Now You Know: Factoids and Curiosities
Portland, Ore., was nearly named Boston. That's what settler Asa Lovejoy of Massachusetts wanted to call it, but he couldn't persuade his partner, F.W. Pettygrove. They flipped a coin to settle the matter, and Lovejoy lost. Pettygrove got to name the place. He was from Maine.
Source: 'History of Oregon,' by Charles H. Carey, Pioneer Historical Publishing Co., 1922.
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