Reflections on 50th Anniversary of Union Station's Destruction

Just Maine Central Railroad's lines, 1923

Contrary to the stereotype of Maine as a wilderness outpost, in the 19th century the state was riddled with steam and electric rail lines. Maine railways connected passengers and freight to cities on the eastern seaboard as far south as Washington, D.C. and well into Canada.

Steam and sailing ships unloading at Portland waterfront

Portland was one of Maine's significant "transportation breaks" or places where multiple forms of transportation intersected and transferred people and things from one place to another. Shipping met steam railroads, electric railways, and horse-drawn vehicles.

I remember my mother telling me how, after WWII, she would board a Grand Trunk train on India Street bound for Montreal with her skis thrown over her shoulder. Public transportation to Canada for skiing? It's a marvel to us today.

Union Station, represented on a postcard

Destruction of Union Station, Portland

Fifty years ago yesterday, Portland even boasted a railroad terminal replete with pink granite walls, rounded turrets, and marble floors. Fifty years ago today, it did not. As this article in the Portland Press Herald pointed out, the destruction of this magnificent structure was a turning point in the history of Maine's heritage preservation movement and one that led to the creation of Portland Landmarks.

View down 19th c. Commercial Street - note railways and ship masts

Although both Union Station and most of the Grand Trunk buildings are gone now, you can still see traces of Portland's rail history, if you know where to look. Take Commercial Street, for example. Portland's waterfront used to be positioned at Fore Street until the Atlantic & St. Lawrence Railroad filled in the shoreline and built a wide, straight street that would accommodate a rail line running down its middle.

Until recently, those rail lines still ran down the spine of Commercial Street. When I was learning to drive, I remember my father shouting at me to avoid driving parallel to the tracks; he said the rails would cut the tires. Whether they really would or not, I don't know, but I learned how to weave back and forth across the rails, without seeming as though I was an intoxicated driver. The rails were removed or paved over years ago, but next time you're walking or driving down Commercial Street, take a moment. Appreciate the wide straight street parallel to the waterfront. Imagine ships nosed up to the wharves, trains plying their way down the middle of the street, and horse-drawn vehicles dodging to and fro. And don't forget to watch where you step.