Maine Lobsterman Sculpture created by Victor Kahill

 The Maine Lobsterman Sculpture is my fifth site I went to see. It was a beautiful sunny day out when I went to see this sculpture. The sculpture is located in front of the Nickelodeon theater in Portland. The sculpture that is located in Portland is not the original sculpture that Victor Kahill created. The original Maine Lobsterman Sculpture that Kahill created was made out of plaster and was showed of at the 1939 World's Fair in the Hall of States exhibit. The sculpture located in Portland was created out of bronze in 1974 and was placed in Public Square in 1977 by Portland City Council. Fun fact their are two other copies of this sculpture are located in Washington D.C and Harpwell, Maine.

Historical Importance:  
When Victor Kahill create the Maine Lobsterman Sculpture and brought it to the World's Fair he wanted to show the rest of the World that lobstering is not just a way to make a wage in the state of Maine, but lobstering a way of life more many people in Maine. This sculpture does not just represent lobsterman in Maine but the whole fishing industry in Maine and how the fishing industry plays a huge role in Maine culture. People have been fishing Maine's sea for many years before people even settled in Maine. Also, Maine has always been known as main producer of lobster in the United States. In turn makes the fishing industry in Maine strong through out history. An example of lobstering being back of Maine culture for ages is Monhegan Island, which is off the coast of Maine. The main income of all the people living on Monhegan is trapping and selling lobsters and they have been doing this as late as 1883 and have been trapping and selling lobsters even today. This is a great example of how lobsters be a part of the history of Maine's culture.

Sources: The Lobster Coast by Colin Woodard
   http://www.360cities.net/image/lobsterman-sculpture-portland-maine-usa#358.50,0.80,75.0
  http://www.pressherald.com/special/publicart/Open-to-the-public.html?pagenum=full

Abyssinian meeting house

The Abyssinian meeting house is my fourth historically site I went to on a beautifully warm march day. When I showed up to the meeting house I understood that the meeting house was still under restitution, which started in 2006. the meeting house is the third oldest remaining African American meeting house in the United States .But I did not realize it was taking so long to finish after seven years from starting it. I personally believe that a something that played a major role in American history should be better preserved then in its current state.The Abyssinian meeting house is part of the Portland Freedom Trail. It was built by free- African Americans in 1828.

Historical  Importance:
The Abyssinian meeting house was a religious and meeting place for freed African Americans in Portland, Maine. It is also seen as the only Underground Railroad site in Maine. The Abyssinian was a meeting place for abolition and temperance movement. This house is important to Maine history because Maine was literally the one of the  fighting forces to help the abolition and temperance movement. Maine started the temperance movement, which started the Prohibition movement in the United States. Maine and Massachusetts were the fighting forces against slavery because they strongly believe that everyone should enjoy being free.

source: Maine: The Pine Tree State

Gorham Civil War monument

 On March, 30 I walked to the Civil War monument on a warm spring day from my fraternity house down the road. The monument is located on the front lawn of the the Art Gallery at the University of Southern Maine, Gorham campus. As look at the monuments faded names of all the people from Gorham that fought in the Civil War. I realize that this is a peace of American history that many people will never see or know of the contribution that Gorham had in the Civil War. Besides historians studying of Maine's involvement in the Civil War, history majors of the University of Southern Maine, and/or people living in Gorham.

Historical Importance:
 The Civil War monument in Gorham is historically important to Maine's involvement in the Civil War. The civil war monument was erected in Gorham in 1866. The monument was created by William Johnson in Malden, Massachusetts. The civil war monument was funded and erected by Toppan Robie would paid $3,060. This monument was dedicated for to the soldiers who lost their lives in the civil war. The fence enclosing the monument was donated by Col. F. Robie in 1872. The monument shows the significant of Gorham in the Civil War and how far the Civil War effected the country in a bad way with showing how many names are on the monuments. Finally, I believe that Gorham as a community should restore the names of the soldiers because people should know who fought for our country in our country's bloodiest war.


Sources: http://www.maine.gov/civilwar/monuments/gorham.html



    

What is now called the New England Ethical Leadership Center

The New England Ethical Leadership Center or the Odd Fellows meeting hall is my second site visit. This build has been a meeting place for the Odd Fellows, then was a Market palace and now at function hall and a place for Greek Life to conduct business. The owners of the Odd Fellows have been restoring the building from early 2000- present.






 Historical Importance:
This was the meeting place for the Gorham Lodge of the Odd Follows. This lodge was founded on January, 15, 1883. The Odd Fellows mission is

• " To improve and elevate the character of mankind by promoting the principles of friendship,love, truth, faith, hope, charity, and universal justice.
•   To help make the world a better place to live by aiding each other, the community, the less fortunate, the youth, the elderly, and the community in every way possible. 
• To promote good will and harmony  amongst peoples and nations through the principle of universal fraternity, holding the belief that all men and women regardless of race, nationality, religion, social status, gender, rank, and station are brothers and sisters" 

Also, this build was the home to Bert Libby's and Ridlon's store after the Odd Fellows owned it. The store became a main place for Gorham residence in the 1930's.  Like I said earlier this build is know used for Greek Life educational purposes.
Sources: http://books.google.com/books?id=c1tAAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=history+of+gorham&hl=en&sa=X&ei=521YUaq7M6fB4AP4voGADA&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=odd%20fellows%20&f=false page 365
http://www.mainememory.net/artifact/15711
http://www.ioof.org/ourmission.html

Lewis McLellan

The Lewis McLellan house is were I live at which is in Gorham. The McLellan house is the current home to the brothers of the Iota Nu chapter of the Sigma Nu Fraternity. McLellan Houses first two floors were build by Lewis's father Samuel when Maine was still part of Massachusetts. Then Lewis added the third floor and the cupola when Maine became a state. Fun fact the cupola got burnt down in 1989 because of faulty wiring. Another fun fact is that Lewis's last name is missed spelled on the plaque next to the front door by Greater Portland Landmarks by spelling it McLellen instead of McLellan. 


Historical Overview: 

Lewis McLellan is historically important political figure to the town of Gorham . Lewis took a lot of interest in many different aspects of the town of Gorham. Mr. McLellan was a board of selectmen for the town of Gorham for many years (1885-86-93-94-95-97-98). He was also a country treasurer for three years. The McLellan family was also one of the first families to live in Gorham.Lewis McLellan is a related to Hugh McLellan who was one of the first people to settle in Gorham and he the first person to build a brick house in all of Gorham.

Source:http://books.google.com/books?id=c1tAAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&dq=history+of+Gorham&hl=en&sa=X&ei=4GlbUe3jJtPI4APm8IGQBw&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=history%20of%20Gorham&f=false

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