Original photo by Brandon Olafsson/ iStock
What’s the most you’ve ever lost in a coin toss? For Asa Lovejoy, it was the opportunity in 1845 to name the city he’d recently established with Francis Pettygrove. The two decided to settle their disagreement as to what their new land claim should be called with a two-out-of-three coin flip that Pettygrove won. Pettygrove chose “Portland” because he hailed from the city of the same name in Maine; Lovejoy had intended to name the place after his hometown of Boston.
Oops, incorrect!
It's a fibThat would be Salem, though it wasn’t always the case. Oregon’s government seat moved from Oregon City to Salem to Corvallis before finally settling in Salem for good in 1855. Portland is the most populous city, however.
Now known as the Portland Penny, the one-cent piece used in the fateful toss was minted in 1835 and retrieved by Pettygrove after his victory. It remained with him when he founded Port Townsend, Washington, and was eventually given to the Oregon Historical Society, which now keeps it on display. Despite his loss, Lovejoy went on to a distinguished political career. He was elected mayor of Oregon City in 1845, served in the provisional legislature from 1844 to 1848, became speaker of the Oregon Territory House of Representatives in 1849, and was a delegate to the Oregon Constitutional Convention in 1857. He and Pettygrove both have parks named after them in Portland, which also has a Pettygrove Street.
Numbers Don't Lie
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Oregon grows 99% of America’s commercial crop of ______.
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Oregon grows 99% of America’s commercial crop of hazelnuts.
Portland used to be nicknamed “Stumptown.”
Just as you can’t make an omelet without breaking a few eggs, you can’t expand a city in Oregon without cutting down a few trees. Portland grew at such a rapid rate in the mid-19th century, in fact, that there wasn’t initially time to remove all the stumps left over after removing said trees — leading the city to be known for a time as “Stumptown.” Though this wasn’t meant as a compliment, it has become an affectionate nickname for the city that has since been used by a Portland-based coffee company as well as a short-lived crime drama. Portland’s other nicknames include Rip City, Beervana, and the significantly lovelier City of Roses.
Michael Nordine is a writer and editor living in Denver. A native Angeleno, he has two cats and wishes he had more.
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