Docked at Portland Yacht Services, 100 West Commercial Street, is the Magnificant 175 ft. Schooner “Columbia.” She was Part of the Tall Ships Parade in Portland Harbor Back in July of 2015. (For More Information on This Beautiful Schoonner, Please Visit Post Herein Dated July 17, 2015.) Dylan Salzmann, is Her Captain.
The Historic Portland Obervatory, 138 Congres Street, Now Open Full-Time Until October, Was a Significant Part of the Portland Economy in the 1800s. It is Owned by the City of Portland and Managed by Greater Portlnd Landmarks.
You are invited to participate in the 9th annual “Walk the Working Waterfront” on Saturday, June 8 from noon to 3:30 pm along Commercial Street, in Portland.
The free, self guided walking tour, celebrates the diversity and history of the people, businesses and infrastructure that comprise the heart of Casco Bay’s working waterfront – from Becky’s Diner to the Maine State Pier there will be piers and wharves to explore.
But missing is a celebration of the sailing history and its importance to the economy of Portland and the surrounding communities. Raised in a sailing family, this omission seems particularly unfortunate given Portland’s reliance on the boat industry yesterday and today.
Founded by Captain Lemeul Moody, he (1768-1846) ordered the construction of the 86-foot high tower to serve as a communications station for Portland harbor in 1807. It was a commercial venture designed to give a competitive edge to ship owners who paid Moody a fee of $5.00 a year to alert them when thier ships arrived in Portland harbor.
At the time, ships entering the harbor could not be seen from the docks of Portland until they rounded the point of land at Spring Point Ledge and were almost in the bustling harbor. With his powerful telescope at the top of the Tower, sea-captain Moody could identify incoming vessels as far away as 30 miles. Moody informed subscribing merchants by hoisting signal flags identifying their ships. Merchants often needed time to assemble dock workers to unload their ships. This advance knowledge of their ships arrival in Portland harbor gave ships’ owners needed time to do that. A booth about the Tower at the Walk could inform the public about the economic significance of the historic structure as well as sell some items from the gift shop on Congress Street.
The Tower is on the National HIstoric Landmark list and is the only remaining marine signal Tower in the US.
In 1984, Greater Portland Landmarks assumed management of the Tower for the City of Portland who owns the historic Observatory. The tower is now open seven days a week for the first time since the pandemic. Walk ins only are accepted because no on-line reservations are taken any more. Admssion for adults is $10.00. Children under 6 are free.
On a personl note, my greatgrandfather, Henry Harding a Portland resident, owned a fleet of schooners with his brother. They regularly shipped oysters from Wellfleet, Cape Cod to one of Portland’s wharves for distribution in the Portland area. Henry owned an oyster restaurant in Monument Square as well – “Harding’s Oyster Bar” – the first of its kind in the area.
For more backgroud information on the “Tower”, please visit posts herein dated May 27, 2022, August 14, 2021 and June 30, 2020.