My First Visit To Portland

In the autumn of 1829, a young countryman decides it is time to see what the world is made of-and sets his sights on Portland.

With a single dollar in his pocket, a wagonload of axe handles, and a head full of curiosity, Major Jack Downing journeys from rural life into a growing New England town rumored to reward enterprise and quick thinking. What follows is a quietly comic account of first impressions: shrewd advice from a newspaper editor, bustling streets and shopfronts, and a memorable ...