HTY 360 JOURNAL

Hello, my name is Joe. Starting today and continuing until May of 2008, I will visit thirteen (13) different sites within the state of Maine with some sort of historical significance. I welcome you to visit my site from time to time and share my travels with me. Thank you.

ALONZO P. STINSON MEMORIAL

Memorial reads:ALONZO P. STINSON THIRD SERGEANT COMPANY H FIFTH REGIMENT MAINE VOLUNTEER INANTRY AGED 19 YEARS KILLED FIRST BATTLE BULL RUN JULY 21ST 1861 SERGEANT STINSON WAS THE FIRST VOLUNTEER SOLDIER FROM PORTLAND TO GIVE HIS LIFE FOR THE PRESERVATION OF THE UNION IN THE CIVIL WAR THIS MEMORIAL ERECTED BY THE SURVIVORS OF COMPANY H PRESENTED TO THE CITY OF PORTLAND JULY 4TH 1908

I vistied this memorial on Wednesday, March 11, 2008. It is within Eastern Cemetary, on the corner of Congress and Mountfort Streets. This monument shows the world that soldiers within the 20th Maine were not the only ones who fought and died in the Civil War.

OBSERVATIONS: When driving down Munjoy Hill, I noticed this great memorial. I turned around and read what it stated. The memorial is facing Congress St. and although it is a great piece of arcitecture, I noticed the Eastern Cemetery itself is not kept up in good shape. I realize that many of the people buryed in the cemetery died many years ago, but I would think that at least the head stones would be upright.

SPANISH AMERICAN WAR MEMORIAL

Memorial reads:IN MEMORIAM UNITED SPANISH WAR VETERANS OF CUMBERLAND COUNTY 1898 - 1902

I visited this memorial on Tuesday, March 12, 2008. This memorial is located in Deering Oaks Park in Portland between Forest Ave. and State St. It is a tribute to all the soldiers from Cumberland County who fought in the Spanish American War.

OBSERVATIONS: The memorial situated on the left side of the road of State St. before coming to Park Ave. is in good condition. The stand that the statue is erected on is a little tarnished with road scum coming from the street and cars passing by. The area is clean, yet at the time is was early March and was covered with mud and melting snow.

OLD WESTBROOK HIGH SCHOOL

I took a picture of the old Westbrook High School on March 26th. It is located on Main Street in Westbrook a few buildings down from the post office. This school was built in the late 1800's and was used until the current Westbrook High was built on Stroudwater St. in Westbrook in the 1950's.
OBSERVATIONS: This school is still being used, I believe it is being used to house elderly and is kept in good condition. A common passerby may not notice this piece of local history as it is set amongst convenience stores, restaurants, and houses, but to stop and actually look at it and its surroundings, one would see that it indeed sticks out like a sore thumb.

CAPE ELIZABETH LIGHT

I visited the Cape Elizabeth lighthouse on March 12th. OBSERVATIONS: This lighthouse sits a top a hill and is part of the original Two Lights. The other lighthouse is behind the photographer, (me) and is no longer in use. I got the feeling in the neighborhood by people looking at me that I shouldn’t be there. I felt I was trespassing on private property. The lighthouse itself is part of a residence and is privately owned. It is kept in great condition.It is located at the mouth of Casco Bay in Cape Elizabeth. Cape Elizabeth lighthouse was the first to ever have its likeness portrayed on a postal stamp. This lighthouse which is usually referred to as Two Lights has a history that dates back to 1811. Originally, there were two functional lighthouses, both of which are still erected, but this one has been the soul provider of beacon warnings reaching ships at sea at a distance of 27 miles since 1924. The other lighthouse lamp was extinguished permanently and became an observation post during World War II.

REFERENCES:
http://www.gramlighthouse.com/cape-elizabeth-lighthouse.html

THE CUMBERLAND AND OXFORD CANAL

This picture of part of the Cumberland and Oxford Canal was taken on March 12, 2008 on Stroudwater Street in Westbrook.The canal is on the right heading toward Portland from Westbrook before the bridge passing over the Maine Turnpike.

OBSERVATIONS: I took this picture in an area where a “No Trespassing” sign was posted. This is a great site that shows how the canal may have looked like, minus the overgrowth, during its original use. I don’t understand why people wouldn’t be allowed to view this great piece of Maine history.

