A Gift to be Treasured!    by: Julie Ann Larson

Historic Gallery

Greetings! Come all of you, explore and enjoy these hand colored postcards of historical scenes of Portland and Gildersleeve, Connecticut. How many people really know or remember what the brownstone quarries looked like while this precious and economically valuable stone was being cut? Would you like to see the quarries without water in them? Do you know that large ships were built right here in Gildersleeve? Did you ever wonder how? Have you ever seen tobacco being harvested? Did you ever wonder what some special landmarks or landscapes looked like close to two centuries ago? Have you ever seen a horse drawn fire fighting apparatus, or have you ever seen ferries crossing the Connecticut River to and from Portland and Middletown? How about an electric trolley rolling up and down Main Street?
     Well, this is your chance. Just take a step or two down life’s back road with me, but first turn around and go back to the early 1900’s. Even though you are surfing the Internet and visiting this website (perhaps on your own personal computer), beware! You are no longer in the New Millennium.

Click here to enter the Postcard Gallery

This rare and historical treasure comes from the Mr. John David Larson Family (of Portland, CT.) Although most people in the Larson family no longer remember the daily, common stories or the fond memories that went with each postcard, the rare and historical hand colored pictures show us a great deal about life as it was in our part of the Connecticut River Valley in the early to mid twentieth century.

Ernest Lester "Boppy" Larson
December 2, 1909 to February 6, 1984

Although Ernest L. Larson was born in East Hartford, CT, he spent most of his life in Portland.
     He chose to reside in this quaint New England Community, and served on the Board of Selectmen for eight years. He also became the building official and held many volunteer and community positions.
     In addition to his full time public careers, he was also chief of the Portland Volunteer Fire Department Co. #2 (total time served at the company was 50 years), town zoning enforcement officer and civil defense director.

My own late grandfather, Mr. Ernest Lester "Boppy" Larson, handed it down to us –the current generation- almost twenty years ago. It was Boppy’s wish to preserve this treasure and pass on the knowledge that goes with each postcard. It is part of his continuing legacy to his family, his neighbors, and children of all ages. It is a privilege and pleasure to pass it on and urge people to Come On Over.

I feel I also must add this: Most of these postcards were treated well within the past one hundred years. However, they were marked with the normal, natural markings, as would any postcard that went through the mail delivery process. Many of these same cards accompanied my grandfather in his back pocket or beloved shoebox during his frequent childhood trips all around the Connecticut River Valley on the trolley. It is remarkable that we have this treasure all in one piece!

All of these postcards were scanned into a digital format to be graphically and photo enhanced in an editing process to assure the viewer optimum viewing pleasure. Many of the colors have been worn and faded then darkened and changed from their original hue. Still, they are great to look at and to enlarge in order to Escape Back to Portland!

I thank all of you for coming down this road with me for our short journey into the past. Thank you for experiencing a part of this great man’s legacy. Come back as often as you wish and share the nostalgia. I'm sure that my grandfather, who was a wonderful man whom I was very close to, would be very pleased to know that his collection was being enjoyed by countless admirers.

All technical and website inquires and comments should be sent to the web-manager of Portland Online.