What was Portland, Oregon almost called?

One of Portland, Oregon’s many nicknames is Stumptown, but there was never a chance the city would go by that name. In the mid-1800s the (already-established) town was expanding so rapidly that tree stumps were left behind. Captain John C. Ainsworth remarked that there were “more stumps than trees“; hence the nickname.

However, the city was nearly named Boston, Oregon. In 1843, two settlers from New England claimed the land and thus became the city founders. Asa Lovejoy was from Boston, Massachusetts and wanted to name the new settlement after Beantown (the nickname for Boston). Francis W. Pettygrove, his co-founder, disagreed, preferring to name it after his own hometown of Portland, Maine.

The friendly dispute was settled by a coin toss; Lovejoy lost, and Portland, Oregon was born.

Some other interesting facts about Portland:

Many characters in the animated US television series “The Simpsons” are named after streets and popular spots in the city, as the creator of the series, Matt Groening, was born there.

There is an extinct volcano, Mount Tabor, within the city limits.

Portland has more pinball machines than any other city in the US. According to PinballMap.com, the city boasts 900+ machines in 300+ locations.

Portland is home to both the largest & smallest parks within city limits in the US. ‘Forest Park’ west of downtown, is an 8 mile long conservancy which covers 5,156 acres; ‘Mill Ends Park’ is two feet wide and can be found in a median strip.