Historic Portland Discussion

[Portlander]

A historic thread on Portland would not be complete without a photo of Union Station thanks to the Detroit Publishing Company.

 

[nomc]

View attachment 35626
A historic thread on Portland would not be complete without a photo of Union Station thanks to the Detroit Publishing Company.

Now if someone could just Photoshop in a giant parking garage we'd know what it would have looked like in 2023.

 

[Cosakita18]

View attachment 35620
Portland's other impressive train station, Grand Trunk on India Street.

I always wonder what Portland would be like today if the Grand Trunk Railroad had ever really lived up to its full potential. When the GT first came to Portland there were grand plans for the eastern waterfront to become a major port of call for transatlantic steamers. When the famous SS Great Eastern was first launched in the UK, Portland was a strong contender to be its North American port of call and the GT even built a pier to accommodate the ship) Later on, The White Star Line, Leyland line and Inman Line and a few other steamship lines had steamers calling in Portland semi-regularly (More during the winter months when the St. Lawrence was unnavigable) but the passenger / immigrant trade in Portland never really took off the way they had hoped and the port facilities on the eastern waterfront were never expanded. By the time of World War 2 they had become quite outdated.

The Grand Trunk was nationalized in 1923 and much of Canada's grain export traffic started going through Halifax instead of Portland....ending Portland's "golden age" of growth.

 

[Portlander]

Eastland Hotel nearing completion around 1927.

 

[Portlander]

Cosakita, interesting history on the Grand Trunk Railroad. The opening of the Saint Lawrence and Canada investing money and making infrastructure improvements on its own ports was the beginning of the end for Portland's boom period. Props to John Poor for having the vision to connect Portland to Montreal and other Canadian markets by building Commercial Street with fill, one mile in length and 100 feet wide and putting tracks down the middle in 1850!

 

[Portlander]

A salute to the grand dame of Maine skyscrapers. There was only one taller building in all of New England (Boston) at the time of it's completion in 1910!

 

[markhb]

Summer day in the late 60's with the WCSH Sidewalk Art Festival going on, notice the two traffic on High Street.

I believe the festival was on Saturdays, which would make this 1967. I'd wonder who the attractive lady was with the black suitcase but there's a non-zero chance that it could be my mom.

 

[Portlander]

Oh I definitely noticed her with the Bewitched/That Girl hair style and she would probably be in her mid 70's today.

 

[Portlander]

One for Corey and his UNUM roots!

 

[Portlander]

Future home of One City Center in 1985.

 

[Cosakita18]

Future home of One City Center in 1985.

Correct me if i'm wrong...but this looks to be more like the early-mid 70s??

Maine's Billboard ban took effect in 1978 so it would likely be before that

 

[Portlander]

The good old days when we had a Wendy's, McDonalds and a Burger King all within 3 blocks of each other! I wish they would have kept the KARATE sign and turned it into an illuminated PORTLAND sign that are found in other cities.

 

[Portlander]

Correct me if i'm wrong...but this looks to be more like the early-mid 70s??

The newest car I can pick out would be the early 70's Cadillac so you are pretty close.

 

[Portlander]

I really want one of these illuminated signs on Congress Street!

 

[markhb]

Best chance for an illuminated sign like that would be on the State Theater, which had one at one time.

I remember that Wendy's in the spot where Space is now; that was the era when they had the tables with the old-time newspaper ads, Tiffany lamps over the tables, and IIRC the dining area was carpeted. They also charged an extra 15c for tomatoes.

I also remember one old-time Shaw's like the one shown above, but I don't know if it was there, or where Paul's Food Center was up near Congress Square, or what. (I've also sent a message to my cousin, because the lady in turquoise in that Sidewalk Art Festival photo REALLY looks like my aunt.)

 

[Portlander]

The State Theater sign has been totally renovated and is illuminated. But I want a PORTLAND sign as you approach Monument Square, maybe I could start a Go Fund Me account to raise money! How cool would that be if it's really your aunt, the woman with the white shoes and bracelet looking towards the PMA?

 

[markhb]

The State Theater sign has been totally renovated and is illuminated. But I want a PORTLAND sign as you approach Monument Square, maybe I could start a Go Fund Me account to raise money! How cool would that be if it's really your aunt, the woman with the white shoes and bracelet looking towards the PMA?

I know the main portico / marquee has been redone; it also had a matching vertical sign at one time which is what I was referring to : https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=164271123637322&set=a.358731687524597 .

In the 80's, Landmarks did a survey of Congress St. facades, and included the opinon that the Karate sign on Sensei Groff's dojo had become significant enough that perhaps it should be preserved. Alas, it wasn't. But I do see your point about an illuminated "Portland" sign; maybe on the Historical Society building if not on the old Karate place?

 

[Portlander]

Prepare for a meltdown from Daniel. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

 

[Portlander]

Great idea Mark. Or maybe where the old Casco Bank sign was attached to the Chapman Building. Talk about perfect visibility in the center of downtown especially if that building finally receives it's makeover and they could name the new hotel "The Portland"!

 

[DanielPWM19]

View attachment 35633
Future home of One City Center in 1985.

Hard to believe NONE of these buildings were worth saving or are in any worse condition than what's in the Old Port. Meanwhile - space at the future One & Two Portland Square, Canal, Top of the Old Port, etc (where the buildings weren't valuable at all) could have housed One City Center et al.

The Post Office, Theaters, and Train Stations legit make me sad. You can't build this stuff today. Grand Trunk would have made a lovely Public Market, wedding venue, any # of things.

I digress ...