PORTLAND MAINE HOTEL REGISTER Pre - WWII Handwritten Travel Ledger/Diary 1937 - 1942
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:1718 | Year Printed: 1937 |
| Subject: Exploration & Travel | Topic: Travel |
| Original/Facsimile: Original | Binding: Hardcover |
| Special Attributes: 1st Edition, Manuscript |
FANTASTIC, ORIGINAL VINTAGE HOTEL REGISTER FROM COASTAL MAINE. This terrific volume dates from 1937-1942 and was kept by an unnamed hotel in the city of Portland, Maine. Vintage ledger was acquired with other old material from Portland and verso of front cover bears label of longtime Portand, Maine stationer [W. W.] Roberts. Various entries in book reflect hotel's seaside Maine location. Summer vacation property was open for business from July through early September and the most guest...s that checked-in on any one day was about a dozen. Thus, hotel was a small property which may have had "inn" associated with its name.
Fascinating vintage ledger contains the signature of hundreds of guests who stayed during the summer months of the years leading up to the nation's entry into World War Two and the first couple years of the war. People who owned the inn may have had a son who fought in the war, as the entries end abruptly during wartime (reminiscent of "Summer of '42"). Entries here such as "Sloop Flying Fish", "Ketch Nomad", "Free Bait", etc. reveal hotel's seaside location and its impressive clientele was geographically diverse. Guests traveled from far and wide for the privilege of lodging at this coastal Maine establishment with names here from places like Miami, Florida; San Antonio, Texas; Duluth, Minnesota; Cincinnati, Ohio; Detroit and Grosse Point, Michigan; Duluth, Minnesota; Omaha, Nebraska; St. Louis, Missouri; Palo Alto and Newport Beach, California; Berryville, Virginia; Black Mountain, North Carolina; Chicago, Illinois, Brooklyn, New York; etc. Even international cities such as London, England can be found here along with many places throughout Maine and elsewhere in New England. An absolutely fabulous manuscript artifact of a small Maine hotel leading up to WWII.
Portland is located in Cumberland County, Maine. According to recent census figures, the city is home to a population of about 67, 067. Over half a million people, more than one-third of Maine's total population, reside in the Greater Portland metropolitan area making it the most populous metro in northern New England (an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont). Portland is also Maine's economic center, with an economy that relies heavily on the service sector and tourism. The Old Port district is known for its 19th-century architecture and nightlife. Marine industry still plays an important role in the city's economy, with an active waterfront that supports fishing and commercial shipping. The Port of Portland is the largest tonnage seaport in all of New England.
The city has also seen growth in the technology sector, with companies such as Wex building headquarters in the city. The city seal depicts a phoenix rising from ashes, which is a reference to the recoveries from four devastating fires. Portland was named after the English Isle of Portland, Dorset. In turn, the city of Portland, Oregon was named after Portland, Maine. Portland itself comes from the Old English word Portlanda, which literally means "land surrounding a harbor".
Native Americans, originally called the Portland peninsula Machigonne ("Great Neck"). Portland was named for the English Isle of Portland, and the city of Portland, Oregon, was in turn named for Portland, Maine. The first European settler was Capt. Christopher Levett, an English naval captain granted 6, 000 acres in 1623 to found a settlement in Casco Bay. A member of the Council for New England and agent for Ferdinando Gorges, Levett built a stone house where he left a company of ten men, then returned to England to write a book about his voyage to bolster support for the settlement. Ultimately, the settlement was a failure and the fate of Levett's colonists is unknown. The explorer sailed from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony to meet John Winthrop in 1630, but never returned to Maine. Fort Levett in the harbor is named for him.
