the 
coming  of  the  telegraph  there  was  no  communication  with  terminals,  and  all 
sorts  of  tools  had  to  be  carried  to  repair  breakdowns,  or  on  occasion  to  re- 
place a  train  that  had  been  derailed.  With  no  signal  system,  an  outgoing 
train  took  orders  as  to  which  siding  it  must  pull  out  on  to  allow  an  in- 
coming one  to  pass.  They  had  to  stay  sidetracked  regardless  of  how  long 
it  took;  sometimes  in  winter  they  were  snowed  in  several  days  at  a  time. 

About  1860  the  horse  railway  came  to  Portland  with  one-horse  cars, 
equipped  with  runners  for  winter  use.  In  1863  the  Portland  and  Forest 


Transportation  125 

Avenue  Railroad  ran  its  first  cars,  publishing  the  notice:  "The  gentlemen 
connected  with  the  public  press  in  this  city  are  cordially  invited  to  make  a 
trip  ...  on  Monday  at  11  o'clock,  October  12  ....  Citizens  in  general  are 
invited  in  the  afternoon  of  the  same  day."  This  line  extended  from  the 
Grand  Trunk  Station  to  Clark  Street,  over  India,  Middle,  Congress,  High, 
and  Spring  streets;  its  'pony'  cars  seated  20  passengers.  By  the  middle  of 
November  a  local  paper  stated  that  27,679  passengers  had  been  carried,  at- 
testing to  the  immediate  success  of  the  venture. 

By  1874  the  Portland  Railroad  Company  had  six  and  one-quarter  miles  of 
track,  and  its  26  new  cars  were  drawn  by  82  sleek-groomed  horses.  Twelve 
years  later  a  mile  of  double  track  was  laid  along  Congress  and  Middle 
streets.  Commuters  of  those  days  did  not  like  to  be  inconvenienced,  as  is 
well  brought  out  in  a  publication  of  1892,  which  stated:  "Certain  cars  that 
run  on  Commercial  Street,  destined  for  Vaughan  and  the  upper  end  of  Con- 
gress, frequently  leave  their  passengers  in  a  dark  hole  on  Thomas  Street." 
The  paper  further  points  out  that  the  cars  had  plainly  printed  on  their 
sides  "Island  Steamers,  Spring  and  Vaughan  Streets."  Three  years  later 
electrical  equipment  forced  the  horse  cars  out  of  service,  and  Portland 
forged  ahead  with  the  rest  of  the  nation  in  the  application  of  this  source 
of  energy. 

In  the  session  of  February  26,  1889,  the  Maine  Legislature  approved  an 
act  authorizing  the  Portland  Railroad  Company  to  operate  its  trolley  lines 
in  Portland,  Deering,  Westbrook,  and  Cape  Elizabeth  by  means  of  elec- 
tricity. This  was  subject  to  the  consent  of  the  municipal  officers  of  these 
towns,  and  had  to  accord  with  the  conditions  and  regulations  they  might 
impose.  In  October,  1891,  Portland's  first  electrified  line  was  placed  in 
operation  from  Monument  Square  to  Deering  Junction;  it  was  the  second 
electric  line  to  operate  in  the  State.  The  Westbrook  line  opened  June  30, 
1892,  and  on  October  17,  three  years  later,  electric  power  took  the  place 
of  horses  in  the  entire  city,  sounding  the  death  knell  of  a  mode  of  travel 
which  had  served  the  city  35  years. 

Lines  to  Yarmouth  and  Saco  were  opened  in  1898  and  1901  respectively, 
affording  trolley  connections  with  distant  points;  Yarmouth  line  passengers 
could  connect  with  cars  for  Brunswick,  Bath,  Lewiston,  and  Waterville. 
By  1907  it  was  possible  to  make  a  trip  to  Boston  by  trolley  for  the  small 
sum  of  $1.75,  providing  the  passenger  didn't  object  to  being  13  hours  on 
the  way.  The  Cumberland  County  Power  and  Light  Company,  incorporated 
in  1909,  leased  the  Portland  Railroad  three  years  later,  and  in  those  halcyon 


126  Portland  City  Guide 

days  of  the  streetcar  the  line  boasted:  107  miles  of  road;  210  passenger 
cars  (106  open,  104  closed);  5  express  cars;  10  work  cars;  18  snowplows, 
and  two  street  sprinkling  cars. 

Airways 

Portland  became  air-minded  with  the  establishment  of  the  Boston  and 
Maine  Airways  in  1923  which  made  regular  flights  from  Boston  with  stops 
at  Portland,  Augusta,  and  Bangor.  The  service  has  since  been  expanded 
to  include  Lewiston,  Waterville,  and  Caribou.  Mail  service  over  this  line 
was  inaugurated  in  the  spring  of  1934.  The  Portland  City  Airport,  com- 
pleted in  1938  in  the  Stroud water  section,  is  a  Class  A  port  with  two  sur- 
faced runways,  beacons  and  fieldlights,  two  hangars,  and  a  repair  station; 
there  is  a  U.  S.  Weather  Bureau  Station  on  the  field.  Sketches  for  a  pro- 
posed administration  building  for  the  airport  were  submitted  in  1939,  to 
be  completed  the  following  year. 

Mosaic  of  Today 

Today  Portland  has  excellent  transportation  facilities  of  every  kind. 
Sleek,  streamlined  busses,  connecting  with  interstate  and  intrastate  lines, 
glide  into  the  city  along  key  arteries;  Diesel-powered  streamlined  trains, 
furnishing  fast  and  comfortable  travel  from  out-of-State  points  roll  over 
a  state-wide  network  of  rails,  providing  both  passenger  and  freight  service; 
airplanes  zoom  down  for  a  pause  on  their  flights;  and  the  recently  re-es- 
tablished summer  steamship  service  to  New  York  affords  salt-water  trans- 
portation. The  many  State  and  Federal  Highways  touching  the  city  give 
entrance  for  the  thousands  of  tourists  who  pour  into  Maine's  vacationland, 
leaving  in  the  city  a  share  of  the  one  hundred  million  dollars  they  spend  in 
the  State  each  year.  After  the  closing  of  school  terms  in  the  great  cities  of 
the  East  there  is  an  exodus  of  youth  bound  for  the  boys  and  girls  summer 
camps  which  dot  Maine;  most  of  these  youthful  vacationists  pass  through  or 
change  trains  or  busses  in  Portland. 


ARTS  AND  CRAFTS 

Portland's  early  arts  and  crafts  were  the  work  of  practical  craftsmen 
concerned  primarily  with  utilitarian  rather  than  artistic  achievement.  The 
first  efforts  of  these  colonial  furniture  makers,  carpenter-architects,  tin- 
smiths, pewterers,  and  silversmiths  were  directed  toward  making  articles  of 
household  use  designed  for  the  needs  and  comforts  of  a  pioneer  people. 
Gradually  through  the  years  of  development,  a  feeling  for  art  appeared. 
The  brush  in  skilled  native  hands  depicted  local  scenes;  craftsmen  created 
beauty  in  wood,  metal,  and  stone. 

The  sprawling,  odd-shaped  'salt-box*  houses  and  farm  buildings  that  fea- 
ture Maine's  landscape  today  all  follow  the  original  designs  of  crude  car- 
penter-architects. The  creative  ornamentation  of  that  period  is  to  be  seen 
in  examples  of  early  kitchen  ware,  tin-plate  knockers,  and  household  hard- 
ware still  found  in  private  homes  and  museums.  These  were  invariably  the 
handiwork  of  village  blacksmiths.  Ship  figureheads,  mast  sheaths,  and 
trail  boards,  carved  from  the  native  'punkin  pine'  by  early  colonial  artisans, 
show  the  continued  development  locally  of  a  craft  their  ancesters  had  prac- 
ticed for  centuries  in  Europe.  The  figures  they  created  were  usually  life- 
sized  females,  military  heroes,  animals,  and  birds,  all  of  which  may  have 
appeared  grotesque  but  were  marked  by  a  measure  of  artistic  portrayal. 

Portland  had  a  native-born  silversmith  in  Joseph  H.  Ingraham  (1752- 
1841),  who  in  1777  operated  a  shop  on  Fore  Street  in  a  part  of  the  first 
house  built  after  the  Mowat  bombardment  of  'The  Neck.'  Besides  In- 
graham,  it  is  recorded  that  prior  to  the  Revolution  Paul  Little  (1740-1818) 
and  John  Butler  (1732-1827)  were  producing  such  articles  as  brass  and 
silver  knee,  shoe,  and  sleeve  buttons. 

During  the  latter  part  of  the  18th  and  early  19th  centuries  there  flourished 


128 Portland  City  Guide 

locally  many  artisans  who  worked  in  pewter  and  decorative  tinware.  This 
group  centered  in  the  neighborhood  of  Stevens  Avenue,  then  known  as 
Steven's  Plains.  The  founder  of  this  busy  colony  was  Zachariah  Brackett 
Stevens  (1778-1856)  who  inherited  the  tradition  of  a  family  of  blacksmiths. 
His  grandfather,  who  had  been  the  original  settler  of  the  'Plains/  inau- 
gurated a  blacksmith  trade  for  which  his  family  became  noted.  Where 
young  Zachariah  passed  his  apprenticeship  as  a  tinsmith  is  unknown,  but  it 
is  believed  that  he  learned  the  intricate  craft  at  Cambridge,  Massachusetts, 
where  the  family  once  lived.  The  few  remaining  examples  of  his  original 
work  show  an  unmistakably  urban  rather  than  rural  quality.  This  early 
'Plains'  tinware  consisted  of  little  chest-like  boxes,  trays  of  various  shapes, 
tea  caddies,  cake  boxes,  flower  pots,  and  spice  boxes.  All  were  skillfully 
and  delicately  fashioned,  and  painted  in  'Zachariah'  blues,  yellows,  and 
vermilion.  It  is  said  that  Zachariah  Stevens  was  among  the  first  in  the 
country  to  introduce  gold  and  silver  leaf  ornamentations;  he  was  noted  for 
his  fluency  and  individuality  in  handling  designs. 

In  1791  Philip  Rose,  a  nephew  of  Paul  Revere,  joined  the  tinware  colony, 
and  in  1803  Thomas  Brisco,  the  first  tinsmith  "from  foreign  ports"  ar- 
rived here  to  open  a  shop.  Other  craftsmen  came  and  soon  a  sizable  in- 
dustry was  established,  with  shops,  residences,  and  even  a  general  store  for 
the  purpose  of  selling  the  bartered  goods  received  by  the  tinsmiths  for  their 
wares.  The  'Plains'  tinware  colony  bustled  with  activity,  its  itinerant  crafts- 
men, tinsmiths,  silversmiths,  and  pewterers  producing  tin  kitchenware, 
pewter  utensils,  silverware,  combs,  and  brushes.  During  the  1830's  the 
colony  was  the  active  headquarters  of  a  hundred-odd  Yankee  tin  peddlers, 
whose  carts,  filled  to  overflowing  with  locally  created  products,  started  out 
each  spring  to  find  a  market  for  the  work  of  the  'Plains'  craftsmen.  Travel- 
ing throughout  Maine  and  New  Hampshire  as  far  north  as  the  Canadian 
border,  they  sold  or  bartered  the  tin  products  and  pewter  ware  for  furs, 
hides,  sheep  pelts,  and  rags.  The  end  of  this  unique  craft  came  in  1842 
when  fire  destroyed  the  settlement. 

Contemporary  with  the  tinsmiths  and  in  the  same  neighborhood  the 
early  local  pewterers  practiced  their  art.  The  first  known  craftsmen  were 
Allen  and  Freeman  Porter  who  came  here  from  Connecticut  in  1830.  Most 
prominent  of  the  local  pewterers  was  Rufus  Dunham  (1815-93)  who  ap- 
prenticed himself  to  the  Porters  and  in  1837  succeeded  them.  A  year  after 
he  had  taken  over  the  Porter  shop,  Dunham  exhibited  examples  of  his  work 
at  the  Mechanics'  Fair  in  Portland,  and  received  a  silver  medal  for  the  best 


Arts  and  Crafts  129 

specimen  of  pewter.  His  business  grew  until  at  one  time  he  employed  50 
assistants.  The  few  known  examples  of  work  turned  out  by  the  Dunham 
shop  are  highly  prized  by  collectors  everywhere.  Production  of  local  pewter 
stopped  soon  after  1850  when  brittania  ware  became  popular,  and  it  is 
probable  that  much  of  the  early  pewter  was  melted  to  go  into  the  making  of 
the  new  but  inferior  metal.  Although  local  pewtering  lasted  only  a  brief 
time,  the  men  engaged  in  its  production  have  left  their  mark.  Of  Freeman 
Porter,  who  with  his  brother  founded  the  local  industry,  John  Barrett  Ker- 
foot,  in  his  American  Pewter,  states  that  he  "shares  with  R.  Dunham  and 
William  McQuilkin  the  task  of  keeping  American  collectors  supplied  with 
open-topped  pitchers."  In  the  July,  1932,  issue  of  the  magazine  Antiques 
further  credit  is  given  to  Freeman  Porter  for  "at  least  a  third  of  the  num- 
ber [open- topped  pitchers]  now  in  existence." 

While  the  men  were  engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  these  products  from 
tin  and  pewter,  the  women  were  producing  simple  and  practical  household 
articles  with  the  needle  and  loom.  Weaving,  rug-making,  quilting,  knitting, 
and  embroidering  formed  a  large  part  of  their  early  craftwork.  The  de- 
signs of  the  hooked  rugs  of  that  period  were  adapted  by  the  makers  to  the 
environment  with  which  they  were  familiar — flowers,  birds,  animals,  ships, 
anchors,  and  other  maritime  symbols.  In  making  hooked  rugs,  the  wool 
was  obtained  from  home-raised  sheep,  carded  and  spun,  and  afterward  dyed 
with  homemade  colors.  Beet  root  made  a  rich  magenta,  yellow  came  from 
onion  peelings  and  browns  and  dull  greens  from  white  maple,  butternut, 
sumac,  and  hemlock  bark,  mingled  with  sweet  fern.  All  these  colors  were 
then  'set'  with  copperas  and  lye,  the  latter  obtained  by  pouring  boiling  water 
over  wood  ashes.  Reds  were  difficult  to  produce  until  housewives  were  able 
to  buy  vermilion.  Boys  as  well  as  girls  were  taught  these  domestic  arts, 
producing  patchwork,  samplers,  and  knitted  articles.  Initials  were  knit  in- 
to mittens  and  stockings,  and  many  an  ingenious  youngster  knit  the  whole 
alphabet  and  a  stanza  of  poetry  into  a  single  pair  of  mittens. 

Not  to  have  worked  a  carefully  designed  sampler  would  have  been  an 
unspeakable  disgrace  for  that  period.  The  samplers  usually  inscribed  the 
name  and  birth  date  of  the  worker  as  well  as  the  place  of  birth.  Often 
there  was  a  prim  little  message,  such  as 

Lora  Standish  is  my  Name 
Lord,  guide  my  heart  that  I  may  do  thy  Will 
Also  fill  my  hands  with  such  convenient  skill 
And  I  will  give  thy  Glory  to  Thy  Name. 


130  Portland  City  Guide 

By  means  of  her  sampler,  the  young  lady  of  Falmouth  learned  to  embroider 
letters  for  the  household  linen  and  later  reproduce  gorgeous  flowers  and 
brightly  colored  birds. 

Funerals  were  also  recognized  in  this  needlework.  Embroideries  bearing 
urns  and  drooping  willows  were  in  vogue  at  the  end  of  the  18th  century,  and 
no  household  was  complete  without  one.  These  mourning  embroideries 
were  prepared  with  the  thought  of  inscribing  the  names  of  members  of  the 
family  after  their  death.  The  'Tree  of  Life'  was  one  of  the  favorite  designs. 
The  earliest  quilts  were  not  of  patchwork,  but  of  linsey-woolsey,  backed 
with  a  lightweight,  colored  homespun  blanket,  and  then  quilted  in  beautiful 
patterns  of  pineapples,  feathers,  and  shell  designs.  Quilting  parties  were 
afternoon  affairs,  and  the  crowning  joy  of  every  quilting  was  the  supper 
which  followed. 

Nearly  every  woman  was  skilled  in  the  art  of  spinning,  and  a  typical 
local  spinning  assemblage  of  the  early  days  is  described  in  the  Cumberland 
Gazette,  May  8,  1788:  "On  the  1st  instant,  more  than  one  hundred  of  the 
fair  sex,  married  and  single,  and  skilled  in  spinning,  assembled  at  the  home 
of  Parson  Deane.  The  majority  of  the  fair  hands  gave  motion  to  not  less 
than  sixty  wheels.  Many  were  occupied  in  preparing  the  materials,  besides 
those  who  attended  to  the  entertainment.  Near  the  close  of  the  day,  Mrs. 
Deane  was  presented  by  the  company  with  two  hundred  and  thirty-six 
knotted  skeins  of  excellent  cotton  and  linen  yarn,  the  work  of  the  day,  ex- 
cepting about  a  dozen  skeins,  which  some  of  the  company  brought  in  ready 
spun.  Some  had  spun  six,  and  many  not  less  than  five  apiece.  To  conclude, 
and  crown  the  day  a  numerous  band  of  the  best  singers  attended  in  the 
evening  and  performed  an  agreeable  variety  of  excellent  pieces  of 
psalmody." 

Between  1864  and  1867  especially  fine  glassware  was  produced  by  the 
Portland  Glass  Company  (see  Industry) .  Though  the  art  has  long  been 
discontinued,  many  compotes,  punch  bowls,  and  cut  glass  dishes  feature 
this  early  glass  company's  famous  patterns,  the  'Tree  of  Life'  and  the 
'Grape  Leaf.'  Portland  glass  is  a  prized  item  in  many  American  glass  col- 
lections. 

In  1848  George  Lord  (1833-1928)  started  his  career  as  ornamental  chair 
painter  in  a  local  shop  under  the  apprenticeship  of  Francis  Holland,  and 
within  three  years  had  progressed  sufficiently  to  be  put  in  charge  of  other 
workers.  When  mottling  of  chairs  began  to  be  fashionable,  Lord  was  sent 
by  his  employer  to  Boston  to  learn  that  process,  but  Boston  craftsmen  jeal- 


Island  Steamers 


Bridge  at  Yarmouth 


Sebago  Lake 


1    • >  I 


Spurwink  Meetinghouse,  Cape  Elizabeth 


'Buggy'  Meetinghouse,  Scarborough 


St.  John's  Church,  Brunswick 


Arts  and  Crafts  131 

ously  guarded  the  formula.  Disappointed,  Lord  returned  to  Portland,  al- 
though shortly  afterwards  he  accidently  discovered  a  process  that  subse- 
quently made  him  famous.  While  Lord  was  at  work  graining  a  chair  one 
day,  a  friend  visited  his  shop  and  brought  along  some  wine  with  which  to 
celebrate  the  occasion.  Lord  had  spread  a  wash  of  brown  tempera  over  a 
coat  of  yellow  paint  and  was  waiting  for  it  to  dry,  when  his  friend  entered 
the  shop.  He  has  described  the  actual  discovery  of  a  new  process  in  his  own 
words:  "I  quickly  emptied  my  glass,  hurried  back  to  my  panel,  and  as  I 
bent  over  it  drops  of  wine  fell  from  my  mustache  upon  its  surface.  There 
before  my  very  eyes,  was  the  mottled  effect  I  had  been  seeking  so  long." 
In  later  years  Lord  taught  Chester  Pierce  the  intricate  craft  of  furniture 
ornamentation,  and  upon  his  death  Pierce  secured  many  of  Lord's  original 
stencil  designs.  Today  Pierce  is  well  known  for  his  craftsmanship  in 
stencil  work. 

Never  particularly  outstanding  in  the  past  as  the  home  of  wood  carvers, 
since  1921  Portland  has  been  the  home  of  Swedish-born  Karl  von  Rydings- 
vard  who  came  to  this  country  in  1891.  Although  no  longer  active  in  his 
profession,  von  Rydingsvard  has  done  notable  work.  His  exhibits  at  the 
Chicago  Exposition  in  1892  attracted  much  attention  and  led  to  his  becom- 
ing instructor  in  wood  carving  at  Columbia  University.  His  mark  on  a 
carving  places  that  piece  among  the  finer  examples  of  American  wood  sculp- 
ture. 

Carrying  on  the  blacksmith  tradition  of  his  family  is  W.  E.  Dunham, 
who  for  over  half  a  century  has  been  turning  out  splendid  wrought  iron 
work  from  his  small  Portland  shop.  From  his  forge  come  such  utilitarian 
articles  as  latches,  door  knockers,  foot  scrapers,  and  fire  tongs,  as  well  as 
elaborate  altar  rails  for  churches  and  scrollwork  for  house  ornamentation. 

There  appears  to  have  been  little  painting  of  any  distinction  in  Portland 
or  in  the  State  until  the  middle  of  the  19th  century,  and  such  painting  as 
there  was  occupied  men  who  had  had  little  preliminary  training.  Accord- 
ing to  John  Neal  in  his  Portland  Illustrated,  the  pioneer  painters  were 
Charles  F.  Beckett  (1814-56)  and  his  contemporary  Charles  Codman 
(1800-42).  Of  Beckett  he  writes  that,  while  still  a  shopboy  with  a  local 
apothecary,  "he  was  constantly  trying  his  hand — and  the  patience  of  his 
employer — on  all  sorts  of  drawing,  and  grew  very  exact  and  precise.  And 
then  after  awhile  he  came  out  with  landscapes,  which  not  having  a  good 
eye  for  color  had  the  look  of  engravings.  The  outlines  and  figures  and  com- 
position being  often  worthy  of  high  praise,  while  for  want  of  harmonious 


132  Portland  City  Guide 

coloring,  the  pictures  themselves  when  completed  were  unsatisfactory.  Be- 
ing very  industrious  and  patient  however,  Mr.  Beckett  manages  to  throw 
off  quite  a  large  number  of  paintings  which  found  favor  among  his  not 
particular  friends."  Charles  Codman  came  here  as  a  young  man  from  Mas- 
sachusetts where  he  had  painted  clock  faces  for  Willard,  the  famous  clock 
maker.  He  opened  a  sign  painting  shop  on  Middle  Street  and  became  Port- 
land's first  painter  of  consequence,  noted  for  his  local  island  scenes,  moun- 
tain scenery,  and  summer  landscapes. 

Charles  O.  Cole  (1817-58),  a  native  of  Portland,  achieved  considerable 
local  fame  with  his  portraits  of  prominent  citizens,  quite  a  number  of  which 
are  owned  by  older  families  of  the  city.  His  epitaph  in  the  Western  Ceme- 
tery reads:  "His  name  is  engraved  on  the  tablets  of  our  hearts  and  we  give 
him  the  laurels  of  genius  and  the  immortelles  of  affection."  Several  origi- 
nal Cole  portraits  hang  in  the  library  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society. 

Of  a  later  period  was  Charles  Frederick  Kimball  (1832-1903),  a  local 
artist  who  in  his  day  was  ranked  high  as  a  landscape  painter.  John  Calvin 
Stevens,  in  'An  Appreciation  of  Maine's  Greatest  Landscape  Painter* 
which  appeared  in  the  Pine  Tree  Magazine,  April,  1906,  wrote  of  KimbalPs 
work:  "The  rugged  strength  of  northern  New  England  scenery  when  it  is 
flooded  with  the  splendor  of  the  summer  sunshine  and  glowing  with  the 
rich  colors  characteristic  of  these  latitudes,  has  rarely  found  so  true  an  in- 
terpreter as  was  Charles  Frederick  Kimball,  Maine's  greatest  landscape 
painter  ....  His  pictures  were  almost  entirely  of  the  summertime  and  he 
dearly  loved  the  full,  rich  greens  of  June.  Occasionally  a  spring  landscape 
made  a  subject  for  his  brushes;  and  whatever  he  did  received  the  most  in- 
telligent and  painstaking  treatment  he  was  capable  of.  He  aimed  to  'paint 
the  weather7  and  to  reproduce  the  very  atmosphere  and  all  the  effects  of 
light  and  shade  which  seemed  to  him  so  beautiful."  KimbalPs  most  noted 
pictures  are:  'The  Goslings,'  a  large  canvas;  'Presumpscot  Falls';  'Stroud- 
water';  'Midsummer  Day  at  Diamond  Island,'  owned  by  Bowdoin  College; 
and  The  Pines.' 

Kimball,  affectionately  termed  'The  Master'  by  his  fellow  painters,  was 
one  of  the  original  members  of  The  Brush'uns,  an  enthusiastic  group  of 
Portland  artists  of  the  late  1800's.  Founded  by  George  T.  Morse  in  1860, 
this  organization  included  in  its  membership  many  well-known  professional 
and  amateur  artists.  Some  of  the  members,  together  with  the  nickname  by 
which  they  were  known  in  the  club,  were:  John  Calvin  Stevens,  the  Old 
Man;  John  T.  Wood,  the  Silent  Man;  Clifford  Crocker,  the  Kid;  F.  H. 


Arts  and  Crafts  133 

Thompson,  the  Deacon;  F.  J.  Ilsley,  the  Politician;  C.  C.  McKim,  the 
Water  Colorist;  Lucius  Clark,  the  Hardware  Man;  Edward  S.  Griffin,  the 
Woodcarver;  Tom  F.  O'Neil,  the  Policeman;  Walter  Bailey,  the  Paper- 
hanger;  Millard  Baldwin,  the  Trust  Magnate;  and  Charles  Fuller,  the 
Professor. 

The  artist  Harrison  B.  Brown  (1831-1915)  may  well  be  regarded  as  dis- 
tinctly a  Portland  product.  In  Portland  And  Vicinity,  Edward  H.  Elwell 
writes:  "Out  of  all  of  our  native  artists  Harry  B.  Brown  has  shown  the 
truest  eye  for  color  and  achieved  the  greatest  success  as  a  landscape  and 
marine  painter.  Commencing  as  a  sign  and  banner  painter  his  natural  genius 
soon  worked  its  way  into  its  own  field  and  he  has  attained  a  recognized  posi- 
tion ....  His  sea  and  shore  scenes  are  distinctive  in  their  character,  remark- 
able for  the  free  dash  of  the  waves  and  solidity  of  the  cliffs,  while  in  at- 
mospheric effects  he  excels."  Brown  was  actively  interested  in  the  growth  of 
art  in  the  city,  and  he  is  largely  responsible  for  the  founding  of  the  Port- 
land Society  of  Art,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  first  presidents. 

Prominently  identified  with  the  growth  and  appreciation  of  art  in  Port- 
land for  many  years  was  Charles  Lewis  Fox  (1854-1927),  known  for  his 
three  great  allegorical  murals:  'The  Working  God  and  the  Sower/  'Adam 
and  Eve,'  and  'Lady  Godiva';  one  of  these  murals  is  now  hung  in  the  L. 
D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art  Museum.  Fox  is  famous  for  his  meticulously 
and  exquisitely  painted  mushroom  studies;  numbering  over  two  hundred, 
these  studies  are  now  owned  by  the  Columbia  University  School  of  Biology. 

In  writing  to  a  friend  Fox  once  said:  "To  me  the  mission  of  Art  is  too 
world  wide  to  confine  itself  to  beauty  alone,  for  character  and  harmony  each 
claim  the  divine  right  to  its  own  utterance,  and  how  much  broader  and 
deeper  and  richer  the  world  of  art  when  they  also  speak."  He  spent  six 
years  in  France  working  under  Bonnat  and  Cabanel  and  for  a  while  in  the 
Gobelin  Ateliers  to  study  the  method,  design,  and  color  of  the  masters  of 
tapestry  making.  Alexander  Bower,  director  of  the  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Mem- 
orial Art  Museum,  writes  understandingly  of  Fox  in  the  Foreword  to  The 
Work  of  Charles  Lewis  Fox  (1854-1927) :  "This  same  spirit,  this  sense  of 
wanting  all  to  share  with  him,  what  to  him  was  his  greatest  joy,  led  him  on 
his  return  to  Portland  to  establish  a  school,  with  day  and  night  classes,  that 
found  in  him  always  a  devoted  teacher  and  a  loyal  friend  that  served  with- 
out thought  of  self.  The  school  was  conducted  on  a  purely  co-operative 
basis — the  nominal  costs  of  its  maintenance  being  shared  by  its  students. 
.  .  .  After  fifteen  years  apart  from  his  easel  in  the  stress  of  militant  social- 


134  Portland  City  Guide 

ism,  he  returned  to  his  art,  and  there  found  peace  in  an  earnest  effort  to 
save  for  posterity  something  of  the  life  of  a  primitive  people — the  Indians 
of  our  Maine  Woods  ....  Long  before  there  was  a  Taos  school,  and  men 
like  Ufer,  Blumenschein,  Higgins  and  Sloan,  and  the  other  men  of  the 
New  Mexico  group  had  discovered  the  American  Indian,  did  Charles  Lewis 
Fox  feel  the  urge  and  the  need  to  make  some  record  from  the  artist's  un- 
derstanding of  the  passing  of  a  fast  vanishing  race  ....  So  we  have  from 
his  heart  and  his  hand  these  expressive  character  studies  of  the  Indian  .... 
Something  of  his  delight  and  understanding  of  the  design  in  the  Indian 
arts  of  basketry,  weaving  and  pottery  he  gives  us  in  his  own  art.  Pattern 
and  design  were  never  far  from  his  mind  for  he  did  not  forget  the  lesser 
factors  in  his  thought  for  the  spirit  of  his  message.  With  a  prevision  that  is 
most  significant  in  his  second  period,  there  is  an  almost  prophetic  expres- 
sion of  what  has  become  the  trend  of  the  Art  of  our  day,  and  this  though  he 
lived  during  this  time  in  a  hermit-like  retreat  from  the  world  of  his  fellow 
artists  and  workers  ....  A  live  imagination,  the  soul  of  a  crusader,  always 
the  seeker  for  the  greater  truth  in  life  and  art,  his  work  will  live  as  the  ex- 
pression of  the  spiritual  yearning  of  a  sensitive  artist  and  a  gallant  gentle- 
man." 

Walter  Griffin  (1861-1935)  is  regarded  as  the  most  outstanding  of  na- 
tive-born Portland  artists.  Son  of  a  family  of  wood  carvers,  Griffin  grew  up 
amid  ship  figureheads  in  all  stages  of  production.  As  a  boy  he  drew  por- 
traits of  old  seamen  and  dabbled  in  wood  carving.  Later  he  studied  in  Bos- 
ton, New  York,  and  Paris  where  he  was  a  pupil  of  Jean  Paul  Laurens.  The 
particular  quality  for  which  his  work  is  noted  was  acquired  while  in  Venice, 
and  he  himself  explained  it  as  "the  technique  which  best  expressed  my  feel- 
ings ....  To  get  effects  on  canvas  I  resort  to  the  palette  knife  or  fingers 
aside  from  the  brush  ....  Sunshine  is  the  most  important  factor."  Griffin 
was  invited  in  1919  to  give  an  exhibition  of  his  work  at  the  Luxembourg 
Gallery  in  Paris;  later  he  was  a  prize  winner  at  the  Panama  Exposition,  and 
in  1922  was  elected  to  the  National  Academy.  In  1924  he  was  awarded  the 
Jennie  Sesnan  Medal  for  the  best  landscape  in  an  exhibit  at  the  Pennsyl- 
vania Academy  of  Fine  Arts  in  Philadelphia.  A  French  art  critic,  in  a  re- 
view of  Griffin's  work,  declared:  "It  is  the  manly  quality  that  the  artist 
shows  in  his  painting  that  entitles  him  to  the  high  place  he  has  achieved  in 
modern  art.  His  work  has  a  mild  quality  that  has  attracted  attention  every- 
where, while  the  term  'Griffin  Trees'  has  become  well  known."  The  in- 
spiration for  many  of  Griffin's  famous  canvases  was  derived  from  the  rustic 


Arts  and  Crafts  135 

surroundings  of  his  studio  in  Stroudwater.  An  excellent  example  of  his 
brilliant  technique  is  'The  Old  Apple  Orchard/  which  hangs  in  the  L.  D. 
M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art  Museum. 

Royal  Cortissoz,  the  American  art  critic,  wrote  'An  Appreciation*  in  the 
biography  Walter  Griffin:  "The  salient  members  of  the  American  school 
of  landscape  painting  are  those  who  define  the  principles  of  the  school  in 
terms  of  their  own  ....  Walter  Griffin  was  such  a  figure.  He  painted  with  a 
personal  accent.  The  fundamental  virtues  of  the  school  belonged  to  him,  its 
fidelity  to  nature,  its  solicitude  for  atmospheric  quality  and  for  what,  lack- 
ing a  better  phrase,  one  is  driven  to  call  "landscape  sentiment."  But  he  had 
a  way  of  dealing  with  these  things  that  gave  him  an  individualized  place. 
Was  there  a  trace  of  romanticism  in  that  way  of  his?  Not  in  the  sense  of 
any  factitious  heightening  of  the  note  discovered  in  any  given  subject.  He 
did  not,  I  think,  deliberately  poetize  a  scene.  But  somehow  he  painted  it  in 
a  tender  and  even  lyrical  mood,  so  that  he  lifted  a  gnarled  tree  or  a  mass  of 
laurel  onto  something  like  a  poetic  plane.  I  don't  suppose  that  in  all  his  life 
he  ever  emulated  the  mode  of  Diaz  but  as  I  look  back  over  the  mass  of  his 
work  I  am  conscious  of  a  faint  kinship  between  him  and  the  Frenchman,  the 
kinship  of  artists  unable  to  face  nature  without  feeling  the  magic  of  her 
light  and  color.  The  difference  between  them  is  a  difference  of  key.  Diaz 
was  jewelled  and  gleaming.  Griifin  muted  his  colors  and  his  harmonies  are 
not  so  much  brilliant  as  tender.  He  practised  a  careful  naturalism  but 
saturated  it  in  the  delicate,  restrained  quality  of  his  temperament.  His 
landscapes  are  beautiful  things." 

The  1938-39  edition  of  Who's  Who  In  American  Art  includes  13  Port- 
landers  in  its  listing  of  prominent  American  painters  and  artists.  Alexan- 
der Bower,  A.N.A.,  Director  of  the  local  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art 
Museum,  has  done  much  to  foster  art  and  its  appreciation  in  Portland. 
He  received  his  training  at  the  Pennsylvania  Academy  of  Fine  Arts  under 
Thomas  Anshutz,  at  the  Pennsylvania  Museum  School  of  Industrial  Art, 
and  in  special  study  abroad.  He  was  director  of  Fine  Arts  at  the  Sesqui- 
centennial  International  Exposition  at  Philadelphia  in  1926,  was  made  a 
member  of  the  National  Academy  in  1931,  and  in  1933  was  appointed  chair- 
man of  the  first  State  Art  Commission  in  Maine.  In  1938  Bower  received 
an  honorary  Master  of  Arts  degree  from  Bowdoin  College.  From  1900  un- 
til 1910  he  was  engaged  in  industrial  design,  mural  painting,  and  work  in 
leaded  and  stained  glass.  In  later  years  he  has  confined  his  work  to  land- 
scape and  marine  painting;  self-styled  a  realist,  his  work  hangs  in  many 


136  Portland  City  Guide 

public  and  private  collections.  Bower  has  exhibited  at  many  of  America's 
leading  galleries,  including  Carnegie  Institute  in  Pittsburg,  Corcoran  Gal- 
lery in  Washington,  Chicago  Art  Institute,  National  Academy  in  New 
York,  and  Pennsylvania  Academy  of  Fine  Arts  in  Philadelphia.  He  has 
been  Director  of  the  local  art  museum  since  1931. 

Claude  Montgomery,  a  graduate  of  the  Portland  School  of  Fine  and  Ap- 
plied Art,  has  exhibited  at  the  National  Academy,  the  American  Society  of 
Etchers,  and  was  awarded  the  Suydam  Prize  by  the  National  Academy.  In 
1939  he  was  awarded  the  annual  silver  medal  of  the  International  Exposi- 
tion, American  Section,  in  Paris.  Montgomery  is  becoming  well  known  for 
his  portraits,  one  of  which  is  owned  by  Colgate  University,  and  another  by 
the  local  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art  Museum. 

Dorothy  Hay  Jensen  majored  in  art  at  Smith  College  and  studied  at  the 
Portland  School  of  Fine  and  Applied  Art,  specializing  in  block  prints;  in 
1932  she  was  awarded  first  prize  in  the  National  Junior  League  Art  Ex- 
hibition in  the  print  class  for  'Shipyard/  and  the  same  award  in  1929  with 
'After  Skiing/  Mrs.  Jensen  has  exhibited  at  the  Woodcut  Society,  Hayloft, 
Denver  Art  Museum,  World's  Fair  Exhibition  of  Contemporary  American 
Art,  and  Portland  Society  of  Art.  She  illustrated  Mollie  Irwin  Booth's 
Dozy  Hour  Tales  (1937),  a  juvenile  book  published  by  the  local  Falmouth 
Book  House,  and  did  the  mural  in  the  Children's  Chapel  of  the  Williston 
Church  in  Portland. 

Norman  Thomas,  a  recent  graduate  of  the  Portland  School  of  Fine  and 
Applied  Art,  won  the  1938  Pulitzer  Traveling  Scholarship  in  Art;  that 
same  year  he  was  commissioned  by  Herman  Hagedorn,  Director  of  the 
Theodore  Roosevelt  Memorial  in  New  York,  to  paint  three  panels  illus- 
trating the  'Bill  of  Rights/  which  will  eventually  be  reproduced  for  dis- 
tribution to  the  public  schools  of  America.  Thomas  assisted  Arthur  Covey 
in  decorating  the  Contemporary  Art  Building  at  the  New  York  World's 
Fair.  His  portrait  of  Chief  Justice  Charles  Dunn,  Jr.,  is  included  in  the 
permanent  collection  in  the  State  Capitol  at  Augusta. 

Joseph  B.  Kahili  has  become  one  of  the  State's  leading  portrait  painters. 
He  studied  under  Richard  Miller,  Portland's  Charles  L.  Fox,  and  Collin 
Prinet  of  Paris.  Kahili's  work  is  represented  in  the  collections  of  the  Wal- 
ker Art  Gallery  at  Bowdoin  College,  University  of  Maine,  Colby  College, 
Bates  College,  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art  Museum  of  Portland,  and 
in  the  State's  Capitol  at  Augusta.  His  oil  painting,  'The  First  Step/  has 
many  times  been  reproduced  in  magazines  and  periodicals.  Among  his  well- 


Arts  and  Crafts  137 

known  works  are:  'Face  to  Face,'  a  temperance  lecture  on  canvas;  and  the 
'Fate  of  the  Christians/  portraying  an  attack  by  the  Turks  on  an  Armenian 
village. 

John  Howard  Allen  has  exhibited  his  oil  paintings  at  local  and  other 
Maine  showings,  as  well  as  at  the  Memorial  Gallery  in  Oberlin,  Ohio,  Cur- 
rier Gallery  of  Art  in  Manchester,  New  Hampshire,  and  New  Haven 
Paint  and  Clay  Club  in  Connecticut.  In  1938  Allen  received  a  bronze  medal 
from  the  San  Francisco  Museum  of  Art  for  a  still  life  he  exhibited. 

Francis  Orville  Libby  has  exhibited  water  colors  at  the  Salamagundi 
Club  in  New  York,  Pennsylvania  Academy  of  Fine  Arts,  and  the  Interna- 
tional Water  Color  Show  in  the  Chicago  Art  Institute.  His  miniatures  have 
been  shown  at  the  Brooklyn  Museum  of  Fine  Arts.  Libby  also  specializes 
in  photography,  having  shown  photographs  at  the  London  Salon  of  the 
Royal  Photographic  Society  of  Great  Britain,  of  which  he  is  a  member. 

Ralph  Frizzell,  trained  at  the  Portland  School  of  Fine  and  Applied  Art, 
has  done  noteworthy  work.  He  illustrated  Erskine  Caldwell's  The  Sacrilege 
of  Alan  Kent,  published  by  the  local  Falmouth  Book  House.  Well  known 
for  his  prints  from  wood  and  linoleum,  Frizzell  also  has  done  local  murals, 
among  which  is  the  'Greek  Athlete*  frieze  in  Deering  High  School. 

Josiah  Thomas  Tubby  works  in  several  mediums — oil,  water  color,  pen- 
cil, pen,  and  etchings.  His  work  has  been  included  in  many  local  showings, 
and  has  hung  at  exhibitions  in  other  New  England  cities  and  in  New  York. 

Linwood  Easton  (1892-1939),  who  studied  under  Albert  E.  Moore  and 
Alexander  Bower,  distinguished  himself  in  the  field  of  etching.  He  ex- 
hibited in  many  print  shows  throughout  the  country,  and  in  1938  was 
awarded  a  prize  at  a  showing  of  the  California  Print  Society.  Easton  was  a 
member  of  the  Society  of  American  Etchers. 

Thomas  Elston  Thorne,  who  studied  at  the  Portland  School  of  Fine  and 
Applied  Art  and  the  Yale  School  of  Fine  Arts,  has  done  much  local  mural 
work.  Best  known  of  his  works  are  'Crucifixion'  and  'Last  Supper*  in  the 
St.  Lawrence  Church,  the  'Circus'  in  the  children's  ward  of  the  Maine  Gen- 
eral Hospital,  and  the  historical  murals  of  Portland  High  School. 

John  Calvin  Stevens  (1855-1940) ,  late  senior  member  of  one  of  the  lead- 
ing architectural  firms,  made  painting  his  avocation.  One  of  his  landscapes 
is  owned  by  the  Portland  Public  Library. 

The  city  has  an  active  group  of  contemporary  artists  who  have  achieved 
more  than  local  recognition.  Alice  Harmon  Shaw,  a  graduate  of  the  Port- 
land School  of  Fine  and  Applied  Art  and  a  member  of  the  National  Society 


138  Portland  City  Guide 

for  Women  Painters  and  sculptors,  has  exhibited  her  water  colors  at  the 
New  York  Water  Color  Club,  the  American  Water  Color  Society,  and  the 
Pennsylvania  Academy  of  Fine  Arts.  The  works  of  Rosamond  Gray  and 
Bernice  Breck  were  shown  in  the  National  Exhibition  of  American  Art  at 
Rockefeller  Center  in  New  York;  Miss  Breck  has  exhibited  water  colors 
at  the  Pennsylvania  Academy  of  Fine  Arts.  Walter  H.  Rich,  author  of 
Feathered  Game  of  the  Northeast,  is  noted  for  his  aquatic  and  bird  life 
studies  in  water  color,  and  his  work  has  been  exhibited  in  New  York  gal- 
leries. Ethel  M.  Dana,  landscapist  in  oils,  has  exhibited  at  the  local  L. 
D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art  Museum  and  at  the  Altrusa  Convention  in 
Chicago.  Rupert  Scott  Lovejoy,  who  paints  in  the  style  of  his  master  Wal- 
ter Griffin,  has  had  exhibits  in  this  country;  Lovejoy  is  also  well  known  for 
his  photographic  work.  Stephen  E.  Mathews,  another  adopted  son  of  Port- 
land, has  been  called  the  dean  of  Maine  artists.  At  the  age  of  82  he  is  still 
active  with  the  brush  and  a  tireless  worker  for  the  city's  various  art  organi- 
zations. Roger  L.  Deering,  who  studied  under  Anson  Cross  of  Boston  and 
Penrhyn  Stanlaws  of  New  York,  is  best  known  for  his  mural  work.  Anton 
Skillin,  although  a  resident  of  South  Portland,  has  done  many  local  murals, 
among  which  are  those  in  the  Children's  Hospital,  Monument  Street 
School,  and  Sea  Scout  Room  in  the  State  Street  Congregational  Church; 
Skillin  is  the  author  of  Ships  of  All  Times. 

The  Federal  Art  Project  of  the  Works  Progress  Adminstration  of  Maine 
was  inaugurated  in  December,  1935,  and  has  employed  an  average  of 
13  artists  under  the  supervision  of  State  Director  Dorothy  Hay  Jensen.  In 
the  fall  of  1939  this  division  of  the  Work  Projects  Administration  became 
the  Maine  Art  Project  under  the  sponsorship  of  the  Maine  Development 
Commission.  Its  most  intensive  work  has  been  on  the  index  of  American 
Design,  a  nation-wide  compilation  of  portfolios  of  drawings  illustrating 
early  native  arts  and  crafts  of  the  country.  In  Maine  the  study  has  been 
devoted  principally  to  early  wood  sculpture,  including  ship  figureheads,  and 
weather  vanes  of  artistic  and  historical  interest.  Also  recorded  in  paint  are 
wall  stencils  that  were  used  in  colonial  homes  when  wallpaper  was  too  ex- 
pensive, and  drawings  of  early  crewel  embroideries  and  japanned  tinware. 
Murals  and  canvases  have  been  done  by  the  project  for  schools  and  hos- 
pitals, also  a  Mother  Goose  mural  in  the  Children's  Hospital,  and  favorite 
children's  stories  at  the  Monument  Street  School.  Work  is  in  progress  on 
farmer  and  fishermen  murals  for  the  Nathan  Clifford  School,  and  in  sports 
decorations  for  the  Cape  Elizabeth  High  School.  Members  have  served 


Arts  and  Crafts  139 

public  groups  at  various  times  as  teachers  of  drawing,  painting,  and  crafts. 
Exhibitions  have  been  held  in  the  local  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art 
Museum,  the  Penobscot  Marine  Museum  at  Searsport,  the  Knox  House  at 
Thomaston,  and  the  Bangor  Public  Library. 

The  development  and  practice  of  sculpturing  locally  begins  with  Ben- 
jamin Paul  Akers  (1825-61)  who  was  born  in  Westbrook.  His  father  had 
no  settled  occupation  and  roamed  for  a  time  from  place  to  place  with  his 
large  family.  When  Benjamin  was  18  they  finally  settled  in  Salmon  Falls, 
but  he  was  too  old  to  attend  the  district  school  and  his  father  needed  his 
help.  They  built  a  small  wood-turning  mill  on  the  Hollis  side  of  the  Saco 
River,  but  Ben,  as  he  was  then  called,  worked  only  when  he  felt  like  it  or 
when  his  father  insisted.  The  boy  made  his  own  patterns  and  the  carvings 
and  designs  showed  his  early  artistic  ability.  An  avid  reader,  he  went 
through  Plato,  Aristotle,  Dante,  and  any  books  of  German  and  French 
literature  loaned  to  him  by  the  village  doctor.  It  is  said  that  "when  he  had 
studied  Goethe  his  horizon  was  widened  and  he  saw  beyond  the  confines  of 
his  rural  surroundings."  Coming  to  Portland,  he  set  type  in  a  printing  shop 
on  Exchange  Street.  In  the  winter  of  1849  he  went  to  Boston  and  took 
lessons  in  plaster  casting  from  Carew. 

The  following  spring  Akers  returned  to  Salmon  Falls,  but  stopped  long 
enough  in  Portland  to  get  clay  from  Jeremiah  Dodge  and  Son,  who  had  a 
pottery  near  Deering  Oaks,  the  very  pottery  which  later  became  the  scene 
of  Longfellow's  'Keramos.'  Akers'  friend,  the  village  doctor,  gave  him  the 
use  of  a  room  behind  his  office  in  which  to  work,  and  a  model  of  his  friend 
was  his  first  endeavor.  In  speaking  of  this  in  later  years  he  said,  "It  was  as 
ugly  as  Fra  Angelico's  devil  and  was  remarkably  true  to  life."  A  crude 
life-size  medallion  in  clay  of  his  own  ideal  of  Christ  was  his  second  attempt. 
Later  he  produced  busts  of  Longfellow,  John  Neal,  and  other  prominent 
local  citizens,  the  proceeds  of  which  enabled  him  to  study  in  Italy,  where 
he  became  intimate  with  Nathaniel  Hawthorne,  who  was  gathering  material 
for  The  Marble  Faun.  At  the  time  Akers  was  at  work  upon  a  number  of 
statues,  among  them,  the  'Dead  Pearl  Diver'  which  Hawthorne  later  de- 
scribed in  his  strange  romance.  This  statue,  now  in  the  L.  D.  M.  Sweat 
Memorial  Art  Museum,  is  regarded  as  Akers'  masterpiece.  His  last  work, 
now  in  the  possession  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society,  depicts  the  head  of 
a  sleeping  child. 

Franklin  Simmons   (1839-1913),  a  native  of  Webster,  worked  as  a 
youth  in  a  Lewiston  mill  and  spent  his  spare  moments  modeling  in  clay. 


140  Portland  City  Guide 

Stephen  Cammett  describes  Simmons'  youth  in  the  Pine  Tree  Magazine, 
August,  1907:  "He  delighted  to  model  figures  in  the  coarse  clay  dug  from 
the  banks  of  the  Androscoggin.  One  of  his  earliest  attempts  to  express 
himself  in  this  crude  medium  is  the  Bowditch  bust,  still  preserved  in  the  Hill 
Mill  office.  His  next  step  was  to  learn  that  statues  are  first  modelled  in 
clay;  but  he  had  never  seen  it  done.  A  small  Maine  city  of  the  decades  im- 
mediately preceding  the  Civil  War  did  not  offer  a  congenial  soil  for  the 
development  of  the  artist-soul.  Neverthless  his  fingers  tingled  to  feel  the 
damp  clay  shaping  itself  beneath  their  pressure,  and  bust  followed  figure  in 
rapid  succession,  all  in  the  same  course  clay,  dug  from  the  river's  bank  by 
the  mill.  Then  came  the  great  desire  to  see  the  work,  which  had  hitherto 
suffered  from  the  crudeness  of  the  medium,  shine  in  the  marble's  purity  of 
whiteness.  His  duties  at  the  mill  gave  the  boy  only  the  hours  of  evening 
for  the  work  which  was  his  keenest  pleasure.  The  longing  to  handle  the 
beautiful  white  marble  grew  day  by  day,  until  it  became  the  one  desire 
which  must  one  time  be  fulfilled.  He  sought  a  hewer  of  gravestones;  made 
him  a  friend;  obtained  a  block  of  the  precious  marble,  a  few  discarded 
chisels,  and  some  helpful  instructions.  Evening  after  evening  he  wrought 
to  shape  the  copy  of  one  of  his  clay-modelled  figures.  When  finished,  the 
bust  had  defects;  but  it  was  a  remarkably  faithful  likeness.  Moreover,  it 
received  praise.  The  praises  were  so  satisfactory  that  the  youth,  now  eigh- 
teen years  of  age  made  a  visit  to  Boston.  There  for  the  first  time  he  saw  a 
piece  of  sculpture,  and  the  seeing  was  all  that  was  needed  to  spur  him  to 
the  great  decision  of  life. ...  It  was  in  the  Boston  State  House  that  he  saw 
his  first  marble  group,  and  stood,  spellbound,  as  one  upon  whom  a  great 
light  has  burst;  who  beholds  his  ideal,  and  is  shown  the  means  of  realiza- 
tion." 

Simmons  studied  in  Boston  with  John  Adams  Jackson  who  taught  him 
the  chief  rudiments  of  the  art  that  was  to  make  him  famous  throughout  the 
world.  Later  he  moved  to  Brunswick,  where  he  made  busts  of  many  of  the 
Bowdoin  College  faculty.  In  1864  he  launched  forth  upon  a  successful 
career  in  Washington,  D.  C.,  where  he  made  figures  of  such  notables  as 
President  U.  S.  Grant,  William  T.  Sherman,  and  Admiral  Farragut.  One 
of  the  most  famous  of  his  works,  now  in  Statuary  Hall,  Washington,  is  the 
figure  of  Roger  Williams,  of  which  several  reproductions  have  been  made. 
In  1888  he  executed  for  Portland  the  familiar  seated  bronze  figure  of  Long- 
fellow, and  in  1891  the  heroic  Civil  War  memorial  in  Monument  Square. 
This  great  figure,  emblematic  of  the  Union,  which  he  delighted  to  call 


Arts  and  Crafts  141 

'Our  Lady  of  Victories/  is  one  of  the  largest  bronze  statues  in  America. 
His  idealized  marble  figure  'Penelope/  of  which  four  reproductions  have 
been  made,  is  now  a  part  of  the  Franklin  Simmons  Memorial  Collection  in 
the  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art  Museum.  The  entire  collection  of  his 
statuary  was  willed  to  the  Portland  Society  of  Art. 

Contemporary  sculpture  is  represented  in  the  work  of  Victor  Kahili, 
brother  of  Joseph  B.  Kahili,  the  portrait  painter.  In  1939  Kahili  completed 
a  model  of  a  life-size  figure  representing  a  Maine  lobsterman,  which  oc- 
cupied a  prominent  place  in  the  Maine  section  of  the  Hall  of  States  at  the 
World's  Fair  in  New  York  City.  He  executed  the  memorial  to  Harold  T. 
Andrews,  the  first  Portland  soldier  to  lose  his  life  in  the  World  War.  He 
has  recently  made  a  colossal  bust  of  the  late  William  Widgery  Thomas,  Jr., 
for  the  memorial  to  him  in  Sweden. 

No  small  contribution  to  the  local  cultivation  of  art  has  been  the  effort 
of  the  Portland  Society  of  Art,  founded  in  January,  1882;  John  Calvin 
Stevens  served  as  president  for  many  years.  In  1911  the  society  sponsored 
the  School  of  Fine  and  Applied  Art  to  furnish  the  community  with  the  op- 
portunity of  an  education  in  the  arts;  this  is  not  a  proprietary  school  op- 
erated for  private  profit  but  is  a  part  of  the  community  service  of  the  so- 
ciety. The  school  affords  students  a  thorough  technical  training  in  drawing 
and  design,  and  aims  to  develop  observation,  stimulate  the  creative  ability 
of  the  student,  and  develop  a  high  standard  of  art  appreciation.  For  19 
years  Alice  Henrietta  Howes'  influence  on  the  growth  of  the  School  of 
Fine  and  Applied  Art  helped  to  develop  it  into  the  leading  institution  of 
its  kind  in  the  State.  Miss  Howes  joined  the  teaching  staff  in  1912  and  in 
1919  was  appointed  director,  a  position  she  held  until  1931.  Alexander 
Bower,  director  of  the  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art  Museum  is  also  di- 
rector of  the  School  of  Fine  and  Applied  Art,  supervising  the  teaching  of 
the  courses  that  give  the  student  the  necessary  foundation  for  specialized 
study  in  any  definite  field  of  art.  The  school  maintains  a  free  Saturday 
morning  art  class  for  children.  The  Portland  Camera  Club,  founded  in 
1899,  is  now  a  part  of  the  Portland  Society  of  Art.  Each  year  this  division 
of  the  society  conducts  a  photographic  salon.  Many  of  its  members  have 
won  distinction  in  exhibitions  throughout  the  country. 

Under  the  terms  of  Mrs.  Margaret  T.  Mussey  Sweat's  will,  the  Port- 
land Society  of  Art  was  bequeathed  her  former  home  as  a  house-museum, 
and  funds  for  the  erection  and  maintenance  of  the  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Mem- 
orial Art  Museum  (see  Points  of  Interest),  as  a  tribute  to  her  husband 


142  Portland  City  Guide 

Lorenzo  De  Medici  Sweat.  The  museum  was  dedicated  in  January,  1908. 
Exhibitions  in  every  branch  of  the  fine  arts  are  frequently  held  in  the  mu- 
seum, affording  students  an  opportunity  to  observe  new  currents  in  contem- 
porary art.  Among  valuable  and  interesting  paintings  now  in  the  mu- 
seum are  such  works  of  Portland's  early  artists  as:  'The  Willey  House  in 
Crawford  Notch/  by  Charles  F.  Beckett;  White  Head,'  by  Harrison  B. 
Brown;  'Jean  Gaspard  and  his  Dog,'  by  Charles  Codman;  'Mr.  Charles  H. 
Jordan/  by  Charles  O.  Cole;  and  'Slope  of  Rocky  Hill/  by  Charles  F. 
Kimball. 

The  activities  of  the  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art  Museum,  public  and 
private  art  schools,  and  art  societies  have  done  much  to  foster  and  stimulate 
the  efforts  of  the  vigorous  art  groups  prominent  in  the  city  during  the  past 
few  decades.  The  Haylofters,  organized  in  1924,  is  made  up  of  an  active 
coterie  of  both  amateur  and  professional  artists  who  hold  occasional  public 
exhibitions  in  their  studios.  The  Art  Associates,  made  up  of  a  younger 
group  of  promising  artists  both  amateur  and  professional,  was  first  or- 
ganized as  the  Business  Men's  Art  Club  in  1928  and  was  re-organized  as  the 
Art  Associates  in  1933  for  the  purpose  of  admitting  women  and  enlarging 
its  quarters.  A  noteworthy  feature  of  this  organization  is  its  Saturday 
morning  free  classes  for  children.  Within  recent  years  the  American  Ar- 
tists Professional  League  has  become  active  in  Portland. 

The  Forest  City  Home  Workshop  Club,  organized  by  local  hobbyists, 
has  about  fifty  members  engaged  in  the  pursuit  of  various  crafts,  who  con- 
struct such  articles  as  skiis,  book  ends,  miniature  locomotives,  speed  boats, 
and  clipper  ships. 


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*~* 


ARCHITECTURE 

Portland  architecture,  along  with  that  of  the  rest  of  Maine,  has  reflected 
the  consistent  conservatism  and  practicality  of  its  citizens.  In  all  of  the 
generally  accepted  periods  of  New  England  architecture,  local  style  has 
been  modified  by  climatic  conditions.  Excessive  rains  and  snows  made  tradi- 
tional European  types  of  construction  impractical.  Natural  environment 
also  created  a  style  characteristic  of  New  England  as  a  whole,  and  yet  with 
a  certain  rugged  quality  of  its  own.  Early  settlers  had  an  ample  quantity 
of  soft  and  hard  timber  which  they  were  able  to  use  freely  in  the  erection 
of  homes  and  buildings  capable  of  standing  up  under  the  bufferings  of 
rigorous  winters.  Since  there  were  no  architects  in  the  strict  sense  of  the 
word,  such  buildings  as  were  erected  were  planned  and  built  by  Falmouth 
carpenters. 

It  is  difficult  to  demarcate  definitely  the  periods  of  architecture  in  New 
England,  due  to  the  overlapping  of  trends  of  design.  The  June,  1939,  issue 
of  House  and  Garden  presents  a  classification  of  periods  which  may  be 
applied  in  a  general  way  to  local  architecture:  Provincial,  1620-1700;  Early 
Colonial,  1700-50;  Late  Colonial,  1750-75;  Early  Georgian,  1775-1800; 
Late  Georgian,  1800-25;  and  Greek  Revival,  1825-50.  Georgian  architec- 
ture was  in  vogue  during  the  reign  of  the  four  Georges,  namely,  1714-1830. 
In  America  the  architecture  of  this  period  is  called  Colonial  or  Old  Colonial. 
Russell  Sturgis  in  his  Dictionary  of  Architecture  and  Building,  clarifies  the 
relationship  between  the  English  Georgian  and  the  American  Colonial: 
"Colonial  is  a  modification  of  the  English  Georgian  style.  It  transfers  the 
classic  designs  of  the  18th  Century  to  a  new  country  where  wood  was  largely 
used  and  where  the  workmen  were  far  less  restrained  by  an  educated  public 
opinion.  The  greater  part  of  the  buildings  of  the  style  are  purely  classic  in 


144  Portland  City  Guide 

their  intent,  but  there  exists  in  New  England  a  number  of  buildings  in  which 
a  much  earlier  tradition  of  building  and  simple  decoration  exists.  An  Eliza- 
bethan or  Jacobean  freedom  of  treatment,  especially  of  interior  work,  is  to  be 
found  in  some  of  these  structures." 

Although  there  is  no  record  of  the  type  of  buildings  on  The  Neck'  during 
the  Provincial  period,  it  may  be  assumed  that  they  conformed  to  the  gen- 
eral characteristics  of  that  era  in  New  England — rude,  unpretentious,  and 
built  for  service  and  warmth.  Homes  were  plain  both  within  and  without, 
constructed  of  unpainted  natural  wood,  with  large  central  chimneys  and 
wide,  deep  fireplaces.  In  order  that  rain  and  snow  might  easily  slide  off, 
roofs  were  steep-pitched,  and  in  many  cases  chinked  with  mosses.  Stairs 
were  narrow  and  without  balusters;  the  furniture  was  of  natural  finish 
maple,  birch,  or  white  pine. 

There  are  few  examples  anywhere  in  the  State  of  buildings  erected  before 
1730,  and  consequently  the  general  character  of  those  built  in  Falmouth 
during  the  Early  Colonial  period  cannot  be  accurately  classified.  During 
this  half -century  the  'salt-box'  type  of  dwelling  came  into  being,  character- 
ized by  a  long  rear  lean-to,  roof  of  flatter  pitch,  and  two  smaller  chimneys 
sometimes  supplanting  the  large  central  one.  The  lean-to  was  usually  an 
addition  to  the  original  house,  rather  than  a  unified  architectural  feature  of 
the  structure.  The  addition  of  extra  rooms  required  the  building  of  a 
second  chimney.  About  the  middle  of  this  period  Parson  Smith's  house 
was  built  and  for  years  was  the  most  pretentious  in  the  town.  One  of  its 
rooms  was  referred  to  as  "the  papered  room,"  since  it  was  the  only  example 
in  the  vicinity  of  such  ostentatious  adornment  and  probably  the  first  at- 
tempt locally  at  interior  decoration. 

The  Late  Colonial  period  found  local  carpenters  following  more  exacting 
plans  of  construction,  and  a  definite  architectural  balance  was  achieved,  al- 
though at  first  Falmouth  carpenters  probably  employed  no  conscious  design. 
During  this  period  books  on  architecture  began  to  reach  New  England  from 
the  mother  country,  and  the  crude  builders  began  to  develop  a  more  definite 
style  patterned  after  the  Renaissance  manner  of  contemporary  Britain. 
Nearly  all  houses  fronted  the  south — to  take  advantage  of  the  sun  in  the 
severe  winter  climate.  Timbers  used  in  the  buildings  were  hand-hewn,  with 
framework  adzed  smooth  in  the  absence  of  planers.  Larger,  double-hung 
windows  began  to  replace  the  narrow  casement  windows  of  earlier  periods. 
The  glass  was  imported,  expensive,  and  in  small  pieces,  accounting  for  the 
modest  lights  in  the  early  windows.  By  the  end  of  this  period  Falmouth  was 


Architecture  145 

taking  definite  form  as  a  compact  town,  as  shown  by  Parson  Samuel  Deane's 
criticism  of  a  draft  or  map  of  the  town  in  his  journal.  Sketches  of  suggested 
changes  in  this  map,  drawn  by  him,  show  the  two-chimney  house  in  pre- 
dominance, but  depict  seven  different  kinds  of  roof  construction  (see 
chapter  heading  for  reproduction  of  Deane's  sketches).  Cellars  of  these 
houses  were  built  principally  under  the  main  part  of  the  building,  and  were 
used  for  the  preservation  of  foods  and  the  storage  of  garden  produce. 
Potato  bins  were  built;  cabbages  hung  by  their  roots  from  the  floor  girders; 
and  a  variety  of  other  vegetables  were  kept  in  stout,  dark  boxes,  safe  from 
foraging  rodents  and  the  ravaging  effect  of  sunlight.  Fireplaces  of  uneven, 
handmade  bricks  were  still  used.  The  scarcity  of  iron  necessitated  the  con- 
struction of  building  frames  by  the  peg  and  joint  method;  such  nails  as 
were  employed  were  crude  and  hand-wrought.  Indian-red  paint — a  color 
compounded  cheaply  from  red  ocher  and  fish  oil — coated  the  exteriors. 

The  year  1775,  during  which  Falmouth  was  partially  destroyed  by 
Mowat's  cannon,  marks  the  beginning  of  the  Early  Georgian  period  of 
New  England  architecture  which  lasted  until  about  1800.  Its  influence  was 
probably  little  felt  locally  as  the  town  was  in  a  period  of  slow  recovery  and 
was  continually  menaced  by  British  ships  coming  in  and  out  of  the  harbor 
on  foraging  expeditions.  This  period  saw  the  construction  of  small  col- 
umned porches,  or  'stoops,'  ornamented  cornices,  and  elaborately  turned 
newel  posts  and  balusters. 

The  Late  Georgian  Period  was  definitely  felt  in  Portland,  an  excellent  ex- 
ample remaining  in  the  well-known  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Mansion  on  High  Street. 
The  Home  for  Aged  Men,  on  Danforth  Street,  is  another  example  of  the 
same  period.  This  period  is  conspicuous  for  the  finer  detail  of  its  architecture 
and  for  the  modification  of  the  solid,  masculine  qualities  of  the  earlier  work 
toward  a  more  graceful  and  feminine  type  of  design.  The  spirit  of  this 
period,  however,  was  not  as  widely  followed  locally  as  that  of  the  Greek 
Revival  which  found  expression  in  extensive  construction  here.  Many  fine 
examples  of  this  period  disappeared  in  the  'Great  Fire'  of  1866,  a  conflagra- 
tion which  also  destroyed  buildings  of  the  previous  periods.  Houses  of  the 
Greek  Revival  were  characterized  by  their  two-story  columns  of  Ionic,  Doric, 
or  Corinthian  design,  topped  by  a  pediment.  The  roof  pitch  was  flattened 
to  conform  to  the  new  gable  end  and  pediment,  and  all  cornices  and  mould- 
ings were  more  substantial  than  those  of  the  preceding  periods.  The  John 
Neal  House  on  State  Street,  built  in  1840,  is  a  good  example  of  this  period, 
with  its  recessed  doorways  and  Doric  mouldings  at  the  entrance.  The 


146  Portland  City  Guide 

dwelling  at  172  State  Street,  also  of  this  period,  has  Ionic  columns  and  is 
constructed  along  the  lines  of  a  Greek  temple.  Another  outstanding  struc- 
ture of  this  epoch  is  the  Portland  School  of  Fine  Arts,  on  Spring  Street. 

After  the  fire  of  1866  architects  descended  upon  Portland  from  neigh- 
boring states  in  the  hope  of  fat  commissions,  but  their  stay  was  short  since 
local  property  owners  had  been  reduced  almost  to  poverty,  and  cheap  and 
easily  constructed  buildings  became  the  rule.  The  post-conflagration  period 
was  one  of  complete  disappearance  of  the  Greek  Revival,  and  local  ar- 
chitectural styles  were  patterned  after  those  of  the  rest  of  the  country.  The 
necessity  of  building  in  compact  areas  also  limited  the  architectural  styles. 
Homes  in  'boom'  times  were  built  with  an  eye  to  speedy  construction  rather 
than  beauty.  Portland  felt  the  influence  of  the  gingerbread  architecture  of 
the  period  when  styles  ran  wild,  giving  way  to  meaningless  detail  in  which 
purity  of  form  was  sacrificed. 

In  the  present  century  Portland  has  followed  the  general  trend  of  Ameri- 
can architecture  of  large  buildings — a  tendency  to  create  skyscraper  ef- 
fects, employing  iron,  steel,  and  stone  in  construction.  Few  homes  have  been 
built  in  the  city  in  late  years  that  have  not  conformed  to  the  modern  Ameri- 
can conception  of  utility,  omitting  profuse  ornamentation.  These  dwellings 
are  noted  more  for  their  interior  comforts  and  facilities,  heating  plants,  and 
methods  of  lighting  and  refrigeration  than  for  any  distinct  exterior  char- 
acteristics, although  there  has  been  a  strong  tendency  in  recent  years  to  re- 
capture some  of  the  spirit  of  the  Georgian  period.  The  newer  apartment 
houses  in  the  city  proper  are  complete  with  modern  appointments,  follow- 
ing the  pattern  accepted  in  most  American  cities.  Fire  hazards  have  been 
diminished  since  buildings  have  been  made  practically  fireproof  by  the  use 
of  noncombustible  materials — such  as  brick  buildings  with  steel  frames  and 
concrete  floors.  This  combination  is  used  extensively  in  educational  and  in- 
dustrial buildings.  Stone  exteriors  with  steel  framing  are  seen  in  govern- 
mental work,  but  due  to  excessive  expense  are  seldom  used  in  private  en- 
terprise. 

Residential  work  in  the  early  part  of  the  20th  century  was  limited  to 
structures  erected  by  carpenters  with  little  knowledge  of  past  precedent. 
However,  mills  were  sawing  lumber  to  new  sizes  and  houses  were  built  in 
increasing  numbers  in  the  city  areas.  These  tended  to  be  larger  wooden 
structures  that  boasted  little  in  architectural  adornments,  planning  or 
practicability.  In  the  early  1900's  local  builders  in  the  higher  income 
brackets  began  to  use  the  architects'  services  to  secure  more  practical  plan- 


i 

4 


Belfrey  of  Greek  Hellenic  Church 
(Somewhat  altered  today) 


nil 


Portland  Club 


Neal  Shaw  Mansion 


Canal  National  Bank  Building 


Union  Station 


L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Mansion 


St.  Stephen's  Church 


Fireplace  in  Means  House 


Architecture  147 

ning,  symmetry  of  design,  balance  and  proportion,  as  well  as  good  taste,  in 
exterior  and  interior  decoration.  A  few  of  these  latter  type  houses  can  be 
seen  on  the  Western  Promenade  and  in  its  vicinity.  The  W.  W.  Thomas 
house  designed  by  Waite  of  Boston,  the  Burnham  House  on  the  corner  of 
Chadwick  and  Carroll  streets,  and  the  Leonard  House  on  the  Promenade 
and  Carroll  Street,  designed  by  E.  Leander  Higgins,  the  Walter  Davis 
House  on  the  Promenade  by  Leigh  French,  Jr.,  are  all  excellent  examples  of 
this  early  20th  century  use  of  old  precedent  combined  with  modern  utili- 
tarianism. 

Portland  has  few  public  buildings  that  are  pure  examples  of  any  period 
of  world  architecture.  Modified  French  Gothic  is  seen  in  the  construction 
of  the  Cathedral  of  The  Immaculate  Conception;  St.  Luke's  Cathedral  is 
an  example  of  early  English  Gothic  design.  Of  St.  Stephen's  Episcopal 
Church,  Cram  and  Ferguson,  Boston  architects,  have  spoken  "in  high  praise 
of  its  fidelity  to  the  early  English  Gothic  style."  It  is  said  that  when  the 
poet  Matthew  Arnold  visited  Portland  on  a  lecture  tour  he  halted  his  car- 
riage in  front  of  St.  Stephen's  and  requested  that  he  might  enter,  stating: 
"This  is  the  only  edifice  of  its  kind  I  have  seen  in  all  my  travels  in 
America."  The  Eastland  Hotel,  tallest  and  largest  building  in  the  city,  is 
an  example  of  the  modern  commercial  type  of  architecture.  The  most 
notable  example  of  fine  architecture  in  Portland  is  the  City  Hall,  designed 
by  the  late  John  M.  Carrere  of  the  firm  of  Carrere  and  Hastings  in  New 
York.  Carrere  once  said  that  he  had  rather  have  his  "reputation  as  an 
architect  rest  upon  the  Portland  City  Hall  than  upon  any  other  building" 
with  which  he  had  been  connected. 

Notable  among  the  architects  who  came  to  the  city  after  the  fire  of  1866 
was  Francis  H.  Fassett;  he  was  originally  a  carpenter,  but  educated  himself 
in  the  fine  points  of  architecture.  Fassett  designed  the  original  building  of 
the  Maine  General  Hospital,  the  Portland  Public  Library,  and  a  large 
number  of  mercantile  houses  and  residences.  About  the  same  time  George 
M.  Harding  was  active  locally,  designing  the  Bramhall  Building,  later  de- 
molished, and  other  residential  buildings.  Much  important  designing  was 
done  during  the  early  1900's  by  George  Burnham  and  Leander  Higgins, 
who  were  associated  in  business. 

Today  Portland  has  a  list  of  prominent  practicing  architects  who  are  ac- 
tive in  designing  not  only  local  buildings,  but  structures  throughout  the 
State.  John  Calvin  Stevens  and  his  son,  John  Howard  Stevens,  have  col- 
laborated in  the  design  of  many  local  buildings,  notable  among  which  are 


148  Portland  City  Guide 

the  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art  Museum,  the  new  Portland  Post  Office, 
and  the  Portland  Boys'  Club.  John  P.  Thomas  designed  the  Deering  High 
School  in  modified  traditional  English  style,  and  the  Canal  National  Bank 
and  Y.  M.  C.  A.  buildings  following  the  American  Georgian  style.  Am- 
brose S.  Higgins  carries  on  the  business  of  his  father,  E.  Leander  Higgins, 
in  whose  office  were  designed  the  Immanuel  Baptist  Church  in  English 
Perpendicular  Gothic  style,  the  Portland  Police  Station,  and  the  Codman 
Memorial  Chapel  (St.  Peters)  after  the  traditional  early  English  Gothic 
parish  design.  Although  church  work  has  been  a  specialty  of  this  firm,  they 
have  done  much  hospital  and  residential  designing.  The  firm  of  Miller 
and  Beal  is  now  carried  on  by  Lester  I.  Beal,  and  in  their  offices  were  de- 
signed the  new  Central  Fire  Station,  Woodfords  Congregational  Parish 
House,  and  the  South  Portland  High  School.  Royal  Boston,  Jr.,  and  Philip 
S.  Wadsworth  are  associated  in  the  firm  bearing  their  names,  and  most  of 
their  local  work  has  been  on  residences,  although  they  designed  the  Mc- 
Donald Lumber  Company  building  and  the  new  Gorham  High  School. 
Herbert  W.  Rhodes  and  his  son,  Philip  H.  Rhodes,  are  associated  in  gen- 
eral architectural  practice,  and  from  this  office  came  the  plans  for  the  East- 
land  Hotel,  the  Congress  Building,  and  the  Chapman  Building. 

Although  not  architectural  in  the  strict  application  of  the  word,  Port- 
land's old  red-brick  sidewalks,  still  found  in  many  important  and  central 
sections,  are  a  definite  part  of  the  city's  pattern.  An  excellent  example  of 
this  construction  is  in  front  of  the  First  Parish  Church.  A  vista  of  a  more 
substantial  and  complacent  past  is  to  be  found  on  Deering  Street  where 
brick-paved  walks  are  shaded  by  tall  elms.  Set  primly  back  from  the  side- 
walks are  rows  of  two-story  brick  houses  of  the  1880's  and  '90's,  approached 
in  some  cases  through  attractive  flower  gardens.  The  street  ends  abruptly 
against  the  towering  front  of  a  massive  hotel  whose  modern  commercial 
lines  are  in  striking  contrast  to  the  Victorian  atmosphere  left  behind.  State 
Street,  between  Longfellow  Square  and  Danforth  Street,  seems  to  exude  an 
atmosphere  of  the  Greek  Revival  in  the  stately  columned  buildings  which 
escaped  the  fire  of  1866.  The  first  example  of  brick  construction  in  the 
city  may  be  seen  in  the  exterior  of  the  Wadsworth-Longfellow  House  with 
its  three  main  stories  and  a  one-story  extension.  The  masonry  is  laid  in 
Flemish  bond  to  the  third  story,  which  was  added  in  later  years,  and  in 
running  bond  to  the  roof. 


LITERATURE 

The  literary  and  cultural  life  of  Falmouth,  like  that  of  most  Colonial 
settlements,  took  permanent  form  with  the  arrival  of  the  first  printing  press. 
In  pioneer  times,  however,  books  and  all  kinds  of  reading  matter  were  re- 
garded as  luxuries  by  a  people  who  were  little  educated,  and  had  to  concern 
themselves  with  survival  against  the  attacks  of  the  hostile  Indians  and  the 
rigors  of  Maine  winters.  Within  half  a  century  after  the  establishment  of 
a  local  press,  native  literature  surged  into  its  flood  tide.  During  the  period 
between  the  beginning  of  the  19th  century  and  the  Civil  War,  a  brilliant 
galaxy  of  Portland  writers  achieved  international  fame.  The  creative  urge 
still  impels  the  outpouring  of  thousands  of  words,  but  the  close  perspective 
of  the  present  prevents  an  evaluation  of  their  universal  importance.  Some 
may  remain  as  vivid  examples  of  a  purely  native  genius,  others  merely  the 
forgotten  effusions  of  an  over-ambitious  moment. 

During  the  formative  years  of  the  Province  of  Maine  there  were  no  li- 
braries of  any  importance.  There  were,  however,  such  private  collections  as 
those  of  Dr.  Benjamin  Vaughan,  of  Hallowell,  and  General  Henry  Knox, 
of  Thomaston.  The  first  public  subscription  library  in  Maine  was  opened 
on  'The  Neck'  in  1766  by  a  small  group  of  leading  citizens  of  Falmouth. 
It  contained  a  collection  of  96  volumes,  all  of  which  were  imported  and  of 
a  practical  nature;  nothing  pertaining  to  art,  science,  or  any  book  of  fiction 
was  included.  The  activities  of  its  library  membership  were  not  altogether 
confined  to  the  diffusion  of  literary  knowledge,  as  its  records  show  that 
they  were  frequently  entertained  with  "noctes  ambrosianae,"  it  being  the 
custom  of  the  day  "to  administer  to  both  natures  of  man,  and  not  to  neglect 
the  body  while  providing  for  the  mind." 

The  staple  reading  diet  of  the  cultured  few  in  pre-Revolutionary  days 
consisted  chiefly  of  theological  dissertations,  moral  tracts,  and  political 
polemics.  Dr.  Samuel  Deane,  who  succeeded  the  Reverend  Thomas  Smith 
as  pastor  of  the  First  Parish  Church,  records  in  his  diary:  "I  read  the  last 


150 Portland  City  Guide 

winter  (1771-2)  the  following  books:  Robertson's  history  of  Charles  V  over 
again;  Grove,  on  the  Sacrament;  the  Patrons  A.  B.  G;  Toogood,  on  In- 
fant Baptism;  Saints'  Everlasting  Rest;  Gay,  on  The  Death  of  Mayhew; 
Phillips,  on  Justification;  Directions  to  Students;  Hopkins'  Sermons; 
Dana's  Sermons  preached  at  Cambridge;  The  Wiles  of  Popery;  Alleyne's 
Alarm;  Government  of  the  Tongue;  Smith,  on  Redemption;  Hoadly,  on 
Acceptance;  Introduction  to  the  study  of  Philosophy;  Browne's  Sermon  be- 
fore the  E.  Clergy;  Bull's  Sermon's;  Barnard's  Sermons;  5,341  pages  in  all." 

The  less  literate  of  'The  Neck'  were  forced  to  content  themselves  with 
the  Bible,  supplemented  by  infrequent  newssheets  and  crude  almanacs. 
As  conditions  in  the  growing  settlement  became  more  stable,  the  demand  for 
a  wider  range  of  reading  material  increased.  A  vital  force  in  the  gathering 
cultural  movement  was  the  Falmouth  Gazette,  Maine's  first  newspaper,  es- 
tablished in  1785  by  Benjamin  Titcomb,  Jr.,  and  Thomas  B.  Wait.  A  path- 
way to  a  degree  of  literary  culture  was  opened  through  its  columns,  not 
only  by  the  dissemination  of  fact  and  the  attendant  editorial  opinion,  but 
also  by  its  publication  of  letters  from  local  subscribers.  Latent  talent  was 
thus  afforded  an  outlet  and  controversy  became  the  order  of  the  day. 

Early  printers  were  usually  publishers,  and  the  first  bound  book  to  ap- 
pear in  the  city  was  The  Universal  Spelling  Book  issued  by  the  Titcomb 
and  Wait  Press  in  1786.  This  was  followed  by  Daniel  George's  Almanac 
with  its  motley  assortment  of  astronomical  data,  informal  chitchat,  and  the 
curious  predictions  which  eventually  made  this  type  of  reading  matter  a 
household  institution. 

The  year  1794  was  a  definite  milestone  in  Portland's  literary  history: 
Bowdoin  College  was  founded  in  Brunswick,  an  educational  academy  was 
incorporated  in  Portland,  and  more  interesting  and  revolutionary  perhaps, 
the  first  dramatic  performance  ever  given  in  Maine  was  presented  in  the 
old  Assembly  Rooms  on  King  Street  (India  Street) .  The  Eastern  Herald, 
by  then  the  leading  local  newspaper,  was  an  ardent  advocate  of  the  drama. 
Following  the  first  performance  it  printed  one  of  the  earliest  examples  of 
dramatic  criticism  in  the  country,  and  opened  its  pages  to  contributions  of 
belles  lettres  submitted  by  local  litterateurs.  The  few  citizens  who  were 
well-read  and  could  afford  it  had  on  their  library  shelves  imported  editions 
of  Pope,  the  essays  of  Addison,  and  the  speeches  of  Burke.  By  the  last  of 
the  18th  century  the  thriving  township  of  Portland  had  acquired  a  simple 
but  genuine  culture.  The  141-line  Richmond  Hill,  a  sonorous  poem  by 
Dr.  Samuel  Deane,  was  the  first  serious  local  attempt  at  poetry.  Written  in 


Literature  151 

1795,  it  did  not  appear  in  printed  form  until  some  years  later.  A  more  am- 
bitious attempt  in  verse  was  the  publication  of  The  Village,  a  poem  of  2,000 
lines  by  Enoch  Lincoln,  who  was  to  become  the  sixth  governor  of  Maine. 
Styled  in  the  stately  manner  of  Goldsmith,  it  was  locally  published  in  1816. 

This  was  the  age  of  'broadsides,'  or  printed  sheets  of  ballads  featuring 
topics  either  enthusiastically  patriotic  or  extremely  doleful.  Portland  par- 
ticularly reveled  in  the  crude,  sentimental  effusions  of  Thomas  Shaw,  the 
ballad  singer  of  Standish.  He  published  thousands  of  his  sheets  dealing 
with  such  weird  subjects  as  the  Hanging  of  Daniel  Drew,  shipwrecks,  and 
the  story  of  a  man  and  wife  who  froze  to  death  at  Raymond  Cape.  Each 
sheet  was  usually  decorated  with  grim  reminders  in  the  shape  of  one  or 
two  black  coffins. 

The  first  figure  of  importance  in  Portland's  literary  history  was  Madame 
Sally  Wood,  the  widow  of  General  Abiel  Wood,  a  Revolutionary  veteran. 
Not  only  is  she  regarded  as  Maine's  first  writer  of  fiction,  but  she  is  con- 
sidered to  have  been  one  of  America's  first  novelists.  Born  Sally  Sayward 
Barrell  (1759-1855)  in  York,  Madame  Wood  later  moved  here  in  1811 
and  continued  her  literary  career.  By  the  time  of  her  arrival  in  Portland  her 
work  had  already  achieved  a  national  reputation  under  the  pen  names  of 
'Lady  of  Massachusetts'  and  'Lady  of  Maine';  in  1827  Thomas  Todd,  a 
local  printer,  published  Tales  of  the  Night,  one  of  her  best  works,  which 
was  brought  out  under  the  pen  name  'A  Lady  from  Maine.'  More  signifi- 
cant than  the  quality  of  her  writings,  perhaps,  was  the  interesting  fact  that 
she  was  the  first  of  early  native  writers  to  develop  a  purely  American  style 
and  locale.  Madame  Wood  used  native  scenes  and  characters,  which  was 
quite  unusual  in  an  age  when  most  manners  and  fashions  were  adopted  from 
the  'gentility'  of  England  and  the  Continent.  However,  Madame  Wood  be- 
came discouraged  by  what  she  considered  the  excellence  of  Walter  Scott's 
Waverley  novels,  collected  all  the  available  books  and  manuscripts  she  had 
written  and  destroyed  them. 

