(L-R) Phil Morse; Myles Smith; Oakhurst Diary, 1951, courtesy of Maine Historical Society, MaineMemory.net #20276.
A two-part program tracing Forest Avenue's transportation history: Phil Morse of the Seashore Trolley Museum covers Maine's second-largest electric railway, from Portland's first horsecar in 1863 to the last trolley run in 1941. Myles Smith of Mainers for Smarter Transportation picks up from there — how the car took over, turning Forest Avenue into an auto mile of dealerships and strip malls, and how postwar traffic engineering made it one of Maine's most dangerous streets. Now, residents and city leaders are working to reclaim it as a true neighborhood center.
Levine’s Clothing Store, ca. 1912. Collections of Maine Historical Society, MaineMemory.net #5579
Our last virtual lecture in the Winter/Spring transportation-themed series: David Freidenreich explores the discriminatory practice of redlining, how it impacted marginalized populations, and the unique ways Portland’s Jews overcame this oppressive practice. Presented in collaboration with the Maine Jewish Museum.
Images: Collections of Maine Historical Society/MaineToday Media, left #12575, right #104859; Maine Historical Society, center #12087
Exhibit now Open!
Discover how Portland's identity has been carved by the routes we've traveled. From maritime commerce that built a bustling port city to the streetcars, railways, and highways that connected neighborhoods and spurred growth, transportation has been the invisible architect of Portland's landscape. Watch as neighborhoods took root near wharves and rail yards, clustering around the workplaces that sustained them, then follow the transformation as trolleys and automobiles unlocked suburban expansion and reshaped the boundaries of community.
MORE PROGRAMMING TO COME!
cHECK bACK TO lEARN MORE ABOUT THESE UPCOMING lECTURES
Redlining and Portland’s Jewish Community w/ David Freidenreich
Type: Lunch and Learn
Date: Thursday, April 15, 2026
Time: 1:00 PM
Location: Online via Zoom
