| The Night the Sky Turned Red: The Story of the Great Portland Maine Fire of July 4th 1866 as Told by Those Who Lived Through It Contributor(s): Levinsky, Allan (Author), Shettleworth, Earle (Introduction by) |
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ISBN: 1938700252 ISBN-13: 9781938700255 Publisher: Commonwealth Editions OUR PRICE: $12.82 Product Type: Paperback Published: August 2014 |
| Additional Information |
| BISAC Categories: - History | United States - State & Local - New England (ct, Ma, Me, Nh, Ri, Vt) |
| Physical Information: 0.2" H x 5.9" W x 8.8" (0.35 lbs) 96 pages |
| Descriptions, Reviews, Etc. |
| Publisher Description: It was July 4th, 1866, and Portland, Maine's population was just beginning to unwind after the Civil War. The weather had been very warm and dry but everyone was looking forward to celebrating. There were many activities scheduled to keep the celebrants entertained, everything from a parade to the best fireworks display ever. The city was overflowing with visitors from all around the state and business was brisk. Little did the crowds know what fate had planned on that festive day. Late that afternoon, a young boy casually lit a firecracker in front of a woodworker's shop and not thinking, tossed the explosive into the shop's yard that was covered with dry wood shavings. The result was the largest urban fire in the history of the United States to that time. The Night the Sky Turned Red tells the story of this great conflagration through the eyes and voices of those who lived through one of the country's greatest disasters. |
Contributor Bio(s): Levinsky, Allan: - Allan Levinsky, a Portland native, is a graduate of the University of Maine. He is the author of At Home with the General, about Maine's Civil War hero Joshua Chamberlain; A Short History of Portland; and The Night the Sky Turned Red, about the great Portland Fire of 1866. He works for the Maine Historical Society as a guide at the boyhood home of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and has served as a volunteer for other historical organizations in Maine. |