Contemporary  with  'A  Lady  from  Maine'  was  John  Neai  (1793-1876), 
son  of  a  local  schoolmaster.  Neal  has  been  termed  a  "strange  genius,"  and 
is  considered  to  have  been  one  of  the  most  versatile  and  startling  figures  in 
all  American  literature;  Edgar  Allen  Poe  ranked  Neal  second  among  the 
great  writers  of  that  day.  John  Neal  was  thrown  on  his  own  resources  at 
the  age  of  12,  serving  a  short  period  in  a  local  dry  goods  store  before 
studying  law.  Admitted  to  the  bar,  he  turned  to  writing  and  composed 
verse  and  prose  with  equal  facility.  When  33  he  became  the  most  original 


152  Portland  City  Guide 

and  arresting  American  writer  in  the  literary  world  of  his  day.  Neal  was 
the  first  American  writer  to  break  into  the  conservative  British  mazagines, 
and  had  the  added  distinction  of  being  the  first  to  attempt  a  history  of 
American  literature.  Using  a  natural  style  of  writing,  NeaPs  works  were 
full  of  Maine  'Yankeeisms/  which  were  new  to  the  English  who  found  him 
most  enjoyable  and  received  him  in  London  literary  salons  with  great  en- 
thusiasm, calling  him  ^Yankee  Neal.'  He  wielded  a  vigorous  and  trenchant 
pen  in  the  cause  of  Americanism  in  art  and  letters,  urging  loyality  and 
pride  in  the  achievements  of  his  own  country.  Van  Wyck  Brooks  in  The 
Flowering  of  New  England  refers  to  Neal  as  "a  Down-Easter — a  typical 
Yankee  Handy-Andy." 

NeaPs  first  book,  Keep  Coo/,  was  published  in  1817;  he  described  the 
story  as  having  two  objects  in  view:  "one  to  discourage  duelling;  and  an- 
other was — I  forget  what."  During  this  period  his  3,000-line  Niagara  was 
written,  a  poem  that  has  been  called  a  "swash  of  magnificence."  Some  of 
its  passages  give  vivid  word  pictures  of  the  atmosphere  of  impending  battle, 
as  the  following  stanza: 

The  shadows  deepen.  Now  the  leaden  tramp 
Of  stationed  sentry — far — and  flat — and — damp 
Sounds  like  the  measured  death-step,  when  it  comes 
With  the  deep  minstrelsy  of  unstrung  drums; 
In  heavy  pomp — with  pauses — o'er  the  grave 
When  soldiers  bury  soldiers;  where  the  wave 
Of  sombre  plume — and  darkened  flags  are  seen — 
And  trailing  steeds  with  funeral  lights  between: 
And  folded  arms — and  boding  horns — and  tread 
Of  martial  feet  descending  to  the  bed, 
Where  Glory — Fame — Ambition  lie  in  state. 

Neal's  Logan,  or  the  Mingo  Chief,  a  two-volume  work  published  in  1822, 
has  been  described  as  "a  prose  rhapsody  of  surcharged  language,  dealing 
with  apparitions  and  the  passion  of  death."  A  year  later  his  three-volume 
Seventy-Six  appeared;  this  work  is  a  novelized  version  of  Allen's  History  of 
the  American  Revolution,  a  third  of  which  was  written  by  Neal  himself. 
His  work  Randolph  (1823)  commented  on  men  in  American  public  life — 
novelists,  poets,  painters,  and  statesmen;  because  of  his  criticism  in  this 
book  of  a  statesman  Neal  was  challenged  to  a  duel,  and  as  he  refused  to 
fight  was  posted  as  a  coward.  On  the  heels  of  this  episode  came  his  Errataf 
which  was  supposedly  the  "confessions  of  a  coward." 


Literature  153 

While  abroad,  NeaPs  articles  published  in  1824  in  Blackwood's,  a  British 
magazine,  received  harsh  criticism  from  his  fellow  writers  in  America,  as 
did  many  of  his  later  contributions  to  various  other  English  periodicals. 
During  his  years  in  England  the  friendship  between  Neal  and  Jeremy 
Bentham,  the  "aged  philosopher  and  writer  of  jurisprudence,"  was  firmly 
cemented.  NeaPs  Principles  of  Legislation,  published  in  1830,  is  a  biography 
of  Bentham;  this  and  a  later  candid  sketch  of  his  friend  John  Pierpont, 
which  appeared  in  the  Atlantic  Monthly,  are  quoted  as  being  "two  of  the 
most  delightful  things  Neal  ever  wrote." 

John  Neal  was  never  considered  a  genius  by  his  native  townspeople;  to 
them  he  was  'Crazy  Neal,'  a  prolific  eccentric  who  had  caused  them  grevious 
offense  with  the  publication  of  Errata,  part  of  which  was  based  on  his  early 
boyhood  experiences  in  Portland.  At  the  start  of  his  career  Neal  had  re- 
marked "that  he  had  no  more  idea  of  settling  down  in  the  village  of  Port- 
land for  life,  than  he  had  of  establishing  a  Cape  Elizabeth  Daily  Advertiser 
or  teaching  horsemanship  on  the  Isle  of  Shoals."  In  spite  of  this  precocious 
utterance,  he  decided  to  settle  in  Portland,  where  he  spent  the  greater  part 
of  his  later  years  actively  engaged  in  journalism.  Longfellow  influenced 
him  to  write  Wandering  Recollections  of  a  Somewhat  Busy  Life,  an  auto- 
biography published  in  1869.  This  work  is  rated  by  Van  Wyck  Brooks  as 
NeaPs  only  book  of  value,  for  it  described  the  "American  Grub  Street" 
of  his  day  and  gives  a  word  picture  of  Jeremy  Bentham,  with  whom  he  lived 
in  London  from  1824  to  1827.  NeaPs  Portland  Illustrated,  a  valuable 
source  guide  to  the  city,  is,  ironically,  the  only  book  of  all  of  his  extensive 
writings  by  which  he  is  locally  remembered;  it  was  published  two  years 
prior  to  his  death. 

During  the  early  years  of  the  19th  century  various  groups  of  local  peo- 
ple formed  "literary  improvement"  clubs;  among  these  was  the  Paah  Deu- 
wyke  Society,  which  derived  its  name  from  the  croacking  of  bullfrogs  in  a 
Munjoy  Hill  marsh.  The  formation  of  the  Ugly  Club  in  1817  caused  much 
merriment  in  Portland.  Once  debating  the  admission  of  a  local  lady  to  the 
club  membership,  the  Ugly  Club's  decision  was  that  she  might  be  admitted 
if  the  following  epigram  applied  to  her: 

With  eyes  so  gray,  and  hair  so  red, 

With  tusks  so  sharp  and  keen, 

Thou'lt  fright  the  shades,  when  thou  art  dead, 

And  Hell  won't  let  thee  in. 

Following  Maine's  separation  from  Massachusetts  in  1820  Portland  en- 


154  Portland  City  Guide 

joyed  considerable  literary  reputation  as  the  intellectual  center  of  the  new 
State.  Through  the  columns  of  a  local  newspaper  a  few  young  Portland 
writers  had  inaugurated  a  series  of  brilliant  essays  called  'Abracadabra/ 
which  were  fashioned  after  Washington  Irving's  Salmagundi  papers.  These 
Portland  articles,  with  their  quips  and  jests  written  over  such  signatures 
as  'Pilgrim/  'Prowler/  'Night-hawk/  and  'Torpedo/  kept  the  town  in  good 
humor.  Perhaps  the  most  brilliant  of  these  writers  was  Nathaniel  Deering 
(1791-1881),  a  leading  business  man  and  social  leader,  and  acknowledged 
as  the  "wit  and  gentleman  poet"  of  the  town.  He  also  dabbled  in  play  writ- 
ing; one  of  his  works  was  Carabasset,  based  on  the  tragic  assassination  of 
Father  Sebastian  Rale.  The  play  was  produced  in  Portland  in  1831.  Deer- 
ing  satirized  the  poets  of  his  day  in  such  ingenious  devices  as  the  following, 
employed  to  parody  the  tone  of  Longfellow's  Hiawatha: 

Have  you  read  the  misty  poem 
Of  the  mystic  Hiawatha 
Read  about  the  wild  Dakotas 
And  the  brave  Humbugawampums 
In  the  vales  of  Hifaluten 
In  the  vales  of  Wishy- Washy 
In  the  vales  of  Skimmy-Dishy? 
No,  Sir-e,  Sir,  that  I  did  not, 
And  I  would  not  for  a  hundred 
Dollars  paid  in  silver,  or  in 
Gold  by  the  Inflated  teller 
Of  a  bank  called  the  Manhattan. 
I  looked  in  the  book  a  moment, 
And  my  spine  is  really  aching, 
At  the  hard  words  of  Mr.  Longfel- 
Low  puts  in  his  learned  verses. 
Rumor  says  that  Mr.  Ripley, 
Critic  of  the  New  York  Tribune, 
Hired  by  a  bob  called  Greeley, 
Labors  with  an  awful  lock-jaw, 
Got  in  reading  "Hiawatha." 
Guess  he  got  afoul  of  this  word, 
Obe  j  ay  a  way  ekooteay  ea! 

Portland  claims  brilliant  Seba  Smith  (1792-1868),  nationally  famous 
humorist  and  satirist  of  the  19th  century,  because  he  first  entered  the  news- 
paper field  on  the  staff  of  Portland's  Eastern  Argus.  Born  in  Turner,  Seba 


Literature  155 

Smith  joined  the  staff  of  the  local  paper  shortly  after  his  graduation  from 
college  in  1818.  Following  his  departure  to  New  York  City  in  1837  he 
gained  renown  for  his  characterizations  of  the  down-East  Yankee.  His 
'Jack  Downing  Letters'  appeared  in  newspapers  of  the  period;  these  semi- 
political  and  semi-satirical  writings  convulsed  America  during  the  stormy 
period  of  Andrew  Jackson's  term  of  office,  and  brought  forth  a  swarm  of 
literary  imitators.  In  addition  to  poetry,  Smith  also  wrote  Away  Down  East, 
a  humorous  book  about  Maine.  Seba  Smith's  wife,  Elizabeth  Oakes  Smith 
(1806-93),  became  a  lesser  literary  light,  and  contributed  much  material 
to  the  old  Boston  Miscellany  of  Literature,  predecessor  of  the  present  At- 
lantic Monthly.  She  is  best  remembered  for  her  poem,  'The  Sinless  Child.' 

Another  Portland  journalist  who  started  his  career  on  the  long-lived 
Eastern  Argus,  was  Nathaniel  Willis,  Jr.  (1780-1870) ,  who  in  1827  founded 
the  Youth's  Companion  in  Boston.  This  magazine  was  characterized  in  its 
day  as  "the  most  important  single  educational  agency  in  America."  Editor 
Willis  was  the  father  of  two  remarkable  literary  personages:  Nathaniel  P. 
Willis  (1806-67)  and  Sarah  Payson  Willis  (1811-72). 

N.  P.  Willis  (see  Newspapers)  became  a  poet  and  a  critic  of  great  con- 
temporary influence  in  New  York  newspaper  circles.  During  his  years  of 
literary  activity  he  was  the  most  successful  and  the  highest  paid  essayist  in 
America. 

Sarah  Payson  Willis,  who  became  the  wife  of  James  Parton,  the  his- 
torian, wrote  under  the  pen  name  of  Tanny  Fern.'  She  was  not  only  one  of 
the  best  known  newspaper  writers  in  America  but  gained  world-wide  reputa- 
tion as  an  author.  Such  was  the  popularity  of  'Fragrant  Fanny  Fern,'  so- 
called  because  of  her  flowery  literary  style,  that  her  first  book  of  sketches 
reached  a  sale  of  70,000  copies,  a  remarkable  record  for  those  times.  Many 
of  her  books  were  translated  into  foreign  languages.  Her  style  of  writing 
was  described  as  somewhat  lachrymose,  if  not  maudlin.  Tanny  Fern'  at- 
tracted much  attention  by  the  use  of  Biblical  phrases  to  shock  or  amuse 
her  audiences.  Such  expressions  as  "hot  as  Shadrach's  furnace"  and 
"dress  that  might  have  been  made  for  Noah's  great  grandmother"  sur- 
prised her  readers,  who  were  unaccustomed  to  such  unusual  adaptations  of 
sacred  texts.  An  amusing  example  of  her  journalistic  efforts  is  shown  in 
the  following  portrayal:  "The  Boston  woman  draweth  down  her  mouth, 
rolleth  up  her  eyes,  foldeth  her  hands,  and  walketh  on  a  crack.  She  re- 
joiceth  in  anatomical  and  chemical  lectures.  She  prateth  of  Macaulay  and 
Carlyle;  belongeth  to  many  and  divers  reading-classes,  and  smileth  in  a 


156  Portland  City  Guide 

chaste,  moonlight  kind  of  way  on  literary  men.  She  dresseth  (to  her  praise 
be  it  spoken)  plainly  in  the  street,  and  considereth  India-rubbers,  a  straw 
bonnet,  and  a  thick  shawl,  the  fittest  costume  for  damp  and  cloudy  weather. 
She  dresseth  her  children  more  for  comfort  than  show,  and  bringeth  them  up 
also  to  walk  on  a  crack.  She  maketh  the  tour  of  the  Common  twice  or  three 
times  a  day,  without  regard  to  the  barometer.  She  goeth  to  church  twice 
or  three  times  on  Sunday,  sandwiched  with  Bible-classes  and  Sabbath- 
schools.  She  thinketh  London,  Vienna,  or  Paris — fools  to  Boston;  and  the 
'Boulevards'  and  Tuileries'  not  to  be  mentioned  with  the  Frog  Pond 
and  the  Common.  She  is  well  posted  up  as  to  politics — 'thinketh  as  Pa 
does,'  and  sticketh  to  it  through  thunder  and  lightning.  When  asked  to 
take  a  gentleman's  arm,  she  hooketh  the  tip  of  her  little  finger  circumspectly 
on  to  his  male  coat  sleeve.  She  is  as  prim  as  a  bolster,  as  stiff  as  a  ram-rod, 
as  frigid  as  an  icicle,  and  not  even  matrimony  with  a  New  Yorker  could 
thaw  her." 

To  the  clarion  calls  of  the  early  New  England  writers  for  a  purely 
American  school  of  literature,  Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow  (1807-82), 
Portland's  greatest  contribution  to  the  world  of  letters,  remained  serenely 
indifferent.  From  childhood  Longfellow  had  immersed  himself  in  studies 
of  the  "genteel  foreigner  Dante,"  the  flamboyant  works  of  Byron,  and  the 
German  and  Scandinavian  authors.  In  1820  he  timorously  deposited  the 
precious  manuscript  of  his  first  poetic  effort  in  the  mailbox  of  the  Port- 
land Weekly  Gazette.  The  joy  of  seeing  his  poem  printed  in  that  paper 
under  the  title,  'The  Battle  of  Loveweli's  Pond,'  was  short-lived,  for  it  drew 
the  severe  criticism  of  Prentiss  Mellen,  a  judge  and  close  friend  of  the 
Longfellow  family.  Ignorant  of  its  authorship,  Mellen  severely  called  the 
poem  "a  very  stiff  piece,  remarkably  stiff — moreover  it  is  all  borrowed  every 
word  of  it."  Young  Longfellow  had  adopted  the  theme  and  color  of  his 
first  printed  work  from  an  earlier  poem  on  the  same  subject.  In  later  years 
Longfellow  was  again  reproached  and  criticized  for  his  "imitative  qualities" 
by  John  Neal,  his  contemporary,  who  wrote:  "...  as  for  Mr.  Longfellow 
he  has  a  fine  genius  and  a  pure  safe  taste  and  all  he  wants  we  believe  is  a 
little  more  energy  and  a  little  more  stoutness."  Neal's  attitude  was  that 
Longfellow,  who  copied  the  style  of  others,  lacked  originality.  "Why  imi- 
tate?" Neal  admonished,  "be  yourself!"  Possibly  Neal  had  not  forgotten 
nor  forgiven  Longfellow's  caustic  remarks  concerning  his  own  books,  for 
the  'Bard  of  Portland'  had  once  said  of  Neal's  novel  Randolph,  "I  judge 


Literature  157 

it  to  be  a  compound  of  reason  and  nonsense,  drollery  and  absurdity,  wit 
and  nastiness." 

Longfellow's  Voices  of  the  Night,  published  by  John  Owen  in  1839  at 
Cambridge,  Massachusetts,  established  him  as  one  of  the  leading  American 
poets;  included  in  this  volume  was  'A  Psalm  of  Life/  known  to  thousands 
of  poetry  lovers.  During  the  same  year  Samuel  Coieman  brought  out  in 
New  York  the  romantic  poem,  Hyperion.  This  work  was  read  and  dis- 
cussed in  all  literary  circles,  for  it  was  a  thinly  veiled  disguise  for  Long- 
fellow's love  for  Frances  Appleton,  the  "dark  Ladie"  whom  he  later  mar- 
ried. The  panic  of  1837  caused  the  usual  slump  in  all  lines  of  endeavor,  and 
most  publishers  were  loathe  to  risk  their  money  in  launching  untried  authors, 
and,  as  a  result,  Longfellow  received  no  encouragement  when  he  attempted 
to  interest  them  in  his  three-act  play,  The  Spanish  Student.  Reputedly  in- 
spired by  the  exotic  Fanny  Elssler  and  her  sensational  dancing  in  New  York, 
the  plot  of  Longfellow's  play  was  woven  around  the  love  of  a  Spanish 
nobleman  for  a  gypsy  maiden.  The  play  was  later  printed  in  serial  form  in 
a  magazine,  and  in  1843  it  appeared  in  book  form.  Published  in  the  mid- 
dle of  the  19th  century  were:  Longfellow's  pathetic  Evangeline,  A  Tale  of 
Acadie,  the  story  of  an  Acadian  girl's  search  for  her  lover;  The  Song  of 
Hiawatha,  which  tells  of  an  Indian  lad's  love  of  nature;  The  Courtship  of 
Miles  Standish,  with  its  background  of  puritanical  Pilgrims;  and  Tales  of 
a  Wayside  Inn,  as  told  by  weary  travelers  who  frequented  the  old  hostelry 
at  Sudbury,  Massachusetts.  The  appearance  of  Evangeline  in  1847  estab- 
lished Longfellow  as  the  most  widely  read  and  universally  beloved  poet  of 
his  time,  although  his  popular  poems,  'The  Reaper,'  'The  Flowers/  'A 
Psalm  of  Life/  'Excelsior/  and  the  Wreck  of  the  Hesperus'  had  brought 
him  earlier  fame. 

Although  Longfellow  spent  most  of  his  productive  years  in  Cambridge, 
Massachusetts,  Portland  can  fairly  claim  him  as  her  own;  the  love  and 
veneration  for  his  birthplace  is  indelibly  stamped  upon  much  of  his  work. 
In  'My  Lost  Youth'  and  many  of  his  most  popular  poems,  much  of  his  early 
local  life  is  vividly  and  feelingly  described.  Casco  Bay  is  the  location  of 
"the  islands  that  were  the  Hesperides";  the  "black  wharves  and  the  slips" 
and  "the  Spanish  Sailors"  are  reminiscent  of  his  youthful  adventures  on  the 
water  front  in  the  picturesque  days  of  the  West  Indies  trade.  "O  faithful 
indefatigable  tides"  was  inspired  by  the  tidewaters  that  flow  below  Martin's 
Point  Bridge,  a  few  steps  from  the  Veranda  Hotel  where  Longfellow  spent 
one  or  two  summers,  during  which  he  is  said  to  have  finished  the  proofs  of 


1 5  8  Portland  City  Guide 

Evangeline.  According  to  George  Thornton  Edwards  in  Youthful  Haunts 
of  Longfellow,  his  poems  'Keramos'  and  The  Rope  Walk'  present  familiar 
pictures  of  the  scenes  of  his  childhood:  remembrances  of  the  ancient  potter's 
wheel,  pedaled  by  Benjamin  Dodge  in  his  pottery  near  the  vicinity  of  Port- 
land's new  post  office,  and  the  long,  low  rope-making  factory  that  stood  at 
Park  and  Spring  streets  in  the  1820's. 

England  has  long  revered  Longfellow's  genius,  and  it  has  been  said  that 
Englishmen  today  have  a  greater  esteem  for  the  Portland-born  poet  than 
poetry  lovers  of  America.  On  March  2,  1884,  two  years  after  Longfellow's 
death,  England  honored  the  poet  by  unveiling  a  bust  in  the  Poets'  Corner 
of  Westminster  Abbey.  So  great  a  fund  poured  in  at  the  time  of  the  sub- 
scription list  to  purchase  the  bust,  that  two  replicas  were  made — one  for 
Harvard  University  and  one  for  the  Maine  Historical  Society.  Today  in 
England  prizes  are  still  awarded  in  colleges  and  universities  for  essays  on 
Longfellow,  but  in  his  native  land  appreciation  for  his  genius  usually  does 
not  extend  beyond  the  elementary  schools.  Regardless  of  the  more  intel- 
lectual argument  as  to  whether  Longfellow  was  the  "greatest  of  the  minor 
poets"  or  "the  least  of  the  great  poets,"  it  still  remains  that  he  was  the  most 
brilliant  literary  product  of  Portland  and  of  Maine. 

An  excellent  example  of  Portland  authorship  contemporary  with  Long- 
fellow's period  of  literary  development  is  The  Portland  Sketch  Book)  an 
anthology  compiled  by  Mrs.  Ann  S.  Stephen  (1813-86),  local  author  of 
more  than  forty  minor  novels.  Included  in  this  anthology,  published  in 
1830,  is  Longfellow's  The  Village  of  Auteuil,'  a  poem  by  John  Neal,  Seba 
Smith's  amusing  description  of  Jack  Downing's  visit  to  Portland,  and  con- 
tributions of  various  types  by  James  S.  Otis,  Edward  Payson,  Ashur  Ware, 
and  Jason  Whitman,  all  local  literary  craftsmen.  In  a  preface  to  the  an- 
thology, Mrs.  Stephen  states  that  the  purpose  of  the  book  is  "to  collect 
literary  specimens  of  such  writers  as  have  a  just  claim  to  be  styled  local 
authors.  Too  many  have  been  mere  transients." 

Nearly  50  years  after  The  Portland  Sketchbook  was  published,  John 
Neal  recorded  in  his  Portland  Illustrated  that  Portland's  "prose  writers  are 
numberless  and  almost  without  exception  above  what  may  be  called  the  aver- 
age," but  of  these  "numberless"  writers  there  is  little  or  no  trace,  for  hardly 
any  of  their  work  exists  in  print  today.  That  the  city's  burst  of  prosperity 
during  the  decades  following  the  War  of  1812  had  its  baneful  influence  on 
local  literary  production  was  noted  by  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,  who  wrote 
in  Elsie  Venner:  "As  for  the  last  of  these  three  ports,  or  Portland,  it  is  get- 


Literature  159 

ting  too  prosperous  to  be  as  attractive  as  its  less  northerly  neighbors.  Meant 
for  a  fine  old  town,  to  ripen  like  a  Cheshire  cheese  within  its  walls  of  an- 
cient rind,  burrowed  with  crooked  alleys  and  mottled  with  venerable  mould, 
it  seems  likely  to  sacrifice  its  mellow  future  to  a  vulgar  material  prosperity." 

Portland  has  fostered  a  host  of  lesser  literary  luminaries,  most  of  whom 
are  familiar  only  to  careful  students  of  American  literature.  Ichabod 
Nichols,  co-pastor  with  the  Reverend  Samuel  Deane  in  the  First  Parish 
Church,  wrote  Natural  Theology  in  1829;  John  White  Chickering,  for  20 
years  pastor  of  the  High  Street  Church,  issued  several  religious  tracts  and 
funeral  discourses  from  1838  to  1859;  Sylvester  B.  Beckett,  who  published 
at  least  ten  successive  directories  of  Portland  between  1846  and  1881, 
wrote  Hester,  a  narrative  poem  brought  out  in  1860;  and  Dr.  Isaac  Ray 
was  the  author  of  a  Treatise  on  the  Medical  Jurisprudence  of  Insanity 
and  Conversations  on  the  Animal  Economy,  published  in  1829  and  later 
adapted  to  textbook  use. 

A  small  group  of  local  historians  have  prepared  valuable  volumes  on  the 
city's  early  history.  Notable  among  these  is  the  journal  of  the  venerable 
Thomas  Smith  of  the  First  Parish  Church,  the  civic-minded  parson  who 
kept  a  daily  account  of  the  happenings  of  old  Falmouth  in  the  lively, 
piquant  style  of  Pepys.  The  journal  of  Smith's  assistant,  Samuel  Deane, 
throws  still  more  light  on  the  early  years  of  the  settlement.  No  chronicle  of 
early  literature  in  Portland  would  be  complete  without  a  mention  of  Samuel 
Freeman  (1743-1831).  Although  there  is  no  record  of  any  creative  work 
by  him,  Freeman  did  have  the  remarkable  foresight  to  detect  the  historical 
value  latent  in  the  Smith  journal,  and  he  performed  the  prodigious  task  of 
editing  its  recordings  of  nearly  seventy  years.  Of  William  Willis  (1794- 
1870) ,  author  of  the  valuable  History  of  Portland,  John  Neal  commented: 
"Simply  a  trustworthy  annalist,  wholly  destitute  of  imagination,  with  not  a 
few  strong  prejudices  which  he  could  not  always  forget  or  smother."  In 
more  recent  years  several  historical  books  on  Portland  have  been  published 
by  local  authors;  among  these  are  Portland  in  the  Past  (1886)  by  Nathan 
Goold,  and  Portland  By  The  Sea  (1926)  by  Augustus  F.  Moulton.  Neal 
Dow  in  his  Reminiscences  (1898)  portrayed  a  fascinating  picture  of  the 
social  and  political  life  of  the  city,  together  with  the  background  that  was 
the  basis  of  Maine's  prohibitory  law.  Among  the  several  tourist  guides  to 
Portland  are  John  Neal's  Portland  Illustrated  (1874),  Edward  Elwell's 
Portland  and  Vicinity  (1876),  and  John  T.  Hull's  Portland  and  Old  Or- 
chard (1888). 


160 Portland  City  Guide 

James  Phinney  Baxter  (1831-1921)  was  the  most  prolific  historical 
writer  Portland,  and  perhaps  Maine,  has  yet  produced.  In  1885  he  pre- 
pared George  Cleeve  of  Casco  Bay,  which  was  printed  for  the  Gorges  So- 
ciety; his  historical  papers  are  included  in  The  Proceedings  and  Collections 
of  the  Maine  Historical  Society  of  1889-1914;  the  Trelawny  Papers  (1884) 
is  one  of  19  volumes  of  letters  and  legal  documents  of  the  Documentary 
History  of  the  State  of  Maine.  Among  other  works  by  Baxter  are  Chris- 
topher Levett  (1893),  The  Pioneers  of  New  France  in  New  England 
(1894),  and  A  Memoir  of  Jacques  Cartler  (1906).  His  largest  single 
volume  is  The  Greatest  of  Literary  Problems,  the  Authorship  of  the  Shake- 
speare Works  (1915),  written  against  a  background  of  prodigious  and 
patient  research.  Baxter's  love  of  Portland  is  shown  in  his  Collected  Ad- 
dresses, 1877-1920,  his  editing  in  1887  of  William  Digby's  The  British 
Invasion  From  the  North,  Sir  Ferdinando  Gorges  and  His  Province  of 
Maine  (1890) ,  and  in  many  magazine  articles,  poems,  and  pamphlets. 

No  American  poem  written  during  the  1860's  received  wider  distribu- 
tion and  more  publicity  than  'Rock  Me  To  Sleep,  Mother/  by  Elizabeth 
Akers  (1832-1911),  wife  of  Benjamin  Paul  Akers,  the  sculptor.  The  fol- 
lowing first  stanza  of  this  poem  is  universally  quoted: 

Backward,  turn  backward,  O  Time,  in  your  flight, 
Make  me  a  child  again  just  for  tonight! 
Mother,  come  back  from  the  echoless  shore, 
Take  me  again  to  your  heart  as  of  yore; 
Kiss  from  my  forehead  the  furrows  of  care, 
Smooth  the  few  silver  threads  out  of  my  hair; 
Over  my  slumbers  your  loving  watch  keep; — 
Rock  me  to  sleep,  mother, — rock  me  to  sleep! 

The  publication  of  the  poem  occasioned  one  of  the  most  bitter  and  ludi- 
crous pen  battles  in  the  literary  world  and  became  a  minor  cause  celebre 
when  a  New  Jersey  harness  maker  named  Bell  claimed  the  authorship,  but 
failed  to  establish  proof.  The  history  of  the  affair  is  related  at  length  in 
Burton  E.  Stevenson's  Famous  Single  Poems.  Born  in  Strong,  Elizabeth 
Akers  joined  the  staff  of  the  Portland  Transcript  after  the  publication  in 
1856  of  her  first  book  of  poetry,  Forest  Buds.  Published  under  the  pseu- 
donym of  'Florence  Percy,'  'Rock  Me  To  Sleep  Mother'  originally  appeared 
in  the  June  issue  of  the  Saturday  Evening  Post  of  1860.  For  her  contribu- 
tion the  author  was  paid  $5,  and  this  was  the  only  income  she  received  from 
a  work  from  which  others  have  derived  thousands  of  dollars.  It  was  set 


Literature  161 

to  music,  and  as  a  song  was  popularized  from  coast  to  coast  by  Christy's 
Minstrels.  The  poem  attained  great  popularity  in  the  army  and  prison 
camps  during  the  Civil  War,  its  fame  lasting  up  to  the  Cuban  and  South 
African  campaigns  of  1898-1900, 

Although  born  in  Fryeburg,  Caroline  Dana  Howe  (1820-1907)  lived 
almost  all  of  her  life  in  Portland.  Her  first  poem  appeared  in  the  Port- 
land Transcript.  About  36  of  her  poems  have  been  set  to  music,  the  best 
known  probably  being  'Leaf  By  Leaf  the  Roses  Fall.' 

Portland-born  Elizabeth  Jones  Pullen  (1849-1926)  is  best  remembered 
for  Mr.  Whitman  (1902),  a  story  of  brigands.  Early  in  her  career  she 
wrote  verse,  sketches,  and  book  and  music  reviews  for  the  Portland  Press. 
Her  parody  of  Algernon  Swinburne's  'Atlanta'  in  Algernon  in  London 
brought  acclaim  from  members  of  the  Century  Club  in  New  York,  who 
sent  her  a  card  of  admission,  believing  her  literary  effort  was  the  work  of  a 
man.  In  1885  she  married  Signor  Nino  Cavazzo  and  went  to  reside  in 
Modena,  Italy;  seven  years  after  taking  up  her  Italian  residence  she 
brought  out  Don  Finimondome,  a  volume  of  Calabrian  sketches.  After 
the  death  of  Cavazzo  she  returned  to  America  and  married  Stanley  Pullen, 
proprietor  and  editor  of  the  Portland  Press. 

Augusta  Hale  Gifford  (1842-1915)  published  most  of  her  historical 
works  abroad  during  the  years  her  husband,  George  Gifford,  served  in  the 
diplomatic  service.  Best  known  of  her  writings  are  Germany,  Her  People 
and  Their  Story  (1899) ,  and  Italy,  Her  People  and  Their  Story  (1905) . 

Portland's  scenic  background  has  been  featured  in  many  books,  both  fic- 
tion and  non-fiction.  Many  of  these  stories  are  treated  fictionally,  but  ad- 
here faithfully  to  historical  facts.  Such  books  are  Edward  Elwell's  Boys  of 
'35,  Otis  Kaler's  Story  of  Falmouth,  Ella  Mathews  Bangs'  The  King's 
Mark)  and  Elizabeth  Hill's  When  Kitty  Comes  To  Portland.  At  an  earlier 
period  the  Reverend  Elijah  Kellogg  penned  his  remarkable  Elm  Island 
series  of  boys'  stories,  which  during  the  last  of  the  19th  century  made  his 
name  famous  in  juvenile  literature.  Within  recent  years  Kenneth  Roberts 
has  portrayed  the  early  locale  in  his  Arundel,  which  gives  a  brief  scene  of  old 
Falmouth  town  about  1760,  and  Lively  Lady,  which  glimpses  the  busy 
scene  of  the  water  front  during  the  bustling  days  of  1811-12. 

Since  the  turn  of  the  20th  century,  many  writers  of  varying  brilliance  have 
flashed  across  the  literary  horizon  of  the  city.  Portland-born  Harrison 
Jewell  Holt,  who  served  on  the  New  York  Globe,  brought  out  his  The 
Calendared  Isles  (1910)  and  Midnight  at  Mears  House  (1912).  Florence 


162  Portland  City  Guide 

Brooks  Whitehouse  wrote  The  God  of  Things  (1902)  and  The  Effendi 
(1904),  as  well  as  many  short  stories  published  in  various  magazines.  Ers- 
kine  Caldwell,  who  managed  a  local  bookshop  in  1929,  left  Portland  for 
wider  fields;  in  1933  his  short  story,  'Country  Full  of  Swedes/  won  the 
Yale  Quarterly  Review  Award.  His  stories  have  appeared  in  the  Best 
Short  Stories  of  1931  and  1932.  In  1936  his  Sacrilege  of  Alan  Kent  was 
published  by  the  local  Falmouth  Book  House;  today  Erskine  Caldwell 
has  won  fame  for  his  Tobacco  Road. 

Eric  P.  Kelly,  summer  resident  of  Chebeag  Island,  was  awarded  the 
John  Newberry  Medal  in  1930  for  excellence  in  juvenile  literature  for  The 
Trumpeter  of  Krakow,  his  other  works  include  Treasure  Mountain  (1937), 
and  At  The  Sign  of  the  Golden  Compass  (1938).  Portland-born  George 
Stuyvesant  Jackson  compiled  Early  Songs  of  Uncle  Sam  (1934) ,  and  wrote 
Uncommon  Scold,  The  Story  of  Anne  Royall  (1938) .  Helen  Albee  Prince 
based  her  Grandma's  Album  Quilt  (1936)  on  diaries  she  had  kept  for  more 
than  half  a  century. 

From  1930  to  1936  Alfred  Morang  lived  in  Portland;  his  'Frozen  Still- 
ness' was  included  in  O'Brien's  Best  Short  Stories  of  1935,  its  compiler 
praising  Morang  as  "a  suberb  artist"  and  listing  16  of  his  stories  in  The 
Yearbook  of  American  Short  Stories.  Morang's  work  has  been  included 
in  nearly  50  American  and  European  periodicals;  his  Funeral  in  Winter 
(1936)  is  as  grim  in  content  as  in  title. 

Portland  today  presents  a  fairly  active  group  of  writers  producing  much 
that  is  interesting  both  in  prose  and  verse.  Mrs.  Harold  Lee  Berry  has  pub- 
lished two  volumes  of  lyric  poetry,  The  White  Heron  (1933),  and  Tall 
Oneida  Mountain  (1934) ;  Alice  Homer's  Stars  for  Your  Wagon  (1935), 
and  Let  Us  Reason  Together  (1934)  have  been  locally  praised.  The 
Scribblers'  Club,  an  active  local  group  of  penwomen,  published  Fifteen 
Girls  On  A  Hobby  Horse  (1937) ,  combining  their  poetry  and  prose  talents. 

Within  the  past  few  years  Herbert  G.  Jones,  a  Welsh-born  writer  who 
has  adopted  Portland  as  his  home  city,  has  delighted  his  readers  with  two 
chatty  and  highly  informative  books — /  Discover  Maine  (1937),  and  Old 
Portland  Town  (1938).  Jones'  style  is  easy  and  intimately  informative, 
depending  for  historical  revelation  upon  accurately  related  anecdotes  rather 
than  dry  statistics. 

Maurice  Gardner's  This  Man  (1937)  had  as  its  locale  a  lonely  isle  in 
Casco  Bay;  other  Gardner  works  include  Bant  an  —  God-like  Islander 


Literature  163 

(1932),  a  highly  imaginative  novel  in  a  South  Sea  setting,  and  the  early 
Son  of  the  Wilderness,  a  story  of  high  adventure  in  the  Maine  woods. 

Among  local  contemporary  authors  is  Esther  Cloudman  Dunn,  whose 
scholarly  Literature  of  Shakespeare's  England  (1936)  attracted  much  fa- 
vorable attention.  Leon  Tebbett's  Amazing  Story  of  Maine  (1935)  is  the 
only  recent  book  on  the  geological  story  of  this  State.  Lena  K.  Sargent 
featured  the  romance  of  fishing  in  Casco  Bay  in  her  Bruce  the  Fisherboy 
(1936).  Casco  Bay  and  its  islands  are  the  setting  for  Grace  Blanchard's 
Island  Cure  (1922),  William  Haynes'  Casco  Bay  Yarns,  and  Idle  Island 
(1927)  by  Ethel  Hueston,  a  prolific  writer  whose  most  recent  work  is 
High  Bridge  (1938).  Edward  H.  Carlson,  local  newspaperman,  collabo- 
rated with  James  Coolen  to  produce  We're  Sailing  in  The  Morning  (1938) . 
Albert  Walter  Tolman  is  the  author  of  the  Jim  Spurling  series  of  four 
volumes  of  adventure  and  fiction,  and  contributes  to  young  people's  publi- 
cations. 

H.  Leroy  Caston,  under  the  pen  name*  Robert  Barrington,'  produced  the 
ancestral  biography,  Some  Valiant  Ones  (1937),  which  centers  mainly 
around  the  old  Kennebec  river  country,  although  parts  of  it  concern  early 
Falmouth;  he  also  wrote  For  All  Eternity  t  a  play.  Attracting  much  attention 
in  the  contemporary  field  of  verse  is  the  work  of  Myra  Lee  Kennedy  (Mrs. 
John  Parks),  whose  poems  have  been  printed  in  several  leading  American 
newspapers  and  periodicals.  Other  modern  writers  connected  with  Portland 
include:  Robert  G.  Albion,  author  of  Square  Riggers  on  Schedule  (1938) ; 
Clifford  Orr  who  became  popular  almost  overnight  with  his  detective 
story,  The  Dartmouth  Murders  (1929) ;  Agnes  Burke  Hale,  a  brillant 
short  story  writer,  for  some  years  a  regular  contributor  to  the  Saturday 
Evening  Post,  author  of  the  novel,  So  Wise  So  Young  (1935) ;  Edith  A. 
Sawyer,  who  has  done  noteworthy  work  in  the  juvenile  field;  and  Robert 
T.  Sterling,  keeper  of  Portland  Head  Light,  who  penned  Lighthouses  of 
the  Maine  Coast  By  The  Men  Who  Keep  Them  (1935).  With  the  pub- 
lication of  A  Slice  of  Life  (1938),  Portland's  Margery  Palmer  Power 
shocked  the  local  literary  world  with  the  frank  reality  of  her  poetic  style. 

Edward  F.  Morrill,  former  newspaperman  and  resident  of  Portland,  first 
attracted  attention  with  his  tribute  'Edward  Arlington  Robinson,'  a  sonnet 
which  won  a  prize  in  the  Portland  Sunday  Telegram  Contest  in  1936.  A 
member  of  the  Poetry  Fellowship  of  Maine,  his  rondeau  'Blood  God  Mars,' 
an  indictment  of  war,  won  the  first  annual  prize  of  that  organization  in 
February,  1939.  In  May  of  the  same  year,  Mr.  Merrill's  sonnette  'Con- 


164  Portland  City  Guide 

vent'  won  the  Anita  Brown  Medal,  awarded  through  the  National  Poetry 
Center.  His  style  is  realistic,  achieving  a  vivid  effect  through  a  meticulous 
choice  of  phraseology. 

Frances  Wright  Turner  is  active  in  many  literary  organizations  in  the 
city  and  State.  Her  lyric  poem  'October'  won  the  Brook  prize  in  1918; 
'People,'  the  Kaleidoscope  Magazine  (Texas)  prize,  1929;  'Gardens'  in  1938, 
won  the  State  prize  for  the  best  poem  in  the  regional  convention  of  the  Na- 
tional League  of  American  Pen-Women,  and  her  lyric  Tog'  won  the  Na- 
tional Contest  prize  of  this  organization  the  same  year.  Her  published 
works  include  Drifting  Leaves  (1926),  a  volume  of  lyric  poems,  and  Star 
Dust  (1930) ,  a  child's  book  of  verse. 

Although  William  Hutchinson  Rowe  is  neither  Portland-born  nor  a  re- 
sident of  the  city,  his  maritime  books  are  intimately  connected  with  the 
local  scene.  Published  in  Portland  were  his  Shipbuilding  Days  and  Tales 
of  the  Sea  (1924),  Shipbuilding  Days  in  Casco  Bay,  1727-1890  (1929), 
and  Ancient  North  Yarmouth  and  Yarmouth  (1937). 

The  Federal  Writers'  Project  in  Maine,  a  unit  of  a  national  program  of 
the  Work  Projects  Administration,  has  maintained  editorial  offices  in 
Portland  and  field  workers  throughout  the  State  since  its  inception  in  1935. 
Originally  designed  to  give  useful  employment  to  needy  writers  and  re- 
search workers,  the  Federal  Writers'  Project  has  gradually  developed  the 
more  ambitious  objective  of  utilizing  the  talent  among  these  unemployed 
writers  to  create  and  present  a  comprehensive  portrait  of  Maine.  The  re- 
sult is  a  collective  work  to  which  all  the  writers  and  research  workers  con- 
tributed according  to  their  talents.  In  September,  1939,  this  project  be- 
came the  Maine  Writers'  Project,  sponsored  by  the  State  Department  of 
Education.  The  members  of  the  Maine  project,  in  addition  to  the  Portland 
City  Guide,  have  written  Maine:  A  Guide  Down  East  (1937),  a  450-page 
history-guide  published  by  Houghton  Mifflin  Company  of  Boston.  Under 
the  supervision  of  R.  Richard  Ellingwood,  State  Director,  the  project  has 
considerably  expanded  its  scope  and  since  the  spring  of  1938  has  been  en- 
gaged in  the  production  of  seven  varied  books.  Maine's  Capitol  (1939), 
published  by  the  Kennebec  Journal  Print  Shop,  is  a  handbook  on  the  State- 
house  and  the  functions  of  the  government  of  Maine;  Augusta-Hallowell 
on  the  Kennebec,  a  history-guide  to  Maine's  capital  city,  Augusta,  and  to 
the  State's  smallest  incorporated  city,  Hallowell,  is  scheduled  for  publica- 
tion during  the  summer  of  1940.  In  collaboration  with  other  New  England 
States,  the  Maine  Writers'  have  assisted  in  preparing  U.  S.  One  (1937),  a 


Literature  165 

mile-by-mile  description  of  the  Federal  Highway  extending  from  Maine  to 
Florida.  Other  collaborative  work  included  New  England  Hurricane 
(1938),  a  factual,  pictorial  record  of  the  'big  wind'  of  September,  1938; 
Skiing  In  The  East  (1939),  a  handbook  to  winter  resorts  and  ski  trails  in 
eastern  states;  and  Here's  New  England  (1939),  a  guidebook,  with  es- 
says on  the  principal  recreation  areas  of  the  New  England  States. 

The  Historical  Records  Survey,  which  began  operation  in  Maine  in 
1936  as  a  part  of  the  Federal  Writers'  Project  of  the  Works  Progress  Ad- 
ministration, has  as  its  principal  object  the  inventory  of  all  extant  town  and 
city  records  in  the  State  for  the  reference  of  the  lay  public  and  students  in 
Maine  town  government  as  well  as  for  the  citizens  and  officials  of  the 
towns  themselves.  Completed  work  is  No.  5.  Hancock  County  Vol.  1. 
Towns  of  Mt.  Desert  (1938),  and  No.  4.  Franklin  County  Vols.  1  &  2 
Avon  and  Berlin  (1939) . 

The  present  Woman's  Literary  Union  of  Portland,  quoted  as  being  "the 
first  Federation  of  its  kind  in  the  world,"  has  a  total  membership  of  nearly 
350.  It  is  the  result  of  the  federation  in  1889  of  the  16  literary  clubs  then 
in  the  city,  in  addition  to  21  ladies  not  affiliated  with  any  group;  the  re- 
sulting association  was  known  as  the  Ladies'  Literary  Union  of  Portland, 
and  had  a  membership  of  113.  In  1890  the  name  was  changed  to  the  one  it 
now  bears,  and  in  1908  five  departments  were  arranged  for  the  study  of 
art,  sociology,  education,  forestry,  crafts,  and  industry,  as  well  as  the  origi- 
nal study  of  an  appreciation  of  literature.  Frye  Hall,  the  home  of  the 
group,  was  dedicated  in  1917.  Recently  there  have  been  added  depart- 
ments of  Parliamentary  Law,  Decorating,  Conversational  Spanish,  and 
Public  Speaking. 

There  have  been  few  strictly  literary  clubs  in  the  city,  although  many 
groups  have  been  formed  which  have  met  for  the  discussion  of  literature 
in  general.  The  Fraternity  Club  came  into  being  about  1872  and  abstracts 
and  papers  read  in  ensuing  years  were  bound  and  placed  in  the  Maine  His- 
torical Society.  Many  of  Portland's  literary  lights  have  been  members  of 
this  club,  which  has  been  called  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  country. 

Printers  and  Publishers 

Portland's  printing  and  publishing  history  started  in  1785,  when  the 
first  local  printing  press  was  set  in  operation.  During  the  next  century  a 
host  of  printers  and  publishers  added  their  individual  talents  toward  making 
Longfellow's  town  "seated  by  the  sea"  well  known  as  a  publishing  center. 


166  Portland  City  Guide 

However,  no  individual  name  stands  out  through  these  years  as  does  that 
of  Thomas  Bird  Mosher  whose  Bibelot  series  or  reprints  have  become  world 
famous. 

While  a  partner  in  McLellan  Mosher  and  Company,  from  1882  to  1890, 
Thomas  Bird  Mosher  (1852-1923)  reprinted  for  himself  a  few  well- 
known  books,  designing  his  own  styles  and  formats.  The  first  of  these 
books  was  George  Meredith's  Modern  Love.  In  1895  Mosher  started  un- 
der his  own  name  the  Bibelot  series  of  reprints,  limited  editions  of  which 
became  known  throughout  the  world  for  their  excellent  workmanship.  The 
Bibelot  series  in  small  quarto  form  (4%  x  6  ),  printed  from  hand  set 
type  on  white  laid  paper  with  uncut  edges,  are  contained  in  20  volumes  of 
400  to  450  pages,  with  an  additional  index  volume.  Originally,  these  quartos 
were  issued  monthly,  and  Mosher  wrote  a  new  introduction  for  each  one, 
the  series  extending  over  a  period  of  20  years.  Of  these  introductions 
Christopher  Morley  wrote  in  The  Saturday  Review  of  Literature:  "Mr. 
Mosher  spent  more  than  thirty  years  in  betrothing  books  and  readers  to  one 
another;  like  the  zooming  bumble-bee  and  with  a  similar  hum  of  ecstasy  he 
sped  from  one  mind  to  the  next,  setting  the  whole  garden  in  a  lively  state 
of  cross-fertilization  .  .  .  .  "  His  reprinting  of  poetry  and  verse  from  rare 
editions  and  unusual  sources  continued  until  his  death.  From  the  stand- 
point of  printing,  paper,  rulings,  and  covers,  Mosher's  various  editions  on 
pure  vellum,  and  on  Italian,  handmade  Van  Gelder  Dutch  and  English 
papers  have  given  a  unique  format  to  some  of  the  choice  works  of  English 
and  American  authors. 

The  first  absolute  facsimile  reproduction  of  Edward  Fitzgerald's  Omar 
Khayyam  (1859)  was  reprinted  by  Mosher,  as  well  as  a  facsimile  edition 
of  Walt  Whitman's  Leaves  of  Grass  (1859).  The  Brocade  edition  was 
another  Mosher  series,  and  included  limited  reprints  of  the  work  of  such  au- 
thors as  Matthew  Arnold,  Robert  Louis  Stevenson,  William  Morris,  and 
Oscar  Wilde.  His  popular  edition,  The  Lyric  Garland,  was  composed  of 
the  works  of  several  well-known  writers,  among  whom  were  Percy  Bysshe 
Shelley,  Algernon  Swinburne,  Oscar  Wilde,  and  W.  B.  Yeats.  Mosher 
is  also  internationally  known  for  his  Ideal,  Golden  Text,  Venetian,  and 
Quarto  series.  The  Mosher  Press  was  the  first  in  America  to  adopt  the 
dolphin  and  anchor  device;  this  colophon,  or  terminal  inscription,  originated 
with  Aldus  Manutius,  a  15th-century  Venetian  printer,  and  quite  appro- 
priately, Mosher  introduced  the  device  in  his  Venetian  series.  After  his 
death  the  name  Thomas  Bird  Mosher  was  applied  only  to  reprints  of 


Literature  167 

books  he  had  previously  published,  and  the  name  Mosher  Press  was  given 
to  the  books  it  continued  to  print  for  authors  and  others  who  desired  their 
work  set  up  in  the  Mosher  style. 

The  Southworth  Press,  established  in  1875  as  a  private  press,  has  operated 
continuously  since  its  inception,  becoming  the  Southworth-Anthoensen 
Press  in  1934.  This  press  makes  a  specialty  of  printing  fine  and  limited  edi- 
tions of  books  and  catalogues  for  institutions  and  collectors,  as  well  as 
other  kinds  of  printing  along  commercial  lines.  In  a  list  compiled  in  1937 
by  Paul  A.  Bennett,  Director  of  the  American  Institute  of  Graphic  Arts, 
naming  37  of  the  finest  books  of  our  time,  three  were  off  the  Southworth- 
Anthoensen  Press.  Among  them,  and  one  of  their  best  achivements,  was 
Early  American  Children's  Books  (1935).  Among  other  recent  out- 
standing books  they  have  published  are:  Notes  on  Prints  (1930)  by  William 
M.  Evans,  Jr.,  published  for  the  Metropolitan  Museum  of  Art  in  New  York 
City;  Gargantua  and  Pantagruel  (1936),  in  five  volumes,  for  the  Limited 
Editions  Club  of  New  York;  The  Clan  Chisholm  (1935),  compiled  by 
Harriette  M.  Thrasher,  a  local  woman;  Early  American  Rooms  (1932), 
by  Russell  H.  Kettell;  The  Colonial  Printer  (1938) ,  by  Lawrence  C.  Wroth, 
and  Marks  of  Early  American  Silversmiths  (1939) ,  by  Ernest  M.  Currier. 

The  Marks  Printing  House,  established  in  1876,  specializes  in  court  work 
printing  and  the  publishing  of  county  records  in  book  form.  They  engage 
in  commercial  and  job  printing,  and  bring  out  the  Maine  Medical  Journal, 
a  monthly  publication.  Two  of  their  outstanding  books  are:  Reminiscences 
of  a  Yarmouth  Schoolboy  (1926),  and  True  Tales  of  the  Sea  (1930), 
written  by  the  late  Colonel  Edward  Plummer. 

The  Bradford  Press,  established  in  1932,  issued  among  other  publications, 
a  limited  edition  of  Harold  Trowbridge  Pulsifer's  poem,  Elegy  for  a  House 
(1935).  They  published  Seventy  Stories  from  the  Old  Testament  (1938), 
by  Helen  Slocum  Estabrook,  graphically  illustrated  with  reproductions  of 
14th-century  woodcuts. 

The  Forest  City  Printing  Company  was  established  in  1935  by  Walter  E. 
Harmon  and  is  an  outgrowth  of  the  commercial  department  of  the  South- 
worth  Press,  which  was  originally  set  up  in  1875  by  Francis  Southworth. 
They  engage  in  general  commercial  and  job  printing  featuring  catalogs,  ad- 
vertising booklets  and  direct  mail  material.  The  firm  makes  a  specialty  of 
publishing  town  and  municipal  reports  as  well  as  yearbooks  for  various 
schools  and  colleges.  Among  the  latter  are  The  Windonian,  Windham  High 
School;  The  Totem,  Portland  High  School;  The  Amethyst,  Deering  High 


168  Portland  City  Guide 

School;  the  Bates  Mirror,  Bates  College;  and  The  Tekton,  for  Wentworth 
Institute  of  Boston,  Massachusetts.  They  also  publish  tabloid  weekly  and 
monthly  newspapers  for  fraternal  organizations,  schools,  clubs  and  near-by 
communities.  In  addition  to  the  Portland  City  Guide  (1940),  the  firm 
brought  out  Man  and  Beast  in  French  Thought  Of  The  Eighteenth  Cen- 
tury (1936). 

The  Falmouth  Book  House  was  established  by  Leon  H.  Tebbetts,  a  local 
newspaperman,  in  1935.  Some  of  the  best  known  books  published  by  this 
house  are:  Historical  Churches  and  Homes  of  Maine  (1937) ,  by  the  Maine 
Writers'  Research  Club;  The  Amazing  Story  of  Maine  (1935),  Mr.  Teb- 
betts' own  portrayal  of  the  early  geological  era  of  the  State;  The  Triad 
Anthology  of  New  England  Verse  (1938) ,  compiled  by  Louise  Hall  Little- 
field,  representing  a  collection  of  poems  written  by  200  New  England 
poets;  and  The  Sacrilege  of  Alan  Kent  (1936),  by  Erskine  Caldwell. 

Over  the  century  and  a  half  of  publishing  in  Portland  there  have  been 
no  magazines  that  have  come  into  the  foreground  of  American  letters. 
Since  the  days  of  John  NeaFs  Yankee,  a  literary  magazine  he  established 
in  1828,  there  have  been  sporadic  attempts  to  launch  this  type  of  publica- 
tion. The  last  attempt  to  run  a  magazine  in  the  city  was  made  by  Virginia 
L.  Gates  and  Stanton  H.  Woodman,  when  they  copyrighted  Sun  Up  in 
1926;  the  venture  collapsed  after  a  few  years.  The  magazine  carried  fea- 
tures of  important  persons  and  places  in  Maine,  and  articles  on  prominent 
clubs  and  their  activities. 


<wo.  i.) 


SATURDAY 


'783. 


ow. 


NEWSPAPERS 

For  more  than  a  century  and  a  half  after  its  founding  Falmouth  had 
neither  printing  presses  nor  newspapers,  and  depended  for  news  entirely  on 
the  scant  sheets  delivered  by  mail  carriers  on  horseback  from  Boston.  Oc- 
casionally these  would  be  supplemented  by  fragmentary  items  brought  to 
port  by  travelers  and  ship  captains.  When  there  were  storms  of  unusual 
severity,  the  mail  and  the  newssheets  might  be  delayed  more  than  a  month. 
The  return  of  peace  after  the  Revolutionary  War  brought  some  prosperity 
to  the  community,  but  times  were  still  hard  and  comparatively  few  could 
afford  an  individual  subscription  to  these  papers.  Frequently  whole  neigh- 
borhoods would  subscribe  for  a  single  publication  which  was  passed  from 
home  to  home  and  then  carefully  preserved  for  future  reading. 

Newspapers  have  been  published  in  Portland  since  the  latter  part  of  the 
18th  century,  and  at  times  there  have  been  as  many  as  fifteen  publications 
issued  simultaneously  in  the  city.  Over  this  span  of  years  great  editors  have 
had  their  day  and  their  say,  grudgingly  yielding  the  field  to  the  more  pro- 
gressive opposition.  Fighting  editor-publishers  like  old  Nathaniel  Willis, 
Jr.,  have  gone  to  jail  for  their  opinions;  reporters,  like  his  own  son  N.  P. 
Willis,  have  severed  weary  apprenticeships,  poring  over  handset  type  and 
then  going  away  to  great  cities  and  brilliant  journalistic  careers.  Papers 
have  sprung  into  being  overnight,  and  have  faded  into  oblivion.  Others 
have  weathered  the  vicissitudes  of  the  years  and  matured  to  become  our 
present  publications. 

Thomas  B.  Wait  of  Boston,  with  Benjamin  Titcomb,  Jr.,  member  of  a 
prominent  local  family  as  partner,  issued  volume  one,  number  one  of  the 
Falmouth  Gazette  and  Weekly  Advertiser,  on  January  1,  1785,  the  first 
newspaper  in  Maine.  Portland's  pioneer  newspaper  publisher,  Wait,  was  a 


170 Portland  City  Guide 

man  of  strong  mind  and  ardent  temperament,  and  his  vehemence  was  never 
shown  to  better  advantage  than  in  the  controversy  that  arose  over  the  es- 
tablishment of  a  regular  theater  in  Falmouth  soon  after  his  paper  was 
founded.  Plays  had  been  performed  in  a  local  hall,  but  some  of  the  resi- 
dents thought  a  permanent  theater  should  be  constructed.  The  project  was 
opposed  by  influential  citizens  on  the  grounds  of  morality.  Wait  fought  for 
the  friends  of  the  drama,  this  probably  being  the  first  time  in  Maine  the 
columns  of  a  paper  were  enlisted  for  the  support  of  a  civic  movement. 
However,  the  battle  was  lost  at  the  time,  and  the  plan  abandoned. 

The  Reverend  Thomas  Smith  noted  in  his  journal  on  April  28,  1771,  that 
he  preached  a  sermon  to  seafaring  men;  the  sermon  was  published  by  re- 
quest the  same  year  in  Boston  as  "there  was  then  no  printing  press  in 
Maine."  Wait  and  Titcomb  remedied  this  situation  in  1785  with  the  es- 
tablishment of  their  printing  shop,  and  the  following  year  they  produced 
their  first  major  work,  a  spelling  book.  This  volume  is  of  historical  in- 
terest if  only  for  the  announcement  on  its  title  page:  "The  Universal  Spell- 
ing Book,  or  a  New  and  Easy  Guide  to  the  English  Language,  containing 
Tables,  etc.,  etc.,  28th  edition,  by  Daniel  Penning,  late  School-master  of 
Bures  Suffolk,  Falmouth,  Casco  (Bay).  Printed  and  Sold  by  Thomas 
Wait  at  his  Office  in  Middle  Street" 

The  Falmouth  Gazette  became  the  Cumberland  Gazette  in  1786,  and  in 
the  congressional  campaign  that  waxed  hot  three  years  later  Wait,  still  pro- 
prietor of  the  paper,  firmly  supported  George  Thatcher  of  Biddeford.  At 
the  time  one  member  of  Congress  was  chosen  from  the  single  district  allotted 
Maine,  and  the  political  controversies  accompanying  the  campaign  aroused 
the  wrath  of  the  various  factions  as  they  aired  their  respective  views  through 
the  columns  of  Wait's  paper.  Passionately  he  voiced  his  support  of 
Thatcher,  although  a  majority  of  the  townspeople  were  opposed.  So  furi- 
ously did  the  battle  wage  that  the  editor  was  personally  assaulted,  two  of  his 
friends  threatened  with  bodily  injury,  and  Samuel  C.  Johonnot,  a  promi- 
nent lawyer,  driven  from  town.  In  1792  Wait  once  again  changed  the  name 
of  his  paper,  this  time  to  the  Eastern  Herald,  his  connection  with  the  news- 
sheet  ceased  in  1796  when  a  new  owner  merged  it  with  the  Gazette  of 
Maine.  The  impetuous  Wait  returned  to  Boston  about  1815  where  he  died 
15  years  later. 

Previous  to  the  Thatcher  controversy  Titcomb  had  withdrawn  from  the 
partnership  with  Wait,  and  at  the  height  of  the  rumpus  saw  an  oppor- 
tunity for  an  opposition  paper.  This  emerged  October  8,  1790,  as  the 


Newspapers  171 

Gazette  of  Maine.  In  1796  John  Kelse  Baker,  an  apprentice  of  Wait, 
bought  both  the  Eastern  Herald  and  Titcomb's  Gazette,  and  published  a 
semiweekly  under  the  name  of  the  Eastern  Herald  and  Gazette  of  Maine. 
The  list  of  subscribers  contained  1,700  names  and  it  existed  until  compe- 
tition forced  it  from  the  field  in  1804. 

In  1796  the  Oriental  Trumpet  sounded  a  hopeful  note  from  John  Rand, 
an  apprentice  of  Wait,  but  its  tone  was  early  subdued  and  its  melody  forgot- 
ten. Two  years  later,  in  April,  Eleazer  A.  Jenks  established  the  Portland 
Gazette,  a  weekly  paper.  This  passed  through  different  hands  though  un- 
der the  same  name,  until  1826,  when  it  merged  with  the  Portland  Adver- 
tiser; in  1910  it  was  in  turn  absorbed  by  the  Evening  Express  and  the  re- 
sulting newssheet  became  the  Portland  Evening  Express  and  Daily  Ad- 
vertiser. Guy  P.  Gannett  acquired  the  newspaper  in  1925  and  the  last  half 
of  the  title  was  dropped. 

The  long-lived  Eastern  Argus  was  set  up  in  1803,  the  first  issue  appearing 
early  in  September.  This  is  an  instance  of  a  paper  being  born  of  political 
controversy  as  it  was  initiated  by  Calvin  Davis  and  Nathaniel  Willis,  Jr.,  to 
support  the  measures  of  Jefferson's  administration.  Willis,  who  had  been 
termed  the  "fighting  editor"  and  the  "old  Trojan,"  was  the  first  editor  in 
Maine  to  be  imprisoned  as  a  result  of  political  sentiments  uttered  through 
the  press.  His  imprisonment  took  place  after  the  mudslinging  congressional 
campaign  conducted  in  the  District  of  Maine  in  1806,  when  Joseph  Bart- 
lett  of  Saco  opposed  Richard  Cutts  and  Doctor  T.  G.  Thornton,  both  of 
York  County.  Willis  published  some  communications  written  by  Doctor 
Thornton,  heaping  abuse  upon  Joseph  Bartlett.  When  Cutts  was  success- 
ful in  the  election,  Bartlett  sued  Willis  for  libel,  charging  that  he  had  com- 
posed the  articles.  The  court  awarded  Bartlett  $2,000,  and  Willis,  unable 
to  pay,  went  to  jail  when  Thornton  refused  to  stand  behind  the  editor  in 
the  affair.  While  incarcerated  in  the  county  jail  Willis  played  his  trump 
cards  with  devastating  effect  upon  the  leads  of  his  enemy,  his  paper  ap- 
pearing each  week  with  a  flaring  headline  announcing  the  number  of  weeks 
the  editor  had  been  imprisoned  for  "daring  to  avow  sentiments  of  political 
freedom."  Popular  sympathy  was  enlisted  by  this  unusual  procedure, 
coupled  with  such  subtle  appeals  as  the  following,  which  appeared  in  the 
Argus  of  December  18,  1806: 

IMPRISONMENT! 

On  Saturday  last,  the  EDITOR  of  this  paper  was  arrested  and 
committed  to  Prison,  to  satisfy  the  judgment  recovered  against 


172  Portland  City  Guide 

him  at  the  Supreme  Judicial  Court  in  the  County  of  York;  but 
the  interference  of  Friends  has  saved  him  from  close  confinement 
— yet  a  separation  from  his  family  during  the  present  tedious 
nights,  is  irksome,  and  under  existing  circumstances  peculiarly 
so.  For  the  public  benefit,  however,  he  cheerfully  suffers  the  de- 
privation of  social  enjoyments,  &  patiently  submits  to  be  withheld 
from  attending  a  sick  child  and  distressed  family.  In  the  con- 
sciousness of  fidelity  in  his  public  duties,  and  the  approbation  of 
the  friends  of  his  country,  he  hopes  to  find  compensation  for 
these  sufferings. 

Our  Patrons  will  please  to  attribute  the  imperfect  appearance  of 
this  and  succeeding  papers,  to  the  above  circumstances;  we  being 
unable  to  procure  mechanical  assistance. 

Our  friends  who  are  or  may  be  in  town,  are  invited  to  call  at  the 
Prison,  on  their  leisure  evenings,  and  assist  us  to  "beguile  a  tedi- 
ous hour." 

In  the  first  copy  of  his  paper  Willis  had  sounded  these  warnings  of  its 
firm  policies:  "In  compliance  with  our  proposals,  we  this  day  present  our 
patrons  and  the  public  with  the  first  number  of  the  Portland  Eastern  Argus. 
We  shall  not  weary  their  patience  with  an  elaborate  and  useless  address,  be- 
ing well  persuaded  that  'actions,  not  words,  evidence  the  man'  ....  If  we 
can  be  instrumental  in  calculating  the  principles  of  our  excellent  constitu- 
tion ...  we  shall  rise  to  the  height  of  our  ambition."  Often  in  subsequent 
numbers  we  see  the  phrase:  "The  Cloven  Foot  of  Federalism."  The  Argus 
expired  January  24,  1921,  having  maintained  an  unbroken  existence  under 
the  same  name  for  1 18  years,  the  only  Portland  paper  to  achieve  this  honor. 
The  paper  was  soon  revived  as  the  Portland  Herald,  and  in  November, 
1921,  passed  into  the  control  of  Guy  P.  Gannett,  who  merged  it  with  his 
Portland  Press  to  form  the  present  Portland  Press  Herald. 

In  1808  Nathaniel  Willis,  Jr.,  left  the  local  newspaper  field  to  enter  into 
journalistic  work  in  Boston.  Later  he  went  to  New  York,  where  he  be- 
came co-editor  of  the  New  York  Mirror.  In  1827  he  founded  the  Youth's 
Companion,  a  well-known  and  long-continued  publication.  Two  of  his 
children  were  to  make  brilliant  names  for  themselves  in  journalistic  fields 
— his  daughter  Sarah  Payson  Willis,  who  married  James  Parton,  a  Port- 
land author,  and  his  son,  Nathaniel  Parker  Willis,  familiarly  known  as 
'N.P/  Sarah  wrote  for  the  old  New  York  Ledger  under  the  pen  name 
'Fanny  Fern';  this  was  a  popular  column  which  long  enhanced  this  ro- 
mantic weekly  of  Robert  Bonner.  By  1830  'N.P.'  was  working  for  his 


Newspapers  173 

father  as  assistant  editor  of  the  New  York.  Mirror,  and  was  sent  abroad  as 
its  foreign  news  correspondent.  From  the  great  capitols  of  Europe  he  sent 
home  to  his  paper  a  series  of  columns  entitled  'Pencilings  By  The  Way/ 
These  created  much  furore,  as  they  contained  'N.P.'s  frank  revelations  on 
subjects  whispered,  but  seldom  printed,  concerning  the  private  lives  of  the 
great.  He  reported:  "Disraeli  is  driving  about  in  an  open  carriage  with 
Lady  S.  looking  more  melancholy  than  usual.  The  absent  baronet,  whose 
place  he  fills,  is  about  to  bring  an  action  against  him,  which  will  finish  his 
career,  unless  he  can  coin  the  damages  in  his  brain.  .  .  .  Today  I  dine  with 
Longman  to  meet  Tom  Moore,  who  is  living  incog  near  this  Nestor  of  pub- 
lishers, and  pegging  hard  at  his  'History  of  Ireland.' "  Willis'  popularity 
waned  during  the  feverish  days  of  the  Civil  War,  and  he  died  in  1867.  Like 
authors  of  modern  'gossip  columns,'  he  had  made  enemies,  yet  the  great 
Englishman,  Thackeray,  wrote:  "It  is  comfortable  that  there  should  have 
been  a  Willis."  America's  James  Russell  Lowell  referred  to  him  in  a  poem 
as  "topmost  bright  bubble  on  the  wave  of  the  town."  The  tidbits  of  his 
casual  pencilings  set  the  pattern  of  an  intimate  style  that  was  to  coin  for- 
tunes for  Broadway  reporters  a  century  later. 

A  publication  called  the  Freeman's  friend  was  removed  to  Portland  in 
1807  by  its  founder,  William  Weeks,  who  had  established  it  two  years  pre- 
viously in  Saco.  Whatever  may  have  been  its  former  policies,  when  it 
came  to  this  city  it  was  advertised  as  a  neutral  paper.  This  neutrality  re- 
ferred to  politics,  and  the  partisan  sentiment  of  those  troubled  Embargo 
days  is  brought  out  by  William  Willis,  who  wrote  concerning  the  fate  of 
the  publication:  "...  as  those  were  belligerent  times,  neutrals  could  not 
live;  in  a  few  years  it  ceased  to  exist."  After  the  departure  of  Weeks  to 
take  charge  of  a  paper  in  Portsmouth,  New  Hampshire,  John  M'Kown  be- 
came sole  owner  until  publication  was  suspended  in  1810. 

The  Portland  Gazette  and  Maine  Advertiser  in  1819  employed  William 
Willis  to  write  editorials  and  manage  the  paper;  Willis  later  became  eminent 
for  his  historical  writings.  This  was  an  important  event  for  newspaper 
publishing  in  Maine  as  it  was  the  first  instance  of  the  office  of  editing  being 
separated  from  that  of  publishing. 

On  July  14,  1821,  the  Independent  Statesman  made  its  debut.  Edited 
by  Joseph  Griffin  and  Amos  C.  Tappan,  this  sheet  advocated  the  election 
of  General  Joshua  Wingate,  Jr.,  for  Governor  of  Maine.  A  year  later  the 
paper  became  the  Independent  Statesman  and  Maine  Republican;  it  was 


174  Portland  City  Guide 

subsequently  known  as  the  American  Patriot,  and  there  are  no  records  of 
the  existence  of  this  publication  after  1827. 

The  first  daily  paper  established  in  Portland,  the  Daily  Courier,  was  set 
up  in  1829  with  the  renowned  Seba  Smith  (see  Literature)  as  editor.  Scant 
mention  of  this  paper  appears  in  local  records,  although  in  1860  there  is 
reference  to  the  Evening  Courier.  The  last  mention  of  the  paper  is  in  the 
Portland  City  Directory  of  1863.  According  to  meager  sources  a  Portland 
Evening  Courier  was  being  published  locally  in  the  late  1890's,  but  of  it 
there  is  only  the  record  that  "it  enjoyed  a  brief  existence."  Published  by 
John  Burleigh,  the  Portland  Times  was  established  in  1831  but  passed  out 
of  the  local  journalistic  picture  after  a  two-year  existence. 

A  typical  example  of  a  newspaper's  content  in  the  early  part  of  the  19th 
century  is  afforded  by  analysis  of  a  copy  of  the  old  Portland  Gazette  for 
September  30,  1823.  It  contained  four  pages,  six  columns  to  the  page. 
Thirteen  of  its  twenty-four  columns  were  covered  by  advertisements,  among 
which  E.  Whitman  offered  for  rent  a  two-story  dwelling  house  on  Free 
Street  for  $120  a  year;  Samuel  Bailey,  of  Minot,  offered  a  reward  of  one 
cent  for  the  return  of  his  runaway  apprentice,  and  forbade  all  persons  to 
trust  him  on  Bailey's  account;  the  booming  Cumberland  and  Oxford  Canal 
lottery  announced  the  fifth  drawing  of  prizes,  with  sums  ranging  from  $6 
to  $2,000.  Portland's  newspaper  history  through  these  early  years  was 
confined  mostly  to  weekly  publications.  By  1860  eleven  newspapers,  includ- 
ing two  dailies — the  Eastern  Argus  and  the  Evening  Courier — were  being 
published  locally.  Among  these  publications  were  two  advocating  temper- 
ance and  two  religious  journals.  The  Portland  Daily  Press  appeared  on 
July  23,  1862,  and  was  the  progenitor  of  the  present  Portland  Press  Herald. 

The  year  1830  was  marked  by  the  appearance  of  a  letter-sized  paper  bear- 
ing the  ambitious  title,  The  World  in  a  Nut  Shell.  Biting  satire  and  all- 
inclusive  criticism  was  its  forte,  and  according  to  one  source  it  was  never 
satisfied  with  any  literary  effort  of  the  day.  The  paper  was  what  would  be 
termed  today  an  "underground  publication,"  similar  to  those  appearing  to 
advocate  the  doctrines  of  minority  political  parties  not  in  public  favor.  All 
efforts  to  discover  its  editor  or  printer  were  of  no  avail,  and  the  secret  of 
Portland's  cryptic  and  censorious  newspaper  died  with  its  perpetrators. 

These  years  also  marked  the  ascendancy  of  John  Neal,  poet,  editor, 
lawyer,  and  novelist.  A  man  of  vigorous  personality,  he  was  always  a  cham- 
pion of  the  rights  of  others  and  fostered  many  noble  projects.  On  July  4, 


Newspapers  175 

1838,  Neal  delivered  a  stirring  oration  for  the  cause  of  woman  suffrage  in 
America  and  has  been  called  the  initial  sponsor  of  this  movement. 

The  newspapers  of  those  early  days  were  far  different  from  the  modern 
multi-paged  dailies,  their  staffs  of  editors  and  reporters,  syndicated  ser- 
vices, and  advertisements  whose  revenues  in  a  single  day  would  have  stag- 
gered the  credulity  of  Wait  or  Willis.  As  we  have  seen,  the  editor  and  pub- 
lisher were  long  one  office  held  by  one  man  who  customarily  walked  about 
his  community  gathering  items  in  person.  No  reporters  were  employed  on 
a  Portland  paper  until  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  War.  Political  news  pre- 
dominated in  the  early  papers,  and  so  virulent  were  the  campaigns  waged 
that  editors  were  frequently  the  targets  of  personal  violence. 

The  Portland  Sunday  Times  made  its  local  debut  with  the  issue  of 
August  8,  1875,  under  the  editorship  and  proprietorship  of  Giles  O.  Bailey, 
with  the  following  vindication  of  possible  typographical  or  editorial  faults: 
"Please  excuse  all  blunders  and  imperfections  in  this  issue  of  the  TIMES. 
Trying  to  do  three  weeks'  work  in  six  days  is  our  apology  for  all  short- 
comings." Important  among  the  news  items  prominently  displayed  in  this 
issue  was  one  treating  the  opening  of  the  Portland  and  Ogdensburg  Rail- 
road when  a  seven-car  train  carried  about  two  hundred  passengers  through 
Crawford  Notch  (see  Transportation).  Excursions  were  offered  on  the 
Steamer  Charles  Houghton  to  Evergreen  Landing,  Peak  Island,  for  25 
cents  round  trip.  The  last  issue  of  the  Portland  Sunday  Times  was  that 
of  December  26,  1909,  which  featured  pictures  of  the  steelwork  construc- 
tion on  the  first  skyscraper  erected  in  the  city,  the  Fidelity  Building.  The 
following  year  the  paper  appeared  as  the  Portland  Sunday  Press  and  Times. 

The  Portland  Evening  Express  was  established  in  1882  by  Arthur  Wood 
Laughlin,  its  attention  primarily  devoted  to  local  interests.  Four  years  later 
the  Evening  Express  Publishing  Company  was  formed.  Frederick  Neal 
Dow  became  president  of  the  company  in  1887  and  continued  as  owner  of 
the  paper  until  he  sold  it  to  the  Portland  Maine  Publishing  Company  in 
1925.  Ten  years  later  this  firm  became  the  Gannett  Publishing  Company, 
under  the  ownership  of  Guy  P.  Gannett,  whose  father,  also  a  publisher, 
had  in  the  early  1900's  founded  Comfort,  a  family  magazine  which  reached 
a  circulation  of  over  a  million.  The  present  papers  are  published  in  a 
seven-story  pknt  at  Federal,  Exchange,  and  Market  streets. 

After  the  demise  of  the  Eastern  Argus  in  1921,  Portland  had  only  the 
Gannett-owned,  Republican  papers.  In  October,  1927,  Dr.  Ernest 
Gruening  came  to  the  city  as  editor  of  a  rival  paper,  the  Portland  Evening 


176  Portland  City  Guide 

News.  From  the  first  this  paper  opposed  many  of  the  policies  of  the 
Gannett  press,  and  long  controversies  ensued  on  the  question  of  exporting 
electrical  power  from  Maine,  a  situation  that  attracted  nation-wide  atten- 
tion. In  the  Outlook  for  April  16,  1930,  C.  C.  Nicolet  wrote  in  his  *  Venture 
in  Independence'  that  the  News  "gave  the  Democratic  minority  representa- 
tion for  the  first  time  in  years  and  it  presented  adequate  reports  of  the  ac- 
tivities of  the  reactionary  wing  of  the  Republican  party  which  it  opposed. 
It  gave  Maine  citizens  their  first  direct  information  of  liberal  movements 
elsewhere  in  the  country.  It  awakened  them  to  the  growing  influence  of 
the  power  interests  throughout  the  nation,  and  particularly,  of  course,  in 
Maine."  In  ensuing  years  the  News  experienced  changes  of  ownership,  and 
for  a  time  supported  the  Democratic  Party.  On  May  18,  1938,  the  last  is- 
sue was  published,  leaving  the  Gannett  press  once  more  master  of  the  field. 

Today  Portland  has  three  newspapers:  the  Portland  Press  Herald,  a 
daily  morning  paper  formed  in  1921  by  the  consolidation  of  the  Portland 
Press  and  the  Herald;  the  daily  Portland  Evening  Express;  and  the  Portland 
Sunday  Telegram,  started  in  1888,  and  first  published  by  C.  B.  Anderson 
and  Company,  with  George  B.  Bagley  as  its  first  editor.  The  Telegram  was 
purchased  by  Guy  P.  Gannett  in  1925. 

Portland  papers  today  have  an  urban  flavor,  yet  preserve  a  distinctive 
Maine  atmosphere,  presenting  the  typical  country  locals  from  communities 
all  over  the  State  side  by  side  with  rapidly  transmitted  Associated  Press 
news  from  the  ends  of  the  globe.  They  run  nationally  popular  daily  comics, 
and  the  Telegram  carries  colored  funnies.  Sports  are  handled  thoroughly 
both  by  local  writers  and  famous  syndicate  columnists.  Although  the  edi- 
torial policies  of  all  the  Gannett  papers  are  firmly  Republican,  the  Press 
Herald  has  a  daily  'Voice  of  the  People  Department,'  in  which  contro- 
versies of  all  kinds  are  aired,  even  when  conflicting  with  the  policies  or 
principles  of  the  paper. 

Besides  the  three  existing  newssheets,  there  are  religious  papers  pub- 
lished by  half  a  dozen  sects.  Portland  has  had  few  radical  or  liberal  papers 
advocating  social  or  governmental  reforms.  There  have  been  few  local 
labor  papers.  An  attempt  was  made  in  the  spring  of  1938  by  Charles  Cain, 
vice-president  of  the  local  chapter  of  the  American  Newspaper  Guild,  to 
carry  on  a  weekly  labor  paper.  The  sheet,  called  the  Flashlight,  was  sus- 
pended after  the  third  week. 


MUSIC 

A  shrill  pitch  pipe  blown  by  a  solemn  deacon  leading  his  congregation 
in  the  off-key  intonation  of  interminable  psalms,  forms  the  background  of 
Portland's  musical  history.  From  this  modest  beginning  rose  an  ever-increas- 
ing volume  of  harmony  formed  by  the  genius  of  the  composers,  artists,  and 
teachers  who  brought  fame  to  the  city  during  the  19th  century.  The  names 
of  those  who  shone  in  that  era  may  be  dim  in  memory  today,  crowded  as 
they  are  into  the  background  by  more  recent  musical  personalities  and  their 
activities,  but  the  love  and  appreciation  of  good  music  of  the  citizens  of 
present-day  Portland  are  the  heritage  of  the  skill  and  talent  of  all  who  have 
left  their  names  engraved  on  the  musical  scroll  of  the  city.  Artists  born  on 
strange  and  foreign  soil  have  come  to  blend  their  melodic  genius  with  the 
purely  native,  producing  for  posterity 

Music  that  knows  no  country,  race  or  creed; 
But  gives  to  each  according  to  his  need. 

Old  Falmouth  was  musically  mute  until  the  building  of  the  First  Parish 
meetinghouse  and  the  arrival  of  Parson  Thomas  Smith  in  1725.  Wresting 
a  living  from  the  wilderness  was  a  grim  task,  and  the  ever-present  fear  of 
Indian  attacks  no  doubt  stilled  the  song  that  might  have  arisen  to  the  lips 
of  the  early  citizens.  Singing  in  churches  was  frowned  upon  in  those  days; 
in  1640  it  had  required  a  dictum  from  the  Massachusetts  Puritan,  the 
Reverend  John  Cotton,  to  approve  the  idea  of  women  joining  the  men  even 
in  psalmody.  Although  singing  was  mentioned  in  the  Scriptures,  early 
Puritans  interpreted  those  Biblical  passages  to  mean  "thankfulness  and  joy 
of  heart." 

In  the  earliest  days  the  town  had  too  many  other  needs  to  give  much  con- 


178  Portland  City  Guide 

sideration  to  this  art.  Notwithstanding,  a  few  did  become  interested  in 
church  singing  with  the  result  that  the  music  of  the  time  was  of  a  religious 
nature.  Hymn  books  were  scarce,  and  deacons  who  led  the  singing  read  two 
lines  which  were  then  sung;  two  more  lines  were  read  and  sung  until  the 
end  of  the  hymn  was  reached.  Six  tunes  comprised  their  repertoire,  and  it 
sometimes  took  more  than  half  an  hour  to  sing  one  hymn,  the  successful 
rendition  of  which  depended  more  upon  volume  than  fidelity  to  pitch.  Still, 
an  ardent  desire  for  music  existed,  and  even  though  working  days  were  long, 
these  lovers  of  song  thought  little  of  rising  an  hour  earlier  to  take  active 
part  in  chorus  singing  and  discussions  of  music.  This  enthusiasm  so  im- 
pressed Parson  Smith  that  he  wrote  in  his  journal  on  June  20,  1785:  "We 
are  all  in  a  blaze  about  singing;  all  flocking  at  5,  10  and  4  o'clock  to  the 
meetinghouse,  to  a  Master  hired,  (viz:  Mr.  Gage) ." 

During  the  middle  of  the  18th  century  the  theater  was  the  cause  of  much 
controversy.  The  first  attempts  to  launch  even  the  simplest  of  plays  was 
anathema  to  the  Massachusetts  Puritans,  yet  the  rebellious  spirit  of  those 
early  times  found  a  way  to  circumvent  the  lack  of  theatrical  entertainment 
by  using  music  as  an  alibi.  In  1789  the  more  liberal-minded  citizens  of  'The 
Neck'  welcomed  the  company  of  the  first  locally  staged  musical  presenta- 
tion, Babes  In  The  Woods.  With  the  coming  of  the  legitimate  theater  in 
1794,  it  was  the  usual  procedure  to  soften  the  effect  on  local  Puritan- 
minded  citizens  by  having  a  concert  for  the  first  part  of  the  program,  fol- 
lowed by  a  melodrama.  When  Portland  passed  the  stringent  anti-theater 
law  in  1806,  wherein  $500  was  to  be  forfeited  if  any  sort  of  theatrical  en- 
tertainment was  carried  on  "for  profit,  gain  or  other  valuable  consideration," 
local  evasion  of  the  law  was  carried  out  in  a  way  best  illustrated  by  the  fol- 
lowing announcement: 

The  public  are  respectfully  informed  that  there  will 
be  a  CONCERT  of  vocal  and  Instrumental  music 

On  Friday  Evening,  June  23rd 
Between  the  parts  of  the  concert  will  be  performed 
(gratis)  a  favorite  Comedy  in  5  acts  called  the 

Soldier's  Daughter 

The  whole  to  conclude  with  a  Musical  entertainment 
(gratis)  called 

Of  Age  Tomorrow 

Tickets  of  admission  to  the  upper  seats,  seventy- 
five  cents  each;  lower  seats  fifty  cents. 


Newbury  Street  from  Fore  Street 


Portland  Fire  Boat 


Central  Fire  Station 


Fire  Fighters 


mi  1 1 


Free  Street 


Grand  Trunk  Grain  Elevator 


From  Lincoln  Park 


Music  179 

In  1821,  a  year  after  Maine  became  an  independent  State,  it  repealed  the 
earlier  Massachusetts  law  regarding  the  theater,  and  from  that  time  local  in- 
terest in  the  theater  and  in  music  thrived. 