The North - East portion of Massachusetts known as Maine began as a back woods enterprise in the form of fishing, trapping, lumber production, and farming. The original settlers of Maine were trouble-making veterans from the Revolutionary War. These veterans were promised land for their roles during the War. The state of Massachusetts was tired of these troublesome men, so the state granted them land in Maine to get them out of their hair. These new citizens of Maine quickly produced a high volume of goods, but were having difficulties trading their goods because of lack of transportation. At the time, their only way of getting to the market and selling their commodities was by foot, horse, or wagon. This trek over narrow dirt roads from the Lakes Region area of Cumberland and Oxford counties would literally take them days, if not a week. They had to come up with a better way to get to Portland.

An idea to move lumber from the Sebago Lake Region to the mills of Saccarrappa was devised. What the area needed most was a successful canal system. So in 1791, a commission for a canal from Sebago Lake to the Presumpscot River was put before the Massachusetts General Court. Maine, still being part of Massachusetts, had to ask for the state’s permission to begin such a large project. Unfortunately, Massachusetts said no. They had watched these once annoying people become a strong power that they didn’t want to compete against. This idea of building canals to transport people and items over water instead of land was not a new one. All over America, canals were being built for just that purpose. A canal connecting Boston with the Merrimac River was built between 1793 and 1803. This canal was the largest in the country and was the foundation for many later canals. It cost $528,000 to construct. It was 27 1/4 miles long, 3 feet deep, 30 feet wide, and littered with 19 locks. It was a gem of a canal and had to be duplicated in Maine as best and as quickly as possible. Maine’s only way of building such a canal would be to secede from Massachusetts and become their own state. A number of attempts were made to breakaway in 1791, 1785, and 1786, but indifferences kept Maine from becoming independent.
The War of 1812 was particularly harsh to the economy of Maine. Combined with the drop in population and the supplies Maine had to surrender to Massachusetts for the War effort, Maine quickly became an insignificant parcel of land plagued with depression. In 1820, Maine, after numerous futile attempts of stubborn debates, always ending in stalemates, between men who could only agree to disagree, finally achieved its statehood. Now Maine would not have to ask another’s permission to construct the desperately needed canal system. The creation of the new Cumberland and Oxford Canal began in 1825. It took 5 years to build with a final price tag of $206,000. Once completed, the canal began in Harrison, twisted through a series of lakes and ponds, and after utilizing 28 locks, ended near Clark Street in the West End of Portland.

For ships to successfully navigate the canal and conclude their 3-day journey in Portland, crews faced a numerous amount of obstacles that only a fresh water sailor could overcome. Ships were loaded in Harrison, sailed through Long Pond into Naples, through Brandy Pond and into the Songo River. The crew would then have to thrust themselves through the Songo River, using long wooden poles, and finally ending up in Sebago Lake where they could rest easy after raising their sails once more to steer toward the Sebago Lake Basin at White’s Bridge. Once at the basin, the crew would lower their sails and again pole themselves through it before finally arriving at the mouth of the newly built Cumberland and Oxford Canal. Upon reaching the canal, the tow horses would pull the boats at a mind boggling 4 miles per hour down the tow paths through Standish, Windham, Gorham, Saccarappa, and into Portland. The tow horses that made much of the voyage possible were worked to death and eventually made into meals for canal boat crews and lock attendants. A poem, which was frequently heard on the canal, was as follows: “From Saccarappa to Portland Pier I’ve carted boards for many a year Till killed by blows, and sore abuse They salt me down for sailor’s use They cut off my meat and pick my bones And turn me over to Davy Jones.” (Carter 1950, 62) These ongoing passages through the canal system lasted for many years while bringing 150 boats to its banks and commerce down them. But the canal could not live on forever. A huge steel monster with Satan’s breath as fuel was coming to town and no one would be able to stop it. The steam engine would bring the canal to its knees and change the way of transporting commerce forever. In 1842, the first railroad was built from Portland to Kittery. At first, the railroad did not hurt the canal but actually helped it by getting its cargo to Southern Maine. But the new and faster trains would not be limited to just Southern Maine. In 1846 The Grand Trunk Railroad laid its tracks through Oxford County and onward to Quebec. And later the York and Cumberland Railroad would be built to pass through Westbrook, Gorham, and Buxton thus crippling the usefulness of the canal. As years passed, the canal saw less and less use until its final demise when it was officially closed in 1872. “…it was now that the disadvantages of a system of transportation that depended on the good will of Mother Nature… …became only too apparent.”(Carter 1950, 66). And so, the canal era of Maine ended. The Cumberland and Oxford Canal saw 42 years of service and helped make Maine the state it is today. Unfortunately or fortunately, new and faster modes of transportation grabbed the reigns of technology and propelled this back woods state into the 21st century. BIBLIOGRAPHY Barnes, Diane and Jack. 1996. The Sebago Lake Region. Arcadia Publishing. Carter, Harland Hall. 1950. The History Of The Cumberland and Oxford Canal. Division of Graduate Study. University of Maine, Orono. Dingley, Robert Jordan. No Date Apparent. Boating….. In The Switzerland Of America. No Publisher Apparent. Knight, Ernest H. 1976. A Guide To The Cumberland & Oxford Canal. Cumberland & Oxford Canal Association.

