Finding Katahdin Document Packets, Chapter 9, Section 4
Chapter 9, page 279.
John Neal of Portland (1793-1876) epitomized the spirit of 19th century Maine.
He was a boxer, novelist, gymnast, publisher, architect, quarryman, lawyer, phrenologist, pro-feminist and America's first art critic.
In 1827, after living in England, Neal settled in his home town, founded the acclaimed, but short-lived, literary magazine, The Yankee, and helped stimulate an artistic climate that flourished through the Civil War.