The peninsula was settled in 1632 as a fishing and trading village named Casco. When the Massachusetts Bay Colony took over Casco Bay in 1658, the town's name changed again to Falmouth. In 1676, the village was destroyed by the Abenakiduring King Philip's War. It was rebuilt. During King William's War, a raiding party of French and their native allies attacked and largely destroyed it again in the Battle of Fort Loyal (1690). On October 18th, 1775, Falmouth was burned in the Revolution by the Royal Navy under command of Captain Henry Mowat. Following the war, a section of Falmouth called The Neck developed as a commercial port and began to grow rapidly as a shipping center. In 1786, the citizens of Falmouth formed a separate town in Falmouth Neck and named it Portland, after the isle off the coast of Dorset, England. Portland's economy was greatly stressed by the Embargo Act of 1807 (prohibition of trade with the British), which ended in 1809, and the War of 1812, which ended in 1815.
In 1820, Maine was established as a state with Portland as its capital. In 1832, the capital was moved north and East to Augusta. In 1851, Maine led the nation by passing the first state law prohibiting the sale of alcohol except for "medicinal, mechanical or manufacturing purposes." The law subsequently became known as the Maine law, as 18 states quickly followed. On June 2nd, 1855, the Portland Rum Riot occurred. In 1853, upon completion of the Grand Trunk Railway to Montreal, Portland became the primary ice-free winter seaport for Canadian exports. The Portland Company manufactured more than 600 19th-century steam locomotives. Portland became a 20th-century rail hub as five additional rail lines merged into Portland Terminal Company in 1911. Following nationalization of the Grand Trunk system in 1923, Canadian export traffic was diverted from Portland to Halifax, Nova Scotia, resulting in marked local economic decline. In the 20th century, icebreakers later enabled ships to reach Montreal in winter, drastically reducing Portland's role as a winter port for Canada.
On June 26th, 1863, a Confederate raiding party led by Captain Charles Read entered the harbor at Portland leading to the Battle of Portland Harbor, one of the northernmost battles of the Civil War. The 1866 Great Fire of Portland, Maine, on July 4th, 1866, ignited during the Independence Day celebration, destroyed most of the commercial buildings in the city, half the churches and hundreds of homes. More than 10, 000 people were left homeless. By act of the Maine Legislature in 1899, Portland annexed the city of Deering, despite a vote by Deering residents rejecting the annexation, thereby greatly increasing the size of the city and opening areas for development beyond the peninsula.
The construction of The Maine Mall, an indoor shopping center established in the suburb of South Portland, during the 1970s, economically depressed downtown Portland. The trend reversed when tourists and new businesses started revitalizing the old seaport, a part of which is known locally as the Old Port. Since the 1990s, the historically industrial Bayside neighborhood has seen rapid development, including attracting a Whole Foods and Trader Joes supermarkets, as well as Baxter Academy, an increasingly popular charter school. Other rapidly developing neighborhoods include the India Street neighborhood near the Ocean Gateway and Munjoy Hill, where many modern condos have been built. The Maine College of Art has been a revitalizing force downtown, attracting students from around the country. The historic Porteous building on Congress Street was restored by the College.
Portland has become Maine's economic capital due to the city having Maine's largest port, largest population, and close proximity to Boston (105 miles to the south). Over the years, the local economy has shifted from fishing, manufacturing, and agriculture towards a more service-based economy. Most national financial services organizations such as Bank of America and Key Bank base their Maine operations in Portland. Unum, TruChoice Federal Credit Union, People's United Bank, ImmuCell Corp, and Pioneer Telephonehave headquarters here, and Portland's neighboring cities of South Portland, Westbrook and Scarborough, provide homes for other corporations including Idexx and Wex Inc. Since 1867, Burnham & Morrill Co., maker of B&M Baked Beans, has had its main plant in Portland and is considered a landmark. The city of Portland continues to experience an economic revival.