One  of  the  first  indications  of  group  interest  in  music  on  The  Neck'  was 
when  the  Second  Parish  Church  installed  its  new  organ  in  1798.  Nicholas 
Blaisdell,  a  blacksmith,  was  appointed  organist  with  a  salary  of  $25  a  year. 
The  Reverend  Elijah  Kellogg,  son  of  the  first  parson  of  the  Second  Parish 
Church,  has  left  us  a  description  of  church  music  prior  to  the  purchase  of 
the  organ:  "At  first  there  was  no  instrument  except  the  bass  viol.  The 
chorister,  conscious  of  the  dignity  of  his  office,  would  rise  with  a  solemn  air, 
run  up  the  scale,  beating  time  with  his  hand,  and  lift  the  tune.  My  father, 
who  had  been  a  drum  major  in  the  Continental  army  was  extremely  fond  of 
instrumental  music,  introduced  the  cornet  and  clarinet,  in  addition  to  the 
bass  viol,  into  the  Second  Parish  Church."  Although  the  Second  Parish 
favored  the  organ  as  an  accompaniment  to  hymn  singing,  many  of  the 
other  local  churches  continued  to  use  the  old  pitch  pipe  and  chorister.  The 
clarionet,  as  the  clarinet  was  early  spelled,  and  the  bass  viol  were  long  used 
in  some  of  the  churches  as  the  least  sacrilegious  mode  of  accompaniment. 

Napoleon's  activities  in  Europe  during  the  early  part  of  the  19th  cen- 
tury, coupled  with  the  War  of  1812  and  its  drastic  embargo,  caused  a  gen- 
eral slump  in  all  lines  of  commercial  endeavor,  but  this  enforced  leisure 
gave  the  American  citizenry  an  opportunity  to  indulge  in  various  pursuits. 
This  was  particularly  true  of  seaport  towns  in  the  District  of  Maine  where 
hitherto  all  interests  had  been  linked  with  the  sea.  A  growing  cultural  trend 
led  to  the  study  and  appreciation  of  music  and  caused  musically  inclined 
men  from  the  various  counties  of  the  District  to  gather  in  Portland  in  an- 
swer to  the  following  announcement  in  the  Portland  Gazette  of  January 
17,  1814: 

The  members  of  the  Handel  Society  of  Maine  are  hereby  notified 
that  their  firft  meeting  will  be  holden  in  Portland  on  Thursday,  the 
third  day  of  February  next  at  10  o'clock  A.M.  in  the  chamber  over 
the  Portland  Bank — A  general  attendance  is  requefted;  not  only  for 
the  purpofe  of  muf ical  performance,  but  the  choice  of  officers  and  the 
adoption  of  neceffary  regulation.  Jan.  12. 

February  7,  1814,  this  item  appeared  in  the  same  paper:  "On  Thursday 
last  the  Handel  Society  of  Maine  held  their  first  meeting  in  Portland  for 
the  organization  of  the  Society.  We  understand  it  consists  of  Gentlemen 
in  various  parts  of  the  District,  whose  object  in  associating  is  to  promote  a 


180  Portland  City  Guide 

taste  for  CORRECT,  REFIND,  &  CLASSICAL  CHURCH  MUSICK. 
John  Merrick,  Esq.  of  Hallowell,  was  chosen  President — Mr.  John  Watson, 
of  Portland,  Secretary — Horatio  Southgate,  Esq.  do.  Treasurer.  Prentiss 
Mellen,  Esq.  Vice  President  of  the  Section  in  Cumberland;  Dr.  Samuel 
Emerson,  do.  do.  York;  Mr.  John  Eveleth,  do.  do.  Kennebunk;  Professor 
Abbot,  do.  do.  Lincoln.  Messrs.  Merrick,  Mellen  &  Southgate,  Standing 
Committee  to  suprintend  Musical  publication  proposed  by  any  member  of 
the  Society."  This  announcement  is  particularly  interesting,  not  alone  for 
its  local  historic  interest,  but  because  it  antedates  by  a  year  Boston's  Handel 
and  Haydn  Society.  This  early  Portland  Handel  Society,  however,  seems 
to  have  shortly  become  inactive  since  it  has  left  no  further  record. 

The  fresh  interest  in  music  brought  its  various  reactions,  and  the  most 
ardent  of  church  members  no  longer  agreed  with  the  early  colonists  that 
"Christians  should  not  sing  at  all,  but  only  praise  God  with  the  heart." 
Even  Sunday  evening  devotions  began  to  include  the  singing  of  one  or  more 
simple  hymns.  In  1817  William  Davis  opened  in  Portland  "a  school  for  the 
instruction  of  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  in  the  rules  of  singing."  Samuel  Long- 
fellow, brother  of  the  poet,  wrote  of  the  music  of  this  period:  "In  the  home 
there  were  books  and  music  ...  in  the  home  parlor  the  sister's  piano  had 
replaced  the  spinet  .  .  .  .  "  Among  the  favorite  musical  pieces  of  the  earlv 
1800's  were  the  somber  Battle  of  Prague,  the  dignified  Governor  Brook's 
March,  and  the  lively  Washington's  March;  popular  with  local  groups 
gathered  about  a  piano  and  with  soloists  were  such  songs  as  Henry's  Cottage 
Maid,  Brignal's  Banks,  Bonnie  Doon,  and  Oft  in  the  Stilly  Night.  At 
dancing  class  'light- footers'  stepped  to  the  tunes  of  Money  Musky  The  Hay- 
makers, and  The  Fisher's  Hornpipe. 

Edward  Howe  (1783-1877)  did  much  to  foster  the  local  desire  to  study 
not  only  sacred  music  but  classical  as  well.  Invited  to  Portland  in  1805  by 
Elijah  Kellogg,  the  music-loving  first  pastor  of  the  Second  Parish  Church, 
to  become  choir  leader  and  tenor  singer,  Howe  soon  joined  in  the  town's 
musical  activities.  Learning  that  there  were  enough  good  voices  to  make  a 
chorus,  he  organized  the  Beethoven  Musical  Society  of  Portland  which,  in 
addition  to  being  the  first  strictly  local  choral  society,  is  said  to  have  been 
the  first  musical  society  in  America  to  bear  the  great  composer's  name. 
Composed  of  60  non-professional  musicians — blacksmiths,  mechanics,  store- 
keepers, clerks,  and  housewives — the  Beethoven  Musical  Society,  under 
Howe's  leadership,  stimulated  the  appreciation  of  good  music  and  pro- 
vided an  opportunity  for  public  performance.  In  contrast  to  present  choirs 


Music  181 

and  choral  societies,  more  than  half  of  this  first  musical  group  were  men. 
Although  the  society  was  not  incorporated  until  1824,  it  had  met  for  group 
singing,  and  as  early  as  September,  1819,  had  given  its  first  concert. 

By  1808  subscription  dances,  with  music  usually  furnished  by  a  single 
musician,  were  held  in  various  localities  throughout  Maine.  Dancing 
schools  had  sprung  up,  and  in  1815  the  Grand  Peace  Ball,  held  in  Saco  to 
celebrate  the  close  of  hostilities  of  the  War  of  1812,  brought  the  elite  from 
near  and  far  to  dance  to  the  sprightly  tunes  of  "Fiddler  Gray  of  Portland." 

In  December,  1828,  attention  was  called  to  a  new  local  musical  or- 
ganization when  the  members  of  the  Portland  Handel  and  Haydn  Society 
were  reminded  to  attend  their  regular  meetings  at  their  hall  every  Tues- 
day at  "Vz  past  6  o'clock."  They  gave  their  first  concert  in  the  early  fall  of 
1829  at  Beethoven  Hall,  and  the  critical  consensus  among  local  newspaper- 
men may  be  summed  up  in  an  item  appearing  in  one  of  the  newssheets  the 
following  day:  "The  performance  by  the  Handel  and  Haydn  Society  on 
Wednesday  evening  was  received  with  great  approbation  by  a  respectable 
audience." 

In  the  spring  of  1835  the  Portland  Academy  of  Music  was  opened  by 
Ferdinand  Ilsley,  who  had  previously  conducted  a  local  singing  school. 
Within  a  year  nearly  three  hundred  pupils,  mostly  between  the  ages  of  seven 
and  fifteen,  were  in  attendance.  During  the  winter  the  adults  joined  the 
Academy  choir.  The  first  concert  of  this  group  was  given  March  7,  1836, 
and  the  repeat  performance,  six  weeks  later,  brought  the  following  high 
praise  from  the  Portland  Evening  Advertiser:  "On  Fast  day  evening  we  had 
the  pleasure  of  listening  to  one  of  the  best  concerts  of  Sacred  Music  ever 
given  in  this  city.  The  performers  were  remarkable  for  three  important 
characteristics,  namely;  distinct  pronunciation,  good  taste,  and  accurate 
time.  We  were  not  aware  that  there  were  so  many  good  voices  among  us. 
The  solos  and  duets  were  performed  with  a  grace  worthy  of  all  praise,  and 
we  are  sure,  from  indications  on  the  part  of  the  audience  that  all  present 
were  of  the  same  opinion  as  ourselves.  How  delightful  to  have  such  concerts 
frequent!  What  a  charming  festival!  How  many  tender  and  religious  emo- 
tions enlisted!  We  are  rejoiced  to  learn  that  the  science  of  vocal  music  is 
beginning  to  receive  that  attention  among  us  which  it  eminently  deserves. 
May  everyone  feel  it  a  duty  to  lend  his  aid  to  the  cultivation  of  a  science  so 
important  to  the  church,  to  morality,  and  religion,  to  those  emotions  which 
we  all  love  to  feel,  as  a  foretaste  of  enjoyment  beyond  the  grave." 

The  Portland  Sacred  Music  Society,  an  outgrowth  of  the  Portland  Aca- 


182  Portland  City  Guide 

demy  of  Music,  was  formed  in  1836.  On  May  24,  1837,  this  society  pre- 
sented Haydn's  Creation  in  its  entirety  for  the  first  time  in  the  State.  Daniel 
Paine,  assisted  by  an  orchestra  from  Boston,  was  the  organist;  Arthur  L. 
and  Esther  Ilsley  were  the  principal  soloists.  The  Portland  Eastern  Argus 
said  in  its  editorial  the  next  day:  "The  Oratorio  was  given  in  a  manner 
which  equalled  and  we  think  surpassed  the  most  sanguine  hopes  of  the 
friends  of  the  Society."  This  group  was  the  foundation  of  all  other  local 
musical  societies  in  years  to  come  and  continued  until  1854.  In  addition  to 
the  Creation,  the  society  gave  Handel's  Messiah  and  his  Samson.  They  also 
produced  Neukom's  David,  Rossini's  Stabat  Mater,  and  other  oratorios,  all 
of  which  were  well  received. 

In  the  first  half  of  the  19th  century  Portland  was  notable  for  its  number 
of  musical  families.  The  Ilsley  family,  composed  of  seven  children,  four 
boys,  all  of  whom  were  tenors,  and  three  girls,  sopranos,  did  much  for  the 
progress  of  music.  They  were  all  church  singers  and  members  of  the  Sacred 
Music  Society.  The  Thomas  family  also  was  unusually  musical,  George 
Thomas  (1819-1907)  being  a  flutist  of  uncommon  ability.  In  the  latter 
part  of  his  life  he  frequently  sat  near  an  open  window  in  his  home  on  State 
Street  and  entertained  passers-by  with  choice  melodies  from  the  operas  and 
with  his  own  improvisations.  Many  of  Portland's  musicians  owe  their  ad- 
vancement in  music  to  the  encouragement  and  financial  assistance  of  his 
sister,  'Aunt'  Charlotte  Thomas.  Still  another  family  group  was  that  of 
the  Pennells  who  sang  at  the  Third  Parish  Church.  Samuel  Thurston 
(1825-1914)  was  prominently  identified  with  music  from  1850  to  1880  and 
during  the  time  was  a  member  of  the  First  Parish  Church  choir  and  the 
musical  societies  of  the  day.  To  him  belongs  the  credit  for  the  introduction 
of  music  in  the  public  schools  of  the  city. 

Portland  had  no  organized  male  quartet  until  a  group  known  as  Shaw's 
Quartette  was  formed  in  1845;  it  continued  for  several  years.  Another 
musical  group  was  the  Casco  Serenading  Club,  composed  of  12  members, 
each  of  whom  could  play  an  instrument  and  also  sing.  On  moonlight 
nights  they  took  a  square  piano  on  a  wagon  body  and  serenaded  the  people 
around  town.  Their  efforts  appear  to  have  met  with  better  reception  than 
did  those  of  another  serenading  club  which  was  in  existence  in  1836,  for  a 
correspondent  in  the  Portland  Eastern  Argus  complained  of  this  "Night 
Band"  and  expressed  a  "willingness  to  turn  out  and  help  put  its  members 
into  the  horse-pond";  to  which  the  editor  added,  "We  have  no  objections." 
An  interesting  musical  organization  known  as  'The  Mocking  Birds'  existed 


Music  183 

in  1838.  Composed  of  young  people,  this  organization  had  20  members, 
each  designated  by  the  name  of  some  bird.  The  ladies  were  known  by  such 
names  as  'Nightingale/  'Lark,'  'Goldfinch/  and  'Oriole/  but  no  lovely 
names  were  bestowed  upon  the  gentlemen,  who  bore  undignified  titles  such 
as  'Albatross/  'Condor/  'Crow/  and  'Bat/ 

In  the  1840's  appeared  one  of  Portland's  most  unusual  musical  characters, 
Professor  F.  Nicholls  Crouch  (1808-96),  an  Englishman,  composer  of 
Kathleen  Mavourneen.  Of  him,  Samuel  Thurston  wrote  in  his  Musical 
Reminiscences:  "He  appeared  on  our  horizon  with  a  big  blast  of  trumpets, 
blown  by  himself,  a  noted  basso  profundo,  directly  from  the  British 
Isles "  Thurston  also  relates  that  one  of  Crouch's  strange  quirks  of  na- 
ture was  a  fondness  for  snakes;  he  had  as  many  as  a  hundred  reptiles  crawl- 
ing around  the  room  where  he  gave  music  lessons.  Often  when  the  pro- 
fessor appeared  on  the  street  Portlanders  were  horrified  at  seeing  two  or 
three  snakes  dart  their  heads  in  and  out  of  his  pockets.  Despite  his  eccen- 
tricities, Crouch  was  well  educated,  polished,  and  refined,  and  at  one  time 
had  a  large  class  of  pupils.  However,  his  eccentricities  and  English  man- 
nerisms caused  him  to  lose  his  early  popularity  and  he  became  estranged 
from  the  community.  In  1850  the  Sacred  Music  Society  voted  to  engage 
him  as  their  choral  conductor,  but  the  vote  was  later  rescinded.  According 
to  George  Thornton  Edwards,  who  compiled  Music  and  Musicians  of 
Maine,  the  Crouch  episode  caused  "incrimination  and  recrimination  and 
threats  of  lawsuits  followed;  the  members  took  sides  for  and  against  Mr. 
Crouch  and  the  organization  was  nearly  rent  asunder." 

When  86  years  of  age  Professor  Crouch  penned  in  his  diary:  "I  will  now 
jot  down  a  few  events  in  the  life  of  a  man  once  at  the  head  of  his  profes- 
sion, but  now  in  the  sere  and  yellow  leaf  of  life;  in  the  early  days,  one  of 
the  band  of  the  royal  household,  the  Hanoverian  family  occupying  the 
throne  of  England;  now  passing  out  with  the  debris  on  the  ebbtide  leading 
to  oblivion."  Writing  of  his  music  masters,  Crouch  recorded  that  he  was 
"personally  acquainted  with  Carl  Maria  von  Weber,  Sir  Henry  W.  Bishop, 
Meyerbeer,  Rossini,  Verdi,  Balfe,  Sir  Michael  Costa,  Sir  Jules  Benedict,  Sir 
George  Smart,  Paganini,  J.  B.  Creamer,  Czerny  and  Cipriani  Potter, 
Charles  Neate  and  Moscheles,  all  of  whom  were  friends  of  Beethoven  .  . . ." 
Without  false  modesty,  he  continued,  "I  played  in  quartet  with  most  of 
these,  and  was,  besides,  intimate  with  all  the  authors,  dramatists  and  jour- 
nalists of  that  day  in  England."  His  unhappy  experiences  in  Portland  led 
him  to  seek  other  fields,  and  when  the  Civil  War  began  he  enlisted  in  the 


184  Portland  City  Guide 

Confederate  Army,  an  act  that  further  estranged  his  Northern  friends. 
With  the  end  of  the  conflict  between  the  States,  Crouch  struggled  unsuc- 
cessfully to  follow  his  music  profession  in  the  South;  a  few  years  prior  to 
his  death  he  returned  to  Portland. 

Perhaps  the  best  remembered  of  Portland's  musicians  is  Hermann  Kotz- 
schmar  (1829-1908).  Born  in  Germany,  Kotzschmar  received  his  early 
training  on  the  piano,  violin,  flute,  clarinet,  and  horn  from  his  father,  a 
stadtmeister  (town  musician) .  Later  young  Kotzschmar  went  to  Dresden, 
where  he  continued  his  studies  on  piano  and  organ,  composition,  and  coun- 
terpoint. In  1848  he  came  to  America  with  the  Saxonia  Band,  but  unable 
to  speak  English,  the  group  could  make  no  contacts  and  soon  disbanded. 
Kotzschmar  was  discovered  in  Boston  by  Cyrus  L.  Curtis,  father  of  the 
publisher.  Appreciating  the  young  musician's  talent,  Curtis  was  instru- 
mental in  bringing  him  to  Portland  as  leader  of  the  Union  Street  Theatre 
orchestra.  Kotzschmar  was  not  particularly  enthused  over  his  new  position, 
as  it  required  only  mediocre  musical  ability,  but  he  needed  the  salary  re- 
ceived for  drumming  out  the  popular  tunes  required  of  a  theater  orchestra. 
Two  years  after  his  Portland  arrival  he  was  engaged  as  pianist  by  the  Port- 
land Sacred  Music  Society  at  $50  a  year.  This  local  acceptance  of  his 
ability  soon  led  to  other  musical  activities  and  young  Kotzschmar  became 
one  of  the  leaders  of  the  city.  In  1851  he  became  organist  at  the  First 
Parish  Church  and  held  the  position  for  47  years.  During  his  long  life  in 
Portland  Kotzschmar  was  associated  with  every  musical  endeavor  and  rec- 
ognized as  the  leading  music  instructor.  During  the  early  years  of  his  Port- 
land activities,  Kotzschmar  was  considered  a  pianist,  organist,  and  accom- 
panist, but  with  the  re-organization  of  the  Haydn  Association  following  the 
Civil  War,  he  became  the  leader  of  the  chorus  and  the  orchestra  and  later 
that  society's  conductor.  This  was  the  dawn  of  a  new  day  in  the  musical 
history  of  the  city,  for  he  immediately  started  serious  study  in  oratorio,  and 
under  his  baton  the  Haydn  Association  became  one  of  the  most  noted  in 
the  country  for  performance  of  oratorios.  Kotzschmar  later  became  con- 
ductor of  the  Weber  Club,  and  various  other  choral  societies  throughout 
Maine.  His  Te  Deum  in  F  has  been  widely  sung  in  churches;  among  his 
other  compositions  are,  Trois  Mazurkas,  Lullaby,  Barcarolle,  On  This 
Glorious  Christmas  Morn,  and  Christ  Is  Risen. 

No  local  musician  has  brought  more  glory  to  his  home  State  and  to  the 
country  than  John  Knowles  Paine  (1839-1906).  Born  in  Portland,  Paine 
came  from  a  musical  family,  and  at  an  early  age  was  playing  the  organ  un- 


Music  185 

der  the  tutelage  of  Hermann  Kotzschmar.  Attracting  the  attention  of  a 
group  of  local  musicians  who  realized  his  unusual  ability,  Paine  was  sent 
to  Europe  for  further  study.  Returning  to  this  country  at  the  conclusion  of 
his  musical  education,  Paine  became  the  leading  organist  in  America.  His 
first  great  work  in  composition  was  The  Oratorio  of  St.  Peter,  which  created 
such  a  furore  throughout  the  country  that  it  became  famous  overnight,  and 
he  was  immediately  acknowledged  as  the  foremost  American  composer. 
Regarding  the  presentation  of  this  oratorio  by  the  local  Haydn  Association, 
George  Thornton  Edwards  wrote  in  his  Music  and  Musicians  of  Maine: 
"On  the  evening  of  June  3,  1873,  the  Haydn  Association,  with  a  chorus  of 
one  hundred  and  twenty-five,  performed  in  the  City  Hall  of  Portland,  a 
musical  work  of  such  classic  merit  that  it  placed  it  for  the  time  being  in 
the  forefront  of  all  musical  societies  in  the  country,  for  not  only  was  it  the 
first  presentation  in  the  United  States  of  America  of  a  sacred  oratorio  by  an 
American  composer  and  the  first  oratorio  to  be  written  on  American  soil, 
but  the  work  itself  was  the  greatest  musical  composition  by  an  American." 

The  general  enthusiasm  for  Paine,  his  work,  and  its  interpretation  by 
the  local  Haydn  Association,  was  expressed  in  the  Atlantic  Monthly  of 
August,  1873:  "The  pleasant  little  town  of  Portland  has  reason  to  con- 
gratulate itself,  first,  on  being  the  birthplace  of  such  a  composer  as  Mr. 
Paine;  secondly,  on  having  been  the  place  where  the  first  great  work  of 
America  in  the  domain  of  music  was  brought  out;  and  thirdly,  on  possess- 
ing what  is  probably  the  most  thoroughly  disciplined  choral  society  in  this 
country.  More  artistic  chorus  singing  it  has  never  been  our  lot  to  hear.  Our 
New  York  friends,  after  their  recent  experiences,  will  perhaps  be  slow  to 
believe  us  when  we  say  that  the  Portland  choir  sang  this  new  work  even 
better  than  the  old  Handel  and  Haydn  Society  sing  the  old  and  familiar 
Elijah;  but  it  is  true.  In  their  command  of  the  pianissimo  and  the  gradual 
crescendo,  and  in  the  precision  of  their  attack,  the  Portland  singers  can 
easily  teach  the  Handel  and  Haydn  a  quarter's  lesson." 

In  1862  Paine  went  to  Harvard  where  he  became  director  of  music,  col- 
lege organist,  and  choir  master;  he  also  gave  a  series  of  lectures  on  musical 
forms.  A  full  professorship  chair  was  created  for  him  in  1875,  the  first 
chair  of  music  to  be  established  in  an  American  university.  Following  his 
Oratorio  of  St.  Peter,  Paine's  next  work  was  the  Symphony  in  C  Minor.  In 
1876  he  was  one  of  two  Americans  invited  to  write  a  composition  for  the 
Centennial  Celebration  in  Philadelphia,  and  his  Centennial  Hymn  was  an 
arrangement  for  John  Greenleaf  Whittier's  verses.  The  music  of  John 


186  Portland  City  Guide 

Knowles  Paine  was  the  first  of  any  American  composer  to  be  played  abroad. 
In  1867  he  went  to  Berlin  to  wield  the  baton  at  a  concert  of  the  famous 
Singakademie,  conducting  an  interpretation  of  his  own  Mass  in  D;  in  1903 
he  returned  to  Germany  for  the  Wagner  Festival,  having  been  selected  as 
the  one  composer  to  represent  America  at  this  outstanding  musical  fete. 

Many  other  compositions  followed,  but  Paine's  greatest  work  is  con- 
sidered to  be  Oedipus  Tyrannus,  written  especially  for  performance  by  Har- 
vard University  students  in  1881.  Philip  H.  Goepp  wrote  in  the  Harvard 
Graduates  Magazine,  September,  1906:  "From  the  purely  musical  stand- 
point, apart  from  its  immediate  purpose  and  effect,  Paine's  setting  of  the 
Oedipus  choruses  have  today,  after  twenty-five  years,  the  same  potent  charm 
as  on  their  production.  In  view  of  the  rapid  changes  which  the  art  of  music 
has  undergone  in  this  interval,  such  a  test  is  proof  of  a  high  degree  of 
beauty  ....  It  proves  the  wisdom's  of  Paine's  idea,  to  glorify  the  Greek 
poetry  with  all  the  resources  of  modern  music,  instead  of  giving  a  mere  re- 
production of  the  primitive  shifts  of  an  archaic  phase  of  art.  There  is  a 
special  alternation  of  tender  beauty  with  dramatic  power,  with  constant  sur- 
prise of  delicate  rhythm  and  bold  harmonies.  We  are  struck  with  the  blend- 
ing of  melodic  simplicity  (necessary  for  amateur  singing)  with  the  highest 
plane  of  serious  conception  ....  There  are  in  the  work  the  element  of  strik- 
ing originality  and  the  fine  perfection  of  inner  detail  that  proves  the  high- 
est sincerity.  The  two  are  different — the  beauty  that  strikes  for  the  moment, 
or  the  charm  that  stays — that  one  is  tempted  to  set  the  one  against  the  other, 
to  think  them  actually  opposed." 

Portland's  old  City  Hall,  whose  auditorium  was  for  many  years  the 
principal  place  for  public  performances  and  upon  whose  stage  many  celeb- 
rities appeared,  was  opened  in  September,  1859,  with  Rossini's  Stabat  Mater. 
Presented  by  the  Haydn  Association,  this  work  heralded  a  long  line  of 
names  great  in  the  annals  of  American  music.  In  1862  Carlotta  Patti,  sis- 
ter of  the  famous  Adelina,  made  her  appearance;  later  came  Gottschalk, 
the  pianist;  Brignoli,  the  Italian  tenor,  caused  audiences  to  stand  in  the 
aisle  and  applaud;  Mile.  Parepa  Rosa  thrilled  Portlanders.  Fire  destroyed 
the  famous  old  building  in  1866,  but  rebuilt  two  years  later,  it  again  became 
the  center  of  musical  interest  when  it  was  opened  with  Brignoli's  Italian 
Opera  Company  which  presented  //  Trovatore,  Martha,  and  Ernani.  Later 
Myron  Whitney  was  heard  in  a  concert,  and  the  French  Opera  Company 
presented  La  Belle  Helene.  In  the  fall  of  1869  Annie  Louise  Cary,  Maine- 
born  opera  singer,  made  her  first  local  stellar  appearance  in  old  City  Hall. 


Music  187 

Since  the  early  years  of  The  Neck,'  when  musically  enthused  towns- 
folk gathered  to  sing  hymns  in  the  early  hours  of  the  morning,  the  local 
musical  picture  has  been  enriched  by  the  formation  of  many  music  appre- 
ciation groups.  Outstanding  among  contemporary  groups  is  the  Portland 
Rossini  Club.  Organized  in  December,  1869,  the  Rossini  Club  is  the  old- 
est musical  club  in  America  composed  entirely  of  women.  This  group,  who 
define  their  objective  as:  "mutual  improvement  in  the  art  of  music,"  limits 
its  active  membership  to  75,  although  other  memberships  are  unlimited.  At 
the  World's  Fair  in  Chicago  in  1893  the  Portland  Rossini  Club  was  awarded 
a  Diploma  of  Special  Honor  by  the  Bureau  of  Music  for  being  first  in  the 
field  of  women's  amateur  musical  clubs.  Today  the  club  is  one  of  the  out- 
standing musical  organizations  in  Maine,  and  is  the  most  important  single 
stimulus  to  local  musical  appreciation.  Every  four  years,  on  his  birthday, 
February  29,  the  Rossini  Club  honors  its  namesake,  Gioachino  Antonio 
Rossini,  composer  of  The  Barber  of  Seville,  with  a  special  musical  pro- 
gram. Through  the  Emily  K.  Rand  Memorial  Scholarship  Fund  the  club 
sponsors  advanced  study  for  worthy  music  students.  The  club  also  brings 
music  to  the  Children's  Hospital  and  other  local  institutions. 

A  musical  club  that  has  brought  no  little  fame  to  the  State  is  the  Port- 
land Men's  Singing  Club,  organized  in  March,  1914.  The  ideals  of  the 
club  have  always  been  to  promote  the  love  and  appreciation  of  good  music 
written  for  male  voices.  This  club,  while  under  the  conductorship  of  Alfred 
Brinkler,  entered  several  singing  contests  with  leading  men's  glee  clubs  of 
New  England,  winning  many  first  prizes.  As  a  tribute  to  its  founder  and 
first  conductor,  Will  C.  Macfarlane,  the  club  adopted  his  musical  setting 
of  Katherine  Lee  Bates'  poem,  America,  the  Beautiful,  as  its  club  song.  The 
club  is  now  under  the  direction  of  Arthur  Wilson,  who  in  1938  formed  the 
Portland  Women's  Chorus;  in  conjunction  with  the  Symphony  Orchestra 
these  two  groups  have  contributed  much  to  the  musical  life  of  the  city. 

The  Portland  Polyphonic  Society  is  a  unique  choral  club  that  has  given 
many  notable  performances.  Organized  in  1922  by  Alfred  Brinkler  for 
the  purpose  of  singing  choruses  of  from  five  to  eight  parts,  it  produces 
choral  effects  not  usually  obtained  by  the  ordinary  four-part  ensemble. 

St.  Luke's  Cathedral  claims  the  honor  of  having  the  oldest  Cathedral 
Boys'  Choir  in  the  country,  having  been  started  in  1864.  It  consists  of  31 
voices,  and  has  long  maintained  its  individuality  as  an  entirely  male  or- 
ganization. Since  1930  the  Cathedral  of  the  Immaculate  Conception  has 
had  a  trained  boys'  choir  of  60  voices,  made  up  of  students  of  the  parochial 


188  Portland  City  Guide 

schools;  it  gives  two  public  concerts  annually  besides  its  regular  choir  work 
in  the  Cathedral. 

Many  orchestral  societies  have  been  active  in  Portland  during  the  last 
century.  In  1852  the  Portland  Orchestral  Society  was  organized  for  "im- 
provement in  instrumental  music."  The  Ardon  Coombs  Orchestras,  en- 
tirely composed  of  amateur  musicians,  were  gathered  in  the  1870's,  and 
were  pioneers  in  chamber  music  in  Maine.  In  1876  the  Orpheus  Symphony 
Club  was  formed;  the  20  members  of  this  club  were  all  pupils  of  Johann 
Gottlieb  Friedrich  ter  Linden,  familiarly  known  as  'Fred'  ter  Linden,  who 
has  been  credited  with  being  the  first  musician  in  America  to  play  the  saxo- 
phone. The  Portland  Philharmonic  Orchestral  Society,  with  Hermann 
Kotzschmar  as  director,  was  organized  in  1882 

About  1890  Deane's  Orchestral  Society,  composed  of  amateur  and  pro- 
fessional musicians,  flourished  although  it  never  gave  a  public  concert. 
With  the  formation  in  1898  of  the  Chamber  Music  Trio  by  Dr.  Latham 
True,  chamber  music  in  Maine  was  revived;  by  1903  the  Chamber  Music 
Club,  with  Hermann  Kotzschmar  as  its  president,  had  been  formed.  Al- 
though it  continued  only  two  seasons  after  its  organization  in  1913,  Simp- 
son's Symphony  Orchestra  presented  several  notable  concerts  during  its 
short  life.  In  1926  the  Portland  Flutist  Society  made  an  enviable  reputation 
for  itself  through  its  rendition  of  the  rare  flute  octette  music. 

In  1926  local  musicians  united  to  combine  a  symphony  orchestra  with 
the  pipe  organ,  and  the  Portland  Municipal  Orchestra  of  65  players  was 
the  result;  Charles  R.  Cronham,  city  organist  at  the  time,  was  the  first 
conductor.  From  this  first  municipal  orchestra  grew  the  present  Portland 
Symphony  Orchestra  of  85  players. 

Band  music  in  Portland  can  trace  its  beginnings  to  the  period  when 
America  was  engaged  in  its  second  war  with  Great  Britain,  for  on  July  4, 
1813,  a  secret  organization  known  as  the  Rub-a-Dub  Society  paraded 
through  the  streets  of  the  city,  accompanied  by  "solemn  musick."  Shortly 
after  this  John  Knowles  H.  Paine,  with  the  assistance  of  his  son,  at- 
tempted to  organize  a  band  here  consisting  of  fife,  tenor  drum,  a  bass 
drum,  bugle,  and  clarinet.  The  town  was  not  at  first  inclined  to  take  the 
band  very  seriously,  but  after  much  perseverance  as  a  marching  musical  or- 
ganization it  "commanded  the  respect  of  the  town."  Jacob  S.  Paine  (1810- 
56),  son  of  John,  became  its  leader,  and  in  1827  organized  his  musicians 
under  the  name  of  the  Portland  Band.  It  grew  into  a  full  military  band 
and  for  many  years  was  the  leading  organization  of  its  kind  in  the  western 


Music  189 

part  of  the  State.  Daniel  Hires  Chandler  (1818-1902),  often  referred  to 
as  the  father  of  band  music  in  Maine,  followed  Paine  as  its  leader  in  1843. 
When  the  Civil  War  broke  out,  the  Portland  Band  was  chosen  as  the  First 
Regiment  Band.  Some  time  prior  to  the  Civil  War  the  old  Continental 
Band  had  been  formed.  Chandler's  Band  was  formally  organized  in  1876 
although  the  group  had  been  playing  together  for  about  three  years. 
Through  the  efforts  of  its  leader,  Daniel  H.  Chandler,  this  band  had  a 
wide  reputation  in  New  England  and  was  considered  one  of  the  finest  in  the 
East.  The  Maine  Fife  and  Drum  Corps,  organized  in  1885,  was  long  popu- 
lar with  lovers  of  band  music.  Rigby's  Band,  originally  the  American  Le- 
gion Band,  organized  six  years  after  the  termination  of  the  World  War, 
was  at  that  time  one  of  the  best  in  Maine. 

Portland  was  not  always  kindly  disposed  toward  band  music,  and  as  late 
as  August,  1891,  the  Board  of  Trade  Journal  editorially  reflected  the  fol- 
lowing sentiment  regarding  Sunday  band  concerts:  "There  is  a  growing  dis- 
position to  desecrate  the  sanctity  of  the  holy  Sabbath  of  our  fathers — a 
laxity  in  religious  matters  is  growing  more  and  more  apparent  even  in  good 
old  New  England  Puritan  communities,  that  is  not  a  credit  to  a  people  en- 
joying the  high,  intellectual  religious  teachings  of  to-day. 

"The  persistence  of  the  City  Government  of  Portland  to  inaugurate  a 
series  of  Sunday  Band  Concerts  to  attract  people  away  from  churches,  and 
the  congregation  of  large  masses  of  people  to  disturb  the  peace  and  quiet- 
ness that  has  hitherto  characterized  the  restful  Sabbath  of  our  good  citizens, 
was  ill  advised  and  reprehensible  since  no  good  can  come  of  it,  and  which 
must  in  the  nature  of  things,  open  the  door  to  abuses  of  various  kinds  that 
will  follow  under  the  guise  of  'Sacred'  entertainments,  feasts,  dances — in- 
deed there  is  no  limit  to  what  might  as  well  come  under  these  Sunday  en- 
tertainments. 

"We  hope  therefore  that  the  City  Government  will  respect  the  large  num- 
ber of  their  constituency,  who  do  not  approve  of  such  sacrilegious  demon- 
strations, enough  not  to  attempt  these  entertainments." 

Today,  however,  Portlanders  are  greatly  interested  in  the  local  band 
groups.  The  Fifth  U.  S.  Infantry  Band,  at  Fort  Williams  for  18  years  and 
recently  transferred,  had  a  colorful  past;  it  is  the  second  oldest  military  band 
in  the  country.  The  motto  of  the  regiment,  "I  will  try,  Sir,"  was  the  reply 
of  the  commander  who,  in  the  War  of  1812,  was  directed  to  take  an  im- 
portant objective  in  the  Battle  of  Lundy's  Lane.  This  band  made  a  world 
tour  in  the  1920's,  and  gained  an  international  reputation.  During  the 


190  Portland  City  Guide 

World  War  it  was  stationed  at  the  Panama  Canal,  later  crossing  to  Ger- 
many with  its  regiment  in  the  Army  of  Occupation.  The  organization  has 
a  prized  collection  of  musical  trophies. 

The  Harold  T.  Andrews  Post  Junior  Drum  and  Bugle  Corps  is  one  of 
four  leading  musical  organizations  of  the  kind  in  the  country.  Organized  in 
1934  with  a  group  of  93  boys  and  girls,  they  appeared  that  year  for  the  first 
time  at  the  American  Legion  convention  at  Miami,  Florida.  The  Class 
Thirteen  Band  of  the  St.  Lawrence  Church  has  been  declared  to  be  the 
equal  of  the  best  bands  connected  with  religious  organizations  in  the  coun- 
try. 

Well  known  among  music-appreciation  societies  are  several  of  Portland's 
organizations.  The  MacDowell  Club,  formed  in  1908  by  a  group  of  local 
women,  has  aided  considerably  in  carrying  out  the  ideals  of  its  namesake, 
the  well-known  American  composer,  Edward  MacDowell.  The  Kotzschmar 
Club  was  organized  January  11,  1900,  when  a  group  of  local  men  gathered 
to  discuss  formation  of  a  musical  organization  for  men.  Hermann  Kotz- 
schmar was  elected  the  club's  first  president,  and  today  the  club  honors  his 
birthday  with  a  special  musical  program.  Cultivation  of  an  interest  in  music 
has  been  the  dominant  purpose  of  this  club,  and  its  membership  includes  the 
leading  musicians  of  present-day  Portland.  The  Maine  Federation  of  Music 
Clubs,  a  Statewide  organization,  was  formed  through  the  efforts  of  the 
Rossini  Club  in  1921,  and  is  instrumental  in  bringing  young  artists  of  ability 
to  the  attention  of  music  lovers  through  musical  contests. 

The  city  has  been  the  residence  of  a  large  group  of  musical  composers, 
both  native-born  and  others,  who  have  produced  numerous  songs  and  in- 
strumental pieces,  as  well  as  given  their  individual  interpretations  to  the 
works  of  the  great  masters.  In  the  field  of  musical  interpretation  George 
W.  Marston  (1840-1901)  had  few  equals.  He  came  here  as  a  young  man 
from  Massachusetts,  studying  with  John  Knowles  Paine.  Marston  became 
a  teacher  and  church  organist,  and  his  most  productive  years  were  spent  in 
this  city.  His  first  composition  to  attract  attention  was  the  ballad,  Across 
the  Far  Blue  Hills,  Marie.  His  dramatic  cantata,  David,  and  other  anthems 
are  still  widely  sung.  During  his  life  Marston  composed  more  than  sixty 
piano  pieces  and  a  like  number  of  songs.  Of  him  George  Thornton  Ed- 
wards has  written:  "His  song  accompaniments  are  nearly  all  distinctive,  yet 
unobtrusive.  His  style  could  be  exquisitely  delightful,  profoundly  somber, 
or  quaintly  simple  as  he  chose,  yet  all  his  compositions  are  replete  with 
richest  harmonies  and  embodied  great  depth  of  feeling  ....  Historians  of 


Music  191 

music  have  devoted  too  little  space  to  this  composer  whose  writings  include 
some  of  the  loveliest  phrases  to  be  found  in  American  music."  The  Mars- 
ton  Club,  organized  as  a  private  musical  club  for  women  in  1887,  was 
named  for  this  composer. 

Among  other  composers  who  have  done  notable  work  in  the  city  are 
George  Thornton  Edwards  (1868-1932),  John  T.  Pagan  (1864-1930), 
Clifford  E.  Leighton  (1882-1933),  Edward  H.  Macy  (1870-1935),  and 
David  Page  Perkins  (1850-1933).  On  the  contemporary  scene  are  Cora 
Emily  Edgerly,  Harold  A.  Loring,  Fanning  J.  Maloney,  Frank  A.  Nye, 
Sinclair  Thompson,  Dr.  Latham  True,  and  Elise  Fellows  White.  Dr.  James 
Alfred  Spaulding  (1846-1938),  music  critic,  author,  and  pianist,  was  the 
author  of  Essays  on  Schubert,  and  Pronunciation  of  the  Names  of  Mu- 
sicians. Clinton  W.  Graff  am  (1884-1933)  wrote  Essays  on  Music,  Women 
and  Music,  and  Stephens  Collins  Foster.  Thomas  H.  Calvert,  a  resident  of 
Portland,  and  for  19  years  editor  of  the  Portland  Argus,  served  his  paper 
in  the  capacity  of  music  critic.  Ellen  F.  Blodgett  is  an  active  critic  of  mu- 
sical activities  for  the  Portland  Press  Herald,  and  holds  a  Bachelor  of 
Science  Degree  in  Music  from  Columbia  University.  Still  active  in  the  field 
of  musicology  are  Marguerite  Ogden,  who  wrote  several  articles  on  'Greek 
Ecclesiastical  Music*  in  Greeks  in  America;  and  Caroline  W.  Stevens,  local 
newspaperwoman,  who  has  reported  every  Musical  Festival  for  30  years. 

Portland's  Harry  McLellan,  composer,  organist,  and  choirmaster,  studied 
with  George  W.  Marston  of  Portland,  with  various  New  York  teachers, 
and  in  Germany.  He  became  choirmaster  of  Grace  Church  in  Bath,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  choir  of  the  Church  of  The  Heavenly  Rest  in  New  York  City, 
and  was  the  first  director  of  the  Mendelssohn  Society  of  Bath.  Among  his 
compositions  are:  Morning  Serenade,  Evening  Serenade,  Corona  Waltzes, 
and  others  for  the  piano;  Ludeah  for  strings;  sacred  music,  and  composi- 
tions for  full  chorus  choir.  McLellan  collaborated  with  the  librettists 
Cheever  Goodwin,  Frederick  Rankin,  and  Clay  M.  Greene  in  the  light 
operas  The  Regatta  Girl,  Cocheta,  Princess  Madcap,  and  others  produced  in 
several  large  cities  of  America. 

During  the  latter  years  of  the  19th  century  Portland  had  three  instruc- 
tors in  voice  whose  names  are  enshrined  in  musical  history:  Clara  E.  Mun- 
ger,  who  started  Emma  Eames  on  her  operatic  career;  Mrs.  J.  H.  Long,  to 
whose  teaching  Geraldine  Farrar  acknowledges  more  than  to  any  other 
source  her  success  as  an  opera  star;  and  William  Henry  Dennett,  con- 
sidered for  many  years  as  the  greatest  vocal  teacher  in  Maine.  Mrs.  Wil- 


192  Portland  City  Guide 

liam  Henry  Dennett  also  achieved  wide  recognition  as  an  instructor  of 
voice. 

The  name  Ira  C.  Stockbridge  (1842-1937)  is  synonymous  with  the  best 
in  musical  programs,  and  the  Stockbridge  Courses  of  Music,  established  in 
1882,  a  series  of  annual  recitals  by  prominent  national  and  international  ar- 
tists which  ran  locally  for  years,  were  the  forerunners  of  the  Maine  Music 
Festivals.  A  native  of  Freeport,  Stockbridge  came  to  this  city  when  very 
young  and  studied  with  Hermann  Kotzschmar  and  George  W.  Marston. 
He  was  successively  organist  of  the  First  Baptist,  State  Street,  and  Con- 
gress Square  Churches,  and  conductor  of  various  musical  clubs.  He  was  in- 
strumental in  bringing  to  the  city  the  Boston  Symphony  Orchestra,  Walter 
Damrosch,  Gilmore's  Band,  such  artists  as  Melba,  Nordica,  Annie  Louise 
Gary,  Emma  Eames,  Anton  Seidel,  Sembrich,  and  Remenyi,  the  renowned 
violinist,  and  presented  Paderewski  in  eight  concerts.  In  his  recently  pub- 
lished reminiscences,  Paderewski  pays  a  glowing  tribute  to  Portland  audi- 
ences. "I  had,"  he  writes,  "already  played  in  all  the  important  cities,  but  in 
many  of  the  smaller  places  my  first  appearance,  naturally,  was  not  attended 
by  large  audiences.  Suddenly  there  came  a  change.  It  happened  in  Port- 
land, Maine.  Although  it  was  my  first  appearance  I  saw  to  my  amazement, 
the  hall  completely  filled.  There  was  actually  a  demonstration  up  to  that 
moment  unknown  to  me.  Practically  the  entire  audience  rushed  behind  the 
platform  to  shake  hands  with  me.  It  was  a  crowd  of  about  one  thousand 
people  and  everyone  shook  hands  so  cordially,  that  after  that  experience  my 
right  hand  was  swollen  twice  its  size."  Through  the  efforts  of  Stockbridge 
all  of  the  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  operas  were  produced  here  at  different  times, 
and  for  more  than  forty  years  his  courses  continued,  bringing  to  the  city  the 
world's  greatest  artists. 

The  Maine  Music  Festival,  known  throughout  the  country  as  a  major 
musical  event,  had  its  opening  here  October  18,  1897,  under  the  direction 
of  William  Rogers  Chapman  (1855-1935) ,  with  Maine's  own  Madame  Nor- 
dica as  guest  artist.  The  following  day  the  Boston  Daily  Globe  reported: 
"The  opening  of  the  Maine  Music  Festival  .  .  .  was  a  success  far  exceeding 
the  hopes  of  the  management.  Never  before  have  the  people  of  Portland 
had  the  opportunity  of  hearing  the  masterpieces  of  the  world's  greatest  com- 
posers interpreted  by  artists  of  the  highest  rank,  supported  by  a  magnifi- 
cently trained  chorus  of  one  thousand  voices  and  a  superb  orchestra  of  sixty 
pieces.  That  they  fully  appreciated  the  opportunity  was  attested  by  the  im- 
mense audience  which  assembled  in  the  auditorium  .  '  It  was  the  be- 


Music 193 

ginning  of  a  renaissance  in  music  in  Maine.  Mr.  Chapman,  as  director, 
succeeded  in  bringing  here  the  world's  greatest  artists — Schumann-Heink, 
Galli-Curci,  Melba,  Eames,  Lillian  Blauvelt,  Jeritza,  Gigli,  Calve,  and 
others.  In  the  fall  of  1926  William  Rogers  Chapman  terminated  his  ser- 
vices as  conductor,  and  the  organization  disbanded. 

During  the  1938-39  season  a  series  of  Community  Concerts  was  inau- 
gurated under  the  direction  of  Donald  H.  Payson,  bringing  to  the  city  such 
artists  as  Lotte  Lehmann,  Lauritz  Melchior,  Marian  Anderson,  Bruna 
Castagna,  and  others.  These  courses  have  created  a  wide  musical  interest 
and  have  attained  a  growing  popularity. 

The  Federal  Music  Project  in  Portland,  consisting  of  a  concert  orchestra, 
band,  chorus,  and  teaching  unit  have  up  to  the  early  fall  of  1939  presented 
under  the  supervision  of  Reginald  Bonnin,  State  Director,  476  concerts  in 
Portland  and  vicinity  with  a  total  attendance  of  145,616.  The  project  has 
also  given  69  radio  broadcasts.  Teachers  have  given  instruction  to  287 
children  who  might  otherwise  have  been  unable  to  receive  such  benefits. 

Under  the  supervision  of  Frank  J.  Rigby  and  later  Joseph  L.  Gaudreau, 
Portland's  public  schools  have  won  musical  distinction.  The  Lincoln  Junior 
High  School  has  a  first  band  of  45  pieces  and  a  second  band  of  about  forty 
pieces;  the  musicians  being  placed  in  either  band  according  to  their  ability. 
The  82-piece  band  and  the  65-piece  orchestra  of  Deering  High  School  have 
presented  outstanding  concerts.  The  band  is  the  largest  high  school  band  in 
Maine  and  won  the  highest  rating  in  Class  A  in  the  spring  of  1939  at  the 
Maine  and  at  the  New  England  Music  Festivals.  Deering  High  benefits 
musically  in  receiving  Lincoln  Junior  students,  who  go  to  that  higher  school 
for  their  final  years'  work.  Until  1926  the  band  of  Portland  High  School 
was  part  of  the  Cadet  Corps;  today  the  school  has  a  4 5 -piece  orchestra  and 
a  35-piece  band. 

The  Portland  Music  Teachers'  Association  was  formed  for  the  advance- 
ment of  musical  education,  the  protection  of  the  business  interests  of  its 
members,  and  the  cultivation  of  co-operation  among  them.  Organized  in 
1929,  it  has  a  membership  of  60  composed  of  professional  teachers  in 
various  branches  of  music  and  has  for  several  years  sponsored  a  series  of 
well-attended  concerts. 

The  famous  Kotzschmar  Memorial  organ,  installed  in  Portland  City  Hall 
Auditorium,  was  presented  to  the  city  in  1912  by  Cyrus  Hermann  Kotz- 
schmar Curtis,  in  memory  of  his  father's  old  friend,  Portland's  well- 
known  music  director.  The  first  municipal  organist  was  Will  C.  Mac- 


194  Portland  City  Guide 

far  lane;  others  who  have  sat  at  the  Kotzschmar  console  include  Irving  J. 
Morgan,  Edwin  H.  Lemare,  Charles  R.  Cronham,  Alfred  Brinkler,  Fred 
Lincoln  Hill,  John  Fay,  and  Howard  W.  Clark.  Under  the  auspices  of  the 
American  Guild  of  Organists  a  series  of  concerts  is  presented  on  this  famous 
organ  through  the  summer  months,  featuring  the  performances  of  na- 
tionally known  as  well  as  local  organists.  On  July  1,  1912,  an  ordinance 
creating  a  municipal  music  commission  was  passed  by  the  city  council  and 
approved  by  the  mayor.  The  purpose  of  the  commission  was  to  take  charge 
of  the  new  organ  and  municipal  music.  The  commission  sponsored  evening 
and  afternoon  concerts  over  a  period  of  years,  which  were  supported  by 
local  subscriptions,  and  augmented  by  small  admission  charges  to  the  gen- 
eral public. 

Portland  had  an  infant  musical  prodigy  in  Willy  Ferrero,  son  of  a  well- 
known  musical  couple.  Born  here  in  May,  1906,  the  child  early  showed  an 
aptitude  for  musical  instruction,  and  when  two  years  of  age  was  taken  to 
Italy  by  his  parents.  At  three  years  and  eight  months  the  boy-wonder  di- 
rected several  symphonic  pieces  at  the  Trocadero,  in  Paris.  Massenet,  the 
composer,  who  assisted  at  the  time,  kissed  the  prodigy  at  the  conclusion  of 
the  concert  and  said:  "Go,  you  are  a  born  artist.  Of  you  history  will  cer- 
tainly speak."  When  four,  Ferrero  led  the  orchestra  in  the  Folies  Ber- 
geres,  in  Paris,  and  two  years  later  directed  a  symphonic  concert  at  the 
Teatro  Costanzi,  in  Rome.  Before  he  had  reached  his  tenth  birthday,  the 
young  maestro  had  directed  the  Imperial  Orchestra  of  120  pieces  at  St. 
Petersburg  on  the  invitation  of  Nicholas  II,  and  for  his  direction  of  the 
Albert  Hall  Orchestra  in  London  he  was  decorated  by  Queen  Alexandria. 
Ferrero's  triumphs  continued  until  the  World  War,  when  he  began  a  more 
serious  study  of  music.  In  1924  he  was  graduated  from  the  Austrian  State 
Academy  of  Advanced  Composition  at  Vienna.  He  has  since  conducted  or- 
chestras in  Prague,  Warsaw,  Vienna,  and  Moscow,  but  has  never  returned 
to  the  country  of  his  birth. 


Corner  of  Fore  and  Chatham  Streets 


Old  Bailey  House 


Tate  House 


Summer  Night 


Winter 


Springtime 


Surf  Fishing 


O/J  Fore  Street  Junk  Shop 


THEATER 

There  were  neither  theaters  nor  theatrical  performances  of  any  kind  in 
Portland  prior  to  the  Revolution  for  the  entire  Province  of  Maine  was  under 
ruling  of  the  austere  Puritans  of  Massachusetts.  They  regarded  the  play- 
house as  the  direct  road  to  perdition  and  they  would  countenance  no  such 
levity.  Consequently  the  citizens  of  old  Falmouth,  gay  and  pleasure-loving 
in  contrast  to  their  somber  rulers,  were  compelled  to  limit  their  amusement 
to  junketing  sleighing-parties  in  season,  good  eating,  and  occasional  tip- 
plings  at  the  'Widow*  Greele's  on  Hampshire  Street  or  at  Broad's  in 
Stroudwater.  Fashionable  balls  and  dancing  parties  were  the  vogue  but  even 
those  innocent  pastimes  were  not  always  free  from  persecution  for  in  1766 
Thomas  Wait,  Nathaniel  Deering,  and  their  wives  were  indicted  for 
dancing. 

Scattered  and  furtive  stage  performances  had  been  given  in  parts  of  the 
Colonies  as  early  as  1716.  Some  years  later  in  direct  defiance  of  the  au- 
thorities a  mixed  troupe  of  amateurs  and  professionals  staged  a  play  in  a 
Boston  coffee  house;  it  was  so  popular  that  it  caused  an  incipient  riot  and 
thus  gave  the  Puritans  an  opportunity  of  promptly  enacting  a  law  to  rid 
New  England  of  the  house  of  the  devil  for  all  time.  This  law  forbade 
stage  plays  and  theatricals  of  any  kind  under  severe  penalties,  on  the  ground 
that  plays  "have  a  pernicious  influence  on  the  minds  of  young  people  and 
greatly  endanger  their  morals  by  giving  them  a  taste  for  intrigue,  amuse- 
ment and  pleasure." 

Popular  opinion  in  Massachusetts  and  in  the  District  of  Maine  ultimately 
rebelled  against  such  harsh  restrictions.  In  1792  Portland's  only  news- 
paper, The  Eastern  Herald,  defied  tradition  and  showed  an  active  editorial 
interest  in  the  theater  controversy  that  was  being  waged  in  the  General 
Court  of  Massachusetts  over  the  repeal  of  the  drama  law.  The  vigorous 
leader  of  the  liberal  movement  was  a  man  from  Maine,  John  Gardiner,  a 
representative  to  the  General  Court  from  Pownalboro  Town;  he  pleaded  for 


196 Portland  City  Guide 

the  "more  polished  refinement  of  social  life  and  the  opportunity  to  delight 
in  the  rational  entertainment  of  a  chaste  and  well-regulated  Theatre."  De- 
spite the  hostile  and  uncompromising  attitude  of  the  authorities  and  stim- 
ulated by  the  growing  liberal  movement,  traveling  troupes  of  players  from 
New  York  began  presenting  performances  under  the  subterfuge  of  moral 
lectures  in  Massachusetts,  Rhode  Island,  and  even  in  prim  Vermont,  but 
they  did  not  venture  into  Maine. 

The  first  theatrical  performance  to  be  given  in  Portland,  or  in  Maine, 
was  in  October,  1794,  when  a  company  of  English  actors  directed  by  Charles 
Stuart  Powell  presented  The  Lyar  and  a  farce  entitled  Modern  Antiques 
or  the  Merry  Mourners.  Between  the  plays,  to  which  there  was  an  admis- 
sion charge  of  three  shillings,  some  of  the  talented  members  of  the  troupe 
entranced  the  first  night  audience  with  several  renditions  of  the  Learned 
Pig,  the  early  counterpart  of  today's  A  Tisket-A  Ta.sk.et.  This  was  an  his- 
toric occasion  as  it  heralded  a  new  chapter  in  the  cultural  movement  al- 
ready developing  in  the  small  community.  Completely  recovered  from  the 
devastating  effects  of  the  British  bombardment,  the  thriving  Falmouth 
town  could  boast  nearly  4,000  population  and  500  homesteads.  The  elite 
and  the  financially  able  citizens  were  already  contemplating  sending  their 
youth  to  the  recently  opened  Bowdoin  College  or  to  the  New  Portland 
Academy,  both  of  which  were  soon  to  be  the  school  grounds  of  Henry 
Wadsworth  Longfellow. 

Although,  for  this  first  performance,  the  town  did  not  have  a  theater,  the 
play  bills  glowingly  advertised  the  Assembly  Hall  as  the  "New  Theatre." 
The  Assembly  Hall,  to  which  the  citizens  repaired  for  important  festive 
occasions,  was  the  town's  first  public  hall  and  community  center;  in  it  a 
"Mr.  Armand  of  Boston"  had  opened  the  first  dancing  school,  and  the  hall 
had  been  the  scene  of  the  first  side  show  in  which  waxworks  and  a  "know- 
ing dog"  were  exhibited.  Later  equipped  with  a  crudely  built  stage  and 
rough  benches,  and  lighted  by  candles,  it  became  known  as  the  "temple  of 
the  drama." 

Portland's  opening  theatrical  performance  was  well  attended,  and  The 
Eastern  Herald  met  the  occasion  by  creating  a  drama  critic  who  columned 
that  the  play  was  "judiciously  cast  and  supported  to  admiration.  Mr.  Powell 
in  his  role  told  some  'UNCONSCIONABLES'  and  with  as  good  face  as  if  he 
had  been  used  to  it.  In  a  word  we  do  not  recollect  ever  having  heard 
greater  lies  better  told."  The  Powell  company  remained  in  Portland  for 
several  weeks  presenting  a  variety  of  plays:  Jane  Shore,  Incle  and  Yarico, 


Theater  197 

and  others  popular  in  the  late  18th  century.  Presented  thrice  weekly,  the 
performances  usually  consisted  of  a  five-act  comedy  or  tragedy,  followed  by 
a  farce,  and  with  several  songs  and  impromptu  dances  added  for  good 
measure.  Altogether,  the  first  theatrical  venture  proved  an  artistic  and 
financial  success. 

With  the  departure  of  the  Powell  company  Portland  lost  the  thread  of 
theatrical  endeavor  until  1796  when  the  local  newspaper  carried  the  an- 
nouncement: "Mrs.  Tubbs  late  Mrs.  Arnold,  of  the  Theatre  Royal,  Covent 
Garden,  London, .  .  .  begs  to  inform  the  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  of  Portland 
and  its  vicinity,  that  she  proposes  having  a  Concert  of  Vocal  and  Instru- 
mental Music,  at  the  Assembly  Room.  .  .  .  After  which  Mr.  Tubbs  intends 
setting  up  a  Theatre,  and  performing  some  of  the  most  admired  plays  and 
farces,  having  engaged  a  few  able  and  eminent  performers  for  that  pur- 
pose. .  .  .  Doubting  not  the  patronage  of  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  this 
town,  he  offers  the  above  as  a  slight  specimen  of  the  amusement  he  will  be 
able  to  afford  them." 

The  concert,  however,  seems  to  have  been  a  dismal  failure;  the  Herald's 
early  critic  very  blandly  summed  it  up:  "Mr.  Tubbs  plays  the  Piano-Forte 
well  but  he  cannot  sing  and  should  not  attempt  it."  Four  days  later  the 
Tubbs  troupe  presented  Bickerstaffs'  The  Padlock,  a  musical  piece,  and 
Garrick's  Miss  In  Her  Teens  or  a  Medley  of  Lovers.  This  performance  oc- 
casioned a  veritable  blast  of  censure. 

Portland  in  those  early  days,  although  it  was  considered  in  the  'sticks' 
by  traveling  troupes,  was  quite  familiar  with  standards  of  good  perform- 
ance; many  of  its  townfolk  had,  by  this  time,  traveled  to  Boston,  New 
York,  and  Philadelphia  to  view  with  growing  interest  the  thriving  theatri- 
cal movement  of  the  period.  Interesting  is  the  criticism  of  the  Tubbs'  pre- 
sentation: "A  correspondent  who  was  present  at  the  exhibition  of  Friday 
evening  conceives  it  to  be  his  duty  to  inform  the  Manager  that  the  Ladies 
and  Gentlemen  of  the  town  were  disappointed  in  the  performance.  Both 
the  play  and  the  afterfarce  were  shamefully  cut  up  and  mangled  and  re- 
duced to  nothing  or  what  was  worse  than  nothing.  Of  the  play  there  was 
little  left  but  its  obscenity — of  the  players  nothing  perhaps  ought  to  be  said 
especially  if  it  be  true  that  they  were  so  much  hurried  so  as  not  to  have  an 
opportunity  of  a  single  rehearsal.  It  is  hoped  that  the  Gentlemen  of  the 
town  will  attend  once  more  but  the  Ladies  perhaps  ought  not  to  attend  till 
it  is  known  whether  their  ears  are  again  to  be  offended  with  expressions  of 
obscenity  and  profanity."  Later  when  two  Portland  men  joined  the  troupe, 


198  Portland  City  Guide 

the  critic  was  further  displeased  with  their  attempts  at  leading  parts,  for  he 
severely  criticised  the  manager  of  the  troupe  and  described  everyone  in  the 
audience  as  being  "compelled  to  suppress  indignation";  they  "seemed  to 
literally  sweat  for  relief.  The  exhibition  and  the  sweat  last  for  an  hour  and 
a  half." 

One  member  of  the  Tubbs  troupe,  however,  seems  to  have  enraptured  the 
critic,  as  well  as  the  gentlemen  if  not  the  ladies  of  the  town,  by  her  "sweet 
innocence"  and  vivacious  manner  as  she  "tripped  across  the  stage  singing 
Listen  to  the  Voice  of  Love."  She  was  Elizabeth  Arnold,  16-year-old 
daughter  of  the  leading  actress.  One  local  poet  and  wit  was  so  enamored 
of  her  beauty  and  voice  that  he  composed  an  epilogue  for  her  concluding 
performance  in  which  he  expressed  the  fond  hope  that  she  would  soon  re- 
turn to  gladden  their  hearts.  But  favorite  Elizabeth  did  not  return;  soon 
after  she  traveled  with  the  troupe  to  South  Carolina  and  eventually  married 
David  Poe  of  Baltimore,  a  fellow  actor.  The  poet,  Edgar  Allen  Poe,  was 
their  son. 

The  Powell  company  returned  to  Portland  in  1799  with  a  greatly  aug- 
mented cast.  The  dramatic  critic  waxed  eloquent  in  his  praise  of  their  plays, 
as  well  as  the  players,  and  "rejoiced  that  Portland  is  again  blessed  with 
theatrical  entertainments."  Among  the  plays  presented  was  Romeo  and 
Juliet,  the  first  Shakespearean  play  performed  in  Maine. 

The  practically  virgin  theatrical  territory  of  Maine  began  to  attract 
other  traveling  companies,  but  the  growing  popularity  of  playgoing  soon 
created  alarm  and  aroused  opposition  among  the  more  sedate  and  the  re- 
ligious. By  way  of  conciliation  the  players  took  special  care  that  no  per- 
formances were  given  on  nights  devoted  to  worship,  and  as  a  further  sop, 
donated  the  profits  of  one  evening's  performance  to  the  poor  of  the  town. 
A  great  variety  of  plays  was  offered  in  Portland  during  the  1800's, 
chiefly  by  the  Powells.  The  old  Assembly  Hall,  which  seated  less  than  a 
hundred  persons,  lost  its  moment  of  theatrical  glory  as  performances  were 
started  in  Mechanic's  Hall  on  Fore  Street  and  the  old  Union  Hall  on  Free 
Street,  the  latter  having  been  fitted  up  as  a  summer  theater.  Among  the 
most  popular  and  frequently  repeated  shows  were:  Jane  Shore,  Children  of 
the  Woods,  All  the  World's  a  Stage,  Lovers3  Quarrel,  Jew  and  Doctor,  and 
The  Stranger.  A  particularly  favorite  play  was  The  Sultan  or  The  Cap- 
tive, based  on  the  Algerian  pirates  off  the  coast  of  Tripoli,  where  Portland's 
Commodore  Edward  Preble  waged  a  successful  war  on  piracy.  In  1805 
Macbeth  was  presented  for  the  first  time. 


Theater  199 

Emboldened  by  their  success  the  Powells  proposed  to  erect  a  building  de- 
voted entirely  to  the  theater,  and  arrangements  were  made  to  carry  the 
project  into  immediate  effect.  This  was  too  much  for  the  local  clergy  and 
meetings  soon  were  held  to  protest  the  plan.  This  opposition,  led  by  Deacon 
Woodbury  Storer,  not  only  defeated  the  theater  project  but  was  successful 
in  having  a  law  passed  that  prohibited  under  a  heavy  penalty  the  construc- 
tion of  a  building  for  theatrical  exhibitions,  and  stopped  persons  from  act- 
ing or  assisting  in  the  performance  of  any  stage  plays  without  a  license  that 
could  be  obtained  from  the  Court  of  Sessions.  This  measure,  combined 
with  the  town's  commercial  embarrassment  resulting  from  the  enforcement 
of  the  Embargo  Act  of  1807,  effectually  brought  all  theater  productions  in 
the  town  to  a  standstill;  they  were  not  again  revived  until  after  the  separa- 
tion of  the  District  of  Maine  from  Massachusetts  and  its  establishment  as 
an  independent  State  in  1820. 

Portland  was  not,  however,  entirely  without  divertissement  for  the  towns- 
folk could,  if  they  so  desired,  take  lessons  on  the  "violin  and  guitar  from 
Professor  Nicholas  Rudoerf  of  Boston,"  or  could  "repair  to  the  Assembly 
Hall  for  some  elegant  Music."  The  curious  could  be  entertained  by  the 
"Beautiful  Lion  on  show  at  Mr.  Motley's  tavern  every  day  except  Sunday." 
The  Portland  Museum,  a  long  building  in  Haymarket  Row  (Monument 
Square),  was  also  a  popular  rendezvous;  no  stage  shows  were  given,  but 
there  were  exhibits  of  waxworks,  stuffed  animals,  freaks,  panoramas  of 
strange  lands,  and  bizarre  and  colorful  paintings  of  battlefields  and  In- 
dian scenes.  After  some  years  of  success  the  Museum  was  finally  closed,  and 
the  effects  were  sold  at  public  auction;  a  local  story  relates  that  Longfellow, 
the  poet,  bought  a  painting  for  $5,  for  which  he  was  later  offered  $500. 

Between  1820  and  1829  the  old  Union  Hall  became  the  principal  theater 
of  Portland.  Feeling  against  stage  shows  still  ran  high.  Some  of  the  stern 
Puritan-minded  citizens  frequently  made  attempts  to  invoke  the  law  of 
1806  against  play  acting,  but  the  attitude  of  the  general  public  was  more 
favorably  disposed  toward  the  theater  and  the  players  were  able  to  evade 
the  law.  Chiefly  with  an  eye  toward  business  and  to  attract  visitors  to  the 
city,  a  group  of  local  citizens  met  in  1829  to  discuss  plans  for  a  more  spa- 
cious place  of  amusement.  These  plans  soon  crystallized  in  the  construction 
of  a  "neat  and  convenient"  theater  at  the  head  of  Free  Street,  on  the  site 
of  the  present  Chamber  of  Commerce  building.  Known  as  the  Free  Street 
Theatre,  the  first  theater  building  cost,  with  its  land,  slightly  more  than 
$10,000,  a  "magnificent  amount"  for  the  time.  Edwin  Forrest  and  the 


200  Portland  City  Guide 

elder  Booth  played  engagements  there,  as  did  other  prominent  actors  of  the 
early  years  of  the  19th  century.  After  a  "short  blast  of  success,"  as  its  brief 
existence  was  termed,  it  languished  for  lack  of  patronage  and  the  building 
was  sold  to  the  Second  Baptist  Society  for  a  church.  The  society,  according 
to  a  report  of  the  time,  "purged  it  as  with  fire,"  remodeled  the  building, 
added  a  spire,  and  called  it  the  Free  Street  Church.  However,  in  "purging" 
the  building  the  society  failed  to  remove  all  traces  of  its  former  theatrical 
connections;  until  shortly  before  the  church  was  torn  down  to  make  way  for 
a  later  building,  there  was  in  an  obscure  part  of  the  structure,  near  one  of 
the  old  entrances,  a  legend  with  an  ominous  black  clenched  hand,  forefinger 
pointing  downward,  which  read:  "To  The  Pit."  Church  visitors,  some  of 
whom  were  familiar  with  the  Calvinistic  emphasis  of  the  church's  earlier 
days,  were  often  considerably  confused  by  the  legend,  until  an  explanation 
had  been  made. 

In  1829  under  the  veil  of  a  museum,  another  theater  was  built.  This 
building,  on  Union  Street,  was  fairly  modern  for  it  was  equipped  with  a 
regular  pit,  dress  circle,  gallery  and  'nigger  heaven';  admission  prices  were 
from  "$8  for  boxes  to  25c  for  colored  people."  This  theater  was  the  first  real 
home  of  a  stock  company  in  the  city;  many  famous  theatrical  stars  played 
on  its  stage:  Wyzeman  Marshall,  Mrs.  Farren,  Barry  Sullivan,  Sir  William 
Don,  Barney  Williams,  Mrs.  Davenport,  and  Edwin  Forrest.  Such  plays  as 
Macbeth,  Othello,  Carpenter  of  Rouen,  Richard  III,  and  William  Tell 
were  presented.  A  local  paper  records  the  beauty  of  the  scene  when  little 
Eva  "was  transported  to  Heaven  in  a  tissue  paper  elevator"  in  the  first 
performance  in  Portland  of  Uncle  Tom's  Cabin.  Joe  Proctor  in  the  role  of 
Jibbenainosy  in  the  Nick  of  the  Woods  was  long  a  favorite.  The  fore- 
runners of  minstrelsy,  Jim  Crow  and  Long  Tail  Blue,  gave  eccentric  dances 
and  sang  their  popular  song: 

I  am  a  Boston  nigger 
I'd  have  you  all  to  know 
That  I  came  down  to  Portland 
To  jump  Jim  Crow. 

This  second  theater  burned  in  1854  and  was  never  rebuilt.  Until  the  late 
1870's  spasmodic  efforts  were  made  to  maintain  stock  in  Lancaster  Hall  and 
in  the  old  Deering  Hall;  on  the  Deering  stage  such  actors  as  Lawrence  Bar- 
rett, E.  L.  Davenport,  Lily  Langtry,  Dion  Boucicoult,  Thomas  Keene, 
Jefferson  Lee,  and  Charlotte  Thompson  were  presented  in  a  wide  repertory 
of  plays.  Sothern,  Marlowe,  and  Robert  Mantel  performed  there  in 


Theater  201 

Shakespearean  plays;  there,  too,  John  Wilkes  Booth,  who  later  assassinated 
Lincoln,  impressed  Portland  theatergoers  with  his  acting  in  Richelieu, 
Othello,  Hamlet,  and  especially  the  Corsican  Brothers  in  which  he  "wielded 
a  stiletto  with  murderous  effects."  Booth,  then  a  young  man,  was  regarded 
locally  as  rather  irresponsible;  a  newspaper  editorial  of  that  time,  after 
Booth  had  neglected  to  pay  his  advertising  bills,  stated:  "We  do  not  propose 
to  discuss  his  merits  as  an  actor,  but  our  experiences  with  him  shows  that  he 
lacks  the  requisites  of  a  gentleman." 

About  1870  a  decided  public  taste  for  opera  caused  the  management  of 
Deering  Hall  to  change  its  name  to  Ward's  Opera  House;  it  featured 
Wally  Ward  and  His  Varieties  as  its  opening  program.  The  success  of 
Ward's  soon  led  to  the  conversion  of  old  Fluent  Hall,  which  formerly  stood 
at  the  corner  of  Congress  and  Exchange  streets,  into  the  Portland  Museum 
and  Opera  House,  with  a  seating  capacity  of  800.  Elaborate  ceremonies 
attended  its  opening  performance  of  The  Bohemian  Girl,  and  significant, 
perhaps,  of  the  changing  trend,  was  the  blessing  given  the  new  show  house 
by  a  local  clergyman.  The  early  programs  of  the  museum  were  devoted  to 
opera,  but  this  proved  none  too  popular  in  Portland,  and  so  presentations 
were  changed  almost  overnight  to  legitimate  drama;  the  name  'Opera,' 
also,  was  dropped  from  all  advertising.  Lack  of  financial  support  and  grow- 
ing competition  of  visiting  companies  from  Boston  forced  the  museum  to 
close  after  a  few  years  of  operation.  Later  it  was  reopened  as  Fanny  Marsh's 
Theatre,  with  a  company  directed  by  the  popular  actress  of  that  name,  but 
in  1880  its  curtain  was  lowered  for  the  last  time. 

During  this  period  the  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  comic  opera  era  was  sweep- 
ing the  country;  Portland,  like  other  sections,  was  so  surfeited  with  the 
frequent  presentations  of  H.M.S.  Pinafore  that  the  clergy  declared  it  was 
replacing  piety.  A  famous  tragedian,  playing  an  engagement  in  Portland,  is 
said  to  have  complained  that  he  could  seldom  say  "Never!"  on  the  Portland 
stage,  without  the  audience  tittering  the  response,  "Well,  Hardly  Ever." 

Portland's  new  City  Hall,  rebuilt  shortly  after  the  'Great  Fire'  of  1866, 
celebrated  its  opening  with  Brignoli's  Italian  Opera  Company  presenting 
//  Trovatore,  Martha,  and  Ernani;  the  building,  however,  was  not  especially 
equipped  for  dramatic  purposes,  and  subsequent  years  saw  only  elaborate 
stage  spectacles,  lectures,  and  concerts  presented  in  its  auditorium.  A  de- 
scriptive picture  of  Portland's  theater  interest  in  the  1870's  appears  in  the 
diary  of  the  celebrated  John  Neal,  local  author  and  editor:  "What  a  won- 
derful change.  Not  long  ago  a  theatre  seemed  to  be  out  of  the  question. 


202 Portland  City  Guide 

But  just  now  such  is  the  rage  for  theatricals  that  we  have  not  only  amateur 
clubs,  dramatic  associations  and  itinerant  companies  but  not  less  than  two 
theatrical  companies  with  two  regularly  organized  theatres." 

During  the  late  1870's  the  famous  Black  Crook  show  appeared  in  Port- 
land, creating  a  sensation.  It  was  the  first  performance  of  its  kind  in  the 
city  and  featured  the  diphanously  clad  feminine  form.  Portland  patres- 
familias  discreetly  judged  that  the  show  was  hardly  a  proper  and  fitting 
performance  for  their  wives  and  daughters  to  witness,  but  their  decision  did 
not  halt  the  brisk  seat  sale. 

Financially,  very  few  theatrical  companies  were  successful  in  Portland 
during  this  period;  only  when  actors  of  brilliant  reputation  were  featured 
did  playhouse  receipts  become  profitable.  There  were  sporadic  flashes  of 
promise,  crowded  houses  for  a  brief  period,  and  occasional  brilliant  per- 
formances, but  financial  stress,  assisted  too  often  by  bad  management  and 
the  general  apathy  of  the  public,  marked  the  futile  struggle  for  survival  of 
the  theater  in  Portland.  During  the  latter  part  of  the  19th  century  im- 
passioned newspaper  pleadings  for  support,  and  frequent  announcements  of 
"This  theatre  will  only  remain  open  a  few  nights  longer,"  or  "Cannot  the 
Portland  public  do  something  to  evince  the  approbation  of  the  unparalleled 
exertions  that  have  been  made  to  please  the  refined  taste  of  the  patrons  of 
the  Drama?"  were  made,  without  avail.  The  frequent  slim  audiences  com- 
pelled managers  to  resort  to  all  kinds  of  expedients  to  sell  seats;  one  enter- 
prising theater  of  the  late  70's  announced  "special  perfumed  matinees" 
when  patrons  were  sprinkled  with  fragrant  water  as  they  entered  the 
theater.  The  public  refused,  however,  to  respond  to  exotic  odors,  and  the 
lack  of  support  caused  many  shows  to  close,  and  playhouses  to  change  man- 
agerships. 

Attempts  were  made  by  managers  to  increase  their  revenue  by  raising  the 
tariff  for  special  attractions;  at  the  first  appearance  in  the  city  of  Mary 
Anderson,  the  local  press  lamented  that  prices  had  been  "hiked":  "To 
charge  more  than  is  customary  is  simply  absurd  since  she — as  far  as  we 
know —  is  no  better  than  any  other  actress  we  have  seen.  As  far  as  beauty 
is  concerned — well  that  is  not  what  Portland  theatergoers  put  out  their 
money  for;  since  we  have  plenty  at  home." 

Perhaps  Bartley  McCullum,  who  managed  the  Peak's  Island  Pavilion  in 
1889  and  launched  what  later  became  a  very  successful  stock  company,  came 
the  nearest  to  local  theatrical  success.  For  the  first  two  years  McCullum 
dabbled  in  productions  with  an  amateur  local  cast,  but  in  1891  he  began  to 


Theater  203 

draw  on  some  of  the  best  professional  talent  available  in  New  York,  and 
his  troupe  soon  acquired  the  sumptuous  title  of  McCullum's  New  York 
Comedy  Company.  McCullum  was  the  pioneer  of  summer  stock  in  this 
vicinity,  and,  inspired  by  his  success  at  Peak  Island  and  later  at  the  Cape 
Theatre,  other  stock  companies  sprang  up.  The  Gem  Theater,  also  on 
Peak  Island,  had  a  group  under  the  management  of  Charles  W.  T.  Coding, 
and  in  Congress  Hall,  afterwards  known  as  the  Gayety,  a  company  was 
meeting  with  some  success;  vaudeville  was  featured  in  the  Riverton  Park 
Theatre  and  at  Underwood  Springs,  on  the  Falmouth  Road. 

Vaudeville  made  its  most  auspicious  bid  for  favor  with  the  opening  of 
the  new  and  elaborate  Keith's  Theatre  in  1908,  but  the  next  year  it  was  re- 
placed with  a  summer  stock  company  under  the  direction  of  Bartley  Mc- 
Cullum. The  Keith  Stock  Company  soon  established  itself  as  a  favorite 
among  Portland  institutions  and  for  three  seasons  presented  Broadway  hits; 
the  versatile  company  was  headed  by  Sidney  Toler  and  Marie  Pavey,  and 
later  by  such  well-known  stars  as  Edward  Everett  Horton,  Leah  Winslow, 
and  Blanche  Frederici. 

Portland's  theatrical  history  reached  its  peak  of  excellence  with  the  open- 
ing of  the  Jeiferson  Theatre  in  1897.  For  several  years  there  had  been  a 
growing  consciousness  of  the  need  for  an  adequate  building  in  which  to 
present  plays  of  a  complicated  nature  employing  elaborate  mechanical  ef- 
fects. The  'Old  Jeff,'  as  the  theater  even  today  is  affectionately  referred  to, 
was  sponsored  by  a  group  of  local  business  men  and  interested  playgoers 
who  promoted  a  company  for  the  purpose  of  selling  stock  in  the  enterprise. 
After  a  long  and  arduous  campaign  they  succeeded  in  raising  $150,000,  and 
the  theater  was  constructed  at  the  corner  of  Oak  and  Free  streets  on  a  site 
that  had  once  been  a  convent.  'Old  Jeff's'  opening  night  was  one  of  Port- 
land's brilliant  social  events;  a  distinguished  audience  and  elaborate  cere- 
monies attended  the  prelude  to  its  first  play,  Half  A  King,  with  Francis 
Wilson  in  the  leading  role.  Managed  by  M.  J.  Garrity,  the  complete  list 
of  plays  in  this  house  and  the  famous  actors  and  actresses  are  a  roster  of  the 
American  theater.  Sarah  Bernhardt  appeared  in  Camille',  Richard  Mans- 
field in  Henry  V;  Sir  Henry  Irving  in  the  Bells  and  in  Waterloo;  Sothern 
and  Marlowe  in  Romeo  and  Juliet;  and  Maude  Adams  in  Peter  Pan  and  in 
What  Every  Woman  Knows.  Others  included  Ethel  Barrymore,  Nazimova, 
Billie  Burke,  Nance  O'Neil,  Mrs.  Fiske,  Elsie  Janis,  Blanche  Ring,  George 
Arliss,  William  Gillette,  Otis  Skinner,  and  DeWolf  Hopper.  Joseph  Jef- 


204 Portland  City  Guide 

ferson,  an  honor  guest  on  the  opening  night,  later  appeared  in  Rip  Van 
Winkle  and  Bob  Acres. 

During  Fanny  Davenport's  last  engagement  at  the  Jefferson,  a  cheval 
mirror  was  broken  in  her  dressing  room.  The  incident  greatly  disturbed  the 
actress,  and,  as  she  was  extremely  superstitious,  it  is  generally  believed  that 
worry  was  a  contributory  cause  of  her  death  several  months  later. 

From  1924  until  1929  the  Jefferson  players  featured  stock  with  such  pop- 
ular leading  players  as  Lyle  Talbot,  Russell  Hicks,  Barbara  Weeks,  Billy 
Evarts,  Robert  Gleckler,  and  Grace  Carlyle;  the  two  latter  were  so  well 
liked  Portland  streets  were  named  after  them. 

A  brave,  but  brief  attempt  was  made  in  1922  to  launch  a  little  theater  in 
the  city  when  Arthur  Maitland  and  his  players  converted  the  High  Street 
Congregational  Church  into  a  theater;  this  little  theater  lasted  only  one  or 
two  seasons. 

The  advent  of  the  Jefferson  Theatre  also  ushered  in  an  era  of  rapidly 
changing  tastes.  Portland  playgoing,  in  common  with  other  parts  of  the 
country,  was  being  affected  by  the  gradual  decline  of  interest  in  legitimate 
drama,  chiefly  caused  by  the  rapid  strides  of  the  motion  pictures  and  the 
coming  of  the  automobile.  'Old  Jeff/  with  more  than  a  quarter-century  of 
glorious  theatrical  history,  was  finally  closed  in  1933. 

In  recent  years  there  has  been  a  healthy  revival  of  dramatics.  The  best 
traditions  of  the  theater  are  being  carried  on  by  local  amateur  groups: 
the  Portland  Players,  under  the  direction  of  Albert  Willard  Smith,  now  in 
its  sixth  year;  the  Center  Workshop,  a  Jewish  organization;  the  Children's 
Theater,  an  activity  of  the  Portland  Junior  League;  and  high  school  drama- 
tic associations  are  extremely  active.  In  1939  the  city  had  no  legitimate 
theater;  within  relatively  short  distances  of  the  city,  however,  are  several 
summer  playhouses  which,  in  common  with  little  theaters  throughout  the 
country,  seem  to  be  stimulating  an  ever-growing  interest  in  a  return  of  ac- 
tive dramatic  enterprise. 

Motion  pictures  started  in  Portland  in  1908  when  James  W.  Greeley 
converted  a  tunnel-shaped  wooden  building,  formerly  at  the  corner  of  Oak 
and  Congress  streets,  into  the  Dreamland.  At  first  only  short  reels  of 
about  20  minutes  duration  were  featured,  but  the  experimental  showing  of 
the  five-reel  The  Fall  of  Troy  proved  exceptionally  successful  and  laid  the 
foundation  for  the  double-feature  bill  of  today's  cinemas. 

The  Federal  Theater  Project,  once  a  unit  of  the  relief  program  of  the 
Works  Progress  Administration,  was  sponsored  in  Portland  in  December, 


Theater  205 

1935.  Under  the  directorship  of  Albert  L.  Hickey,  onetime  favorite  star 
with  the  Jefferson  Theater,  the  project  carried  on  an  intensive  and  extensive 
program.  In  addition  to  traveling  vaudeville  units,  the  project  presented  the 
C  C  C  Murder  Mystery,  by  Grace  Heywood,  and  Sure  Fire,  by  Rolfe 
Murphy.  The  puppeteers  of  the  project  stimulated  children's  interest  in  the 
theater  by  presenting  playlets  in  municipal  playgrounds,  Katcha  and  the 
Devil  being  the  most  popular. 


