13 Maine anti-slavery movement sites dedicated in Portland

PORTLAND – Thirteen significant sites in Maine’s anti-slavery movement, including Underground Railroad refuges, have been dedicated as part of the Portland Freedom Trail.

Gov. John Baldacci, a co-chairman of the Portland Freedom Trail, helped to dedicate it on Saturday. Baldacci said the Freedom Trail “has inspired a sense of community pride and interest in the history of African-Americans in Maine.”

Portland Freedom Trail sites are marked by granite and bronze markers at locations in the Old Port and Munjoy Hill neighborhoods of Maine’s largest city. It’s the first project of the nonprofit Maine Freedom Trails, which is funded partially by the state.

Organizers hope to eventually mark more than 20 other significant sites around Portland.

Rachel Talbot Ross, one of the project directors, said the Freedom Trail is “not a Disney experience” about the sometimes romanticized Underground Railroad stories.

“This is about looking at our collective history and dealing with the horrors of slavery,” Talbot Ross said.

On the Net:

Portland Freedom Trail: www.portlandfreedomtrail.org.