The Arts District, centered on Congress Street, is home to the Portland Museum of Art, Portland Stage Company, Maine Historical Society & Museum, Portland Public Library, Maine College of Art, Children's Museum of Maine, SPACE Gallery, Merrill Auditorium, the Kotzschmar Memorial Organ, and Portland Symphony Orchestra, as well as many smaller art galleries and studios. Baxter Boulevard around Back Cove, Deering Oaks Park, the Eastern Promenade, Western Promenade, Lincoln Park and Riverton Park are all historical parks within the city. Other parks and natural spaces include Payson Park, Post Office Park, Baxter Woods, Evergreen Cemetery, Western Cemetery and the Fore River Sanctuary. Thompson's Point, in the Libbytown neighborhood, has been a focus of renovation and redevelopment during the 2010s. The location hosts a concert venue, ice rink, hotels, restaurants, wineries, and breweries.
Other sites of interest include the Casco Bay Islands, Cross Insurance Arena, East End Beach, Exchange Street (the "Old Port" area), Hadlock Field home of the Portland Sea Dogs, Portland Exposition Building, home of the Maine Red Claws, Longfellow Arboretum, Neal S. Dow House, Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum, Martin's Point, McLellan-Sweat Mansion, The Portland Club, Portland Head Light Lighthouse, Portland Observatory, Portland Stage Company, University of New England, University of Southern Maine (USM), Victoria Mansion, and Wadsworth-Longfellow House.
Portland also comprises more than 700 acres of open space and public parks. The city and surrounding communities are linked by 70 miles of trails, both urban and wooded, maintained by the nonprofit Portland Trails. Well-known and historic parks include Deering Oaks Park, Eastern Promenade, Western Promenade, Baxter Boulevard, Lincoln Park, Congress Square Park, Payson Park, East End Beach, Riverside Golf Course, , Fort Sumner Park, Baxter Woods, Fore River Sanctuary, Quarry Run Dog Park, and Riverton Trolley Park.
The spire of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception has been a notable feature of the Portland skyline since its completion in 1854. In 1859, Ammi B. Young designed the Marine Hospital, the first of three local works by Supervising Architects of the U.S. Treasury Department. Although the city lost to redevelopment its 1867 Greek Revival post office, which was designed by Alfred B. Mullett of white Vermont marble and featured a Corinthian portico, Portland retains his equally monumental 1872 granite Second Empire–Renaissance Revival custom house.
A more recent building of note is Franklin Towers, a 16-story residential tower completed in 1969. At 175 feet, it is Portland's (as well as Maine's) tallest building. It is next to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on the city skyline. During the building boom of the 1980s, several new buildings rose on the peninsula, including the 1983 Charles Shipman Payson Building by Henry N. Cobb of Pei, Cobb, Freed & Partners at the Portland Museum of Art complex (a component of which is the 1801 McLellan-Sweat Mansion), and the Back Bay Tower, a 15-story residential building completed in 1990. Another major landmark is 477 Congress Street (known locally as the Time and Temperature Building), situated near Monument Square in the Arts District. The 14-story building features a large electronic sign that can be seen from nearly all of downtown Portland.
In addition to the city (and county seat) of Portland, Cumberland County today also comprises the cities of South Portland, and Westbrook; the towns of Baldwin, Bridgton, Brunswick, Cape Elizabeth, Casco, Chebeague Island, Cumberland, Falmouth, Freeport, Frye Island, Gorham, Gray, Harpswell, Harrison, Long Island, Naples, New Gloucester, North Yarmouth, Pownal, Raymond, Scarborough, Sebago, Standish, Windham, and Yarmouth; the census-designated places of Brunswick Station, Cousins Island, Cumberland Center, Falmouth Foreside, Little Falls, Littlejohn Island, North Windham, Steep Falls, and South Windham; and the other unincorporated communities of Casco Terrace, North Bridgton, Prouts Neck, Sebago Lake, South Casco, South Freeport, and White Rock.
Condition: Rare book remains in good overall condition (see pictures). Volume bound in original leather-backed pebbled boards with matching leather tips and gold bordering; moderate cover wear, mild toning, scattered minor staining and ink smudging, etc., generally clean internally. Ledger contains about 24 pp. of manuscript entries plus some additional blank pages; and measures approx 14" tall x 9" wide x .75" thick. Quite a find and a very worthy acquisition indeed.