RADIO 

Twenty-four  years  after  Guglielmo  Marconi  stood  on  a  bleak  Newfound- 
land hillside  listening  through  crude  earphones  to  the  first  transatlantic 
communication  by  radio  from  Poldhu,  England,  Portland  pioneered  in 
radio  with  the  State's  first  commercial  broadcasting  unit,  Station  WCSH. 
Founded  in  June,  1925,  and  placed  in  operation  a  month  later  with  an 
elaborate  program  on  which  Governor  Ralph  O.  Brewster  spoke  on  con- 
temporary Maine,  this  station  was  early  affiliated  with  the  WEAF  Chain, 
a  network  then  operated  by  the  American  Telephone  and  Telegraph  Com- 
pany. Upon  re-organization  of  the  National  Broadcasting  Company  late 
in  1927  Station  WCSH  became  a  basic  member  of  the  Red  Network. 

The  first  transmittal  equipment  of  WCSH,  a  500  watt  unit,  was  used 
from  the  initial  program  until  1929  when  the  sending  station  was  removed 
from  its  downtown  location  to  Scarborough;  although  a  5000  watt  trans- 
mitter was  installed  in  the  new  location,  the  station  was  licensed  for  only 
1000  watts.  Later  its  strength  was  increased  to  2500  watts.  The  station's 
first  transmitter  is  now  placed  on  permanent  display  at  the  New  York 
offices  of  the  National  Broadcasting  Company. 

Early  in  1927  application  for  Portland's  second  broadcasting  unit,  Sta- 
tion WGAN,  was  first  made  to  the  Federal  Communications  Commission. 
There  was  much  delay  in  granting  the  application,  because  for  years  other 
stations  had  sought  to  break  into  and  to  modify  the  clear  channel  principle, 
which  in  the  case  of  WGAN  involved  KFI,  the  powerful  California  sta- 
tion. Of  the  13  applications,  including  the  local  station,  submitted  to  the 
Federal  Communications  Commission,  all  were  denied  except  that  of  the 
State  College  at  Ames,  Iowa,  and  Station  WGAN  which  were  granted  use 
of  the  640  kilocycle.  Denial  of  the  other  applicants  was  regarded  by  the 


Radio  207 

Commission  as  maintaining  the  clear  channel  principle,  since  the  Portland 
station  had  requested  and  was  granted  limited  time  on  the  air  on  640  kilo- 
cycles, to  operate  until  sunset  at  Los  Angeles.  Later  WHKC  in  Columbus, 
Ohio,  was  granted  use  of  the  same  kilocycles.  Following  the  dedicatory  pro- 
gram, on  which  many  State  and  City  of  Portland  officials  took  part,  WGAN 
began  regular  broadcasting  on  August  28,  1938.  The  first  pickup  at  Old 
Orchard  Beach  a  few  days  later  covered  the  first  annual  State  marathon. 

WCSH,  with  studios  on  seventh  floor  of  the  Congress  Square  Hotel, 
579  Congress  Street  (open  during  broadcasting  hours;  free) ,  broadcasts  on 
a  frequency  of  940  kilocycles  with  a  power  of  2500  watts  during  the  day  and 
1000  watts  during  the  night.  The  station  is  owned  by  the  Congress  Square 
Hotel  Company,  and  has  transmitting  facilities  in  Scarborough,  5.5  miles 
from  Portland.  In  addition  to  local  programs,  those  of  the  Yankee  Net- 
work, the  Maine  Broadcasting  System,  and  National  Broadcasting  Com- 
pany's Red  Network  are  presented.  Hours  of  transmission  are  from  7:00 
a.m.  until  12:00  midnight. 

WGAN,  with  studios  on  second  floor  of  the  Columbia  Hotel,  645A  Con- 
gress Street  (open  during  broadcasting  hours;  free),  broadcasts  on  a  fre- 
quency of  640  kilocycles  with  a  power  of  500  watts.  The  station  is  owned 
by  the  Portland  Broadcasting  System  of  the  Gannett  Publishing  Company 
and  its  transmitting  facilities  are  located  near  Riverton,  5  miles  north  of 
the  metropolitan  district.  In  addition  to  local  programs,  those  of  the  Colum- 
bia Broadcasting  System  are  presented.  Hours  of  transmission  are  from 
6:00  a.m.  until  approximately  three  hours  after  local  sunset. 

Portland's  Police  Department  inaugurated  police  radio  transmission  in  the 
State  of  Maine  with  the  installation  of  WPFU  in  1933.  Operating  by  au- 
thority of  the  Federal  Radio  Commission  on  a  carrier  frequency  of  2422 
kilocycles,  the  local  police  transmission  gives  instant  communication  to 
police  cruising  cars.  The  police  district  is  so  divided  that  cruiser  cars  can 
cover  the  entire  area  in  30  minutes,  or  speed  from  end  to  end  of  the  area  in 
approximately  five  minutes. 

Amateur  radio  has  made  great  progress  in  Portland  during  the  past  25 
years.  The  pioneers  of  the  early  1900's  who  trudged  over  to  'Two  Lights,' 
a  lighthouse  and  coast  guard  station  on  Cape  Elizabeth,  and  badgered  the 
radio  operator  at  the  government  station  for  ideas  on  constructing  their 
homemade  sets,  were  the  forbears  of  the  present  group  of  more  than  70 
"hams."  Their  jargon  is  a  foreign  language  to  the  average  citizen,  but 


208  Portland  City  Guide 

"CW,"  "DX,"  "traffic  men,"  and  "rag-chewers"  are  common  expressions 
among  themselves.  "CW"s  are  those  versed  in  code  who  operate  on  all 
"ham"  bands.  The  "DX"  group  are  interested  in  reaching  distant  points, 
and  "traffic  men"  handle  the  relay  messages — a  form  of  telegraph  service 
practiced  among  amateurs.  The  80  meter  band  is  popular  for  this  line  of 
work  for  it  is  filled  with  net  stations,  veritable  trunk  lines  cobwebbing  the 
country.  The  "rag-chewers"  are  those  who  like  conversation,  sending  out 
their  "CQ"  to  any  station,  and  signing  off  with  the  well-known  "73," 
which  means  "best  regards."  The  "Fone  men"  operate  in  160,  75,  20,  and 
10  meter  bands.  The  shorter  wave  length  used,  the  greater  are  the  possi- 
bilities for  coverage  of  long  distances  until  the  theoretical  limit  of  amount 
7  meters  is  reached;  below  this  wave  length  many  experimenters  are  con- 
stantly testing  methods  of  improving  communication.  Portland  "hams" 
have  successfully  used  the  5  meter  band  in  broadcasting  the  local  soap  box 
derbies. 

Hanging  in  the  homes  of  several  Portland  amateurs  are  treasured  WAS 
certificates  issued  by  the  American  Radio  Relay  League  to  signify  that  all 
States  have  been  successfully  contacted.  Also  issued  by  the  League  is  the 
W  A  C  certificate  for  successfully  contacting  all  continents.  Aside  from 
the  hobby  side  of  "ham"  transmission,  Portland's  amateurs  have  been  in- 
valuable during  emergencies,  as  for  example  during  the  1938  hurricane 
when  much  of  New  England  was  swept  by  destructive  gales.  In  addition 
to  more  than  half-a-hundred  private  amateur  stations  located  in  the  city, 
there  are  four  amateur  U.  S.  Army  stations,  affiliated  with  the  signal  corps, 
which  are  on  the  air  nearly  every  morning  from  7:00  until  9:00  in  regular 
drill  practice  for  speed  and  accuracy  of  transmission.  Station  W1FCE, 
operating  from  Portland  Junior  Technical  College  on  Plum  Street,  has  one 
of  the  most  powerful  amateur  radio  transmitters  in  New  England.  Its 
license  permits  the  station  to  broadcast  programs  for  experimental  purposes. 

The  Portland  Amateur  Wireless  Association,  Inc.,  maintains  its  own  sta- 
tion W1KVI  at  its  clubhouse  on  Ocean  Avenue;  weekly  meetings  are  held 
for  discussion  of  technical  problems.  This  association  welcomes  visitors  at 
any  of  its  meetings. 


Part  III 
Sectional  Descriptions 


Portland  City  Hall 


Federal  Courthouse 


Cumberland  County  Courthouse 


Old  Post  Office  Building 


New  Post  Office  Building 


City  Home 


Maine  General  Hospital 


Shops  and  Storehouse  of  Portland  Water  District 


City  Greenhouses 


City  Hall  Entrance 


Heart  of  the  City 


Cumberland  County  Courthouse  (1816-58)  City  Hall  (1859-66) 

Portland  Town  Hall  (1825-80) 
City  Hall  (1868-1908)  City  Hall  (1912-) 


DOWNTOWN  SECTION 


Roughly  extending  from  State  Street  to  India  Street  and  from  the  water 
front  to  Back  Cove,  this  section  includes  most  of  the  metropolitan  district 
of  the  city.  From  east  to  west  along  the  saddle-shaped  contour  of  the  pen- 
insula on  which  Portland  sprawls  runs  Congress  Street,  the  principal 
thoroughfare,  on  which  is  the  main  retail  shopping,  commercial,  and  theat- 
rical center.  Spreading  fanlike  from  Congress  Street  toward  the  bay  is  the 
wholesale  and  warehouse  section  which  ends  on  broad  Commercial  Street 
and  the  wharves  of  Portland's  water  front.  Northward  from  the  principal 
street  is  a  middle-class  residential  area,  which  ends  abruptly  in  an  industrial 
section  along  Back  Cove,  the  western  part  of  which  approaches  the  slope 
of  Bramhall  Hill,  while  the  eastern  part  ends  on  the  lower  slope  of  Mun- 
joy  Hill. 

This  is  the  historic  and  commercial  center  of  Portland  that  witnessed 
the  building  of  the  first  houses,  the  first  church,  courthouse,  and  school- 
house;  that  gazed  in  awe  at  the  first  lions  exhibited  in  the  District  of 
Maine,  and  thrilled  to  the  first  performance  of  traveling  actors;  that 
cheered  its  many  patriotic  parades  and  stood,  in  respectful  silence  as  funeral 
corteges  wound  their  way  to  Eastern  Cemetery  on  Munjoy  Hill.  Many 
famous  sons  and  daughters  of  Portland  were  born  in  this  section,  and  here 
were  the  homes  of  the  elite  where  the  great  and  the  near-great  were  en- 
tertained. 

As  late  as  the  middle  of  the  18th  century  a  swamp  with  alders  and 
whortleberries  covered  the  area  between  Congress,  then  Back  Street,  and 
Middle  Street,  and  extended  from  Franklin  Street,  once  known  as  Fiddle 
Lane,  to  Temple  Street.  The  pond  at  Federal  and  Court  streets  was  spanned 
by  three  bridges  before  it  emptied  into  Fore  River.  All  of  these  have  dis- 
appeared. The  swamps  have  been  filled,  and  20th  century  architecture  now 
rises  in  an  area  that  was  three  times  demolished:  by  the  French  and  Indians 
in  1690,  by  Mowat  in  1775,  and  by  the  'Great  Fire'  of  1866. 

Also  in  this  section  is  Gorhams  Corner,  characterized  by  Edward  Elwell 
in  Boys  of  '35  as  "an  unsavory  locality  of  the  town,  in  bad  repute  because 
of  the  turbulent  character  of  its  inhabitants,  the  center  of  sailor  boarding 
houses,  the  scene  of  street  brawls  and  drunken  rows."  This  corner  had 
many  a  kitchen  barroom  where  beer  and  ale  could  be  purchased  for  five  and 


212 


Portland  City  Guide 


Downtown  Section 


213 


214  Portland  City  Guide 

ten  cents  a  pail  and  carried  out  for  consumption.  On  the  curbstone  on  the 
corner  of  Center  and  Fore  streets  boys  and  girls  congregated  evenings  and 
sang  popular  songs  and  ditties  of  which  'Sweet  Magnolia'  was  the  favorite. 
Gorhams  Corner  no  longer  exhibits  such  exuberance. 

State  Street  was  not  laid  out  until  1800,  when  men  with  newly  acquired 
wealth  built  their  "mansions."  In  this  neighborhood  are  preserved  the  best 
architectural  examples  in  the  city. 

1.  Soldiers  and  Sailors  Memorial,  Monument  Square.  Standing  near  the 
center  of  the  city's  business  district,  this  memorial  commemorates  the  5,000 
Portland  soldiers  and  sailors  who  served  in  the  Civil  War.  It  was  dedicated 
on  October  28,  1891,  eighteen  years  after  the  plan  for  its  erection  had  been 
formulated  by  a  Portland  group.  Both  the  huge  bronze  figure  atop  the  high 
granite  base  and  the  bronze  soldier  and  sailor  groups  are  the  work  of 
Franklin  Simmons  (see  Arts  and  Crafts) ,  a  native  of  the  State,  who  sculp- 
tured this  work  in  Rome,  Italy.  Unusual  in  design  and  exceptionally  large 
for  a  memorial  of  this  type,  the  heroic  figure  symbolizing  Union  holds  in 
its  right  hand  a  sword  wrapped  in  a  flag,  and  in  its  left  hand  a  branch  of 
maple  leaves,  while  on  the  left  arm  hangs  a  shield.  The  granite  base  was  de- 
signed by  Richard  M.  Hunt,  distinguished  New  York  architect  of  many 
well-known  memorials. 

Historic  associations  cling  to  the  circular  plot  on  which  the  Soldiers  and 
Sailors  Memorial  stands.  Here,  as  late  as  1746,  stood  the  fortified  block- 
house in  which  early  residents  of  'The  Neck'  took  refuge  during  surprise 
Indian  attacks;  six  years  later,  however,  it  became  a  jail.  By  1769  the  old 
fortification  had  been  dismantled  and  a  new  jail  building  erected  on  the 
site.  Beside  it  the  town  fathers  installed  their  newly  purchased  hay  scales, 
and  the  surrounding  area  became  known  as  Haymarket  Square.  In  the 
years  following  the  incorporation  of  the  Town  of  Portland,  residents  be- 
came civic-conscious  and  in  1825  erected  the  first  town  house  known  as  Mili- 
tary Hall.  A  lingering  Puritan  primness  was  evident  in  the  plain,  wooden 
edifice;  there  was  little  attempt  at  ornamentation  except  for  a  cupola  on 
the  western  end  of  the  trussed  roof.  Market  stalls  covered  the  ground  floor 
and  here  were  hawked  the  agricultural  and  animal  products  of  the  farmers 
who  arrived  at  daybreak  to  sell  their  wares.  By  1832,  following  the  town's 
incorporation  as  a  municipality  and  its  rise  in  status  as  capital  of  the  newly 
born  State  of  Maine,  local  pride  began  to  look  askance  at  the  peddling  of 
vegetables,  eggs,  fowl,  meat,  and  fish  in  the  basement  of  the  building  that 
occupied  the  center  of  the  most  important  square  in  the  city.  Charles  Q. 
Clapp  was  accordingly  commissioned  to  remodel  the  exterior;  the  cupola 


Downtown  Section  215 

was  removed,  and  the  principal  fagade  was  given  a  classic  portico  with 
four  fluted  Ionic  columns. 

After  its  architectural  transformation  Military  Hall  assumed  a  fresh  place 
in  the  cultural  and  social  life  of  Portland.  Its  walls  echoed  to  the  anti- 
slavery  speeches  of  William  Lloyd  Garrison  and  witnessed  a  pro-slavery 
mob's  attempt  to  tar  and  feather  Stephen  S.  Foster.  During  the  mayoralty 
of  Neal  Dow  an  anti-prohibition  mob  tried  to  take  possession  of  the  con- 
fiscated liquor  stored  in  the  basement  of  Military  Hall,  and  a  bystander, 
John  Robbins,  was  shot.  Within  its  walls  were  heard  the  eloquent  pleadings 
of  Fessenden  and  Sumner,  during  the  years  when  old  political  parties  were 
being  disrupted  and  new  parties  formed. 

Shortly  after  the  Civil  War  a  movement  was  started  to  honor  the  soldiers 
and  sailors  who  had  served  in  the  conflict,  but  no  definite  plans  were  for- 
warded; in  1873  an  association  was  formed  to  solicit  funds  for  the  erection 
of  a  suitable  memorial.  Fourteen  years  later  a  popular  vote  selected  the 
site  of  Military  Hall  as  the  location  of  the  memorial,  which  was  erected  in 
1888,  and  Hay  market  Square  was  renamed  Monument  Square. 

2.  The  old  United  States  Hotel,  now  the  business  home  of  Edwards  & 
Walker,  5  Monument  Square,  was  Portland's  first  large  inn.    Originally 
built  for  Dr.  Nathaniel  Coffin  in  1803,  the  three-story  building  was  en- 
larged and  converted  into  the  Washington  Hotel,  with  Timothy  Boston 
proprietor.    In  1840  a  fourth  story  was  added,  and  it  was  renamed  the 
United  States  Hotel.   Facing  the  town's  principal  square  in  the  center  of 
which  stood  Military  Hall,  the  hotel  soon  became  the  rendezvous  of  Port- 
land's gay  blades.   Older  Portlanders  remember  the  lively  scenes  and  ela- 
borate dinners  that  made  this  hostelry  famous.   In  the  latter  part  of  the 
19th  century,  after  the  town  had  become  a  city  and  thriving  commerce  had 
driven  the  quiet  charm  from  its  immediate  neighborhood,  the  United  States 
Hotel  closed  its  doors  and  its  quarters  were  taken  by  the  present  business 
firm. 

3.  Site  of  Mars  ton's  Tavern,  7  and  9  Monument  Square.    This  famous 
old  inn  had  an  especial  connection  with  Captain  Henry  Mowat's  bombard- 
ment of  the  town  in  1775.  To  it  Mowat  was  brought  after  the  town  fathers 
had  prevailed  upon  Colonel  Samuel  Thompson  to  parole  the  British  Naval 
officer  whom  he  had  captured  during  the  exciting  days  following  the  out- 
break of  the  Revolution  at  Lexington  and  Concord  (see  History) .   After 
long  years  as  an  inn,  in  1834  the  tavern  was  moved  from  its  Haymarket 
Square  (Monument  Square)  location  to  State  Street  and  converted  into  a 
tenement;  later  it  was  dismantled. 


216  Portland  City  Guide 

4.  Site  of  Portland  Museum,  SW  side  of  Monument  Square,  now  occupied 
by  the  firm  of  Loring,  Short  &  Harmon.   In  1806  when  a  group  of  eight 
four-story  buildings  along  the  southwestern  side  of  Haymarket  Square  (now 
Monument  Square)    known  as  Haymarket  Row  was  erected,  Portland 
emerged  from  an  adolescent  town  into  a  full-grown  if  small  metropolis. 
Indicative  of  the  city's  expansion  and  the  accompanying  new  cultural  move- 
ment was  the  opening  in  1823  of  the  so-called  Portland  Museum,  occupy- 
ing the  third  and  fourth  floors  of  four  of  the  new  buildings  in  Haymarket 
Row.  Although  never  a  theater,  a  place  and  form  of  entertainment  which 
was  still  locally  frowned  upon  by  Puritanical  folk,  the  Museum  did  bring  to 
Portland  a  new  type  of  amusement.  Exhibiting  mounted  birds,  stuffed  ani- 
mals, waxworks,  and  freaks,  the  Museum  also  had  a  small  showing  of  art  — 
panoramas  of  strange  lands,  bizarre  and  colorful  paintings  of  battlefields 
and  Indian  scenes,  and,  most  important,  a  few  pictures  of  some  artistic 
merit.  Thus,  to  the  old  Portland  Museum  goes  credit  for  first  bringing  to 
the  man  of  the  street  in  Portland  a  glimpse  of  objects  of  art  hitherto  con- 
fined to  private  homes.  Later  Haymarket  Row  was  replaced  by  other  build- 
ings, among  them  the  Lancaster  Building  in  which  was  located  one  of  the 
city's  first  theaters  (see  Theater) . 

5.  WadsTVorth-Longfellow   House    (1785-86)     (open   week   days  9:30-5: 
June  1  -  Sept.  15:  admission  25c)    487  Congress  St.    This  dignified  old 
dwelling,  seemingly  out  of  place  on  Portland's  busiest  street,  was  the  child- 
hood home  of  Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow.    Built  by  General  Peleg 
Wadsworth,  the  poet's  grandfather,  it  was  the  first  brick  house  in  the  city. 
Originally  a  two-story  structure  constructed  of  bricks  brought  from  Phila- 
delphia, the  gable  roof  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1815;  in  rebuilding,  the 
present  third  story  and  hip  roof  were  added.   Set  back  from  the  street  be- 
hind a  high  iron  fence,  its  severe  plainness  is  relieved  only  by  the  Doric 
portico  forming  the  front  entrance.   Open  to  the  public,  the  16  rooms  are 
filled  with  documents,  manuscripts,  portraits,  costumes,  household  utensils, 
and  furniture  used  by  the  Wadsworth  and  Longfellow  families,  items  per- 
taining to  early  Portland  history,  and  many  of  the  poet's  personal  belong- 
ings. At  the  rear  of  the  house  is  a  pleasant  shaded  garden  with  quiet  walks. 

The  first-floor  living  room  was  once  used  as  a  law  office  by  Stephen  Long- 
fellow, father  of  the  poet,  and  in  this  room  Henry  and  his  brother  Stephen, 
George  W.  Pierce,  William  Pitt  Fessenden,  and  others  studied  law.  The 
desk  in  the  dining  room,  or  den,  was  used  by  the  poet  in  writing  many  of  his 
poems,  among  them  a  part  of  'Hyperion/  and  'The  Rainy  Day*  in  which 
mention  is  made  of  the  vine  that  still  sways  in  the  breeze  outside  the  window. 


Downtown  Section  217 

The  "Bard  of  Portland,"  Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow  (see  Literature) , 
was  born  at  the  Fore  Street  home  of  his  aunt  February  27,  1807,  but  lived 
in  the  Congress  Street  house  until  he  was  14.  At  the  age  of  three  Long- 
fellow, still  in  dresses  and  accompanied  by  a  negro  servant,  was  taken  to 
school  on  horseback.  He  entered  Bowdoin  College  in  1821  and  a  few 
years  after  his  graduation  became  the  college's  first  professor  of  modern 
languages.  In  1835  he  joined  the  faculty  of  Harvard  University,  and  from 
that  time  until  his  death  his  home  was  at  Cambridge,  Massachusetts. 

At  the  rear  of  the  Wadsworth-Longfellow  House  and  entered  through  an 
arched  gate,  is  the  Maine  Historical  Society  (open  week  days  9:30-5;  Wed. 
9:30-12;  adm.  free).  This  square,  undistinguished,  brick  building,  erected 
in  1908  from  designs  by  Alexander  Longfellow,  nephew  of  the  poet,  is  the 
home  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society  founded  in  1822,  and  contains  a 
valuable  historical  and  genealogical  library  for  the  use  of  society  mem- 
bers (library  privileges  on  request).  Included  in  the  more  than  30,000 
volumes  are  many  interesting  and  valuable  collections,  one  of  which  is  a 
series  of  manuscripts  with  well  over  2,000  items  pertaining  to  Maine  his- 
tory. The  more  important  are  the  Baxter  Papers,  Pejepscot  Papers,  Kenne- 
bec  Purchase,  King  and  Knox  Papers,  and  the  Northeastern  Boundary 
Papers.  Of  interest  to  students  are  the  General  Knox  Collection,  Willis 
Papers,  F.  O.  J.  Smith  Papers,  including  Correspondence  with  Samuel  F. 
B.  Morse,  and  U.  S.  Marshall  Thomas  G.  Thornton's  Papers.  One  of  the 
society's  valuable  possessions  is  the  Dr.  John  S.  Fogg  Autograph  Collection. 

There  are  also  marked  exhibits  on  Maine  history,  local  history,  and  archeol- 
ogy. The  John  W.  Penny  Collection  of  Indian  Relics,  dating  from  the  be- 
ginning of  the  18th  century,  were  the  property  of  Father  Sebastian  Rale, 
early  Maine  missionary  priest.  In  addition,  there  are  displays  of  military 
equipment  of  the  Revolutionary  and  Civil  Wars,  as  well  as  documentary 
facsimiles,  ship  models,  silverware,  glassware,  textiles,  watches,  clocks,  lamps 
and  lanterns  of  earlier  days,  and  oil  paintings.  Among  the  statuary  ex- 
hibits is  a  marble  bust  of  Longfellow,  a  replica  of  that  in  Westminster 
Abbey. 

Longfellow  Garden  (open  upon  request),  entered  either  from  the  Wads- 
worth-Longfellow  House  or  near  the  entrance  to  the  Maine  Historical  So- 
ciety, is  much  the  same  as  when  the  poet  lived  in  Portland.  The  Long- 
fellow Garden  Society  supervises  and  maintains  the  garden,  in  which  old- 
fashioned  flowers  and  shrubs  flourish  beneath  gnarled  trees.  The  old, 
wooden  garden  bench  was  once  a  pew  in  the  First  Parish  Church,  where 
Longfellow  attended  services. 


218  Portland  City  Guide 

6.  The  Chapman  Building,  477  Congress  St.,  a  12-story  modern  office 
structure  designed  by  the  local  architect  Herbert  W.  Rhodes,  has  domi- 
nated the  northeastern  side  of  the  city's  shopping  district  since  1924.  From 
the  Observation  Tower  (open  upon  request,  apply  Room  1206,  9-5;  adm. 
free)  there  is  a  splendid  panoramic  view  of  the  city  and  harbor. 

The  building  occupies  the  site  of  the  Preble  House,  a  hostelry  that  was 
famous  for  more  than  sixty  years  as  the  meeting  place  in  the  19th  century 
of  Portland's  social,  political,  and  sporting  groups.  Originally  this  was  the 
private  mansion  of  the  Preble  family  and  was  built  more  than  a  century 
ago  by  Commodore  Edward  Preble  (1761-1807)  Maine's  old  sea  dog  who 
has  been  termed  the  "Father  of  the  American  Navy."  Prior  to  the  War  of 
1812  the  young  American  navy  was  scorned  by  the  world  powers.  This 
contempt  was  shown  even  by  the  pirates  of  the  Mediterranean,  who,  from 
such  ports  as  Algiers,  Tripoli,  and  Tunis,  looted  many  American  mer- 
chant ships  and  made  slaves  of  their  crews.  Lacking  a  navy  to  protect 
American  shipping,  the  Government  was  forced  to  pay  huge  sums  of  ran- 
som money  to  the  pirates.  In  1803  the  growing  nation  determined  to  stop 
further  depredations  on  the  country's  shipping  and  sent  a  squadron  of 
armed  vessels  to  attack  the  Barbary  Coast  ports,  home  of  the  pirates.  In 
1804  Portland's  Commodore  Preble,  aboard  the  historic  Constitution,  com- 
manded the  attack  on  the  pirates'  stronghold,  and  under  his  expert  guidance 
the  marauding  plague  that  had  beset  American  shipping  for  years  was 
wiped  out.  More  important  than  this  was  the  development  of  a  group  of 
young  seamen  under  his  leadership  and  guidance,  who  later  made  the 
American  navy  invincible.  Included  among  this  group  were  such  men  as 
Oliver  H.  Perry,  who  defeated  the  English  on  Lake  Erie,  declaring,  "We 
have  met  the  enemy,  and  they  are  ours!";  Richard  Bainbridge,  in  command 
of  the  Constitution  in  the  War  of  1812;  and  James  Lawrence  whose  "Don't 
give  up  the  ship!"  has  become  an  American  classic  in  heroism. 

Preble,  however,  never  took  up  residence  in  his  new  home  in  Portland,  as  he 
died  in  1807,  but  his  widow  and  son  lived  there  for  years.  Herbert  G. 
Jones,  local  author,  writes  of  Commodore  Preble  in  his  Old  Portland  Town: 
"When  he  entered  the  service  in  the  days  of  the  Revolution  the  American 
Navy  was  negligible,  a  chaotic,  disorganized  affair,  politically  controlled. 
He  left  it  unified  and  efficient,  and  it  was  this  very  Preble  spirit  that  en- 
abled the  almost  unknown  and  despised  American  navy  to  match  the  mighty 
fleet  of  the  British  in  the  War  of  1812,  and  come  off  victorious." 

7.  The  Fidelity  Building,  467  Congress  St.,  rises  10  stories  above  the  city's 
central  business  square.  Designed  by  G.  Henri  Desmond,  who  was  in  charge 


Downtown  Section  219 

of  the  remodeling  of  the  Bulfinch-designed  State  Capitol  in  Augusta,  this 
structure  built  in  1910  is  one  of  the  few  skyscrapers  in  Portland.  The  bank- 
ing room  of  the  National  Bank  of  Commerce,  located  on  the  street  floor 
of  the  building,  is  architecturally  interesting,  its  walls  decorated  with  a  dado 
of  violet  breccia  and  Caen  stone. 

The  Fidelity  Building  occupies  the  site  of  the  old  Deering  Block  in  which 
was  located  the  historic  Portland  Theatre  where  many  of  the  outstanding 
dramatic  stars  of  the  19th  century  were  presented  on  the  stage  in  a  wide 
repertory  of  plays  (see  Theater) . 

8.  The  Playhouse,  16  Elm  St.,  is  the  workshop  theater  of  the  Portland 
Players,  a  group  of  amateur  Portlanders  who  have  produced  such  theatri- 
cal successes  as  George  Bernard  Shaw's  Devil's  Disciple,  Elizabeth  McFad- 
den's  Double  Door,  Noel  Coward's  Hay  fever,  Owen  Davis'  Icebound,  and 
The  Royal  Family,  by  George  Kaufmann  and  Edna  Ferber.  The  Portland 
Players  number  more  than  three  hundred  fifty  active  members  who  six 
times  each  winter  gather  to  experiment  with  dramatic  productions.    In 
addition,  five  major  productions,  including  one  Gilbert  and  Sullivan  pre- 
sentation, are  given  under  the  direction  of  Albert  Willard  Smith  during  the 
theater  season  to  about  1,000  associate  members.   The  Playhouse,  erected 
in  1914  for  a  motion  picture  theater,  became  the  theater-workshop  in  1931. 

9.  The  Portland  Society  of  Natural  History,  22  Elm  St.,  occupies  a  some- 
what plain  building  and  has  the  most  complete  collection  of  Maine  plant 
life  in  the  State.   In  the  Library   (not  generally  open  to  the  public,  but 
available  through  the  services  of  the  staff)  are  more  than  5,000  volumes 
dealing  with  natural  history,  geographical  surveys,  and  the  proceedings  of 
other  scientific  bodies  and  organizations  throughout  the  world.  The  collec- 
tion of  books  on  anthropology,  the  arts,  botany,  geology,  paleontology,  and 
zoology  is  extremely  valuable.   Of  special  interest  are  the  complete  sets  of 
The  Nuttal  Bulletin,  Rhodova,  and  Biological  Abstracts.    The  Museum 
(open  daily  except  Sat.  and  Sun.  2-5;  adm.  free),  on  the  second  floor,  dis- 
plays the  finest  collection  of  allied  natural  history  subjects  in  Maine,  cover- 
ing quite  completely  the  anthropology,  botany,  geology,  paleontology,  and 
zoology  of  the  State.   Of  special  interest  are:  the  collections  of  Devonian 
plants  of  Perry   (Me.) ;  local  Pleistocene  marine  fossils;  the  Herbert  H. 
Brock  collection  of  North  American  birds;  the  Herbert  Richardson  collec- 
tion of  Lepidoptera;  and  the  Fred  A.  Wendell  collection  of  birds. 

The  Portland  Society  of  Natural  History  was  organized  in  1843  and  in- 
corporated seven  years  later;  the  building  was  constructed  in  1879  from 
designs  by  the  architect  F.  H.  Fassett.  The  Society  published  The  Journal 


220  Portland  City  Guide 

(1864),  which  contained  a  treatise  on  the  land  shells  of  Maine.  It  also 
publishes  from  time  to  time  the  Proceedings  of  the  Portland  Society  of 
Natural  History,  consisting  of  papers  on  the  State's  natural  history. 

10.  The  stucco  First  Lutheran  Church,  32  Elm  St.,  stands  on  the  site  of  its 
wooden  predecessor  built  in  1877,  three  years  after  Portland's  first  Lutheran 
society  had  been  formed.   The  early  congregations  were  composed  princi- 
pally of  emigrant  Danes,  Norwegians,  and  Swedes.   In  1924  the  original 
church  structure  was  destroyed  by  fire,  and  the  same  year  the  present  build- 
ing was  erected.   Of  particular  interest  is  an  oil  painting  above  the  altar, 
a  copy  by  August  Klagstad  of  Von  Gebhardt's  'Last  Supper.'   The  paint- 
ing was  in  the  original  structure,  but  during  the  fire  heavy  roof  beams  fell 
across  the  altar  in  such  a  position  that  it  was  undamaged. 

11.  The  Clapp  Memorial  Building,  443  Congress  St.,  a  modern  seven- 
story  structure  built  in  1924  and  designed  by  Henri  Sibour,  of  Washington 
and  the  firm  of  Desmond  and  Lord,  of  Boston,  occupies  the  site  of  the  Asa 
Clapp  mansion.   The  original  house,  built  in  1794  by  Daniel  Davis  who 
later  became  Attorney  General  of  Massachusetts,  was  purchased  in  1804  by 
Captain  Asa  Clapp  (1762-1873),  a  Revolutionary  sea- veteran  and  promi- 
nent local  merchant  and  shipbuilder. 

12.  The  eastern  end  of  the  Metropolitan  Apartments,  439  Congress  St., 
is  the  site  of  the  home  of  Dr.  Samuel  Deane,  for  many  years  co-minister 
with  peppery  old  Parson  Thomas  Smith  of  the  First  Parish  Church.  When 
supporters  of  the  First  Parish  invited  Dr.  Deane  to  become  associate  pastor, 
things  were  in  a  sad  state;  warring  inter-parish  factions  had  separated  from 
the  mother  church  and  formed  new  societies    (see  Religion),  which  led 
Parson  Smith  to  exclaim  in  his  diary:  "I  have  been  discouraged  about  my 
enemies;  they  talk  of  building  a  new  meeting-house."   Deane  arrived  here 
and  was  ordained  in  1764.   A  year  later  he  purchased  a  three-acre  plot  of 
land  extending  from  present  Congress  Street  to  Back  Cove,  and  on  it  built 
his  home.   When  the  town  was  destroyed  by  the  British  in  the  latter  part 
of  1775  Deane  moved  to  Gorham  and  established  his  residence  on  a  farm. 

Dr.  Deane's  house  escaped  destruction  and  enjoyed  a  long  and  full  exist- 
ence, although  a  cannonball  passed  through  its  walls  during  the  Mowat 
bombardment  of  'The  Neck.'  Later  a  company  of  soldiers  was  quartered 
there.  In  1776  General  Joseph  Frye,  in  command  of  the  local  soldiery  dur- 
ing the  Revolution,  made  the  house  his  residence.  Subsequently  the  old 
building  passed  through  many  phases  —  a  private  residence,  a  boarding- 
house,  an  office  building,  a  place  of  amusement.  It  came  through  the  'Great 


Downtown  Section  221 

Fire*  of  1866  unscathed,  but  10  years  later  was  moved  back  on  the  lot  to 
make  way  for  the  Farrington  Block,  predecessor  of  the  Metropolitan  Apart- 
ments. The  house  remained  in  its  new  location  until  1915  when  it  was  de- 
molished during  the  construction  of  the  Portland  High  School. 

Soon  after  his  arrival  in  1764  Dr.  Deane  entered  into  many  activities  other 
than  his  ecclesiastical  duties.  Tall,  erect,  and  portly,  his  figure  soon  became 
a  familiar  sight  on  the  town's  streets  and  near-by  roads.  The  many  things 
into  which  he  entered  are  shown  in  his  famous  diary.  Meticulously  kept 
from  1761  until  his  death  in  1814,  the  diary  is  comparable  to  Parson  Smith's 
famous  journal  for  its  completeness  of  the  many  everyday  events  that  oc- 
curred throughout  the  parish  in  those  early  years.  His  literary  pursuits  of  a 
classical  nature  were  well  known  and  include  the  two-volume  The  New  Eng- 
land Farmer,  or  Georgical  Dictionary  published  in  1790.  Prior  to  his  ar- 
rival in  Portland  and  while  a  student  at  Harvard,  he  contributed  to  the 
volume  of  congratulatory  addresses  presented  to  England's  King  George 
III.  In  this  volume,  Pie t as  et  Gratulatio  Collegii  Cantabrigiensis  Apud 
Novanglos  is  the  Latin  Ode  said  to  have  been  written  by  Deane  and  titled 
'In  Regis  Inaugurationem.' 

13.  The  First  Parish  (Unitarian)  Church,  425  Congress  St.,  is  second  suc- 
cessor to  a  meetinghouse  that  stood  at  the  corner  of  Middle  and  India 
streets  and  served  The  Neck'  from  1721  to  1746  as  a  place  of  worship  and 
for  a  time  as  a  courthouse.  Parson  Thomas  Smith,  its  first  ordained  min- 
ister, arrived  soon  after  Puritan  Massachusetts  had  ordered  Falmouth's 
citizens  to  get  a  minister  (see  Religion) ,  succeeding  a  long  line  of  itinerant 
ministers,  one  of  whom  was  the  Reverend  George  Burroughs,  who  had 
preached  on  'The  Neck'  in  the  1670's  and  was  hanged  for  witchcraft  in 
Salem  in  1692.  The  original  Congregational  church  was  replaced  in  1740 
by  one  that  came  to  be  known  as  Old  Jerusalem.  Becoming  Unitarian  in 
1809,  it  attained  its  greatest  prominence  under  the  Reverend  Ichabod 
Nichols,  who  was  called  to  the  parish  at  that  time.  This  second  church,  a 
Portland  landmark  for  nearly  a  century,  withstood  the  Mowat  bombard- 
ment of  the  town  in  1775.  "Old  Jerusalem"  was  replaced  in  1825  by  the 
present  stone  structure. 

With  the  exception  of  the  galleries  being  lowered  and  walls  stuccoed  in 
1852  and  the  granite  parish  room  added  to  the  eastern  side  in  1890,  the 
church  remains  practically  in  its  original  state.  Built  of  granite  quarried  in 
Freeport,  the  structure  follows  early  19th  century  meetinghouse  design  — 
severe  side  walls  with  high  and  gabled  roof,  topped  by  a  tall,  graceful  spire 
with  clock  and  bell.  The  original  bell,  taken  from  "Old  Jerusalem,"  was 


222  Portland  City  Guide 

replaced  in  1862  by  the  present  3,340-pound  bell.  When  the  gilded  ball 
of  the  weathervane  was  removed  in  1888  for  repairs,  it  was  found  to  con- 
tain sundry  documents  and  articles  deposited  in  it  at  the  time  the  spire  was 
repaired  and  the  vane  regilded  in  1862.  Among  these  was  a  bottle  labeled 
as  containing  rum  made  in  an  early  Portland  distillery,  an  1825  almanac 
with  marginal  notes,  and  a  section  of  the  Eastern  Argus,  an  early  Port- 
land newspaper,  describing  the  departure  of  Lafayette  after  his  visit. 

The  severe  interior  of  the  First  Parish  Church  gives  evidence  of  its  early 
Congregational  association  when  that  faith  was  enforced  upon  early  resi- 
dents of  'The  Neck'  by  the  Puritan  rulers  of  Massachusetts.  The  doored- 
pews,  topped  with  rails  of  mahogany,  are  the  ones  installed  in  1825;  one  of 
these  pews  has  always  been  occupied  by  members  of  the  Longfellow  family. 
The  front  of  the  splendid  pulpit  is  of  paneled  mahogany.  Of  especial  note 
is  the  crystal  chandelier,  originally  suspended  from  the  sounding  board  of 
the  pulpit  of  the  first  meetinghouse;  in  the  chandelier  chain  is  a  cannon 
ball  that  passed  through  the  walls  of  the  "Old  Jerusalem"  when  the  British 
leveled  the  town  in  1775.  Around  the  interior  walls  are  memorial  tablets 
to  former  ministers  and  members  of  the  early  and  present  First  Parish 
Church. 

Among  the  Church's  treasures  are  many  connected  with  the  city's  religious 
history  and  early  personalities.  In  the  parish  house  hang  oil  paintings  of 
Dr.  Deane  and  his  wife,  Eunice,  by  unknown  artists.  Also  in  the  parish 
house  is  an  oil  painting  by  an  unknown  artist  of  the  Reverend  Ichabod 
Nichols,  first  Unitarian  minister,  and  three  landscape  paintings  by  Charles 
Codman  (see  Arts  and  Crafts),  originally  done  as  pew  panels  for  "Old 
Jerusalem."  On  display  is  the  frame  of  the  baptismal  bowl  used  in  the 
early  church.  The  church  silver  is  especially  notable;  among  the  pieces  are 
two  silver  tankards  dating  prior  to  1780,  and  a  silver  tankard  dated  1775 
with  the  Latin  inscription:  "Ex  dono  surenium  aliquorum  Revdo  Samueli 
Deane,  pastori  Fidelissmo." 

On  the  church  green,  L.  of  the  entrance  porch,  is  a  Memorial  to  Ichabod 
Nichols. 

14.  The  Masonic  Building,  415  Congress  St.,  designed  in  the  Italian  Ren- 
aissance manner  by  Frederick  A.  Tompson  of  Portland  and  erected  in  1912, 
is  headquarters  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  Maine.  Since  the  inception  of  this 
lodge  in  1820,  Portland  has  been  the  chief  center  of  Maine  Masonic  ac- 
tivities; today  there  are  206  chartered  lodges  with  nearly  36,000  members 
in  the  State. 

Masonry  in  Maine  was  organized  in  March,  1762,  when  a  charter  issued 


Downtown  Section  223 

by  the  earlier  established  Massachusetts  lodge  authorized  "Alexander  Ross 
Esquire  of  Falmouth,  in  the  County  of  Cumberland,  within  the  province  of 
Massachusetts  Bay  ...  to  congregate  his  brethren  together  to  form  a 
regular  lodge."  Ross,  however,  did  not  father  Maine  Masonry  because  "his 
business  being  great  and  his  infirmities  greater"  he  could  not  attend  to  neces- 
sary details  in  forming  the  lodge.  After  his  death  a  short  time  later,  au- 
thority to  organize  a  local  lodge  was  given  to  William  Tyng,  who  at  once 
proceeded  to  organize  the  present  Portland  Lodge  No.  1,  the  first  Masonic 
Lodge  in  Maine.  Masonry  spread  rapidly  throughout  the  District  of  Maine 
and  in  30  years  there  were  31  active  lodges.  In  1826,  however,  the  so- 
called  "Morgan  affair"  in  New  York,  an  anti-Masonic  controversy  affect- 
ing the  entire  national  order,  caused  many  Maine  lodges  to  surrender  their 
charters  and  discontinue  activities.  Twenty  years  elapsed  before  Masonry 
in  Maine  again  became  important. 

15.  Site  of  Birthplace  of  Sear  gent  S.  Prentiss,  420  Congress  St.,  now  oc- 
cupied by  Congress  Hall.   Seargent  Smith  Prentiss  (1808-50),  orator  and 
political  figure,  was  born  in  a  two-story  wooden  house  formerly  standing 
on  the  southeast  corner  of  Congress  and  Temple  streets,  and  burned  in  the 
fire  that  swept  Portland  in  1866.    Shortly  after  Maine  became  a  State 
Prentiss  emerged  as  a  prominent  Whig  and  acquired  country-wide  fame  as 
a  powerful  political  orator.   In  1832  he  moved  to  Vicksburg,  Mississippi, 
and  entered  into  a  law  partnership  with  John  I.  Guion,  the  firm  attaining 
a  national  reputation,  partly  because  of  Prentiss'  brilliant  oratorical  ability. 
Although  elected  to  Congress  in  1837  from  Mississippi,  he  was  not  seated 
due  to  a  contest  regarding  the  legality  of  his  election.   In  his  own  defense 
he  made  a  three-day  speech  before  Congress,  and  in  a  special  election  in 
Mississippi  he  was  legally  sent  to  Washington  in  1838.    During  Henry 
Clay's  campaign  for  the  Whig  nomination  to  the  presidency,  Prentiss 
traveled  throughout  the  country  in  his  behalf,  returning  to  Portland  where 
he  delivered  his  sonorous  apostrophes  in  Clay's  favor.    An  amusing  story 
is  told  regarding  Prentiss'  oratorical  skill.  While  staying  in  the  famous  Old 
Oak  Tree  Inn  at  Raymond,  Mississippi,  he  rose  from  bed  during  the  night 
and  awakened  the  guests  to  listen  to  a  speech  in  defense  of  a  bedbug  that 
had  bitten  him.  The  defense  was  delivered  before  a  mock  judge  and  jury, 
and  the  bedbug  was  formally  acquitted. 

16.  The  Salvation  Army  Headquarters,  204  Federal  St.    In  a  three-story 
red  brick  building  is  the  administrative  center  of  the  northern  New  Eng- 
land Division,  embracing  30  corps  in  Maine,  New  Hampshire,  Vermont, 
and  northeastern  Massachusetts.  The  local  corps  was  established  in  1884. 


224  Portland  City  Guide 

17.  The  Goddard  Homestead,  55  Free  St.,  a  brick  structure  in  the  classic 
manner  of  1820,  has  an  interesting  oval-topped  fan-type  doorway.    The 
house  was  built  for  Henry  Goddard,  an  active  Whig  who  later  became 
prominent  in  early  Maine  Republican  circles.   His  son,  Charles  W.  (1825- 
89),  became  the  first  judge  of  the  Cumberland  County  Superior  Court 
which  was  established  in  February,  1868;  appointed  to  the  judgeship  by 
Governor  Joshua  Chamberlain,  he  served  31  jury  terms  between  April, 
1868,  and  October,  1871. 

18.  Site  of  William  Willis  House,  81  Free  St.  The  old  house  was  razed  in 
1925,  and  a  gasoline  station  erected.  William  Willis  (1794-1870)  already 
was  showing  promise  of  becoming  one  of  the  legal  lights  of  Maine  at  the 
time  he  entered  into  law  partnership  with  Prentiss  Mellen  in  1819.   When 
Maine  became  an  independent  State  the  following  year,  Mellen  was  made  its 
first  Chief  Justice,  and  the  Mellen-Willis  partnership  was  dissolved.  Fifteen 
years  later  he  joined  practice  with  Maine's  distinguished  Senator  William 
Pitt  Fessenden  and  in  1857  was  elected  mayor  of  Portland.    Today  he  is 
best  remembered  for  his  literary  work  —  a  two-volume  history  of  Portland, 
a  history  of  law,  courts,  and  lawyers  of  Maine,  and  his  editing  of  the  first 
six  volumes  of  the  Collections  of  the  Maine  Historical  Society  (see  Litera- 
ture) . 

19.  The  Isaac  Adams  House,  99  Free  St.,  built  about  1829,  has  a  good  ex- 
ample of  a  recessed  elliptical  door  with  fanlight;  one  of  the  windows  also 
has  a  well-designed  fan  above  it.   The  original  granite  steps  and  a  section 
of  the  hand-wrought  iron  rail  remain.  Isaac  Adams  (1774-1834) ,  who  pub- 
lished the  Portland  Gazette  in  1806,  was  active  in  political  affairs  of  the 
State  for  many  years. 

The  razed  half  of  this  duplex  house  was  the  home  of  Ashur  Ware  (1782- 
1873),  Maine's  first  Secretary  of  State.  Appointed  judge  of  the  U.  S. 
District  Court  under  Governor  Albion  K.  Parris,  Ware  held  this  position 
for  nearly  a  half-century.  When  he  took  the  bench  of  the  U.  S.  District 
Court  the  rights  and  duties  of  seamen,  and  the  authority  and  responsibility 
of  crews  and  owners  of  the  American  merchant  marine,  were  in  great  meas- 
ure unknown  and  unrecognized  by  employers  and  employees.  Ware's  ad- 
miralty decisions  soon  caused  clashes,  but  within  a  few  years  jurists  com- 
mended his  decrees.  In  1839  the  first  volume  of  his  reports  was  published, 
a  second  volume  in  1849.  So  great  was  the  demand  for  these  legal  books 
that  both  volumes  soon  went  into  their  second  edition. 

20.  Site  of  Daniel  Cobb's  Boarding  House,  105  Free  St.  During  the  1800's 


Downtown  Section  225 

this  street  and  the  surrounding  side  lanes  contained  the  homes  of  many  of 
Portland's  wealthiest  families,  where  many  prominent  people  were  enter- 
tained. When  Lafayette  visited  Portland  in  1825  he  lodged  overnight  in 
the  "elite"  boardinghouse  of  Daniel  Cobb,  a  housewright  who  had  served 
in  Peter  Warren's  militia  company  during  the  1778  Bagaduce  Expedition 
of  the  Revolutionary  War.  The  old  house  was  razed  in  1922. 

21.  Mechanics  Hall,  519  Congress  St.,  was  built  in  1859  from  designs  by 
Thomas  J.  Sparrow  in  the  Greek  Revival  style.    The  three-story  granite 
structure  is  the  home  of  the  Maine  Charitable  Mechanics  Association,  an 
organization  formed  in  1815  by  a  group  of  local  mechanics  for  charitable 
and  educational  purposes.  In  recent  years  the  society  has  included  business 
and  professional  men  in  its  membership. 

In  addition  to  a  small  but  valuable  library,  the  Maine  Charitable  Mechanics 
Association  sponsors  a  series  of  lectures  during  the  fall  and  winter  months, 
and  also  a  free  drawing  school  which  specializes  in  mechanical  and  archi- 
tectural drafting  instruction.  The  Library  (open  week  days:  summer  2-7 
except  Sat.;  winter  2-9) ,  on  the  second  floor,  has  more  than  22,000  volumes 
of  fiction,  history,  biography,  and  reference;  the  collection  includes  many 
rare  books  of  early  American  authors. 

22.  The  Friends  Meeting-House,  83  Oak  St.,  a  simple  brick  building 
erected  in  1895,  replaced  an  earlier  frame  Quaker  meetinghouse.  The  pul- 
pit of  the  new  church  was  made  from  a  cherry  tree  that  shaded  the  original 
meetinghouse.  A  former  preacher  of  this  church  was  George  W.  Hinckley, 
who  established  in  1889  the  well-known  Good  Will  Farm  in  Fairfield  town- 
ship —  a  semi-charitable  institution  for  boys  and  girls  between  the  ages  of 
9  and  20. 

23.  Walker  Manual  Training  School,  45  Casco  St.,  is  part  of  Portland's 
public  school  system  and  is  attended  by  manual  training  and  eighth  grade 
home  economics  classes  from  the  city's  schools.    The  modern  red-brick 
building,  designed  by  Frederick  A.  Tompson  of  Portland  and  erected  in 
1901,  was  a  gift  to  the  city  by  the  trustees  of  the  estate  of  Joseph  Walker 
(1800-91),  unostentatious  and  often  anonymous  donor  of  large  sums  of 

money  to  many  charitable  organizations.  In  1838  he  built  mills  in  Sac- 
carappa  (Westbrook)  for  large-scale  lumber  manufacture. 

24.  The  Birthplace  of  Cyrus  H.  K.  Curtis,  69  Brown  St.,  a  modest, 
weather-beaten  frame  house,  is  identified  by  a  bronze  tablet  near  the  en- 
trance door.   Cyrus  Herman  Kotzschmar  Curtis  (1851-1934),  editor,  pub- 
lisher of  the  Saturday  Evening  Post  and  other  well-known  periodicals,  is 


226  Portland  City  Guide 

remembered  in  the  State  as  an  outstanding  philanthropist  and  for  his  cul- 
tural activities  in  education  and  music  by  the  country  at  large.  By  the  time 
he  was  13  he  had  already  started  on  a  career  which  would  eventually  make 
him  a  leader  in  the  publishing  world.  At  that  early  age  he  was  the  owner 
of  an  old-fashioned  hand-printing  press.  As  editor,  reporter,  compositor, 
and  pressman,  he  issued  Young  America,  a  small  paper  which  he  distributed 
in  the  neighborhood.  In  A  Man  From  Maine,  Edward  Bok  relates  an  anec- 
dote regarding  Curtis'  first  venture  into  advertising,  with  his  Young 
America:  "One  day  a  man  asked  Cyrus  how  much  he  charged  for  adver- 
tisements. The  boy  had  not  reached  that  problem  in  his  business,  but  na- 
turally he  was  not  going  to  disclose  this  fact  to  a  prospective  advertiser. 
'Ten  cents  a  square/  was  his  reply,  showing  that  he  meant  by  a  square, 
about  eight  to  ten  lines.  Til  take  a  column,'  replied  the  advertiser.  .  .  . 
This  departure  brought  him  a  very  important  job  of  printing  some  dance 
orders  for  a  dancing  master,  which  eventually  grew  so  large  as  to  involve  a 
debt  of  six  dollars  to  the  young  printer.  Much  to  his  surprise  he  could  not 
collect  it.  He  sent  bill  after  bill,  with  no  response.  He  spoke  to  his  father 
about  the  heavy  indebtedness  of  this  customer  with  whom  he  knew  he  was 
acquainted.  His  father  laughed,  and  ventured  the  information  that  the 
man  was  known  all  over  Portland  as  a  'Dead  Beat'  who  never  paid  his  bills. 

"Nothing  daunted,  the  boy  was  determined  that  he  must  wipe  off  this  large 
indebtedness  from  his  books,  and  he  called  at  the  house  of  the  dancing 
master.  ...  In  answer  the  man  kicked  the  boy  down  the  steps,  and  slammed 
the  door  behind  him.  .  .  .  The  next  day  the  young  printer  was  again  at  the 
dancing  master's  house,  this  time  at  five  o'clock  in  the  morning.  Wild-eyed, 
the  man  came  down  half -dressed,  and  seeing  the  boy  before  him  roundly 
cursed  him  for  his  untimely  visit.  But  something  in  the  look  in  the  boy's 
eyes  told  that  the  following  morning  would  probably  find  him  there  again, 
and  with  a  mental  picture  of  his  early  sleep  disturbed  on  successive  morn- 
ings, he  pulled  a  roll  of  bills  out  of  his  pocket,  gave  the  boy  six  dollars,  and 
once  more  kicked  him  down  the  front  steps." 

Young  Curtis'  printing  business  was  completely  shattered  in  1866,  when 
Portland's  "Great  Fire"  destroyed  the  shed  in  which  his  printing  press  had 
been  placed.  So  heartbroken  was  he  over  the  loss,  that  it  is  said  the  maxim 
he  used  throughout  his  life  was  created  —  "Yesterday  ended  last  night." 

25.  Jewish  Community  Center,  341  Cumberland  Ave.  This  five-story  red- 
brick building  trimmed  with  limestone,  built  in  1910  and  formerly  the 
Pythian  Temple,  was  purchased  in  1938  by  the  Jewish  people  of  Portland 
as  a  Community  Center  for  recreational  and  cultural  purposes.  The  Cen- 


Downtown  Section  227 

ter's  little-theater  movement,  with  its  own  workshop,  has  done  much  to  in- 
crease local  interest  in  the  drama. 

26.  Preble  Chapel,  331  Cumberland  Ave.,  a  small  stucco  building  erected 
in  1899,  designed  by  John  Kirby,  occupies  the  site  of  the  original  Unitarian 
chapel  constructed  in  1851.  Within  the  chapel  is  an  oil  painting  by  an  un- 
known 16th  and  17th  century  Spanish  artist,  portraying  parts  of  'The  Book 
of  Revelations.'  Brought  to  Portland  in  1830  aboard  a  ship  from  a  South 
American  port  and  offered  for  sale,  it  was  quickly  purchased  at  a  ridiculous- 
ly low  figure  by  Commodore  Edward  Preble,  who  realized  its  artistic  value. 

27.  Site  of  Simeon  Greenleafs  House,  NE  cor.  Elm  St.  and  Cumberland 
Ave.    Its  owner,  Simeon  Greenleaf   (1783-1853),  won  his  legal  spurs  in 
many  law  cases  in  Maine  courts,  and  his  text  books  brought  high  praise  from 
lawyers,  judges,  and  justices  throughout  the  country.    Greenleafs  law  li- 
brary of  approximately  1,600  volumes  was  presented  after  his  death  to  the 
Cumberland  Bar  Association.   The  house  was  burned  in  the  Portland  fire 
of  1866. 

28.  The  Portland  Boys'  Club,  277  Cumberland  Ave.,  a  two-story  brick 
structure  designed  by  John  Calvin  Stevens  and  John  Howard  Stevens,  was 
constructed  in  1930-31.    In  striking  contrast  to  the  two  earlier  humble 
homes  of  the  organization,  this  clubhouse  was  made  possible  through  the 
generous  gift  of  Cyrus  H.  K.  Curtis,  who  contributed  $100,000,  and  was 
built  on  land  donated  by  Edward  W.  Hannaford,  a  local  wholesale  mer- 
chant. The  building  and  its  equipment  is  valued  at  $371,000.  Activities  of 
the  club,  in  addition  to  the  regular  gymnasium  and  swimming  schedules, 
include  games  and  recreational  programs  and  group  contests  in  each  sport 
sponsored.  The  present  club  membership  comprises  3,164  boys,  representa- 
tive of  30  nationalities,  and  has  an  aggregate  annual  attendance  of  more 
than  80,000. 

29.  Portland  High  School,  284  Cumberland  Ave.  This  gray  tapestry-brick 
structure,  designed  by  the  local  firm  of  Miller  and  Mayo  with  G.  Henri 
Desmond,  of  Boston,  as  associate  architect,  remodeled  and  enlarged  in  1918 
from  an  earlier  building,  is  constructed  in  the  form  of  an  E.   Four  stories 
high,  with  a  basement  containing  a  splendid  gymnasium,  the  building  has 
84  study  and  class  halls  and  an  auditorium  with  a  seating  capacity  of  2,000. 
The  first  high  school  session  in  which  boys  and  girls  were  jointly  taught  was 
September  14,  1863;  previously  the  city  had  maintained  separate  high  school 
buildings  for  them.  When  the  school  was  opened  in  1863,  joint  teaching  of 
the  sexes  was  still  looked  upon  locally  with  some  suspicion,  and  to  overcome 


228  Portland  City  Guide 

this,  the  building  was  constructed  with  a  solid  wall  separating  it  into  two 
parts  (see  Education) . 

Over  study  room  doors  at  each  end  of  the  main  corridor  on  the  first  floor 
are  murals  depicting  the  history  of  Portland's  high  school,  the  work  of 
Thomas  Thorne,  a  graduate  of  the  school  in  1927. 

30.  The  Chestnut  Street  Methodist  Church,  11-17  Chestnut  St.,  has  long 
been  known  as  the  Mother  Church  of  Maine  Methodism,  many  of  its  pas- 
tors having  gone  from  its  pulpit  to  occupy  new  parishes  in  other  parts  of 
Maine.    The  present  church,  dating  from  1859,  dedicated  66  years  after 
Jesse  Lee  rode  horseback  into  Portland  to  preach  the  first  Methodist  ser- 
mon (see  Religion) ,  is  representative  Gothic  in  style;  record  of  its  designer 
has  been  lost.   National  attention  has  been  drawn  by  Robert  Ripley  in  his 
'Believe  It  or  Not'  newspaper  feature  to  the  unusual  organ  in  this  church 
which  was  so  constructed  that  it  is  a  copy  of  the  principal  facade  of  the 
church.  The  blue  glass  in  the  rose  window  is  said  to  be  priceless  because  the 
formula  by  which  it  was  made  has  been  lost;  the  window  was  executed  by 
the  local  C.  H.  Farley  Glass  Company. 

31.  The  Portland  City  Hall,  389-405  Congress  St.,  was  built  in  1912  of 
Maine  granite  from  designs  in  the  Federal  style  by  the  New  York  archi- 
tectural firm  of  Carrere  and  Hastings,  with  John  Calvin  Stevens  and  John 
Howard  Stevens,  of  Portland,  as  associate  architects.  Of  the  building,  John 
M.  Carrere  is  reported  to  have  said  that  he  would  rather  have  his  "reputa- 
tion as  an  architect  rest  upon  the  Portland  City  Hall  than  on  any  other 
building"  with  which  he  had  been  connected. 

A  bronze  plaque  (L)  on  the  granite  steps  of  the  entrance  bears  an  inscrip- 
tion in  memory  of  the  Portland  men  who  served  in  the  Spanish-American 
and  in  the  World  wars;  another  bronze  plaque  (R)  honors  those  who  lost 
their  lives  in  the  World  War.  On  the  wall  of  the  portico  are  two  large 
bronze  plaques,  one  (L)  describes  briefly  the  history  of  the  city;  the  other 
(R)  tells  the  story  of  the  earlier  buildings  that  occupied  this  site.  The 
wrought-iron  gates  of  the  principal  entrance  include  in  their  design  the 
fabled  Phoenix  and  the  dolphins  of  the  seal  of  the  City  of  Portland.  The 
three  main  floors  of  the  building  are  occupied  by  municipal  offices  and 
chambers. 

The  main  foyer,  entered  from  Congress  Street,  is  of  simple  classic  design 
in  white  marble  and  has  a  splendid  curving  staircase  leading  to  the  upper 
floor.  On  the  (R)  wall  of  the  staircase  hangs  a  portrait  of  Cyrus  H.  K. 
Curtis,  a  copy  by  John  F.  Brown  of  the  original  portrait  by  John  E.  Parting- 


Downtown  Section  229 

ton,  of  Philadelphia;  immediately  below  the  portrait  is  a  plaque  honoring 
the  noted  publisher  for  his  gift  of  the  Kotzschmar  organ  to  the  city  (see 
below) .  In  the  City  Manager's  office  suite,  on  the  second  floor,  are  portraits 
and  photographs  of  the  mayors  who  held  office  when  Portland  had  the 
mayorality  form  of  government;  also,  in  these  offices  is  a  portrait  by  Walter 
Gilman  Page  of  Neal  Dow,  father  of  Maine's  prohibitory  law,  and  a  bust 
by  Franklin  Simmons  of  James  Phinney  Baxter,  Maine's  historian  and 
onetime  mayor  of  Portland.  The  Maine  State  Chamber  of  Commerce 
maintains  an  office  on  the  third  floor. 

In  the  Auditorium  (entrance  on  Myrtle  Street)  is  the  Kotzschmar  Memor- 
ial Organ,  presented  to  the  city  in  1912  by  Cyrus  H.  K.  Curtis.  This  organ, 
given  in  memory  of  the  city's  famous  Professor  Hermann  Kotzschmar,  or- 
ganist, composer,  and  teacher  for  more  than  fifty  years  (see  Music) ,  was  at 
the  time  of  its  installation  comparable  in  regard  to  tone  and  resources  to 
other  large  organs  in  the  world.  Actually  six  organs,  all  of  which  may  be 
played  simultaneously  from  a  central  keyboard,  the  organ  has  more  than 
5,000  pipes,  varying  in  length  from  one-half  inch  to  32  feet,  and  in  diameter 
from  one-quarter  inch  to  21  inches.  In  the  center  of  the  organ  casing  is  a 
bronze  bust  of  Kotzschmar,  by  Charles  Grafly;  directly  beneath  is  a  bronze 
plaque  framing  a  glass  enclosure  containing  a  page  of  the  original  manu- 
script of  Kotzschmar's  Te  Deum  in  F  and  the  composer's  baton. 

First  to  occupy  the  site  of  the  present  city  hall  was  the  one-story  frame 
courthouse  erected  by  Cumberland  County  in  1786,  to  which  a  second  story 
was  added  two  years  later.  The  first  floor  was  an  open  hall  in  which  were 
stored  the  gallows,  stocks,  and  pillory  when  not  in  use.  In  front  of  the 
building  stood  the  whipping  post,  with  bars  for  securing  the  culprit's  arms 
and  legs.  One  of  the  early  major  cases  tried  was  that  of  Thomas  Bird  for 
piracy  and  murder.  Charged  with  having  shot  and  killed  the  captain  of 
the  ship  on  which  he  served  as  a  seaman,  he  soon  confessed  to  the  crime, 
justifying  his  actions  because  of  the  captain's  extreme  cruelty  toward  his 
crew.  Although  Bird  was  judged  guilty  and  sentenced  to  be  hanged,  his 
counsel  immediately  applied  for  a  pardon  for  his  client  on  the  grounds  that 
Bird's  case  was  the  first  capital  conviction  in  a  United  States  Maritime 
Court.  This  petition  for  pardon  was  forwarded  to  President  Washington 
who  denied  its  application,  and  on  June  25,  1790,  Bird  was  hanged  on  a 
gallows  set  up  at  the  corner  of  Congress  and  Grove  streets. 

In  1795  Cumberland  County  purchased  land  adjoining  the  rear  of  the 
courthouse  and  erected  a  jail.  From  this  jail  in  1808  Joseph  Drew,  of 
Saccarappa,  who  had  murdered  a  deputy  sheriff,  walked  to  a  gallows  erected 
near  Portland  Observatory,  one-half  mile  distant.  He  was  accompanied  by 


230  Portland  City  Guide 

the  county  sheriff  on  one  side  commenting  on  the  mortal  sin  he  had  com- 
mitted, and  Parson  Caleb  Bradley,  of  Stroudwater,  on  the  other  side  ad- 
vising him  of  the  glory  of  the  spiritual  world  into  which  he  would  soon 
enter.  The  jail  was  razed  in  1859. 

Following  the  sale  of  the  courthouse  to  the  Freewill  Baptist  Association  in 
1816  a  new  county  courthouse  of  brick  was  built,  two  projecting  wings  be- 
ing added  to  the  original  50-  by  60-foot  building  in  the  next  15  years.  On  a 
near-by  lot  previously  purchased  by  the  county  a  group  of  Portland  citi- 
zens erected  Maine's  first  State  Capitol  in  1820.  The  lower  floor  contained 
rooms  for  the  new  State's  officers,  while  the  upper  floor  housed  the  Senate 
Chamber  and  offices  of  the  Governor  and  his  Executive  Council.  The 
courtroom  of  the  near-by  county  courthouse  served  as  the  first  Representa- 
tives' Hall.  Maine's  Legislature  held  its  sessions  in  these  quarters  until  the 
seat  of  State  government  was  moved  to  Augusta  in  1831.  On  the  occasion 
of  General  Lafayette's  visit  to  Portland  in  June,  1825,  the  reception  was 
held  on  a  platform  erected  before  the  portico  of  this  early  statehouse.  When 
Augusta  became  the  capital  of  Maine  the  City  of  Portland  took  over  the 
old  statehouse  and  in  1849  moved  its  municipal  offices  into  it. 

Prior  to  1858  the  old  statehouse  was  moved  across  the  street,  and  in  1862  a 
new  city-county  building  stood  on  its  former  site.  Four  years  after  the 
completion  of  this  building  the  'Great  Fire'  swept  through  the  city,  de- 
stroying the  old  statehouse  and  partially  burning  the  new  edifice.  By  1868 
another  building  arose  on  the  walls  of  the  partially  destroyed  city-county 
structure,  but  less  than  a  half-century  later  it  was  again  swept  by  fire  and 
reduced  to  ashes.  Following  this  fire  the  municipal  offices  were  located  in 
various  parts  of  the  city  until  the  present  city  hall  was  completed. 

Today  the  City  Hall  is  the  center  of  many  activities  in  addition  to  those  of 
city  government.  From  the  auditorium  stage  are  heard  most  of  the  visiting 
musical  artists,  orchestras,  and  lecturers  who  come  during  the  winter 
months.  From  it  and  from  the  platforms  of  the  earlier  buildings  that  have 
stood  on  the  site  have  been  heard  many  noted  people:  Henry  Ward  Beecher, 
Charles  Dickens,  Matthew  Arnold,  Neal  Dow,  Emma  Eames,  Madame 
Melba,  Paderewski,  Hannibal  Hamlin,  James  G.  Blaine,  President  Mc- 
Kinley,  Pavlova,  and  many  other  noted  national  and  international  celebrities. 

32.  The  Second  Parish  Presbyterian  Church,  371  Congress  St.,  a  stone  and 
brick  structure  of  the  Romanesque  order,  was  completed  in  1875  as  a  me- 
morial to  Dr.  Edward  Payson  (1783-1827),  for  20  years  pastor  of  the 
earlier  Second  Parish  Church  that  stood  on  the  corner  of  Middle  and  Deer 
streets  and  was  destroyed  in  the  'Great  Fire'  of  1866.  In  the  present  church 


Downtown  Section  231 

is  a  bookcase  once  owned  by  Midshipman  Kirvin  Waters,  who  died  from 
wounds  received  in  the  naval  battle  between  America's  Enterprise  and 
England's  Boxer  (see  Munjoy  Hill  Section:  No.  5) .  A  stained  glass  window 
in  the  vestry  is  a  memorial  to  two  foreign  missionaries,  Mary  S.  Morrili 
(1863-1900),  a  member  of  the  Second  Parish,  and  Annie  A.  Gould  (1867- 
1900) ,  of  the  Bethel  Chapel,  who  were  massacred  during  the  Boxer  Rebel- 
lion in  China;  the  window,  depicting  'The  Sermon  on  the  Mount/  was  exe- 
cuted by  the  local  C.  H.  Farley  Glass  Co.  from  the  original  design  by  Al- 
fred Schraff,  onetime  art  director  of  Portland's  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial 
Art  Museum. 

33.  The  Central  Fire  Station,  380  Congress  St.,  was  built  in  1923  to  house 
the  administrative  headquarters  of  the  Portland  Fire  Department  and  the 
apparatus  of  the  downtown  district.  The  city's  fire-fighting  force  dates  from 
1768  when  citizens  of  old  Falmouth  voted  to  appoint  several  fire  wards 
whose  duty  it  should  be  to  look  after  and  direct  citizens  during  fires  (see 
Government).  In  1787  the  town's  first  fire  engine  was  shipped  here  from 
England.  The  first  mechanized  apparatus  was  placed  in  operation  in  1902 
with  the  arrival  of  a  "horseless  engine."  Today  the  Portland  Fire  Depart- 
ment consists  of  120  trained  men.  In  addition  to  the  Central  Fire  Station, 
there  are  nine  substations  including  the  Portland  fireboat,  and  one  sub- 
station on  Peak  Island.  The  equipment  consists  of  ten  motor-driven  engines 
having  a  combined  total  pumping  capacity  of  7,750  gallons  of  water  per 
minute,  two  combination  ladder  trucks,  three  aerial  trucks,  one  chemical 
booster  truck,  and  15  other  pieces  of  apparatus  with  six  pieces  in  reserve. 
The  present  fireboat  was  placed  in  operation  in  the  harbor  in  1931. 

34.  The  Federal  Courthouse,  Federal,  Market,  Pearl,  and  Newbury  Sts., 
completed  in  1911,  is  Renaissance  in  design,  with  the  definite  French  flavor 
characteristic  of  much  of  the  work  of  James  Knox  Taylor,  supervising 
architect  of  the  U.  S.  Treasury.  The  building  is  constructed  of  New  Hamp- 
shire granite  with  interior  trim  of  Vermont  marble.   In  addition  to  many 
local  offices  of  the  Federal  Government,  the  courthouse  contains  a  sub- 
station of  the  post  office  system.  The  U.  S.  Supreme  Court  Chamber,  on 
the  second  floor,  entered  from  156  Federal  St.,  is  striking  architecturally. 

The  Federal  Court  in  Maine  dates  from  the  creation  of  the  United  States 
District  Court  in  1789.  For  many  years  it  was  without  a  permanent  home, 
but  in  1849  the  Federal  Government  purchased  the  old  Exchange  Building 
for  court  purposes.  When  this  building  was  burned  in  1854  the  court  once 
again  was  without  a  permanent  local  seat  until  the  erection  of  the  present 
structure. 


232  Portland  City  Guide 

35.  The  Stanley  T.  Pullen  Fountain,  Federal  St.  opposite  Federal  Court- 
house, familiarly  called  "The  Bubble"  by  Portland's  children,  is  of  classic 
design  in  granite,  resting  on  a  12-foot  base  and  ornamented  by  six  dolphins. 
The  fountain  was  designed  by  George  Burnham  (1843-1903)  of  Portland 
and  executed  by  the  New  Hampshire  Granite  Company.   Stanley  Thomas 
Pullen  (1843-1910),  lawyer,  politician,  and  onetime  editor  of  the  Portland 
Daily  Press,  was  one  of  the  incorporators  of  the  Portland  Society  for  Pre- 
vention of  Cruelty  to  Animals  which  was  organized  in  May,  1872.  It  is  said 
that  Pullen  was  instrumental  in  the  formation  of  the  Maine  Society  for  the 
Protection  of  Animals  with  which  the  local  society  merged  in  1891. 

36.  The  Press  Herald  Building,  119  Exchange  and  177  Federal  Sts.,  of 
seven  stories,  was  built  in  1923  from  designs  by  the  architectural  firm  of 
Desmond  and  Lord  of  Boston  and  houses  the  headquarters  of  the  Gannett 
Publishing  Company,  Maine's  largest  newspaper  publishers,  as  well  as  the 
newspaper  plants  of  its  local  newssheets.   With  64-page  type  presses,  cap- 
able of  printing  36,000  copies  an  hour,  the  plant  puts  out  the  morning  Port- 
land Press  Herald,  the  Portland  Evening  Express,  and  the  Portland  Sunday 
Telegram. 

37.  The  Peabody  Law  School,  110  Exchange  St.,  was  established  in  1927  as 
a  day  law  school  and  seven  years  later  was  incorporated  as  the  Peabody  Law 
Classes,  a  non-profit  educational  institution.   The  prescribed  course  is  three 
years,  and  since  1937  the  requirements  for  admission  were  raised  to  a  min- 
imum of  two  years'  college  training.   In  January,  1939,  the  State  Legisla- 
ture authorized  a  change  of  name  to  the  Peabody  Law  School  and  granted 
it  the  right  to  bestow  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of  Law.  The  school,  the  only 
one  of  its  type  in  Maine,  was  founded  by  Judge  Webster  Peabody,  a  grad- 
uate of  Harvard  Law  School  who  was  admitted  to  the  Maine  Bar  in  1896. 
Peabody  held  the  professorship  of  law  at  the  University  of  Maine  from 
1916-23,  was  judge  of  Portland  Municipal  Court  from  1923-27,  and  was 
commissioner  for  the  revision  of  Maine  statutes  from  1927-30. 

38.  The  Old  Post  Office  Building,  169  Middle  St.,  erected  in  1871,  is  said 
to  be  one  of  the  few  white  marble  postoffice  buildings  owned  by  the  U.  S. 
Government.   Built  of  Vermont  marble  in  a  lavish  Roman  style,  with  pil- 
lars of  the  Corinthian  order  on  the  principal  fagade,  the  structure  cost  more 
than  $500,000.  It  has  not  been  used  for  postal  service  since  1934  when  new 
quarters  were  provided  in  another  part  of  the  city  (see  below:  No.  60) .  In 
recent  years  the  building  has  been  converted  into  armories  and  offices  for  the 
activities  of  the  Naval  and  Marine  Reserves  of  Portland  and  vicinity;  it  was 
officially  turned  over  to  the  U.  S.  Navy  in  1939. 


Downtown  Section  233 

39.  Site  of  Morehead  Tavern,  193  Middle  St.    This  hostelry  was  well 
known  in  the  1800's  as  a  stage  stop.  Sometime  during  the  1830's  it  became 
a  temperance  house,  and  to  it  flocked  many  of  the  early  ardent  drys  of  the 
town.  In  1837,  however,  Parson  Caleb  Bradley,  of  the  Stroudwater  Congre- 
gational Church,  hastened  home  from  Portland  to  record  petulantly  in  his 
diary:  "I  dined  today  ...  at  Morehead's  Temperance  Tavern.   Morehead 
says  he  must  open  the  bar  again  for  he  cannot  be  supported.   The  temper- 
ance people  will  rather  give  their  custom  to  rum  taverns  than  to  temperance 
houses." 

40.  The  Bosworth  Memorial  (open  week  days  9-12  and  1-5;  adm.  free),  44 
Free  St.,  is  the  center  of  local  G.A.R.  activities.   Built  about  1820  in  the 
classic  manner,  this  brick  building  has  an  especially  striking  elliptical  re- 
cessed entrance  with  fanned  doorway  and  side  lights.   On  the  greensward, 
at  the  corner  of  Free  and  Cotton  streets,  are  two  brass  howitzers  from  a 
Civil  War  ship,  a  cannon  from  the  English  brig  Boxer  which  was  defeated 
by  the  American  Enterprise  in  September,  1813,  and  an  unidentified  piece 
of  ship  armament. 

Within  the  building  is  a  large  collection  of  Civil  War  relics,  among  them 
the  shell  that  killed  Frederic  William  Bosworth  (1843-63) ,  of  Company  A, 
17th  Maine  Volunteers,  at  Wapping  Heights,  Virginia;  the  memorial  is 
named  in  his  honor.  Included  in  the  collection  are:  a  belaying  pin  from 
Admiral  Farragut's  flagship  Hartford,  the  level  from  the  famous  Swamp 
Angel  gun  of  the  Confederate  forces,  which  had  the  same  reputation  for 
long-distance  firing  during  the  Civil  War  that  the  German  Big  Bertha  had 
during  the  World  War;  and  the  first  bugle  issued  to  a  Maine  outfit  in  the 
war  between  the  States.  On  an  upper  floor,  in  glass  cases,  are  the  original 
parade  flag  made  in  1867  for  the  Bosworth  Post,  G.A.R.,  and  several  tat- 
tered battle  flags  carried  by  Maine  troops  during  the  Civil  War.  Near  the 
flag  cases  hangs  a  painting,  believed  to  be  the  work  of  Isaac  W.  Fisher 
Eaton,  depicting  the  'Charge  of  the  1st  Maine  Cavalry  at  Brandy  Station, 
Virginia.' 

The  G.A.R.  groups  which  use  this  memorial  as  their  headquarters  are: 
Shepley  Camp,  Sons  of  Veterans,  Annie  A.  Gould  Tent,  Daughters  of 
Veterans,  Bosworth  Relief  Corps,  Thatcher  Relief  Corps,  and  the  Ladies 
of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic. 

41.  Elks  Club,  92-98  Free  St.  This  three-story  brick  structure  has  been  the 
Portland  home  of  The  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  since  1908. 
As  early  as  1890  plans  were  made  to  inaugurate  an  Elks  lodge  in  Maine, 
but  it  was  not  until  the  following  year  that  a  charter  was  granted  to  the 


234  Portland  City  Guide 

Portland  petitioners.  The  site  upon  which  the  clubhouse  stands  has  many 
historic  associations.  About  1776  the  so-called  Upper  Battery,  a  fortifica- 
tion constructed  to  repel  any  attack  by  the  British,  was  erected  here  and 
commanded  by  Benjamin  Miller.  Following  the  Revolution  Nathaniel 
Deering  built  a  windmill  on  the  site  of  the  dismantled  Upper  Battery;  for 
many  years  this  slight  incline  was  called  Windmill  Hill.  In  1803  a  private 
mansion  was  erected  on  this  site,  which  was  later  purchased  by  John  F. 
Anderson  (1792-1858),  Portland's  third  mayor.  For  several  years  after 
1859  one-half  of  the  Anderson  mansion  was  used  as  the  Home  Institute,  a 
private  school.  Remodeled  under  the  supervision  of  the  local  architect, 
Austin  W.  Pease,  the  mansion  became  the  present  Elks  Club. 

42.  Cheverus  Classical  High  School,  100  Free  St.   This  school  for  boys  is 
part  of  the  parochial  school  system  of  the  Roman  Catholic  Diocese  of  Port- 
land. A  map  of  1882  shows  that  a  brick  house  on  this  site  was  used  as  a 
Roman  Catholic  Orphan  Asylum;  later  the  building  was  altered  to  become 
the  Convent  of  Our  Lady  of  Mercy  and  the  St.  Elizabeth's  Academy  for 
girls.  Part  of  the  original  building  is  incorporated  in  the  present  structure. 

43.  The  Site  of  the  Jefferson  Theatre,  at  cor.  of  Oak  and  Free  Sts.,  is  now 
occupied  by  a  filling  station.   Familiarly  known  throughout  the  theatrical 
world  as  the  Old  Jeff,  Portland's  famous  theater  was  razed  in  1933.   The 
city's  theatrical  history,  extending  for  over  a  century,  was  climaxed  in  1897 
when  the  Jefferson  Theater  was  constructed  after  a  long  campaign  in  which 
$150,000  was  raised  by  subscription  (see  Theater) .  At  its  opening  the  first- 
night  audience  paid  tribute  to  the  honor  guest,  Joseph  Jefferson,  famous 
American  star  for  whom  the  theater  was  named.  From  its  stage  during  the 
more  than  a  quarter-century  of  its  existence  were  presented  outstanding 
stars  with  supporting  casts  that  read  like  a  roster  of  American  stage  celeb- 
rities. 

44.  Frye  Hall  and  Woman's  Literary  Union,  76-78  Spring  St.    Built  in 
1917,  Frye  Hall  was  presented  to  the  Woman's  Literary  Union  by  George 
C.  Frye.  The  Literary  Union,  organized  in  1889,  has  been  an  active  associa- 
tion in  fostering  literary  appreciation  in  Portland   (see  Literature) .    The 
clubhouse,  built  about  1820  in  the  classic  style,  has  an  elliptical  recessed 
doorway  with  side  lights  separated  by  colonettes.   One  of  the  club  rooms 
has  an  original  Sheraton  mantle. 

45.  Young  Women's  Christian  Association,  120  Free  St.  This  organization 
occupies  the  so-called  Brazier-Jellison  Memorial,  presented  to  the  Y.  W. 
C.  A.  by  Charlotte  Brazier  Harward  and  Zachariah  Jellison  in  memory  of 


Downtown  Section  235 

Georgia  Brazier- Jellison.  Burnham  Gymnasium,  entered  from  34  Oak  St., 
was  built  in  1908  from  designs  by  the  Portland  architects,  George  Burnham 
and  E.  Leander  Higgins;  it  is  the  only  gymnasium  for  women  in  the  city. 

46.  The  Portland  Chamber  of  Commerce,  142  Free  St.,  a  dignified  two- 
story  brick  edifice  with  massive  concrete  columns  of  the  Doric  order,  was  re- 
modeled from  a  church  structure  in  1926  under  the  direction  of  John  Calvin 
Stevens  and  John  Howard  Stevens.  The  building  was  erected  for  a  theater 
in  1830,  but  six  years  later  it  was  "purged  as  if  by  fire"  (see  Theater)  to  be- 
come the  Free  St.  Baptist  Church.    On  the  second  floor  of  the  present 
building  is  the  Cumberland  County  Audubon  Society  (open;  adm.  free) 
which  maintains  a  small  but  noteworthy  collection  of  mounted  birds  native 
to  this  region. 

47.  The  Maine  School  for  the  Deaf,  75-91  Spring  St.,  is  a  public  school 
maintained  by  the  State  of  Maine  and  is  free  to  all  of  the  State's  deaf  be- 
tween the  ages  of  5  and  21.  The  idea  of  a  school  for  the  deaf  was  instituted 
in  1876  by  Dr.  Thomas  Hill  (1818-91),  former  pastor  of  the  First  Parish 
Church,  and  Frederick  Fox  (1827-94),  a  Portland  lawyer.  The  first  school, 
located  in  a  single  room  on  Free  Street,  had  an  initial  class  of  three  under 
a  single  teacher;  by  1880  the  school's  enrollment  was  19  pupils.   Twelve 
years  later  the  school  moved  to  its  present  Spring  Street  location  once  oc- 
cupied by  the  early  Portland  High  School.   In  1897  an  act  of  the  Maine 
Legislature  made  the  school  a  State  institution  under  the  Department  of 
Education.  With  a  present  faculty  of  six,  the  school  trains  deaf  pupils  from 
all  parts  of  Maine,  as  well  as  students  from  other  states.    Instruction  is 
given  in  academic  work  from  kindergarten  grades  through  high  school; 
domestic  science  is  stressed  with  girl  pupils,  and  boys  receive  excellent 
training  in  all  forms  of  woodworking. 

