History-rich Baxter Woods celebrates 75 years as Portland park

FORECASTER • April 21, 2021

Friends of Baxter Woods honored the park’s history last weekend with a 75th anniversary celebration that included a talk by local historian Herb Adams, music by violist Evan Cuddy and a cleanup of the 29.5-acre property. Today, Mayor Baxter Woods is a popular place for walks, recreation and educational programming, but prior to becoming a city park 75 years ago, it housed a grand estate for a notable politician, was the site of telegraph experiments by Samuel Morse, was owned by one of the Maine’s most prominent families and was home to the state’s first Braille trail.