VICTORIA MANSION

I visited the Victoria Mansion on March 26th 2008. It is located at 109 Danforth Street in Portland.

The Victoria Mansion was built between 1858 and 1860 and is also known as the Morse-Libby House because of the original owner, Ruggles Morse and the second owner, Joseph Libby. The architect, Henry Austin, conceived the home.
In 1941 the home was opened to the public as a museum and was then owned by the Victoria Society of Maine in 1943 whose prime directive was to keep the mansion operating as a working museum in the years to follow. The Victoria Society of Maine has been keeping the mansion as a museum every since. OBSERVATIONS: I stopped in front of this building on Danforth St. It looked out of place, kind of like a haunted house in the middle of Portland. There were many cars that went by in and a few pedestrians that walked by but they didn't seem to notice the mansion. The outside of the building is kept in great shape with the architecture to match. It is defineately a sight to see.

For more information about the Victoria Mansion, visit http://www.victoriamansion.org/mansion.html

REFERENCES:
http://www.victoriamansion.org/mansion.html

FORT GORGES

I took this picture of Ft. Gorges from the Eastern Promenade in Portland on March 12th. Unfortunately, there are no ferry that actually go to the fort anymore.


When the War of 1812 ended, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers needed a fort to protect Casco Bay in case of any future naval battles. In 1864, the fort was completed with twenty-six guns to defend it. In 1865 the fort was named to honor Sir Ferninando Gorges, a colonial proprietor of Maine.

The fort was used for about 80 years when in 1946, it was determined to be military surplus and not needed by the military. By 1960, the City of Portland took ownership of the fort an determined it as an historic site. It was later placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service.

OBSERVATIONS: As taking this picture from the Eastern Promenade, I noticed that the fort's roof is covered with moss and scrub brush. It doesn't appear to be kept in very good condition and seems to be falling apart.

REFERENCES:
http://www.smccme.edu/docs.php?section=5&navid=2&levelfour=166&docid=79
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Gorges
http://www.forttours.com/pages/fortgorges.asp

PORTLAND FREEDOM TRAIL

I visited the first marker of the Portland Freedom Trail on March 26th 2008. It is located at the intersection of Congress Street and Mountfort Street. It is located on the sidewalk in front of Eastern Cemetery.
OBSERVATIONS: When looking at the Alonzo Stinson memorial within the Eastern Cemetery, I noticed this monument on the sidewalk outside the cemetery fence. (seen in the photo) It is a monument marker explaining how the Underground Railroad in Portland helped runaway slaves. The monument is exeptionally in good shape as it was erected only a few years prior. But I noticed that passerbys did not notice or even care what the monument said or if it even existed.

