Portland Information & Real Estate
Portland is located on the Highland Rim in extreme northern Middle Tennessee. The region has long been known for its excellent agricultural soils, a superb wildlife environment and a hospitable climate. Historically, land speculation and dark air-cured tobacco attracted individuals from the tobacco belt in Virginia and the Carolinas to the Highland Rim.
Climate and soil conditions here provided ideal growing conditions for dark tobacco. This profitable crop increased land values, thus greatly benefiting land speculators. These speculators moved away to attempt profits elsewhere, and the farmers remained.
Fountain Head, located a couple of miles south of Portland, is the oldest local settlement. It was founded in 1792 by the James Gwin family. Within a century, it had grown to include a grist mill, tobacco factory, post office, Louisville & Nashville railroad depot and a number of retail stores. In 1846 near Shun Pike (Jackson Road) in what is now Portland, William Nolan built a school, and the community started to grow.
Portland was originally called Richland. In 1859, the L&N Railroad opened the Nashville-Bowling Green route through Portland. A train depot was built in Richland along the Louisville & Nashville railroad in 1859 on land owned by Thomas Buntin. Buntin became the depot’s first agent and Richland’s first postmaster. The very existence of the City of Portland is due to the site of the L&N depot. The community developed around the depot.
Richland grew during its first year (1859-1860) with the opening of a store built by James Goostree. The Moore, McGlothlin and Payne families contributed greatly to Richland’s early growth. The seminary in Richland had its beginning in 1874. It was the forerunner of Sumner County High School. Sumner County High School opened in Portland in 1915 and was the first public high school in Sumner County.
In 1887, there were two Richland’s in Tennessee. This caused some concern on the part of the L&N railroad that a telegraph mix-up might result in a train wreck. There was also the inconvenience to postal customers in that mail was frequently misdirected between the two Richlands. Railroad administrators, with the cooperation of postal authorities, decided that Richland would become Portland. The new name was activated on April 10, 1888. In April 1904, the Tennessee Assembly enacted legislation incorporating Portland.
In the 1920s, strawberries became a booming Portland business. The growth of strawberries as a Portland export crop resulted in a growth of industry. Crate businesses were formed. The processing and transporting of strawberries also became major businesses. Beginning in 1941 and continuing through the years to the present, Portland has hosted an annual Middle Tennessee Strawberry Festival to celebrate and remember the importance of the strawberry industry to its heritage.
Today, Portland is an industrial leader with employment figures that exceed its population. It has many assets that other communities its size may not possess. It has an excellent Parks and Recreation system, a superb library, a local newspaper, a local radio station, a local hospital, a complete airport, extremely active civic organizations, a full-service Chamber of Commerce, a wide variety of churches, professional police and fire departments and may community-minded, neighborly people.
Portland is home to middle Tennessee's annual Strawberry Festival. Portland is a safe city with good values and perfect for raising a family or retiring, and has about 200 acres of park land with many activities available. Portland has a great school system that is always expanding. Hospital, Fire, Police, Sanitation, Water, Sewer, Natural Gas, and Quality Roads are already in place and expanding regularly. The city has seen a great deal of growth in the last few years and there are many places to live in many different price ranges.
The city has seen an explosion of jobs in the last few years and more are expected. Whether you are looking to relax in the country or have a night on the town, Portland is only 30 minutes from Nashville, TN and 20 minutes form Bowling Green, KY. With our proximity to 3 major Interstates, you can maintain your current employment and still live in town. Located in Northern Middle Tennessee, Portland is near 3 major Interstates; I-65, I-24, and I-40. This has made the Portland community very desirable to live and locate business in.
Portland Real Estate is in the Sumner County School district, and offers some of the best ranked schools in middle Tennessee. The Portland area also provides Private Schools.
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Portland Real Estate has a number of great neighborhoods to reside in like Magnolia Springs, Squire Ridge, Squire Ridge, and Ranch Road Estates. Portland also offers many estate homes, great farms and equestrian properties for the home buyer that desires the open country-side with plenty of room.
If I can be of service in fulfilling your Portland Tennessee Real Estate needs, or in any of the Nashville area communities, please do not hesitate to contact me at your convenience. You can reach me at 615-289-4141 or contact me through my site, if you have any questions regarding my REALTOR® services. I am looking forward to creating another happy client!