1944 Map of Portland East

About this map

The coastal defenses of Casco Bay dominate this mid-century survey, revealing a landscape defined by military readiness and maritime commerce during the final years of the Second World War. Heavy fortifications including Fort McKinley on Great Diamond Island, Fort Levett on Cushing Island, and Fort Williams at the southern tip stand as sentinels over the harbor approaches. To the north, the affluent residential character of Falmouth Foreside and the Portland Country Club contrasts with the industrial waterfront, where the Grand Trunk railroad lines and the U S Marine Hospital mark the edge of the city. Numerous islands such as Peak Island and Long Island show a mix of civilian settlement, shown at Mariner and Trefethen, and extensive Army Reservation and Naval Reservation zones. Navigational markers like Portland Breakwater Light and the Spring Point Ledge Light secure the vital Fore River and Portland Harbor channels.