Portland Police Department Starts New Facebook Series About Its History

I'm a history buff. I probably waste more time on the internet looking at old photos of what places and things in Maine I know so well looked like a century ago. The Portland Police Department is feeding my addiction as they start a new series on their Facebook page that will show photos and descriptions of the department's over 200 years serving and protecting the citizens of Maine's largest city.

It's hard to believe, but the Portland Police Department is nearly as old as the United States itself. The first post in the #HistoryofPortlandPD series says that the Police Department was formed after Portland separated from Falmouth in 1786.

They also share a photo of the Portland Police Department mounted on horseback in 1886 in front of the old Portland City Hall, the second of two city halls that burned down prior to the current Portland City Hall that was built in 1909.

The photo shows 12 officers on horseback in what looks like it might have been a parade or some sort of ceremony. I love stuff like this!

Look for new photos and stories of the Portland Police Department's history every few weeks on their Facebook page.