"The City of Portland officially proclaimed the establishment of the Portland Freedom Trail on November 9, 2006 with the installation of a granite and bronze marker at the Eastern Cemetery. The cemetery was chosen as the first site to be unveiled on the trail in honor of the final resting place of many of Portland’s abolitionist leaders. The marker is one of sixteen that will constitute a permanent walking trail highlighting the people, places, events and daily life associated with the Underground Railroad and anti-slavery movement in Portland." - From the Website

The markers are located as follows:

MARKER LOCATIONS:
1. Franklin Street WharfCasco Bay Lines
2. Barber Shop of Jacob C. Dickson243 Fore Street
3. Hack Stand of Charles H. L. Pierre29 Middle Street
4. Abyssinian Church73 Newbury Street
5. Home of Charles Frederick, Harriet Stephenson Eastman, and Alexander StephensonCorner of Mountfort and Newbury Streets
6. Eastern CemeteryCorner of Congress and Mountfort Streets
7. Home of Elias and Elizabeth Widgery ThomasCorner of India and Congress Streets
8. Home of General Samuel C. Fessenden31 India Street
9. Friends (Quaker) Meeting HouseLincoln Park corner of Federal and Pearl Streets
10. Hack Stand of Reuben RubyCorner of Federal and Temple Streets
11. First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church 425 Congress Street
12. Secondhand Clothing Store of Lloyd Scott44 Exchange Street
13. Mariners' ChurchCorner of Fore and Market Streets

The Portland Freedom Trail was part of the Underground Railroad, a vast network of people who helped fugitive slave escape to the North as far as Canada.
Many individuals, black and white aided these fugitive slaves to escape with a total of a few hundred slaves each year between the years of 1810-1850 and had an overall number of over 100,000 slaves moved north in the forty year span.
The leader that "invented" and kept the Underground Railroad going included predonimate names like had many notable participants like Levi Coffin, and Harriet Tubman who alone were responsible form helping over 3,000 slaves escape to freedom.
The first part of the runaway slaves’ journeys was to escape their master by using a fellow slave to guide them. They would move at night and trek ten to twenty miles before stopping at a home to hide for the day. This Underground Railroad was a home or barn or the like that the slaves could hide as they hid from the authorities. This of course was very illegal for the slave and the individual or individuals aiding them. These safe houses were marked with special signals that only a slave or guide would recognize so they would stop and stay if being followed by bounty hunters. The signals could be disguised as anything, most commonly; the home owner would put out a blanket on the clothes line that a runaway slave would recognize.
The slaves had other modes of transportation other than just their feet, i.e. train, boat. These modes of transportation and different attire for the slaveswere funded by members of the Underground Railroad donations raised by and differned groups and committees hellbent on helping the slaves attain freedom. These groups were mostly in the North, and were founded in cities like Boston, Portland, and New York.
This entire process led up toward Maine and these markers are the proof that the homes in and around down town Portland helped to hide these runaway slaves and the good people inhabiting these homes helped break the chains of slavery.



REFERENCES:http://www.portlandfreedomtrail.org/
http://www.polarbearandco.com/mainedem/ft.html
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/railroad/j1.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_Railroad

BABBS COVERED BRIDGE

I visited Babbs covered bridge on a snowy morning on March 14th.
Babbs covered bridge, built in 1843 is Maine’s oldest covered bridge. It spans 79 feet from the towns of Gorham and Windham over the Presumpscot River. It was unfortunately vandalized and set fire to in 1973 but an exact replica was rebuilt in 1974.
OBSERVATIONS: I noticed 5 cars that went over and through the bridge in the few minutes I was there. It is only wide enough for one vehicle at a time to go through. I walked through the bridge and noticed some graffiti on the inside walls. Although the bridge looked structurally intact, it creaked as I walked over it, and I didn’t think it seemed to be kept in good condition for being an historical or at least a reconstruction of an historical site.

REFERENCES:
http://maine.gov/mdot/covered-bridges/babbs.php

WESTBROOK CIVIL WAR MEMORIAL

Memorial reads: WESTBROOK HONORS HER SONS AND DAUGHTERS WHO STROVE BY THEIR LOYALTY, SELF-SACRIFICE AND DEVOTION TO PRESERVE AND CEMENT THE UNION IN THE DAYS OF THE CIVIL WAR 1861-1865
I visited this memorial on Tuesday, March 11th. It is located within Riverside Park on Main St. in Westbrook.
It is a tribute to all the men and women from Westbrook who fought in the Civil War.
OBSERVATIONS: I grew up in Westbrook, always knew that the statue existed, but never knew what it read. The war memorial itself is within the boundaries of Westbrook’s Riverside Park and has always and still is kept in pristine condition. It almost seems like someone comes out on a semi regular basis and shines the memorial.

