The Mayor of Congress Street
Posted: Sunday, March 22, 2009
by Cliff Gallant
Forward: Even though this article is specific to my hometown of Portland, Maine, I felt that it would be of interest to a wider audience in as much as it pertains to a phenomenon common to cities all across the country, namely what has been called "the malling of America", whereby long-time downtown shopping districts were superceded by shopping malls and society lost something important in the process.
There's a small little-noticed plaque on the wall of the business plaza at 511 Congress Street, on the right going up from Monument Square, between Brown and Casco Streets, that proclaims one Julius C. Silverman, 1905-1985, to be The Mayor of Congress Street. " He had a good word and a smile for everyone " it says on the plaque. So exactly who was this Julius C. Silverman and how did he come by such an honor?
To begin with, it must be said that the Congress Street that Julius C. Silvernamn was proclaimed mayor of doesn't exist anymore. During his lifetime Downtown Congress Street was a genuine retail shopping district made up of stores that generations of Portlanders and people from all over Maine had been going to for all of their lives and had developed a certain sentiment concerning. Maybe the variety of goods and services available downtown was not as great as at a mall , and of course parking was a bit more of a problem , but there was a certain coziness about shopping downtown that more than made up for those things. You saw lots of familiar faces up and down the street, the stores were locally owned and operated for the most part, and store employees tended to develop an abiding loyalty to their employer and tended to take pride in their store's reputation. Somehow it all felt more real, more hands on, more, well, personal.
That was the Congress Street of Julius C. Silverman, who I first met in the Spring of 1971 when I was fresh out of Army greens and decked out in a suit and tie working as an advertising salesperson for the Press Herald. Congress Street was my beat and I was a bit awestruck at actually meeting and doing businees on a daily basis with the likes of Andre, Bob and Louis Benoit, Lin Cross at Cross Jewelers, Arthur Childs at Day's, Bob Porteous at PM & B, and Ed Beaulieu at Springers. It was enough to turn a young man's head and make him think he had arrived, this hobknobbing with the august personages of Congress Street. When a slightly stooped somewhat oddly dressed older man carrying a box of popcorn to feed the pigeons with went out of his way to say hello to me on my rounds, though, I had time for him too. I guess I enjoyed thinking that humility is nobility's true badge or something like that.
In any event, it turned out that the man, Julius was his name, was a font of knowledge concerning the bric-a-brac of Congress Street, being an authority of who owned what, who worked where, who was related to who, and the like. More importantly, though, he was the all time ambassador of goodwill. Never spoke a negative word about anyone or anything, and always had a bright twinkle in his eye that conveyed that he was absolutely starry-eyed about anything having to do with Downtown and would be delighted to talk about it for as long as you cared to listen.
When someone told me that they were going to have a testimonial for Julius at the Holiday Inn I decided that I would take time out of what I regarded as my busy schedule to attend the event because I had grown very fond of Julius and was afraid that there wouldn't be very many people there. I figured that it would probably make the occasion if I showed up in my spiffy business suit. Well, let me tell you, I was not even noticed. Not only was virtually every Congress Street store owner and clerk there, but also Congressman Peter Kyros, just about the whole City Council, and about three hundred other people from all walks of life who had had their lives touched by Julius in some way.
I sat wide-eyed as speaker after speaker got up onto the stage and spoke of Julius as someone who represented the human face of downtown, someone whose daily presence served as a reminder that business is far more than just a matter of dollars and cents, of profit and loss. Julius made them understand, they said, that a business community is like any other kind of community in that it is made up of all types of people, each with their own story. Some told of what Julius had meant to them when they were new to downtown and getting acquainted, much like what he had meant to me. Others told of his tireless work up and down the street for The United way, The Muscular Dystrophy Association,The American Cancer Society, and The American Heart Association. He walked about five miles a day up and down the street, others said, never appearing to have any particular agenda but feeding the pigeons and collecting change for his many worthy causes. They told of how he would hold his can with the slit on top out to you with a gentle smile whenever you met up with him. And when you were fumbling for change , they laughingly related, he would invariably start talking about somethiung having to do with downtown . Speaker after speaker remarked that there seemed to be no conscious awareness on his part of being on any kind of mission though. It was his way of simply going about being himself and doing what he loved doing that made him who he was.
Perhaps no better illustration of who Julius was is reflected in the "remarks" he made after the long procession of people singing his praises was concluded and he was asked to come up onto the stage and say something. He shuffled in his humble way up onto the stage, in the same familiar way he shuffled down the street, and seemed to be scanning the audience for someone in particular as he approached the microphone. When he spotted who he was looking for, the manager of the hotel, he nodded to him, and with that simple smile, said simply: "Thanks for the use of the hall", then shuffled off the stage and began helping the hotel staff stack chairs. A stunned silence came over the audience at first , then there was an eruption of thunderous and heartfelt cheering and applause when it was realized that what had just transpired was pure Julius.