Taylor  Hall,  purchased  in  1901  and  named  for  Elizabeth  R.  Taylor  who 
served  as  superintendent  of  the  school  between  1894  and  1931,  was  form- 
erly the  home  of  Thomas  Brackett  Reed  (1839-1902) ,  Maine's  noted  states- 
man (see  Munjoy  Section:  No.  8).  The  house  still  contains  Reed's 
splendid  library;  the  spiral  staircase,  the  stair- well  of  which  is  domed  with 
glass,  has  been  left  unchanged. 

48.  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art  Museum   (see  also  Arts  and  Crafts) 
(open  daily,  except  Monday,  10  a.m.4:3Q  p.m.;  Sundays  2-4:30  p.m.;  no 
admission  charge)  ,111  High  St.  The  museum  was  erected  according  to  the 
terms  of  the  will  of  Mrs.  Margaret  J.  M.  Sweat  (1823-1908)  as  a  memorial 
to  her  husband,  Lorenzo  de  Medici  Sweat   (1818-97).    The  bequest  was 


236  Portland  City  Guide 

made  to  the  Portland  Society  of  Art  and  its  conditions  were  formally  ac- 
cepted by  the  Society  February  24,  1911.  The  will  expressly  provided  that 
the  mansion  and  its  contents  be  preserved  intact. 

At  the  right  of  the  entrance  hall  is  the  Sweat  Mansion  (open  same  hours 
as  museum)  which  fronts  Spring  Street.  Built  in  1800  for  Hugh  McLellan 
from  designs  by  Alexander  Parris,  a  well-known  Massachusetts  architect, 
this  three-story  house  of  brick  laid  in  Flemish  bond  is  one  of  Portland's 
fine  old  Federal-style  structures.  The  low  hip  roof  is  balustraded,  and  the 
roof  cornice  well  designed  and  softened  by  a  row  of  inverted  cove  brackets. 
The  fenestration  of  the  house  is  designed  to  make  plain  square  walls  in- 
teresting; white  denticulated  cornices  accent  the  window  heads.  The  most 
striking  feature  of  the  exterior  is  the  semi-circular  entrance  porch  on  Spring 
Street.  Two  Ionic  columns  with  pilasters  support  a  curved  entablature, 
consisting  of  a  well-moulded  architrave,  a  frieze  decorated  with  triglyphs 
closely  spaced,  and  a  cornice  of  modillions.  The  soffit  of  the  entablature  is 
treated  with  an  interlaced  fret  pattern.  The  porch  roof  has  a  balustrade, 
the  newels  of  which  are  surmounted  by  urns.  The  paneled  entrance  door  is 
framed  by  side  lights  with  a  delicate  elliptical  fan-lighted  transom  window. 
Immediately  above  the  porch,  and  slightly  narrower  than  the  door,  is  a 
Palladian  window. 

Outstanding  within  the  building  are  the  carved  mouldings,  wainscoting, 
and  door  and  window  panels;  some  of  these  decorations  seem  to  have  been 
added  at  a  later  date.  The  house  furnishings  are  much  as  when  the  Sweat 
family  resided  there,  and  are  typical  of  "genteel"  homes  of  the  Victorian 
era.  Some  of  the  silver  bears  the  hallmark  of  early  Sheffield  (England) 
silversmiths;  the  French  clock,  with  Sevres  china  face,  in  the  entrance  hall, 
once  belonged  to  Louis  Phillippe  of  France;  the  three  French  ornaments  on 
the  mantle  of  the  drawing  room  came  from  Malmaison,  the  home  of  Em- 
press Josephine  after  her  divorce  from  Napoleon. 

In  the  entrance  hall  of  the  museum  is  the  life-size  marble  'Pearl  Diver,' 
the  work  of  Maine's  famous  sculptor,  Paul  Akers,  who  executed  it  in  Rome 
in  1858.  This  work  was  purchased  and  presented  to  the  Portland  Society 
of  Art  by  a  group  of  local  citizens  in  1888. 

In  the  entrance  to  the  rotunda  are  portraits  of  James  P.  Baxter  and  Neal 
Dow  by  Portland's  Joseph  B.  Kahili.  In  the  rotunda  itself  are  two  marbles 
by  Hiram  Powers,  'Mother'  and  'Son,'  fine  examples  of  the  work  of  this 
distinguished  American  sculptor,  and  various  copies  of  classical  sculpture. 
There  is  also  a  life  size  cast  of  Paul  Wayland  Bartlett's  'Michaelangelo,' 
the  original  of  which  is  in  the  library  of  Congress  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


Downtown  Section  237 

Some  of  the  museum  collections  acquired  by  purchase,  bequest,  and  gift  are 
installed  in  Gallery  A.  Among  these  are  the  Perry  Collection  (gift  of 
Curtis  Perry)  of  Flemish  tapestries  (circa  1600) ,  a  collection  of  vestments 
and  rare  fabrics,  many  pieces  of  Mexican  pottery,  and  some  pieces  of  an- 
tique furniture.  In  the  same  gallery  are  two  fine  examples  of  the  work  of 
the  late  Winslow  Homer,  both  loans  to  the  museum.  Above  the  entrance 
is  a  large  allegorical  mural  'The  Working  God  and  the  Sower,'  by  the  late 
Charles  Lewis  Fox.  Here  also  is  a  representative  group,  the  work  of  the 
late  Walter  Griffin,  N.  A.,  and  single  works  by  various  contemporary 
painters. 

The  Baxter  Collection  of  Indian  Pottery  (gift  of  the  late  J.  P.  Baxter), 
and  a  collection  of  Japanese  sword  guards  loaned  by  Francis  O.  Libby,  are 
both  of  great  interest. 

In  Gallery  B  is  a  group  of  portraits,  among  them  Gilbert  Stuart's  'General 
Dearborn/  and  a  self-portrait  by  Chester  Harding,  next  to  which  is  his 
portrait  of  his  son.  In  this  room  is  Douglas  Volk's  portrait  of  Lincoln,  and 
under  it  a  bronze  replica  of  the  cast  made  from  Lincoln's  hand  by  Leonard 
Volk,  sculptor.  Here  also  is  Denis  Bunker's  portrait  of  Walter  Griffin  as  a 
young  man,  and  Claude  W.  Montgomery's  portrait  of  John  Calvin  Stevens, 
for  many  years  president  of  the  Portland  Society  of  Art.  In  the  center  of 
the  gallery  is  Paul  Wayland  Bartlett's  'Lafayette,'  the  sketch  model  for  the 
statue  now  in  front  of  the  Louvre  in  the  Tuilleries  Gardens  of  Paris,  a  gift 
of  the  school  children  of  America  to  France. 

The  other  three  galleries,  C,  D,  and  E  are  used  for  current  exhibitions  of 
contemporary  work  in  the  field  of  painting,  the  graphic  arts,  and  photog- 
raphy. 

The  lower  rotunda  gallery  houses  the  Franklin  Simmons  Collection  of 
Sculpture  (bequest  of  the  sculptor)  among  which  is  'Medusa'  (marble), 
'Galatea'  (bronze),  'Hercules  and  Alcestes'  (plaster),  'Marion,'  'Mother 
and  Moses,'  and  various  other  works  in  stone  and  bronze. 

The  Print  Gallery  and  Lecture  Room  has  in  its  cases  collections  of  prints 
and  engravings,  bequests  of  the  late  Charles  Libby,  Fritz  Jordan,  and  others. 
These  are  shown  on  request. 

49.  School  of  Fine  and  Applied  Art  of  the  Portland  Society  of  Art,  97! 
Spring  St.  This  Greek  Revival  structure  of  face-brick  painted  putty-color 
was  erected  about  1833  by  Portland's  Charles  Q.  Clapp  (1799-1868) .  Ionic 
fluted  columns  and  pilasters  adorn  the  exterior.  The  windows  are  small 
and  elliptical  in  treatment;  the  blinds  are  recessed.  The  interior,  somewhat 


238  Portland  City  Guide 

altered  for  purposes  of  the  school,  has  a  well-designed  stairway.  The  Port- 
land Society  of  Art  (see  Arts  and  Crafts]  purchased  the  building  in  1914 
to  house  the  school  founded  by  the  society  three  years  before.  The  school, 
governed  by  a  committee  of  the  Board  of  Management  and  the  Director  of 
the  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art  Museum,  is  part  of  the  community  serv- 
ice of  the  Portland  Society  of  Art  and  offers  students  a  thorough  technical 
training.  The  courses  comprise  drawing  and  painting,  color  and  design, 
commercial  art,  industrial  design,  and  art  teacher  training  to  conform  with 
the  requirements  of  the  State  Department  of  Education. 

50.  The  Libby  Memorial  Building,  10  Congress  Square,  designed  in  the 
Italian  Renaissance  style  by  the  local  architect,  F.  A.  Tompson,  was  built  in 
1897  for  the  Young  Men's  Christian  Association.  When  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
moved  to  new  quarters  the  building  passed  into  private  ownership  and  was 
named  in  memory  of  Joseph  Ralph  Libby  (1845-1917),  a  local  merchant. 
This  was  once  the  site  of  the  pretentious  home  of  Mathew  Cobb   (1757- 
1824) ,  who,  as  joint  owner  of  a  fleet  of  Portland  sailing  vessels,  was  referred 
to  by  his  contemporaries  as  King  Cobb.    Toward  the  middle  of  the  19th 
century  J.  B.  Cahoon  (1802-68),  mayor  of  Portland  in  1849,  purchased  the 
Cobb  estate  and  during  his  occupancy  the  first  illuminating  gas  in  the  city 
was  installed  in  the  house. 

51.  The  Congress  Square  Hotel,  579  Congress  St.,  and  the  Eastland  Hotel, 
157  High  St.,  form  Maine's  largest  single  hotel-group.    The  $2,000,000 
Eastland,  a  modern  commercial  type  of  building  erected  in  1927  from  de- 
signs by  the  local  architect,  Herbert  Rhodes,  is  the  largest  single  structure 
in  Portland.  It  adjoins  and  is  connected  with  the  Congress  Square,  built  in 
1866  on  the  site  of  the  earlier  City  Hotel,  rendezvous  of  country  traders 
and  farmers  who  could  bed  down  their  horses  in  the  convenient  stable  at- 
tached to  the  hotel  and  proceed  to  sell  their  produce  in  the  market  place 
near  by.    Located  on  the  seventh  floor  of  the  Congress  Square  Hotel  is 
Radio   Station   WCSH,   Maine's   pioneer   commercial   broadcasting   sta- 
tion (see  Radio).   From  this  station,  on  Sunday,  are  broadcast  the  non- 
sectarian  services  of  the  First  Radio  Parish  Church  of  America   (see  Re- 
ligion) ,  formed  in  1926  by  the  Reverend  H.  O.  Hough. 

52.  The  Immanuel  Baptist  Church,  156  High  St.,  is  often  referred  to  as  a 
"poem  in  stone."  Designed  after  the  English  Perpendicular  Gothic  style  by 
the  local  architect,  E.  Leander  Higgins,  it  is  a  charming  edifice  of  seam- 
faced  granite  quarried  in  Weymouth,  Massachusetts,  with  sandstone  trim. 
The  church  was  erected  in  1925-27  and  is  described  by  its  architect:  "Rela- 
tively confined  on  the  lot  its  tower  and  cloister  gives  it  commanding  dignity. 


Downtown  Section  239 

The  warm  seam-faced  granite  is  beautifully  laid  with  long  flat  stones  of 
selected  colorings  ...  the  heavy  slates  on  the  roof  are  random  widths  mottled 
dark  purple  from  Vermont.  The  church  interior  has  a  fine  sense  of  space 
and  graciousness.  The  result  of  the  aisles  being  kept  low  is  to  give  splendid 
height  to  the  clerestory  windows,  to  give  the  building  scale,  and  to  make 
possible  a  small  yet  monumental  church.  Low  aisles  are  only  one  of  a  num- 
ber of  features  that  produce  this  result  —  the  simplicity  of  treatment  (al- 
most the  entire  effect  is  gained  by  mass  without  excessive  ornamentation), 
the  deep  East  Entrance,  and  the  low  and  beautifully  treated  narthex."  The 
Great  North  Window,  with  the  motif  of  the  'Risen  Christ  Surrounded  by 
Divine  Love,'  and  the  Rose  Window  are  the  work  of  the  Earl  Sanborn 
Studios  of  Boston.  The  Immanuel  Baptist  Society  emerged  from  the  con- 
solidation of  the  congregations  of  the  Free  Street  Baptist  Church  and  the 
First  Free  Baptist  Church,  both  of  which  had  histories  dating  back  nearly 
a  century  (see  Religion) . 

53.  The  Portland  Public  Library,  621  Congress  St.,  was  erected  in  1889, 
a  gift  of  James  Phinney  Baxter,  Maine's  historian.  Designed  in  the  Ro- 
manesque style  by  Francis  Henry  Fassett,  a  local  architect,  the  structure  is 
of  red  brick  with  a  facade  of  Ohio  sandstone  and  brown  freestone  from  the 
famous  Kibbi  quarry  in  Connecticut.  The  library  was  originally  incorpor- 
ated in  April,  1867,  as  the  Portland  Institute  and  Public  Library,  its  first 
president  being  William  Willis,  Portland's  historian.  As  originally  de- 
signed, this  building  was  to  accommodate  the  library,  the  Maine  Historical 
Society,  and  the  Maine  Genealogical  Society;  later  the  Portland  Public 
Library  became  sole  occupant.  Through  a  donation  from  the  Joseph  Walker 
estate  in  1897,  the  five-story  Snead  stack  (fireproof)  was  added,  and  in  1929 
the  interior  of  the  library  proper  was  extensively  remodeled.  The  library 
contains  more  than  122,000  volumes. 

Included  in  its  collection  are  many  of  Thomas  Bird  Mosher's  reprints  (see 
Literature) ,  as  well  as  many  of  the  publications  of  the  Southworth-Anthoen- 
sen  Press,  two  of  the  de  luxe  presses  of  the  world.  The  collection  of  early 
Portland  and  Maine  newspapers  owned  by  the  library  is  particularly  valu- 
able. 

In  the  Reference  Room  (L)  is  an  interesting  landscape  of  Great  Diamond 
Island  by  Portland's  pioneer  painter,  Charles  Codman.  Also  in  this  room 
is  J.  B.  Hudson's  copy  of  the  original  portrait  by  Gilbert  Stuart  of  William 
King,  Maine's  first  Governor.  Among  other  notable  oil  paintings  in  the 
Reference  Room  is  'Cymbria,'  a  painting  by  Frank  Stanwood  of  a  Russian 
ship  interned  at  Bar  Harbor  by  the  British  at  the  time  of  the  Crimean  War. 


240  Portland  City  Guide 

The  marble  bust  of  James  Phinney  Baxter  is  the  work  of  Franklin  Sim- 
mons (see  Arts  and  Crafts) .  In  the  Art  Room  (R)  is  Curtis  Perry's  Tor- 
trait  of  a  Mexican  Girl.' 

Downstairs  in  the  Periodical  Room  (L)  is  John  Wood's  'Forest  Scene';  and 
hanging  in  the  Children's  Room  (Rear)  is  'Marine  Scene'  by  Thomas 
O'Neill.  Other  paintings  in  the  library  by  Portland  artists  are  'Landscape' 
by  Charles  Frederick  Kimball  and  'Marine'  by  John  Calvin  Stevens.  From 
the  School  Room  175,000  books  are  annually  sent  out  to  the  various  schools 
of  the  city. 

Through  the  co-operation  of  the  Portland  Park  Department  and  the  Long- 
fellow Club,  a  terraced  garden  spot  adjoining  the  Children's  Room  is  main- 
tained for  summer  library  activities  for  children. 

54.  The  Congress  Building,  142  High  St.,  is  a  strictly  utilitarian,  six-story 
office  structure,  erected  in  1929  from  the  designs  of  the  local  architect, 
Herbert  W.  Rhodes. 

55.  The  Columbia  Hotel,  645A  Congress  St.,  built  in  1895  and  probably 
named  in  honor  of  the  World's  Columbian  Exposition,  is  the  home  of 
Station  WGAN  (see  Radio) .   In  the  Hawaiian  Room  is  Anton  Skillin's 
mural,  'Great  Diamond  Head.' 

56.  The  Lafayette  Hotel,  638  Congress  St.,  so  named  in  honor  of  the 
famous  French  general  who  visited  Portland  in  1825,  was  put  up  in  1903  on 
the  site  of  the  Mussey  Boarding  House  in  which  Lafayette  is  said  to  have 
remained  overnight.  In  the  Lafayette  Lounge  is  a  mural  'Cornwallis'  Sur- 
render at  Yorktown,'  the  work  of  William  H.  Riseman,  of  New  York. 

57.  St.   Stephen's   Episcopal   Church,   669   Congress    St.,    so   impressed 
Matthew  Arnold,  English  poet,  critic,  and  essayist,  who  visited  Portland 
around  the  middle  of  the  19th  century,  that  he  exclaimed:  "This  is  the 
only  edifice  of  its  kind  I  have  seen  in  all  my  travels  in  America."  In  later 
years  Boston's  distinguished  architectural  firm,  Cram  and  Ferguson,  highly 
praised  the  fidelity  of  the  structure's  early  English  Gothic  style.   Built  of 
native  slate  in  1854-55,  the  church  was  designed  by  Charles  A.  Alexander,  a 
New  York  architect.  A  marble  plaque  on  the  outer  wall  near  the  entrance 
door,  states  that  the  church  is  a  memorial  to  the  Reverend  George  Burgess, 
first  bishop  of  the  Episcopal  Diocese  of  Maine.  The  altar  of  Haitian  wal- 
nut, which  was  presented  to  the  church  prior  to  1866,  is  hand  carved. 

The  parish  of  St.  Stephen's  dates  from  1763  when  a  group  of  Episcopal- 
minded  members  of  the  First  Parish  Congregational  Church  formed  a  new 


Downtown  Section  241 

society  (see  Religion).  In  1791  the  society  was  incorporated  under  the  laws 
of  Massachusetts  with  the  name  of  St.  Paul's  and  in  1838  was  re-organized 
under  the  name  it  now  bears.  The  first  Episcopal  church  edifice  in  Port- 
land was  erected  in  1764,  with  John  Wiswall  pastor,  and  was  razed  in  1775 
during  Mowat's  bombardment  of  'The  Neck.' 

58.  The  Steven  s  Memorial  Fountain,  nearly  opposite  junction  of  Park 
Ave.  and  High  Sts.,  honors  Lillian  Marion  Norton  Stevens  (1844-1914), 
national  president  of  the  Women's  Christian  Temperance  Union  from  1878 
until  her  death.    The  fountain  is  a  replica  of  one  erected  in  Chicago  in 
memory  of  Frances  E.  Willard,  noted  temperance  advocate.   The  bronze 
figure  of  a  child  is  the  work  of  the  London  sculptor,  George  E.  Wade;  the 
base  of  the  fountain  was  designed  by  the  local  architect,  Frederick  A.  Tomp- 
son.  Originally  placed  in  Congress  Square,  the  fountain  was  removed  to  its 
present  location  in  1928. 

59.  The  Spanish  War  Veterans'  Monument,  on  the  greensward  near  the 
State  Street  entrance  in  Deering  Oaks,  honors  the  Portland  men  who  served 
in  the  Spanish-American  War  (1898) ,  the  Cuban  Pacification  (1898-1902) , 
the  Philippine  Insurrection  and  Pacification   (1899-1901),  and  the  Boxer 
Uprising  in  China   (1900).    The  cast  bronze  monument  of  a  soldier  in 
Spanish  War  uniform,  similar  to  other  memorials  throughout  the  country, 
was  dedicated  in  March,  1924. 

60.  The  U.  S.  Post  Office,  125  Forest  Ave.,  a  red-brick,  Georgian  structure 
erected  in  1933-34  from  designs  by  the  local  architect,  John  Calvin  Stevens, 
exemplifies    the   growing    tendency    toward   simplicity   in    Federal-owned 
buildings.  On  each  side  of  the  entrance  door  of  the  main  delivery  room  are 
murals  of  Maine  scenes  by  Henry  Elias  Mattson,  of  Woodstock,  New  York. 

Mail  was  brought  intermittently  to  The  Neck'  a  few  years  after  its  reset- 
tlement, but  regular  postal  service  did  not  develop  until  1760.  Four  years 
later  the  first  local  post  office  was  established,  with  Thomas  Child  as  post- 
master; this  early  office  was  located  on  the  corner  of  India  and  Middle 
streets.  During  1783  only  57  letters  were  sent  from  the  local  office,  but  two 
years  later  the  number  had  increased  until  several  hundred  were  mailed  an- 
nually. Prior  to  1787  the  mail  was  carried  by  post  rider  from  Portsmouth, 
New  Hampshire,  to  The  Neck,'  but  in  that  year  the  mails  were  first  car- 
ried in  coaches.  Portland  is  the  central  accounting  office  for  the  State. 

61.  The  triangle-shaped  Edwards  Park,  Park  and  Forest  Aves.  and  High 
St.,  was  laid  out  in  June,  1937,  as  a  memorial  to  Major  General  Clarence 


242  Portland  City  Guide 

R.  Edwards  (1860-1931),  commander  of  the  26th  Division  during  the 
World  War.  The  granite  shaft,  supporting  the  bronze  memorial  plaque, 
was  erected  by  the  local  YD  club,  the  emblem  of  which  is  worked  into 
the  ornamental  flower  circle  on  the  High  Street  angle  of  the  park. 

62.  The  Advent  Christian  Church,  28  Park  Ave.,  a  stone  and  concrete 
structure,  was  erected  in  1909. 

63.  The  Young  Men's  Christian  Association,  68  Forest  Ave.,  is  said  to  be 
the  fifth  oldest  "Y"  in  the  country,  having  been  organized  when  a  group 
of  churchmen  gathered  in  the  vestry  of  the  Federal  Street  Baptist  Church  in 
October,  1853,  to  lay  plans  to  increase  religious  education  through  Bible 
classes.   The  association  moved  from  the  Libby  Building,  its  earlier  home, 
to  the  present  brick  structure  in  August,  1927.  Complete  with  gymnasiums, 
swimming  pool,  game  and  lounge  rooms,  and  dormitory,   the   five-story 
building  in  the  Georgian  style  was  designed  by  the  local  architect,  John  P. 
Thomas. 

64.  The  Portland  Stove  Foundry  (open  to  visitors),  25-67  Kennebec  St., 
founded  in  1877  and  incorporated  three  years  later,  manufactures  a  well- 
known  kitchen  range  and  other  stove  products.   The  foundry  has  been  a 
Portland  institution  since  it  moved  into  its  present  location  in  1882.   The 
melting  process  is  particularly  interesting. 

65.  The  Scandinavian  Bethlehem  Church,  58  Wilmot  St.,  was  organized  in 
1896  when   17  Scandinavian  immigrants  held  their  first  local  religious 
meeting  (see  Religion).  The  present  church  building  was  erected  in  1914. 
For  many  years  services  were  conducted  in  Norwegian,  but  this  has  been 
discontinued. 

66.  The  First  Baptist  Church,  355  Congress  St.,  a  freestone- fronted  edi- 
fice dominating  the  north  side  of  Lincoln  Park,  was  completed  in  1869  (see 
Religion) . 

67.  The  Cathedral  of  the  Immaculate  Conception,  190  Cumberland  Ave., 
follows  the  florid  French  Gothic  style.  This  huge  brick  pile  was  designed  by 
P.  C.  Keeley,  of  Brooklyn,  New  York.  The  cornerstone  was  laid  in  May, 
1866,  but  three  months  later  the  'Great  Fire'  razed  the  portion  of  the  build- 
ing that  had  been  erected.    By  September,  1869,  the  rebuilding  of  the 
structure  was  completed,  and  a  month  later  it  was  dedicated  (see  Religion) . 
The  interior  is  particularly  impressive,  all  architectural  lines  emphasizing 
the  loftiness  of  the  structure.  A  distinctive  architectural  feature  is  the  am- 
bulatory around  the  sanctuary,  formed  by  seven  columns  which  are  a  con- 


The  Twentieth  Century  City 


I 


Air  View,  Western  Section 


Air  View,  Eastern  Section 


Congress  Street  Today 


View  of  Portland  Harbor  (1855) 


Downtown  Section  243 

tinuation  of  those  in  the  nave.  The  cathedral  is  enriched  by  the  prudent 
choice  of  delicate  ornamentation  so  placed  as  to  accentuate  the  lines  of  its 
columns  and  arches.  Emphasis  is  placed  upon  the  groinings  of  all  of  the 
arches  by  the  use  of  a  rich,  gold  background  upon  which  is  placed  a  lightly- 
tinted  scrollwork. 

The  cathedral  is  particularly  rich  in  marble  work,  the  splendid  Gothic  high 
altar  of  white  marble  being  especially  impressive,  the  work  of  Italian  sculp- 
tors. The  communion  rail  of  white  Carrara  marble  with  panels  of  Verona 
red  and  a  top  layer  of  very  light  coral  shade,  together  with  cast  bronze 
gates  in  old  gold  finish,  were  designed  by  the  Luisi  Company,  of  Pietrasanta, 
Italy.  The  pulpit,  placed  behind  the  communion  rail  and  on  the  Epistle 
side  of  the  sanctuary,  although  massive  in  appearance,  conforms  to  the 
Gothic  style  of  the  cathedral;  it  also  was  designed  by  the  Luisi  Company. 
The  bishop's  throne,  consisting  of  seats  for  the  bishop  and  two  assistants, 
is  sheltered  by  a  canopy  supported  by  four  round  columns  of  violet  Brescia 
marble  and  capped  by  a  cluster  of  graceful  finials.  Other  noteworthy  parts 
of  the  cathedral  are  the  side  altars,  the  Sacred  Heart  Shrine,  and  the  Sta- 
tions of  the  Cross  executed  in  Venetian  glass  mosaic.  The  cathedral  has 
fine  stained  glass  windows,  notably  that  immediately  behind  the  High 
Altar  and  just  above  the  Shrine  of  the  Sacred  Heart  which  depicts  the 
'Immaculate  Conception/  This  window  was  the  gift  in  1904  of  William 
Cardinal  O'Connell,  then  Bishop  of  Portland. 

The  Cathedral  Chapel,  originally  completed  in  1856  but  razed  by  the  fire 
which  destroyed  a  large  portion  of  the  city  ten  years  later,  was  rebuilt  in 
December,  1866.  This  Gothic  chapel  is  noteworthy  for  its  fine  open  roof- 
trussing.  In  addition  to  several  beautiful  marble  altars,  the  chapel  con- 
tains a  baptistry  with  sculptured  marble  and  bronze  baptismal  font,  the 
work  of  Italian  sculptors.  The  statue  of  Christ  surmounting  the  baptistry 
is  a  copy  of  that  by  Michaelangelo  in  the  Church  of  Santa  Maria  sopra 
Minerva  in  Rome. 

68.  St.  Paul's  Episcopal  Church,  9  Locust  St.  Ivy-covered,  its  columned 
porch  connecting  it  with  the  adjoining  rectory,  this  edifice  was  erected  in 
1868,  the  same  year  the  St.  Paul's  Episcopal  Society  was  formed.  It  is 
named  for  the  Reverend  John  Wiswall's  church,  the  first  Episcopal  church 
in  Portland  (see  Religion) .  Although  described  as  "composite  Norman- 
Gothic-Saxon"  architecture,  it  will  be  observed  that  the  Congress  and  Lo- 
cust street  facades  are  built  of  stone,  the  opposite  end  of  wood,  and  the 
fourth  side  of  brick.  The  hand-carved  oak  lectern  is  the  work  of  J.  C. 
Hansen,  of  Portland. 


244  Portland  City  Guide 

69.  Site  of  Parson  Smith's  House,  267-267B-269  Congress  St.  On  October 
9,  1726,  a  young  divinity  graduate  of  Harvard  who  had  come  to  'The 
Neck'  briefly  recorded  in  his  diary  that  there  was  a  "town  meeting  today. 
They  voted  to  build  me  a  house."   Thus  did  Parson  Thomas  Smith  (see 
Religion)  briefly  record  that  he  had  become  the  first  permanent  minister  of 
old  Falmouth.    Smith's  diary,  covering  nearly  seventy  years,  has  provided 
historians  a  valuable  source  of  sidelights  on  the  town  in  the  days  when  it 
was  emerging  from  a  pioneer  settlement  to  the  most  prosperous  maritime 
port  east  of  Boston. 

70.  The  Church  of  the  Messiah  (Second  Universalist) ,  260  Congress  St., 
an  ivy-covered  brick  structure  with  belfry  surmounted  by  a  tall  steeple,  was 
erected  in  1870  as  the  India  Street  Universalist  Church.    The  present 
Church  of  the  Messiah  Society  was  organized  in  1881. 

71.  Site  of  Alice  Greele's  Tavern,  SE  cor.  Congress  and  Hampshire  Sts.  Of 
this  early  inn  William  Willis,  Portland's  historian,  wrote:  "It  was  common 
for  clubs  and  social  parties  to  meet  at  the  taverns  in  those  days  and  Mrs. 
Greele's  .  .  .  was  a  place  of  fashionable  resort  for  old  and  young  wags,  be- 
fore as  well  as  after  the  Revolution.  It  was  the  Eastcheap  of  Portland  and 
was  as  famous  for  baked  beans  as  the  'Boars'  Head'  was  for  sack,  although 
we  would  by  no  means  compare  honest  Dame  Greele  with  the  more  cele- 
brated though  less  deserving  hostess  of  Falstaff  and  Poins."   The  Greele 
Tavern  survived  the  Mowat  bombardment  and  in  1846  was  moved  to  In- 
graham's  Court,  off  Washington  Street;  20  years  later  it  burned  in  the 
'Great  Fire/ 

72.  Lincoln  Park,  Congress,  Pearl,  Federal,  and  Franklin  Sts.,  was  the  first 
plot  of  land  set  off  after  the  1866  conflagration,  during  which  this  and  ad- 
jacent sections  of  the  city  were  completely  razed  (see  History).   The  city 
purchased  the  park  site  "to  provide  a  protection  against  the  spread  of  fire 
and  to  promote  the  public  health,"  and  designated  it  Phoenix  Square,  so 
called,  undoubtedly,  because  like  the  ancient  fabled  bird,  it  arose  from  the 
ashes  of  the  disastrous  fire.  Shortly  after  it  was  formally  opened  the  name 
was  changed  to  Lincoln  Park,  and  in  February,  1909,  on  the  100th  anniver- 
sary of  Abraham  Lincoln's  birthday,  the  park  was  officially  dedicated  in  his 
honor.  Near  the  Franklin  Street  entrance  is  the  Lincoln  Elm,  planted  by  the 
local  G.A.R.  organizations  in  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  Great  Emanci- 
pator. Near  the  Congress  Street  entrance  is  an  old  millstone,  a  relic  of  one 
of  the  earliest  local  windmills  which  in  1745  stood  near  by.  The  fountain, 
in  the  center  of  the  park,  is  a  rendezvous  in  summer  for  children  of  the 


Downtown  Section  245 

city  who  arrive  in  throngs  to  splash  and  wade  in  the  cool  water  of  the  basin. 
Along  the  Federal  Street  boundary  of  Lincoln  Park  is  an  area  devoted  to 
the  Portland  Public  Market,  where  farmers  from  the  surrounding  rural 
areas  spread  their  produce  for  sale. 

73.  The  Cumberland  County  Court  House,  142  Federal  St.,  was  erected  in 
1910  from  designs  by  George  Burnham,  Portland  architect.    This  four- 
story  granite  building  houses  all  the  county  offices.  On  the  third  floor  is  the 
Nathan  and  Henry  B.  Cleaves  Law  Library,  owned  by  the  Cumberland 
County  Bar  Association;  a  valuable  part  of  the  collection  is  the  Simeon 
Greenleaf  Law  Library.   When  Cumberland  County  was  set  off  in  1760, 
court  was  held  at  the  old  meetinghouse  on  India  Street  in  which  town 
business  also  was  conducted.  Construction  of  a  large  courthouse  was  begun 
by  the  county  in  1774  but  it  was  destroyed  in  the  Mowat  bombardment  the 
following  year,  and  during  the  Revolutionary  War  court  was  held  at  Greele's 
Tavern  on  Congress  Street.  In  1787  Samuel  Freeman  was  paid  £9  "for  his 
great  chamber  for  the  use  of  the  Courts."  Two  years  before  a  lot  on  Back 
Street  was  sold  to  the  county,  at  which  time  they  erected  a  small  wooden 
building,  but  it  was  not  until  1788  that  a  courtroom  was  fitted  up  for  use 
on  the  second  floor  of  this  building;  from  that  time  until  the  present  court- 
house was  built  town,  county,  and  city  offices  were  housed  here.  Five  years 
before  the  burning  of  the  City  Hall  in  1908  it  was  apparent  that  more  ade- 
quate accommodations  would  be  needed  by  the  county.    The  fire  precipi- 
tated matters,  and  the  present  courthouse  was  built  two  years  later. 

74.  The  Portland  Police  Station,  134  Federal  St.,  a  three-story  yellow- 
brick  design  by  George  Burnham  and  E.  Leander  Higgins,  local  architects, 
was  erected  in  1912.   In  addition  to  the  Bertillon  fingerprint  room,  there 
are  offices  and  quarters  for  the  personnel,  signal  room,  detention  rooms, 
cells,  shooting  gallery,  and  a  first  aid  room.  The  present  Police  Department 
consists  of  a  chief,  13  officers,  89  regulars,  and  16  provisional. 

In  April,  1797,  the  young  town  of  Falmouth  became  conscious  of  the  need 
of  some  police  protection  and  appointed  William  Joseph  Symmes  as  "In- 
spector," the  first  actual  policeman.  Symmes  served  without  pay  until  De- 
cember, 1798,  when  the  town  fathers  voted  him  a  salary  of  $100  a  year  and 
also  decided  to  appoint  eight  watchmen  to  assist  him  in  his  duties,  which 
mainly  consisted  of  patroling  the  streets  of  the  town  to  alarm  the  inhabi- 
tants in  case  of  fire  or  "any  other  calamity."  Not  until  1860  were  the 
policemen  required  to  wear  uniforms,  and  a  local  writer  of  police  history 
states  that  "police  efficiency  improved  from  this  time  forward.  There  was 
a  certain  air  of  respect  inspired  by  the  sight  of  the  pantaloons,  the  gold  star 


246  Portland  City  Guide 

and  rosette,  the  dark  blue  frock  coat  and  the  glaze  covered  hat."  In  1877 
a  pension  system  for  patrolmen  was  established.  The  first  police  matron, 
Mrs.  Mary  J.  Raymond,  became  a  member  of  the  department  in  1884,  hav- 
ing been  appointed  on  the  recommendation  of  the  local  Women's  Christian 
Temperance  Union.  A  police  signal  system  was  installed  in  1887  with  20 
call  boxes  placed  in  different  parts  of  the  city;  a  horse-drawn  patrol  wagon 
was  added  to  the  force  at  that  time.  By  March,  1911,  the  horse-drawn 
"Black  Maria"  was  replaced  by  the  first  motor-driven  patrol,  and  in  July, 
1912,  the  first  police  boat  was  placed  in  operation  in  Portland  Harbor;  the 
present  boat  was  acquired  in  1937.  The  local  department  was  the  first  in 
Maine  to  be  equipped  with  police  radios  (see  Radio)  used  in  connection 
with  their  eight  cruising  patrol  cars. 

75.  The  Italian  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  130  Federal  St.,  is  a  wooden 
structure,  formerly  the  home  of  the  Deaconess*  organization  of  the  Meth- 
odist Church.  In  1904  the  building  was  converted  into  the  Methodist  Social 
House  for  the  use  of  the  Italians,  with  living  quarters  on  the  second  floor 
for  the  pastor.   In  1931  the  building  was  remodeled  to  include  a  church 
and  parsonage. 

76.  Site  of  Fanny  Fern  and  N.  P.  Willis  Birthplace,  72  Franklin  St.    A 
two  and  one-half  story  house  now  occupies  the  site  where  Sarah  Payson 
Willis  (1811-72)  and  her  brother  Nathaniel  Parker  Willis  (1806-67)  were 
born.  Sarah,  better  known  as  Fanny  Fern,  was  a  novelist  and  essayist  and  a 
pleader  of  special  causes,  particularly  women's  rights.   Nathaniel,  journal- 
ist, poet,  editor,  and  dramatist,  attained  fame  by  writing  of  his  travels  in 
foreign  lands  (see  Literature  and  Newspapers) . 

77.  St.  Peter's  Italian  Catholic  Church,  82  Federal  St.,  completed  and 
dedicated  in  August,  1930,  was  designed  in  the  Renaissance  style  by  the 
architect  Michael  Mastrangola.    In  an  areaway  east  of  the  church  is  a 
shrine  of  Our  Lady  of  Lourdes,  modeled  after  the  original  at  Lourdes, 
France,  and  dedicated  August  14,  1937. 

78.  The  Edward  Mason  Dispensary  or  Portland  City  Dispensary,  65  India 
St.,  a  two-story  brick  building  was  built  in  1914  by  Hugh  Chisholm,  Jr.,  and 
given  by  him  to  Bowdoin  Medical  School  as  an  out-patient  ward  for  stu- 
dents. In  1923  the  Medical  School  was  discontinued,  and  the  college  gave 
the  dispensary  to  the  city  with  the  stipulation  that  free  clinics  be  conducted 
there  under  a  board  of  managers,  three  to  be  chosen  by  the  college,  and 
three  by  the  city;  the  City  Health  Officer  is  ex  officio  executive  secretary. 
Dr.  Edward  Mason   (1816-90),  whose  name  the  building  commemorates, 


Downtown  Section  247 

was  a  widely  known  Portland  apothecary,  conducting  his  business  on  Middle 
Street  for  50  years.  He  was  the  maternal  grandfather  of  the  donor.  Each 
of  the  16  rooms  of  the  Dispensary  is  equipped  for  clinical  services,  which  is 
given  free  of  charge  by  local  physicians,  or  at  a  nominal  cost. 

79.  Site  of  Meetinghouse  of  First  Parish,  corner  of  Middle  and  India  Sts., 
now  a  gas  station.   The  old  meetinghouse  was  built  on  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  Middle  and  India  (then  King)  streets  in  1721-25,  and  here  the  Rev- 
erend Thomas  Smith,  first  settled  minister  on  'The  Neck/  was  ordained  in 
1727  and  preached  until  a  new  frame  First  Parish  Meetinghouse  was  built 
in  1740  on  the  site  of  the  present  stone  First  Parish  Unitarian  Church  at 
the  head  of  Temple  Street.   The  old  building  at  Middle  and  India  streets 
was  used  for  town  and  parish  meetings,  occasionally  for  preaching,  and  for 
a  courthouse  until  1774,  when  it  was  removed  to  Hampshire  Street  and  de- 
molished in  the  bombardment  of  1775. 

80.  Site  of  Old  Assembly  Room,  33  India  St.  Here,  in  a  wooden  building 
erected  in  1793  by  Dr.  Nathaniel  Coffin,  II,  as  his  dwelling,  was  housed 
Portland's  first  theater.  Originally  there  was  a  shop  on  the  lower  floor  and 
an  "Assembly  Room,"  as  it  was  called,  on  the  upper.    This  second-floor 
room,  later  known  as  the  New  Theatre,  had  a  floor  space  of  27  by  35  feet 
with  a  fireplace  at  each  end,  and  accommodated  about  seventy-five  people. 
In  this,  the  first  public  hall  on  'The  Neck/  a  group  of  Boston  actors  pre- 
sented the  first  local  theatrical  performance  on  October  7,  1794,  featuring 
The  Lyar,  The  Learned  Pig,  and  The  Merry  Mourners  —  a  comedy,  a 
song,  and  a  farce.  Three  years  later  Elizabeth  Arnold,  later  the  mother  of 
Edgar  Allen  Poe,  made  her  local  debut  and  won  the  admiration  of  her 
Portland  audience   (see  Theater).   The  old  building  survived  the  fire  of 
1866,  but  was  razed  in  1930. 

81.  The  Grand  Trunk  Station,  15  India  St.,  on  the  eastern  end  of  the  water 
front,  a  stone  building  with  a  tower,  erected  in  1903,  supersedes  an  earlier 
structure  of  1855.  In  1853  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway  leased  for  999  years 
the  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  Railroad  which  connected  Portland  with 
Montreal,  and  ran  it  until  1920  when  the  Grand  Trunk  Railway  System  was 
taken  over  by  the  Canadian  Government;  it  is  now  a  part  of  the  Canadian 
National  Railways.  An  engaging  story  connected  with  the  selection  of  this 
city  as  the  terminus  of  the  proposed  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  R.  R.  re- 
lates that  in  1845  there  was  a  sharp  dispute  as  to  whether  Portland  or  Bos- 
ton should  be  awarded  the  honor,  and  an  unusual  method  was  employed  to 
settle  the  question.  A  Liverpool  boat  was  to  steam  across  the  Atlantic  bear- 
ing two  bags  of  mail  for  Montreal,  one  to  be  left  at  Portland  and  the  other 


248  Portland  City  Guide 

at  Boston;  an  overland  vehicle  would  then  set  out  from  each  city  for  Mon- 
treal, the  first  to  arrive  winning  the  prized  position  of  New  England  termi- 
nus of  the  railroad.  A  tug  was  sent  out  from  this  city  which  intercepted  the 
Liverpool  steamer,  and  in  February,  1845,  the  mail  for  Montreal  left  Port- 
land in  a  sleigh  drawn  by  relays  of  horses.  Northward  it  skimmed  over 
the  snow  into  the  teeth  of  a  severe  Maine  winter.  The  driver,  Grovesnor 
Waterhouse,  was  provided  with  a  handsome  sleigh  and  swift  horses  when 
three  miles  from  Montreal  and  he  made  an  impressive  entrance  to  the 
Canadian  city.  With  an  American  flag  "streaming  from  the  whipsocket  of 
his  dashing  sleigh,  the  majestic  figure  of  Waterhouse  delivered  the  mail 
well  ahead  of  the  Boston  expedition,  clinching  for  Portland  the  honor  of 
port  of  entry  and  departure  of  the  railroad." 

A  tablet  at  1  India  St.  states  that  this  was  the  Site  of  Fort  Loyally  the 
first  defense  of  early  Falmouth.  Here  Thomas  Danforth,  as  President  of 
Maine,  met  with  the  people  of  the  town  to  organize  a  local  government. 
The  fort,  built  of  logs,  mounting  eight  18-pounders,  and  surrounded  by  a 
palisade,  was  a  place  of  refuge  for  the  local  settlers  during  the  frequent 
Indian  uprisings.  At  the  fort  in  May,  1690,  the  inhabitants  were  besieged 
for  five  days  by  the  French  and  Indians,  only  to  be  massacred  when  the 
terms  of  a  truce  were  violated  by  the  enemy  (see  History) . 

82.  The  Site  of  the  Ross  and  Tyng  House,  90  Middle  St.,  is  occupied  by 
one  of  Portland's  oldest  drug  stores.  Alexander  Ross  (1710-68)  came  from 
Scotland  and  was  one  of  the  town's  wealthiest  merchants  during  the  first 
half  of  the  18th  century.  His  daughter,  Elizabeth,  was  married  to  William 
Tyng  (1739-1807),  youngest  son  of  Commodore  Edward  Tyng,  who  be- 
came a  storm  center  during  the  years  preceding  the  Revolution.    It  was 
through  the  instrumentality  of  Ross  and  Tyng  that  the  first  Masonic  lodge 
in  Maine  was  organized  (see  above:  No.  14).  An  ardent  Loyalist,  his  Col- 
onel's commission  from  Thomas  Gage,  Royal  Governor  of  Massachusetts, 
added  to  William's  local  unpopularity.  The  house  was  spared  in  the  Mowat 
bombardment  of  1775  but  was  burned  in  the  fire  of  1866.  The  saving  of  his 
house  by  Mowat  so  incensed  the  populace  that  Tyng  fled  to  New  York. 

83.  Site  of  the  Edward  Pay  son  House,  81  Middle  St.   The  Reverend  Ed- 
ward Payson  (1783-1827),  later  one  of  the  most  eminent  Congregational 
clergymen  in  New  England  and  famed  for  his  oratory,  was  ordained  in 
1807  as  a  colleague  of  the  Reverend  Elijah  Kellogg  of  the  Second  Parish 
Church.  During  the  early  part  of  Payson's  ministry  religious  differences  be- 
tween the  First  and  Second  Parishes  became  decidedly  marked.  Payson  was 
a  member  of  the  council  which  met  for  the  ordination  of  Ichabod  Nichols 


Downtown  Section  249 

at  which  Payson  negatived  Nichols'  appointment  explaining  that  he  "be- 
lieved it  to  be  his  duty  to  withold  his  assent  to  the  ordination  of  that  gen- 
tleman, on  the  ground  that  he  was  propagating  an  error;  in  fact  that  he 
was  not  a  Christian  minister."  Payson  was  noted  for  his  discourses  to  sea- 
men before  the  Bible  Society  and  the  Portland  Benevolent  Society;  several 
of  these  were  published  and  had  an  extensive  circulation. 

84.  The  Site  of  the  Samuel  Waldo  House,  105  Middle  St.,  is  now  occupied 
by  the  Waldo  Block,  the  original  house  having  been  destroyed  in  the  fire  of 
1866.  Samuel  Waldo  (1721-60)  was  the  son  of  Brigadier  General  Samuel 
Waldo  (1695-1759) ,  owner  of  the  Waldo  Patent  in  eastern  Maine.  Waldo, 
Sr.,  was  admitted  as  an  inhabitant  of  Falmouth  in  1731  and  with  Thomas 
Westbrook  as  partner  developed  numerous  enterprises  in  Falmouth    (see 
History).    The  elder  Waldo  commanded  a  regiment  in  the  American 
counterpart  of  the  European  wars  of  the  Austrian  Succession  and  distin- 
guished himself  in  the  capture  of  Louisburg  in  1745.   Two  years  later  he 
was  appointed  by  Massachusetts  to  head  an  expedition  against  Crown 
Point.   In  1753  he  sent  his  son,  Samuel,  to  Germany  to  bring  over  immi- 
grants to  colonize  his  holdings  in  eastern  Maine.  For  several  years  Samuel, 
Jr.,  was  Falmouth  representative  to  Massachusetts  and  in  1760  was  ap- 
pointed first  judge  of  Probate  of  the  county.  The  present  block  houses  the 
famous  Southworth-Anthoensen  Press   (see  Literature:  Printers  and  Pub- 
lishers)  which  was  established  in  1875  as  Southworth  Brothers,  also  the 
Forest  City  Printing  Co.,  printers  of  the  Portland  City  Guide. 

85.  Site  of  the  First  Episcopal  Church  (St.  Paul's) ,  127  Middle  St.  Here 
on  September  4,  1764,  the  same  day  the  first  Episcopal  parish  was  organ- 
ized, the  cornerstone  of  a  church  29  by  50  feet  was  laid;  this  church  had  a 
tower  and  bell.  Many  parishioners  were  buried  in  the  churchyard  near  by, 
and  after  the  church  was  burned  by  Mowat  in  1775  the  bodies  were  re- 
moved. John  Wiswall  (1731-1821),  the  first  minister,  was  obliged  to  go  to 
England  to  be  ordained  as  there  were  no  Episcopal  bishops  in  the  colonies 
(see  Religion) . 

86.  The  Bethel  Mission,  13  Deer  St.,  uses  the  building  formerly  occupied 
by  the  Curtis  Gum  Factory  (see  Industry) .  The  factory  was  erected  in  1852 
and  claimed  to  be  the  first  of  its  kind  in  the  world,  employing  over  two 
hundred  men  and  women  and  having  an  output  of  1,800  boxes  of  gum  a 
day.   The  "C.C.C."  gum  manufactured  by  the  original  Curtis  Gum  Fac- 
tory was  nationally  known.   The  factory  closed  in  1920.   The  mission,  or- 
ganized in  1926,  is  interdenominational,  holds  meetings  six  nights  a  week 
and  is  engaged  in  charitable  activities. 


250  Portland  City  Guide 

87.  The  Friendly  Inn  Building,  304  Fore  St.,  is  a  two  and  one-half  story 
wooden  structure  built  on  Gushing  Island  prior  to  the  Revolution  and 
dragged  over  the  frozen  harbor  by  oxen  to  its  present  location  where  in 
time  it  became  a  sailors'  boarding  house.  "Lord  Darrah"  was  once  master 
of  this  inn  and  his  name  was  known  in  nearly  every  port  of  the  world.  At 
that  time  Portland's  water  front  was  as  rough  and  tough  a  place  as  could 
be  found  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard.   Sailors  gathered  at  this  inn  after  the 
triumphant  capture  of  the  Boxer  by  the  Enterprise  off  Seguin,  during  the 
War  of  1812,  and  it  is  said  the  following  well-known  chantey  was  com- 
posed at  the  time: 

At  length  you  sent  your  Boxer, 
To  box  us  all  about, 
But  we  had  an  Enterprising  brig, 
That  beat  your  Boxer  out. 
We  boxed  her  up  in  Portland, 
And  moored  her  off  the  town, 
To  show  the  Sons  of  Liberty, 
The  Boxer  of  renown. 

In  1896  the  building  became  a  machine  shop  specializing  in  the  repair  of 
marine  engines,  and  the  location  is  now  known  as  Monkey  Wrench  Corner. 

88.  The  U.  S.  Customs  House,  312  Fore  St.,  a  massive  granite  structure  of 
Grecian  style,  was  formally  opened  April  1,  1872.   A  customs  service  has 
operated  at  this  port  for  over  two  hundred  years,  Moses  Pearson   (1697- 
1778) ,  a  British  officer  and  the  port's  first  collector,  having  been  stationed 
here  in  1730.  The  office  of  Collector  of  Customs  was  established  in  1758, 
with  Francis  Waldo  as  first  collector.  During  Colonial  times  Falmouth  was 
the  only  Port  of  Entry  in  the  District  of  Maine,  the  first  customs  office 
having  been  a  dwelling  on  the  corner  of  Middle  and  India  streets.  In  1849 
the  United  States  purchased  from  the  City  of  Portland  the  Merchants'  Ex- 
change on  Exchange  Street,  in  which  were  housed  the  Customs  Service,  Post 
Office,  and  offices  of  the  United  States  Court  until  the  destruction  of  the 
building  by  fire  in  1854.  Three  years  later  a  new  building  was  erected  on 
the  site  of  the  Exchange  only  to  be  so  badly  damaged  in  the  fire  of  1866 
that  it  was  subsequently  demolished.   Customs  service  was  then  housed  in 
the  Portland  Savings  Bank  Block  on  Exchange  Street  until  occupation  of 
the  present  quarters. 

89.  Boothby  Square,  Fore  St.  from  Market  to  Pearl  St.,  is  the  only  green 
area  between  Lincoln  Park  on  Congress  Street  and  the  water  front.   The 
park,  with  a  fountain  on  the  north  end,  was  given  to  the  city  in  1902  by 


Downtown  Section  251 

Colonel  Frederic  E.  Boothby  (1845-1923)  in  memory  of  his  wife.  Born  in 
Norway,  Maine,  Boothby  lived  many  years  in  Portland.  He  served  for  a 
time  as  president  of  the  local  Board  of  Trade,  was  elected  mayor  for  three 
consecutive  terms,  and  was  for  36  years  General  Passenger  Agent  for  the 
Maine  Central  Railroad. 

90.  The  State  of  Maine  Armory,  20  Milk  St.,  of  brick  and  granite,  was 
designed  by  Frederick  A.  Tompson  and  erected  in  1895.    The  following 
units  of  the  National  Guard  have  their  quarters  in  the  building:  Head- 
quarters Battery,  Battery  A,  Battery  D,  the  regimental  band,  the  Medical 
Detachment,  all  of  the  240th  Coast  Artillery  (Harbor  Defense) ,  the  Serv- 
ice Company  and  Howitzer  Company  of  the  103rd  Infantry,  and  Company 
C  and  2nd  Battalion  Headquarters  of  the  118th  Quartermasters  Regiment. 
The  Regimental  Headquarters  of  the  240th  C.  A.  is  also  located  here,  and 
these  various  outfits  use  the  armory  for  drill  purposes  once  a  week.   The 
building  is  State-owned  and  is  open  to  the  public  at  all  times. 

91.  The  First  National  Bank  Building,  57  Exchange  St.,  erected  in  1884, 
houses  the  local  weather  bureau  and  numerous  offices.   Topping  the  clock 
tower  at  the  corner  of  Exchange  and  Middle  streets  is  the  famous  weather- 
cock carved  by  an  Englishman  about  1788  which  adorned  the  old  court- 
house. 

92.  The  Canal  National  Bank,  188  Middle  St.,  is  on  the  site  of  Maine's 
first  bank,  the  Portland  Bank,  organized  in  1799.    The  Canal  Bank  was 
established  in  1825  to  facilitate  the  building  of  the  Cumberland  and  Ox- 
ford Canal  which  it  had  been  hoped  would  be  financed  by  a  lottery  (see 
Stroudwater  Section:  No.  4) .  For  a  year  after  its  opening  the  Canal  Bank 
engaged  in  business  on  Union  Street,  and  in  1826  purchased  the  Middle 
Street  site  and  erected  a  three-story  brick  building.  In  1865  it  became  the 
Canal  National  Bank.  The  old  building  was  destroyed  in  the  fire  of  1866, 
and  the  present  structure  was  then  erected;  it  was  remodeled  in  1930.  The 
bank  still  has  on  its  book  vaults  the  doors  that  were  in  use  in  the  early  Port- 
land bank.   An  object  of  curiosity  is  the  key  to  the  original  vault,  a  large 
affair  in  two  pieces.  The  president  and  cashier  each  took  a  piece  home  with 
him  at  night  to  eliminate  the  possibility  of  theft  on  the  part  of  a  bank  offi- 
cial for  neither  of  them  could  enter  the  vault  without  the  other  half  of  the 
key. 

93.  The  Falmouth  Hotel,  212-214  Middle  St.,  a  six-story  brick  structure 
with  stone  trimmings  and  a  front  of  Albert  freestone,  was  designed  by 
Charles  Alexander,  of  New  York  City,  and  opened  in  1868.  Built  for  John 


252  Portland  City  Guide 

B.  Brown  after  the  'Great  Fire/  it  has  been  called  the  "hotel  of  a  million 
banquets,"  the  most  notable  occurring  in  1898  when  General  William 
Tecumseh  Sherman  and  many  of  the  war  heroes  then  living  were  enter- 
tained there.  It  was  long  a  center  of  political  activity,  and  one  room  is  still 
known  as  the  State  of  Maine  Room. 

94.  The  Mariners'  Church  Building,  366-378  Fore  St.,  was  erected  in  1828 
by  a  society  organized  as  "The  Trustees  of  the  Mariners'  Church."   The 
third  floor  was  devoted  to  a  spacious  chapel  where  religious  services  were 
held,  and  where  the  Portland  Mariners'  Society  met  and  maintained  a 
marine  museum.   In  the  first  edition  of  his  History  of  Portland  William 
Willis  wrote:  "The  object  of  the  society  meets  with  universal  approbation, 
and  is  one  in  which  all  persons  engaged,  however  remotely,  in  commercial 
pursuits  are  interested.  To  furnish  religious  instruction  to  a  class  of  people, 
to  whom  so  much  property  is  confided,  and  who  from  their  irregular  mode 
of  life  are  subjected  to  unusual  temptations,  is  entitled  to  unqualified 
support."  In  A  Pictorial  Geography  of  the  World  published  by  S.  G.  Good- 
rich in  Boston  in  1849,  the  Mariners'  Church  is  described  as  the  largest 
building  in  Portland,  "a  handsome  edifice  of  stone  in  front,  and  compris- 
ing besides  a  hall  for  religious  exercises,  many  rooms  for  school  libraries,  etc." 

95.  The  Veteran  Firemens  Building  (open  week  days  free) ,  30  South  St., 
was  raised  by  the  city  in  1836  on  the  site  of  what  was  known  as  Mariner's 
Spring  which  was  used  as  early  as  1718  and  then  called  the  Great  Spring. 
Renamed  several  times,  it  may  have  received  its  title  from  James  and  Adam 
Mariner,  early  proprietors  who  owned  land  which  included  the  spring,  or 
because  old-time  sailors  came  to  refill  their  water  casks  at  the  spring  before 
leaving  on  an  extended  voyage;  it  has  long  been  a  matter  of  controversy.  The 
spring  was  filled  in  when  the  fire  house  was  built.  The  first  company  to  oc- 
cupy the  new  quarter  was  Casco,  No.  1.  A  fire  engine  had  been  purchased 
by  subscription  and  had  been  brought  from  England  about   1787.    Six 
years  later  an  appropriation  was  made  for  another  engine.    These  were 
known  as  bucket  tubs.  The  Cataract,  No.  2  also  came  from  England,  be- 
gan service  in  1802,  and  was  used  until  destroyed  in  the  fire  of  1866.    The 
old  Atlantic,  on  display  on  the  first  floor,  was  built  in  Portland  in  1848  by 
Leonard  Crockett.   The  Forest  City,  built  in  1853,  was  reputed  to  be  one 
of  New  England's  crack  engines.   Included  in  the  collection  of  relics  is  a 
leather  bucket  used  as  early  as   1816,  and  a  century-old  square  lantern 
which  was  carried  over  the  shoulder  of  a  fireman  whose  duty  it  was  to  run 
ahead  of  his  red-shirted  companions,  shouting  "Fire!"  as  a  warning  to  the 
inhabitants. 


Downtown  Section  253 

The  carved  armchair  on  a  platform  in  the  assembly  room  on  the  second 
floor  was  the  work  of  a  former  engineer,  Nahum  Littlefield,  the  wood  from 
which  it  is  made  coming  from  the  elm  tree  planted  by  Lafayette  when  he 
visited  Portland  in  1825  and  which  was  uprooted  during  a  storm  in  1880. 
A  collection  of  historical  pictures  and  maps,  one  a  large  map  of  Portland 
streets  before  the  fire  of  1866  with  the  course  of  that  fire  traced  in  red,  are 
on  the  second  floor.  The  small  library  of  old  books  includes  a  Portland 
Directory  of  1800.  The  Portland  Firemen's  Association  was  organized  in 
November  17,  1891. 

96.  The  Children  s  Hospital,  68  High  St.,  is  a  three-story  light-colored  brick 
building  in  Early  Colonial  architecture  with  the  traditional  four  chimneys 
and  a  flat  roof.   The  front  entrance  with  its  fan  window  and  side  lights 
and  heavy  paneled  door  are  exceptionally  beautiful  and  the  halls  and  stair- 
cases are  considered  the  best  architectural  studies  west  of  Wiscasset.   This 
was  once  the  home  of  a  distinguished  Revolutionary  officer,  Ebenezer  Storer 
(1759-1846),  who  was  one  of  the  prominent  builders  in  the  reconstruction 
period  following  Mowat's  bombardment.    Here  he  lived  from  1801  until 
obliged  to  relinquish  his  ownership  during  the  financial  disasters  caused  by 
the  Embargo.   The  house  was  purchased  by  John  Mussey  (1751-1823)  in 
1817  and  was  occupied  by  the  Mussey  family  during  most  of  the  19th  cen- 
tury. For  a  short  period  the  Bellows  School  had  quarters  in  the  building. 
In  1908  the  Children's  Hospital  was  organized  as  a  charitable  corporation 
to  care  for  the  crippled  and  deformed  children  of  the  State,  and  through 
the  efforts  of  Dr.  Edville  G.  Abbott  (1871-1928)   and  his  associates,  the 
Mussey  house  was  equipped  for  this  purpose.  Additions  were  made  in  1910. 

97.  The  McLellan-Oxnard  House,  94-96  Danforth  St.,  now  headquarters 
of  the  Baby  Hygiene  and  Child  Welfare  Association,  is  believed  to  have 
been  built  in  the  early  1800's.  Later  it  was  the  residence  of  Portland's  Civil 
War  mayor,  Jacob  McLellan   (1807-88),  who  aided  in  the  fitting  out  of 
the  Chesapeake  and  Forest  City  to  recapture  the  cutter  Caleb  Cushing 
which  was  stolen  by  the  rebels  from  the  harbor  June  27,  1863  (see  History) . 
The  right  portion  of  the  house  (no.  96)  has  been  occupied  by  the  Catherine 
Morrill  Day  Nursery  since  1922  and  is  known  as  the  Margaret  Ella  Cham- 
berlain Memorial  House,  in  honor  of  its  benefactress.  This  portion  of  the 
house  belonged  to  the  family  of  Edward  Oxnard   (1792-1873),  an  early 
Portland  shipbuilder. 

98.  Park  Street  Church,  NE  cor.  Park  and  Pleasant  Sts.,  is  now  occupied 
by  the  Holy  Trinity  Hellenic  Orthodox  Church.    Erected  in  1828  for  a 
Methodist  society,  it  was  used  by  several  religious  organizations  until  sold 


254  Portland  City  Guide 

to  its  present  owners  in  1926.  Of  yellow  brick  and  designed  in  the  Roman- 
esque style,  the  church  contains  a  bell  weighing  over  two  tons,  which  was 
one  of  four  bells  cast  at  the  same  time  by  the  Paul  Revere  Company  of 
Boston.  It  was  taken  down  after  the  fire  in  1935  and  is  now  in  an  ante- 
room. The  12  large  religious  portraits  on  each  side  of  the  altar  are  the 
work  of  the  monks  of  Mount  Athos  in  Greece;  the  27  small  portraits  above 
the  altar  were  painted  by  Xen  Gamras,  of  Fitchburg,  Massachusetts.  The 
altar  equipment,  including  a  Bible  with  hand-wrought  gold  covers,  and 
three  elaborate  candleholders  weighing  250  pounds  each,  came  from  Greece. 
The  chandelier  contains  3,500  pieces  of  glass. 

99.  The  Park  Street  Block,  on  the  west  side  of  Park  St.,  is  a  group  of  20 
four-story  brick  houses  built  in  the  Greek  Revival  style  in  1835;  the  bal- 
conies and  rails  are  original.   This  was  considered  one  of  the  greatest  real 
estate  projects  of  its  time  and  was  developed  on  the  property  known  as  Billy 
Gray's  ropewalk. 

100.  The  Morse-Libby  House,  109  Danforth  St.,  is  a  brownstone  mansion 
that  typifies  the  elegance  of  mid- Victorian  architecture  at  its  best.    The 
pillared  portico,  corniced  windows,  paneled  doors,  carved  marble  fireplace, 
and  elaborately  wrought  ceilings  are  in  the  grand  manner.  It  was  built  for 
Ruggles  S.  Morse  (1816-93)  who  came  to  this  city  in  1856,  after  having 
made  a  substantial  fortune  in  New  Orleans,  and  constructed  his  mansion  in 
the  fashionable  quarter  of  the  city  as  visible  evidence  of  his  great  success. 
Designed  by  Henry  Austin  and  Giovanni  Guidirini,  the  house  was  com- 
pleted in  1859.    Architects,  antiquarians,  and  decorators  agree  that  it  is 
possibly  the  finest  specimen  of  the  era  now  standing  in  New  England. 

Morse  was  financially  ruined  as  a  result  of  the  Civil  War  and  had  to  leave 
his  pretentious  home.  For  many  years  the  mansion  remained  without  a 
tenant  until  purchased  in  1895  by  J.  R.  Libby  (1845-1917),  a  local  mer- 
chant, who  kept  house  and  furnishings  unchanged. 

101.  The  State  Street  Hospital,  62  State  St.,  formerly  the  Female  Orphan 
Asylum,  was  erected  in  1834.  For  many  years  the  original  three-story  brick 
structure  was  regarded  as  Portland's  finest  home.   In  1922  after  a  fourth 
story  had  been  added  and  extensive  improvements  had  been  made  on  the 
structure,  the  present  hospital  was  opened;  today,  containing  50  beds,  the 
hospital  has  modern  equipment  and  a  competent  staff. 

Originally  the  mansion  belonged  to  Captain  John  Dunlap,  shipmaster  and 
shipowner,  who  suffered  so  heavily  in  the  general  financial  slump  of  1837- 
38  that  he  was  forced  to  sell  the  property  to  Judge  Joseph  Howard  (1800- 


Downtown  Section  255 

77).  As  Mayor  of  Portland,  Howard  entertained  the  Prince  of  Wales 
(King  Edward  VII)  on  his  Portland  tour  in  1860.  Concerning  this  gala 
event  the  local  historian  Nathan  Goold  wrote:  "I  have  a  vivid  recollection 
of  his  [Howard's]  appearance  as  he  sat  by  the  Prince  of  Wales  in  the  car- 
riage when  the  Prince  embarked  from  our  city  for  England  that  year.  We 
all  recollect  that  terribly  bad  tall  hat  that  the  Prince  wore."  (see  Munjoy 
Hill  Section:  No.  14). 

102.  The  William  Pitt  Preble  House,  51  State  St.,  is  one  of  the  master- 
pieces of  the  architect  Alexander  Parris.    Now  an  apartment  house,  the 
classic  lines,  with  applied  pilasters  and  ornamental  cornices,  are  noteworthy. 
Erected  in  1801,  the  house  was  built  for  Joseph  Ingraham,  one  of  early 
Portland's  wealthiest  and  most  enterprising  residents.    In  1816  the  house 
was  purchased  by  William  Pitt  Preble  (1783-1857),  jurist,  diplomat,  and 
railway  president.  Preble  was  U.  S.  Ambassador  to  the  Netherlands  under 
Andrew  Jackson.   On  retirement  from  Government  service  in  later  life  he 
became  president  of  the  new  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  Railroad    (see 
Transportation),  and  was  largely  responsible  for  making  Portland  the 
terminus  of  the  line. 

103.  St.  Dominic's  Catholic  Church,  34  Gray  St.,  was  dedicated  August  5, 
1893,  by  the  Rt.  Reverend  Bishop  Bradley,  of  Manchester,  New  Hamp- 
shire. The  structure  is  of  red  brick  and  was  designed  by  the  architect  E.  W. 
Ford  of  Boston.    On  the  site  stood  old  St.  Dominies,  the  first  Catholic 
Church  to  be  built  in  the  city  (see  Religion) . 

104.  The  Kinsman  House,  122  State  St.,  a  two-story  frame  house  of  Early 
Colonial  architecture,  with  fluted  pilasters  and  plain  columns  supporting 
the  porch  and  leaded  fanlight  over  the  door,  was  built  in  1813  by  Nathan 
Kinsman,  an  outstanding  lawyer  of  the  early  1800's. 

105.  The  Cathedral  Church  of  St.  Luke  (Episcopal),  137  State  St.,  built 
in  1868  from  designs  by  Charles  C.  Haight,  of  New  York  City,  was  the 
first  Protestant  cathedral  erected  in  New  England.   Of  early  Gothic  style, 
the  church  is  built  of  dark  blue  limestone,  laid  horizontally  but  not  in 
courses,  and  not  faced,  except  on  the  front.  It  is  finished  in  Nova  Scotia 
freestone  alternated  in  red  and  gray.  In  1925  a  memorial  marble  altar,  the 
work  of  the  noted  architect  Ralph  Adams  Cram,  was  presented  to  the 
church;  at  the  same  time  they  received  a  reredos  of  oak  carved  by  the 
sculptor  Ernest  Pellegrini.  One  of  the  outstanding  works  of  art  in  the  State 
is  the  Emmanuel  Chapel  built  at  the  end  of  the  Cathedral  in  1899  as  a 
memorial  to  Bishop  Robert  Codman.   The  church  owns  a  painting  called 


256  Portland  City  Guide 

the  'American  Madonna/  done  especially  for  the  chapel  by  the  noted  artist 
John  La  Farge. 

106.  The  Portland  Club,   156-162  State  St.,  occupies  the  old  Shepley 
house,  onetime  home  of  Ether  Shepley  (1789-1877),  Chief  Justice  of  the 
U.  S.  Supreme  Court  (1848-55).  Prior  to  1924  the  club  occupied  quarters 
at  Cape  Elizabeth  and  Great  Diamond  Island.   The  present  building,  de- 
signed by  Alexander  Parris,  is  of  Early  Colonial  architecture  with  English 
Georgian  influence.  The  house  was  built  in  1805  for  Colonel  Richard  Hun- 
newell  (1757-?)  who  was  the  first  sheriff  of  Hancock  County  (1798),  and 
later  high  sheriff  of  Portland  (1811  and  1812-21).  Three  stories  in  height, 
the  building  is  of  brick  with  front  and  rear  walls  wood-covered  and  has  a 
flat  roof  with  the  usual  four  chimneys  of  its  period.    Particularly  striking 
is  the  entrance  doorway  with  leaded  side  lights  and  fan  window  above,  and 
the  Palladian  window  on  the  second  floor.    One  of  the  original  panes  of 
glass  in  a  window  of  a  second  floor  room  is  etched,  presumably  with  a  dia- 
mond, with  the  following  names  and  date:  "Annie,"  "Lucy,"  "Nellie,"  and 
"Gen.  George  Shepley,  July  19,  1816." 

107.  State  Street  Congregational  Church,  157  State  St.,  is  greatly  changed 
in  appearance  from  the  original  building  erected  in  1852;  this  had  a  lofty 
wooden  spire  which  was  struck  by  lightning  in  1866,  necessitating  its  re- 
moval five  years  later.   In  1893  a  small  top  tower  was  added  and,  as  the 
building  was  found  to  be  in  bad  condition,  a  red  freestone  front  was  laid 
over  the  original,  including  the  tower,  with  the  result  that  the  edifice  is  now 
almost  Gothic  in  style. 

108.  The  Monastery  of  the  Precious  Blood,  166  State  St.,  was  built  in  1807 
for  Chief  Justice  Prentiss  Mellen  (1764-1840) ,  and  was  later  the  home  of 
William  Pitt  Fessenden  (1806-69) .  In  subsequent  years  the  house  was  sold 
to  the  Roman  Catholic  Bishop  of  Portland  and  became  a  religious  center, 
first  as  King's  Academy,  and  since  1934  as  the  Monastery  of  the  Sisters  of 
the  Precious  Blood.  In  October  of  that  year  the  Most  Reverend  Joseph  E. 
McCarthy  formally  sealed  the  cloister  of  the  monastery  on  the  seven  sis- 
ters who  will  not  emerge  until  death. 

Prentiss  Mellen  was  born  in  Massachusetts,  where  he  first  practiced  law. 
Acting  on  the  advice  of  a  friend  in  York  County,  Mellen  came  to  Bidde- 
ford,  and,  when  his  law  practice  spread  into  Cumberland  County,  he  moved 
to  Portland  in  1806.  Twelve  years  later  he  was  chosen  U.  S.  Senator  from 
Massachusetts,  leaving  the  Senate  when  Maine  became  a  State  to  accept 
a  position  as  chief  justice  of  its  newly  created  supreme  court. 
William  Pitt  Fessenden,  although  born  in  New  Hampshire,  lived  most  of 


Downtown  Section  257 

his  life  in  Portland.  He  was  graduated  from  Bowdoin  in  1823  after  a 
hectic  collegiate  career  in  which  he  was  scored  with  being  chronically  delin- 
quent; it  was  charged  that  he  had  been  "repeatedly  guilty  of  profane  swear- 
ing." However,  he  received  an  honorary  degree  of  doctor  of  laws  from  Bow- 
doin in  1858.  Eight  years  after  his  graduation  from  the  college  he  was 
elected  to  the  Maine  Legislature  and  in  1855  became  United  States  Senator. 
Lincoln  appointed  him  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  in  1864,  calling  him  "a 
radical  without  the  petulant  and  vicious  fretfulness  of  most  radicals." 

109.  The  John  Neal  Houses,  173-175  State  St.,  are  four-story  granite  build- 
ings erected  in  1836  in  Greek  Revival  style,  having  recessed  doorways,  and 
balconies  and  railings  of  cast  iron.   The  granite  is  all  in  long  pieces,  and 
there  are  no  mouldings  on  the  entire  front  of  the  building  except  the  Doric 
mouldings  at  the  entrance.  It  has  the  original  stairways,  and  the  interior  is 
done  in  the  Federal  Period  style. 

John  Neal  (1793-1876)  (see  Literature)  conceived  the  idea  of  building 
a  block  of  eight  granite  houses  in  this  locality  and  purchased  a  granite 
quarry  at  North  Yarmouth  for  this  purpose.  Financial  difficulties  pre- 
vented his  prospective  co-builders  from  carrying  through  the  ambitious 
scheme,  and  Neal  built  the  double  granite  structure  on  State  Street.  He 
assisted  many  talented  people  in  furthering  their  education  in  the  arts, 
among  whom  was  Paul  Akers,  the  famous  sculptor. 

110.  The  Norton  House,  172  State  St.,  built  about  1847  in  the  Greek 
temple  style  with  Ionic  columns,  was  the  home  of  Thomas  W.  O'Brion,  a 
Congress  Street  trader.  It  changed  ownership  several  times  until  purchased 
in  1862  by  Edwin  A.  Norton  who  lived  there  for  almost  a  quarter-century. 

111.  Queen's  Hospital,  206-18  State  St.,  is  a  group  of  four  red-brick  build- 
ings, one  facing  Congress  Street,  the  others  State  Street.  It  was  opened  as 
a  hospital  for  women  in  1918  in  the  former  home  of  Dr.  Stephen  H. 
Weeks,  and  in  1920  was  incorporated,  enlarged,  and  opened  to  both  sexes. 
It  consists  of  St.  Matthew's  Pavilion,  St.  Mark's  Pavilion,  St.  Luke's  Pavi- 
lion, and  St.  John's  Pavilion,  and  has  accommodations  for  58  patients. 

112.  Immanuel  Lutheran  Church,  14  Sherman  St.,  an  offshoot  of  the  First 
Lutheran  Church  of  Portland,  was  organized  in  1897  by  a  group  of  Swed- 
ish-born people  who  had  met  for  three  years  as  the  Swedish  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Immanuel  Church,  a  society  that  disbanded  when  the  present  con- 
gregation was  founded.   The  cornerstone  of  this  red-brick  edifice  was  laid 
in  1898  and  much  of  the  construction  was  done  by  members  of  the  church. 
The  altar  window  was  the  gift  of  Portland-born  William  Widgery  Thomas, 


258  Portland  City  Guide 

Jr.  (1839-1927),  lawyer,  politician,  and  diplomat.  Of  Thomas,  the  Dic- 
tionary of  American  Biography  records: 

"During  his  residence  at  Gothenburg,  Thomas  had  acquired  a  deep  at- 
tachment for  Sweden  and  a  great  admiration  for  its  people  (he  learned  to 
speak  fluent  Swedish  and  translated  into  English  Viktor  Rydberg's  master- 
piece The  Last  Athenian,  1869),  and  in  1870  he  played  an  important  part 
in  the  establishment  of  the  Swedish  settlement  in  Aroostook  County,  Me. 
As  a  member  of  the  commission  of  immigration  appointed  to  find  means  of 
attracting  settlers  to  increase  the  declining  population  of  Maine,  he  went 
to  Gothenburg  in  May,  1870,  embarked  on  an  extensive  advertising  cam- 
paign in  the  newspapers,  commissioned  agents  armed  with  circulars  to  visit 
the  northern  provinces,  and  himself  visited  many  parishes.  On  July  23, 
1870,  with  Thomas  as  their  leader,  a  party  of  some  fifty  immigrants  ar- 
rived at  a  spot  in  the  woods  destined  to  be  known  as  New  Sweden.  The  ad- 
vertising campaign  in  Sweden  continued  and  from  time  to  time  new  immi- 
grants came,  until  at  the  end  of  the  decade  Maine's  Swedish  colony  boasted 
a  population  of  almost  eight  hundred.  In  1883,  as  a  reward  for  his  services 
to  the  Republican  party,  he  received  the  appointment  of  minister  to  Sweden 
and  Norway,  and  served  under  four  presidents  (1883-85,  1889-94,  1897- 
1905)." 

113.  The  Mosher  Press,  45  Exchange  St.,  is  the  name  now  applied  to  the 
publishing  company  formerly  known  as  Thomas  B.  Mosher,  publisher  of 
the  Mosher  Books,  and  occupies  the  same  quarters  it  had  when  that  com- 
pany came  into  existence  in  1895.  Its  founder,  Thomas  Bird  Mosher  (1852- 
1923)    (see  Literature:  Printers  and  Publishers) ,  began  his  career  as  a  clerk 
in  a  publishing  house  above  which  he  later  had  his  own  office.  His  love  of 
literature  was  stimulated  when  his  father,  a  sea  captain,  took  him  on  a 
voyage  in  the  winter  of  1866-67  and  gave  him  a  34-volume  set  of  Bell's 
British  Theatre  to  while  away  the  long  hours  at  sea.  Mosher  later  wrote  of 
this  period:  "The  books  I  shall  not  read  again,  No!  I  shall  never  again  read 
books  as  once  I  read  them  in  my  early  seafaring  when  all  the  world  was 
young,  when  the  days  were  of  tropic  splendor,  and  the  long  evenings  were 
passed  with  my  books  in  a  lonely  cabin  dimly  lighted  by  a  primitive  oil- 
lamp,  while  the  ship  was  ploughing  through  the  boundless  ocean  on  its 
weary  course  around  Cape  Horn."  Thomas  B.  Mosher  was  better  known  as 
a  publisher  in  London  than  in  Portland. 

114.  The  Portland  Junior  Technical  College,  40  Plum  St.,  is  a  privately 
endowed  non-profit  institute  of  technology,  founded  by  a  son  of  Maine, 
Dean  Everett  W.  Lord,  Boston  educator;  it  was  chartered  in  1937.  Its  three- 


First  Parish  Church 


School  of  Fine  and  Applied  Art 


The  Portland  Players 


Portland  Yacht  Club 


Lighthouse  Wharf 


f 


11 


I 


IL 


L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art  Museum 


Portland  Observatory 


St.  Joseph's  Catholic  Church 


Portland  Chamber  of  Commerce 


Immanuet  Baptist  Church 


St.  Luke's  Episcopal  Cathedral 


Downtown  Section  259 

story  brick  building,  formerly  occupied  by  the  Portland  Boys'  Club  has  ex- 
cellent mechanical  equipment  and  laboratories.  The  college  has  the  most 
powerful  amateur  radio  transmitter  in  New  England  W1FCE,  designed 
and  built  for  instruction  purposes  by  Ralph  M.  Dennis,  a  member  of  the 
faculty.  Among  the  14  professional  programs  offered  to  students  is  a  de- 
partment of  pharmacy,  the  only  one  in  the  State;  its  civilian  pilot  training 
course  is  approved  by  the  Civil  Aeronautics  Authority. 

115.  The  Harold  T.  Andrews  Post,  No.  17,  23  Deering  St.,  was  organized 
in  1919  and  affiliated  with  the  American  Legion  a  short  time  later;  it  was 
named  for  Harold  T.  Andrews,  a  local  boy  who  enlisted  with  the  1 1th  N.  Y. 
Engineers  and  lost  his  life  at  the  Battle  of  Cambrai,  November,  1917.  The 
post  home  was  acquired  in  1926.   The  bas-relief  of  Andrews  in  the  parlor 
was  executed  by  Victor  Kahili. 

116.  The  Water  Front.   For  over  two  hundred  years  the  water  front  of 
Portland  was  along  Fore  Street.  It  was  of  this  section  Longfellow  wrote: 

I  remember  the  black  wharves  and  the  slips 
And  the  sea-tides  tossing  free; 
And  Spanish  sailors  with  bearded  lips, 
And  the  beauty  and  mystery  of  the  ships, 
And  the  magic  of  the  sea. 

But  during  the  poet's  lifetime  Portland  grew  rapidly;  railroad  terminals 
were  at  each  end  of  the  city,  and  expanding  business  demanded  more  ade- 
quate facilities.  Sweating  teams  of  four,  six,  or  eight  horses,  and  oxen 
cluttered  the  narrow  water-front  street  with  their  loads  of  wood,  lumber, 
barrels,  shooks,  masts,  bark,  hides,  wool,  butter,  and  cheese.  Loud-voiced 
drivers  blasphemously  urged  their  straining  beasts  through  this  commercial 
jungle,  and  foreign-looking  sailors  in  vivid  costumes,  negro  stevedores  sing- 
ing as  they  worked,  and  long- f  rocked  Yankee  traders  added  color  and  con- 
fusion. In  1842  the  Portland,  Saco,  and  Portsmouth  Railroad  came  to  the 
city  with  its  terminal  at  the  foot  of  State  Street,  and  in  another  few  years 
the  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  Railroad  was  rapidly  nearing  its  Canadian 
terminal  in  Montreal  from  its  starting  point  at  India  Street  in  Portland. 
The  officials  of  the  latter  company,  realizing  the  necessity  for  efficient  cross- 
town  transportation,  urged  that  the  old  water  front  be  filled  in  and  a  wider 
street  over  the  wharves  take  its  place;  they  agreed  to  pay  part  of  the  cost. 
This  proposal  occasioned  much  adverse  criticism  because  of  the  cost  to  the 
city,  but  in  1852  Commercial  Street,  5,883  feet  long,  100  feet  wide  with 
26  feet  reserved  in  the  center  for  railroad  tracks,  was  opened. 


260  Portland  City  Guide 

The  bustle  and  confusion  of  Fore  Street  was  repeated  all  along  the  new 
street.  Portland's  greatest  commercial  activity  came  during  the  latter  half 
of  the  19th  century. 

The  vast  quantity  of  merchandise  required  hundreds  of  horses  and  teams, 
while  molasses  for  the  sugar  house  and  breweries  required  three  or  more 
horses  to  draw  the  long,  heavy  drays.  New  wharves  and  piers  were  built, 
and  ships  waited  their  turn  in  the  harbor  for  a  chance  to  unload.  It  was  a 
rough  and  tumble  water  front,  and  policemen  toured  the  district  in  pairs. 
Commercial  Street  in  1875  was  the  center  of  flour  and  grain  commerce  and 
the  wholesale  trade  of  the  West  Indies.  Long  lines  of  freight  cars,  from 
which  merchandise  was  rolled  to  the  doors  of  the  warehouses,  partitioned 
the  street.  Until  the  World  War  Portland  was  a  port  of  export.  Today  it 
is  still  a  busy  port,  with  spacious  wharves  equipped  with  modern  appliances 
for  efficient  discharge  of  cargoes.  Fish-laden  boats,  followed  by  screaming 
gulls,  empty  their  hauls  for  the  waiting  canners  and  consumers.  Boats  with 
flags  of  foreign  nations  call  for  consignments  of  Solka  or  scrap  iron,  but 
Portland  today  has  become  a  port  for  imports. 

Jutting  into  Portland  Harbor  at  the  eastern  end  of  the  water  front  is  the 
(a)  State  Pier,  built  by  the  State  of  Maine  in  1923  at  a  cost  of  $1,500,000. 
This  pier,  constructed  to  facilitate  and  increase  coastwise,  intracoastal,  and 
foreign  commerce,  is  maintained  by  the  Port  of  Portland  Authority,  a  cor- 
porate body  of  five  directors,  four  of  whom  are  appointed  by  the  Governor 
and  one  by  the  City  of  Portland.  The  pier  is  1,000  feet  long  and  varies  in 
width  from  140  to  320  feet.  Exclusive  of  the  large  shed  devoted  to  coastwise 
traffic,  there  are  three  sheds  with  a  combined  area  of  approximately  150,000 
square  feet  available  for  transit  cargoes.  Usually  docked  at  the  State 
Pier  is  the  (b)  U.  S.  Coast  Guard  Cutter  Algonquin,  a  1,000  ton,  1,500 
horsepower,  gear-turbined  ship  built  in  1934  at  the  Pussey- Jones  Shipbuild- 
ing Works  at  Wilmington,  Delaware.  The  range  of  operation  for  this 
cutter  lies  between  the  Bay  of  Fundy,  or  Canadian  boundary,  and  the 
Rhode  Island-Connecticut  line,  and  as  far  seaward  as  is  necessary  to  render 
assistance  to  disabled  or  distressed  vessels.  Docked  at  this  pier  is  the  (c) 
Portland  Pilot  Boat,  a  two-masted  schooner-rigged  vessel  having  a  jib,  fore- 
sail, and  riding  sail.  Built  in  1931  at  the  local  Brown's  Wharf  by  Frank 
Howard,  the  Portland  Pilot  is  slightly  more  than  sixty-nine  feet  overall  in 
length.  On  the  east  side  of  the  State  Pier  is  the  (d)  Portland  Public  Boat 
Landing,  a  wooden  landing-stage  with  runway  to  the  wharf. 