THE MAINE NARROW GAUGE RAILROAD

I visited the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad on March 13th 2008. It is located at 58 Fore St. Portland, ME. The first thing that caught my eye was the actual train with an engine, two passenger cars, and a caboose.
The museum accompanying the train was established in 1993 and entails a history of how all tracks running through Maine were once only 2 feet from each other. The standard track width today is 4 feet. The museum operates the train and runs a 1 ½ mile long span of track that is used to give museum goers a ride on history.
OBSERVATIONS: The train is left as it appears all year long. The train itself and its tracks are well taken care of by the museum curator located to the right of the train. At the time I arrived and took the picture, the museum and the train were not open or functioning.
History of Narrow Gauge Railroads: A narrow gauge railroad has tracks that are narrower than about 4 feet. If the gauge of track is narrower than 4 feet as in the case of the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad, the wheels on the trains must be narrower as well, making it impossible for these trains to run on modern tracks. Narrow gauge railways are usually easier to build and costs less money because of the lessened amount of material that has to be used to construct them. Although the tracks are not used in Maine anymore, the narrow gauge is still used in for different application throughout the country. It is easier to build the tracks in mountainous territories or in the coal mines of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Of course if narrow gauge is used, the lessened amounts of tunnels have to be built for the amount of coal being mined.
In Maine, these narrow gauge railways were built to help supply ships to take any cargo being brought to Portland. This was definitely easier to use when the railroads came to Maine in the early 19th century than the canal systems that were being used at that time.
In other countries, the narrow gauge railways are still being used extensively today. They are built and used to feed rail traffic to other larger standard gauge lines. It is easier to have these more narrow gauge lines when getting large amounts of timber, livestock and the like from the countryside to the main railroad.The narrow gauge railroads are also useful if an advantage that wants to be used is greater speed in order to get the trains to their destinations quicker. Because the tracks and the wheels are closer together, and the cars themselves are smaller, if reduced wind friction, lessens the center of gravity and can be pulled at a greater speed by the engines. Famous narrow gauge railways around the country include, of course, the Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad, the Diamond and Caldor Railroad, and the Monterey and Salina Valley Railroad.
More information can be found at http://www.mngrr.org/indexa.php
REFERENCES: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maine_Narrow_Gauge_Railroad_Museum
http://www.narrowgauge.net/

THE TATE HOUSE

I visited the Tate House on March 22nd 2008. It is located on Westbrook St. in Portland near Stroudwater Crossing off outer Congress St.

The Tate house is named for Capt. George Tate, the Senior Mast Agent for the British Royal Navy. His job was to supply trees for masts for British ships.

OBSERVATIONS: The Tate House is located at Stroudwater Crossing on the hill heading toward the back side of the Portland Jetport. It is not able to been seen from the intersection of Congress and Westbrook Streets and is a difficult to find it you don't know what your looking for. This house kind of looks like a modern home and is kept in great condition by the curator, but is did not to appear to be open for tours during the winter months. A flag pole outside the residence does not appear to be in use but may be used during warmer months when tours are available. The home's property looks out into the Presumpscot River running into Casco Bay.

More info can be found at http://www.tatehouse.org/

Take a virtual tour of the Tate House.

Right click and open in new window.

http://www.tatehouse.org/tour/vsitting.html

THE PORTLAND OBSERVATORY

I visited the Portland Observatory on Tuesday, March 11th. The Portland Observatory is located at 138 Congress St. Portland atop Munjoy Hill.

The Portland Observatory was built in 1807 by order of Captain Lemuel Moody The 86 feet-high, 103 step tall tower was built to communicate with merchant vessels entering Portland Harbor. The Observatory was used for 116 years until 1923 and has been own by the City of Portland since 1937. The observatory is the last signal tower in the United States. It is now used as a tourist attraction and is hard to miss from most parts of Portland.

OBSERVATIONS: The observatory is in great shape and is still used as a museum. I can be seen for miles away, but I think most people think its a lighthouse. It is located next door to the fire department on Munjoy Hill. The bricks used to construct the tower look as if they are fairly new even though the tower itself is 200 years old. It gives the impression that it is well taken care of.

Visit http://24.39.36.60/view/view.shtml to see The Portland Observatory’s web cam.

References: http://portlandme.about.com/cs/mainehistory/a/Observatory.htm
http://www.portlandlandmarks.org/portland_observatory/observatory.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portland_Observatory