The New Student's Reference Work/Portland, Me.

Portland, Me., largest city and chief port of entry in Maine, is situated on Casco Bay, about 60 miles from Augusta, the capital of the state, and about 100 miles from Boston. A number of islands in the bay are included in the corporation. The Grand Trunk Railroad and six other lines terminate at Portland, and regular lines of steamers connect the city with New York, Boston and other points on the Atlantic coast. The harbor, which is defended by five forts, is deep enough for vessels of all sizes and is seldom frozen. A large foreign trade is carried on with the West Indies and with European and South American countries, the imports and exports amounting to $15,918,492 in 1906. Portland was permanently settled by an English colony in 1632. Neal Dow, Longfellow, Thomas B. Reed and N. P. Willis were born at Portland, and William Pitt Fessenden lived there. In 1866 a destructive fire swept over the city, destroying property to the amount of $10,000,000, but the burned district has long since been rebuilt. Population 58,571.