The  first  local  telephone  was  introduced  in  the  office  of  (e)  Randall  and 
McAllister,  84  Commercial  St.,  in  1878  when  Frederick  A.  Gower  con- 
nected these  offices  with  another  address  for  trial  purposes,  (f)  Custom 


Downtown  Section  261 

House  Wharf,  jutting  from  Commercial  St.  opposite  the  lower  end  of 
Pearl  St.,  is  usually  teeming  with  activity;  to  and  from  this  wharf  arrive 
and  depart  the  many  island  steamers  that  ply  the  channels  of  Casco  Bay. 
(g)  Portland  Pier  is  still  reminiscent  of  Portland's  onetime  shipping  glory; 
the  ancient  buildings,  with  crooked  roofs  and  nets  strung  from  their  win- 
dows to  dry,  are  a  fitting  background  for  the  clear-eyed  sailors  that  pass 
along  the  pier's  cobble-stoned  roadway.  At  this  pier  is  docked  the  (h) 
Portland  Fire  Boat,  a  90-foot  long  vessel  designed  by  the  naval  architect, 
John  Alden,  of  Boston.  The  City  of  Portland,  built  of  steel  at  the  East 
Boothbay  yards  of  Rice  Brothers  Corporation,  was  placed  in  operation  in 
October,  1931.  The  vessel  is  the  first  full-Diesel  powered  craft  of  its  type; 
the  conventional  bow  is  conspicuous  by  its  absence,  the  deck  at  the  bow 
being  circular,  not  unlike  that  of  a  ferryboat,  to  avoid  being  caught  be- 
tween piles  while  working  close  to  a  dock.  Since  being  placed  in  operation 
other  American  cities  and  several  foreign  countries  have  placed  orders  for 
similar  fire-fighting  equipment  (see  Government) . 

(i)  Central  Wharf  is  the  principal  fish  pier  of  the  city,  and  to  it  come 
hundreds  of  fishing  craft  to  unload  their  catches.  On  Merchant's  Wharf 
is  the  (j)  Portland  Yacht  Club,  an  organization  formed  in  1869  by  21  local 
amateur  sailors  who  had  taken  a  coastal  cruise  the  previous  year.  In  1872 
this  group  rented  a  loft  on  Custom  House  Wharf  as  their  first  clubhouse 
and  13  years  later  they  acquired  a  building  on  the  present  site.  This  latter 
clubhouse  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  1926,  and  the  present  two-story  structure, 
designed  by  John  Calvin  Stevens  and  John  Howard  Stevens,  was  erected 
the  following  year.  According  to  the  Portland  Sunday  Telegram  the  house 
flag  of  the  local  yacht  club  has  been  carried  farther  north  than  that  of  any 
other  yacht  club  in  the  world.  Commander  Donald  B.  MacMillan,  the 
Arctic  explorer  and  honorary  member  of  the  club,  carried  it  on  two  of  his 
voyages  to  Labrador,  Baffin  Land,  South  and  North  Greenland,  and  within 
12°  of  the  North  Pole. 

(k)  Browns  Wharf,  built  about  1845  by  John  B.  Brown,  is  the  second 
longest  wharf  on  the  water  front;  its  970-foot  length  was  the  center  of  much 
West  Indies  commerce  when  its  builder  headed  the  Portland  Sugar  House, 
one  of  the  first  and  largest  molasses  and  sugar  refineries  in  Portland  during 
the  middle  of  the  19th  century  (see  History) .  Berthed  at  the  east  side  of 
Hobson's  Wharf  is  the  (1)  Coronet,  a  small  schooner  which  took  the 
"Modern  Elijah"  and  a  group  of  Shilohites  on  a  disastrous  cruise  in  an 
attempt  to  spread  the  gospel  in  the  Holy  Land  (see  Religion) . 


BRAMHALL  HILL  SECTION 


The  transition  from  a  wilderness  to  a  residential  district  was  a  prolonged 
one  for  the  Bramhall  section.  The  shoreline  had  been  utilized  for  its  ac- 
cessible transportation  but  its  hilly  summit  was  covered  by  a  heavy  forest 
growth  until  the  first  quarter  of  the  19th  century.  Traders  from  the  in- 
terior with  their  produce  plowed  through  the  dust  and  turns  of  Congress 
Street  on  their  way  to  the  "village"  as  Portland  was  then  called,  but  only 
a  few  hardy  inhabitants  attempted  to  build  their  homes  so  far  from  'The 
Neck.'  When  the  Western  Promenade  was  laid  out  in  1836  it  was  con- 
sidered a  waste  of  the  taxpayers'  money  for  no  one  would  think  of  walking 
that  distance  for  recreation.  From  this  point  may  be  had  the  finest  view  in 
the  city,  Portland's  environs  spread  out  kaleidoscopically.  From  the  storage 
tank-dotted  foreground  on  the  western  bank  of  Fore  River,  the  panorama 
unfolds  —  church  steeples  of  neighboring  cities  and  towns  are  silhouetted 
against  a  backdrop  of  tall  mountain  ranges  to  the  west,  while  eastward  the 
"Bay  of  the  Calendared  Isles"  emphasizes  the  wealth  of  beauty  by  which 
Portland  is  surrounded. 

1.  Williston  Church  (Congregational) ,  32-38  Thomas  St.  This  church  is 
a  brick  structure  conforming  to  a  modified  English  Gothic  style  of  archi- 
tecture and  is  connected  with  a  parish  house  of  brick  and  cement.  The 
church  building  was  erected  in  1878,  and  the  parish  house  was  built  in  1905 
from  designs  by  John  Calvin  and  John  Howard  Stevens.  The  latter  struc- 
ture has  an  assembly  hall  on  the  main  floor  and  a  spacious  library  on  the 
second;  on  the  third  floor  is  a  gallery  with  rolling  doors  that  separate  the 
space  into  eight  class  rooms,  or  roll  back  as  desired,  creating  one  large  as- 
sembly room.  In  February,  1931,  the  church  was  visited  by  a  disastrous  fire, 
but  was  rededicated  the  following  September  after  being  extensively  ren- 
ovated. 

During  the  pastorate  of  the  Reverend  Francis  E.  Clark  (1851-1927)  in  1881 
the  Young  People's  Society  of  Christian  Endeavor  was  organized;  the  young 
minister  believed  "that  the  young  people  of  the  world  had  not  sufficient  op- 
portunity for  religious  activities,  and  that  the  way  to  secure  for  them  the 
privileges  of  satisfactory  Christian  growth  was  to  organize  them  into  a 
body  which  had  definite  personal  and  religious  duties."  In  subsequent  years 


Bramhall  Hill  Section 


263 


264  Portland  City  Guide 

the  organization  became  world-wide  under  the  title  of  International  Chris- 
tian Endeavor. 

2.  The  McLellan  School,  14-20  Carroll  St.,  is  a  square  brick  building 
erected  in  1886  and  named  in  honor  of  Portland's  Civil  War  mayor,  Jacob 
McLellan    (1807-88).    The  school  serves  the  primary  grades  and  is  the 
third  oldest  in  the  city.   Jacob  McLellan  was  born  in  Portland  and  began 
his  career  as  a  clerk;  he  soon  abandoned  this  profession  to  follow  in  the 
steps  of  his  father,  a  famous  sea  captain.   During  these  years  the  younger 
McLellan  commanded  some  of  the  finest  vessels  that  sailed  out  of  Portland 
harbor.  In  1857  he  served  as  State  Senator.  After  the  'Great  Fire'  of  1866 
he  managed  the  relief  fund  for  the  sufferers. 

3.  The  Butler  School,  16  West  St.,  is  a  two-story  brick  building  erected  in 
1879  as  a  grammar  school  and  named  in  honor  of  Moses  M.  Butler  (1824- 
79) ,  the  incumbent  mayor. 

4.  The  Andrews  Memorial  Tablet,  cor.  Pine  and  West  Sts.,  stands  in  the 
.05-acre  Andrews  Square  and  was  presented  to  the  city  by  the  Portland 
Rotary  Club  December  14,  1921.  The  tablet  honors  Sergeant  Harold  Tay- 
lor Andrews  (1893-1917)  the  first  Maine  man  killed  in  the  World  War, 
who  died  in  action  at  Couzeaucourt,  near  Cambria,  France.   He  served  in 
Company  B,  llth  Regiment,  New  York  Engineers. 

5.  The  Hopkins-Milliken  House,  73  Brackett  St.,  is  a  three-story  building 
with  front  and  back  walls  of  brick  and  side  walls  of  wood.  Erected  in  1807 
by  James  D.  Hopkins    (1773-1840),  prominent  Portland  lawyer,  it  was 
called  "Hopkin's  Folly"  because  it  was  so  large  a  house  and  at  that  time 
considered  so  far  out  of  town.  The  house  was  purchased  in  1864  by  Charles 
R.  Milliken  (1833-1906),  who  came  to  Portland  in  1854  and  entered  the 
grocery  jobbing  business  with  F.  A.  Shaw  and  Company.   When  Shaw  re- 
tired Milliken  took  over  the  business  under  his  own  name.  In  1881  he  pur- 
chased and  became  president  of  the  Portland  Rolling  Mills;  six  years  later 
he  bought  the  plant  of  the  Dennison  Paper  Company  in  Mechanic  Falls 
and  organized  the  Poland  Paper  Company. 

6.  The  Site  of  the  Commodore  Edward  Tyng  House,  163  Danforth  St., 
is  now  occupied  by  the  Elias  Thomas  house,  a  19th  century  flat-roofed 
brick  building  with  four  chimneys.  Commodore  Edward  Tyng  (1683-1755) 
was  an  English  naval  hero  who  distinguished  himself  in  the  French  and 
Indian  Wars,  rising  to  the  rank  of  senior  officer  in  the  Massachusetts  navy. 
He  took  part  in  the  expedition  against  Fort  Royal,  captured  a  French  pri- 


Bramhall  Hill  Section  265 

vateer  that  was  raiding  along  the  coast,  and  fought  at  the  siege  of  Louis- 
burg.  He  was  made  commander  of  the  frigate  Massachusetts  and  later 
headed  a  squadron  that  assisted  in  the  capture  of  the  French  warship 
Vigilante.  Elias  Thomas  (1771-1872),  the  builder  of  the  present  house, 
was  engaged  in  shipping  and  trading. 

7.  The  Portland  Terminal  Company,  468  Commercial  St.,  a  subsidiary  of 
the  Maine  Central  Railroad,  was  established  in  1912  to  consolidate  the 
facilities  of  the  Maine  Central  and  the  Boston  and  Maine  railroads.   The 
company  owns  all  the  steam  railroad  property  in  Portland,  South  Portland, 
and  Westbrook,  with  the  exception  of  that  owned  by  the  Canadian  Na- 
tional Railways. 

Providing  terminal,  passenger,  freight,  and  wharf  facilities  for  both  rail- 
roads, each  has  equal  rights  to  the  use  of  the  company's  equipment  which 
provides  chiefly  for  the  transshipment  of  pulpwood,  baled  pulp,  china  clay, 
coal,  lumber,  and  sulphur. 

Wharf  No.  1  has  a  total  frontage  of  1,000  feet,  berthing  space  for  three 
steamers,  and  is  equipped  with  a  modern  plant  for  discharging  and  for- 
warding general  cargo;  its  storage  shed  has  a  capacity  of  24,000  tons  of 
baled  pulp.  Adjacent  to  this  shed  is  an  office  building  housing  the  superin- 
tendent of  wharves,  shed  foreman,  stevedores,  and  U.  S.  Customs.  Wharf 
No.  2,  with  berthing  for  one  steamer  and  trackage  for  80  cars,  has  recently 
been  sold  to  the  Casco  Wharf  &  Storage  Co.  Directly  upstream,  Wharf 
No.  3  has  a  frontage  of  1,500  feet,  berthing  space  for  four  steamers  and 
was  designed  for  the  handling  of  china  clay,  pulpwood,  timber,  scrap  iron, 
and  other  commodities.  Built  in  1930,  Wharf  No.  4  was  ranked  at  its 
completion  among  the  most  modern  and  efficient  coal  handling  plants  on 
the  Atlantic  seaboard.  This  plant,  directly  across  the  harbor  from  Wharf 
No.  3,  is  located  on  Turner's  Island,  South  Portland. 

8.  The  Portland-South  Portland  Bridge,  foot  of  Brackett  St.,  is  a  rein- 
forced concrete  structure  opened  to  the  public  July  1,  1916,  and  is  locally 
known  as  the  Million  Dollar  Bridge.   The  earliest  span  on  this  site  was  a 
rude  wooden  bridge  built  on  piles  in  1823  by  a  local  corporation  headed  by 
Elias  Thomas  (see  above:  No.  6) .  Toll  rates  were  two  cents  for  persons  on 
foot  and  six  cents  for  horses;  men  on  military  duty  were  allowed  free  pas- 
sage. The  drawbridge  was  free  to  all  vessels  except  pleasure  craft.  In  1851 
the  structure  became  toll-free,  its  maintenance  devolving  upon  Cumberland 
County.    Railroad  tracks  once  crossed  the  span,  and  with  the  growth  of 
these  lines  and  resultant  multiplication  of  tracks,  the  Portland  approach  be- 
came so  hazardous  that  it  was  long  known  as  the  Gridiron  of  Death. 


266  Portland  City  Guide 

9.  The  Portland  Gas  Light  Company  Works,  40  West  Commercial  St., 
were  set  up  in  1850,  with  Francis  O.  J.  Smith  (see  Woodfords  Section:  No. 
23)  as  president.  Production  of  coal  gas  was  discontinued  in  1938  with  the 
installation  of  two  Semet-Solvay  water  gas  machines,  each  capable  of  pro- 
ducing three  and  one-half  million  cubic  feet  of  carburated  gas  daily.  Ample 
reserves  are  stored  in  the  company's  four  gas  holders,  three  of  these  at  the 
plant,  and  the  other  on  St.  James  Street,  Portland,  South  Portland,  and 
Westbrook  are  served  by  168  miles  of  mains. 

10.  St.  Louis  Church    (Polish  Catholic),  279  Danforth  St.,  in  English 
Gothic  style  with  a  tower,  was  completed  in  1927.    Built  of  brick  with 
limestone  trimmings,  the  ornamental  niche  over  the  entrance  contains  a 
statue  of  the  patron  of  the  church,  St.  Louis.  There  are  four  schoolrooms 
on  the  lower  floor. 

11.  The  Home  for  Aged  Women,  64  Emery  St.,  was  organized  in  1854, 
and,  aided  by  the  churches  of  the  city  which  raised  a  large  part  of  the 
capital,  it  began  operations  two  years  later  in  a  small  house  at  the  corner 
of  Elm  and  Oxford  streets.   In  1872  the  home  moved  to  its  present  loca- 
tion.  A  three-story  addition,  designed  by  Frederick  A.  Tompson  to  con- 
form with  the  original  building,  was  built  in  1913. 

12.  Western  Cemetery,  Western  Promenade,  Danforth  and  Vaughan  Sts. 
For  more  than  a  century  the  small  cemetery  on  Munjoy  Hill  was  the  only 
burial  ground  in  the  town.  By  1829  it  afforded  no  further  burial  facilities, 
with  the  result  that  the  town  then  purchased  ten  acres  on  the  southern  slope 
of  Bramhall  Hill  for  this  purpose;  two  more  acres  were  acquired  at  later 
dates.    Until  Mount  Calvary  cemetery  was  purchased  in  1857  Catholics 
were  buried  in  the  southern  part  of  Western  Cemetery,  and  the  Catholic 
Church  still  owns  17  of  the  29  acres  in  this  burial  ground.  The  memorial 
gateway,  in  a  style  familiar  in  English  cemeteries,  was  erected  in  1914  to  the 
memory  of  Edward  H.  Davies  (1818-1909) ;  built  of  random  rubble  stone 
from  Trundy's  Reef,  it  was  designed  by  John  Calvin  Stevens.    On  the 
northern  side  of  the  cemetery  are  the  granite  Hillside  Tombs,  in  one  of 
which  is  interred  Stephen  Longfellow  (1776-1849),  father  of  the  poet,  and 
in  another,  John  Neal  (see  Literature) . 

Prominent  among  the  monuments  is  one  of  granite  erected  by  the  pupils  of 
Master  Jackson's  school  as  a  tribute  to  their  teacher,  Henry  Jackson  (1783- 
1850) ,  who  taught  in  the  Grammar  School  for  Boys  for  50  years. 

13.  The  Maine  Publicity  Bureau,  3  St.  John  St.,  designed  by  John  P. 
Thomas,  was  officially  opened  in  November,  1936.   Of  brick  with  granite 


Bramhall  Hill  Section  267 

trim,  it  was  built  by  WPA  funds  on  a  lot  donated  to  the  city  for  a  park  by 
the  heirs  of  the  John  B.  Brown  (1805-81)  estate,  but  they  agreed  to  permit 
the  use  of  it  for  a  tourist  bureau  of  information;  it  is  leased  from  the  city 
by  the  Maine  Publicity  Bureau. 

The  Rotary  Traffic  Circle,  St.  John  St.  at  Danforth  St.,  is  the  first  traffic 
circle  to  be  built  in  the  State.  Completed  in  1939  as  a  U.  S.  Federal  Aid 
Grade  Crossing  project,  the  plans  were  furnished  by  the  Bridge  Division 
of  the  Maine  State  Highway  Commission.  The  three-ton  anchor,  symboliz- 
ing the  part  Portland  has  played  in  shipping,  was  the  gift  of  the  Propeller 
Club  of  the  United  States,  Port  of  Portland.  Sodium  luminaires  give  dis- 
tinctive and  intense  illumination  for  night  driving. 

14.  Vaughans  Bridge,  foot  of  Danforth  and  St.  John  Sts.,  sometimes  called 
"Kerosene  Bridge,"  was  named  for  William  Vaughan  (1745-1826)  who  was 
one  of  the  promoters  in  the  building  of  the  original  bridge  that  spanned 
Fore  River  at  this  point.   First  known  as  Portland  Bridge,  it  was  built  of 
cobwork  cribs  filled  with  rock  and  sunk  to  serve  as  piers.    The  original 
structure  was  opened  as  a  toll  bridge  in  1800  and  became  a  free  bridge  53 
years  later.  The  present  iron  and  steel  Vaughan's  Bridge  was  completed  in 
1908. 

15.  Western  Promenade,  431  Danforth  St.  to  1  Arsenal  St.,  was  acquired 
by  the  city  in  1836.  More  than  one  hundred  feet  wide  and  over  a  thousand 
yards  long,  this  thoroughfare  is  laid  out  on  the  highest  ground  in  Portland, 
175  feet  above  sea  level.    Many  of  the  fine  homes  along  the  Promenade 
were  built  by  early  business  and  professional  men  of  the  city.    Three 
markers,  placed  in  the  early  half  of  the  19th  century  by  the  United  States 
Geodetic  Survey  Service,  one  at  each  end  of  the  Promenade  and  one  in 
the  center  in  perfect  alignment,  mark  the  true  meridian  of  the  earth's  sur- 
face, longitude  70°  16',  used  by  engineers  to  determine  the  variation  of  the 
magnetic  needle.   The  seven-ton  granite  boulder  on  the  southwestern  end 
was  erected  by  the  Frothingham  Post  Veterans  of  Foreign  Wars  in  mem- 
ory of  Lieutenant  Philip  B.  Frothingham  (1894-1918),  who  died  in  France 
and  for  whom  the  Post  is  named.  Almost  opposite  the  West  Street  entrance 
is  an  heroic  bronze  statue  of  Thomas  Brackett  Reed    (1839-1902)    (see 
Munjoy  Hill  Section:  No.  8) . 

16.  The  Maine  General  Hospital  School  of  Nursing,  135  Chadwick  St., 
was,  at  the  beginning  of  the  20th  century,  the  home  of  the  Portland  School 
for  Medical  Instruction.  The  Medical  School  of  Maine,  founded  in  1820, 
was  under  the  control  and  supervision  of  Bowdoin  College,  and  in  1899 


268  Portland  City  Guide 

this  institution  decided  the  last  two  years  of  the  course  should  be  given  in 
this  city.  From  1909  until  Bowdoin  College  discontinued  its  medical  course 
in  1921  the  Maine  School  of  Medicine  was  carried  on  at  this  address. 
The  Portland  University,  which  conferred  degrees  in  commercial  and  sec- 
retarial science,  occupied  these  quarters  from  1922-25,  and  three  years  later 
it  was  acquired  by  the  Maine  General  Hospital  for  use  as  a  school  of  nurs- 
ing. 

17.  The  Reservoir,  Bramhall,  at  Brackett  St.,  was  built  by  the  Portland 
Water  Company  (see  Woodfords  Section:  No.  36)  in  1869,  a  year  after 
the  water  of  Sebago  Lake  was  piped  to  the  city.  The  reservoir  has  a  capacity 
of  8,000,000  gallons,  serves  no  particular  part  of  the  city,  but  is  kept  filled 
in  case  of  emergency. 

18.  The  Maine  Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary,  79  Bramhall  St.,  was  established  in 
1885  in  quarters  on  Federal  Street.  It  outgrew  the  original  location  and  in 
six  years  moved  to  its  new  building  on  Bramhall  Street,  designed  by  John 
Calvin  Stevens.    Established  primarily  for  the  treatment  of  eye  and  ear 
cases,  it  is  now  a  general  hospital. 

19.  The  Maine  General  Hospital,  22  Arsenal  St.,  is  built  on  the  site  of  the 
old  State  Arsenal.   In  1867  Dr.  Samuel  H.  Tewksbury  (1819-80),  newly 
elected  president  of  the  Maine  Medical  Association,  suggested  in  his  in- 
augural address  the  need  of  a  hospital  for  Portland;  the  following  year  the 
Maine  General  Hospital  was  incorporated.    The  four-story  central  build- 
ing, to  which  wings  have  been  added  with  the  growth  of  the  institution,  was 
designed  by  Francis  H.  Fassett  and  completed  in  1874.  It  is  a  State-spon- 
sored institution,  three  of  its  nine  trustees  being  appointed  by  the  Governor 
and  six  by  the  corporation. 

Within  the  past  decade  the  hospital  has  been  remodeled,  re-equipped,  and 
a  new  wing  added.  It  has  a  293-bed  capacity  and  offers  medical,  surgical, 
obstetrical,  urological,  orthopedic,  dermatalogical,  gynecological,  ophthal- 
mological,  neurological,  ear,  nose  and  throat,  pediatric,  and  dental  serv- 
ices. The  hospital  also  maintains  special  clinics  for  asthma,  gastroenterol- 
ogy,  cardiograph,  mental  hygiene,  diabetes,  and  tuberculosis,  and  acquired 
a  Drinkler  respirator  (iron  lung)  in  1931. 

20.  The  Union  Station,  242-296  St.  John  St.,  designed  by  the  Boston  firm 
of  Bradley,  Winslow,  and  Witherell  in  a  style  similar  to  French  chateaux, 
was  completed  in  1888.   Prior  to  the  building  of  this  station  trains  from 
Boston  came  across  the  Eastern  Division  bridge,  turned  on  a  Y,  and 


Bramhall  Hill  Section  269 

backed  into  the  station  on  Commercial,  at  the  foot  of  State  Street;  there 
was  no  arrangement  for  through  car  service  between  the  Maine  Central 
and  the  Boston  and  Maine.  A  newspaper  clipping  of  that  date  reveals  the 
sentiment  of  the  city  anent  the  new  station:  "At  the  time  operations  began 
for  the  building  of  the  new  Union  Passenger  Station  where  it  now  stands, 
the  Congress  Street  Station  was  established  to  'break  in'  the  people  of 
Portland  to  the  new  condition  of  things,  for  it  was  a  radical  change  to  es- 
tablish a  road's  terminal  so  widely  separated  from  the  old  and  so  far  out  of 
town,  as  it  then  appeared  to  the  public." 

21.  The  Exposition  Building,  239  Park  Ave.,  a  red-brick  auditorium  with 
a  seating  capacity  of  5,000,  was  designed  by  Frederick  A.  Tompson.  It  was 
erected  in  1914  by  the  Exposition  Building  Association,  to  whom  the  city 
leased  the  property.   Built  at  a  cost  of  $80,944,  the  structure  is  206  feet 
long,  132  feet  wide,  and  contains  26,358  square  feet  of  floor  space.    Al- 
though the  city  now  owns  the  building,  the  Exposition  Building  Associa- 
tion holds  a  25-year  lease  with  the  privilege  of  renewal  for  an  additional  25 
years. 

22.  The  Portland  Park  Dept.  Greenhouse,  227  Park  Ave.,  was  built  in  1910 
for  the  purpose  of  raising  flowers  and  shrubs  for  the  city's  parks  and 
boulevards.   Under  its  7,500  square  feet  of  glass  the  greenhouse  produces 
about  thirty  varieties  of  annual  flower  plants  and  a  like  quantity  of  bedding 
material  to  supply  130  plots  within  the  city.   In  conjunction  with  this  pro- 
gram, the  city  maintains  a  nursery  at  Payson  Park  which  supplies  decidu- 
ous and  evergreen  trees  as  well  as  numerous  varieties  of  evergreen  shrubs 
(see  Wood  fords  Section:  No.  11). 

23.  The  Maine  Institution  for  the  Blind,  199  Park  Ave.,  is  an  industrial 
plant  employing  blind  people  in  the  State  and  furnishing  them  board  and 
room  as  part  of  their  regular  wages.  The  institution  consists  of  three  build- 
ings:   the  workshop,  known  as  the  Ryan   Building  in  memory  of  the 
founder  of  the  institution,  William  Ryan    (1864-1936) ;   the  Woman's 
Dormitory;  and  the  Superintendent's  house.  All  three  structures  are  of  red 
brick  with  limestone  trim.  A  dormitory  for  men  is  maintained  at  84  Deering 
Avenue  on  a  lot  owned  by  the  institution. 

The  Maine  Institution  for  the  Blind  was  incorporated  in  1905,  and  the 
buildings  were  erected  three  years  later;  during  the  first  years  of  the  institu- 
tion five  men  worked  in  one  room  of  a  local  office.  Brooms  and  mattresses 
manufactured  in  the  present  plant  are  sold  throughout  the  State;  chair 
caneing  and  rush  seating  are  also  done  there,  and  employment  is  given  to  an 


270  Portland  City  Guide 

average  of  34  men  and  women  between  the  ages  of  18  and  50.  In  the  work- 
shop, operations  are  carried  on  much  as  in  any  industrial  plant  except  that 
ropes  are  hung  to  guide  the  workers.  Each  dormitory  room  has  a  radio, 
and  literature  in  Braille  is  provided. 

24.  Portland  High  School  Stadium  and  Memorial  Gateway,  178-182  Deer- 
ing  Ave.    Formerly  known  as  Richardson  Field,  this  area  was  leased  to 
Portland  High  School  by  the  city  in  1930;  the  following  year  a  concrete 
grandstand  was  built  overlooking  a  football  gridiron  and  cinder  track.   In 
1932  bleachers  were  erected  opposite  the  grandstand,  giving  the  stadium 
a  combined  seating  capacity  of  8,250.   The  Memorial  Gateway,  marking 
the  main  entrance,  was  given  by  Mrs.  Clara  Dyer  Foster  in  memory  of  her 
son,  James  Franklin  Dyer  (1876-1924). 

25.  Deering  Oaks,  7-157  Park  Ave.  This  park  was  initiated  in  1879  when 
a  part  of  the  area  was  donated  to  the  city  by  Nathaniel  and  Henry  Deer- 
ing  and  other  property  owners.    Subsequent  purchases  of  property  ad- 
joining the  original  grant  gradually  increased  its  size  until,  with  the  last 
purchase  in   1922,  the  completed  land  acquisition  totalled   53.70  acres. 
Colloquially  called  "The  Oaks,"  because  of  the  numerous  trees  of  that 
species,  it  is  the  largest  of  the  city's  parks  and  a  favorite  recreation  center 
for  Portlanders  both  in  summer  and  winter.   The  duck  house  in  the  cen- 
ter of  the  pond  was  presented  to  the  park  in  1899  by  the  Portland  Car- 
penters Union;  the  four  European  swans  it  houses  are  wintered  in  the 
Franklin  Park  Zoo  in  Boston,  when  the  pond  becomes  a  skating  field.  The 
flower  circle  in  the  eastern  section  contains  many  well-known  and  rare 
varieties  of  annuals  and  perennials. 

Near  the  bandstand  is  a  tree  with  a  slate  marker  on  which  is  inscribed: 
"Here  the  brave  followers  of  Major  Church  died  in  battle  with  the  Indians 
Sept.  28,  1689."  In  September,  1689,  one  of  Falmouths'  prominent  citi- 
zens wrote  to  Boston  that  there  were  200  Indians  on  Palmer  (Peak)  Island. 
On  the  20th  of  that  month  these  were  joined  by  another  band  from  the 
north,  and  in  the  night  this  combined  force  moved  to  the  mainland  to  An- 
thony Brackett's  estate,  on  the  site  of  Deering  Oaks.  Major  Benjamin 
Church  had  arrived  from  Massachusetts  a  short  time  before  this,  and  one  of 
the  Brackett  boys  ran  to  him  to  give  the  alarm  that  the  Indians  were  about 
to  attack  the  settlement.  Church  and  his  men  immediately  moved  on  the 
Indians,  and  in  the  fierce  battle  that  followed  routed  the  savages,  who  re- 
treated with  their  dead  and  wounded.  A  letter,  written  by  Church  on  the 
day  of  the  battle  and  preserved  in  the  Massachusetts  archives,  lists  21  in- 
habitants of  the  settlement  wounded  or  slain. 


Bramhall  Hill  Section  271 

26.  The  White  Memorial  Church,  75  Grant  St.,  is  a  plain,  brown  shingled 
church  named  in  honor  of  Sister  Ellen  Gould  Harmon  White  (1827-1915) , 
one  of  the  early  prophets  of  the  Seventh  Day  Adventist  Church.  Her  par- 
ents were  Methodist  Episcopals  who  had  severed  their  connection  with  that 
church  in  1843,  their  decided  Second  Advent  views  having  been  influenced 
by  the  teachings  of  William  Miller  who  lectured  in  Portland  in  1840  and 
1842.   Born  in  Gorham,  Ellen  White  lived  in  Portland  during  her  child- 
hood, when  she  began  to  receive  what  were  considered  to  be  "miraculous" 
visions  from  the  Lord  (see  Religion) . 

27.  The  Church  of  the  Sacred  Heart,  65  Mellen  St.,  of  red  brick,  with 
portico  and  supporting  columns  of  Indiana  limestone,  was  designed  in  the 
Italian  Renaissance  style  by  Francis  H.  and  Edward  F.  Fassett  and  com- 
pleted in  1913.   Between  the  two  towers  are  three  shrines  with  statues  of 
the  Sacred  Heart,  St.  John,  and  the  Virgin  Mary  —  sculptored  from  Car- 
rara marble.  Steel  framework,  eliminating  the  use  of  pillars  in  the  interior, 
allows  an  unobstructed  view  of  the  altars,  also  made  of  Carrara  marble. 
The  windows,  designed  and  executed  in  the  New  York  studios  of  Mon- 
tague-Castle-London Co.,  depict  the  Annunciation,  the  Nativity,  the  Resur- 
rection, the  Presentation,  and  the  Ascension.   The  Stations  of  the  Cross, 
the  work  of  the  Boston  sculptor,  Hugh  Cairns,  are  said  to  be  the  finest  set 
of  plastic  decorations  of  their  kind  in  New  England. 

28.  The  former  Baxter  Homestead,  61  Deering  St.,  now  an  apartment 
house,  was  built  about  1868  and  was  the  home  of  James  Phinney  Baxter 
(1831-1921)    (see  Literature).    Many  of  his  children  were  born  in  this 
house,  including  Percival  Proctor  Baxter,  Governor  of  Maine   (1921-25) 
and  donor  of  Katahdin  Park.  After  finishing  his  schooling  the  elder  Bax- 
ter started  in  business  with  William  G.  Davis,  and  in  1861  the  partners 
united  with  the  firm  of  Rumery  and  Burnham  to  form  the  Portland  Pack- 
ing Company  when  it  was  found  that  vegetables  could  be  canned  success- 
fully.  Baxter  amassed  a  fortune  through  this  and  other  business  connec- 
tions and  was  prominently  identified  with  banking.    His  interests  were 
manifold;  he  was  founder  of  the  Associated  Charities  Society,  the  Portland 
Society  of  Art,  and  was  for  many  years  president  of  the  Maine  Historical 
Society.   Mayor  of  Portland  for  six  years,  James  Phinney  Baxter  was  ac- 
tive in  suppressing  the  liquor  traffic  in  the  city.   He  received  the  honorary 
degree  of  Master  of  Arts  from  Bowdoin  College  in  1881  and  that  of  Doctor 
of  Literature  in  1904. 

29.  The  Neal  Dow  Homestead,  714  Congress  St.,  a  two  and  one-half  story 
brick  house  of  Colonial  design,  was  built  by  Neal  Dow  (1804-97)  in  1824. 


272  Portland  City  Guide 

Its  interior  is  typically  colonial  in  both  architecture  and  furnishings;  it  is 
expected  the  house  will  eventually  become  the  property  of  the  Women's 
Christian  Temperance  Union  of  Maine  as  a  shrine  to  the  memory  of  the 
father  of  the  Maine  Law. 

Neal  Dow  was  born  of  Quaker  parents  in  the  two  and  one-half  story  frame 
house  at  717  Congress  Street.  He  was  educated  at  "dame's  schools"  during 
his  early  years,  progressing  to  Master  Hall's  school  on  Spring  near  State 
Street,  and  later  to  Master  Taylor's  on  Union  Street,  transferring  to  the 
Portland  Academy  on  Congress  Street,  east  of  Temple.  Master  Cushman 
taught  at  this  school  where  young  Neal  was  a  classmate  of  Henry  W. 
Longfellow  and  his  brother,  Stephen,  Commodore  Preble's  son,  Edward, 
the  Brooks  brothers,  Erastus  and  James,  who  rose  to  journalistic  and  poli- 
tical heights  in  New  York,  and  Sumner  Cummings  who  became  a  noted 
Portland  physician. 

Young  Dow  was  denied  a  college  training  because  of  the  Quaker  attitude 
that  "a  college  education  was  a  device  of  the  adversary,  and  was  to  be  ob- 
tained only  at  great  peril  to  the  immortal  soul."  His  schooling  finished  at 
16,  he  started  work  in  his  father's  tannery,  but  kept  up  reading  to  com- 
pensate for  his  lack  of  a  college  training.  With  his  father  he  went  to  every 
session  of  the  Constitutional  Convention  that  sat  in  Portland  perparatory 
to  Maine  becoming  a  separate  State,  and  in  his  early  twenties  joined  the 
Portland  Atheneum,  a  literary  society;  he  was  one  of  its  first  secretaries. 

Dow  joined  the  Volunteer  fire  department  when  he  was  18  and  served  for 
more  than  twenty-five  years.  He  campaigned  vigorously  to  correct  liquor 
conditions  in  the  City  and  State  and  in  1846  was  rewarded  by  having  a 
prohibitory  law  passed  by  the  State  Legislature;  however,  the  law  was  not 
stringent  enough  and  was  ignored.  During  the  next  five  years  Dow's  un- 
remitting efforts  converted  many  to  his  views  and  while  mayor  of  Portland 
in  1850  he  wrote  what  became  the  Maine  Law  passed  in  1851.  He  was  sub- 
jected to  all  manner  of  humiliating  affronts  for  his  temperance  activities, 
but  made  many  friends  for  the  earnestness  and  sincerity  that  prompted  his 
actions.  He  made  four  trips  abroad  which  resulted  in  the  United  Kingdom 
Alliance  being  formed  to  help  similar  legislation  in  England. 

Dow  served  another  term  as  mayor  of  Portland  (1855-6)  and  at  the  fall  of 
Fort  Sumter  enlisted  and  was  commissioned  colonel  of  the  Thirteenth  regi- 
ment of  Maine  volunteers.  Promoted  to  brigadier  general  he  was  wounded 
twice  during  the  siege  of  Port  Huron,  Louisiana.  He  was  captured  one 
evening  while  returning  from  the  front  to  get  some  needed  articles  at  the 
house  at  which  he  was  staying;  being  unarmed  and  surrounded  by  a  num- 


Bramhall  Hill  Section  273 

ber  of  men,  he  surrendered  and  was  brought  to  Libby  Prison,  where  he  re- 
mained a  prisoner  for  eight  months  and  two  weeks,  being  exchanged  for 
General  Fitzhugh  Lee. 

The  remainder  of  Neal  Dow's  life  was  in  the  temperance  field;  he  traveled 
throughout  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain  speaking  for  the  cause, 
wrote  innumerable  letters  to  the  press  setting  forth  his  views  on  the  subject, 
and  continued  this  labor  until  he  was  90  years  old. 

30.  The  First  Church  of  Christ,  Scientist,  61  Neal  St.,  of  Caledonian  brick 
with  Indiana  limestone  trim,  and  of  Georgian  architecture,  was  designed  by 
Brigham,  Coveney,  and  Bisbee  of  Boston.  Construction  of  the  building  be- 
gan in  1909,  but  services  were  held  for  the  first  time  in  March,  1915.  The 
organ  was  installed  in  1926  (see  Religion) . 

31.  Longfellow  Monument,  Longfellow  Square,  June.  Congress  and  State 
Sts.  This  bronze  statue  of  Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow  (1807-82)    (see 
Literature) ,  seven  feet  in  height,  is  the  work  of  the  noted  sculptor,  Frank- 
lin Simmons  (see  Arts  and  Crafts),  designed  and  executed  in  his  studio  at 
Rome,  Italy.   The  money  for  the  statue  was  raised  by  small  contributions 
from  the  school  children  of  New  England;  deposited  in  a  sealed  box  in  the 
pedestal  are  the  names  of  these  children.    The  granite  base,  designed  by 
Francis  H.  Fassett,  was  the  gift  of  Payson  Tucker. 


MUNJOY  HILL  SECTION 


Until  1690  only  three  homes  and  a  meetinghouse  hugged  the  water  front  in 
this  section  of  'The  Neck'  and  these,  as  were  the  inhabitants,  were  de- 
stroyed at  that  time  by  the  French  and  Indians.  The  hill,  named  for  George 
Munjoy,  an  educated  and  wealthy  freeman  of  the  Massachusetts  Bay 
Colony  who  came  to  Falmouth  in  1659  and  settled  on  the  homestead  bought 
by  his  father-in-law  from  George  Cleeve,  was,  during  the  early  part  of  the 
18th  century,  a  grazing  ground  for  cattle  and  a  gathering  place  of  the  In- 
dians for  formal  treaty-making.  General  musters  were  held  on  the  level 
land  adjacent  to  Fort  Sumner,  and  yearly  these  muster  grounds  were  the 
scene  of  gay  Independence  Day  celebrations.  After  the  'Great  Fire'  Mun- 
joy Hill  became  a  city  of  tents  to  care  for  the  thousands  made  homeless. 
In  the  rebuilding  which  followed,  the  "Hill"  was  considered  a  more  de- 
sirable location,  and  newly  built  homes  crowded  the  onetime  playground 
area.  Once  known  as  Nigger  Hill  because  of  its  small  group  of  negro 
dwellers,  Munjoy  Hill  today  has  no  predominant  nationality.  The  Eastern 
Promenade  section,  with  its  houses  of  Victorian  architecture  and  spacious 
lawns  developed  in  the  latter  part  of  the  19th  century,  sits  aloof  from  the 
"Hill"  and  enjoys  an  unrivaled  view  of  Casco  Bay.  The  city  has  developed 
and  landscaped  this  area,  and  in  summer  many  Portlanders  seek  the  near-by 
parks  to  enjoy  the  cooling  sea  breezes. 

1.  The  Portland  Observatory  (open  during  summer;  adm.  lOc),  138  Con- 
gress St.,  was  erected  in  1807  from  designs  by  Captain  Lemuel  Moody 
(1767-1846),  who  served  as  water  boy  during  the  Revolution  and  who  in 
later  years  became  an  adept  navigator.  The  octagonal  observatory  tower, 
built  on  Munjoy  Hill,  one  of  the  highest  eminences  in  Portland,  rises  82  feet 
from  the  ground;  122  tons  of  stone  were  placed  in  the  lower  part  of  its 
32-foot  base,  and  eight  white  pine  posts  reached  from  the  foundation  to  the 
lantern  deck,  which  was  constructed  of  eight  similar  timbers.  A  French 
telescope  of  the  Dollard  type  was  installed  on  the  lantern  deck,  and  from 
this  lookout  vessels  could  be  sighted  many  miles  at  sea.  Pre-arranged  flag 
signals  apprised  the  town's  merchants  of  the  approach  of  various  craft, 
giving  them  first-hand  information  when  a  particular  cargo  was  due. 

When  built  the  observatory  was  to  be  used  as  a  signal  station  for  incoming 
ships  and  to  render  assistance  in  case  of  distress,  but  Moody,  however,  also 


Munjoy  Hiil  Section 


275 


FEDERAL.    ST 9 
"TslEWBURY    ST 


276  Portland  City  Guide 

saw  its  possibilities  as  a  rendezvous  for  the  townspeople  and  in  conjunction 
with  the  tower  built  a  bowling  alley,  dining  room,  and  dance  hall.  These 
amusement  places  were  frequented  by  troops  who  gathered  at  the  near-by 
muster  grounds  for  drill  and  target  practice. 

It  was  from  the  tower  of  the  observatory  that  Captain  Moody  viewed  the 
battle  between  the  U.  S.  Brig  Enterprise  and  H.  M.  Brig  Boxer  during  the 
War  of  1812,  and  in  the  manner  of  a  modern  radio  commentator  relayed  a 
verbal  account  of  the  maneuvers  to  the  excited  crowds  below. 

Three  generations  of  the  Moody  family  have  cared  for  the  Portland  Ob- 
servatory which  was  closed  to  the  public  for  many  years.  In  1937  it  was 
acquired  by  the  City  of  Portland  with  the  stipulation  that  it  be  kept  in  re- 
pair for  as  many  years  as  possible,  and  that  eventually  the  site  be  marked 
with  a  tablet;  the  donor  was  Edward  H.  York,  husband  of  Lemuel  Moody's 
granddaughter.  Renovated  and  reconstructed  with  WPA  funds,  the  ob- 
servatory, which  is  said  to  be  the  only  remaining  19th  century  signal  tower 
extant  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  was  rededicated  in  June,  1939,  with  a  tribute 
by  Donald  B.  MacMillan,  the  Arctic  explorer. 

2.  Monument  Street  School,  25  Monument  St.    This  red-brick  structure 
built  in  1860,  enlarged  in  1896  and  again  in  1926,  serves  the  elementary 
grade  children  of  Munjoy  Hill.   An  outstanding  feature  of  the  school  is 
its  modernistic  kindergarten  decorations  depicting  scenes   from  Mother 
Goose  rhymes  and  the  experiences  of  little  Pinocchio.  This  work  was  done 
under  the  auspices  of  the  WPA  Federal  Art  Project  with  murals  by  Anton 
Skillin,  assisted  by  J.  H.  Davis. 

3.  Congress  Street  Methodist  Churchy  126  Congress  St.,  was  organized  in 
1851  by  members  of  the  Chestnut  Street  Methodist  Church  who  lived  in 
the  eastern  end  of  the  city.   A  small  church  was  built  at  that  time  on  the 
corner  of  Congress  and  St.  Lawrence  streets,  which,  although  enlarged  some 
years  later,  was  still  inadequate,  and  in  1867  it  was  sold  and  moved  from 
the  site;  the  present  wooden  building  was  erected  in  1868.    At  that  time 
the  City  of  Portland  presented  the  church  with  a  bell  with  the  provision  that 
the  city  have  the  use  of  it  for  fire  alarms  and  other  municipal  requirements; 
this  bell  is  still  used  by  the  Portland  Fire  Department. 

4.  African  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,   (A.M.E.  Z.ion) ,  95  Monument 
St.,  is  of  concrete  block  construction  and  was  erected  in  1914;  it  is  claimed 
to  be  the  only  church  for  colored  people  in  Maine.  Prior  to  the  erection  of 
this  structure  services  had  been  held  in  a  brick  and  stone  church  on  New- 


Munjoy  Hill  Section  277 

bury  Street,  near  the  Eastern  Cemetery;  this  was  known  as  the  Abyssinian 
Congregational  Church  (see  Religion) . 

5.  Eastern  Cemetery,  cor.  Mountfort  and  Congress  Sts.,  was  laid  out  in 
1668  and  according  to  William  Willis  was  for  200  years  "the  only  burial 
place  in  the  territory  now  included  in  the  limits  of  Portland.  .  .  .  Here  the 
rude  forefathers  of  the  hamlet  sleep.  Here  repose  the  remains  of  emminent 
men  who  have  adorned  the  town  during  two  centuries,  including  probably 
Cleeves,  our  first  settler,  and  in  later  times  the  Cobbs,  Ingersolls,  Moodys, 
Freemans,  Joneses,  Titcombs,  Foxes,  Deerings,  Coffins,  the  venerable  pas- 
tors, Smith  and  Deane,  Col.  Tyng  .  .  .  .  "  This  "Field  of  Ancient  Graves," 
as  it  was  called  by  the  early  settlers,  now  comprises  six  acres  which  are  main- 
tained in  excellent  condition  by  various  patriotic  organizations.  The  war 
dead  of  many  conflicts,  heroes  of  land  and  sea  battles,  and  many  settlers 
and  prominent  citizens  of  the  town  are  buried  here.  Most  of  the  monu- 
ments are  box-like  structures  of  brick  and  granite,  others  resemble  tables 
supported  by  pillars,  and  interspersed  among  the  more  elaborate  memorials 
are  old  slate  headstones,  many  sunk  deep  in  the  turf. 

A  crumbling  reddish-colored  stone,  its  rim  barely  visible  above  the  ground, 
marks  the  grave  of  Mrs.  Mary  Brown  who  died  in  1718,  the  first  recorded 
burial  in  the  cemetery. 

A  granite  shaft  on  a  plain  pedestal,  erected  by  the  Elizabeth  Wadsworth 
Chapter  of  the  Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  bears  the  signifi- 
cant inscription:  "To  the  memory  of  our  historic  dead  who  bore  arms  in 
the  War  of  Independence  and  who  were  ever  in  defense  of  our  city,  who 
made  her  foundations  so  enduring." 

A  white  marble  monument  honors  Edward  Preble  (see  Downtown  Section: 
No.  6),  often  referred  to  as  the  "Father  of  the  American  Navy."  Near 
by  is  a  memorial  to  another  naval  hero,  who  served  with  Preble  at  Tripoli 
and  about  whom  Doctor  Deane  of  the  First  Parish  Church  recorded  in  his 
journal:  "On  the  4th  of  September,  of  this  year  t 18041,  Henry  Wads- 
worth,  son  of  Gen.  Wadsworth,  lost  his  life  before  the  walls  of  Tripoli,  by 
the  explosion  of  a  fire  ship  sent  by  Com.  Preble  to  destroy  the  Tripolitan 
navy;  his  companions  were  Somers,  Israel  and  others,  who  fearlessly  sacri- 
ficed their  lives,  rather  than  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  Lt.  Wads- 
worth  was  in  the  20th  year  of  his  age,  and  a  young  man  of  great  promise. 
A  monument  to  this  noble  sacrifice  stands  at  the  western  front  of  the 
capitol,  in  Washington,  erected  by  the  government,  and  another,  in  the 
Eastern  Cemetery  of  this  city,  was  erected  by  his  friends  to  the  memory  of 
Wadsworth,  and  to  commemorate  the  event." 


278  Portland  City  Guide 

Left  of  the  Congress  Street  entrance  of  the  cemetery  is  a  group  of  three 
monuments  intimately  connected  with  the  naval  epic  that  occurred  just 
outside  Casco  Bay  when  the  American  Enterprise  and  the  British  Boxer  met 
in  deadly  combat.  Both  commanding  officers  were  killed  in  this  encounter. 
The  survivors  of  the  Boxer  erected  a  memorial  to  their  commander,  Samuel 
Blythe,  who  was  interred  in  this  cemetery,  inscribing  on  the  monument  to 
him:  "In  Life  Honorable  —  In  Death  Glorious";  however,  the  grave  of  the 
American  commander,  William  Burrows,  was  not  marked.  Not  long  after 
Bly trie's  memorial  was  erected  Mathew  L.  Davis,  of  New  York  City,  visited 
the  Eastern  Cemetery  and  noticed  that  the  grave  of  the  youthful  captain  of 
the  Enterprise  was  unmarked.  Believing  that  the  victorious  patriot  deserved 
at  least  as  noble  a  recognition  as  the  defeated  Englishman,  Davis  ordered  a 
marble  monument  to  be  erected.  For  a  long  time  the  donor  of  the  monu- 
ment refused  to  divulge  his  name,  which  accounts  for  the  last  part  of  the 
epitaph  on  the  memorial:  "A  passing  stranger  has  erected  this  monument 
of  respect  to  the  name  of  a  patriot,  who  in  the  hour  of  peril  obeyed  the 
loud  summons  of  an  injured  comrade  and  who  gallantly  met,  fought  and 
conquered  the  foeman."  The  third  monument  of  this  group  connected  with 
the  Enterprise  and  Boxer  episode  is  that  of  18-year-old  Lieutenant  Kervin 
Waters,  of  Washington,  D.  C.,  who  served  on  the  American  brig.  Severely 
wounded,  he  lived  for  more  than  a  year  assidulously  cared  for  by  the  young 
men  of  Portland,  who  erected  the  memorial  in  tribute  to  his  heroism. 

A  28-foot  Gothic  type  monument  of  polished  red  granite  is  a  tribute  to 
James  Alden  (1810-77),  a  local  boy  who  followed  the  sea  and  rose  to  the 
rank  of  Admiral  of  the  U.  S.  Navy.  Many  of  Alden's  progenitors  were 
merchant  seamen  in  colonial  and  revolutionary  times,  and  he  started  upon 
his  career  in  1828  when  he  shipped  aboard  the  Concord.  The  terse  inscrip- 
tion upon  the  bronze  tablet,  "Intrepid  explorer,  Skillful  Hydrographer, 
Cartographer  on  the  West  Coast  of  the  U.  S.,"  gives  only  an  inkling  of 
Alden's  colorful  career.  Another  marker  indicates  that  he  served  in  the 
"Mexican  War,  New  Orleans,  Vicksburg,  Port  Hudson,  Mobile  Bay,  Fort 
Fisher."  During  his  lifetime  Alden  served  on  an  exploratory  expedition  into 
the  South  Seas  and  commanded  an  expedition  directed  against  the  activities 
of  war  junks  in  the  sea  area  of  Cochin,  China.  It  is  said  that  he  was  the 
only  American  naval  officer  to  have  dined  with  Queen  Victoria. 

The  granite  and  bronze  memorial  in  the  form  of  a  Greek  cross  marks  the 
grave  of  Alonzo  Stinson  (1842-61),  youthful  Portlander  who  lost  his  life 
in  the  early  days  of  the  Civil  War.  The  marker,  surmounted  by  a  bronze 
replica  of  a  knapsack  and  blanket  roll,  was  erected  by  the  surviving  mem- 


Munjoy  Hiil  Section  279 

bers  of  Company  H,  Fifth  Maine  Regiment,  as  a  tribute  to  the  19-year-old 
boy  who  lost  his  life  in  the  first  Battle  of  Bull  Run,  July  21,  1861. 

6.  The  North  School,  248-254  Congress  St.,  is  a  three-story  red-brick 
building  trimmed  with  Toronto  white  brick;  it  has  a  French  roof  with 
towers  on  each  side  and  on  the  rear.  Designed  in  the  Romanesque  style  by 
John  Calvin  Stevens  and  John  Howard  Stevens,  it  was  erected  in  1867,  re- 
placing the  old  Congress  Street  Grammar  School  which  was  destroyed  in 
the  'Great  Fire*  the  previous  year.   Today  the  approximate  enrollment  of 
1,300  pupils,  composed  of  more  than  fifteen  nationalities,  makes  this  the 
largest  elementary  school  in  Maine. 

A  report  of  1874  refers  to  "moderately  sized  rooms"  for  grading  pupils  in 
the  North  School,  making  it  the  pioneer  of  the  modern  grade  system  in 
Portland.  The  public-spirited  mayor,  James  Phinney  Baxter  (1831-1921), 
made  it  possible  to  fit  up  rooms  in  the  attic  of  the  old  school  in  1894  for 
the  use  of  boys  interested  in  the  various  phases  of  woodworking.  In  the 
same  year  a  system  of  school  banking  was  inaugurated  in  connection  with 
a  local  savings  institution;  among  the  first  to  deposit  through  these  facil- 
ities were  George  P.  Johnson,  now  Right  Reverend  Monsignor  and  Vicar 
General  of  the  Diocese  of  Portland,  and  Marjory  Nicholson,  now  Dean  of 
Smith  College.  This  was  the  first  local  school  banking  system,  antedating 
by  20  years  any  similar  movement. 

7.  Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow  Birthplace,  161  Fore  St.,  is  a  three-story 
frame  house  of  Early  Colonial  architecture.  A  plaque  on  the  building  indi- 
cates that  the  structure  was  erected  in  1784,  although  Nathan  Goold,  Port- 
land historian,  has  written  that  "sources  agree  that  the  Longfellow  birth- 
place on  Fore  and  Hancock  streets  was  built  in  1800  by  William  Campbell, 
a  Scotch  truckman,  and  that  it  was  sold  to  Captain  Samuel  Stephenson  in 
1804." 

Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow  (see  Downtown  Section:  No.  5)  was  born  in 
this  house  while  his  mother  was  visiting  her  sister.  In  later  years  the  poet 
lived  in  the  brick  house  on  Congress  Street,  known  as  the  Longfellow 
House.  Although  the  latter  part  of  his  life  was  spent  in  Massachusetts, 
Portland  has  claimed  him  for  her  own,  and  yearly  thousands  visit  the  place 
of  his  birth  close  to  the  water  front  he  described  so  vividly  (see  Literature) . 

The  house  has  passed  through  many  ownerships  and  was  for  a  time  used  as 
a  tenement;  in  1914  the  International  Longfellow  Society  purchased  the 
property  and  restored  it  as  nearly  as  possible  to  its  original  state.  The  22- 
room  house  contains  furniture  of  its  period,  7,000  old  books,  and  many  en- 
gravings and  pictures  of  the  early  19th  century. 


280  Portland  City  Guide 

8.  Site  of  Birthplace  of  Thomas  Brackett  Reed,  E.  side  of  Hancock  St. 
between  Fore  and  Middle  Sts.,  is  now  occupied  by  a  division  of  the  modern 
drop-forging  plant  of  the  Thomas  Laughlin  Company.   Thomas  Brackett 
Reed  (1839-1902)  was  born  in  a  two-story  wooden  house  which,  with  16 
other  structures,  was  torn  down  in  1938  to  make  room  for  the  3.5-acre 
Laughlin  plant.  Reed  was  graduated  from  Bowdoin  College  in  1860,  served 
as  paymaster  in  the  navy,  and  in  1865  began  to  practice  law.    He  was  a 
member  of  the  Maine  Legislature,  became  attorney  general  of  the  State, 
and  was  elected  to  Congress  in  1876.   His  evident  ability  as  a  speaker  led 
to  his  appointment  as  floor  leader  of  the  Republican  Party.   Reed  served  in 
Congress  until  1899  and  was  three  times  elected  speaker  of  the  House  of 
Representatives.  He  won  national  recognition  with  his  ruling  that  all  mem- 
bers present,  though  not  voting,  should  be  counted  toward  a  quorum.   In 
1895  he  was  seriously  considered  as  a  candidate  for  the  presidency  but  lost 
the  nomination  because  of  his  failure  to  come  out  unreservedly  for  the 
gold  standard.    He  published  Reed's  Rules    (1894)    and  edited  Modern 
Eloquence  (1901). 

9.  The  Grand  Trunk  Railway  Elevators,  Commercial  St.  near  foot  of 
India  St.,  are  two  huge  grain  storage  bins  belonging  to  the  Canadian  Na- 
tional Railways.  Adjacent  to  the  elevators  are  the  company's  three  wharves 
with  berthing  space  for  nine  steamers. 

Elevator  No.  1,  with  a  capacity  of  one  million  bushels,  was  built  in  1898; 
elevator  No.  2  was  erected  three  years  later  and  has  a  capacity  of  one  and 
one-half  million  bushels.  This  towering  structure  is  300  feet  long,  101  feet 
wide,  and  175  feet  high.  Unloading  from  cars  to  elevators  averages  140 
cars  per  ten-hour  day,  and  grain  can  be  delivered  from  the  bins  to  four 
steamers  at  one  time  at  the  rate  of  10,000  bushels  an  hour  per  steamer. 

Shortly  after  the  arrival  in  this  port  of  the  first  ocean  steamer  in  1853 
grain  commenced  to  flow  in  from  western  markets  for  shipment  to  Europe. 
In  the  early  days  much  of  the  grain  was  carried  on  the  ships  in  hand  baskets. 
The  first  step  of  progress  was  the  erection  of  a  rude  elevator  powered  by  a 
steam  engine  placed  on  a  scow;  this  elevator  was  set  up  like  a  mill  hopper, 
running  over  an  endless  belt.  Tin  cups  attached  to  the  belt  scooped  up  the 
grain  from  pits  under  the  tracks  into  which  the  cars  unloaded.  Carried  up 
an  incline  of  45  degrees,  the  grain  dropped  into  a  spout  by  which  it  was 
conveyed  into  the  vessel's  hatches  at  the  rate  of  about  five  hundred  bushels 
an  hour. 

10.  The  Site  of  the  First  Meetinghouse  and  Fort  Burrows,  58  Fore  St.,  is 
now  occupied  by  the  Portland  Company,  manufacturers  since  1846  of  heavy 


Munjoy  Hill  Section  281 

machinery,  foundry  products,  boilers,  and  steel  fabrications.  The  first  meet- 
inghouse was  erected  in  1670,  and  in  it  George  Burroughs  preached  the 
doctrines  of  Congregationalism  after  the  Massachusetts  General  Court  had 
ordered  the  inhabitants  of  'The  Neck'  to  get  a  Congregational  minister 
(see  Religion) .  The  meetinghouse  was  destroyed  in  the  French  and  Indian 
War  of  1690.  In  1783  the  proprietors  of  Munjoy  Hill  built  a  stone  wall 
that  crossed  this  site,  setting  off  the  eastern  eminence  of  the  city  as  a  pas- 
ture. Inhabitants  were  able  to  purchase  "Cow  Rights"  from  the  owners,  re- 
ceiving permission  to  pasture  one  cow  within  the  walls.  Fort  Burrows  was 
built  in  1813  by  the  State  of  Massachusetts,  named  for  the  gallant  com- 
mander of  the  Enterprise,  William  Burrows. 

11.  The  Site  of  Mun joy's  Garrison,  NW  cor.  Mountfort  and  Fore  Sts., 
is  now  occupied  by  a  part  of  the  Thomas  Laughlin  drop- forge  plant.    A 
crude  frame  house  was  built  on  this  site  in  1660  by  the  father-in-law  of 
George  Munjoy  (1626-80) ;  the  latter  fortified  it  for  a  garrison  and  lived 
there  with  his  wife  until  about  1676,  the  outbreak  of  King  Philip's  War.  In 
that  year  the  Indians  made  a  raid  on  Falmouth,  and  the  Reverend  George 
Burroughs  and  a  few  settlers  fled  to  the  Munjoy  Garrison;  it  offered  so 
little  security,  however,  that  they  abandoned  it  and  fled  to  Bang's  (Cush- 
ing)  Island. 

12.  Eastern  Promenade,  1  Atlantic  St.  to  251  Washington  Ave.,  was  ac- 
quired by  the  city  in  1836,  and  the  following  year  Fore  Street  was  extended 
up  over  the  hill  to  connect  with  it.  It  was  not  until  1905,  however,  that  the 
city  began  to  improve  this  area  of  more  than  sixty  acres.  From  the  promi- 
nence that  extends  northwesterly  from  Atlantic  Street  past  Munjoy,  Beck- 
ett, Vesper,  and  Morning  streets,  Fort  Allen  Park,  and  along  the  slope  of 
the  northern  concourse  which  leads  to  US  1-A  (Washington  Ave.) ,  one  is 
afforded  a  fine  panorama  of  islanded  Casco  Bay  and  the  picturesque  forts, 
Gorges,  Scammel,  and  Preble.   At  the  head  of  Cutter  Street,  which  winds 
down  the  slope  from  the  promenade  near  Fort  Allen  Park,  is  a  boulder 
with  a  bronze  plaque  erected  to  the  memory  of  Corporal  Jacob  Cousins  by 
the  Jacob  Cousins  Post  No.  99;  he  was  the  first  Portland  soldier  of  Jewish 
faith  to  be  killed  in  action  in  the  World  War.  Located  at  the  head  of  Con- 
gress Street  is  the  Cleeve  and  Tucker  Memorial,  the  first  monument 
erected  in  Portland.  Of  Maine  granite  from  the  North  Jay  quarries,  it  was 
given  to  the  city  in  1883  by  Payson  Tucker,  whose  ancestor,  Richard 
Tucker,  with  his  partner,  George  Cleeve,  was  the  first  to  settle  what  is  now 
Portland  ( see  History) .  Engraved  on  each  side  of  this  graceful  shaft  are 
the  four  names  by  which  the  present  city  has  been  successively  known, 


282  Portland  City  Guide 

"Machigonne,  Casco,  Falmouth,  Portland."  Just  N  of  this  monument  is 
the  Wills  Playground,  named  for  Charles  Wills,  a  former  alderman  of  the 
city  who  was  interested  in  recreation. 

In  an  iron-fenced  enclosure  beyond  the  foot  of  Quebec  Street,  is  the 
Burial  Ground  of  21  victims  of  the  War  of  1812. 

13.  Fort  Allen  Park,  4.55  acres,  adjacent  to  the  Eastern  Promenade,  was 
acquired  by  the  City  in  1890  and  is  located  on  the  site  of  Fort  Allen.   In 
reality,  this  fort  was  merely  a  series  of  batteries  thrown  up  to  defend  the 
town  should  it  again  be  subjected  to  a  bombardment  similar  to  that  of 
Mowat's  in  1775.  The  half-moon  battery  was  built  to  mount  five  guns  and 
was  spoken  of  as  the  great  fort  or  the  citadel,  but  there  are  no  early  records 
of  the  details  of  its  construction.   Rebuilt  in  1814,  it  was  named  in  honor 
of  Commander  William  Henry  Allen  (1784-1813),  who  began  his  career 
as  a  midshipman  in  the  U.  S.  Navy  and  rapidly  advanced  to  the  rank  of 
commander.  Much  of  his  service  was  in  foreign  waters  and  while  in  com- 
mand of  the  Argus,  out  to  harass  British  commerce  during  the  War  of 
1812,  his  ship  fell  in  with  the  English  ship  Pelican.  In  the  engagement  that 
followed  the  commander's  leg  was  shot  off  and  he  died  aboard  his  ship 
from  loss  of  blood. 

14.  Victoria  or  Great  Eastern  Wharves,  at  the  foot  of  the  bluff  in  Fort 
Allen  Park,  are  today  only  remnants  of  the  stone  wall  abutments  and  pil- 
ings of  wharves  erected  in  the  late  '50's  to  care  for  the  English-built  luxury 
liner,  Great  Eastern,  that  was  to  make  Portland  a  port  of  call.  The  cost  of 
maintaining  this  ship  was  enormous,  and  it  changed  hands  several  times 
until  bought  in  1865  by  the  Atlantic  Telegraph  Company  to  lay  the  first 
cable  between  England  and  America;  the  boat  never  arrived  at  Portland. 
The  wharves,  however,  were  not  deprived  of  their  moment  of  glory  for  on 
October  20,  1860,  Baron  Renfrew,  Edward  Prince  of  Wales,  later  Edward 
VII,  embarked  from  these  wharves  after  a  trip  through  Canada.    It  was 
Edward's  first  and  only  visit  to  America,  and  all  along  the  Portland  route, 
from  the  railroad  station  that  was  then  on  Commercial  Street  at  the  foot 
of  State  to  the  wharves,  people  crowded  the  streets  for  a  glimpse  of  royalty. 
The  royal  carriage  was  preceded  by  companies  of  militia  from  Portland, 
Lewiston,  and  Auburn,  which  made  progress  so  slow  the  Prince  is  claimed 
to  have  commanded,  petulantly,  "Hurry,  I'm  cold!"    The  harbor  was 
crowded  with  American  vessels,  all  gaily  decorated,  and,  according  to 
Nathan  Goold  there  was  "in  the  lower  harbor  the  largest  fleet  that  had  an- 
chored in  an  American  port  since  the  French  squadron  had  anchored  in 
Newport  harbor  in  1778.  .  .  .  There  were  eight  British  ships  besides  the 


Munjoy  Hiil  Section  283 

American  boats.  It  was  an  inspiring  spectacle  when  the  Prince  stepped 
aboard  the  flag  decked  vessel.  The  yards  of  the  Men  of  War  were  manned 
by  sailors  and  broadside  after  broadside  came  thundering  over  the  tide 
from  the  vessels.  There  was  displayed  for  the  first  time  in  the  United 
States,  the  Royal  Standards  of  Great  Britain.  The  fleet  immediately  put 
to  sea  and  while  passing  Fort  Preble  a  parting  salute  was  given  from  that 
fortification.  The  Hero  and  the  Nile,  with  six  other  vessels,  composed  the 
fleet  that  had  90  guns  and  nearly  1,000  men." 

An  amusing  sidelight  to  all  this  pomp  and  display  occurred  at  the  time  Ed- 
ward was  about  to  embark.  An  enthusiastic  woman  admirer  had  a  bouquet 
of  flowers  which  she  wished  to  present  to  Victoria's  son,  but  the  police  kept 
her  and  the  crowd  roped  off.  Not  to  be  denied  the  pleasant  memory  of 
having  presented  her  bouquet  to  royalty,  the  lady  threw  her  armful  of 
flowers  at  the  19-year-old  prince  and  then  gasped.  Her  aim  was  deadly. 
The  Prince's  hat  was  knocked  off  his  head,  to  be  rescued  by  an  amazed  sea- 
man, while  the  heir  to  the  English  throne  boarded  the  ship  in  stony  dignity 
minus  his  topper. 

15.  East  End  Bathing  Beach,  adjacent  to  Eastern  Promenade,  has  been  in 
use  as  a  municipal  bathing  center  since  1836  when  Portland  acquired  the 
land   from  Fore  Street  to  Washington  Avenue,  including  the  Eastern 
Promenade  to  the  water's  edge.  In  1916  the  newly  created  Recreation  Com- 
mission assumed  responsibility  for  its  upkeep  and  development.  The  beach 
is  about  one-eighth  of  a  mile  long  and  has  a  gentle  slope.  Three  life  guards 
and  a  matron  are  stationed  here  during  the  summer  months. 

16.  St.  Lawrence  Congregational  (Wright  Memorial)   Church,  cor.  Con- 
gress and  Munjoy  Sts.,  is  a  massive  stone  structure  of  composite  Gothic 
and  Renaissance  architecture  erected  in  1897  on  the  site  of  an  old  skating 
rink  built  17  years  previous.    The  church  was  dedicated  in   1922  as  a 
memorial  to  the  Reverend  Abiel  Holmes  Wright  (1840-1920),  who  served 
as  pastor  from  1871  to  1903.    An  independently  formed  church,  its  ori- 
gins are  said  to  date  back  to  1857  when  "eight  Christian  men  residing  on 
Munjoy  Hiil  formed  a  corporation  under  the  laws  of  the  State  for  the 
purpose  of  building  a  house  for  religious  worship  on  St.  Lawrence  Street." 
The  following  year  the  St.  Lawrence  Congregational  Chapel  was  erected. 

In  1905  William  B.  Jack  started  the  Thirteen  Class  in  the  Sunday  School 
of  the  church;  the  next  year  Henry  F.  Merrill  assumed  the  leadership  which 
he  still  continues.  From  its  original  membership  the  club  has  grown  to  an 
enrollment  of  about  one  thousand,  and  a  Sunday  attendance  of  between 


284  Portland  City  Guide 

three  and  five  hundred  men  from  all  walks  of  life  and  embracing  many 
religious  beliefs. 

17.  Site  of  Fort  Sumner,  60  North  St.  Fort  Sumner,  originally  located  on 
ground  south  of  Shailer  School  and  named  for  Increase  Sumner,  Governor 
of  Massachusetts,  was  erected  in  1794  when  war  between  the  United  States 
and  France  seemed  imminent.    It  had  a  battery  on  Monument  Street 
mounting  large  cannon  and  is  supposed  to  have  been  the  origin  of  Long- 
fellow's lines  in  'My  Lost  Youth': 

The  Fort  upon  the  hill; 
The  sunrise  gun  with  its  hollow  roar, 
The  drum  beat  repeated  o'er  and  o'er, 
And  the  bugle  wild  and  shrill. 

In  time  the  principal  function  of  this  fort  was  the  "fire  watch,"  a  sentinel 
who,  on  discovering  a  fire  in  the  town,  would  discharge  a  cannon  as  a 
signal  for  the  ringing  of  bells  to  summon  aid.  This  was  the  town's  sole 
fortification  until  forts  Preble  and  Scammel  were  erected  in  1808-09.  During 
the  War  of  1812  its  guns  were  remounted  but  never  used,  and  in  1827  John 
Neal  (see  Literature)  set  up  a  gymnasium  within  the  fort  and  was  the  first 
man  to  introduce  parallel  bars  and  leaping  poles  in  New  England.  Fort 
Sumner  Park,  of  1.07  acres,  is  N  of  the  Shailer  School. 

18.  Cumberland  County  Jail,  25  Munroe  St.,  was  erected  in  1858.    The 
central  part  of  the  granite-trimmed  brick  building  houses  the  office,  read- 
ing room,  kitchen,  and  eight  sleeping  rooms.    The  granite  wings  on  each 
side  of  the  main  structure  contain  63  cells.    Offenders  who  are  sentenced 
to  11  months  or  less  serve  their  time  here,  but  those  drawing  longer  sen- 
tences are  transferred  to  Thomaston  State  Prison.  Previous  to  1914  wooden 
heels  were  manufactured  by  the  prisoners  in  a  shop  in  the  rear  of  the  jail; 
since  that  date  the  stoneyard  is  the  only  labor  activity  connected  with  the 
institution. 

19.  The  Reservoir,  cor.  North  and  Walnut  Sts.,  was  completed  in  1890; 
it  was  one  of  the  largest  reservoirs  in  Maine  at  the  time.  The  original  con- 
struction was  of  dirt,  and  in  1893  one  end  of  the  wall  became  weakened, 
releasing  millions  of  gallons  of  water  backed  by  the  tremendous  pressure  of 
an  elevation  of  267  feet  above  sea  level.   Houses  were  washed  away,  and 
four  persons  were  drowned.    To  guard  against  a  like  disaster,  the  new 
walls  were  constructed  of  granite  blocks  over  crushed  stone,  all  laid  in  a 
bed  of  clay.   Since  1926,  with  the  opening  of  a  new  conduit  from  Sebago 
Lake,  this  reservoir  with  a  capacity  of  20,000,000  gallons  has  been  main- 


Munjoy  Hill  Section  285 

tained  only  as  a  reserve  source  for  the  city's  water  supply.  A  pumping 
station  connected  with  the  reservoir  is  located  at  Walnut  and  Sheridan 
streets. 

20.  The  Jewish  Home  for  the  Aged,  (visitors  daily  10  a.  m.  to  6  p.m.), 
158  North  St.,  a  square,  two-story  brick-stucco  building  was  erected  in 
1929  from  designs  by  the  Portland  architect,  Herbert  Rhodes.  A  synagogue 
for  religious  services  and  a  reception  hall  are  among  the  facilities  included 
in  the  building.  The  home  accommodates  aged  Jewish  people  of  any  finan- 
cial status  and  is  maintained  by  voluntary  contributions. 

21.  Tukey's  Bridge,  Washington  Ave.,  was  opened  in  1796  and  for  a  long 
period  was  known  as  Back  Cove  bridge.  Portland  at  that  time  was  almost 
entirely  surrounded  by  water,  and  eastward  travelers  were  forced  to  go  up 
Congress,  through  Grove  Street,  out  by  Allen's  Corner  and  over  a  covered 
bridge.  In  1791  a  petition  was  sent  to  the  General  Court  of  Massachusetts 
:o  solicit  aid  in  having  a  road  built  to,  and  a  dam  thrown  across,  the  cove 
between  Sandy  and  Seacomb  points.  This  was  denied,  and  private  citizens 
of  the  town  procured  a  charter  three  years  later  under  the  name  of  "The 
Proprietors  of  Back  Cove  Bridge."   This  bridge  was  maintained  by  tolls 
until  1830,  at  which  time  Portland  citizens  felt  it  should  be  free,  but  not 
until  six  years  later  did  the  owners  agree  that  their  investment  had  been 
paid  sufficiently  and  that  tolls  be  discontinued.   The  State  Legislature  de- 
creed that  proprietors  officially  relinquish  the  bridge  to  the  city  in  March, 
1837.   All  the  proprietors  were  not  agreeable  to  this  decision  and  one,  "a 
very  respectable  citizen,"  took  matters  into  his  own  hands,  stood  at  the 
gate,  and  collected  tolls.  A  group  of  young  men,  intent  on  using  the  bridge 
without  paying  a  fee,  demanded  free  passage,  but  the  determined  proprietor 
held  on  to  the  gate.  The  warning  that  he  would  be  thrown  overboard  un- 
less he  released  his  hold  made  no  difference  to  him,  but  when  the  young 
men  seized  the  gate  and  tore  it  loose,  caution  came  to  his  rescue  and  he 
dropped  from  the  gate  in  time  to  escape  being  plunged  to  the  water  below. 
From  then  on  it  was  a  free  bridge.   Lemuel  Tukey  was  an  early  toll  col- 
lector who  kept  a  tavern  on  the  Portland  side  where  he  served  clam  and 
fish  suppers;  gradually  the  bridge  came  to  be  known  as  Tukey's  Bridge. 
It  was  rebuilt  in  1898  when  an  iron  draw  was  put  in.  It  is  now  maintained 
by  the  city. 

22.  The  Burnham  and  Morrill  Company,  45  Water  St.,  is  a  four-story 
brick  building  with  concrete  trimmings,  occupied  by  the  firm  since  1915. 
There  are  also  a  two-story  brick  fish-house  and  four  storage  warehouses 


286  Portland  City  Guide 

connected  with  the  plant.  This  concern  had  its  inception  in  Portland  al- 
most ninety  years  ago  in  a  small  factory  on  Franklin  Street.  In  1865  George 
Burnham  (1831-1909)  originated  the  idea  of  packing  small  herring  as 
sardines  —  a  substitute  for  those  packed  in  France.  Burnham  went  abroad 
and  studied  the  French  method,  returning  to  set  up  a  factory  in  Eastport 
especially  for  the  canning  of  sardines. 

23.  The  U.  S.  Marine  Hospital  (open  2-4  p.m.),  331  Veranda  St.,  was 
erected  on  the  site  of  the  Veranda  Hotel  and  opened  to  patients  in  1859. 
The  hotel,  which  burned  in  1851,  was  the  rendezvous  of  early  Portlanders 
who  enjoyed  its  cuisine  and  dancing  parties.   Advertised  as  a  "watering- 
place,"  it  attracted  many  guests  among  whom  was  Longfellow  who  spent 
a  summer  reading  the  proof  sheets  of  Evangeline. 

When  the  Marine  Hospital  Service  was  inaugurated  by  Congress,  July  16, 
1798,  the  President  was  authorized  to  collect  twenty  cents  a  month  from 
every  seaman  of  the  United  States  engaged  in  foreign  and  coasting  trades 
for  the  relief  of  sick  and  disabled  seamen  provided  that  the  money  be  ex- 
pended in  the  district  in  which  it  was  collected.  Portland  was  then,  as  now, 
the  chief  seaport  of  Maine,  but  early  patients,  for  want  of  a  hospital,  were 
boarded  out  in  private  families.  Dr.  Nathaniel  Coffin  (1744-1826),  whose 
medical  education  was  at  Guy's  and  St.  Thomas'  Hospital,  London,  was 
the  first  attending  government  physician  and  held  the  post  until  1826.  As 
larger  numbers  of  seamen  applied  for  treatment,  private  facilities  could 
not  meet  the  demand,  and  the  town  voted  "to  provide  for  all  sick  and  dis- 
tressed seamen  at  the  almshouse."  As  this  was  connected  with  the  town 
jail,  the  mariners  soon  rebelled  against  being  housed  with  petty  vagrants. 
Agitation  was  started  in  Congress  by  Francis  O.  J.  Smith  (1806-76) ,  a  rep- 
resentative from  this  district,  for  adequate  hospital  facilities,  and  on  July 
1,  1859,  the  present  Marine  Hospital  was  ready  for  occupancy,  with  Dr. 
Samuel  H.  Tewksbury  (1819-80)  of  Portland  the  first  superintendent. 
The  U.  S.  Government  Public  Health  Report  for  February  6,  1931,  com- 
plimented: "The  service  of  Portland  maintains  perhaps  to  a  greater  ex- 
tent than  any  other  the  original  character  and  intent  of  the  Marine  Hospital 
system.  A  vast  majority  of  its  patients  are  seamen  of  the  old  New  England 
type  of  sailors  from  coasting  vessels  —  the  genuine  'Happy  Jacks'  of  song 
and  story.  With  these,  of  course,  is  to  be  found  some  of  the  class  of  sea- 
faring men  on  steam  vessels,  but  none  of  the  bastard  type  of  seamen  to  be 
seen  on  rivers  under  the  title  of  roustabouts."  There  are  now  15  classifica- 
tions of  persons  entitled  to  the  benefits  of  this  well-equipped  hospital. 

24.  Martins  Point  Bridge,  the  E.  end  of  Veranda  St.,  was  opened  as  a  toll 


Munjoy  Hill  Section  287 

bridge  in  1828.  Shortly  after  the  turn  of  the  century  the  need  was  felt  for 
a  bridge  across  the  Presumpscot  River  at  this  point,  but  the  severe  finan- 
cial depression  occasioned  by  the  Embargo  Act  of  1807  delayed  action  at 
that  time.  Twenty  years  later  a  company  known  as  the  Proprietors  of  Mar- 
tin's Bridge  was  incorporated  and  completed  the  bridge  the  following  year. 
It  was  destroyed  by  a  freshet  in  1861  and  abandoned  until  the  county,  by 
legislative  authority,  built  and  opened  a  free  bridge  in  1868.  This  bridge 
was  entirely  renovated  in  1920. 


WOODFORDS  SECTION 


The  part  of  the  city  known  today  as  Woodfords  was  virgin  forest  long 
after  The  Neck*  had  become  a  bustling  port.  With  the  withdrawal  of 
hostile  Indians  farther  west  settlers  straggled  in,  but  it  was  not  until  after 
the  Revolution  that  inhabitants  of  Stevens  Plains,  named  for  an  extensive 
landowner,  took  up  their  peacetime  trade  of  smithing  and  making  tin- 
ware. A  flourishing  settlement  then  grew  up,  and  craftsmen  in  tin  and 
pewter  made  this  section  famous.  Fine  homes  were  built,  and  genial  hosts 
entertained  their  guests  in  a  lavish  manner.  A  fire  destroyed  the  tin  shops  in 
1842,  and  the  industry  was  never  rebuilt.  When  the  Maine  Central  Rail- 
road ran  its  tracks  through  Woodfords  and  built  a  station  there,  many 
travelers  preferred  to  leave  the  train  at  this  junction  and  come  in  to  Port- 
land on  the  new  horsecars.  Stevens  Plains,  according  to  Edward  Elwell  in 
Portland  and  Vicinity,  were:  "the  scene  of  'General  Musters/  where  the 
'old  militia'  disported  themselves  in  gorgeous  uniforms,  and  engaged  in 
sham  fights  involving  a  great  waste  of  gun-powder,  though  no  loss  of 
blood."  After  the  disastrous  fire  of  1866  Portland  residents  began  to 
build  their  homes  in  this  less  congested  city  of  Deering  which  became  a 
part  of  Portland  in  1899.  Woodfords,  once  famous  for  tinware  and  horn 
combs,  is  a  section  of  comfortable  homes  with  a  shopping  center  at  the 
"Corner." 

1.  W inflow  &  Company,  253  Forest  Ave.,  known  to  early  Portlanders  as 
the  Old  Pottery,  is  the  only  plant  of  its  kind  in  New  England  and  is  claimed 
to  be  the  largest  east  of  Ohio.   Originally  the  Portland  Stoneware  Com- 
pany established  in  1846  by  John  T.  Winslow   (1820-96),  the  plant  for 
many  years  produced  crocks,  jars,  and  ornamental  stoneware.    In  1870, 
however,  the  pottery  started  mass  production  of  more  utilitarian  objects  and 
today  produces  digester  brick,  tile  pipe,  wind  guards,  flue  linings,  and 
chimney  tops.  About  one-third  of  the  clay  used  in  the  pottery  is  obtained 
from  the  clay  bank  lying  between  Forest  Avenue  and  Tukey's  Bridge  and 
the  remainder  is  imported. 

2.  Winslow  Park,  Forest  Ave.  and  Winslow  St.,  a  small  triangular  plot 
of  .19  acres,  was  one  of  the  first  neighborhood  parks  established  under  the 
Portland  Park  System.  It  is  named  for  Edward  B.  Winslow  (1846-1936), 


Woodjords  Section 


289 


290  Portland  City  Guide 

a  local  merchant,  who  for  many  years  was  president  of  the  Old  Pottery 
(see  above) . 

3.  The  Lafayette  Restorator,  25  Granite  St.,  was  built  prior  to  1760  as 
the  home  of  Joshua  Freeman    (1730-70),  brother-in-law  of  Dr.  Samuel 
Deane  of  the  First  Parish  Church.   In  1775  Dr.  Deane  and  his  wife  fled 
from  the  less  protected  area  of  'The  Neck'  to  this  house  to  escape  the 
bombardment  of  the  town  by  Captain  Henry  Mowat  (see  History) .   Ori- 
ginally of  two  stories,  a  third  floor  was  added  to  the  frame  building  in  re- 
cent years.   During  the  early  1800's  it  was  an  inn  known  as  the  Lafayette 
Restorator.    The  original  main  entrance  with  its  fine  fanlighted  doorway 
and  a  portico  with  four  large  Doric  pillars  supporting  a  pediment,  remain. 

