History of Portland, Maine facts for kids
The History of Portland, Maine starts with the area being called Machigonne. This name meant "great neck" and was given by the Algonquian peoples who lived on the peninsula first. The story continues to the city's recent growth and success.
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Early Native American Life
Native Americans arrived in Maine around 11,000 BCE, after the glaciers melted. When Europeans first came in the 1500s, people speaking Algonquian languages lived in what is now Portland. A French explorer named Samuel de Champlain called these people the "Almouchiquois." They lived from the Androscoggin River to Cape Ann.
Captain John Smith wrote in 1614 that a group called the "Aucocisco" lived in a "large deep Bay, full of many great Iles." This bay is now known as Casco Bay. It includes the future site of Portland.
Sadly, many Native peoples died from wars and diseases before English settlers arrived. European goods changed how Native groups traded. Starting around 1607, Mi'kmaq people began raiding their southern neighbors. They wanted to control the fur trade and get more European goods. Diseases brought by Europeans also caused many deaths. A big sickness between 1614 and 1620 killed up to 90% of the people along the coast. Groups like the Almouchiquois disappeared or joined other tribes.
However, Native peoples still lived in the Casco Bay area until the 1740s. After the French lost a war, more English settlers moved in. Most Native Americans then moved closer to New France (now Canada) or further up the coast.
First Settlements
The first European to try to settle here was Christopher Levett. He was an English naval captain. In 1623, the King of England gave him 6,000 acres (24 km²) to start a town in Casco Bay. Levett wanted to name it York, after his hometown in England. He wrote a book about his trip to get people to support his settlement. But few people were interested, and Levett never came back to Maine. He died on his way back to England in 1630. We don't know what happened to the men he left behind at Machigonne. Fort Levett, built in 1894 on Cushing Island in Portland Harbor, is named after him.
The first permanent settlement began in 1633. George Cleeve and Richard Tucker started a fishing and trading village. They renamed the town Casco. In 1658, the Massachusetts Bay Colony took control. They changed the name again, this time to Falmouth. This was after Falmouth, England, a place important in the English Civil War. A tall monument at the end of Congress Street remembers Portland's four historical names.
Village Attacks
In 1676, the Abenaki people completely destroyed the village during King Philip's War. When English colonists returned in 1678, they built Fort Loyal on India Street. This fort was meant to stop future attacks.
The village was destroyed again in 1690 during King William's War. A group of French and Native American fighters attacked in the Battle of Fort Loyal. Portland's peninsula was empty for over ten years after this attack. Massachusetts built another fort to the north in 1698. This was called Fort New Casco. It was successfully defended during the Northeast Coast Campaign (1703) in Queen Anne's War. The Fort Loyal fort was used and repaired during later wars.
American Revolution
On October 18, 1775, the community was destroyed once more. During the American Revolutionary War, the British Royal Navy's HMS Canceaux bombed the town for nine hours. The Burning of Falmouth left three-quarters of the town in ashes. This event made its citizens even more determined to be independent. When the town was rebuilt, its center moved from India Street to where the Old Port district is today.
Growth as a Trade Center
After the Revolutionary War, a part of Falmouth called The Neck grew quickly. It became a busy shipping center. In 1786, the people of Falmouth Neck formed their own town and named it Portland. Portland's economy faced challenges from the Embargo Act of 1807 and the War of 1812.
In 1820, Maine became a state, and Portland was chosen as its capital. The Abyssinian Meeting House, a church founded by Free African Americans, was built in 1828. In 1832, the capital moved to Augusta.
In 1851, Maine passed the first state law to stop the sale of alcohol. This law became known as the Maine law. Portland saw protests against this law. On June 2, 1855, a large crowd gathered. They were protesting because the mayor, Neal Dow, had allowed a shipment of alcohol. The protesters thought it was for private use, which was against the law. When the crowd would not leave, Dow ordered the militia to fire. One person was killed, and seven were hurt. After this event, the Maine law was removed in 1856.
The Cumberland and Oxford Canal opened in 1832. This allowed boats to travel from Portland harbor to Sebago Lake and Long Lake. Portland became an important winter seaport for Canada. This happened when the Grand Trunk Railway to Montreal was finished in 1853. The city's main train station, Union Station, opened in 1888. In the 1800s, The Portland Company built over 600 steam locomotives. Portland became a big train center in the 1900s.
The Great Fire and Rebuilding
On July 4, 1866, a huge fire started during the Independence Day celebration. This fire, known as The Great Fire, destroyed most of the city's businesses. It also burned half the churches and hundreds of homes. More than 10,000 people lost their homes. After this fire, Portland was rebuilt with brick. It took on a Victorian look. Wealthy citizens began building large homes in the city's West End.
Portland's beautiful architecture is thanks to many famous architects from the 1800s. Alexander Parris designed many Federal style buildings. Charles A. Alexander designed many Victorian homes. Henry Rowe focused on Gothic cottages. George M. Harding designed many buildings in Portland's Old Port.
Two very important architects in the West End were Francis H. Fassett and John Calvin Stevens. Fassett designed hospitals, churches, schools, and homes. Stevens worked in many styles. He is best known for his work in the Shingle and Colonial Revival styles. Many examples of his work can be seen in the area.
Second World War
During the Second World War, Casco Bay became an important base for destroyer ships. The United States Navy used it to protect convoys of ships crossing the Atlantic Ocean. Ships as large as battleships used the bay for supplies. Sailors on shore leave enjoyed Portland. The waters offshore were good for gun practice.
New facilities were built starting in 1941. These included a post office, a hospital, and offices for naval operations. There was also a Navy recruiting station and training centers. Sailors learned about radio direction finding and LORAN (a navigation system). They also trained in combat information, night watch, and how to identify ships and planes. Little Chebeague Island was used for a fire fighters school.
Decline and Revival
In the 1970s, The Maine Mall, a large shopping center, opened in South Portland. This had a big effect on downtown Portland. Many department stores and other big businesses moved to the mall or closed. This meant fewer chain stores in the city, which helped keep Portland's unique feel. But it also left many empty shops downtown. People had to leave town to find certain products.
Today, the old seaport is attracting new residents and businesses. The city government has focused on preserving Portland's beautiful Victorian buildings. In 1982, the area was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Many surveys now say Portland is one of America's best small cities to live in.
Portland is currently experiencing a building boom. Maine College of Art has helped bring new life to the downtown area since the mid-1990s. It brings students from all over the country. Congress Street now has more stores and restaurants. The Bayside neighborhood, which used to be industrial, is also growing quickly. The Ocean Gateway neighborhood by the harbor is also developing.
Old Postcards of Portland
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Northeast from City Hall around 1910
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Monument Square around 1908
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State Street around 1906
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Western Promenade around 1908
West End Architecture
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A house on Chadwick Street
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A view down Carroll Street
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A Vaughan Street residence
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The West Mansion on the Western Promenade
Images for kids
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Writer and critic, John Neal
See also
In Spanish: Historia de Portland (Maine) para niños
