Timeline of Historical Events in Gorham
1733-1998
1733
Narragansett #7, one of the seven townships granted by
the General Court of Massachusetts to those who fought
in the Narragansett War, sometimes called King Philip's
War.
1736
First settlers, Captain John Phinney and son.
First child born in Gorham, Mary Gorham Phinney, August.
First trees felled by Phinneys to clear land for crops.
1738
Hugh McClellan and Daniel Mosher came to Gorham.
1745
Eighteen families in town.
John Gorham's sawmill on Little River burned by Indians.
Meeting house on Fort Hill burned.
1746
First Indian attack on settlers, five massacred, three
captured. Ten families in town. Some had moved away
because of threatened Indian attacks.
1757
Jacob Hamblen first tavern keeper.
1761
Edmund Phinney, son of John, instructed children in his
kitchen. During Indian troubles, instruction was given in
fort.
1763
First bridge across Presumpscot River, connecting Gorham
and Windham.
Population of town 432.
At this time no houses in Gorham had window glass.
William McLellan erected the first two story house in
Gorham.
1764
Town incorporated, October 24.
Population 340, 60-70 families.
1766
Houses in town constructed of logs chinked with moss and
clay.
1767
July 31, a severe hurricane swept through the
northeastern part of town destroying all in its path from
Sebago Lake through Gorham, Windham, Falmouth and
Cumberland.
1772
Population 600.
1773
The old brick house, the McLellan homestead, erected on
Fort Hill road. This is the first brick house in Cumberland
County. Construction was started in 1769.
1775
Stephen Longfellow moved to Gorham from Portland. He
was the great- grandfather of Henry Wadsworth
Longfellow.
1790
Population 2244.
1797
Post Office established, Samuel Prentiss Postmaster.
First Parish Meeting House erected.
1800
Population 2503.
1803
Gorham Academy incorporated.
1805
At Town Meeting it was voted to erect a building of stout
timber and huge pasture boulders to serve as a pound for
stray cattle. This pound was located to the north and
adjacent to present Phinney Park on South Street.
Town monument erected at northeast corner of College
Avenue and School Street. This monument has been
moved several times and now is located at the junction of
Church and School Streets at the northeast corner of the
Congregational Church Chapel,
1810
Benjamin Mosher built on land purchased by his father in
1771. He built a Federal style house now occupied by his
descendants at Mosher's Corner.
1814
First public library in Gorham located in house then
occupied by Nathaniel Gould on Main Street nearly
opposite Cross Street.
1815
First Town House erected on Fort Hill.
1821
Free Meeting House, later Gorham Town House, now Art
Center of the University of Maine at Portland-Gorham,
built on lot donated by Alexander McLellan.
1822
Bell in First Parish Meeting House tower cast in Canton,
Massachusetts, by Joseph Revere, son of Paul Revere.
Inscription on bell reads Revere-Boston 1822.
1829
Oxford and Cumberland Canal open.
Discontinued in 1871.
1835
William J. Woodbury purchased from Benjamin Phinney a
piece of land upon which he proceeded to erect a
mansion. This house was so distinctive and elaborate that
it came to be known as Woodbury's Folly. This house was
located on the elevation just to the east of what is now
Barrow's Greenhouse.
1836
First Centennial Celebration, June 10.
1839
Baptist Meeting House erected at White Rock, dedicated
June 1840.
1843
June 24, Trustees of Maine Mutual Fire Insurance
Company voted to authorize the purchase of a lot of land
from Simon McLellan and erect thereon a suitable office
for the Company. The building was completed in 1845 at
a cost of $750. This building is the present Town Office.
1846
Charter granted and work begun on York and Cumberland
Railroad. First train reached Gorham on February 5, 1851.
This railroad was later known as Portland and Rochester
Railroad.
1860
Population 3253.
1866
Monument in the memory of those who died in the Civil
War was dedicated.
1895
Levi Hall School built at North Gorham.
1897
Electric cars from Westbrook to Gorham Village. The
occasion was celebrated at Crystal Spring House on Main
Street. Free rides on cars.
1882
Honorable Frederick Robie elected Governor of the State.
Re-elected in 1884.
1888
Frederick Robie schoolhouse built at Little Falls.
l899
Electric cars from Westbrook to Little Falls known as
Westbrook, Windham and Naples Railroad.
1901
Sebago water and electricity extended to Gorham Village.
1902
Volunteer Fire Company organized. William T. Libby, first
Fire Chief.
19O7
Baxter Memorial Library presented to Town by Honorable
James Phinney Baxter as a memorial to his father.