4.  The  Deering  Mansion,  85  Bedford  St.,  sets  back  from  the  busy  street, 
its  broad  lawns  shaded  by  fine  old  elms.  This  square,  two-story,  white  frame 
residence  was  built  in  1804  by  James  Deering   (1766-1850),  the  son  of 
Nathaniel  Deering   (1739-95),  one  of  Portland's  pioneers  who  came  to 
'The  Neck'  in  1761.   The  house  occupies  a  part  of  the  site  of  Anthony 
Brackett's  farm  where  in  1689  Colonel  Benjamin  Church  led  his  militia 
against  the  Indians  in  one  of  the  bloodiest  battles  ever  fought  on  Maine 
soil  (see  History) .  The  interior  of  this  old  house,  maintained  in  excellent 
condition,  contains  many  early  American  antiques  and  is  kept  much  as 
when  its  owner,  James  Deering,  was  host  to  such  distinguished  guests  as 
Daniel  Webster,  Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow,  and  Jefferson  Davis. 

5.  Noyes  Park,  Deering  and  Brighton  Aves.  and  Bedford  St.,  containing 
.52  acres,  was  acquired  by  the  city  in  1927  and  named  in  honor  of  the 
Noyes  family  who  gave  a  part  of  the  property  to  the  city. 

6.  Fessenden  Park,  Brighton  and  Deering  Aves.,  a  .46-acre  park  honors 
Portland's  William  Pitt  Fessenden  (see  Downtown  Section:  No.  108)  and 
his  son,  General  Francis  Fessenden  (1839-1906),  a  Civil  War  veteran,  who 
was  mayor  of  Portland  in  1876. 

7.  Longfellow  Park,  Deering  Ave.,  and  Devonshire  and  Longfellow  Sts., 
was  acquired  by  the  park  department  in  a  novel  manner  in  1929.   Near-by 
residents  paid  part  of  the  purchase  price,  and  the  city  the  balance.   There 
are  several  excellent  specimens  of  Norway  maples  in  this  .05-acre  park. 

8.  Trinity  Square  Park,  Forest  Ave.  and  Coyle  St.  of  .3  acres,  is  named  for 
(9)  Trinity  Episcopal  Church,  113  Coyle  St.  The  brown  shingled  church 
was  designed  and  built  under  the  supervision  of  the  Reverend  Charles  T. 


Fort  Allen  Park 


Deering  Oaks  Playground 


Corner  Baseball 


East  End  Bathing  Beach 


'The  Old  Swimming  Hole' 


IT! 


Gulliver  Field  Pond 


Baxter  Boulevard  Memorial 


Fessenden  Park 


Western  Promenade 


Longfellow  Monument 


Woodjords  Section  291 

Ogden;  its  cornerstone  was  laid  by  the  Episcopal  Bishop  of  Maine,  Benja- 
min Brewster,  in  1891.  The  Kincaid  Memorial  altar  rail  of  hand-carved 
fumed  oak  is  in  striking  contrast  to  an  otherwise  undistinguished  interior. 

10.  The  Baxter  Memorial,  Baxter  Boulevard  and  Woodford  St.,  was 
erected  in  1925  by  the  Baxter  Boulevard  Memorial  Association  to  honor 
James  Phinney  Baxter   (1831-1921).    While  mayor  in  1893  Baxter  first 
called  attention  to  the  possibilities  of  a  parkway  skirting  Back  Cove;  three 
ye*ars  later  he  had  plans  drawn  for  the  proposed  new  development  which, 
together  with  Eastern  and  Western  Promenades  and  Deering  Oaks,  would 
encircle  Portland  with  a  nearly  continuous  parkway.   Property  owners  do- 
nated land  fronting  the  cove,  and  under  an  intensive  campaign  by  Baxter 
a  narrow  trail  was  laid  out  along  the  irregular  shoreline;  this  was  followed 
by  a  graveled  roadway  and  finally  by  the  present  macadam  boulevard  which, 
with  its  ornamental  bridges  over  winding  creeks  and  landscaped  area  on 
each  side,  is  one  of  Portland's  beauty  spots.  This  Back  Cove  Boulevard,  as 
it  was  then  called,  was  opened  in  1917,  but  four  years  later  its  name  was 
changed  to  Baxter  Boulevard.  The  memorial  is  an  elliptical  granite  base  on 
which  are  a  sun  dial  and  three  large  stone  seats. 

The  boulevard,  covering  about  thirty  acres,  swings  around  Back  Cove  from 
Forest  Avenue  to  Washington  Avenue,  a  distance  of  2.25  miles.  The  600- 
acre  Back  Cove,  with  its  bottleneck  entrance  from  Portland  Harbor,  is  a 
haven  for  thousands  of  aquatic  birds  during  the  migratory  seasons  (see 
Natural  Setting) ;  in  1915  the  part  of  the  cove  adjacent  to  the  eastern  end 
of  the  boulevard  was  set  off  by  the  State  of  Maine  as  a  bird  sanctuary. 

11.  Pay  son  Park)  lying  between  Baxter  Boulevard  and  Ocean  Ave.,  com- 
prising 47.75  acres  of  recreational  park  land,  was  acquired  by  the  city  in 
1917.  In  1925  two  memorial  piers,  surmounted  by  large  octagonal  lanterns, 
were  erected  at  the  Ocean  Avenue  entrance;  a  bronze  plaque  indicates  that 
the  park  was  named  in  memory  of  Edward  Payson,  although  it  is  not  known 
whether  this  was  the  Reverend  Edward  Payson  (1783-1827)  of  the  Second 
Parish  Church  or  his  son,  Edward  Payson  (1813-90),  who  lived  near  by 
(see  below.)    Fronting  Baxter  Boulevard  is  a  210  mm.  German  howitzer 
which  was  seized  by  the  Allies  during  the  World  War.   Within  the  park 
is  a  children's  playground,  baseball  diamond,  tennis  courts,  and  a  munici- 
pal nursery  where  the  city's  gardeners  propagate  many  varieties  of  ever- 
green and  diciduous  trees,  and  shrubs  for  the  beautification  of  Portland's 
parks. 

12.  The  Payson  House,  455  Ocean  Ave.,  on  land  adjacent  to  Payson  Park 


292  Portland  City  Guide 

owned  by  the  City  of  Portland,  was  erected  in  the  1850's  by  Edward  and 
George  Payson,  sons  of  the  Reverend  Edward  Payson,  noted  pastor  of  the 
Second  Parish  Church.  Locally  called  Payson's  Castle,  this  brick  resi- 
dence with  tower  is  built  of  sun-dried  bricks  made  of  clay  taken  from  near- 
by Back  Cove.  Sun-dried  bricks,  however,  were  not  adapted  for  use  in  the 
Maine  climate,  and  the  builders  were  forced  to  cover  the  exterior  with 
mastic. 

13.  Wood  fords  Club,  179  Woodford  St.,  a  social  club,  was  organized  in 
1913  with  a  membership  of  100.   Any  person  21  years  of  age  or  over,  re- 
siding within  a  ten-mile  radius  of  the  clubhouse  is  eligible  for  membership. 
The  original  clubhouse  was  erected  in  1914  and  enlarged  in  1931. 

14.  Wood  fords  Congregational  Church  and  Parish  House,  199  and  202 
Woodford  St.  The  frame  church  edifice,  erected  in  1872  from  designs  by 
the  local  architectural  firm  of  F.  H.  &  E.  F.  Fassett,  is  unimportant  archi- 
tectually  in  direct  contrast  to  the  splendid  Early  Georgian  brick  parish 
house,  built  in  1926  from  designs  by  the  Boston  architects,  Miller,  Mayo, 
and  Beal.  The  church  bell  was  presented  by  the  daughters  of  James  Deer- 
ing  (see  above:  No.  4) ,  and  the  original  communion  service  was  the  gift  of 
the  now  disbanded  Plymouth  Congregational  Church  of  Portland. 

The  history  of  this  church  society  dates  from  1725  when  the  original  First 
Parish  Church  was  erected  on  what  is  now  Congress  Street  (see  Religion) , 
from  which  emerged  Parson  Bailey's  parish  in  Stroudwater,  the  predecessor 
of  the  present  church. 

15.  The  Washington  Elm,  in  yard  of  14  Highland  St.,  is  marked  by  a 
bronze  tablet:  "This  tree,  a  scion  of  the  Washington  Elm  in  Cambridge, 
Mass.,  was  sent  as  a  slip  by  the  poet  Henry  W.  Longfellow  to  his  brother, 
Alexander  W.  Longfellow,  and  planted  here  by  him  near  his  home  in 
1852."   Longfellow  delighted  in  spending  long  hours  at  "Highfield,"  the 
name  he  bestowed  on  his  brother  Alexander's  home  and  was  constantly 
sending  gifts  to  beautify  it.   In  later  years  the  estate  became  the  home  of 
George  Thornton  Edwards   (1868-1932),  who  compiled  the  biographical 
Musicians  of  Maine  (see  Music) . 

16.  Clark  Memorial  Methodist  Church,  11  Pleasant  Ave.,  a  plain,  wooden 
structure  built  in  1882,  is  named  in  memory  of  Dr.  Eliphalet  Clark  (1801- 
83),  a  distinguished  local  physician  and  zealous  churchman.    One  of  the 
earliest  native  American  doctors  to  practice  homeopathy,  Clark  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  committee  that  drafted  the  plan  for  the  American  Institute  of 


Woodjords  Section  293 

Homeopathy.  He  was  the  first  president  of  the  Maine  Wesleyan  Board  of 
Education  and  was  one  of  the  first  patrons  and  trustees  of  the  General 
Biblical  Institute  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  Clark  declined  nom- 
inations as  mayor  of  Portland  and  as  governor  of  Maine,  but  was  active  in 
many  civic  matters;  he  served  as  president  of  the  city's  first  horsecar  rail- 
way and  as  director  and  president  of  the  famous  Boston  and  Portland  Steam 
Packet  Company. 

17.  Caldwell  Memorial,  cor.  Stevens  Ave.  and  Woodford  St.,  is  a  granite 
boulder  with  bronze  plaque,  presented  to  the  city  on  November  11,  1923, 
by  the  Ralph  D.  Caldwell  Post  No.  129,  American  Legion,  in  memory  of 
Portland's  World  War  veterans.   This  post  was  also  instrumental  in  hav- 
ing the  name  of  the  square  which  the  memorial  faces  changed  from  High- 
land to  Caldwell  Square  to  honor  Ensign  Ralph  D.  Caldwell  (1898-1918), 
who  lost  his  life  when  the  steamer  Westover  was  torpedoed  by  a  German 
submarine. 

18.  The  Church  of  the  New  Jerusalem,  302  Stevens  Ave.,  a  frame  struc- 
ture with  a  steep-pitched  roof,  was  designed  by  the  local  architects,  John 
Calvin  Stevens  and  John  Howard  Stevens.    The  structure  was  originally 
intended  to  be  a  parish  house  but  since  its  completion  in  1910  has  been  used 
as  a  church.  The  doctrine  of  Emmanuel  Swedenborg  was  first  preached  in 
Portland  in  1825,  and  six  years  later  the  present  Society  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem was  formed  (see  Religion) . 

19.  Deering  High  School,  386  Stevens  Ave.,  a  red-brick,  two-story  modern 
school  435  feet  in  length,  was  erected  in  1924  along  English  Tudor  lines 
from  designs  by  the  local  architectural  firm  of  Poor  &  Thomas.  Flanked  on 
front  and  sides  by  broad  lawns  broken  by  brick-flagged  walks,  the  build- 
ing is  banked  with  plantings  of  evergreens  indigenous  to  Maine.  Before  the 
principal  facade  is  a  small  formal  garden,  and  at  the  rear  are  an  athletic 
field  and  tennis  courts.   The  building  contains  30  study  and  class  rooms, 
library,  auditorium,  gymnasium,  and   faculty  offices   for  an  enrollment 
averaging  1,500  students.  Deering  High  School  is  one  of  the  State's  lead- 
ing educational  institutions,  and  its  music  department  has  long  been  ac- 
knowledged the  finest  in  any  public  school  in  Maine. 

In  the  rear  of  Deering  High  School  is  (20)  Presumpscot  Park,  bordered 
by  Ludlow  and  Concord  Sts.  and  Columbia  Rd.,  a  28-acre  recreational  cen- 
ter that  was  acquired  by  the  city  in  1920  and  which  has  been  credited  with 
being  one  of  the  finest  areas  of  its  kind  in  the  East  connected  with  a  high 
school.  Included  in  its  sports  facilities  are  a  baseball  diamond,  softball 


294  Portland  City  Guide 

field,  football  gridiron,  cement  tennis  courts,  skating  pond,  and  an  outdoor 
12-lap  running  track.  The  area  of  this  sports  field  once  formed  part  of  the 
Maine  Agricultural  Fair  Grounds  where  a  three-story  grandstand  seating 
1,500,  sheds  for  accommodating  400  cattle,  and  stalls  for  200  horses, 
formed  a  background  for  the  milling  throngs  that  attended  this  once  leading 
fair  to  wax  enthusiastic  over  the  trotting  records  of  their  favorite  horses. 

21.  The  Central  Square  Baptist  Church  or  Dunn  Memorial  Church,  466 
Stevens  Ave.,  a  massive  granite  structure  with  tall  spired  tower  on  one 
corner,  was  built  in  the  Gothic  style  in  1906.  In  the  last  decade  the  church 
was  enlarged  under  the  direction  of  the  local  architectural  firm  of  Miller, 
Mayo  and  Beal.  The  society  had  its  origin  in  a  community  Sunday  school 
established  for  all  denominations  in  1901,  and  which,  because  of  its  pre- 
dominant Baptist  membership,  soon  led  to  services  conducted  in  a  local 
hall  under  the  auspices  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Portland.    The 
church  is  a  memorial  to  the  Reverend  A.  T.  Dunn   (1850-1902),  State 
secretary  of  the  Maine  Baptist  Convention  who  was  untiring  in  his  efforts 
in  forming  the  local  society. 

22.  Lincoln  Junior  High  School,  512  Stevens  Ave.,  Portland's  only  junior 
high  school,  occupies  the  original  Deering  High  School  building  erected  in 
1899  and  the  annex  erected  in  1913,  both  of  red  brick  and  three  stories  high. 
Formally  opened  in  1924  as  Deering  Junior  High  School,  it  was  dedicated  a 
year  later  in  memory  of  Abraham  Lincoln  and  acquired  its  present  name. 
Within  the  building  is  an  indoor  garden,  a  gift  of  the  graduating  class  of 
1931,  and  in  the  Dicken's  Corner  of  the  school  library  is  housed  the  Dick- 
en's  collection  bequeathed  by  Mrs.  Augusta  M.  Hunt  (1842-1922),  presi- 
dent for  many  years  of  the  Dickens  Fellowship  in  Portland.  In  the  entrance 
hall  is  a  life-size  plaster  statue  of  Abraham  Lincoln  and  a  plaster  reproduc- 
tion of  Jean  Houdon's  famous  statue  of  George  Washington. 

23.  Baxter's  Woods,  lying  between  Forest  and  Stevens  Aves.,  was  pre- 
sented to  the  City  of  Portland  in  1935  as  a  bird  sanctuary  by  Percival  P. 
Baxter,  Governor  of  Maine  1921-25.  Comprising  30  acres  of  woodland  and 
two  small  ponds,  this  area,  under  the  auspices  of  the  Longfellow  Garden 
Club,  has  become  an  outdoor  center  of  increasing  importance.    Its  trails, 
winding  beneath  tall  pines  and  through  sunny  glades,  provide  an  excellent 
opportunity  for  the  study  of  birds  that  frequent  this  latitude;  the  identified 
trees,  shrubs,  flowers,  ferns,  and  mosses  are  flora  native  to  this  section  of 
Maine. 

This  woodland  was  once  known  as  Forest  Home,  the  residence  of  Francis 


Woodfords  Section  295 

O.  J.  Smith  (1806-76),  who  studied  law  in  the  local  office  of  Fessenden 
and  Deblois  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  the  age  of  19.  Smith  was  a 
prodigious  worker:  while  carrying  on  an  extensive  law  practice  and  dab- 
bling in  politics,  he  prepared  and  published  an  exhaustive  two-volume  edi- 
tion of  the  Laws  of  Maine;  he  was  elected  representative  to  the  Maine 
Legislature  in  1830  and  a  senator  two  years  later;  in  1831  he  brought  out 
the  newspaper  Augusta  Age;  elected  a  representative  to  Congress  from 
Cumberland  County  in  1833,  he  served  six  terms;  in  1838  he  accompanied 
Samuel  F.  B.  Morse  to  Europe  introducing  the  electric  magnetic  telegraph; 
returning  to  Portland  the  following  year  he  started  the  Argus  Revived  to 
oppose  President  Munroe's  re-election;  retiring  from  politics  for  several 
years  to  further  the  establishment  of  Morse's  telegraph,  Smith,  about  1849 
or  '50,  furnished  the  largest  part  of  the  funds  to  build  the  Portland  Gas 
Works;  purchasing  the  Portland  Advertiser  in  1861,  Smith  vigorously  sup- 
ported the  administration  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  but  later  vehemently  con- 
demned the  Emancipation  Proclamation.  This  latter  activity  seemed  trea- 
sonable bringing  severe  criticism  on  Smith  of  whom,  in  the  pamphlet  River- 
ton  Park  and  Presumpscot  River,  published  by  the  Portland  Railroad  Com- 
pany in  1897,  it  was  said:  "he  was  to  Maine  what  Aaron  Burr  was  to  the 
country  at  large."  In  contrast  to  this  censure,  D.  C.  Colesworthy  in  School 
Is  Out  eulogizes  Smith  as  a  "remarkable  man.  He  has  accomplished  more  in 
his  life  than  a  dozen  men  ordinarily  perform  .  .  .  with  the  perseverance  of 
an  Arkwright,  the  strategy  of  a  Napoleon,  the  genius  of  a  Bacon,  and  the 
eloquence  of  a  Burke,  what  may  not  this  indefatigable  man  accomplish  for 
the  present  age  and  posterity,  if  his  life  should  be  continued  a  score  of 
years." 

24.  Evergreen  Cemetery,  672  Stevens  Ave.,  was  acquired  by  the  city  in  1852 
and  now  contains  328  acres.  There  are  many  noteworthy  memorials  on  the 
grounds:  Wilde  Memorial  Chapel,  a  small  granite  structure  designed  by 
Frederick  A.  Tompson,  is  in  memory  of  Samuel  Wilde  (1831-90),  a  spice 
merchant  of  New  York;  Elks  Rest  is  marked  by  a  bronze  elk  presented  to 
the  Elks  Lodge  of  Portland  in  memory  of  Robert  E.  Alden  (1856-1917). 
The  granite  Portland  Firemen's  Monument,  representing  a  fireman  with  a 
hose,  was  originally  erected  in  1898  on  the  Western  Promenade  but  was 
removed  to  its  present  site  four  years  later.  The  Bosworth  Post,  G.  A.  R.t 
Memorial  is  a  bronze  reproduction  of  a  Rodman  gun  set  on  end;  the  mem- 
orial is  surrounded  by  the  graves  of  many  Civil  War  soldiers.  The  Chisholm 
Mausoleum,  built  as  a  memorial  and  family  tomb  of  Hugh  J.  Chisholm 
(1847-1912) ,  an  important  figure  in  the  pulp  and  paper  industry  of  Maine, 
is  constructed  of  light  Barre  (Vermont)  granite  with  interior  walls  and 


296  Portland  City  Guide 

ceiling  of  polished  cloud  Vermont  marble;  the  mausoleum  is  an  exact  copy 
of  the  Maison  Carree  in  Nimes,  France,  and  the  marble  sarcophagus  is  a 
reproduction  of  that  of  Alexander  the  Great  in  Constantinople. 

25.  St.  Joseph's  Academy  and  College  and  Convent  of  the  Sisters  of  Mercy, 
605  Stevens  Ave.   When  the  Sisters  of  Mercy  came  to  Portland  in  1873, 
they  opened  a  convent  in  a  building  now  a  part  of  the  Cheverus  Classical 
High  School  on  Free  Street.  In  1881  they  opened  St.  Joseph's  Academy  in 
connection  with  their  convent  and  in  1915,  after  removal  to  the  present  site, 
St.  Joseph's  College  was  established  (see  Education) .   The  cornerstone  of 
the  present  four-story  academy  building  was  laid  in  1908,  and  the  large 
brick  building,  designed  in  the  florid  Renaissance  style  by  the  architectural 
firm  of  Chickering  and  O'Connell  of  Boston,  was  occupied  a  year  later.  In 
the  two  chapels  of  the  main  academy  building  are  many  windows  constructed 
of  Munich  glass  by  the  famous  Mayer  Company  of  Munich;  among  these 
is  one  presented  to  the  Sisters  by  the  Portland  Coast  Artillery  in  recognition 
of  the  work  done  by  the  order  at  Fort  Williams,  a  Portland  military  post. 
Among  the  items  of  historic  and  religious  interest  is  a  desk  once  the  prop- 
erty of  John  Bapst  (1815-87) ,  the  Jesuit  missionary  of  Maine  who  became 
a  noted  educator  and  remembered  for  sufferings  endured  in  defense  of  his 
principles. 

In  the  former  St.  Catherine's  Hall,  a  three-story  brick  structure  opened  in 
1917  now  housing  the  activities  of  St.  Joseph's  College,  is  a  large  portrait 
of  Catherine  McAuley  (1787-1841),  the  Irish  founder  and  first  superior  of 
the  Sisters  of  Mercy. 

26.  Old  Stevens  Homestead   (Uncle  Billy's  Tavern),  628  Stevens  Ave. 
This  two-story  frame  house,  built  by  Isaac  Sawyer  Stevens  (1748-1820)  on 
what  was  known  as  Stevens  Plains,  was  the  first  building  erected  in  Deering; 
it  was  begun  in  1767  and  completed  two  years  later.  When  the  Revolution 
broke  out  Isaac,  with  several  other  members  of  his  family,  joined  the  Con- 
tinental Army  and  remained  away  so  long  Mrs.  Stevens  found  it  difficult  to 
provide  food  and  supplies  for  her  large  family.  A  neighbor  who  was  aware 
of  their  plight  suggested  that  a  sign  offering  refreshments  might  induce 
travelers  to  stop.  Promptly  acting  upon  this  advice,  Mrs.  Stevens  was  soon 
attracting  more  and  more  guests  to  her  home.  In  time  this  became  a  famous 
hostelry  known  as  Uncle  Billy's  Tavern,  a  regular  stop  for  stagecoaches  en 
route  from  Portland  to  the  White  Mountains. 

27.  Saint  Joseph's  Church  (Catholic) ,  693  Stevens  Ave.,  designed  by  Wil- 
liam B.  Colleary  and  completed  in  1931,  is  built  in  the  English-Gothic  style 


Woodfords  Section  297 

of  variegated  limestone  with  buff  trim.  The  sculptored  group  over  the 
main  entrance  depicts  the  Holy  Family,  and  above  this  is  a  half  figure  of  St. 
Joseph,  the  patron  of  the  church;  these  are  carved  from  solid  blocks  of 
limestone.  The  Austrian  oak  doors  with  handles  and  hinges  of  hand-ham- 
mered Swedish  iron  conforms  to  14th  century  motif.  The  steps  to  the  altar 
are  of  black  and  gold  Moroccan  marble,  and  the  altar  top  is  of  Convent 
Sienna,  surmounted  by  a  tabernacle  and  shelf  of  rare  marble  cut  from  the 
stalagmites  of  the  great  caves  in  Morocco.  The  oak  reredos  behind  the 
altar  is  beautifully  carved,  as  are  the  statues,  narthex  screens,  and  altar  rails 
which  were  done  in  straight  oak  by  Charles  Pisano,  pupil  of  Lualdi,  the 
master  wood  carver  of  Florence,  Italy.  The  Chapel  of  the  Blessed  Mother 
is  done  in  French  and  Italian  marble,  and  the  oak  statue  is  the  work  of 
Pisano;  the  Chapel  of  St.  Joseph  is  also  of  marble,  and  the  purple  marble 
of  the  Shrine  of  St.  Theresa  is  from  France.  The  stained  glass  windows,  in 
13th  century  style,  were  imported  from  England  and  are  genuine  pot- 
glass.  The  stations  of  the  Cross  were  carved  in  Italy  by  Angelo  Lualdi. 
The  floors  of  the  church  are  of  Welsh  tile. 

28.  Uncle  Zack's  House,  706  Stevens  Ave.,  was  built  in  1800  by  Zachariah 
Brackett  Stevens  (1778-1856),  grandson  of  Zachariah  Brackett,  a  tinsmith 
who  in  1765  owned  all  the  land  in  the  vicinity  and  operated  a  general  store 
and  tinshop  on  Stevens  Plains.  Zachariah  Stevens  was  the  founder  of  the 
japanned  tinware  industry  in  Maine  (see  Arts  and  Crafts) .  This  rambling, 
two  and  one-half  story  frame  house  on  its  one-acre  lot  is  now  owned  by  the 
All  Souls  Church  Parish.  The  first  floor  is  used  as  the  church  parsonage. 

29.  The  All  Souls   Univer sails t  Churchy  706  Stevens  Ave.,   a  wooden 
church  with  a  front  elevation  in  Gothic  style  and  a  corner  tower  surmounted 
by  a  110-foot  spire,  was  built  in  1867.  This  church  stands  at  the  entrance 
to  the  grounds  of  Westbrook  Junior  College  and  was  first  used  for  the 
graduation  ceremonies  of  the  1867  class  of  Westbrook  Seminary.  The  land 
belongs  to  the  college,  but  the  parish  may  use  it  as  long  as  the  church  re- 
mains active. 

30.  Westbrook  Junior  College,  716  Stevens  Ave.,  was  incorporated  in  1831 
as  Westbrook  Seminary  and  was  named  for  Colonel  Thomas  Westbrook 
(see  History) ;  this  was  the  only  co-educational  boarding  school  in  America 
at  the  time  and  the  first  seminary  organized  under  the  Universalist  denom- 
ination in  Maine.  In  1925  it  became  a  school  for  girls  only,  at  which  time 
the  name  was  changed  to  Westbrook  Seminary  and  Junior  College;  in  1933 
it  became  the  Westbrook  Junior  College  ( see  Education) . 


298  Portland  City  Guide 

The  main  building,  now  called  Alumni  Hall,  was  erected  in  1834;  its  cupola 
once  adorned  the  old  City  Hall  that  stood  in  Market,  now  Monument 
Square,  and  was  secured  from  the  city  after  the  'Great  Fire/ 

To  meet  the  demand  for  boarding  homes,  Goddard  Hall  was  built  in  1859, 
and  Hersey  Hall  in  1869.  These  campus  buildings  are  all  of  red  brick  and 
are  connected  with  an  annex  which  is  used  as  the  dining  room.  The  Alice 
Hough  ton  Hall,  771-3  Stevens  Ave.,  is  a  red-brick  Colonial  double  house 
erected  in  the  early  1800's  by  the  Reverend  Samuel  Brimblecom,  a  Uni- 
versalist  clergyman  from  Massachusetts,  the  first  principal  of  Westbrook 
Seminary,  1834-36,  and  trustee  from  1831-43.  It  later  became  a  dormitory 
for  young  women  where  room  and  board  could  be  had  for  $1.25,  but  if 
they  "must  have  tea  and  coffee,"  an  extra  charge  was  made.  This  building, 
acquired  in  1939,  is  named  for  Mrs.  Alice  B.  Houghton  (1858-1927) . 

Moulton  Chapel  was  the  gift  of  Augustus  F.  Moulton  (1848-1933) ,  author 
of  Portland  By  The  Sea  (see  Literature) .  The  Chapel  once  a  meetinghouse 
of  the  Universalist  Parish  of  Falmouth,  was  built  in  1849;  it  houses  the 
college  auditorium.  This  nonsectarian  college,  supported  by  private  en- 
dowments and  tuitions,  has  a  faculty  of  31  members. 

31.  Pine  Grove  Cemetery,  76  College  St.   This  burial  ground,  located  in 
the  northeast  corner  of  Evergreen  Cemetery  in  the  rear  of  the  Westbrook 
Junior  College,  was  established  in  1841  when  20  residents  of  Westbrook 
formed  an  association  to  purchase  the  4. 5 -acre  plot.    At  that  time  the 
grounds  were  private,  to  be  used  only  by  contributing  families,  but  in  1842 
the  cemetery  was  purchased  by  the  City  of  Portland.   In  subsequent  years 
ownership  of  the  property  reverted  to  a  private  corporation. 

32.  Stevens  Avenue  Congregational  Church,  790  Stevens  Ave.,  was  erected 
in  1887,  one  year  after  the  society  was  organized  as  the  Free  Church  of 
Deering;  the  present  name  was  adopted  in  1913.  The  building  is  of  plain 
construction,  without  a  spire.  A  memorial  window,  'The  Christ  Child/  was 
installed  in  1907  to  the  memory  of  Philip  Smith  (1879-1907),  for  many 
years  superintendent  of  the  Sunday  School. 

33.  Forest  Avenue  House,  844  Stevens  Ave.  This  three-story  brick  build- 
ing was  erected  in  1806  and  shortly  afterwards  became  a  tavern  known  as 
the  Forest  Avenue  House.  The  structure  has  a  gabled  roof  with  ornamental 
fan  at  each  end.   The  third  floor,  once  a  dance  hall,  still  has  its  original 
segmental  barrel  vault  ceiling  with  semicircular  haunches  —  a  Moorish 
motif  characteristic  of  the  architecture  of  that  period.   The  walls  are  dec- 
orated with  landscape  murals. 


Woodjords  Section  299 

34.  Saint  Peter's  Episcopal  Church.,  678  Washington  Avenue,  is  a  Gothic- 
type  gray  stone  structure  erected  in  1916  and  dedicated  to  the  memory  of 
the  Right  Reverend  Robert  Codman  (1859-1915),  third  Protestant  Episco- 
pal Bishop  of  Maine.  The  church,  often  called  the  Codman  Memorial,  was 
designed  by  the  Portland  architect  E.  Leander  Higgins. 

35.  The  Osteopathic  Hospital  of  Maine,  166  Pleasant  Ave.,  formerly  a  priv- 
ate residence,  was  acquired  by  Portland  osteopaths  in  1937.   The  building 
was  extensively  remodeled  and  equipped  with  the  latest  appliances  known 
to  the  osteopathic  profession  and  now  has  accommodations  for  eight  to  ten 
patients.   The  hospital  gives  surgical  and  obstetrical  service  in  addition  to 
the  regular  osteopathic  treatment. 

36.  Portland  Water  District  Shops  and  Storehouse,  221  Douglass  St.  Built 
of  red  brick,  the  structure  was  designed  by  the  Portland  architect,  John 
Calvin  Stevens  and  erected  in  1929.  The  building  houses  the  service  depart- 
ment of  the  Portland  Water  District  and  contains  the  offices  of  the  super- 
intendent, assistant  superintendent,  and  timekeeper.  On  the  second  floor  is 
a  large  assembly  hall,  used  for  meetings  of  social  groups  among  the  em- 
ployees. The  meter  department  is  in  the  west  wing;  in  the  other  wing  are 
housed  the  tools  and  appurtenances  for  servicing  mains  and  meters,  a  black- 
smith and  carpenter  shop,  and  a  tower  for  drying  hose.  There  is  a  railroad 
siding  direct  from  the  main  line  of  the  Maine  Central  Railroad  that  ex- 
pedites the  delivery  of  materials  to  the  plant. 

Portland's  unlimited  supply  of  pure  water,  brought  to  the  city  through  17 
miles  of  pipes  from  Sebago  Lake,  is  one  of  its  greatest  assets.  Although  its 
purity  is  attested  to  by  expert  chemists,  there  are  two  chlorinating  plants 
in  the  system  to  guard  against  possible  pollution.  After  the  construction  of 
the  system  in  1868  water  was  furnished  to  the  city  by  the  Portland  Water 
Company,  but  in  1907  the  city  secured  a  charter  for  the  Portland  Water 
District,  creating  a  municipal  corporation  (see  History) .  In  order  to  guard 
further  the  purity  of  the  source,  the  Water  District  has  purchased  all  the 
water  front  within  two  miles  of  the  intake  at  the  lower  end  of  Sebago  Lake; 
buildings  have  been  removed  from  this  tract,  and  the  land  swamped  out. 
The  conduits  of  this  system  supply  water  to  about  120,000  people  living  in 
Portland,  some  adjacent  towns,  and  five  of  the  Casco  Bay  Islands. 

37.  The  Ralph  D.  Caldwell  Post,  No.  129,  145  Glenwood  Ave.    This 
American  Legion  Post,  an  outgrowth  of  the  Deering  Army  and  Navy  Club, 
was  formed  in  1922  and  named  in  honor  of  Ralph  Dillingham  Caldwell,  a 
postgraduate  student  at  Deering  High  School,  who  enlisted  in  the  Naval 


300  Portland  City  Guide 

Reserves  in  1917  and  lost  his  life  the  following  year  while  serving  as  watch 
and  gunnery  officer  of  the  torpedoed  transport  Westover. 

38.  Portland  Amateur  Wireless  Ass'n  Inc.,  22  Ocean  Ave.,  an  organiza- 
tion of  amateur  radio  enthusiasts  of  the  Portland  area,  is  an  outgrowth  of 
the  Portland  Wireless  Club  started  in  1909.  The  small  one-story  clubhouse 
is  owned  by  the  Ralph  D.  Caldwell  Post  of  the  American  Legion  who  gave 
the  building  rent-free  in  return  for  the  donation  of  the  association's  facili- 
ties during  times  of  emergency.  Regular  meetings  are  held  weekly,  and 
visitors  are  welcome  at  any  time  the  clubhouse  is  open.  The  association 
owns  a  transmitter  licensed  as  W1KVI  that  is  at  present  used  for  code  work 
only;  it  has  an  input  of  60  watts  and  works  the  80  meter  amateur  band. 


STROUDWATER  SECTION 


In  the  vicinity  of  Stroud water  may  be  found  the  oldest  houses  in  the  city. 
Developed  somewhat  later  than  'The  Neck/  this  area,  in  its  protected  posi- 
tion, escaped  the  fury  of  the  Mowat  bombardment  and  the  'Great  Fire/ 
Stroudwater  was  chosen  by  the  aristocratic  Westbrook,  Waldo,  and  Tate 
as  the  ideal  place  in  which  to  build  their  provincial  homes  and  is  believed 
to  have  been  given  its  name  by  Colonel  Thomas  Westbrook  because  of  his 
sentimental  attachment  to  a  village  of  the  same  name  on  the  river  Frome, 
England.  Until  the  beginning  of  the  19th  century  the  only  means  of  ap- 
proaching Portland  by  land  from  the  south  was  through  Stroudwater,  using 
the  bridge  Colonel  Westbrook  had  constructed  over  Fore  River  in  1734. 
Rich  in  water  power  that  turned  the  wheels  of  a  dozen  mills,  with  mast  yards 
where  tons  of  Maine's  pines  eventually  to  be  used  by  the  Royal  Navy 
waited  shipment  to  England,  this  little  hamlet  vied  with  'The  Neck'  in  ac- 
tivity and  enterprise  until  interrupted  by  the  hostile  attitude  of  its  Fal- 
mouth  neighbors  who,  during  the  Revolutionary  War,  were  suspicious  of 
Stroudwater's  many  Tory  inhabitants.  Retired  sea  captains  chose  the 
village  as  a  home  port  in  the  early  1800's  to  build  their  dwellings  in  sight 
of  the  sea.  Forgotten  by  travelers  when  other  bridges  shortened  the  dis- 
tance to  "Portland  by  the  sea,"  the  little  town  busied  itself  with  its  own 
affairs,  smug  in  the  thought  that  bluebloods  had  been  its  founders.  The 
town  of  Stroudwater  separated  from  Falmouth  in  February,  1814,  and  in 
June  of  that  year  changed  its  name  to  Westbrook.  In  1871  the  town  of 
Deering  was  set  off  from  Westbrook,  and  28  years  later  Deering,  including 
Stroudwater,  was  annexed  to  Portland. 

Modernity  has  caught  up  with  this  western  section  of  the  city  —  where  once 
spirited  stagecoach  horses  raced  along  its  dusty  roads,  today  streamlined 
planes  zoom  from  the  sky  to  land  at  Portland's  modern  airport. 

1.  The  Deacon  John  Bailey  House,  1235  Congress  St.,  is  a  low-studded 
two  and  one-half  story  house  built  about  1752  by  John  Bailey  (1701-70). 
Originally  of  one  story,  the  upper  part  was  added  about  1807.  When  first 
built  the  house  was  surrounded  by  a  stockade  for  protection  against  hostile 
Indians;  the  walls  of  the  building  were  also  pierced  with  portholes  for 
muskets.  About  1825  the  front  halls  were  decorated  by  an  itinerant  painter 


302 


Portland  City  Guide 


S  T  ROUD  WA  T  E  R 
SECTION 


Stroudwater  Section  303 

with  scenes  said  to  depict  the  old  powder  house  that  formerly  stood  on  the 
site  of  the  Union  Station. 

John  Bailey  was  born  in  Massachusetts  and  moved  to  Falmouth  in  1727,  at 
which  time  he  was  admitted  as  a  citizen.  At  first  he  purchased  land  near 
the  present  Clark  Street  and  built  a  house  on  the  site  once  occupied  by  the 
home  of  Michael  Mitton,  son-in-law  of  George  Cleeve.  In  1737  Bailey  re- 
ceived several  land  grants,  among  them  the  tract  upon  which  he  built  the 
present  house. 

2.  St.  Patrick's  Catholic  Church,  1263  Congress  St.,  built  of  red  brick  with 
limestone  trimmings  along  simple  Gothic  lines,  was  erected  in  1922  from 
sketches  submitted  to  the  contractors  by  the  Reverend  Timothy  Houlihan. 
The  structure  is  a  combination  of  school  and  chapel,  with  the  school  on  the 
first  floor  and  the  chapel  above.    The  front  entrance  is  adorned  with  a 
central  tower  reaching  to  the  second  story,  and  in  a  niche  over  the  door  is  a 
Carrara  marble  statue  of  St.  Patrick  designed  by  Nadini,  of  Boston,  and 
carved  at  his  works  in  Carrara,  Italy.   The  designer  has  declared  it  to  be 
"the  finest  Carrara  Marble  statue  in  Maine."   The  chapel  is  handsomely 
finished  in  oak;  in  its  basement  is  a  large  club  room  for  the  use  of  the  boys 
of  the  parish. 

3.  The  Eunice  Frye  Home  and  Chapel,  15  Capisic  St.,  is  a  three-story  struc- 
ture of  red  brick  rendered  impressive  by  the  portico  and  solarium  at  its 
front  entrance.  The  building  was  erected  on  land  acquired  in  1901  by  the 
sponsors  of  the  Mary  Brown  House,  an  invalids'  home.    The  land  was 
provided  by  the  First  Congregational  Church  of  Deering  and  is  the  site  of 
the  old  Bradley  Meetinghouse  and  schoolhouse,  the  latter  building  having 
been  remodeled  to  create  the  present  chapel;  the  meetinghouse  was  torn 
down  in  1902  to  make  way  for  the  brick  structure. 

The  need  of  an  invalids'  home  was  first  recognized  by  members  of  the  Con- 
gress Street  Methodist  Church,  who,  with  a  few  others,  organized  the  Port- 
land Invalids'  Home  in  1894.  One  of  the  charter  members,  Mrs.  Mary  J. 
Brown  (1835-1900),  offered  the  use  of  a  cottage  on  Peak  Island  for  the 
summer  of  that  year,  while  committee  members  sought  a  permanent  city 
location.  In  October  of  the  same  year  the  society  purchased  property  on 
Revere  Street  which  was  equipped  to  accommodate  27  patients;  this  was 
called  the  Mary  Brown  Home.  So  many  had  applied  for  care  by  1901  that 
the  organization  voted  to  sell  their  property  and  build  larger  quarters; 
shortly  after  this  their  present  home  became  a  reality.  Mrs.  George  C. 
Frye  (1852-1923)  was  chosen  president  and  served  in  that  capacity  until  a 
year  before  her  death;  in  1924  the  name  of  the  home  was  changed  to 


304  Portland  City  Guide 

Eunice  Frye  Home  in  her  honor.  The  library  perpetuates  the  name  of  its 
earliest  benefactress,  Mary  Brown. 

The  Reverend  Caleb  Bradley  (1772-1861)  was  not  only  a  clergyman,  but 
a  schoolmaster.  He  preached  at  the  second  of  three  churches  that  stood 
on  the  site  between  1764  and  1902,  the  third  being  named  for  him.  He 
first  kept  school  in  his  home,  where  for  two  terms  Nathaniel  Hawthorne 
was  his  pupil.  Three  times  married,  Bradley's  forehandedness  in  matrimony 
is  a  subject  of  anecdote.  In  reference  to  the  second  occasion  the  story  runs 
that  a  fellow  clergyman  had  asked  Bradley  to  drive  him  to  the  home  of  a 
comfortably  situated  widow  in  Saccarappa,  as  he  intended  to  pay  her  the 
compliment  of  proposing  marriage  to  her.  Caleb  consented,  but  just  be- 
fore they  reached  their  destination  he  suggested  that  his  friend  take  the 
reins  and  drive  up  the  street  while  he  interviewed  the  widow  and  prepared 
her  for  the  honor  she  was  about  to  receive.  This  seemed  a  favorable  prop- 
osition to  Bradley's  friend,  who  drove  off,  returning  some  time  later.  After 
an  amiable  chat  in  the  presence  of  Bradley  he  asked  the  widow  for  a  few 
moments  of  privacy,  which  she  readily  granted.  "But  my  dear  sir,"  she 
said  to  him  when  she  had  learned  his  proposition,  "you  are  a  little  too  late, 
for  I  am  engaged  to  Mr.  Bradley."  The  astounded  and  disappointed  swain 
faltered,  "How  long  since,  may  I  ask?"  The  widow  replied  with  a  coy 
shrug,  "About  ten  minutes." 

4.  Site  of  the  Cumberland  and  Oxford  Canal,  (best  seen  near  1397  Con- 
gress St,) .  This  waterway  was  constructed  in  1828-30  by  the  Cumberland 
and  Oxford  Canal  Corporation  which  had  been  authorized  by  the  Legisla- 
ture in  1821.  When  completed  the  canal  terminated  in  the  basin  at  Thomp- 
son's Point  on  Fore  River,  18  miles  from  its  starting  point  at  the  head  of 
Long  Pond  in  the  town  of  Harrison. 

Before  Maine  became  a  separate  state  the  territory  to  the  north  of  Portland 
abounded  in  rich  soil  and  excellent  stands  of  hard  wood.  Getting  the  best 
market  for  these  inland  products  was  the  problem,  and  in  1791  a  committee 
was  chosen  to  ascertain  the  practicability  of  "a  canal  from  Sebago  Pond  to 
Presumpscot  River."  Nothing  came  of  these  early  proposals  until  after 
Maine  had  become  a  State  in  1820;  the  next  year  a  charter  was  granted  by 
the  Maine  Legislature  "to  construct  a  canal  from  Waterford  in  Oxford 
County  to  the  navigable  waters  of  Fore  River,  under  the  name  of  the  'Cum- 
berland and  Oxford  Canal  Corporation.'  " 

The  canal  proper  —  that  part  constructed  by  excavation  —  began  at  the 
Basin,  or  Sebago  Falls,  in  the  town  of  Standish  and  followed  the  course  of 
the  Presumpscot  River  through  Standish,  Windham,  and  Gorham  to  a 


Stroudwater  Section  305 

point  above  the  Westbrook  mills;  leaving  the  river  at  this  point,  it  cut  across 
the  country  to  Stroudwater,  terminating  at  first  near  the  foot  of  Clark 
Street  and  later  at  Thompson's  Point.  As  Sebago  Lake  is  272  feet  above 
mean  low  water,  27  locks  were  necessary  over  the  canal  route. 

In  his  Notes  on  the  Cumberland  and  Oxford  Canal,  and  the  Origin  of  the 
Canal  National  Bank,  Philip  Milliken  gives  an  amusing  picture  of  the  men 
who  tended  these  locks:  "The  lock  tenders  were  generally  characters,  the 
boatmen  as  a  rule  wore  red  shirts  and  nobody,  including  the  tow-horse  graz- 
ing on  the  tow-path  bank,  was  in  any  particular  hurry.  Sometimes  if  things 
did  not  go  right  there  was  some  un-Scriptural  language,  and  if  boats  were 
held  up  by  breaks  in  the  banks  of  the  canal  ...  so  much  the  better.  The 
combined  crews  would  adjourn  to  the  nearest  public,  where  they  would  in- 
dulge in  wrestling,  boxing,  story-telling,  not  omitting  spiritual  refreshment 
and  the  consolation  of  tobacco." 

A  lottery  was  run  to  obtain  funds  for  the  construction  of  the  canal,  and  an 
interesting  argument  for  this  form  of  gambling  appeared  in  a  notice  in  the 
American  Patriot  of  May  11,  1827:  "Want  generally  may  be  avoided  by 
economy  and  enterprise: — a  single  dollar  has  often  produced  the  happy  ad- 
venturer THOUSANDS.  The  present  is  the  time  to  provide  for  adver- 
sity; for  when  it  comes,  it  brings  additional  distress,  if  it  finds  us  unpre- 
pared. Who  that  thinks  will  prefer  present  enjoyment  to  future  security? 
Only  a  small  portion  of  the  sum  that  is  annually  expended  for  trifles  .  .  . 
might,  if  properly  invested,  ensure  the  possessor  ease  and  independence  for 
life.  .  .  .  To  do  this,  he  is  prompted  by  patriotism,  by  his  regard  for  the 
welfare  and  prosperity  of  the  State;  as  by  adding  his  mite  to  advance  the 
GRAND  CANAL,  he  will  reap  a  double  benefit,  by  bringing  into  action 
a  powerful  engine  that  will  hereafter  give  a  new  impulse  to  Trade  and  Agri- 
culture, and  promote  and  encourage  the  Arts.  .  .  .  LOTTERY  TICKETS 
are  a  species  of  MERCHANDIZE,  manufactured  by  the  high  authority 
of  the  State,  and  by  that  authority  they  are  recommended  to  the  citizens 
thereof,  for  the  benefit  of  the  CUMBERLAND  AND  OXFORD 
CANAL." 

In  1850  the  earnings  of  the  canal  took  a  decided  slump,  due  to  the  building 
of  the  Atlantic  and  St.  Lawrence  Railroad  which  passed  through  several 
Oxford  County  towns  and  offered  quicker  transit  to  many  others,  thus  di- 
verting a  considerable  portion  of  the  canal's  traffic.  As  early  as  1868  the 
probability  of  the  canal's  ultimate  ruin  became  apparent,  and  the  advent  of 
the  Portland  and  Ogdensburg  Railroad  the  following  year  marked  the  end 
of  the  waterway  as  a  transportation  system. 


306  Portland  City  Guide 

5.  Site  of  the  old  Stroudwater  Bridge,  where  Congress  St.  crosses  Fore 
River.  The  first  bridge  of  any  considerable  size  was  built  on  this  site  in  1734; 
constructed  for  the  interests  of  Thomas  Westbrook,  the  king's  mast  agent 
at  Stroudwater,  it  was  known  as  the  Great  Bridge.  Of  wooden  construction, 
the  bridge  was  originally  640  feet  long  but  much  of  the  land  has  since  been 
filled  in.  The  bridge  was  rebuilt  in  1914  and  again  in  1937-8,  the  last  time 
of  modern  concrete  construction. 

6.  The  Stroudwater  Baptist  Church,  1729  Congress  St.,  is  a  typical  com- 
munity church  which  dates  back  to  1875  when  a  small  building  called  Quin- 
by  Hall  was  erected  by  Thomas  Quinby  (1813-85).   This  was  used  for  a 
community  center  as  well  as  for  religious  purposes  and  has  been  the  scene  of 
many  enthusiastic   temperance   meetings  presided   over   by   such   ardent 
speakers  for  the  cause  as  Neal  Dow,  Fred  M.  Dow,  and  Lillian  M.  N. 
Stevens. 

In  1882  a  group  of  men  in  the  community  started  a  movement  to  hold  reg- 
ular religious  services  in  the  hall.  In  1908  the  building  was  remodeled  and 
a  steeple  erected;  since  that  time  there  have  been  extensive  additions  and 
changes,  transforming  the  plain  wooden  structure  into  a  distinctly  church- 
like  edifice  with  an  attractive  auditorium. 

The  church  has  an  ornate  rose  window  as  a  memorial  to  Mrs.  L.  M.  N. 
Stevens,  who  was  president  of  the  W.  C.  T.  U.  and  an  ardent  worker  for 
the  church.  In  the  vestry  are  bronze  plaques  in  memory  of  Thomas  and 
James  E.  (Brewer)  Quinby  and  to  Mrs.  George  C.  Keep,  through  whose 
generosity  the  remodeling  of  the  church  was  made  possible. 

7.  The  Moses  Dole  House,  505  Westbrook  St.,  a  white  ten-room  house, 
was  built  about  1784  by  Moses  Dole   (1765-88).   The  old  house  retains 
much  of  its  original  charm,  having  a  spiral  staircase  in  the  front  hallway 
and  old-fashioned  cranes  in  its  four  fireplaces. 

Moses  Dole  was  the  son  of  Daniel  Dole  who  married  a  sister  of  Dr.  Samuel 
Deane's  wife.  The  younger  Dole  built  his  house  near  that  of  his  father,  but 
after  his  early  death  it  was  sold. 

8.  The  Capt.  Daniel  Dole  House,  465  Westbrook  St.,  a  gambrel-roofed 
house  was  built  in  1772  by  Captain  Daniel  Dole  (1717-1803).   Changed 
much  in  recent  years,  the  house  still  has  the  pld-fashioned  front  door,  side 
lights,  and  original  chimneys.    The  attic  once  had  huge  fireplaces  and  a 
stout  door  behind  which  the  captain's  slaves  were  locked  each  night. 

Captain  Dole  came  to  Stroudwater  from  Old  Newbury,  Massachusetts,  and 


Portland — Gateway  to  Maine's  Big  Game  Hunting  Country 


Swimming 


Yachting 


It    * 

ft  I       i        Jl    !."* 


Duck  Shooting  is  Excellent  in  Near-by  Merry  meeting  Bay  Section 


Golf 


Open- Air  Horse  Show 


Polo 


Racing 


Professional  Boxing 


Annual  Patriot's  Day  Marathon 


Basketball 


Baseball 


Football 


...  .    ••-     ;^      ' 


Stroudwater  Section  307 

purchased  a  218-acre  farm  in  1770;  having  followed  the  sea  all  his  life,  he 
wished  to  settle  down  but  was  unwilling  to  live  inland  where  he  could  not  be 
within  sight  of  the  salt  water. 

9.  Partridge-Quinby  House,  446  Westbrook  St.  This  plain  homestead  was 
built  in  1782  by  Captain  Jesse  Partridge  (1742-95) .  With  the  exception  of 
a  bay  window  and  some  minor  details  subsequently  added,  the  house  re- 
mains much  the  same  as  when  it  was  erected.   Moses  Quinby  (1786-1857) 
acquired  the  title  to  the  house  about  1818.  One  of  the  members  of  the  first 
graduating  class  of  Bowdoin  College    (1806),  Quinby  was  a  prominent 
Stroudwater  lawyer. 

10.  The  Stroudwater  Cemetery,  416-432  Westbrook  St.,  is  one  of  the  oldest 
burial  grounds  in  Portland.    Although  the  earliest  mention  of  it  is  in  a 
mortgage  deed  in  the  Portland  City  Hall,  dated  1748,  the  oldest  stone  in  the 
cemetery  is  dated  1739.  In  1786  the  yard  became  a  public  burying  place. 

11.  The  David  Patrick  House,  384  Westbrook  St.,  claimed  to  be  the  old- 
est house  in  Stroudwater,  was  built  in  1743  and  is  but  slightly  changed  since 
its  erection.    Much  of  the  original  woodwork  has  been  retained,  together 
with  some  of  the  old-fashioned  windows  and  the  side  lights  beside  the 
front  door. 

12.  The  Lillian  Marion  Norton  Stevens  House,  382  Westbrook  St.,  is  a 
square  two-story  Colonial  house  built  about  1800  by  two  ship  carpenters  in 
the  Stevens  family.  The  house  has  six  fireplaces,  an  old-fashioned  winding 
staircase,  and  unique  window  shutters  said  to  be  "Indian  shutters,"  used  to 
keep  the  savages  from  spying. 

The  old  house  has  always  been  in  the  Stevens  family  and  when  it  was  the 
home  of  Lillian  M.  N.  Stevens  (see  Downtown  Section:  No.  58)  was  the 
scene  of  many  notable  gatherings  of  groups  interested  in  the  cause  of  pro- 
hibition. Besides  her  activities  in  the  W.  C.  T.  U.,  of  which  she  was  at  one 
time  National  President,  Mrs.  Stevens  was  active  in  general  reform 
throughout  the  State.  She  took  the  initiative  in  establishing  the  Temporary 
Home  for  Women  and  Children  and  through  her  influence  public  opinion 
was  created  in  favor  of  having  a  matron  in  county  jails. 

13.  The  Tate  House  (open  Mon.,  Wed.,  and  Fri.),  370  Westbrook  St., 
a  two  and  one-half  story  unpainted  house  with  a  gambrel  roof,  was  erected 
by  George  Tate  in  1775.    Situated  on  a  knoll  overlooking  Fore  River  in 
view  of  the  early  mast  yard,  this  excellent  example  of  Early  Colonial  archi- 
tecture is  constructed  of  native  pine  and  oak  with  panels,  wainscoting,  and 


308  Portland  City  Guide 

cornices  of  the  interior  imported  from  England;  the  gracefully  designed 
front  entrance  with  overhead  fanlight  is  part  of  the  original  house,  but  the 
door  is  of  a  later  period.  The  elaborately  carved  stairway  baluster  and  the 
built-in  carved  buffet  in  the  parlor  are  particularly  pleasing.  This  house  was 
restored  in  1932  by  the  Maine  Society  of  Colonial  Dames  and  opened  to  the 
public  six  years  later;  it  is  used  as  a  clubhouse  and  museum. 

George  Tate  (1700-94)  came  from  Northamptonshire,  England,  to  Fal- 
mouth  in  1754  as  mast  agent  succeeding  Colonel  Thomas  Westbrook  and 
was  at  one  time  church  warden  of  the  town.  Tate's  oldest  son,  Samuel 
(1736-1814),  was  engaged  in  carrying  masts  between  Falmouth  and  Lon- 
don, and  it  was  his  ship  that  in  1766  brought  the  news  that  the  Stamp  Act 
was  repealed;  he  is  said  to  have  been  the  sailing  master  of  the  ship  of  war 
that  brought  Lord  Cornwallis  to  this  country  during  the  Revolution.  His 
second  son,  George  (1745-1821),  became  a  lieutenant  in  the  Russian  Navy 
during  the  reign  of  Empress  Catherine  II  and  for  his  distinguished  services 
in  the  wars  with  the  Turks  and  Greeks,  was  advanced  to  the  rank  of  rear 
admiral  and  later  to  first  admiral  by  Alexander  I. 

14.  The  Capt.  James  Means  House,  2  Waldo  St.,  a  two-story  brick-ended 
building  with  hip  roof,  was  built  in  1797  by  Captain  James  Means  (1753- 
1832)  and  called  the  "Mast  Head"  in  early  records.  The  elaborately  hand- 
carved  woodwork  of  the  interior  is  said  to  have  been  the  work  of  sailors  who 
were  skilled  in  the  arts  and  architecture.   These  sailors,  purposely  left  be- 
hind when  their  ships  sailed  from  Stroudwater,  were  forced  to  work  on  the 
decorations  of  the  Means  home  until  their  ship  returned. 

Means  enlisted  in  Captain  James  Brackett's  company  of  Falmouth  the  day 
after  the  battle  of  Lexington  and  served  eight  and  one-half  years  in  the 
Continental  Army  —  rising  from  the  ranks  to  become  colonel.  He  was  in 
the  battles  of  Stillwater  and  Saratoga,  witnessed  the  surrender  of  Burgoyne, 
and  was  one  of  the  many  men  who  spent  a  harrowing  winter  at  Valley 
Forge;  it  was  during  that  winter  he  signed  the  Oath  of  Allegiance  which  is 
among  the  Revolutionary  War  relics  at  Washington.  While  serving  as 
Life  Guard  to  General  Washington  he  met  General  Lafayette  who,  on  his 
visit  to  Portland  in  1825,  was  entertained  at  the  Means  home.  Means  was 
elected  first  senator  from  the  District  of  Maine  in  1807. 

15.  The  Walter  Griffin  House,  346  Westbrook  St.,  a  150-year-old  square 
two-story  house  with  hip  roof,  was  the  home  of  this  famous  artist  during 
the  latter  years  of  his  life.  Of  this  period  of  Griffin's  (1861-1935)   (see  Arts 
and  Crafts)  life,  F.  Newlin  Price  writes:  "He  had  bought  the  Vail  house 


Stroudwater  Section  309 

at  Stroudwater,  near  Portland,  and  here  his  days  were  spent  cheerfully  and 
bravely  in  the  face  of  an  incurable  disease.  He  spent  much  time  advising, 
lecturing.  He  was  devoted  to  Maine  and  the  problem  of  stimulating  the 
cultured  arts.  .  .  .  Around  him  grew  a  great  circle  of  friends.  .  .  .  Per- 
sonally he  was  a  delightful  talker,  a  pleasant  dinner  guest,  full  of  colorful 
life  and  wide  experience.  A  charming  arrogance  dwelt  within  his  mind,  a 
sureness  about  his  position  that  grew  not  from  schooling  (he  had  little)  but 
from  contact  with  the  joyous  sap  of  life.  He  gave  a  fund  of  incident,  an 
intimate  human  practical  theorem  of  his  fellow  men." 

16.  The  Forder  House,  335  Westbrook  St.,  probably  the  oldest  house  still 
standing  in  this  section,  was  built  by  James  Forder  about  1734.  The  house 
and  its  surrounding  land  was  mentioned  in  the  first  recorded  land  con- 
veyance of  Samuel  Waldo  and  Colonel  Westbrook  on  September  17,  1734, 
to  James  Forder  of  Falmouth,  an  English  millwright.    It  has  undergone 
such  extensive  alterations  that  little  of  the  original  structure  is  in  evidence. 

17.  The  Mill  Dam,  Stroudwater  River,  Westbrook  St.,  is  perhaps  the  oldest 
dam  in  Portland  and  was  probably  built  by  Samuel  Waldo  who  owned 
"Long  Creek  Farm,"  evaporated  salt  from  sea  water,  and  ground  it  at  a 
mill  on  this  site  as  early  as  1746.  His  farm  extended  from  the  Stroudwater 
River  to  beyond  the  present  airport,  and  his  ships  took  cargoes  from  the 
wharf  at  Long  Creek  Point  to  Liverpool,  England.   In  the  early  days  the 
Stroudwater  River  supplied  power  for  a  saltmill,  a  gristmill,  a  fulling  mill 
for  dressing  cloth,  and  a  single  and  double  sawmill. 

18.  The  Samuel  Fickett  House,  290  Westbrook  St.,  was  built  in  1795  by 
Samuel  Fickett,  a  ship-carpenter.  His  father  had  purchased  Harrow  House 
in  1786,  the  pretentious  Stroudwater  home  that  Colonel  Thomas  West- 
brook  had  built  shortly  after  his  arrival  in  Falmouth  in  1727.  Tearing  down 
this  historic  home  nine  years  later,  Samuel  built  the  present  two-story  build- 
ing on  the  same  site.   It  is  claimed  that  he  built  the  first  steamboat  that 
crossed  the  Atlantic,  but  in  Shipbuilding  Days  in  Casco  Bay,  William  H. 
Rowe  credits  Fickett's  nephew  Frank:   "  'Ship  Yard  Point*  where  Mill 
Creek  joins  the  waters  of  Fore  River  seems  to  have  been  one  of  the  oldest 
sites  for  building  yards  and  was  well  known  by  that  name  when  Jonathan 
Fickett  leased  it  at  the  beginning  of  the  last  century  with  the  help  of  several 
sons.  He  was  an  active  builder  until  the  embargo  put  him  out  of  business. 
Samuel,  one  of  the  sons  had  a  yard  in  Portland  until  the  War  of  1812.  Then 
he  and  some  of  his  brothers  went  to  New  York  where  they  prospered.  One 
of  them,  Frank  Fickett,  who  had  learned  his  business  in  the  Stroudwater 
yards,  built  a  partnership  "with  one  Crocker"  at  Corlears  Hook.   In  Au- 


3 1 0  Portland  City  Guide 

gust  1818  they  launched  a  three-hundred  and  eighty-two  ton  vessel  which 
was  purchased  by  Captain  Moses  Rogers  and  a  company  of  Southern  busi- 
ness men  and  named  by  them,  "Savannah"  for  their  native  city. 

"They  allowed  the  rigging  and  other  appurtenances  for  sailing  to  remain, 
and  installed  steam  machinery  and  paddle  wheels,  thus  creating  the  first 
ocean  going  steamship." 

19.  Jonathan  Smith  House,  269  Westbrook  Street.  This  two-story  wooden 
structure,  painted  white,  was  built  more  than  a  hundred  years  ago  by  Jona- 
than Smith  (1795-1882)  who  operated  a  tannery  almost  opposite  his  home. 
The  house  contains  a  very  unusual  staircase,  made  in  a  half  spiral,  the 
soffit  of  which  is  a  single  pine  board,  concaved  and  curved  to  the  spiral  by  a 
steaming  process.  In  the  parlor  is  an  unusually  large  fireplace  with  Dutch 
oven;  in  addition  to  the  conventional  oven  door,  there  is  another  door  on  the 
opposite  end  of  the  oven  opening  from  the  dining  room  side. 

20.  The  Barker  House,  268  Westbrook  St.,  was  erected  on  the  site  of  what 
the  records  of  1744  alluded  to  as  "a  cottage  inhabited  by  one  Westbrook 
Knight";  this  referred  to  Colonel  Thomas  Westbrook  (see  History] .   Dr. 
Jeremiah  Barker  (1752-1835)  purchased  the  property  in  1779  and  erected 
the  present  two-story  dwelling. 

21.  Former  Broad's  Tavern,  143  Westbrook  St.    About  1782  Thaddeus 
Broad  (1745-1824)  bought  this  property  he  had  leased  ten  years  before  and 
remodeled  the  original  "salt  box"  house.  Until  the  end  of  stage  coach  days 
Broad's  Tavern,  famous  from  Portland  to  Boston,  did  a  prosperous  busi- 
ness. Broad  stimulated  trade  by  erecting  a  platform  with  railing  in  a  large 
elm  that  stood  in  front  of  the  tavern.   A  stairway  was  built  to  this  eyrie 
where  liquor  was  served  to  customers,  and  soon  the  elm  came  to  be  known  as 
the  Bar  Room  Tree.    When  General  Lafayette  stopped  at  Broad's  for 
liquid  refreshment  on  his  way  to  Portland  in  1825  he  was  served  at  this 
aerial  bar;  from  that  time  the  tree  was  called  the  "Lafayette  Elm."   Cus- 
tomers at  the  tavern  were  allowed  many  privileges  besides  that  of  eating 
and  drinking,  and  men  with  a  flair  for  gambling  often  played  cards  until 
the  early  hours  of  the  morning.  One  Saturday  evening  such  a  game  was  in 
progress,  but  at  midnight  one  of  the  players,  more  impish  than  righteous, 
suggested  that  they  set  aside  the  winnings  accumulated  during  the  hours 
of  the  Sabbath  and  present  the  "tainted  money"  to  Parson  Caleb  Bradley 
—  they  thought  this  would  be  a  great  joke  on  the  parson.  Unwilling  to  wait 
until  daylight  to  gloat  over  the  parson's  dilemma,  they  went  to  his  house 
about  four  o'clock  and  thumped  loudly  on  his  door  to  waken  him.  Startled 


Stroudwater  Section  311 

out  of  his  warm  bed  at  such  an  ungodly  hour,  he  stumbled  to  the  door.  The 
young  men  gave  him  the  money,  explaining  in  detail  that,  inasmuch  as  they 
had  won  it  by  gambling,  they  did  not  think  it  proper  to  keep  it;  they  asked 
him  if  he  would  please  accept  it  and  then  rushed  away  rather  than  face  the 
good  man's  wrath.  To  their  utter  amazement  the  parson  shouted  after  them, 
"That's  right  boys!  That's  right!  The  devil's  money  will  buy  just  as  many 
Bibles  as  God's  money.  Why  didn't  you  play  longer?"  Broad's  son,  Silas, 
was  host  at  the  tavern  until  dwindling  returns  forced  him  out  of  business 
about  1840. 

22.  Portland  City  Airport,  7  Westbrook  St.,  dedicated  in  December,  1934, 
has  three  runways,  two  of  which  are  hard  surfaced,  and  two  hangars  used 
by  the  Portland  Flying  Service,  Inc.  and  the  Northeast  Airways,  Inc.  which 
operate  transport  charter  services.   The  Boston  and  Maine  Airways  main- 
tain a  regular  schedule,  and  of  their  14  stations  in  New  England  and  Cana- 
da, the  Portland  airport  ranks  second  in  volume  of  business.   The  airport 
was  purchased  by  the  City  of  Portland  in  1938  and  the  city,  with  WPA  as- 
sistance, is  now  building  an  administration  building  that  will  house  the  U.  S. 
meteorological  station,  Civil  Aeronautics  weather  bureau,  radio  station,  tele- 
type service,  and  the  offices  of  the  three  flying  services. 

23.  Brooklawn  Memorial  Park,  2030  Congress  St.,  the  first  cemetery  de- 
velopment of  its  kind  in  the  State,  was  inaugurated  in  1936.    There  are 
neither  tombstones  nor  monuments  in  this  cemetery,  the  graves  being  marked 
by  flat  memorial  tablets,  similar  in  size  but  with  varying  designs.  There  are 
12  acres  of  lawns  and  over  a  mile  of  winding  graveled  roadways  landscaped 
with  most  of  the  varieties  of  trees  common  to  the  State  in  addition  to  num- 
erous species  of  shrubs  and  flowers.  In  season  more  than  thirty  varieties  of 
lilacs  are  to  be  seen  in  bloom  and  the  tulip  beds  are  noteworthy  —  the 
grounds  have  the  appearance  of  a  beautifully  landscaped  estate.  Along  the 
entire  length  of  the  face  of  the  park  is  a  wall  of  Cape  Elizabeth  bluestone, 
the  bluestone  portals  of  which  are  surmounted  by  cast  stone  embellishments, 
from  designs  by  John  Calvin  Stevens  and  John  Howard  Stevens. 

24.  The  Old  Chesley  House,  1795  Congress  St.,  was  built  about  1807  by 
Joseph  Chesley.   Although  the  exterior  of  the  house  has  been  altered,  the 
interior  retains  distinctive  reminders  of  its  early  days  with  a  fireplace 
hearth  composed  of  eight-inch-square  bricks,  hand-cut  fireplace  mantle,  and 
21 -inch  wainscoting  of  pine. 

25.  Boothby  Home  (City  Farm)  and  Farrington  Hospital  (City  Hospital) , 
1133-51  Brighton  Ave.  The  Boothby  Home  was  built  in  1902-3  from  de- 


312  Portland  City  Guide 

signs  by  the  local  architects  F.  H.  and  E.  F.  Fassett  and  houses  the  city's 
destitute  men  and  women;  it  was  named  in  honor  of  Frederick  E.  Boothby 
(1845-1923),  the  incumbent  mayor  of  Portland.  The  central  part  of  this 
building  is  used  for  offices  and  adminstration  quarters;  the  west  wing  for 
hospital  patients  and  women;  the  right  wing  is  occupied  by  men. 

Farrington  Hospital,  connected  by  a  corridor  to  Boothby  Home,  was  named 
in  honor  of  Ira  P.  Farrington  (1820-94) ,  who  left  a  large  amount  of  money 
for  its  use.  The  hospital  as  an  institution  is  said  to  be  "as  old  as  the  city  it- 
self," having  been  attached  to  the  poorhouse  or  city  home  as  an  infirmary 
and  has  gradually  developed  into  a  modern  hospital.  It  treats  chronic  cases, 
individual  cases  unable  to  meet  hospital  expenses  elsewhere  in  the  city,  and 
specific  cases  general  hospitals  will  not  accept.  Major  operations  are  per- 
formed, and  maternity  cases  are  cared  for,  as  are  infants  whose  parents 
are  unable  or  incompetent  to  do  so  properly.  A  psychopathic  ward,  the  only 
one  in  the  city,  has  accommodations  for  ten  patients  who  are  held  for  ob- 
servation before  being  dismissed  or  sent  to  the  Augusta  State  Hospital;  in 
addition,  there  are  general,  chronic,  and  isolation  wards,  an  X-ray  depart- 
ment, and  a  laboratory. 


RIVERTON  SECTION 


At  various  times  this  section  has  been  part  of  four  towns  and  cities  —  Fal- 
mouth,  Westbrook,  Deering,  and  Portland.  In  1899  the  area  was  added  to 
Portland  when  the  City  of  Deering  was  annexed.  The  Presumpscot  River, 
flowing  easterly  along  the  northwest  boundary  of  the  city,  was  the  scene  of 
many  early  industrial  activities  of  old  Falmouth  of  which  'The  Neck' 
formed  a  part  (see  History) .  Thomas  Westbrook,  the  royal  mast  agent, 
and  Samuel  Waldo,  one  of  Falmouth's  leading  inhabitants,  were  the  first  to 
impound  the  waters  of  the  Presumpscot  when  they  built  a  dam  at  its  lower 
falls.  Westbrook  and  Waldo  also  constructed  the  first  paper  mill  in  this 
part  of  Maine,  power  from  the  impounded  Presumpscot  turning  its  wheels. 
In  the  heyday  of  the  mast  industry  the  river  was  swollen  with  long  logs  cut 
in  the  interior  and  floated  downstream  to  waiting  mast  ships  en  route  to 
England.  The  river  still  furnishes  power  for  manufactories  in  Westbrook 
and  Cumberland  Mills,  but  the  once  rolling  farmland  that  bordered  the 
stream  has  become  one  of  the  residential  districts  of  Portland. 

1.  The  Morrill  House,  1229  Forest  Ave.  and  6  Allen  Ave.,  a  32-room  brick 
house  of  three  stories,  was  erected  in  the  early  part  of  the  19th  century.  It 
was  the  childhood  home  of  Mary  S.  Morrill  (see  Downtown  Section:  No. 
32) ,  a  missionary  who  lost  her  life  at  Paotingfu,  China,  during  the  Boxer 
Rebellion.  The  third  floor  of  this  house  was  originally  an  ornate  ballroom, 
and  its  floor,  of  the  springboard  type,  was  laid  on  12-inch  steel  springs 
spaced  two  feet  apart.   This  kind  of  floor,  with  its  unusual  resilience,  was 
quite  common  in  19th  century  ballrooms. 

2.  The  Maine  Home  for  Boys,  1393  Forest  Ave.,  originated  in  1893  when 
a  group  of  Deering  club  women  incorporated  under  the  name  of  Little 
Samaritan  Aid  Society,  for  the  purpose  of  caring  for  destitute  boys.   In 
1899  the  name  became  the  Maine  Home  for  Friendless  Boys,  and  by  legis- 
lative enactment  in  1935  the  institution  assumed  its  present  title.  The  large 
three-story  frame  building,  located  on  approximately  nine  acres  of  wood- 
land, playground,  and  farm,  was  opened  to  the  public  in  February,  1901, 
and  enlarged  in  1908.  A  non-sectarian  institution,  it  cares  for  nearly  thirty 
boys  from  five  to  14  who  are  wholly  or  partially  dependent  upon  the  public 


314 


Portland  City  Guide 


River  ton  Section  315 

for  support,  or  who,  through  misfortune,  have  been  temporarily  deprived 
of  proper  home  environment. 

3.  Mount  Sinai  Cemetery,  185  Hicks  St.,  occupying  five  acres,  is  the  only 
Jewish  burying  ground  in  Portland.   Established  in  1894,  it  was  known  as 
the  Hebrew  Benevolence  Burial  Association  until  its  re-organization  in  1920. 

4.  Warren  Avenue  Italian  Methodist  Church,  360  Warren  Ave.,  was  ori- 
ginally dedicated  in  1917  and  rededicated  in  1937  when  it  was  remodeled. 
Italian  Methodism  had  its  inception  in  1905  with  the  establishment  of  the 
Portland  Italian  Mission  under  the  Reverend  Francis  Southworth   (1824- 
1912).   For  many  years  the  mission  held  meetings  in  the  Bethel  Congre- 
gational Church  on  Fore  Street,  and  until  1928  Congregationalists  and 
Methodists  contributed  toward  its  support;  at  that  time  it  was  affiliated  with 
the  Methodist  Church  of  Portland. 

5.  The  small  Bailey  Cemetery,  1612  Forest  Ave.,  surrounded  by  a  white 
picket  fence,  was  named  for  Deacon  James  Bailey  (1749-1833?)  of  the  First 
Parish  Congregational  Church  who  in  1773  purchased  land  "northeasterly 
of  Merrill's  Corner."  Bailey  set  aside  about  three-quarters  of  an  acre  for  a 
burial  plot,  and  in  it  were  buried  several  soldiers  of  the  Revolution.  About 
fifty  graves  bear  only  numbers;  the  oldest  inscription  is  one  in  memory  of 
Josiah  Stevens,  1818. 

6.  Friends  Meetinghouse  and  Cemetery,  1827  Forest  Ave.,  a  one  and  one- 
half  story  brick  structure,  was  erected  in  1852  and  until  1920  remained  as 
originally  constructed.    During  alteration  of  the  building  the  old-style 
Quaker  "facing  seats"  and  the  partition,  which  divided  the  women's  side  of 
the  church  from  that  of  the  men,  were  removed  leaving  only  two  of  the 
original  seats,  friends  Cemetery,  at  the  rear  of  the  church,  contains  many 
old  grave  markers,  the  earliest  being  that  of  William  Purington  who  died 
in  1851.  An  unusual  stone  is  that  inscribed: 

Frank  Modoc 

An  Indian  Chief  of  the  Modoc 
Tribe  in  Indian  Territory  and 

a  Friend  Minister. 
Died  in  the  full  triumph  of  the 

Christian  Faith. 

6  mo.  12,  1886 

Aged  45  years. 

7.  Site  of  Riverton  Park,  outer  Forest  Ave.  near  Presumpscot  River  Bridge, 


316  Portland  City  Guide 

was  originally  a  trolley  park  started  in  1895  by  the  Portland  Railroad  Com- 
pany to  stimulate  travel  on  street  cars.  This  early  amusement  area  was  one 
of  Victorian  Portland's  most  popular  rendezvous  (see  History).  After  a 
brief  blast  of  success  its  popularity  dwindled;  in  1921  it  was  revived  when 
the  Riverton  Films,  Inc.,  thrilled  visitors  with  showings  of  early  films  of 
Mary  Pickford  and  Charlie  Chaplin.  In  1923  the  Riverton  Amusement 
Company  attempted  to  reanimate  this  recreation  area.  Today  only  the 
dilapidated  remains  of  a  once  ornate  gateway  indicate  that  the  Portland 
shore  of  the  Presumpscot  River  was  a  favorite  gathering  place  for  fun-loving 
Portlanders. 

8.  Riverside  Municipal  Golf  Course  (see  Recreational  Facilities),  1158 
Riverside  St.,  is  the  second  largest  golf  course  in  Maine.  It  was  laid  out  in 
1932  as  a  nine  hole  course  and  enlarged  three  years  later  to  18  holes.  The 
fully  equipped  clubhouse  was  originally  an  old  farmhouse  which  was  al- 
tered under  the  direction  of  William  B.  Millward  of  Portland. 


SELECTED  READING  LIST 


The  following  titles  have  been  chosen  principally  because  of  the  general 
interest  of  the  subject  matter  to  the  reader;  complete  bibliographies  of  Port- 
land may  be  consulted  at  the  Portland  Public  Library  and  the  Maine  Histor- 
ical Society.  In  the  preparation  of  this  book  the  files  of  the  Portland  Press 
Herald,  Evening  Express,  and  Sunday  Telegram  have  been  consistently 
used,  as  have  been  the  issues  of  the  Board  of  Trade  Journal  over  a  period  of 
many  years.  Of  invaluable  assistance  have  been  the  collections  of  books  and 
private  manuscripts  in  the  Maine  Historical  Society,  and  the  numerous 
theses  contained  in  The  Maine  Bulletin  of  the  University  of  Maine. 

Baxter,  James  P.  George  Cleeve  of  Casco  Bay,  1630-1667.  Portland,  1885. 
Also,  The  Trelawny  Papers,  Portland,  1884. 

Beedy,  Helen  Coffin.     Mothers  of  Maine.  Portland,  1895. 

Brooks,  Van  Wyck.     The  Flowering  of  New  England.  New  York,  1936. 

Burrage,  Henry  S.  The  Beginnings  of  Colonial  Maine,  1602-1698.  Portland, 
1914. 

Chadbourne,  Walter  W.  A  History  of  Banking  in  Maine,  1799-1930.  Orono, 
1936. 

Chase,  Edward  E.    Maine  Railroads.  Portland,  1926. 

Coe,  Harrie  B.  Maine:  Resources,  Attractions  and  Its  People.  New  York, 
1928. 

Colesworthy,  Daniel  C.     Chronicles  of  Casco  Bay.  Portland,  1850. 

Crawford,  Mary  Caroline.     Social  Life  in  Old  New  England.  Boston,  1914. 

Daggett,  Windsor.  A  Down-East  Yankee  from  the  District  of  Maine.  Port- 
land, 1920. 

Dole,  Nathan  Haskell.    Maine  of  the  Sea  and  Pines.  Boston,  1928. 

Dow,  Neal.    The  Reminiscences  of  Neal  Dow.  Portland,  1898. 

Drake,  Samuel  Adams.     The  Pine  Tree  Coast.  Boston,  1891. 

Dunnack,  Henry  E.    The  Maine  Book.  Augusta,  1920. 

Edwards,  George  Thornton.  The  Youthful  Haunts  of  Longfellow.  Portland, 
Also,  Music  and  Musicians  of  Maine.  Portland,  1928. 

Elkins,  L.  Whitney.    The  Story  of  Maine;  Coastal  Maine.  Bangor,  1924. 

Elwell,  Edward  H.     Portland  and  Vicinity.  Portland,  1876. 


318  Selected  Reading  List 

Goold,  William.      Portland  in  the  Past.  Portland,  1886. 

Griffin,  Joseph.     History  of  the  Press  of  Maine.  Brunswick,  1872. 

Haynes,  Williams.    Casco  Bay  Yarns.  New  York,  1916. 

Hull,  John  T.     Hull's  Hand-Book  of  Portland,  Old  Orchard,  Cape  Elizabeth 

and  Casco  Bay.  Portland,  1888. 

Jones,  Herbert  G.     Old  Portland  Town.  Portland,  1938. 
Kettell,  Russell  Hawes.     (editor)  Early  American  Rooms.  Portland,  1936. 
Moulton,  Augustus.    Portland  By  The  Sea.  Augusta,  1926. 
Neal,  John.    Portland  Illustrated.  Portland,  1874. 
Rowe,  William  H.    Shipbuilding  Days  in  Casco  Bay,  1727-1890.    Portland, 

1929. 

Small,  Walter  Herbert.    Early  New  England  Schools.  Boston,  1914. 
Spencer,  Wilbur  D.     Pioneers  on  Maine  Rivers.  Portland,  1930. 
Sterling,  Robert  Thayer.     Lighthouses  of  the  Maine  Coast  and  the  Men  Who 

Keep  Them.  Brattleboro,  1935. 

Toppan,  Frederick  W.     Geology  of  Maine.  Schenectady,  1932. 
Tebbetts,  Leon  H.     The  Amazing  Story  of  Maine.  Portland,  1935. 
Thompson,  Lawrence.     Young  Longfellow,  1807-1843.  New  York,  1938. 
Varney,  George  J.     A  Gazetteer  of  the  State  of  Maine.   Boston,  1881.   Abo, 

A  Brief  History  of  Maine.  Portland,  1890. 

Verrill,  A.  Hyatt.    Romantic  and  Historic  Maine.  New  York,  1933. 
Willis,  William.     The  History  of  Portland  from  1632  to  1864.  Portland,  1865. 

Also,  edited  Journals  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  Smith,  and  the  Rev.  Samuel  Dean. 

Portland,  1849. 
Writers',  Federal.    Maine:  A  Guide  'Down  East.'  Boston,  1937. 


