Archived Articles

The following articles were taken from past issues of our municipal newsletter, Portland... On the Move, and are listed according to dates of publication. The original monthly column was called Portland History, Carved in Stone.


May 2016
- Gary O'Neil, a descendant of the Wangunk tribe, describes his Native American ancestors as a ghost people, fast fading into history.

May 2002
- Doris examines three families who lived in the John Worthington House. A sailing pilot, a fatal car crash, and one of the mechanical innovators of the Indian Motorcycle.

April 2002
- Building 584 Main Street. Fascinating insight into the building of a house in the 1770s.

March 2002
- Want to do some research on the history of your house? Doris shows you how.

February 2002
- Two Curious Ministers. Doris wonders why two ministers of the 18th century chose to build their houses where they did.

January 2002
- Doris focuses in on one Stephen Tom of Chatham, a local Indian who served in the Revolutionary War. Stephen Tom Road, in Portland, was named after him.

December 2001
- While relating the tragic tale of the unexpected demise of Mr. Charles Williams, Doris paints a picture in words describing what a familiar section of Portland looked like in the early to mid-nineteenth century.

November 2001
- Want to see a section of Main Street that still portrays what Portland looked like in the 1890s? This article describes where to look, and some of the history behind the buildings and sites.

October 2001
- Doris gives another tour of historical Portland - but this time she does it through the Historical Society's Calendar.Learn the scoop about the houses portrayed.

September 2001
- Doris Sherrow explores the lives of Job Bates (the man who built her house in the 18th century) and some of his children. A fascinating look at real people who were impacted by the French and Indian War and the American Revolution.

August 2001
- Meet John Elsworth, the man responsible for the "Meadows" section of Main Street.

July 2001
- Alfred Allen's Creations. How an old photo of a Federal style house leads Doris into a somewhat vivid experience of the past.

June 2001
- Cato Freeman. Doris Sherrow shares some insight on the life of a black slave who once lived in Portland. As his name suggests, he was eventually emancipated, having served in the Revolutionary War.

May 2001
- Historic Site Markers (Part 2). Bill and Chris Sullivan complete their report on Historic Site Markers.

April 2001
- Historic Site Markers (part1). Bill and Chris Sullivan gave us this summary of some Historic Site Markers around town. A terrific help in finding where they are.

March 2001
- Old Betty. Old Betty was purported to be the last Wangunk Indian living in Portland. Learn what Doris found out about this notable figure form the past.

February 2001
- Buck Library. How did the old Buck Library get its name? Who "passed the Buck?" as they say. Thanks to Doris' crystal ball, we get the inside scoop.

January 2001
- Becoming Portland. "What's in a name? Portland, by any other name, would smell as sweet..." Well, Portland was known by several other names prior to 1841. Will those in charge please make up their mind?

December 2000
- A Portland Revolutionary War Veteran. Part 2 of Samuel Cooper's story.

November 2000
- A Portland Revolutionary War Veteran. Another fascinating 2 part series. This one is about Samuel Cooper, a soldier from the Revolutionary War. Doris gives us a look into his personal life, and the difficulties of the times.

October 2000
- Center Cemetery. Doris led a walking tour of Center Cemetery. Here she discusses some little known facts about it.

September 2000
- Calendar Photos. Doris Sherrow examines the photos published in the Portland Historical Society's calendar.

August 2000
- Portland's Town Seal. Yes, there is a story behind the Town Seal. Check it out.

July 2000
- Do-It-Yourself Walking Tour. You can use this article to take your own walking tour of Indian Hill Avenue.

June 2000
- The Old Town Hall. When moving to the new Town Hall (formerly Central School), we wanted some information about the old Town Hall. What we found was that Portland had quite a few sites from where municipal services were managed.

May 2000
- Riot On Main Street? (220 years ago...). Portland is usually such a quiet place. What's this about a riot on Main Street? Doris Sherrow tells all!

April 2000
- Ship Wreck on the Connecticut River. Doris quotes extensively from Sylvester Gildersleeve regarding a ship wreck. Rescue attempts were made more hazardous by broken ice.

March 2000
- Portland's Jewish Cemetery. Portland has a Jewish Cemetery just off of William Street. Doris uses this as a vehicle to share her insight on this ethnic community in the late 1800s.

February 2000
- Was Stanclift Really First? Doris explores the possibility that James Stanclift was not the first European to settle in what is today Portland.

January 2000
- What happened to the Wangunks? Part 2 continues the short series that discusses Portland's indigenous people.

December 1999
- What happened to the Wangunks? Part 1 of a two part series on the Wangunk Indians, by Doris Sherrow.

November 1999
- Who were the Wangunk?

October 1999
- Portland Country Market. Every building has its history, and this one is a real connection to the past! We still shop there! Check out the history of Portland Country Market. By Doris Sherrow.

September 1999
- Walking Tour. Our good friend Doris talks about a walking tour of downtown Portland that she sponsored, and some of the historical sites she pointed out.

August 1999
- A Burial Back in 1879. Doris Sherrow describes what it was like.

July 1999
- Portland's First European Settler. Doris Sherrow introduces us to James Stanclift.

June 1999
- Which Town Center do you mean? This is the first of many contributions from Doris Sherrow. This one reveals that Portland has shifted its Town Center on more than one occasion.

May 1999
- Portland Water Company. David Kuzminski gives us an overview of Portland's water supply, going back to the 1880s.

April 1999
- Portland Quarries. An introduction to the Brownstone Quarries of earlier times, written by Jack Dillon. Jack discusses some of his own discoveries, studying a ledger book from way back then. Some of the notations are priceless!