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Long Island is an island town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States, which seceded from the city of Portland in 1993. The population was 234 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine Metropolitan Statistical Area. [edit] History
Long Island, like other Casco Bay islands, was originally inhabited in the warm months by Native Americans until European settlers first arrived in the 17th century. Col. Ezekiel Cushing purchased the island in 1732 and is credited with being the first European to settle and build a house on the island. He died in 1765, and willed the island to his nine surviving children. Soon after, other settlers arrived to make a livelihood out of farming, fishing, and catching lobsters. During World War II, Casco Bay became United States Navy base Sail for destroyers escorting HX, SC, and ON convoys of the Battle of the Atlantic. Facilities constructed on the island included the Torpedo Control Officers School of the Portland Naval Training Center, a navy supply pier with a naval fuel annex often cited as a source of contamination for both the island's marsh and Casco Bay, and the Naval Auxiliary Air Facility Casco Bay seaplane base operated as part of Naval Air Station Brunswick from 14 May 1943 to 15 December 1946. The United States Army Coast Artillery Corps built two batteries of 90 mm dual-purpose guns on the island as the Long Island Military Reservation, part of the Harbor Defenses of Portland. After the war, tourism became the most popular industry, and several small stores, a fire station, and a K–5 school (1953) were built. In the summer, several hundred or even thousands of tourists travel from places such as Massachusetts and New York to vacation in their summer cottages. The island was originally part of the city of Portland, which re-evaluated property taxes in 1990. Due in part to high real estate prices paid by out-of-state residents and property aesthetic values, property taxes increased substantially. Many residents felt this move created an unfair discrepancy between the money paid to the City of Portland and the services they received in return. The island voted to secede from Portland, and on July 1, 1993, the island was declared the Town of Long Island. The Long Island Historical Society now houses every news article that was printed about the secession movement as well as video and film footage of the secession ceremonies. These archives also include copies of the local and national news coverage given to the community during its "rebellion". [edit] Research Tips
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