Multnomah for Portland?-A movement is on the way in Portland, Oregon, to change the name of the city to Multnomah, an Indian name first mentioned by Lewis and Clark and still preserved in the name of the county and in other geographical features. The town was laid out in 1845 by F. W. Pettygrove and A. L. Lovejoy at a site vvhich had been settled since 1842. The latter, a native of Massachusetts, should have had the privilege of naming the town, for he had been at the place since November 1843.

more »

... However, for some unaccountable reason, he permitted his partner to have his say in christening the place. Lovejoy was all for Boston; Pettygrove wanted to name it Portland after the city in his native state Maine. The toss of a copper coin decided for Portland. It was an unhappy choice; even at that time there were several places so called in the United States. Today there are probably three times as many, and it is mainly for this reason that the sponsors of "Multnomah" are working for the change. They will doubtless experience a great disappoiFltment. No matter how sound, convincing and logical their arguments may be they will not be able to convince a majority of a city of almost 400,000 inhabitants to give up a name which has been used for over a century.