Grand Trunk Railroad Building.

Description:

During the mid-nineteenth century, several ambitious projects constituted a complete rethinking of how Portland's waterfront could support commercial growth. Taking advantage of the port's year round ice-free harbor and the city's strong trade relations with Canada, the Atlantic and St. Lawrence Railroad, later the Grand Trunk Railroad, transformed the eastern end of the waterfront at the base of Munjoy Hill into an all season transportation hub linking Portland to Montreal and central Canada. This large complex of rail facilities [59] was connected to the wharves via tracks running down the center of Commercial Street up until the 1980's when they were over-paved. The passenger station, roundhouse, railroad, and freight sheds are shown in this enlarged detail from the 1876 bird's eye view [60]. The Portland Company built its machine shops alongside this compound to produce rolling stock for the railroad.

( information taken from http://usm.maine.edu/maps/exhibit13/13-07fromgrantrunk.htm)

Atmosphere:

Although the Grand Trunk is no longer a working railway, this building, located on Portlands West End, at the bottom of India Street is still standing. If you notice in the picture, all it says is "GRAND TRUNK" yet at close look, you can notice that there used to be more engraved underneath this, but was removed. It is the only part of the Grand Trunk left in Portland, No more passenger station or grain elevators (which were located behind the building)

Old Settlers Cemetery

Description:

Old Settlers Cemetery(Also known as Thrasher Cemetery[last name of many of the deceased]) is South Portlands oldest landmark. It was established in 1658 with the first settlers of South Portland, in 1675 the settlement was abandoned, in 1703 the new settlement was masacred and then in 1716 it was resettled. All of the deceased in the cemetery are from the final settlement.

Atmosphere:

Being on the SMCC campus it is fairly busy but many people seem to walk by the cemetery without regards for its historical impact on the city, considering it is the oldest landmark in the city. Jonny Lyon's and I visited on a cold day, so it was even less bustling with people.

Snow Squall

Description:

The Snow Squall is a beautifully crafted clipper built in Maine on Turner Island in Portland harbor. In 1851 Cornelius and Alfred Butler built three clipper ships at their yard, Warner, Black Squall and Snow Squall. Snow Squall was the biggest clipper to ever come out of their shipyard, built by the 12 employees they had, whose wages were $1.50 for a ten hour work day.

Like the Snow Squall, many clippers were built for the California gold rush, but when that dwindled, many ship owners thought trade with China was a way to recoup their investments. Although clippers still made the journey to California, they would then hit China, and race back to New York for the market. Some of the cargo carried on the Snow Squall includes, but is not limited to, oats, canvas, matches, coffee, cigars and tobacco, cornmeal, boots and shoes, pork, nails, axe handles, liqour, rope sardines and flour.

The Snow Squall set sail for what turned out to be her last voyage on January 2nd, 1864 from New York around Cape Horn to San Fransisco with 80 tons of steamer lump coal, alcohol, tobacco, canned lobster, whisky, acid and a large amount of explosives.
But in February of that same year, the Snow Squall ran aground on the rocks at the entrance to the strait of Le Maire near Cape Horn

The Captain, Captain Dillingham sailed the damaged and badly leaking Snow Squall for Port Stanley, in the Faulkland Islands for repairs, but his problems were just beginning. In March, three crewmembers were put in jail for mutiny. Although every effort was made to repair the Snow Squall, her damages were far to expensive. Under maritime law, the shipmaster had the right to abandon the ship if the cost of repairs exceeded the ships value after repairs.

In April, 1864 the Snow Squall was condemned, her sailing career had lasted 13 years, which exceeded the usual life of a wooden vessel in those years.

Atmosphere:

When i visited to Spring Point Museum on the campus of SMCC, it was early morning and there were very few people around. I was the only one inside the museum besides the women running the building. The Snow Squall exhibit was beautiful with artifacts found at the site where she was sunk. Along with some of the ships inner wooden skeleton. It was an amazing exhibit.

Fort Preble

Fort Preble:

Fort Preble is a military fort located in South Portland, Maine on the campus of Southern Maine Community College. Built in 1808 by Henry Dearborn, who named the fort in honor of Commodore Edward Preble.


The fort was manned throughout the War of 1812, The Civil War, World War I and World War II by the Regiment of Light Artillery, the 21st, 33rd, and 34th Regiments of Infantry and also by volunteers and local militia.

