The New International Encyclopædia/Portland (Maine)

PORTLAND. The largest city and commercial metropolis of Maine, and the county seat of Cumberland County, 108 miles north by east of Boston; on Casco Bay, and on the Maine Central, the Boston and Maine, and the Grand Trunk railroads (Map: Maine, C 8). The town is the terminus of several lines of transatlantic steamships, besides coastwise lines. Portland possesses a site of great natural beauty on a peninsula extending into Casco Bay, which is dotted with numerous picturesquely wooded islands. Many of these islands are popular summer resorts. Portland itself is of considerable reputation as a resort, and the noted watering places of the vicinity are easily accessible from the city. The harbor is spacious, deep, and secure. Its defenses, which have been recently improved to a considerable extent, now include Fort Preble (q.v.), Fort Williams on Portland Head, Fort Levett on Cushing's Island, and Fort McKinley on Great Diamond Island. Forts Scammel and Gorges, formerly strongly equipped, now serve but to enhance the general beauty of the harbor. A marginal railway extends along the water front of the business portion of the city.

Portland has an area of more than 18 square miles. It is regularly laid out for the most part, and, from the fine shade trees that line its streets, it has acquired the name ‘Forest City.’ There are 113 acres in the public park system, which includes Deering Oaks, Lincoln Park, Fort Allen and Fort Sumner parks. Monument Square with a soldiers' monument, and the Eastern and Western Promenades. The observatory on Munjoy's Hill commands a superb view of the city and its waters, and of the mountains some distance inland. On the southern slope of the hill is the Eastern Cemetery, the burial place of a number of persons noted in history. Among the prominent structures in Portland are the city hall, custom house, post-office, United States Marine Hospital, Maine General Hospital, the public library (47,500 volumes), which is the home also of the Maine Historical Society, founded in 1822, with a library of 13,500 volumes, the building of the Portland Society of Natural History, and the cathedrals of Saint Luke (Protestant Episcopal) and the Immaculate Conception (Roman Catholic). Several old colonial mansions, the Longfellow House, Wadsworth Mansion, and the Preble House are of historic interest. Portland has the Maine Medical School, connected with Bowdoin College; the Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary, and a number of other charitable institutions; and several libraries besides those mentioned above. A bronze statue of Longfellow is one of the features of the city.

From colonial times Portland has been noted for commercial interests, its trade, with the West Indies especially in earlier days, being one of its important sources of wealth. The city is still of greater importance for its commerce than for its industrial enterprises, exporting extensively grain, apples, and live stock. The foreign trade of the customs district of Portland and Falmouth in 1901 consisted of exports aggregating in value $12,416,793, and imports, $633,114. In recent years the exports have increased substantially, while the imports show a tendency to decline. According to the census of 1900, there were in Portland manufactures having an invested capital of $6,991,000, the products being valued at $11,440,000. The most important establishments include foundries and machine shops, railroad car and machine shops, manufactories of lumber and lumber products, boot and shoe factories, clothing factories, furniture factories, confectionery factories, flavoring extract works, fruit, vegetable, and fish canneries, carriage and wagon shops, flour and grist mills, marble works, etc.

Under a revised charter of 1900, the government is vested in a mayor, elected annually, a bicameral council, and administrative officials. The commissioner of public works, city marshal and deputies, and the board of health are appointed by the mayor, who also nominates, with the consent of the board of aldermen, members of the police force. The city treasurer, city clerk, auditor, messenger, and subordinate officers are elected by the city council. The school board is chosen by popular vote. It elects the superintendent of schools.

Population, in 1800, 3822; in 1850, 20,815; in 1870, 31,413; in 1890, 36,425; in 1900, 50,145.

Portland, the Indian Machigonne, was settled by two Englishmen, George Cleves and Richard Tucker, in 1632, and until 1658, when the name was changed to Falmouth, was known as Casco Neck. In 1676 it was completely destroyed by the Indians, and all its inhabitants were either killed or carried into captivity. In 1690, settlers again having come in some numbers, the place was once more destroyed and all its inhabitants massacred or captured. It was resettled in 1715, was bombarded and burned in 1775 by a British fleet, was incorporated as a town under its present name in 1786, and was chartered as a city in 1832. On July 4, 1866, a fire broke out and consumed 1500 buildings in the centre of the city, with a loss of about $10,000,000. Longfellow, N. P. Willis, Commodore Preble, Neal Dow, and Thomas B. Reed were natives of Portland. Consult: Neal, Portland (Portland, 1874); Willis, History of Portland (2d ed., Portland, 1865); and a sketch in Powell's Historic Towns of New England (New York, 1898).