358 B and M Wharf, Portland, 1924
Item 93157 info
City of Portland - Planning & Development
Coal Diggers and Trestle
358 Boston and Maine Wharf
Coal Diggers and Trestle, seen here, were state of the art in 1924, replacing the little used grain elevators. Coal was first shipped to the port in a barrel in 1830, then began arrived by coastal barges, mostly from Virginia. Railroad tracks ran the length of the waterfront
In the days of coal pockets on Commercial Street, shopkeepers as far away as Fore and Exchange streets had to sweep their sidewalks daily to remove coal dust.
The grain elevators experienced a brief rebirth during World War II, but were torn down in the 1970s. The elegant station was demolished in 1966.
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