Portland has 52 churches, among which are three Baptist, three Roman Catholic, 14 Congregational, four Episcopal, three Lutheran, 15 Methodist, one Presbyterian, two Second Advent, two Unitarian and five Universalist churches. No city of its size has more benevolent societies.
Courts and Police There are United States courts, circuit and district; supreme-judicial; superior; probate and munic ipal courts. The police department is under the charge of a chief and two deputies. The mayor is at the head of the deparment. The cost of maintenance for 1915, including pen sions ($5,007.93), was $129,760.14.
Portland has 271 manufac turing establishments, of which by last public report the output was valued at $11,950,000. The industries include boot and shoe factories, rolling-mills, foundries, machine shops, loco motive works, engine and boiler works, pe troleum refineries, match factory, chemical works, carriage and sleigh factories, manufac tories of stoneware, jewelry, edge tools, var nishes, soap, meat-packing establishments, cooperage shops, lumber mills, etc. The capital invested in these industries, according to last census, was $9,597,000. Shipbuilding is still car ried on, though of less importance, relatively, than in former years. Fishing and the shell fish industry are extensively pursued. The assessed property valuation (1915) was $71, 843,235. Net public debt, $408,937.71. Tax rate (per $100), $2.28.
Trade and In the earlier days Portland had an extensive and valuable trade with the West Indies, a portion of which it still enjoys. It has large commercial interests and is noted for its exports of grain, fruit and live stock. Exports in 1916 from Grand Trunk piers and elevators: Grain, 1,092,622 tons; package freight, 122,593 tons; horses, 22,593; mules, 6,194; also 39,083 pieces of cooperage stock. Imports (trans-Atlantic), 16,260 tons; sulphur, 102,344 tons; pulp wood, 20,205 tons; china clay, 38,861 tons; fire clay, 13,315 tons; lumber, 1,575 tons; ore, 6,644 tons. The fish receipts were approximately 13,960 tons. Mis cellaneous: Mexican crude petroleum oil, 21, 769,104 gallons; coal, 1,511,168 net tons; salt, 3,184 tons; through this port by water, 75,614 tons. The harbor is of easy access, capacious, safe, deep enough for the largest vessels and rarely obstructed by ice; hence it is an import ant seat of winter traffic between Great Britain and Canada. There are docks and other facili ties for the repair of vessels. The greater part
of the steamship-carrying trade to and from foreign parts is in British ships. The coasting trade is extensive. England, France, Portugal, Uruguay, Haiti, Argentine Republic, Norway and Sweden maintain consular service here.
Portland has 14 newspapers; six political, two religious, one agricultural, one Masonic, four miscellaneous.
There are five national banks, with a capital of $2,000,000; five trust companies, with a capital of $1,000,000; two savings banks (resources), $34,186,217.25.
Insurance with assets of $18,537,161.04.
In 1623 Christopher Levett of York, England, visited the Maine coast and under a patent embracing the present site of Portland built on one of the islands in the harbor a fort, in which he placed 10 men and sailed for England, intending to return and plant a colony. To the site of his proposed plantation he gave the name York, from his native city. The project failed, owing to war between England and France, and the place remained uninhabited by Europeans until 1632, when George Cleeve and Richard Tucker of England made a settlement on the eastern ex tremity of the peninsula within the limits of the present city of Portland. The Indian name of the place was Machegonne and was entitled in the patent to Cleeve and Tucker Stogomor, from Stogumber, the birthplace of Tucker. This was shortly changed to Casco Neck. In 1658 the name wased to Falmouth. The In dians made an attack on the town in 1676, burn ing houses, killing some of the inhabitants and making many captives. It was completely de stroyed by the French and Indians in 1690. The General Court authorized its resettlement in 1714, and in 1716 it was resettled by Col. Samuel Moody, who soon gathered about him about 50 families. On 10 March 1719 the first town meeting was held. The town suffered severely during the Revolutionary War from a bombardment by a British fleet in 1775. It was again rebuilt, and in 1836 received its first city charter. On 4 July 1866 a fire destroyed 1,500 buildings, involving a loss of $10,000,000. Long fellow, N. P. Willis, William Pitt Fessenden, Neal Dow and Thomas B. Reed were natives of Portland. Pop. at present time estimated at 65,000.
Neal, (1874) ; Willis, 'History of (1865) ; Elwell, 'Portland and (1876) ; 'George Cleeve and His Times) (1885) ; 'Portland in the (1886) ; 'Christopher Levett> (1893) ; Powell, 'Historic Towns of New (1898).