The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-10-17
HOW PORTLAND
WAS NAMED
A c0rrrN CENT DECIDED rnE NAME or
rHr llrrlr TRADING r0Sr
Interesting Tale Of lSI2 Nv the Soa oi
the Nan kho christsued 0regou's
Great Metropolis,

MT r, W, fottygfNNA a RISING Nuung
business man " san FrNnclsco, visited
Astoria u day 0r two since and In
speaking of hts travels to rvrortcr
had ocrasion to cxhi,St an old copper
cent-piccc ~ date iNSN when asked tho
history OF the hit ot money Mr., Petty
grove said;
More than htty years ego THIS coin
was tossed In the afr 20 decide tho name
" the city " Portland. l, wps In the
pioneer days OF 'is or 'iS that my father.
r ", Pcttygrovc, and Mr.. A. l. Love.
JOY. a pjoner lawyer. had met FOR the
purpose ~ choosing namc for tho city
" Portland, then mere trading sta
tion lawyer Lovcjoy came trom Boston
and desired TO have the young settle.
mcnt named for his birthplace Father
wyls a native of Portland. Me. and
took parNlonahle pride In choosing the
name OF that city, They disputed ,hc
matter at somc length when Mr. Love
10Y suggested that they might toss a cop.
per FOR choice. the winner TO choose the
name, Father took the copper out Of
hts pocket and flippcd It IN tho air. As
&, fcn TO the ground Iovejoy exclaimed
heads and /, turned tails up
Father had won. but Lovcioy insist.
ed that II should be two hest out ~
three calls. Father consented. and the
next toss Lovcjoy won. At the thiri
toss father called tho turn properly. and
won. He thereupon christcncd the set.
lement Portland and the name has
elung to /, ever since. Father always
sacrc,ily guarded the copper cent. and
It has not been out OF the family during
all these intervening years. and. a. long
as live, Il never will be.
Father came around thc'Horn' In
sailing vessel In iSts. loaded with mcr
chandise 10 start Ia business In Oregon
He conceived the idea or locating a
trading post at the nterjunctlon OF the
Willamette and Columbia rivers. but
upon Investigation. concluded TO locate
on the present site OF the city OF Port.
and. John over,on had taken a claim
there. and father bought Il Of him. He
at once built a store building. where the
Esmond hotel now stands. and painted
II red. II was afterwards known for
years as the red house He put his
stock OF merchandise In the building
and soon had fair business.
Oregon City and Vaoncouver were the
main trading points at that time. and
father originated plan for securing
division Of trade. He had a road built
up through the canyon TO Tualntln
plains. costing him slj0o Shortly after
he sent out courIcrs to tho Inhabitants
that there would h. a grand Fourth NJ
July celebration az Portland. and whom
that day arrived the people nocked In
over the new road 10 see what the new
settlement consisted Of. This was IN ~
! believe and they had big time AT
the first Fourth OF July celebration NJ
any pretention ever held In Oregon.
Father has often said he sold enough
goods that day to pay for the road. Il
was good business stroke. but Port
lands future was assured from that time
on.
Father sold his claim in 1851. on nc-
count of III health He sold tho pron-
erty that moer Of Portland now stands
on for $3.50 taking his pay in hides and
tal'ow. He then went to California. and
later to Pov Townsend. where he 10.
Gated the last named city and lived un-
III he died in 1855. at the age Of Is years.
NV brother. p. s. Pmtygrove. was
the first white child ever born in Port
land He came into this world in "A.
and the occasion was hernlded by prea,
rejoicing by the settlers"