Payment and Shipping: Please see our feedback and bid with confidence. Never a reserve and very low opening bid as always. For international shipping quote, please contact us. Bidders with no established feedback must contact us before bidding. Massachusetts residents must add 6.25% sales tax or include dealer tax resale number. Payment must be received within 5 days after close of auction. Thanks for your interest!
Fascinating vintage ledger contains the signature of hundreds of guests who stayed during the summer months of the years leading up to the nation's entry into World War Two and the first couple years of the war. People who owned the inn may have had a son who fought in the war, as the entries end abruptly during wartime (reminiscent of "Summer of '42"). Entries here such as "Sloop Flying Fish", "Ketch Nomad", "Free Bait", etc. reveal hotel's seaside location and its impressive clientele was geographically diverse. Guests traveled from far and wide for the privilege of lodging at this coastal Maine establishment with names here from places like Miami, Florida; San Antonio, Texas; Duluth, Minnesota; Cincinnati, Ohio; Detroit and Grosse Point, Michigan; Duluth, Minnesota; Omaha, Nebraska; St. Louis, Missouri; Palo Alto and Newport Beach, California; Berryville, Virginia; Black Mountain, North Carolina; Chicago, Illinois, Brooklyn, New York; etc. Even international cities such as London, England can be found here along with many places throughout Maine and elsewhere in New England. An absolutely fabulous manuscript artifact of a small Maine hotel leading up to WWII.
Portland is located in Cumberland County, Maine. According to recent census figures, the city is home to a population of about 67, 067. Over half a million people, more than one-third of Maine's total population, reside in the Greater Portland metropolitan area making it the most populous metro in northern New England (an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont). Portland is also Maine's economic center, with an economy that relies heavily on the service sector and tourism. The Old Port district is known for its 19th-century architecture and nightlife. Marine industry still plays an important role in the city's economy, with an active waterfront that supports fishing and commercial shipping. The Port of Portland is the largest tonnage seaport in all of New England.
The city has also seen growth in the technology sector, with companies such as Wex building headquarters in the city. The city seal depicts a phoenix rising from ashes, which is a reference to the recoveries from four devastating fires. Portland was named after the English Isle of Portland, Dorset. In turn, the city of Portland, Oregon was named after Portland, Maine. Portland itself comes from the Old English word Portlanda, which literally means "land surrounding a harbor".
Native Americans, originally called the Portland peninsula Machigonne ("Great Neck"). Portland was named for the English Isle of Portland, and the city of Portland, Oregon, was in turn named for Portland, Maine. The first European settler was Capt. Christopher Levett, an English naval captain granted 6, 000 acres in 1623 to found a settlement in Casco Bay. A member of the Council for New England and agent for Ferdinando Gorges, Levett built a stone house where he left a company of ten men, then returned to England to write a book about his voyage to bolster support for the settlement. Ultimately, the settlement was a failure and the fate of Levett's colonists is unknown. The explorer sailed from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony to meet John Winthrop in 1630, but never returned to Maine. Fort Levett in the harbor is named for him.
The peninsula was settled in 1632 as a fishing and trading village named Casco. When the Massachusetts Bay Colony took over Casco Bay in 1658, the town's name changed again to Falmouth. In 1676, the village was destroyed by the Abenakiduring King Philip's War. It was rebuilt. During King William's War, a raiding party of French and their native allies attacked and largely destroyed it again in the Battle of Fort Loyal (1690). On October 18th, 1775, Falmouth was burned in the Revolution by the Royal Navy under command of Captain Henry Mowat. Following the war, a section of Falmouth called The Neck developed as a commercial port and began to grow rapidly as a shipping center. In 1786, the citizens of Falmouth formed a separate town in Falmouth Neck and named it Portland, after the isle off the coast of Dorset, England. Portland's economy was greatly stressed by the Embargo Act of 1807 (prohibition of trade with the British), which ended in 1809, and the War of 1812, which ended in 1815.
