Portland is known to be a liberal city, overflowing with forests, mountains, and plenty of weird, but some things they just don’t teach you in school. Here are 8 lesser known facts about our city that may be news to you.
- Benson bubblers Are unique
Alex / Flickr Only installed in specific boundaries of downtown Portland, these iconic fountains were created after businessman Simon Benson donated funds for the design and installation of the fountains throughout the city. While his specific motivation for the fountains is disputed, one leading story is that they were installed to discourage workers’ lunchtime pub drinking by providing them with fresh, readily available water.
- The Rose Garden’s ties to WWI
Rebecca Bollwit / Flickr Portland’s International Rose Test Garden was started as a safe haven for the roses of Europe, which could have been destroyed in bombings during the war.
- Portland’s name was decided by a coin flip
Frankie Leon / Flickr A penny decided the name of Portland when Francis Pettygove won the coin toss and named it after his hometown Portland, Maine.
- Horse rings tell history
hey / Flickr Horse rings around town tell the history of the city, and remind us a time when horses and horse-drawn carriages were a primary mode of transportation in the city. Today, The Horse Project, is an art movement that attaches model horses to the remaining rings around town and has become a tourist attraction in the city.
- This is the world’s smallest park
sfgamchick / Flickr If you have ever noticed the tiny tree in the median strip of Naito Parkway around SW Taylor, you have seen the Guinness Book of Records’ certified smallest park in the world, Mill Ends Park.
- The first Wiki was created here
Reynosa Blogs / Flickr Before Wikipedia became a company in 2001, Portlander Ward Cunningham pioneered the first wiki in 1995.
- Forest Park really is big
junaidrao / Flickr Spreading across 8 amazing miles, Forest Park is perfectly Northwest and one of the largest urban forest reserves in the country.
- We have the most strip clubs per capita
Scott Beale / Laughing Squid Portland has long claimed the title of the most strip clubs per capita, but Business Insider crunched the numbers, and it is true.
Do you know of other little known facts about Portland? Feel free to share below.
Alex / Flickr
Only installed in specific boundaries of downtown Portland, these iconic fountains were created after businessman Simon Benson donated funds for the design and installation of the fountains throughout the city. While his specific motivation for the fountains is disputed, one leading story is that they were installed to discourage workers’ lunchtime pub drinking by providing them with fresh, readily available water.
Rebecca Bollwit / Flickr
Portland’s International Rose Test Garden was started as a safe haven for the roses of Europe, which could have been destroyed in bombings during the war.
Frankie Leon / Flickr
A penny decided the name of Portland when Francis Pettygove won the coin toss and named it after his hometown Portland, Maine.
hey / Flickr
Horse rings around town tell the history of the city, and remind us a time when horses and horse-drawn carriages were a primary mode of transportation in the city. Today, The Horse Project, is an art movement that attaches model horses to the remaining rings around town and has become a tourist attraction in the city.
sfgamchick / Flickr
If you have ever noticed the tiny tree in the median strip of Naito Parkway around SW Taylor, you have seen the Guinness Book of Records’ certified smallest park in the world, Mill Ends Park.
Reynosa Blogs / Flickr
Before Wikipedia became a company in 2001, Portlander Ward Cunningham pioneered the first wiki in 1995.
junaidrao / Flickr
Spreading across 8 amazing miles, Forest Park is perfectly Northwest and one of the largest urban forest reserves in the country.
Scott Beale / Laughing Squid
Portland has long claimed the title of the most strip clubs per capita, but Business Insider crunched the numbers, and it is true.
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