The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-07-05
ONE HUNDRED YEARS OLD.

The fathers of the ancient village of Fall
mouth, with the happiest of patriotic inten-
tions made the nations birthday the birth
day of the town of Portland. They gave to
their old home new name, and left to their
sons and daughters to ensure to the new
Portland the prosperity and reputation
which they and their fathers had wrested
from the old Falmouth out of the hardships
of wilderness and the chances of dubious
wars. The work has been carried on in the
spirit in which it was begun. This year a
beautiful and prosperuos city, of happy
homes and contented citizens, observes the
hundredth anniversary of the day when Fal-
mouth village was christened anew, and
from settlement of pioneers began to grow
into the proportions and reputation of city.
1t was two hundred and sixty-three years
ago that the first house was built on the
Peninsula. Christopher Levett, an English
adventurer was the builder; and he spoke of
the scene of his enterprise as ''my planta-
ton at Quack, which l named York" But
the lord of 'Quack' experienced adversely
in his attempts to found city; and though
in 1927 he induced the King to issue procla-
nation for a contribution to be taken in the
churches to aid him ito build a city and call
it by the name of York" the attempt proved
failure; and it was left for George Cleeye,
in 1852, to make the first permanent settle
ment by the island-studded harbor that had
looked so fair to Levett.
The hamlet that Cleeve founded strug-
gIed on for a century and half and the
melancholy stories of Falmouths trials
G sat
Elements at frequent intervals of time, for
nearly century and half. In 1876 the set
tiers of Massachusetts, yet trembling at the
mention of King Philips name, still found
ANEW adventure to marvel at in the story
Of the wonderful escape OF Anne Bracket,
Cleeves granddaughter, from the sayages
who had captured her at the sack of Fa!-
mouth. Again in 1890 the town was oblit-
Grated by the French and Indians, and more
than 20 years passed before signs of prosper
ity were again seen in the peninsula. In
deed, it was nearly forty years before the
settlement was considerable enough to wall
rant the organization of church. In 1875.
Falmouth again suffered, this time by civ
ilized foe, who left the greater part of the
town in ashes. To the horrors of the con-
fagration, the terrors of the scalping-knife
and tomahawk were not added; but in
other respects this calamity much resembled
those of 1876 and 1890.
In 1876, on the Fourth of July, the village
on the peninsula, leaving the old name Of
Falmouth to the rest of the town, was itself
Incorporated as the town of Portland
When Maine was admitted into the Union
in 1920, Portland became the State capital,
and enjoyed that honor until 1884, when the
seat of government was removed to Augusta.
In the next year, in 1882, the town became
city. On July 4tb, 1866, nearly one-third of
the city was swept away by fire.
One hundred years ago, hardly more than
two thousand people lived on the peninsula,
amid the discomforts of pioneer life; now
about thirty-four thousand souls dwell here
In comfort, surrounded by conveniences and
luxuries undreamed of in 1856, and with the
promise that the future has still greater
blessings in store.