Maine Memory Network

1881 Amoskeag Fire Engine

Contributed by: Seal Cove Auto Museum Date: 1881 Location: Seal Cove; Manchester Media: Metal and rubber

Saco Fire Brigade, ca. 1890

Contributed by: Dyer Library/Saco Museum Date: circa 1890 Location: Saco Media: Photographic print

Home: The Longfellow House & the Emergence of Portland

The Wadsworth-Longfellow house is the oldest building on the Portland peninsula, the first historic site in Maine, a National Historic Landmark, home to three generations of Wadsworth and Longfellow family members -- including the boyhood home of the poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. The history of the house and its inhabitants provide a unique view of the growth and changes of Portland -- as well as of the immediate surroundings of the home.

From Sewers to Skylines: William S. Edwards's 1887 Photo Album

William S. Edwards (1830-1918) was a civil engineer who worked for the City of Portland from 1876-1906. Serving as First Assistant to Chief Engineer William A. Goodwin, then to Commissioner George N. Fernald, Edwards was a fixture in City Hall for 30 consecutive years, proving indispensable throughout the terms of 15 Mayors of Portland, including all six of those held by James Phineas Baxter. Edwards made significant contributions to Portland, was an outstanding mapmaker and planner, and his works continue to benefit historians.

Scarborough: They Called It Owascoag - Transportation Through the Years - Page 4 of 4

"… number of accidents between automobiles and horse-drawn vehicles. In 1910 Scarborough citizens, following Portland’s lead, voted to limit the speed…"

New Portland: Bridging the Past to the Future - New Portland: Bridging the Past to the Future

"Agricultural items got to market by a horse drawn tote wagon. There were few paying jobs and that meant little money available for families to…"