Portland, (1) the largest city and chief seaport of Maine, and capital of Cumberland county, on Casco Bay, 108 miles by rail NE. of Boston. It is situated on a narrow peninsula, embracing sq. m., with broad shaded streets, and handsome public and private edifices, including a court and custom-house, post-office, city hall, observatory, and Baxter and Mechanics' Halls. There are rolling-mills, and locomotives, machinery, boilers, stoves, carriages, and shoes manufactured, and sugar and petroleum refined. The harbour, which is defended by three forts, is large, deep, and well sheltered; there are wharves, elevators, and dry-docks, and an important trade is carried on; steamers ply direct to Liverpool in winter. The place was first settled by an English colony in 1632.
In 1866 a fire destroyed 10,000,000 worth of property. Portland is the seat of Episcopal and Roman Catholic bishops, and was the birthplace of Longfellow. Pop. (1870) 31,413; (1890) 36,425.—(2) <b>PORTLAND</b>, the metropolis of Oregon, and capital of Multnomah county, is on the Willamette River, 12 miles from where it joins the Columbia (about 100 from the ocean) and 772 by rail N. of San Francisco. It has railway communication with St Paul and Council Bluffs also, and is a prosperous port of entry, large ocean-going ships coming up to this point. A handsome city, well built, with fine, shaded streets, it has a court-house, a United States government building, numerous churches and schools, and an asylum for the insane. There are iron-foundries, machine-shops, sawmills, canneries, breweries, and manufactures of furniture, flour, shoes, &c. Clearing-house returns show 93,000,000 for 1890—exports, $12,000,000. Portland was founded in 1844, and became a city in 1851. Pop. (1870) 8293; (1880) 17,577; (1890) 46,385.