1937
July 29, death of last Civil War veteran in Gorham,
Benjamin P. Hodgkins, 92, while celebrating his birthday.
1939
November 2, dedication of the “new” high school; then
known as the Charles C. Shaw School
1940
Apr. 9, 2:00 PM, Gorham dial telephone system began.
1941
Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Day.
1943
Town meeting approved Sunday movies in Gorham.
1947
October, in York and Cumberland counties, forest fires
swept the areas.
1951
April 19, at suggestion of Paul Revere Memorial
Association of Boston, Revere Bell at First Parish Church
rung for seven minutes; by the Rev. H. W. Dubbs and
Saul Carson.
1952
February, the Great Snow Storm; turnpike closed;
communities isolated several days.
1953
Gift of $10,000. from ex-Governor Baxter for maintenance
of library and museum.
1956
First full-time superintendent of schools, Dwight Webb;
superintendency formerly shared with Westbrook.
1958
Elden Shute, first Town Manager.
1959
New high school opened.
1960
Last freight trains through Gorham Village; rails removed
1961
Gorham Junior High on South Street, former high school;
named the Charles C. Shaw School; by vote of Town.
1961
Campus School, on School Street, renamed the Charlotte
R. Millett School; by vote of Town
1962
November 5, new White Rock School opened.
1963
September 4, new Village Elementary School opened;
Donald Doyle, first principal.
1963
November 22, Pres. John F. Kennedy's assassination
stunned the Town.
1964
October 26, new post office opened on Main Street.
1968
Beginning of town council-manager form of government;
after more than 200 years of town meetings and
selectmen.
1976
New Babb's Bridge dedicated.
1976
Demolition of old train depot; built on Raillroad Avenue;
moved to Mechanic Street when new station built, late
nineteenth century. (Housed G. E. Strout's blacksmith
shop; used for storage by Clark Lumber Co.; torn down to
make way for Shop 'N Save Supermarket (now
Hannaford’s.)
1978
Baxter House listed in National Register of Historic Places.
1979
Traffic lights installed at intersection of Main Street and
New Portland Road.
1980
"Gorham Station" renovated and converted into
restaurant, opened to the public.
1981
Narragansett School opened; dedicated on October 6.
1984
Mobil Station, at junction of Main Street and New Portland
Road, replaced by Cumberland Farms.
1984
Traffic lights, South Gorham, at intersection of South
Street (Route 114) and County Road (Route 22.)
1986
Gorham's South Street Historic District was created by
the Federal Government. (18 homes)
The Town celebrated its 250th Anniversary (May 24- May
31). An ABC's "Good Morning America" program was held
at the top of Fort Hill. There was a carnival-type
atmosphere at the former Gorham racetrack. There was a
huge parade. The class of 1936 at Gorham High School
had an interesting float with a replica of the old Gorham
high School (demolished in 1975). There were graduates
of 1936 riding on it. Jean Holden was the winner of the
Gorham's 250th celebration for the first baby born in town
after midnight, May 25th, 1986.
May 27, 1986. Raymond Phinney and family donated the Band
Stand in front of the Municipal Building.
1987
July 12, 13, 14, the municipal playground was erected by
citizens of Gorham on land adjoining the Municipal Center
and Narragansett School.
Gorham Lions Club started the rehabilitation project of the
Robie Gym.
The first paid full-time rescue personnel were added to
the Gorham Rescue.
1989
"Gorham House," a 100 unit elderly housing facility on
New Portland Road was completed and opened.
1990
The population was 11,856.
Gorham Rams Girls Basketball team was this year's Maine
State, Class B, Girls Basketball Champion.
1991
August 19th, "Hurricane Bob" dumped over 8 inches of
rainfall in less than 24 hours. It damaged numerous roads
and bridges.
1995
Fall completion of the new high school renovation. A
dedication ceremony was held Dec. 10th at Gorham
Performing Arts Center.
1998
The Great Ice Storm of 1998 started on January 5th with
freezing rain falling for 50 hours. The freezing rain made a
thick coating of ice, up to 3 inches in places, broke limbs,
trees, and power lines throughout the town and much of
Maine. Many roads were closed for varying lengths of
time. St. Anne's Catholic Church was opened for public
shelter for almost two weeks. Utility crews from several
states were in town for days helping to restore power and
communications.
On August 24th, a class 6 thunderstorm hit Gorham in the
afternoon with torrential rains and winds gusting to over
70 miles per hour. Estimated damage to the Town was
about $1,000,000. The USM Campus had over $100,000
damage. Fortunately, no one was injured.
Adapted from Gorham Historical Society’s website