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These iron rings are leftovers from Portland’s working riverfront, when boats stopped below the Falls and the town functioned as a busy transfer point for river traffic. They were anchored into the stone paving of the old wharf so vessels could be tied off while passengers and cargo moved ashore. Archaeologists have documented both the paving and surviving rings beneath and along today’s Portland Wharf Park. The exact age of these particular rings is less certain than the nearby “1799–1830” label suggests, but their purpose is wonderfully uncomplicated: boats used to tie up here, and some of the hardware never left.