Changing Shape of Portland

Map of Portland: Falmouth Neck 1690
Image from Greater Portland Landmarks "Portland." 1973. p. 18.

     In 1690, the Portland Peninsula (then called Falmouth Neck) was almost an island.  Large tracts of land were still heavily wooded, and the first streets were just starting to emerge.  If you look closely at the narrow part of the peninsula, you can see that above Clay Cove (the first labeled cove on the bottom left hand side of the peninsula) Fore Street has been started.  Reaching upwards from that, you can see Broad Street (India Street today) connecting with Queen Street (now Congress Street) farther inland.  Transportation took place almost completely on water at this point, so the roads naturally led from the harbor area and reached inland.  Note how large Back Bay is in this map...this is one area in particular that undergoes drastic changes in the years to come.

Map of Portland: 1823
Image from Greater Portland Landmarks "Portland." 1973. p. 10.

     One hundred and thirty-three years later the infrastructure in Portland has really started to take shape.  Other than the number of roads that have been constructed since 1690, the most noticeable change is the addition of Wharves on the southern part of the peninsula.  This reflects the importance of waterfront commerce to the Portland economy.

Deering's Bridge in the 1840's
Image from Shettleworth's "Mr. Goodhue Remembers Portland." 1973. p. 60.

     Perhaps no image captures the drastic physical changes that have occurred in Portland better that this sketch of Deering Woods, now Deering Oaks park.  The bridge in the center is now covered by Forest Avenue.  The water that can be seen in the foreground was part of Back Bay before it was filled in.  (Shettleworth 1981).  Behind the bridge is a sizable amount of water that is called Deering Oaks Pond today (Boyle 1978).  The sketch here is probably during high tide--during low tide the water that connected the two bodies of water was just a good size stream.  The construction of Marginal Way and Route 295 contributed most to the filling of the bay (Shettleworth 1981).  Particularly impressive is the ship that is anchored in the bay, indicating just how deep the area was, and how much fill needed to be used to create the land that we see today.
     

Launching a Ship from Fore Street in 1844
Image from Shettleworth's "Mr. Goodhue Remembers Portland." 1973. p. 27.

     Shifting our attention to the other side of the peninsula, we can see another parcel of land that used to be waterfront property before fill was used extend Portland.  This is a sketch of the last ship built at Dyer Yards, the GENERAL Warren, being launched from Fore Street, between Hancock and Mountfort Streets (Shettleworth 1981).

Within a few years, the shipyards along Fore Street were replaced with rail yards as the focus shifted from waterfront to rail transportation.  This would allow the flow of commerce between Portland and Montreal that would last for 70 years and support Portland's economy.

Fore Street in the Early Days
Image from Jones's "Old Portland Town." p 110.

     Here you can see how Fore Street used to be waterfront property before the construction of Congress Street in the 1850s.  Here the ships are tied up along the street, where buildings are today.  Evidence of this can still be seen at the Old Port Tavern in Portland's Old Port where ships used to tie up.

Map of Portland: 1852
Image from Greater Portland Landmarks "Portland." 1973. p 50.

     This map of Portland looks very similar to the map of Portland in 1823, with one major addition--Commercial Street.  Pressure to construct the road came from the Atlantic & St. Lawrence Railway, who argued that shipments could be made easier and more efficiently if the rail terminals at the foot of High Street were connected with the Atlantic & St. Lawrence at the foot of India Street.  By 1853 Commercial Street, "over a mile long and a hundred feet wide, with twenty-six feet in the center for railroad tracks," was completed (Greater Portland Landmarks 1972: 51).  In the end, the end cost of the endeavor reached $80,000 and included new warehouses and wharves.  This new modern and efficient addition to Portland soon became a successful hub, handling most of Portland's import and export business (Greater Portland Landmarks 1972).

Map of Portland: 1866
Image from Shettleworth's "Mr. Goodhue Remembers Portland." 1981. p12.

     The major changes that can be seen on this map occur around Back Bay, on the top left hand part of the map.  Since the 1852 map, Lincoln Street, Somerset Street and Kennebec Street have been added over the flats, reducing the size of the bay (Greater Portland Landmarks 1972).  Although it cannot be clearly seen on the posted version of this map, the rail terminal can clearly be seen at the end of Commercial Street (unfortunately here it looks like an ink blot).  The rail lines run to several of the wharves including Grand Trunk Wharf, Atlantic Wharf and the Grain Elevator.

Map of Portland: Today
Image from www.visitportland.com

     Here is Portland as it appears today.  The wharves still dominate the coastline on the southern side of the peninsula.  This is not to indicate that the waterfront plays a critical role in Portland's economy, however it is still a contributing factor.

   Just for a comparison, here is the map of Portland in 1690 on the left, and the map of Portland today on the right.  This side by side comparison really puts into perspective how much change has occurred over the last 300 years or so.