From the cruise terminal, begin exploring downtown Portland by walking west on Commercial Street. This main artery runs parallel to the waterfront. Most of this area caters to tourists. Several buildings have stories to tell about Portland’s history if you could only hear them whispering. The Workingmen’s Club is an example. During the Irish Potato Famine (1845 – 1852), immigrants primarily from County Galway arrived in droves. Most found laborious yet welcome work along the docks as longshoremen or for the railroad. Not surprising, they spent their off hours in taverns. From 1851 until 1856, Maine prohibited alcohol. Afterwards, the late-night carousing returned. In response, Bishop O’Connell commissioned the Workingmen’s Club. When the social environment for the Irish opened in 1905, one rule for membership was total abstinence.