INDEX 


Abnaki,  7 

Abbott,  Dr.  Edville  G.,  253 

Abrogation  of  Mass.  Authority,  25,  26 

Abyssinian  Congregational  Church,  277 

Academy,  Portland,  96,  98 

Academy  of  Music,  Portland,  181 

Acreage,  3,  48 

Acrostic,  Falmouth,  37 

Adams,  Isaac,  224 

Adult  Education,  101 

Advent  Christian  Church,  115,  242 

Advertiser  (newspaper),  44,  171,  195 

African  Methodist  Episcopal  Church,  276 

African  M.  E.  Zion  Church,  110 

Agriculture,  71,  76 

Airport,  Portland  City,  126,  301,  311 

Akers,  Elizabeth,  160 

Akers,  Paul,  44,  139,  160,  236,  257 

Albion,  Robert  G.,  163 

Alden,  James,  278 

Alden,  Robert  E.,  295 

Algerines,  7 

Algonquin  (boat),  260 

Aliens,  immigration  of,  62 

All  Souls  Church,  112,  297 

Allen,  Rev.  Benjamin,  30,  108 

Allen,  John  Howard,  137 

Allen,  Commodore  William  Henry,  282 

Allen  Line,  121 

Amateur  Wireless  Assn.,  208,  300 

American  Artists  Professional  League,  142 

American  Communications  Assn.,  91 

American  Design,  index  of,  138 

American  Guild  of  Organists,  194 

American  House,  120 

American  Legion,  50 

American  Legion  Band,  189 

American  Patriot  (newspaper),  174 

American  Radio  Relay  League,  208 

American  Unitarian  Assn.,  112 

Anchorage  Basin,  4 

Anderson,  C.  B.,  176 

Anderson,  John  F.,  234 

Andrews,  Harold  T.,  50,  259,  264 

Andrews,  James,  10 

Andrews'  Island,  10 

Andrews  Memorial  Tablet,  264 

Andros,  Sir  Edmund,  26 

Androscoggin  &  Kennebec  R.  R.,  123,  124 

Annexation  of  Deering,  48 


Anshei  Sphaard  Synagogue,  116 

Antislavery,  40 

Anti-theater  law,  178,  199 

Appleton,  Frances,  157 

Archer  (schooner),  44 

Architecture,  143-148 

Arden  Coombs  Orchestra,  188 

Argus  (newspaper),  41,  191 

Argus  Revived  (newspaper),  295 

Armistice,  51  « > 

Armory,  State  of  Maine,  251 

Arnold,  Elizabeth,  198,  247 

Arnold,  Matthew,  147,  240 

Art  Associates,  The,  142 

Art  Museum,  L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial, 

147,  148,  231,  235-237 
Arts  and  Crafts,  127-142 
Asbury,  Bishop  Francis,  110 
Assembly  Hall,  150,  196,  198,  199,  247 
Associated  Charities  Society,  271 
Atlantic  Monthly   (magazine),  185 
Atlantic  &  St.  Lawrence  R.  R.,  42,  43,  46, 

123,  247,  255,  259,  305 
Atlantic  Telegraph  Company,  282 
Aucocisco,  5,  18 
Augusta,  53 

Baby  Hygiene  &  Child  Welfare  Assn.,  253 

Back  Bay,  61 

Back  Cove,  3,  4,  15,  24,  36,  45,  94,  121, 

291 

Back  Street,  28 

Bacon,  Bishop  David  W.,  114 
Bagley,  George  B.,  176 
Bagnall,  Walter,  20 
Bailey,  Giles  O.,  175 
Bailey,  Rev.  Jacob,  34 
Bailey,  Deacon  James,  315 
Bailey,  Deacon  John,  301 
Bailey,  Walter,  133 
Bailey  Cemetery,  315 
Bailey  Letter,  34 
Baker,  John  Kelse,  171 
Baldwin,  Millard,  133 
Ballantine,  Col.  Arthur  T.,  57 
Bangs,  Ella  Matthews,  161 
Bangs,  Joshua,  10 
Bangs'  Island,  10,  25,  281 
Banks,  37,  41,  42,  52,  78 
Bank  of  Cumberland,  82 


320 


INDEX 


Bank  of  Portland,  81 

Bank  Holiday,  52,  83 

Bank  robbery,  84,  85  , 

Bapst,  Father  John,  296 

Baptists,  110,  111 

Barker,  Dr.  Jeremiah,  310 

Barlow,  James  E.,  52 

Barnard,  Joseph,  119 

Barrell,  Sally  Sayward,  151 

Barrington,  Robert,  pseud.,  163 

Barter,  79 

Bartlett,  Joseph,  171 

Baxter,  James  Phinney,  51,  54,  160,  239, 

271,  279,  291 

Baxter,  Percival  Proctor,  271,  294 
Baxter  Memorial,  291 
Baxter's  Woods,  15,  23 
Bay  State  (steamer),  122 
Bayley,  Robert,  31,  93,  94 
Beal,  Lester  L,  148 
Beckett,  Charles  F.,  131,  142 
Beckett,  Sylvester  B.,  159 
Beethoven  Musical  Society,  180 
Bellows  School,  253 
Bennett,  Paul  A.,  167 
Bentham,  Jeremy,  153 
Berry,  Mrs.  Harold  Lee,  162 
Berry  packing,  73 
Bethel  Mission,  249,  315 
Bible  Society  of  Maine,  117 
Bigelow,  Harry  M.,  48 
Bird,  Thomas,  37,  229 
Birds,  15,  17 
Elaine,  James  G.,  44 
Blaisdell,  Nicholas,  179 
Blanchard,  Grace,  163 
Blizzards,  13 
Blockhouse,  9,  214 
Blodgett,  Ellen  F.,  191 
Blue  Point,  25 

Blyth,  Capt.  Samuel,  39,  278 
Board  of  Trade,  43,  90,  251 
Board  of  Trade  Journal,  47,  189 
Boat  Landing,  public,  260 
Boats,  72 
Bok,  Edward,  226 

Bombardment  of  Falmouth,  33-34,  105,  145 
Bond  companies,  78 
Bonython,  Richard,  20,  22 
Book,  first  published,  150 
Booth,  Mollie  Irwin,  136 
Boothby,  Col.  Frederic  E.,  251,  312 
Boothby  Home,  312 
Boothby  Square,  250 
Boston,  Royal,  Jr.,  148 
Boston,  Timothy,  215 
Boston  Journal,  46 
Boston  &  Maine  Airways,  126,  311 


Boston  &  Maine  R.  R.  System,  123,  124, 

265 
Boston   and   Portland   Steam   Packet   Co., 

293 

Boston  Tea  Party,  32 
Boston  University,  102 
Bosworth  Memorial,  233 
Bosworth  Post  Memorial,  295 
Botanical  specimens,  16 
Boundaries,  22,  23,  28,  36 
Bounties,  soldiers',  44 
Bowdoin  College,  150,  196,  217,  257,  307 
Bower,  Alexander,  133,  135,  136,  137,  141 
Boxer  (brig),  39,  250,  276,  278 
Boxes,  mfr.  of,  73 
Boys'  Club,  Portland,  148,  227 
Boynton,  Widow,  110 
Brackett,  Anthony,  24,  26,  270,  290 
Brackett,  Capt.  James,  308 
Brackett,  Capt.  Joshua,  33 
Brackett,  Zachariah,  297 
Brackett  Street,  41,  98 
Bradbury,  Theophilus,  34 
Bradford  Press,  167 
Bradish,  Capt.  David,  33 
Bradley,   Rev.    Caleb,   95,   230,   233,   304, 

310-311 

Bradley,  Winslow,  and  Witherell,  268 
Bradley  Meetinghouse,  303 
Bradshaw,  Richard,  21 
Bramhall,  George,  24 
Bramhall  Building,  147 
Bramhall  Hill  Section,  4,  46,  211,  262-273 
Brazier- Jellison  Memorial,  234 
Breakwater,  4 
Breck,  Bernice,  138 
Breme,  John,  9 

Brewster,  Bishop  Benjamin,  291 
Brewster,  Gov.  Ralph  O.,  206 
Brick,  38,  73 
Bricklayers'   and   Masons'   Benevolent  and 

Protective  Union,  89 
Bridges,  4,  29,  38,  120,  265,  306 
Brigham,  Coveney,  and  Bisbee,  273 
Brimblecom,  Rev.  Samuel,  298 
Brinkerhoff,  Harry  A.,  52 
Brinkler,  Alfred,  187,  194 
Brisco,  Thomas,  128 
British  subjects,  59 
Broad,  Silas,  311 
Broad,  Thaddeus,  310 
Broad's  Tavern,  195,  310 
Broadcasting  stations,  206,  207,  208 
Broadcasting  System,  Portland,  207 
Brooklawn  Memorial  Park,  311 
Brooks,  Erastus,  272 
Brooks,  James,  272 
Brooks,  Van  Wyck,  152 


INDEX 


321 


Brotherhood  of  Painters,  Decorators,  and 

Paper  Hangers,  90 
Brown,  Harrison  B.,  133,  142 
Brown,  John  B.,~  43,  46,  252,  261,  267 
Brown,  Mary,  277 
Brown  Cow  Ledge,  8 
Brown's  Sugar  House,  45 
Brown's  Wharf,  261 
Brush'uns,  The,  132 
Burgess,  Rev.  George,  240 
Burleigh,  John,  174 
Burnham,  George  (packer),  286 
Burnham,  George   (architect),  147 
Burnham  and  Morrill  Company,  285 
Burnham  House,  147 
Burnham  Gymnasium,  235 
Burroughs,  George,  281 
Burroughs,  Rev.  George,  10,  24,  104,  221 
Burrows,  William,  39,  278 
Business  Men's  Art  Club,  142 
Business  schools,  101 
Butler,  John,  127 
Butler,  Mosse  M.,  264 
Butler  School,  264 

Cabot,  John,  and  sons,  18 

Cadet  Corps,  193 

Cahoon,  J.  B.,  238 

Cain,  Charles,  176 

Caldwell,  Erskine,  137,  162 

Caldwell,  Ensign  Ralph  D.,  293,  299 

Caldwell  Memorial,  293 

Caleb  Gushing   (revenue  cutter),  44,  253 

'Calendared  Isles,'  262 

Calvinism,  107 

Calvert,  Thomas  H.,  191 

Camera  Club,  Portland,  141 

Cammett,  Stephen,  140 

Cammock,  Thomas,  20 

Campbell,  William,  279 

Canada,  42,  46.  50,  62,  68,  121,  123 

Canadians  in  Portland,  59,  60 

Canadian  National  Railways,  247,  280 

Canal,  see  Cumberland  &  Oxford  Canal 

Canal  National  Bank,  41,  81,  82,  83,  148, 

251 

Canceau  (Mowat's  ship),  32,  33,  34 
Candles,  exported,  72 
Canning,  69,  73-75,  77 
Cape  Cottage,  58 
Cape  Elizabeth,  3,  18,  30,  36,  57,  108,  111, 

118 

Cape  Elizabeth  High  School,  138 
Cape  Elizabeth  Lighthouse,  4 
Cape  Theatre,  203 
Capisic  Falls,  71 
Capisic  River,  22 
Capital,  first,  40,  53,  230 


Capital  punishment,  37 
Carlson,  Edward  H.,  163 
Carpenters'  Union,  Portland,  270 
Carpenters'  and  Joiners'  Union,  89 
Carrere,  John  M.,  228 
Carving,  wood,  127,  131,  134 
Casco,  5 

Bank,  81 

Bay,  3,  4,  5,  6,  11,  12,  15,  17,  19,  21, 

23,  26,  27,  37,  42,  47,  48,  50,  58,  65, 

121,  157 

Bay  Formation,  11 

Bay  Lines,  123 

Loan  and  Building  Association,  83 

Neck,  5 

River,  19,  122 

Serenading  Club,  182 
Castine,  36,  46 
Caston,  H.  Leroy,  163 
Catfish  Rock,  11 
Cathedral  Boys'  Choir,  187 

Chapel,  114,  243 

High  School,  99 

of   the   Immaculate   Conception,    114, 

147,  187,  242,  243 
Catholicism,  103,  113,  114,  115 
Catholic  Institute  High  School,  99 
Cemeteries,  39,  266,  277-279 
Census,  59,  62 

Census  of  Manufacturers,  Federal,  76,  77 
Center  Street,  41 
Center  Workshop,  204 
Central  Fire  Station,  148,  231 
Central  Labor  Union,  Portland,  90 
Central  Square  Baptist  Church,  111,  294 
Central  Wharf,  261 
Cerberus  (British  warship),  35 
Chamber  of  Commerce,  Port.,  100,  199,  235 
Chamber  Music  Club,  188 
Chamber  Music  Trio,  188 
Chamberlain,  Margaret  Ella,  253 
Champernone,  Francis,  22 
Chandler,  Daniel  Hires,  189 
Chandler's  Band,  189 
Channel  Rock,  11 
Channing,  William  Ellery,  107 
Chapman,  William  Rogers,  192 
Chapman  Building,  148,  218 
Charitable  Mechanics  Association,  87,  225 
Charles  I,  22,  108 
Charles  II,  25,  26 
Charter  (1923),  51,  53,  54 
Chase,  Captain,  8 
Chesapeake  (boat) ,  253 
Chesley  house,  Joseph,  311 
Chestnut  Street,  98 
Chestnut   Street  Methodist   Church,    110, 

113,  228,  276 


322 


INDEX 


Cheverus  Classical  High  School,  99,  234 

Chewing  gum,  mfr.  of,  74 

Chickering,  John  White,  159 

Child,  Thomas,  241 

Child  Welfare,  100,  253 

Children's  Hospital,  138,  187,  253 

Children's  Theater,  204 

Chisholm,  Hugh,  Jr.,  246,  295 

Chisholm  Mausoleum,  295 

Christians,  111 

Christian   Endeavor,   Young   Peoples   Soc. 

of,  262,  264 
Chub  Lane,  41 

Church,  Maj.  Benjamin,  26,  27,  270,  290 
Church,  first  permanent,  29 

of  Latter  Day  Saints,  113 

of  the  Messiah,  112,  244 

of  the  New  Jerusalem,  293 
City  Council,  election  and  duties,  54 

Farm  and  Hospital,  312 

Hall,  44,  46,  49,  147,  185,  186,  201, 

228-230,  245 

incorporation,  41 

Manager,  52,  54 
Civil  Warf  44,  57,  214 
Civil  Service  Commission,  54 
Civil  Works  Administration,  52 
Clapp,  Capt.  Asa,  220 
Clapp,  Charles  Q.,  214,  237 
Clapp  Building,  120,  220 
Clark,  Dr.  Eliphalet,  292 
Clark,  Rev.  Ephraim,  111 
Clark,  Rev.  Francis  E.,  108,  262 
Clark,  Lucius,  133 
Clark,  Thaddeus,  24,  26 
Clark  Memorial  Church,  110,  292 
Class  Thirteen  Band,  190 
Clay,  11,  12,  69,  288 
Clay  Cove,  28,  38 
Cleaves  Law  Library,  245 
Cleeve,  George,  7,  8,  20,  21,  22,  23,  24, 

59,  60,  65 

Cleeve  and  Tucker  Memorial,  281 
Cliff  Island,  9 

Clifford,  William  H.,  Jr.,  48 
Climate,  13-15,  36,  50,  52 
Cloudman,  S.  B.,  87 
Coal,  68 

Coast  Artillery,  50,  57 
Coast  Guard,  48 
Cobb,  Mathew,  238 
Cobb's  boardinghouse,  Daniel,  224,  225 
Codman,  Charles,  131,  132,  142,  222 
Codman,  Bishop  Robert,  255,  299 
Codman  Memorial  Church,  148,  299 
Coffin,  Dr.  Nathaniel,  34,  215,  286 
Coffin,  Dr.  Nathaniel,  II,  247 
Cole,  Charles  O.,  132,  142 


Colesworthy,  D.  C,  295 

Colleges,  100-102,  296 

Collings,  Jacob,  28 

Colonial  architecture,  143,  144 

Columbia   (warship),  48 

Columbia  Broadcasting  System,  207 

Columbia  Hotel,  207,  240 

Comfort   (magazine),  175 

Commerce,  65-70 

Commercial  Street,  43,  45,  46,  47,  51,  259 

Commodity  prices,  31,  36,  51 

Commodore  Preble  (steamship),  43,  121 

Commonwealth  of  Massachusetts,  25,  36, 
39 

Community  concerts,  193 

"Coney  Island  of  the  East,"  7 

Confederate  States  Navy,  44 

Congregationalism,  23,  29,  30,  103,  107, 
108,  111,  281 

Congress  Building,  148,  240 

Congress  Hall,  203,  223 

Congress  Square  Universalist  Church,  112, 
192 

Congress  Street,  28,  41,  45 

Congress  St.  Methodist  Church,  110,  112, 
276,  303 

Constitutional  Convention,  39,  272 

Containers,  mfr.  of,  73 

Continental  Army,  33,  35,  308 

Continental  Band,  189 

Continental  Congress,  32 

"Convention  City,"  The,  49 

Coolen,  James,  163 

Cordwood,  71 

"Corne  mill,"  71 

Coronet   (schooner),  261 

Cortissoz,  Royal,  135 

Cotton,  Rev.  John,  177 

Coulson,  Capt.  Thomas,  32,  33 

Council-manager  government,  51,  52,  53 

Council  of  Plymouth,  78 

County  divisions,  31 

Courier   (newspaper),  41 

Courier  Telegram    (newspaper),  47 

Courthouse,  33,  40,  49,  56,  110,  229 

Courts,  37,  245;  see  Federal  Court;  Gen- 
eral Court 

Cousins,  Corporal  Jacob,  281 

Cow  Island,  10 

Cow  Island  Ledge,  10 

"Cow  Rights,"  281 

Craftwork,  early,  129 

Cram  and  Ferguson,  147 

Crocker,  Clifford,  132 

Cromwell,  Oliver,  23 

Cronham,  Charles  K.,  188,  194 

Cross,  Amos,  42 

Grosser,  Rev.  John  R.,  108 


INDEX 


323 


Crotch  Island,  9 

Crotch  Island  Ledge,  10 

Crouch,  Prof.  F.  Nicholls,  183 

Crow  Island,  10 

Cumberland  Bank,  81,  82,  84 

Cumberland  County,  31,  35,  41,  56,  245 

Cumberland  County  Audobon  Soc.,  235 

Cumberland  County  Courthouse,  49,  245 

Cumberland  County  Power  &  Light  Co., 
125,  126 

Cumberland  Gazette,  170 

Cumberland  Loan  and  Building  Associa- 
tion, 83 

Cumberland  and  Oxford  Canal,  41,  44, 
60,  81,  87,  122,  251,  304,  305 

Currency  during  Revolution,  36 

Cummings,  Sumner,  272 

Curtis,  Cyrus  H.  K.,  49,  193,  225,  227,  229 

Curtis,  Cyrus  L.,  184 

Curtis  Gum  Factory,  249 

Gushing,  Ezekiel,  10 

Gushing,  Lemuel,  10 

Gushing  Island,  3,  4,  10,  25,  58,  250 

Cushman,  Bezaleel,  96 

Custom  House  Wharf,  117,  261 

Customs  Collection  District,  31,  38,  66,  69, 
70,  250 

Customs  House,  U.  S.,  40,  46,  56,  250 

Customs  of  the  people,  61,  62 

Cutts,  Richard,  171 

Daily  Courier  (newspaper),  174 

Daily  Press  (newspaper),  174 

Dams,  29,  71,  313 

Dana,  Ethel  M.,  138 

Danes,  customs  of,  61 

Danforth,  President  Thomas,   10,  25,  28, 

248 

Darrah,  "Lord,"  250 
Dash  (privateer),  39 
Dash,  (privateer),  39 
Davis,  Calvin,  171 
Davis,  Daniel,  220 
Davis,  John  B.,  74 
Davis,  J.  H.,  276 
Davis,  Mathew  L.,  278 
Davis,  Capt.  Sylvanus,  26,  27,  71 
Davis,  William,  180 
Davis,  William  G.,  271 
Davis  house,  Walter,  147 
Day  Nursery,  Catherine  Merrill,  253 
Deane's  Orchestral  Society,  188 
Deane,  Dr.  Samuel,  33,  106,  107,  112,  145, 

149,  150,  159,  220,  290 
Deering,  James,  290 
Deering,  Henry,  270 

Deering,  Nathaniel,   154,   195,   234,  270, 
Deering,  Roger  L.,  138,  290 


Deering,  48,  49,  59,  120,  288,  301 

Army  and  Navy  Club,  299 

Hall,  200,  201 

High  School,  148,  193,  293,  294 

Junior  High  School,  294 

Mansion,  290 

Oaks,  24,  26,  47,  139,  241,  270 

Street,  148 

Degree  days,  chart  of,  15 
de  la  Rochefoucault,  Due,  38 
de  Monts,  Sieur,  18 
Dennett,  William  Henry,  191 
Dennett,  Mrs.  William  H.,  192 
Dennis,  Ralph  M.,  259 
Deposits,  local  bank,  84 
Depressions,  39,  42,  44,  52 
Desmond,  G.  Henri,  218,  227,  232 
Diamond  Cove,  8 
Diana  (brig),  67 
Dispensary,  Edward  Mason,  246 
Distilleries,  66,  67,  72 
District  Court,  37 

District  of  Maine,  37,  39,  53,  66,  119,  179 
Dodge,  Benjamin,  158 
Dodge,  Jeremiah  and  Son,  139 
Dole,  Capt.  Daniel,  306 
Dole,  Moses,  306 
Dominion  Line,  121 
Dow,  Fred  M.,  306 
Dow,  Frederick  Neal,  175 
Dow,  Neal,  40,  44,  87,  159,  215,  271-273, 

306 

Downtown  Section,  211-261 
Drain  tile,  mfr.  of,  73 
Dreamland,  204 
Drunkenness,  32,  40 
"Dry  Law,"  40 

du  Cast,  Pierre,  Sieur  de  Monts,  18 
Dunham,  Rufus,  128 
Dunham,  W.  E.,  131 
Dunlap,  Capt.  John,  254 
Dunn,  Rev.  A.  T.,  294 
Dunn,  Charles,  Jr.,  136 
Dunn,  Esther  Cloudman,  163 
Dunn  Memorial  Church,  294 
Dwight,  Dr.  Timothy,  38 
Dye,  John,  20 
Dyer,  James  Franklin,  270 

Earthquakes,  14 

East  End  Bathing  Beach,  283 

Eastern  Argus  (newspaper),  97,  154,  171, 

172,  182 

Eastern  Cemetery,  39,  277-279 
Eastern    Herald    (newspaper),    150,    170, 

171,  195,  196 
Eastern    Herald    and    Gazette    of    Maine 

(newspaper),  171 
Eastern  Promenade,  12,  41,  274,  281,  282 


324 


INDEX 


Eastern  Railroad,  124 

Eastern  Steamship  Line,  121 

Eastland  Hotel,  147,  148,  238 

Easton,  Lin  wood,  137 

Economic  conditions  during  Revolution,  36 

Edgerly,  Cora  Emily,  191 

Education,  93-102 

Edwards,  Maj.  Gen.  Clarence  R.,  242 

Edwards,  George  Thornton,  158,  183,  185, 

190,  191,  292 
Edwards  Park,  241 
Electricity,  47,  125 
Elevation  of  Portland,  4 
Elizabeth  Wadsworth  Chapter,  D.A.R.,  277 
Elks  Club,  233 
Elks  Rest,  295 
Elm  Tavern,   120 
Elssler,  Fanny,  157 
Elwell,  Edward,  133,  159,  161,  211 
Embargo  Act,  39,  66,  72,  87,  179,  199,  253 
Embargoes,  31 
Embroidering,  130 

Emergency  Relief  Administration,  92 
Emerson,  Andrew  L.,  41,  53 
Emmanuel  Chapel,  255 
Engines,  mfr.  of,  73 
English  High  School,  96,  98 
English  immigrants,  59 
English  Royal  Navy,  86 
Enterprise  (brig),  39,  250,  276,  278 
Epidemic,  36 
Episcopal  Church,  33;  religion,  103,  105; 

services,  21;  Society,  105,  106,  112 
Essex  Gazette  (newspaper),  35 
Etz  Chaim  Synagogue,  116 
Eunice  Frye  Home  and  Chapel,  303 
Evening  Advertiser  (newspaper),  181 
Evening  Courier  (newspaper) ,  174 
Evening    Express    (newspaper),    48,    171, 

175,  176 

Evening  Express  Publishing  Co.,  175 
Evening  News  (newspaper),  176 
Evergreen  Cemetery,  295 
Excalibur   (schooner),  7 
Exchange  Building,  82,  231 
Exchange  Street,  41,  46 
Expansion,  82 
Exposition  Building,  269 
Exports,  39,  46,  65-70 
Eye  and  Ear  Infirmary,  Maine,  268 

Pagan,  John  T.,  191 

Falmouth,  3,  23,  24,  26,  26,  27,  28,  29,  30, 
31,  32,  34,  36,  37,  53,  65,  66,  71,  72, 
93,  95,  103,  104,  118,  144,  145,  149, 
177,  195,  196,  301 

Falmouth  Book  House,  137,  162,  168 
Falmouth  Gazette  (newspaper),  37,  150 
Falmouth  Gazette  and  Weekly  Advertiser 


(newspaper),  169,  170 
Falmouth  Hotel,  46,  251 
Famine,  30 

Fanny  Marsh's  Theatre,  201 
Farley  Glass  Co.,  228,  231 
Farmers'  Market,  76 
Farming,  76 
Farrington,  Ira  P.,  312 
Farrington  Hospital,  312 
Fassett,  Edward  F.,  271 
Fassett,  Francis  H.,  147,  268,  271,  273 
Fauna,  15-17 

Feast  of  the  Assumption  celebration,  61 
Federal  Art  Project,  138,  276 

Court,  56 

Court  House,  49,  231 

Emergency  Relief  Administration,  52 

Music  Project,  193 

Theater  Project,  204 

Writers'  Project,  164 
Federal  Street,  41,  45,  111,  120,  211 
Federal  St.  Baptist  Church,  242 
Federalists,  39 

Federation  of  Music  Clubs,  Maine,  190 
Female  Orphan  Asylum,  254 
Fence  Surveyors,  28 
Fenwick,  Bishop  Benedict  J.,  114 
Fern,  Fanny,  pseud,  of  Sarah  Willis,  44, 

155,  172,  246 
Ferrero,  Willy,  194 
Ferry,  28,  118 

Fessenden,  General  Francis,  290 
Fessenden,   William   Pitt,   215,   216,  224, 

256,  290 

Fessenden  Park,  290 
Fickett,  Frank,  309 
Fickett,  Samuel,  309 
Fiddle  Lane,  41 
Fidelity  Building,  175,  218 
"Field  of  Ancient  Graves,"  277 
Fife  and  Drum  Corps,  Maine,  189 
Fifth  U.  S.  Infantry  Band,  189 
56th  Pioneer  Infantry,  50,  57 
Finance,  78-85 
Finns,  customs  of,  61 
Fire  of  1866,  see  'Great  Fire' 

Boat,  56,  231,  261 

Conditions,  51 

Department,  56,  231,  252 

Engines,  40,  56,  231,  252 

Hazards,  146 

Signal  System,  56 

Wards,  55,  56,  231 
Firemen's  Assn.,  Portland,  253 
Firemen's  Monument,  Portland,  295 
First  Baptist  Church,  111,  192,  242 
First  Church  of  Christ,  Scientist,  116,  273 
First  Episcopal  Church,  site  of,  249 
First  Free  Baptist  Church,  111,  239 


INDEX 


325 


First  Infantry,  57 

First  Lutheran  Church,  115,  220,  257 
First  Maine    (Milliken)    Heavy  Field  Ar- 
tillery, 50,  57 
First  Maine  Regiment,  48 
First  Maine  Volunteers,  57 
First  National  Bank  Bldg.,  251 
First  National  Bank  of  Portland,  82,  83 
First  Parish,   29,  30,   104-107,   112,   113, 

184,  220 
First   Parish   Meetinghouse,    29,   30,    104, 

105,  217,  247 

First  Parish,  Unitarian,  112,  221,  222 
First  Portland  National  Bank,  84 
First  Radio  Parish  of  America,  117 
First  Regiment,  Conn.  Volunteers,  48 
First  Regiment,  Maine  Militia,  57 
First  Universalist  Parish,  112 
Fish,  species  of,  17 
Fish  Lane,  41 
Fishing  industry,  8,  9,  19,  21,  46,  65,  69, 

71,  73,  74-76,  86,  87 
Five  Cent  Savings  Bank,  Portland,  82 
Flashlight   (newspaper),  176 
Fleet  Naval  Reserves,  48,  58 
Floods,  14 
Flora,  15-17 
"Flu,"  50 
Fluent  Hall,  201 
Flues,  mfr.  of,  73 
Flutist  Society,  Portland,  188 
Flying  Service,  Inc.,  Portland,  311 
Fog,  intensity  of,  13 
Fogg,  Col.  George  E.,  57 
Food  canning,  origin  of,  73,  75,  77 
Food  prices,  36 
Forder,  James,  309 
Fore  River,  3,  4,  19,  37,  41,  50,  60,  211, 

301,  304,  307 
Fore  Street,  27,  28,  38,  51,  118,  120,  259, 

260 

Foreign-born,  59-62 
Foreign  trade,  67-70 
Forest  Avenue  House,  298 
Forest  City  (boat),  253 
"Forest  City,"  The,  15,  52 
Forest  City  Home  Workshop  Club,  142 
Forest  Home,  294 
Forest  City  Printing  Co.,  167,  249 
Forts: 

Allen,  47 

Burrows,  281 

Gorges,  10 

Levett,  10,  58 

Loyall,  25,  26,  27,  248 

McKinley,  8,  10,  50,  58 

Preble,  44,  48,  58 

Scammel,  9 

Sumner,  37,  284 


Sumter,  44 
Williams,  58,  296 

Fort  Allen  Park,  281,  282 

Fort  Sumner  Park,  284 

Fortifications,  57,  58 

Foster,  Clara  Dyer,  270 

Foster,  Stephen  S.,  215 

Foundry,  first,  73 

Fountains:  Pullen,  232;  Steven's,  241;  Lin- 
coln Park,  244 

Fox,  Charles  Lewis,  133,  136 

Fox,  Frederick,  98,  235 

Fox,  John,  36,  114 

Fox  (privateer),  36 

Franklin  Street,  41,  45,  211 

Fraternity  Club,  165 

Free  Church  of  Deering,  298 

Free  Street,  95 

Free  St.  Baptist  Society,  111 

Free  St.  Theatre,  199 

Freeman,  Col.  Enoch,  32,  33 

Freeman,  Joshua,  290 

Freeman,  Samuel,  159,  245 

Freeman's  Friend  (newspaper),  173 

Freeport  'silver  dew'  hoax,  79 

Freewill  Baptists,  111,  230 

Freight,  43 

Ffrench,  Father  Charles,  114 

French,  Leigh,  Jr.,  147 

French  Canadians,  59,  60 

French  and  Indian  War,  7,  26,  71,  248 

Friendly  Inn,  250 

Friends'  Cemetery,  315 

Friends'  Meeting-House,  225,  315 

Frizzell,  Ralph,  137 

Frothingham,  Philip  B.,  267 

Frothingham    Post,    Veterans    of    Foreign 
Wars,  267 

Fruit  packing,  73 

Frye,  George  C.,  234 

Frye,  Mrs.  George  C,  303 

Frye,  Gen.  Joseph,  220 

Frye  Hall,  165,  234 

Fuller,  Charles,  133 

Fulton,  Robert,  43,  121 

Furbish,  Dependence  H.,  43 

Furniture  making,  127 

'Gale,  Portland,'  13,  14 

Gannett,  Guy  P.,  171,  172,  175,  176 

Gannett  Publishing  Co.,  51,  175,  207 

Gardiner,  John,  195 

Gardner,  Maurice,  162 

Garrison,  William  Lloyd,  215 

Garrity,  Michael  J.,  203 

Gas  introduced,  47 

Gas    Light    Company    Work*,    Portland, 

266,  295 
Gaudreau,  Joseph  L.,  193 


326 


INDEX 


Gayety  Theatre,  203 

Gazette  (newspaper),  171,  174,  179,  224 

Gazette    and    Maine    Advertiser     (news- 
paper), 173 

Gazette  of  Maine  (newspaper),  170-171 

Gem  Theater,  203 

General  Court  of  Mass.,  22,  24,  25,  27,  28, 
29,  30,  31,  35,  53,  79,  96,  104,  195 

General  Sessions,  Court  of,  56 

Geography,  3,  40 

Geology,  11-12 

George,  Daniel,  150 

Germans,  customs  of,  61 

Gibson,  Rev.  Richard,  21,  103,  104 

Gibson,  Sarah,  21 

Gifford,  Augusta  Hale,  161 

Girls  High  School,  96 

Glass,  mfr.  of,  73,  74,  130 

Glenwood  Sq.  Community  Church,  111 

Goddard,  Charles  WM  224 

Goddard,  Henry,  224 

Godfrey,  Edward,  22,  23 

Coding,  Charles  W.  T.,  203 

Goepp,  Philip  H.,  186 

Goodrich,  S.  G.,  252 

Good  Will  Farm,  225 

Goodyeare,  Moses,  20,  78 

Goold,  Nathan,  159,  255,  279,  282-283 

Goold,  William,  84,  87 

Goose  Island,  12 

Gorges,  Sir  Ferdinando,  18,  19,  20,  22,  23, 
25,  28 

Gorges,  Robert,  19 

Gorham  High  School,  148 

Gorhams  Corner,  211 

Gould,  Annie  A.,  231 

Government,  town,  28 

Gower,  Frderick  A.,  260 

Graffam,  Clinton  W.,  191 

Grain,  68 

Grain  elevators,  47,  280 

G.  A.  R.  posts,  233 

Grand  Peace  Ball,  181 

Grand  Trunk  Railway  Elevators,  280 

System,  42,  47,  51,  88,  121,  123,  247 
Station,  114,  247 

Granodiorite,  Gushing,  11 

Grants:  Clecve's,  22;  Gorges',  20;  Levett's, 
19;  Massachusetts,  23 

Gray,  Billy,  254 

Grav,  Fiddler,  181 

Gray,  Rosamund,  138 

Gray  Street,  114 

Gray's  Portland  Business  College,  101 

Great  Blizzard  of  1888,  14 

Great  Diamond  Island,  7,  11,  50,  58 

Great  Eastern   (ship),  282 

Greast  Eastern  Lodge  No.  4  (R.R.),  88 

Great  Eastern  Wharves,  282 


'Great  Fire,'  4,  15,  45,  47,  145,  146,  147, 

148 

Great  Hog  Island,  7 
Great  Lakes,  46 

Greater  Immanuel  Baptist  Church,  111 
Greek  Independence  Day,  61 
Greeks,  customs  of,  61 
Greele,  Widow,  35,  195 
Greele's  Tavern,  244,  245 
Greely,  Eliphalet,  81 
Greely  &  Guild,  43 
Greeley,  James  W.,  204 
Green  Island  Reef,  11 
Greenhouse,  Park  Dept.,  269 
Greenleaf,  Simon,  227 
Greenleaf  Law  Library,  245 
Griffin,  Edward  S.,  133 
Griffin,  Joseph,  173 
Griffin,  Walter,  134,  135,  308-309 
Gristmills,  early,  71 
Ground  fishing,  74,  75 
Growth,  59,  60 
Gruening,  Dr.  Ernest,  175 
Gum,  chewing,  mgr.  of,  74 
Gun,  Hall's  breech-loading,  39 
'Gunmen's  Tour,'  60 

Hadley,  W.  H.,  112 

Hagedorn,  Herman,  136 

Hale,  Agnes  Burke,  163 

Halifax,  68 

Hall,  John  F,  39 

Hall's  School,  Master,  272 

Hampshire  Street,  22,  41 

Hanscock  Street,  27 

Handel  and  Haydn  Soc.,  181 

Handel  Society  of  Maine,  179,  180 

Hanging,  public,  37 

Hannaford,  Edward  W.,  227 

Hansen,  J.  C,  243 

Harbor,  3,  4,  8,  38,  39,  44,  46,  47,  65,  68 

Commissioners,  Board  of,  57 
Harding,  George  M.,  147 
Hardware,  marine  and  industrial,  73 
Harold  T.  Andrews  Post,  50,  259 

Jr.  Drum  and  Bugle  Corps,  190 
Harbor  de  Grace,  7 
Harmon,  Ellen  G.,  115 
Harrow  House,  29,  309 
Harvard  College,  104,  158,  185,  217 
Haukins,  Narius,  21 

Hawthorne,  Nathaniel,  95,  122,  139,  304 
Haydn  Association,  184,  185,  186 
Haylofters,  The,  142 
Haymarket  Row,  199,  214,  215,  216 
Haynes,  William,  163 
Hebrew  Benevolence  Burial  Assn.,  315 

School,  116 
Hellenic  Orthodox  Church,  99,  115,  253 


INDEX 


327 


Henry  W.  Longfellow  Lodge  No.  82,  88 

Herald,  Portland  (newspaper),  172 

Higgins,  Ambrose  S.,  148 

Higgins,  E.  Leander,  147,  148 

High  School,  Portland,  96,  98,  137,  193, 
221,  227,  255 

High  School  Stadium,  270 

High  Street,  111 

High  St.  Congregational  Church,  159,  204 

Highways,  118-120 

Hill,  Elizabeth,  161 

Hill,  Dr.  Thomas,  98,  235 

Hinckley,  George  W.,  225 

Historical  Records  Survey,  165 

History,  18-52 

Hobson's  Wharf,  261 

Hodge,  Nicholas,  94 

Hog  Island,  19,  22 

Hog  Island  Ledge,  10 

Hog  Town,  41 

Holland,  Francis,  130 

Holmes,  Oliver  Wendell,  158 

Holt,  Harrison  Jewell,  161 

Holy  Ghost  and  Us  Society,  117 

Holy  Trinity  Church  (Hellenic  Orthodox) , 
99,  115,  253 

Home  for  Aged  Men,  145 
for  Aged  Women,  266 
for  Boys,  Maine,  313 
Institute,  234 

Home  for  Women  and  Children,  Tempor- 
ary, 307 

Homeopathy,  292 

Homer,  Alice,  162 

Hooke,  William,  22 

Hopkins,  James  D.,  264 

Hopkins-Milliken  House,  264 

"Horned  Hog,"  42,  121 

Horton,  'Aunt'  Sarah,  108,  119 

Horsecars,  47,  124 

"Horseless  engine,"  49 

Hospitals,  147 

Hotels,  46,  48,  207,  238,  240,  251 

Hough,  Rev.  H.  O.,  117,  238 

Houghton,  Alice  B.,  298 

Houghton,  Charles  (steamer),  175 

Houilhan,  Rev.  Timothy,  303 

House  Island,  9,  19,  62 

House  and  Garden  (magazine) ,  143 

Howe,  Caroline  Dana,  161 

Howe,  Edward,  180 

Howes,  Alice  Henrietta,  141 

Howe's  Island,  9 

Huckster's  Row,  41 

Hueston,  Ethel,  163 

Hull,  John  T.,  159 

Humidity,  average,  13 

Hunnewell,  Col.  Richard,  256 

Hunt,  Mrs.  Augusta  M.,  294 


Hunt,  Richard  M.,  214 
Hurricanes,  14 
Hussey  Sound,  8,  10 
Hyder  Ally  (boat),  39 
Howard,  Judge  Joseph,  254 

Ilsley,  Arthur  L.,  182 

Ilsley,  Enoch,  31 

Ilsley,  Esther,  182 

Ilsley,  F.  J.,  133 

Ilsley  Family,  182 

Ilsley,  Ferdinand,  181 

Ilsley,  Capt.  Washington,  43,  121 

Immanuel  Baptist  Church,  111,  148,  235, 
238 
Lutheran  Church,  115,  257 

Immigrants,  28,  50,  59,  60,  61,  62,  87, 
123 

Imports,  39,  67,  68,  69,  70 

Incorporation  of  Portland,  3,  28,  36 

Independent  Statesman    (newspaper),   173 

Independent  Statesman  and  Maine  Repub- 
lican  (newspaper),  173 

India  Street,  25,  28,  95,  104 

India  St.  Universalist  Church,  244 

Indian  trade,  78 

Indian  wars,  8,  25,  31,  71 

Industrial  Bank  of  Maine,  First,  83 

Industrial  hardware,  mfr.  of,  72 

Industry,  21,  40,  43,  47,  65,  67,  69,  71-77 

Ingersoll,  George,  71 

Ingraham,  Joseph  H.,  127,  255 

Inner  Green  Island,  10 

Inner  Range,  5 

Installation  Barracks,  58 

Institution  for  Savings  for  the  Town  of 
Portland  and  Vicinity,  81,  82 

Institution  for  the  Blind,  269-270 

Insurance  agencies,  78,  79 

Intemperance,  40 

Interior  decoration,  early,  144 

International  Bank,  82 

International  Christian  Endeavor,  264 

International  Longfellow  Society,  279 

International   Machinists   Association,   91 

Invalids*  Home,  Portland,  303 

Invention,  39 

Investment  companies,  78 

Irish,  59,  60,  61,  87 

Iron,  scrap,  69 

Islands,  3,   5,  6-11,   12 

Italians,  60,  61,  87 

Italian  Methodist  Church,  110,  246 

Italian  Mission,  Portland,  315 

Jack,  William  B,  283 
Jackson,  Andrew,  82 
Jackson,  George  Stuyvesant,  162 
Jackson,  Master  Henry,  96,  266 


328 


INDEX 


acob  Cousins  Post,  281 

'ails,  40,  214,  229,  245,  246,  284 

ames  I,  18 

^efferson  Theatre,  48,  203,  204,  234 

enks,  Eleazer  A.,  171 

ensen,  Dorothy  Hay,  136,  138 

ewell,  George,  8 

ewell  Island,  8,  11 

ews,  61,  62,  99,  116 

ewish  Community  Center,  116,  226 

Home  for  the  Aged,  285 
Jocelyn,  Henry,  10 
Johnson,  George  P.,  279 
Johnson  Rock,  11 
Johonnot,  Samuel  C.,  170 
Jones,  Herbert  G.,  162 
Jordan,  Dominicus,  28 
Jordan,  Rev.  Robert,  21,  23,  24,  25,  104 
Joselyn,  Henry,  22 
Joselyn,  Sir  Thomas,  22 
Josselyn,  John,  7 
Junior  League,  Portland,  204 
Junk  of  Pork,  10 

Kahili,  Joseph  B.,  136 

Kahili,  Victor,  141 

Kaler,  James  Otis,  161 

Kavanaugh  School,  114 

Keep,  Mrs.  George  C.,  306 

Keiff,  Captain,  9 

Keiff's  Garden,  9 

Kellogg,  Rev.  Elijah,  Sr.,  37,  107,  110,  180 

Kellogg,  Elijah,  161,  179 

Kelly,  Eric  P.,  162 

Kennebec  &  Portland  R.  R.,  42,  124 

Kennedy,  Myra  Lee,  163 

Kerfoot,  John  Barrett,  129 

Kidd,  Captain,  8 

Kimball,  Charles  Frederick,  132,  142 

King  Philip's  War,  25,  281 

King  Street,  28,  104 

King's  Academy,  256 

Kinsman,  Nathan,  255 

Kittery  Formation,  11 

Kotzschmar,  Hermann,  184,  185,  188,  190, 

192,  193,  229 
Kotzschmar  Club,  190 
Kotzschmar  Memorial  Organ,  193,  229 

Labor,  36,  86-92 

Journals,  176 

League,  Maine,  91 

Standards  Act,  92 
Laborers'  Benevolent  Union,  89 
Ladies'  Literary  Union,  165 
Lafayette,  General,  230,  240,  308,  310 
Lafayette  Elm,  310 
Lafayette  Hotel,  240 
Lafayette  Restorator,  290 


Lancaster  Hall,  121,  200,  216 

Land  tide  disputes,  20,  22,  23,  24,  26,  28 

la  Rochefoucault,  Due  de,  38 

Larrabee,  Benjamin,  27 

Latin  School,  Portland,  96 

Latitude,  3 

Laughlin,  Arthur  Wood,  175 

Lawn  vases,  mfr.  of,  73 

Laws  of  Massachusetts,  30,  31,  93,  94,  95, 

118,  179 

Lawsuits,  Cleeve's,  22,  24 
Lee,  'Mother'  Ann,  109 
Lee,  General  Fitzgerald,  273 
Lee,  Jesse,  110,  228 
Legislature,  Maine,  40 
Leighton,  Clifford  E.,  191 
Length  of  Portland,  4 
Leonard  House,  147 
Levett,  Christopher,  7,  9,  19 
Lewis,  Thomas,  20 
Libby,  Francis  Orville,  137 
Libby,  Joseph  R.,  238,  254 
Libby  Memorial  Bldg.,  238,  242 
Libel  suit,  Nathaniel  Willis,  171 
Liberal  journals,  176 
Libraries,  35,  40,  149,  217,  225,  239,  245 
Library,  Portland  Public,  147,  239 
Ligonia,  44;  Patent,  20 
Light  Guards,  44;  Infantry,  44 
Lime  Alley,  41 
Limestone,  11 
Lincoln,  Enoch,  151 
Lincoln,  Rev.  Thomas  O.,  Ill 
Lincoln  County  set  off,  56 
Lincoln  Elm,  244 

Lincoln  Junior  High  School,  99,  193,  294 
Lincoln  Park,  45,  244 
Liquor,  40 
Literature,  149-168 
Little,  Paul,  127 
Little,  Dr.  Timothy,  113 
Little  Chebeag  Island,  10 
Little  Diamond  Island,  8 
Little  Samaritan  Aid  Society,  313 
Littlefield,  Louise  Hall,  168 
Littlefied,  Nahum,  253 
Livingtone,  Chancellor   (steamer),  43,  121 
Loan  and  Building  Assn.,  78 
Lobster  fishing,  75 
Long,  Mrs.  J.  H,  191 
Long,  Col.  Stephen  H.,  42 
Long  Creek  Point,  309 
Long  Island,  7,  58 
Long  Is.  Methodist  Church,  110 
Longfellow,  Alexander  W.,  292 
Longfellow,  Henry  W.,  44,  45,  47,  95,  96, 

153,   154,    156,   157,   158,   196,   199, 

216,  272,  273,  279 
Longfellow,  Stephen  (1),  31,  94,  95 


INDEX 


329 


Longfellow,  Stephen  (2),  81,  266 
Longfellow,  Stephen  (3),  180,  216,  272 
Longfellow  Birthplace,  279 

Garden  Society,  217,  294 

House,  279 

Monument,  140,  273 

Park,  290 

Longshoremen's  Benevolent  Society,  89 
Longitude  of  Portland,  3 
Lord,  Dean  Everett  W.,  258 
Lord,  George,  130 
L.  D.  M.  Sweat  Memorial  Art  Museum, 

133,  135,  141,  142,  148,  235-237 
Loring,  Harold  A.,  191 
Lottery,  41,  81,  305 
Love  Lane,  41 
Love  joy,  Rupert  Scott,  138 
Lumber,  24,  30,  46,  66,  67,  72,  77 
Lutherans,  115 
Lygon,  Cicely,  20 

McAuley,  Catherine,  296 

Macclanghan,  Rev.  William,  108 

McCullum,  Bartley,  202 

McDonald  Lumber  Co.  B'ldg'.,  148 

MacDowell  Club,  190 

Macfarlane,  Will  C,  187,  193 

Machigonne,  3,  22 

Machinery,  mfr.  of,  73 

Mackerel  fishing,  74,  75 

McKim,  C.  C,  133 

M'Kown,  John,  173 

Mackworth,  Arthur,  20,  22,  23 

Mackworth  Island,  19,  20 

McLellan,  Harry,  191 

McLellan,  Jacob,  253,  264 

McLellan-Oxnard  House,  253 

McLellan  School,  264 

MacMillan,  Com.  Donald  B.,  261,  276 

Macy,  Edward  H.,  191 

Mail,  37,  241 

Maine,  39-40 

Maine  Agricultural  Fair  Grounds,  294 

Maine  Art  Project,  138 

Maine  Bank,  79,  80,  82 

Maine  Bill,  53 

Maine  Broadcasting  System,  207 

Maine  Central  Railroad,  124,  265,  288 

Maine  General  Hospital,   137,   147,  267, 

268 
Maine  Historical  Society,   139,   158,   165, 

217,  239,  271 

Maine  Publishing  Co.,  Portland,  175 
Maine  Savings  Bank,  82,  84 
Maine  Steamship  Company,  122 
Maine  Writers'  Research  Club,  168 
Maitland,  Arthur,  204 
'Major  Downing  Letters/  41,  155,  158 
Maloney,  Fanning  J.,  191 


Manley,  Daniel,  84,  85 
Manufacturing,  43,  47,  67,  69,  73,  77 
Maple  Street,  45 
March,  Maj.  John,  27 
Marine  hardware,  mfr.  of,  73 
Marine  Hospital  Service,  286 
Mariner,  Adam,  252 
Mariner,  James,  252 
Mariners'  Church  Bldg.,  252 

Spring,  252 
Market  Accessibility,  71 

House,  45 

Square,  39,  214 
Marks  Printing  House,  167 
Marrett  House,  81 
Marsh  Island,  10 
Marston,  George  W.,  190,  191 
Marston  Club,  191 
Marston's  Tavern,  32,  215 
Martin's  Point  Bridge,  120,  157,  286-287 
Mary  Brown  House,  303 
Mason,  Dr.  Edward,  246 
Mason,  Capt.  John,  19,  20 
Masonic  Bldg.,  222 
Massachusetts  Bay  Colony,  23,  25,  26,  27, 

78,  93,  95,  104,  120 
Mast  Industry,  29,  30,  65,  66,  72 
Mathews,  Stephen  E.,  138 
Mayor,  first,  41 
Means,  Capt.  James,  308 
Means  House,  308 
Meat  packing,  73 
Mechanics  Blues,  44 

Hall,  108,  198,  225 
Medical  School  of  Maine,  267,  268 
Meetinghouse,  first,  24,  245,  247,  280-281 
Mellen,  Prentiss,  81,  156,  224,  256 
Men's  Singing  Club,  Portland,  187 
Merchants'  Exchange,  250 
Merchants'  Wharf,  261 
Merrill,  Henry  F.,  117,  283 
Meteorological  Station,  311 
Methodism,  110 
Metropolitan  Apartments,  220 
Michael's  Island,  7 
Middle  Range,  5 
Middle  Street,  27,  28,  46 
Military  Hall,  214 
Militia,  33,  35,  36,  40,  44,  48,  50,  57 
Mill  Dam,  309 
Miller,  William,  115 
Miller  and  Beal,  148 
Milliken,  Chas.  R.,  264 
Milliken,  Philip,  305 
"Million  Dollar  Bridge,"  50,  120,  265 
Ministry  at  Large,  Portland,  112 
Minneapolis  (warship),  48 
Missouri  Compromise,  40,  53 
Mitton,  Michael,  7,  24,  303 


330 


INDEX 


Mob  violence,  31,  33,  215 

'Mocking  Birds,'  The,  182 

Modoc,  Frank,  315 

Molasses,  36,  43,  66,  67,  72 

Monastery  of  the  Precious  Blood,  256 

Monkey  Wrench  Corner,  250 

Montague-Castle-London  Co.,  271 

Montauk  (battleship) ,  48,  58 

Montgomery,  Claude,  136 

Montreal,  42,  46,  60,  68,  123 

Monument  Square,  215 

Monument  Street  School,  138,  276 

Moody,  Joshua,  28 

Moody,  Capt.  Lemuel,  38,  274,  275 

Moody,  Maj.  Samuel,  27,  28 

Morang,  Alfred,  162 

Morehead  Tavern,  233 

Morgan,  B.  B.,  115 

Mormonism,  113 

Morrill,  Edward  F.,  163 

Morrill,  Mary  S.,  231,  313 

Momll  House,  313 

Merrill's  Corner,  315 

Morris  Plan  Bank,  83 

Morse,  George  T.,  132 

Morse,  Ruggles  S.,  254 

Morton,  Thomas,  20 

Mosher,  Thomas  Bird,  166,  258 

Mosher  Press,  166,  258 

Motley's  Tavern,  119,  199 

Mottling  process,  130-131 

Moulton,  Augustus  F.,  159,  298 

Mount  Calvary  Cemetery,  266 

Mount  Sinai  Cemetery,  315 

Mowat,  Capt.  Henry,  9,  32,  33,  34,  127, 

145,  215 

Munger,  Clara  E.,  191 
Municipal  Court,  55 
Municipal  limits,  3 
Municipal  Orchetra,  Portland,  188 
Municipal  ownership,  49 
Munjoy,  George,  7,  9,  274 
Munjoy  Hill,  4,  24,  26,  32,  35,  42,  46,  60, 

123,  211,  274-287 
Mun joy's  Garrison,  7,  281 

Island,  7 

Murray,  John,  111 
Museums,   147,  148,  199,  200,  201,  219, 

231,  235-237 
Musk,  177-194 

Music  Festival,  Maine,  191,  192 
Music  Teachers'  Assn.,  Portland,  193 
Musicians'  Assn.,  Portland,  90 
"Musquito  Fleet,"  38 
Mussey,  John,  253 
Mussey  Boarding  House,  240 
Musters,  40,  42,  274,  288 


Names  of  Portland,  3,  22,  23 

Nathan  Clifford  School,  138 

National  Bank,  Portland,  83 

National  Bank  of  Commerce,  219 

National  Banking  Act,  82,  83 

National  Broadcasting  Co.,  206 

National  Guards,  50,  251 

National  Maritime  Union,  91 

National  Youth  Administration,  101 

Native-born,  59 

Natural  History,  Portland  Soc.  of,  219 

Naval  Battles,  39,  44,  276,  278,  282 

Naval  Militia,  Maine,  48,  50,  58 

Naval  Reserves,  48,  58,  232 

Neal,  John,  44,   131,   151-153,  156,   158, 

159,  168,  174,  201,  257,  266,  284 
Neal  house,  John,  45 
Neale,  Capt.  Walter,  21 
'Neck,  The;'  see  The  Neck' 
Negroes,  60,  276 
New  Casco,  27 
New  Casco  Parish,  30 
New  England  Architecture,  143,  144,  145 
New  Gloucester,  31,  109,  119 
New  Hampshire,  42,  67 
New  Jerusalem,  Church  of,  113 
New  Portland  Academy,  196 
New  Proprietors,  28 
New  Theatre,  196,  247 
Newspaper,  first,  150 

Guild,  American,  176;  Portland,  91 
Newspapers,  169-177 
Nichols,  Rev.  Ichabod,  107,  112,  159,  222, 

248 

Nicholson,  Marjory,  279 
Nicolet,  C.  C,  176 
Nigger  Hill,  60,  274 
Nonesuch  River,  shad  in,  17 
Non-importation  resolution,  32 
Nordica,  Madame,  192 
North  Deering  Community  Church,   107, 

303 

North  School,  279 
North  Street,  37 
North  Yarmouth,  42,  121,  123 
Northeast  Airways,  Inc.,  311 
Northeastern  Business  College,  101 
Norton,  Edwin  A.,  257 
Noyes  Park,  290 
Nubble,  7 
Nye,  Frank  A.,  191 

"Oaks,  The,"  270 

Obeds  Rock,  11 

Observatory,  Portland,  38,  229,  274-275 

O'Connell,  William  Cardinal,  243 

Ogden,  Charles  T.,  291 


INDEX 


331 


Ogden,  Marguerite,  191 

Old  Dart  rum,  39,  67 

"Old  horse,  old  horse,"  38 

Old  Jerusalem,  105,  221 

Old  Pottery,  288 

Old  Proprietors,  28,  29,  30 

"Old  Rosie,"  49 

Oldham,  John,  20 

103rd  Infantry,  50 

O'Neil,  Tom  F.,  133 

Opera,  201 

Orchestral  Society,  Portland,  188 

Organ,  Kotzschmar  Memorial,  193 

Oriental  Trumpet   (newspaper),  171 

Orphan  Asylum,  Roman  Catholic,  234 

Orpheus  Symphony  Club,  188 

Orr,  Clifford,  163 

Orr  Island,  14 

Osteopathic  Hospital  of  Maine,  299 

Osteopathy,  299 

Otis,  James  S.,  158 

Ottawa  House,  10 

Our  Lady  of  Mercy,  convent  of,  234 

Outer  Green  Island,  10 

Outer  Range,  5 

Overseers  of  Poor,  54 

Owen,  John,  157 

Oxford  Canal  Corporation,  60 

Oxford  County,  41 

Oxnard,  Edward,  253 

Oxnard,  Thomas,  112 

Paah  Deuwyke  Society,  153 

Packets,  steam,  46 

Packing,  food,  69,  73,  75,  77 

Pagan,  Robert,  34 

Paine,  Daniel,  182 

Paine,  Jacob  S.,  188 

Paine,  John  Knowles,  184-186,  190 

Paine,  John  Knowles  H.,  188 

Painting,  131 

Paleontology,  11-12 

Palmer's  Island,  7 

Panics,  financial,  36,  42,  49,  52,  66,  67,  82 

Paper,  69;  first  mill,  29 

Parent-Teacher  Assn.,  100 

Park  Commission,  54 

Department,  240 

System,  15,  288 
Park  Street  Block,  254 
Park  Street  Church,  253 
Parks,  45,  47,  49,  244,  264,  269,  270,  281, 

282,  284,  290,  291,  293 
Parton,  James,  172 
Partridge,  Capt.  Jesse,  307 
Patent  (Casco  Bay  boat) ,  42 
Patrick  house,  David,  307 
Payroll,  local  annual,  92 


Payson,  Donald  H.,  193 

Payson,  Rev.  Edward,  96,  107,  158,  230, 

248,  291 

Payson,  Edward,  291 
Payson,  George,  292 
Payson  House,  291-292 

Park,  269,  291 

Peabody,  Judge  Webster,  232 
Peabody  Law  School,  102,  232 
Peak  Island,  7,  24,  58,  123,  270 
Peaks  Island  Ferry  Co.,  123 
Peaks  Island  Methodist  Church,  110 
Peaks  Island  Pavilion,  202 
Tearl  Diver,'  236 
Pearl  Street,  27,  45 
Pearson,  Moses,  250 
Pelican  (ship) ,  282 
Pennell  Family,  182 
People,  Pattern  of,  59-62 
Perkins,  David  Page,  191 
Petroleum  products,  68,  77 
Pewterers,  127,  128,  288 
Philharmonic  Orchestral  Soc.,  Port.,  188 
Phips,  Sir  William,  27 
Phoenix  Square,  45 
Pier,  Portland,  123,  261 
Pierce,  Chester,  131 
Pierce,  George  W.,  216 
Pierpont,  Jonathan,  104 
Pilot  boat,  260 
Pine  Grove  Cemetery,  298 
Pine  Street,  41 
Pioneers,  59-62,  71 
Pirates,  8,  38,  218 
Playhouse,  The,  219 
Plough  Patent,  20 
Plummer,  Col.  Edward,  167 
Plymouth  Company,  18,  19 
Plvmouth  Congregational  Church,  292 
Plymouth,  Council  of,  20,  22 
Poe,  Edgar  Allen,  198,  247 
Poles,  location  of,  61 
Police  Department,  49,  55,  207,  245 

Station,  148,  245 
Polyphonic  Soc.,  Portland,  187 
Pomroy  Rock,  11 
Pond's  Island,  7 
Poor,  John  A.,  42,  124 
Population,  24,  28,  29,  37,  39,  40,  47,  48, 

59-62,  66,  94,  196 

Port  of  Portland,  43,  46,  52,  67,  68,  69,  70 
Port  of  Portland  Authority,  52,  56,  260 
Porter,  Allen,  128 
Porter,  Freeman,  128 
Porter,  Capt.  Seward,  42,  121 
Portland,  Town  of,   53;   becomes  capital, 

53;  becomes  a  city,  82 
Portland  (steamer),  14,  122 


332 


INDEX 


Portland  Band,  188,  189 

Portland  Bank,  37,  79,  80,  251 

Portland  Club,  256 

Portland  Company,  43,  88 

Portknd  &  Forest  Ave.  R.  R.,  47,  124,  125, 

316 

Portland  Glass,  73,  74,  88,  130 
Portland  Head,  3 
Portland  Island,  10 
Portland  Junior  College,  101 
Portland    Junior    Technical   College,    102, 

208,  258 

Portland  Lightship,  4 
Portland  Museum,  199,  216 
Portland  Museum  &  Opera  House,  201 
Portland  &  Ogdensburg,  R.  R.,  124,  175, 

305 

Portland  Packing  Co.,  271 
Portland  Players,  204,  219 
Portland,  Saco  and  Portsmouth  R.  R.,  42, 

43,  87,  88,  123,  124,  259 
Portland  Savings  Bank,  82,  250 
Portland  Sound,  3 
Portland  Steamship  Co.,  121 
Portland  Terminal  Co.,  124,  265 
Portland  Theatre,  111,  219 
Portland  University,  268 
Portland  Water  District,  49,  299 
Portsmouth,  42,  119 
Post  Offices,  40,  46,  148,  232,  241,  250 
Pottery,  first,  73 

Powell,  Charles  Stuart,  196-199 
Powell  Company,  197,  198 
Power,  Margery  Palmer,  163 
Power  export,  176 
Preble,  Com.  Edward,  38,  95,   198,  218, 

227,  272,  277 

Preble,  Gen.  Jedediah,  33,  34 
Preble,  Judge  William  Pitt,  42,  123,  255 
Preble  Chapel,  98,  113,  227 

House,  218 

Precipitation,  annual,  13 
Prentiss,  Seargent  S.,  223 
Presbyterians,  30,  107,  108 
Press  (newspaper),  161,  172,  232 
Press  Herald   (newspaper),  172,  174,  176, 

191,  232 
Presumpscot  Falls,  22 

Park,  293 

River,  19,  24,  29,  41,  313 
Price,  F.  Newlin,  308 
Prince,  Helen  Albee,  162 
Prince  of  Wales,  255,  282 
Prince  Edward  Island,  60 
Pring,  Capt.  Martin,  18 
Printers  and  Publishers,  77,  165-168 
Printing  presses,  169 
Pritchard,  John,  28,  122 


Privateering,  36,  39,  66,  67,  72,  87 

Prizes,  captured,  36,  39,  67 

Proctor,  Samuel,  28 

Prohibitory  Law,  40,  44,  67,  74 

Propeller  Club,  267 

Property  damage  in  1775,  35;  in  1866,  45 

Property  valuation,  48 

Province  of  Maine,  19,  20,  23,  25,  78,  105, 

113,  118 

Provinces,  emigrants  from,  60 
Public  Library,  Portland,  137,  147,  239 
Public  Market,  76,  245 
Public  Utilities,  45,  47 
Public  Works  Administration,  56 
Publicity  Bureau,  Maine,  76,  266,  267 
Pullen,  Elizabeth  Jones,  161 
Pullen,  Stanley  T.,  161,  232 
Pumpkin  Knob,  10 
Punch  Bowl  Cove,  8 
Purington,  William,  315 
Puritans,  23,  28,  95,  103,  177,  178,  195 
Purpooduck,  28,  30,  94 
Purpooduck  Parish,  108 

Quack,  19 

Quakers,  106,  108,  109 
Queen  Street,  28 
Queen's  Hospital,  257 
Quilting,  130 
Quinby,  Moses,  307 
Quinby,  Thomas,  306 
Quinby  Hall,  306 

Racial  groups,  6,  12,  59-62 

Radical  journals,  176 

Radio,  206-208,  246 

Railroad  machinery,  mfr.  of,  73 

Railroads,  41,  42,  46,  47,  59,  60 

Rainfall,  13 

Rale,  Father  Sebastian,  103,  113,  154 

Ralph  D.  Caldwell  Post,  293,  299,  300 

Ram  Island,  10 

Ledge  Light,  10 
Rand,  James  H.,  44 
Rand,  John,  171 
Randall  &  McAllister,  260 
Rapid  (privateer),  39 
Ray,  Dr.  Isaac,  159 
Raymond,  Mary  J.,  246 
Recreation  Commission,  54,  283 
Recreation  industry,  76 
Red  Cross,  Junior,  100 
Red  Network,  206,  207 
Reed,  Lieut.  Charles  W.,  44 
Reed,  Thos.  Brackett,  267,  235,  280 
Registration,  Board  of,  54 
Registry  of  Deeds,  31 
Religion,  103-117;  revival  of,  14 


INDEX 


333 


Religious  journals,  174,  176 
Reporters,  first  local,  175 
Reservoirs,  268,  284 
Retrieve  (privateer) ,  36 
Revolution,  31-32,  35-36,  72,  86 
Rhodes,  Herbert  W.,  148,  218 
Rhodes,  Philip  H.,  148 
Rich,  Walter  H.,  138 
Richardson  Field,  270 
Richmond  (bark),  21 
Richmond  Island,  21,  65,  78,  86 
Rifle  Corps,  44 
Rifle  Guards,  44 
Rigby,  Alexander,  23 
Rigby,  Frank  J.,  193 
Rigby's  Band,  189 
Riverton,  313-316 

Films,  Inc.,  316 

Park,  49,  315-316 

Park  Theatre,  203 

Riverside  Municipal  Golf  Course,  316 
Roberts,  Kenneth,  161 
Romagne,  Father  James,  113 
Roman  Catholic  Institute,  99 
Roman  Catholicis;  see  Catholicism 
Rone-walks,  158,  254 
Rose,  Philip,  128 
Ross,  Alexander,  223,  248 
Ross  and  Tyng  house,  site  of,  248 
Rossini  Club,  Portland,  187,  190 
Rotary  Traffic  Circle,  267 
Round  Marsh,  36 

Rowe,  William  Hutchinson,  164,  309 
Rub-a-Dub  Society,  188 
Rudoerf,  Prof.  Nicholas,  199 
Rugmakincr.  early,  129 
Rum,  66,  67,  72 
Ryan,  Father  Dennis,  113 
R^an,  William,  269 

Saccarappa,  38,  225 

Saco,  20,  25 

Sacred  Heart,  Church  of  the,  115,  271 

Sacred  Music  Society,  181,  182,  183,  184 

Safety  program,  100 

St.  Angar's  Church,  115 

St.  Catherine's  Hall,  296 

St.  Christopher's  Church,   115 

St.  Dominic's  Church,  114,  255 

St.  Elizabeth's  Academy,  234 

St.  John,  N.  B.,  68 

St.  Joseph's  Academy,  98,  296 

St.  Joseph's  Church,  296-297 

St.  Joseph's  College,  99,  296 

St.  Lawrence  Church  (Wright  Memorial), 

107,  117,  190,  283,  284 
St.  Lawrence  River,  46,  68 
St.  Louis'  Church,  115,  266 


St.  Luke's  Cathedral,  115,  147,  187,  255 

St.  Patrick's  Church,  115,  303 

St.  Paul's  Episcopal  Church,  35,  106,  241, 

243 

St.  Peter's  Church,  61,  115,  246,  299 
St.  Rocco  celebration,  61 
St.  Stephen's  Episcopal  Church,  147,  240 
Salt,  309 

'Salt  Box'  dwellings,  127,  144 
Salt-fishing  industry,  74 
Salvation  Army,  223 
Samplers,  129 
Sanctuary,  bird,  15,  291 
Sandy  Point,  37,  38 
Sanford,  Frank  W.,  116,  117 
'Sanfordites,'  116 
Sara  Sands  (steamer),  43,  121 
Sardine  fishing,  75 
Sargent,  Lena  K.,  163 
Sawmills,  24,  29,  30,  63,  71 
Sawyer,  Edith,  A.,  163 
Scales,  William,  28 
Scammel,  Alexander,  9 
Scandinavian  Bethlehem  Church,  107,  242 
Scandinavians,  Customs  of,  61 
Scarborough,  25,  206,  207 
Scotch,  early,  59;  customs  of,  61 
'Scalp  money,'  31 
School  banks,  84,  279 
School  Committee,  functions  of,  54 
School  of  Commerce,  Maine,  101 
School  for  the  Deaf,  Maine,  98,  235 
School  of  Fine  &  Applied  Art,  102,  141, 

237 

Schoolmaster,  first,  94 
Schools,  30,  40,  93-102 
Schraff,  Alfred,  231 
Scitterygusset,  Chief,  20 
Scribblers'  Club,  162 
Sculpture,  139-141 

Sea  and  Shore  Fisheries,  experiments  of,  76 
Sea  Fencibles,  42 
Seacomb's  Point,  38 
Seals,  17 
Sears,  John,  7 

Sebago  Lake,  41,  45,  46,  60,  122,  268,  304 
Second  Advent,  Church  of,  115 
Second  Bank  of  the  United  States,  82 
Second  Baptist  Church,  111,  200 
Second  Maine  Infantry,  50 
Second    Parish,    Congregational,    37,    96, 

106,  107,  179 

Second  Parish  Presbyterian,  108,  230 
Seining,  74,  75 
Selectmen,  first,  26 

Separation  of  Falmouth,  30,  36,  37,  39 
Settlements,  22,  24,  27 
Settlers,  early,  24,  59,  60 


334 


INDEX 


Seven  Day  Advent  Church,  271 

Shaarey  Tphiloh  Temple,  116 

Shailer  School,  284 

Shakerism,  109 

Shaw,  Alice  Harmon,  137-138 

Shaw,  Thomas,  151 

Shaw  Business  College,  101 

Shaw's  Quartette,  182 

Shepley,  Ether,  256 

'Shilohites,'  116,  261 

Ship  Yard  Point,  309 

Shipbuilding,  59,  65,  71,  72,  86 

Shipping,  30,  38,  39,  42,  43,  46,  65,  66-70 

Ships,  small  sloops,  72 

Shipyards,  32,  38,  66,  72,  309 

Shohet,  Rabbi  H.,  116 

Shocks,  trade  in,  72 

Shrimp  fishing,  75,  76 

Shrubs,  kinds  of,  16,  17 

Sidewalks,  brick,  148 

'Silver  dew'  hoax,  79 

Silversmiths,  127 

Simmons,  Franklin,  139,  141,  214,  237,  273 

Simpson's  Symphony  Orchestra,  188 

Singing  Beach,  7 

Sisters  of  Mercy,  98,  296 

Skillin,  Anton,  138,  276 

Skillings,  Benjamin,  28 

Slate,  11,  12 

Slavery,  44 

Sleet  storms,  52 

Small  game;  see  Flora  and  Fauna 

Small  pox,  36 

Smelting,  17 

Smith,  Albert  Willard,  204,  219 

Smith,  Rev.  Elias,  111 

Smith,  Elizabeth  Oakes,  155 

Smith,  Francis  O.  J.,  217,  266,  286,  295 

Smith,  John,  7 

Smith,  Capt.  John,  18 

Smith,  Jonathan,  310 

Smith,  Philip,  298 

Smith,  Seba,  41,  44,  154,  155,  158,  174 

Smith,  Rev.  Thomas,  29,  31,  36,  37,  86, 
94,  103,  104,  119,  121,  159,  244,  247 

Smith,  Parson,  on:  conditions  after  bom- 
bardment, 35;  McCIanathan,  108; 
music,  178;  repeal  of  Stamp  Act,  32; 
separation,  30,  106,  107,  220 

Smith  house,  Rev.  Thos.,  144 

Smith's  Island,  7 

Snow,  duration  and  record  fall  of,  13 

Soap,  exported,  72 

Social  customs,  40,  42 

Society  of  Art,  Portland,  133,  141,  236, 
271 

Society  of  Friends,  109 

S.  P.  C.  A.,  Portland,  232 


Soldier  Ledge,  10 

Soldiers  and  Sailors  Memorial,  214-215 

Solka,  69 

Soup  Kitchen,  39,  45 

South  Portland,  3,  5,  28,  50,  58 

High  School,  148 
Southworth,  Rev.  Francis,  167,  315 
South  worth -Anthoensen,  167,  239,  249 
Southworth  Press,  167,  249 
Spanish-American  War,  47,  48,  57,  58 

Veterans'  Monument,  241 
Spanish  fleet,  47,  48 
Sparks,  Jared,  107 
Sparrow,  John,  88 
Spaulding,  Dr.  James  A.,  191 
Speculation,  79 
Spinning,  130 
Sniritualists,  115 
Spring  Street,  41 
Springs,  mineral,  7 
Spurwink,  20,  22,  25 
Spurwink,  River,  20 
Stagecoach,  37,  119,  120 
Stamp  Act,  32,  308 
Stamp  demonstrations,  31 
Standish,  81 
State  Art  Commission,  135 

Bureau  of  Industrial  and  Labor  Sta- 
tistics, 90 

Pier,  4,  52,  260 
Statehouse,  40,  230 
State  Street,  114,  148,  214 
State  St.  Congregational  Church,  107,  192 
State  St.  Hospital,  254 
Staves,  trade  in,  72 
Steam  engines,  43,  73 
Steam  Packet  Co.,  Portland,  43,  121 
Steamships,  42,  43,  46,  48,  121,  309 
Stephenson,  Capt.  Samuel,  279 
Stephen,  Ann  S.,  158 
Stepping  Stones,  11 
Sterling,  Robert  T.,  163 
Stevens,  Augustus  E.,  45 
Stevens,  Caroline  W.,  191 
Stevens,  Isaac  Sawyer,  296 
Stevens,  John  Calvin,  132,  137,  141,  147, 

227,  228,  235,  262,  266,  268 
Stevens,  John  Howard,  147,  227,  228,  235, 

262 

Stevens,  Josiah,  315 
Stevens,  Lillian  M.  N.,  241,  306,  307 
Stevens,  Zachariah  Brackett,  128,  297 
Stevens  Ave.  Church,  107,  298 
Stevens  Homestead,  296 
Stevens'  Plains,  128,  288 
Stinson,  Alonzo,  278 
Stockbridge,  Ira  C.,  192 
Stockbridge  Courses  of  Music,  192 


INDEX 


335 


Stogummer,  22 

Stoneware  Co.,  Portland,  288 

Store,  first,  26,  71 

Storer,  Ebenezer,  253 

Storer,  Deacon  Woodbury,  199 

Stove  Foundry,  Portland,  242 

Stoves,  Ouaker,  109 

Street  railway  strike,  50,  51 

Streets,  29,  41,  47 

Strikes,  labor,  50,  88,  91 

Stroudwater,  22,  24,  29,  71,  120,  126,  135, 

301-312 

Baptist  Church,  111,  306 

Bridge,  29,  306 

Cemetery,  307 

Parish,  30 

River,  24,  29,  309 
Student  Aid  Fund,  101 
Sturgis,  Russell,  143 
Sugar,  43,  67 

Act,  31 

Company,  Portland,  43,  261 

Refineries,  72 
Sullivan,  James,  35 
Sumner,  Charles,  215 
Sumner,  Increase,  284 
Sunday  Press  and  Times  (newspaper),  175 
Sunday  Telegram  (newspaper),  176,  261 
Sunday  Times  (newspaper),  175 
Superior  Court,  31,  55,  56 
Supreme  Judicial  Court  sessions,  55 
Swamp,  41 

Sweat,  Lorenzo  De  Medici,  142,  235 
Sweat,  Mrs.  Margaret  T.  M.,  141,  235 
Sweat  Mansion,  L.  D.  M.,  145,  236 

Museum,  148 
Swedenborgians,  113 
Swedish  customs,  61 
Symmes,  William  Joseph,  245 
Symonds,  Capt.  John,  35 
Symphony  Orchestra,  Portland,  187,  188 
Syrians,  location  of,  61 

Taber,  John  &  Sons,  79 
Taber  notes,  80 
Tacony  Affair,  44 
Tappan,  Amos  C.,  173 
Tate,  George,  308 
Tate,  George,  Sr.,  307,  308 
Tate,  Capt.  Samuel,  32,  308 
Tate  House,  307,  308 
Tax  rate,  31,  47,  51,  52 
Taylor,  Elizabeth  R.,  235 
Taylor,  Joshua,  110 
Taylor's  school,  Master,  272 
Tebbetts,  Leon,  163,  168 
Telegraph,  47,  295 
Telephone,  first,  47 


Temperance  journals,  174 

Temperature,  13,  14 

Temple  Street,  41,  120,  211 

10th  Maine  Battalion,  57 

10th  Maine  Regiment,  57 

ter  Linden,  Johann  G.  F.,  188 

Terminal  bridge,  Portland,  4 

Tewksbury,  Dr.  Samuel  H.,  268,  286 

Thatcher,  George,  170 

"The  Neck,'  3t  7,  22,  24,  26,  27,  28,  33, 

35,  36,  53,  58,  60,  71,  94,  106,  144, 

178 

The  Universal  Spelling  Book,  170 
Theater,  37,  48,  49,  170,  178,  195-205 
Third  Infantry,  50 
Third  Parish  Church,  182 
Thirteen  Class,  117,  190,  283 
Thomas,  'Aunt'  Charlotte,  182 
Thomas,  Elias,  264,  265 
Thomas,  George,  182 
Thomas,  John  P.,  148,  266 
Thomas,  Norman,  136 
Thomas,  William  Widgery,  Jr.,  257 
Thomas  B.  Reed  Battery,  50 
Thomas  house,  Elias,  264 
Thomas  house,  W.  W.,  Jr.,  147 
Thomas  Laughlin  Company,  280,  281 
Thomas  Pond  (canal  terminus) ,  60 
Thomes,  Thomas,  28 
Thompson,  F.  H.,  133 
Thompson,  Col.  Samuel,  32,  33,  215 
Thompson,  Sinclair,  191 
Thompson  Line,  122 
Thome,  Thomas  Elston,  137,  228 
Thornton,  T.  G.,  171 
Thrasher,  Harriette  M.,  167 
303rd  Field  Artillery,  57 
303rd  Infantry,  57 
Thurston,  Samuel,  183 
Tidal  frontage,  4,  43 
Tides,  5 

Times  (newspaper),  174 
Tin  peddlers,  128 
Tinsmiths,  127,  128,  288 
Titcomb,  Benjamin,  Jr.,  Ill,  150,  169,  170 
Tolman,  Albert  Walter,  163 
Tompson,  Frederick  A.,  222,  266,  269 
Tonnage,  commercial,  39,  47,  66,  68,  69, 

70 

Topography,  3 
Tourist  industry,  47,  48,  76 
Town  of  Portland,  36,  38,  40,  41 

Clerk,  first,  28 

Grants,  25 

Meetings,  53 

Town  Watch  established,  55 
Townhall,  39,  111 
Trade,  38,  39,  42,  46,  59,  65-70,  72 


336 


INDEX 


Traders,  British,  78 

Trading  post,  20,  21,  27 

Transatlantic  service,  43 

Transcript  (newspaper),  160,  161 

Transition  region,  15 

Transportation,  37,  42,  43,  46,  47,  118-126 

Treaties,  Indian,  25,  27,  31 

Trees,  15,  16 

Trelawny,  Robert,  7,  20,  21,  23,  65,  78,  86 

Tremont  (steamer),  122 

Trinity  Episcopal  Church,  290 

Trinity  Square  Park,  290 

Tripoli,  38 

Triton,  7 

"Trolley  car  parks,"  49 

Trotts  Rock,  11 

True,  Dr.  Latham,  188,  191 

Trust  companies^  78,  83 

Tubbs'  Theatrical  Troupe,  197,  198 

Tubby,  Josiah  Thomas,  137 

Tucker,  Payson,  273,  281 

Tucker,  Richard,  8,  20,  21,  24,  59,  60,  65 

Tukey,  Lemuel,  120,  285 

Tukey's  Bridge,  38,  120,  285 

Turner,  Frances  Wright,  164 

240th  Coast  Artillery,  57 

29th  Maine  Veterans  Volunteer  Regt.,  57 

26th  Division,  50 

Two  Lights/  207 

Tyng,  Capt.  Edward,  25,  248,  264 

Tyng,  William,  223,  248 

Ugly  Club,  153 

Umbrella  stands,  mfr.  of,  73 

'Uncle  Billy's'  Tavern,  296 

Uncle  Zack's  house,  297 

Underwood  Springs  Theatre,  203 

Unemployment,  local,  92 

Union  Hall,  199 

Union  Society,  111 

Union  Station,  47,  268,  269,  303 

Union  St.  Theatre,  184,  200 

Unitarians,  30,  107,  112,  113 

United  Furniture  Workers  of  America,  91 

U.  S.  Army  Radio  Stations,  208 

Customs  House,  250 

Marine  Hospital,  286 

Mint  opened,  79 

Naval  Reserves,  58 

United  States  Coastal  Pilot  (guide),  11 
United  States  Hotel,  215 
United  Truck  Drivers  of  Maine,  91 
Universalist  Society,  11,  112,  297 

Vaill  Island,  10 

Valuation  of  industrial  products,  77 
Valuation  of  property,  48 
Vanderbilt,  Cornelius,  43 


Vaughan,  William,  120,  267 

Vaughan  Street,  41 

Vaughan's  Bridge,  120,  267 

Vegetable  packing,  development  of,  73 

Veranda  Hotel,  157,  286 

Vermont,  42,  67 

Veteran  Firemens  Bldg.,  252 

Victoria  Wharves,  282 

Victory   (steamer),  42 

Vines,  Richard,  19,  20,  22,  23 

Visibility  after  storms,  13 

von  Rydingsvard,  Karl,  131 

Wadsworth,  Henry,  277 

Wadsworth,  Gen.  Peleg,  216 

Wadsworth,  Philip  S.,  148 

Wadsworth-Longfellow  House,  148,  216 

Wage  earners,  Portland,  92 

Wager,  Elder  Philip,  110 

Wages,  36,  51 

Wait,  Thomas  B.,  150,  169,  170,  195 

Waldo,  Francis,  31,  250 

Waldo,  Brig.  Gen.  Samuel,  29,  249,  309, 

313 

Waldo,  Samuel,  Jr.,  31,  249 
Waldo  Patent,  29-30,  249 
Waldo,  Peter   (cargo  ship),  67 
Walker,  Joseph,  225,  239 
Walker  Manual  Training  School,  225 
"Wall  of  Prejudice,"  96 
Walley,  John,  26 

War  of  1812,  39,  40,  59,  66,  67,  87 
War  of  the  Rebellion,  44 
Ward,  Wally,  201 
Wards  eight  and  nine,  48 
Ward's  Opera  House,  201 
Ware,  Ashur,  158,  224 
Warren,  General  (boat),  43 
Warren  Ave.  Methodist  Church,  110,  315 
Washington,  George  (canal  boat),  122 
Washington  Ave.  Methodist  Church,  110 
Washington  Elm,  292 
Washington  Hotel,  215 
Water  Company,  Portland,  45,  49,  268, 

299 

Water  Front,  38,  43,  51,  52,  157,  259-261 
Water  power,  lack  of,  71 
Water  supply,  45,  49,  299,  313 
Waterford,  15,  41,  119,  304 
Waterhouse,  Grovesnor,  248 
Waters,  Lt.  Kirvin,  231,  278 
Waynflete  School,  99 
WCSH,  Station,  117,  206,  207,  238 
WEAF  Broadcasting  Chain,  206 
Weather  Bureau,  251,  311 
Webb,  Jonathan,  95 
Weber  Club,  184 
Weeks,  Dr.  Stephen  H.,  257 


INDEX 


337 


Weeks,  William,  173 

Wesleyan  Board  of  Education,  Maine,  293 

West  Church,  107 

West  Indies  trade,  10,  46,  65,  67,  72 

Westbrook,  Col.  Thomas,  29,  30,  65,  72, 

120,  249,  297,  301,  306,  309,  310,  313 
Westbrook,  3,  30,  301,  305 

Junior  College,  97,  297 

Seminary,  97,  297 
Western  Cemetery,  266 

Promenade,  12,  41,  147,  262 
WGAN,  Station,  206,  207,  240 
Whales  near  Casco  Bay,  17 
Wharves,  38,  43,  44,  47,  52,  260,  261 
White,  Elder  E.  G.,  115 
White,  Elise  Fellows,  191 
White,  Ellen  Gould  Harmon,  271 
White,  Nicholas,  9 
White  Head,  10 

White  Memorial  Church,  115,  271 
White  Mountains,  13,  42 
Whitefield,  'Great,'  105 
Whitehouse,  Florence  Brooks,  162 
Whitman,  Jason,  112,  158 
Wilde,  Samuel,  295 
Wilde  Memorial  Chapel,  295 
Williams,  Roger,  111 
Willis,  Nathaniel,  Jr,  155,  169,  171,  172 
Willis,  Nathaniel  Parker  ('N.P.'),  44,  155, 

172-173,  246 
Willis,  Sarah  (Fanny  Fern),  44,  155,  156, 

172,  246 
Willis,  William,  7,  36,  103,  159,  173,  224, 

239,  244,  252,  277 
Williston  Church,  107,  108,  136,  262 
Wilmot,  Richard,  27 
Wilmot  Street,  27 
Wilson,  Arthur,  187 
Wind-Mill  Lane,  71 
Wind  velocity,  13 
Windnull  Hill,  234 
Wingate,  Joshua,  Jr.,  173 
Winslow,  Edward  B.,  288 
Winslow,  John  T.,  288 
Winslow,  Nathan,  73 
Winslow  and  Company,  288 


Winslow  Park,  288 

Winter,  John,  7,  20,  21,  22,  24,  65,  78,  86 

Winter  Harbor,  19 

Wireless  Club,  Portland,  300 

Wiswall,  John,  32,  33,  106,  241 

Witchcraft,  104 

Woman's  Literary  Union,  165,  234 

Women's    Christain    Temperance    Union, 

241,  272,  306,  307 
Women's  Club,  Portland,  187 
W1FCE,  radio  station,  208,  259 
W1KVI,  radio  station,  300 
Wood,  General  Abiel,  151 
Wood,  John  T.,  132 
Wood,  Madame  Sally,  151 
Wood  nulp,  69 
Woodfords,  288-300 

Club,  292 

Congregational  Church,  107,  292 

Congregational  Parish  House,  148 
Woolson,  Moses,  98 
Woolson  Primary  School,  98 
Work  Projects  Administration,  52,  164 
Works  Progress  Administration,  52,   165, 

204 
World  in  a  Nut  Shell,  The   (newspaper), 

174 

World  War,  50,  68,  123 
WPFU,  radio  station,  207 
Wright,  Rev.  Abiel  Holmes,  283 
Wright  Memorial  Church,  107,  283 

Yacht  Club,  Portland,  261 

Yankee  (magazine),  168 

Yankee  (privateer),  39 

YD  Club,  242 

Yankee  Network,  207 

Yankee  stock,  59,  61 

York,  Edwad  H.,  276 

York,  7,  19 

York  &  Cumberland  R.  R.,  42,  124 

Y.  M.  C  A.,  101,  148,  238,  242 

Young  People's  Christian  Endeavor,   108, 

262 

Y.  W.  C.  A.,  234 
Youth's  Companion   (magazine),  172