Map of Portland, Maine peninsula, 1876

Map of Portland, Maine Horse Rail Lines, 1876
Maximilian Dörrbecker (Chumwa), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Our Series begins with Paul J. Ledman speaking on how Portland’s landscape and people have changed with its economies.

Presenter: Paul J. Ledman
Saturday, January 27
1:30pm at USM Glickman Library
Donations gladly accepted

Portland has undergone many economic transformations over the centuries. The city has been a:

  • Shipbuilding and fishing center

  • Important point for exports

  • Industrial hub

  • Growing center for research and the service economy (most recently)

This evolution has affected not only its people but also the land. Over the centuries, hundreds of acres, where people live and work, have been "reclaimed" from the city’s adjacent waterways. Ledman will illustrate this process of infilling while also discussing the historical patterns and trends which connect us to this process.

This is the first in our 3-event 2024 lecture series. Find out more about the details of the lecture or about our February and March lectures happening on the last Saturday of each month: Winter Lecture Series 2024.

Note: Parking at USM is no longer free, so arrive early to pay online or find a space on the street.

“When history is viewed as a continual process, the linkages between events become clearer and easier to discern.” - Paul J. Ledman

Guess what cemetery fan group has its own shirts, caps, playing cards, and tote bags? Spirits Alive does, that’s who! Visit us on Zazzle to view all of our products. Please know that proceeds go directly back to Spirits Alive to help us fund our work to keep the Eastern Cemetery cared for and to teach others about its wonders.

Support Eastern Cemetery

You can help Spirits Alive keep the Eastern Cemetery alive for generations to come. Through your support, you can help us, an ALL-VOLUNTEER organization, to continue to:

  • Keep the gates open – encouraging the community to explore its open and safe green space

  • Offer education about the cemetery and its residents to the public – through tours, lectures, and events

  • Encourage and support the city in keeping the site clean and safe for visitors of all ages

  • Preserve this incredible outdoor museum and sacred historic landscape

Donate to Spirits Alive

Spirits Alive is a non-profit, all-volunteer organization dedicated to the protection and preservation of Portland, Maine’s historic Eastern Cemetery through a range of activities including promotion and education.