There is an epilogue to the story that adds even more to the legacy of Julius C. Silverman. The day after the event the Press Herald ran an editorial piece in praise of Julius which opened with:
" Some measure success in terms of money, prestige and power. To those who guage accomplishment by such yardsticks Julius C. Silverman was a failure ... he never accumulated those possessions which others find imperative to enjoyment ..." Well, it came out years later, at the time of his passing, that Julius' story in that regard is one you hear about and shake your head over. Though he dressed like a pauper and lived a simple unadorned life for all of those yaers, it was revealed at the settling of his estate that he had a bank account, through an inheritance, that exceeded a quarter of a million dollars.
Apparently Julius did indeed have a different yardstick by which he measured happiness and success. When the City Council proclaimed him to be " The Mayor of Congress Street" and had the plaque put up it was merely formalizing what everyone already knew in their heart to be true.
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Top-level comments on this article: (8 total)Portland has become my town over the last 15 years and I missed the era described in Cliff's article. But, having this piece to refer to gives this time back to me a bit in a charming way. Thanks!
For me, stories are so important. This piece is more than a visit with history. It has the emotional content that gets me to "feel" versus just think. In spite of the changes, I find this city, particularly the Old Port, a place that enhances human connection. This is not true of the Maine Mall and other related chain retailers. Hopefully Portland can maintain it's personality, avoid the gentrification of the working wharf, provide a reasonable mix of housing and give a new push to growing the arts community.
Portland Maine is still a special place and Congress Street of yesteryear added to that charm. Cliff and I have often talked of the era in his article and of several years before as well. Benoit's Prep Hall, Mr. Peanut Man , the lunch counter in Grants, RecordLand , Portland Coach busses and indeed Julius Silverman all contributed to the magic of growing up and going "intown" and walking down Congress Street.
This is a guy I regret not knowing. I look for his type all the time. May we see another Mayor Silverman some day soon! Nice story, and thanks for reminding and informing us.
Yes! I miss the old Portland, too. Woolworths, that counter in Grants, Porteous, etc. Going to town with Nana on the bus. Mr. Peanut!! I really enjoyed the story, Cliff. Does anyone remember Maurice? He was also an older man who hung around but I believe it was more in the Old Port area.He was always seen picking up litter. Wore a dark gray suit. Friendly.Gaye
"Often in thought go up and down the pleasant streets of that dear old town-- and my youth comes back to me"...It's 1971- imagine-- and of all the shops and experiences on Congress Street, my favorite was a little record store called "RECORDLAND". It was, indeed, a magical place. For such a tiny place it had EVERYTHING! The owner was a woman named Ruthie Baker who was a treasure. She had an amazing knowledge of records and music. I stopped in Ruthie's store several times a week. My favorite record store ever...William Arthur Mills (NYC)William:Thanks for your comment! Great to know that someone "from away" has good memories of Portland from the era I referred to in the story.And ... Ruthie Baker was a dear friend and a great lady. Very touching to hear her spoken of. Actually, you might remember a man named Steve who worked with Ruthie. He and I are friends and I see him often. He's the editor of Cafe Review, a poetry magazine with an international circulation that's been around for about twenty years now. I'll mention you to him.Here's hoping that you'll visit Portland again. If you do leave a message here and we'll get together.Cliff GallantThank you for your enlightening response, Cliff! I'll let you know the next time I plan on visiting Portland. And, yes, I do remember Steve at Recordland- a very knowledgeable man, and we spoke often. But I very much doubt that he would remember me by name, even though I was constantly in that store. I remember one day I went in and Ruthie was quite excited to share a story with me (maybe Steve will remember this event). Just a couple of hours earlier, Ruthie said she was standing in her usual spot, looking out the window, and when she turned around Joni Mitchell was standing there in front of her at the counter! Joni had just wandered in off the street. This was in the mid 70's and she was in Maine, traveling with Bob Dylan and his Rolling Thunder Revue.
Congress Street was a magical place with department stores, restaurants... all sorts of things. Around 1971, there was a great little coffeee house I went to ocassionally, called "The Gate"... across the street was the "Puritan Tea Room"... "The Pagoda" (where one could have a complete delicious dinner for under $2.75- with beverage and desert!)...
All the Best to you, Will
(William Arthur Mills, NYC)
this is a great site...I grew up in Portland I thought we called Julius Morris he sat with me on the benches in the Old Port area while I was pregnant and to tired to walk back to York Street. I had many conversations with him and listened to his advice on raising a child..My most cherished memory of us together is a badge/pin with his picture on it..I live in Florida now and am trying to get back to Portland but now its to expensive to live there. My name is Naomi and my son is Caleb he was born in 1970 his father is Tim Dotson the Old Port and Mariner's Church gang helped me raise Caleb
Yes, Naomi. I remember you. I was at the Gate and Mariners Church. Very interested to hear about what you've been up to. CLIFF
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