In 1820, Maine was established as a state with Portland as its capital. In 1832, the capital was moved north and East to Augusta. In 1851, Maine led the nation by passing the first state law prohibiting the sale of alcohol except for "medicinal, mechanical or manufacturing purposes." The law subsequently became known as the Maine law, as 18 states quickly followed. On June 2nd, 1855, the Portland Rum Riot occurred. In 1853, upon completion of the Grand Trunk Railway to Montreal, Portland became the primary ice-free winter seaport for Canadian exports. The Portland Company manufactured more than 600 19th-century steam locomotives. Portland became a 20th-century rail hub as five additional rail lines merged into Portland Terminal Company in 1911. Following nationalization of the Grand Trunk system in 1923, Canadian export traffic was diverted from Portland to Halifax, Nova Scotia, resulting in marked local economic decline. In the 20th century, icebreakers later enabled ships to reach Montreal in winter, drastically reducing Portland's role as a winter port for Canada.
On June 26th, 1863, a Confederate raiding party led by Captain Charles Read entered the harbor at Portland leading to the Battle of Portland Harbor, one of the northernmost battles of the Civil War. The 1866 Great Fire of Portland, Maine, on July 4th, 1866, ignited during the Independence Day celebration, destroyed most of the commercial buildings in the city, half the churches and hundreds of homes. More than 10, 000 people were left homeless. By act of the Maine Legislature in 1899, Portland annexed the city of Deering, despite a vote by Deering residents rejecting the annexation, thereby greatly increasing the size of the city and opening areas for development beyond the peninsula.
The construction of The Maine Mall, an indoor shopping center established in the suburb of South Portland, during the 1970s, economically depressed downtown Portland. The trend reversed when tourists and new businesses started revitalizing the old seaport, a part of which is known locally as the Old Port. Since the 1990s, the historically industrial Bayside neighborhood has seen rapid development, including attracting a Whole Foods and Trader Joes supermarkets, as well as Baxter Academy, an increasingly popular charter school. Other rapidly developing neighborhoods include the India Street neighborhood near the Ocean Gateway and Munjoy Hill, where many modern condos have been built. The Maine College of Art has been a revitalizing force downtown, attracting students from around the country. The historic Porteous building on Congress Street was restored by the College.
Portland has become Maine's economic capital due to the city having Maine's largest port, largest population, and close proximity to Boston (105 miles to the south). Over the years, the local economy has shifted from fishing, manufacturing, and agriculture towards a more service-based economy. Most national financial services organizations such as Bank of America and Key Bank base their Maine operations in Portland. Unum, TruChoice Federal Credit Union, People's United Bank, ImmuCell Corp, and Pioneer Telephonehave headquarters here, and Portland's neighboring cities of South Portland, Westbrook and Scarborough, provide homes for other corporations including Idexx and Wex Inc. Since 1867, Burnham & Morrill Co., maker of B&M Baked Beans, has had its main plant in Portland and is considered a landmark. The city of Portland continues to experience an economic revival.
The Arts District, centered on Congress Street, is home to the Portland Museum of Art, Portland Stage Company, Maine Historical Society & Museum, Portland Public Library, Maine College of Art, Children's Museum of Maine, SPACE Gallery, Merrill Auditorium, the Kotzschmar Memorial Organ, and Portland Symphony Orchestra, as well as many smaller art galleries and studios. Baxter Boulevard around Back Cove, Deering Oaks Park, the Eastern Promenade, Western Promenade, Lincoln Park and Riverton Park are all historical parks within the city. Other parks and natural spaces include Payson Park, Post Office Park, Baxter Woods, Evergreen Cemetery, Western Cemetery and the Fore River Sanctuary. Thompson's Point, in the Libbytown neighborhood, has been a focus of renovation and redevelopment during the 2010s. The location hosts a concert venue, ice rink, hotels, restaurants, wineries, and breweries.