During the Civil War, Fort Preble was involved in an altercation between Confederate Soldiers on June 26th , 1863. The Confederate Soldiers sailed into Casco Bay aboard the stolen vessle Archer undetected and captured the vessle Caleb Cushing which belonged to the revenue service. quite seas and calm winds forced the Confederate comander, Captain Charles W. Jabez Reed to burn the Cushing. The Rebel soldiers on both the Cushing and the Archer were captured and brought to Fort Preble.

Fort Preble was decommisioned in 1950.

Atmosphere:

Fort Preble is always a bustling attraction, there is always a collection of people throughout the fort, between tourists, college students and South Portland residents. But they are not always there to check out the fort. For the college students the fort is just something that is on campus, for the residents of South Portland, the walkways surrounding the fort and campus are just another place to walk. Its only during the summer months that you seen many tourists walking the fort, and paying the 4-8 dollars to get into the spring point museum.

(Pictures: All Pictures Beside The Old Post Card
Were Taken By Nick Leo At Fort Preble)

http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=2&res=9807E2D81130E132A25757C2A9679D946097D6CF&oref=slogin&oref=slogin

Bug Light

Description:

Portland Breakwater Light, or more affectionatly called, Bug Light is located in South Portland. The lighthouse station was designated in 1855, but the current lighthouse has been around since 1875. It is built out of a cast iron sheathing and it's interior is lined with bricks.

In 1934 the light house was automated and the keepers quarters were removed to make room for the automated system. The lighthouse was shut down in 1942.

The breakwater is formed from gigantic pieces of granite at sizes anywhere from 2x2x4 to 2x2x6. today the water that used to surround the breakwater on either side has been filled to create Bug Light Park.

Atmosphere:

The park is located next to the public boat launch in South Portland, during the summer months the area is very congested with Trucks and empty boat trailers, campers and SUV's with out-of-state plates. the field that is at the entrance to the park is always bustling with pets and their owners as well as, when there theres a decent amount of wind, kite flyers. The park itself is very beautiful and well designed, and as of a few years ago the parking lot has been paved in the shape of a liberty ship, and a recreated liberty ship hull has been erected along with information about ship building in South Portland. But Thats Another Blog.

(Pictures:Top; Bug Light looking over the oil terminal[ Internet photo]

Middle:Looking down the breakwater [ Internet Photo]

Bottom: Looking towards Mackworth Island, and my thumb

[Nick Leo])

Fort Gorges

Description:
Fort Gorges is an island fort off the coast of Portland & South Portland called Hog Island Ledge. After the War of 1812, the Army corp of engineers felt it necessary to build a fort on the island to protect Casco Bay. At the end of the civil war in 1865, the fort was completed, but by that point the advancment of explosives made the fort obsolete. In 1869 modernization was planned and the fort was revamped, until 1875 when funding was cut, without the 3 story complete. Insted of getting more funding the Army covered the second story with sand and loam to protect ammunition. The last military use of the fort was
in World War II as a submarine mine storage facility. The fort was handed over to the city of Portland in 1960, the same year it was put on the National Regisiter Of Historic Places


Atmosphere:
The fort is open to the public year round, although only accessable by personal boat and during certain tides. Because of this, the place is generally very empty because many Mainers have either already been to the site, or do not understand its historical importance to the city and to the war effort. Plus many tourists do not have access to boats in which they may take a joy ride to fort Gorges


(Pictures: Top Left; Fort Gorges as seen from Bug Light park [Nick Leo], Middle; Fort Gorges and Fort Scrammel [Seth Eastman painting, Internet Photo] Bottom; An aerial veiw of Fort Gorges [Internet Photo])

Spring Point Ledge Light

Description:

Spring Point Ledge Light house was built in 1897 after several shipping companies complained of their vessels running aground at spring point ledge.

20,ooo dollars was originally allocated for the construction of the lighthouse, but after complications in weather and building material the total cost for constuction was 45,000 dollars.

The lighthouse, which had fresnel lens which was first lit by lighthouse keeper William A. Lane on May 24th, 1897, also boasted a fog horn to alert ships.

Throughout the years the lighthouse has been updated and retrofitted. In 1934 the house was electrified, and in 1951 the breakwater was constructed of 50,000 tons of granite.

Atmosphere:

During warm summer months it is not uncommon for the lighthouse's breakwater to be swarmed with fishermen and tourists picnicing and taking photographs of the light house and surrounding Fort Preble, although when i took these two pictures it was very chilly with a cold sea breeze blowing in.

(Pictures: Both Taken by Nick Leo)