ABSTRACT
The population of the District of Maine had been on the rise since the end of the Revolutionary War, thanks to the influx of thousands of immigrants swept up in the infectious spirit of opportunity that infused the new nation. The town of Portland, however, was a magnet for the better-heeled: the merchants, lawyers, and politicians. Known during the colonial period as Falmouth, the town had been leveled after several days of relentless British bombardment in 1775 that came in retaliation for the capture of a British commander named Henry Mowat. Although the overzealous patriots who nabbed Mowat soon released him, the commander was unforgiving and wreaked vengeance on the town anyway. The established Republicans were delighted with the new arrivals. Daniel Ilsley, who had served in the General Court with Levi Lincoln, shepherded Daniel through his first few months in Portland. Another family friend, William Widgery, helped Daniel find an office in Alexander Parris's glorious new Portland Bank Building.