Other sites of interest include the Casco Bay Islands, Cross Insurance Arena, East End Beach, Exchange Street (the "Old Port" area), Hadlock Field home of the Portland Sea Dogs, Portland Exposition Building, home of the Maine Red Claws, Longfellow Arboretum, Neal S. Dow House, Maine Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum, Martin's Point, McLellan-Sweat Mansion, The Portland Club, Portland Head Light Lighthouse, Portland Observatory, Portland Stage Company, University of New England, University of Southern Maine (USM), Victoria Mansion, and Wadsworth-Longfellow House.
Portland also comprises more than 700 acres of open space and public parks. The city and surrounding communities are linked by 70 miles of trails, both urban and wooded, maintained by the nonprofit Portland Trails. Well-known and historic parks include Deering Oaks Park, Eastern Promenade, Western Promenade, Baxter Boulevard, Lincoln Park, Congress Square Park, Payson Park, East End Beach, Riverside Golf Course, , Fort Sumner Park, Baxter Woods, Fore River Sanctuary, Quarry Run Dog Park, and Riverton Trolley Park.
The spire of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception has been a notable feature of the Portland skyline since its completion in 1854. In 1859, Ammi B. Young designed the Marine Hospital, the first of three local works by Supervising Architects of the U.S. Treasury Department. Although the city lost to redevelopment its 1867 Greek Revival post office, which was designed by Alfred B. Mullett of white Vermont marble and featured a Corinthian portico, Portland retains his equally monumental 1872 granite Second Empire–Renaissance Revival custom house.
A more recent building of note is Franklin Towers, a 16-story residential tower completed in 1969. At 175 feet, it is Portland's (as well as Maine's) tallest building. It is next to the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on the city skyline. During the building boom of the 1980s, several new buildings rose on the peninsula, including the 1983 Charles Shipman Payson Building by Henry N. Cobb of Pei, Cobb, Freed & Partners at the Portland Museum of Art complex (a component of which is the 1801 McLellan-Sweat Mansion), and the Back Bay Tower, a 15-story residential building completed in 1990. Another major landmark is 477 Congress Street (known locally as the Time and Temperature Building), situated near Monument Square in the Arts District. The 14-story building features a large electronic sign that can be seen from nearly all of downtown Portland.
In addition to the city (and county seat) of Portland, Cumberland County today also comprises the cities of South Portland, and Westbrook; the towns of Baldwin, Bridgton, Brunswick, Cape Elizabeth, Casco, Chebeague Island, Cumberland, Falmouth, Freeport, Frye Island, Gorham, Gray, Harpswell, Harrison, Long Island, Naples, New Gloucester, North Yarmouth, Pownal, Raymond, Scarborough, Sebago, Standish, Windham, and Yarmouth; the census-designated places of Brunswick Station, Cousins Island, Cumberland Center, Falmouth Foreside, Little Falls, Littlejohn Island, North Windham, Steep Falls, and South Windham; and the other unincorporated communities of Casco Terrace, North Bridgton, Prouts Neck, Sebago Lake, South Casco, South Freeport, and White Rock.
Condition: Rare book remains in good overall condition (see pictures). Volume bound in original leather-backed pebbled boards with matching leather tips and gold bordering; moderate cover wear, mild toning, scattered minor staining and ink smudging, etc., generally clean internally. Ledger contains about 24 pp. of manuscript entries plus some additional blank pages; and measures approx 14" tall x 9" wide x .75" thick. Quite a find and a very worthy acquisition indeed.
Payment and Shipping: Please see our feedback and bid with confidence. Never a reserve and very low opening bid as always. For international shipping quote, please contact us. Bidders with no established feedback must contact us before bidding. Massachusetts residents must add 6.25% sales tax or include dealer tax resale number. Payment must be received within 5 days after close of auction. Thanks for your interest!
