W.W.&F. Discussion Forum

General Topics => General Discussion => Topic started by: Steve Smith on July 17, 2017, 10:42:30 PM

Title: John Poor--Founder of the Portland Company
Post by: Steve Smith on July 17, 2017, 10:42:30 PM
Interesting article here about Poor’s founding of the Portland and Atlantic Railway as well as the Portland Company. He also bought a railroad magazine for his brother Henry, which got into publishing ratings on railroad bonds. That appears to have been the origin of todays’ Stadard and Poor’s 500 Index of stock prices.

http://portland.bangordailynews.com/2017/07/17/history/this-frostbitten-man-brought-canadian-railroad-wealth-to-portland/
Title: Re: John Poor--Founder of the Portland Company
Post by: Bill Sample on July 18, 2017, 09:06:57 PM
Years ago I read an account of John Poor's journey but this rendition was better. If Portland had a Hall of Fame he certainly earned a place in it.  Thanks for sharing this, Steve.

Title: Re: John Poor--Founder of the Portland Company
Post by: Mike Fox on July 19, 2017, 06:17:22 AM
One of the books I have had a short version of this story in it. I concur, this rendition is much better.
Title: Re: John Poor--Founder of the Portland Company
Post by: Steve Smith on July 19, 2017, 09:52:22 PM
I apologize for getting the name of the railroad wrong. According to an article in Wikipedia, it was the Atlantic and St. Lawrence in the U.S., and the St. Lawrence and Atlantic in Canada,

The Wiki article mentioned that during WW II, bauxite from British Guiana was shipped to Canada over the line because of the Battle of the Saint Lawrence, in which 17 German U-boats were involved and many ships sunk.

Wiki has an article about that battle, as well.