1953 Map of Portage

About this map

The town of Portage serves as the focal point of this 1953 survey, situated along the Bangor and Aroostook railroad and the southern shores of Portage Lake. The landscape reflects a deeply integrated timber and wilderness economy, marked by numerous seasonal outposts such as Bolstridge Camp, Guerette Camp, and Hoit Camp. Long-established industrial sites like the Old Shingle Mill on McClusky Bk provide evidence of early 20th-century logging practices in the North Maine Woods. Monitoring this heavily forested terrain are high-elevation lookouts, including the Story Hill Fire Tower and Three Brooks Fire Tower atop Pennington Mtn. Navigating the area relies on a network of traditional routes like the Nixon Trail and the Old Chain Bridge, while local genealogy is grounded at sites like Buffalo Cem.