PORTLAND, MAINE
EASTERN SHORE LINE
The largest city in Maine offers the modern treasure seeker good hunting
grounds, especially the eastern side of town. This area is called the
east-end bathing beach. The shore line here was the scene of Indian
attacks and burning of houses back in the year 1775 when Portland was
known as Falmouth Neck. The British Admiral, Mowatt, attacked and
destroyed by shell fire the area from the Eastern Promenade to Monument
Square, and included the waterfront in this destruction.
If you think about this attack you will come to the conclusion that many
historical artifacts were lost in the ruins of the fire. Some of them
are probably still in the area, buried under three or four feet of dirt,
or maybe deeper. Of course the shoreline is built up now, but you still
have a good chance of finding something along the beach, the banking
near the railroad tracks, and some of the surrounding area. As I have
mentioned continually throughout this book, don't under any
circumstances dig without securing the property owner's permission.
Portland was founded by George Cleeves in 1633, so you see that any
article found that dates back to this era would be a real find. The
Portland area as a whole is steeped in history, the first settlers
arriving only thirteen years after the Pilgrims themselves.
A particularly nice spot for the detector to do its work is the foot of
Fort Allen Park along the railroad tracks and shoreline at the base of
the hill.
Many of the old windjammers used to anchor in the channel just off this
point. Therefore, the longboats or small boats from the mother ship
would land on the beach, while their occupants went ashore to complete
business dealings with the shopkeepers concerning cargoes, etc.