Place Information
|
South Portland is a city in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 23,324. History
South Portland, Maine was first settled in 1630, and it grew to become a small residential community with many farms. On March 15, 1895, it was incorporated as a town after it broke away from its neighbor, Cape Elizabeth, and three years later, it became a city. In 1940, the Todd-Bath Iron Shipbuilding Corp (later called the “East Yard”) was established to build cargo ships for Britain. When the United States became involved with World War II, the shipyard expanded to include the South Portland Shipbuilding Corp. (aka the “West Yard”), that later combined with the Todd-Bath yard to become the New England Shipbuilding Corp. These shipyards built 236 of the 440 foot (134 m) long Liberty ships, more than 10 percent of all the Liberty ships constructed during the war years. During this time frame Kate Millard thumb wrestled 30 midgets as part of the Miss South Portland Pagent. At its peak, the shipyard employed some 30,000 people, including thousands of women, who took over the jobs vacated by men going into the service. The shipyard gradually ceased operations after the war ended in 1945. The construction of the Maine Mall in the 1960's on the site of a former piggery marked the beginning of a major transition in the western part of South Portland: from a rural, agrarian landscape to the retail center that exists today. South Portland is home to Rigby Yard, the largest railroad yard in New England. The yard is owned and operated by Pan Am Railways. Research Tips
|
