Town of New Portland

New Portland is a town in Somerset County, settled in about 1785 and incorporated on March 9, 1808 from the township T2 R2 WKR. It is the center of a larger township given to the people of Portland (then Falmouth) by the Massachusetts General Court to compensate for their losses from the destruction caused by the British fleet in 1775.

The famous wire suspension bridge, probably the last of its kind in New England, was built in 1842 from cable sent from England and hauled to the site by 16 yoke of oxen. It spans the Carrabassett River just north of the main village, which lies on Maine Route 27 at its junction with Route 146.

From Maine: An Encyclopedia (www.themaineencyclopedia.com)