Most People Don't Know How These 7 Towns In Maine Got Their Start
By Michelle|Published July 15, 2021
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Michelle
Author
Michelle's life is a colorful map of exploration and adventure. From the iconic streets of New York to the sunny shores of Florida, the jagged coast of Maine to the rugged terrain of Montana, she's been fortunate to call some of America's most beautiful states home. Beyond the U.S., Michelle's wanderlust has taken her on a motorcycle journey through India, led her to teach English in Hanoi, and saw her studying Spanish in Guatemala. Michelle graduated with a communications degree from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and in addition to a career in advertising has worked with OnlyInYourState since 2016, where her love for travel and storytelling converges. Alongside writing and exploring, Michelle finds joy in photography, staying active, and time with her family.
For questions, comments and inquiries please email: mstarin@onlyinyourstate.com.
One of the reasons we love Maine is just how weird and wacky and wonderful she is. From the quirky towns that exist here and there to the unique personalities that can be found in every corner of the state, this place is something special. But the fun doesn’t end there. The towns here also have interesting histories and today we’ve compiled just a few of the stories we’ve found most fascinating. Enjoy!
We'd like it if the people living here had Irish accents, but that's not the case. The town of Belfast got its start by being named "Passagassawakeag" after the nearby river. In 1759 the person owning a large bulk of the land died leaving his heirs to sell the space to Scotch-Irish owners. They, presumably, missed home and named the town after the Northern Ireland city.
We love just how many towns in Maine have names that sound like a long haul flight is required to visit them. Poland is just one of them. You might imagine that the town was founded by a group who came from eastern Europe, but the truth is a bit different. A key contributor to the incorporation of the town, Moses Emery, loved a hymn named "Poland." He somehow convinced others that it would make a great name for their home. Fair enough, Moses!
You can't say that Mainers aren't supportive when you consider how Mexico got its start! The town was originally named after the first owner, "Holmanstown." As the town began preparing to become official, Mexico was fighting for its independence from Spain. In a show of solidarity for Mexico's win, Holmanstown became Maine's very own Mexico.
Created by lovers of Scandinavia? Nope! The origin of this town name was actually the result of an office error. The widely believed story about Norway is that it was intended to be named "Norage," which means "falls" in the language of the local indigenous population. Somehow it was printed incorrectly and became known as "Norway."
Known and loved today as the town where Moxie was created, Lisbon's origin story is as murky as a fresh bottle of the stuff! The most widely believed story is that there were other states with a Lisbon and Maine simply lifted it from them. There's one in New Hampshire and one in New York, so why not Maine?
One of the only towns on this list that got its town name in a way that doesn't shock us. Although, at this point, it's might be more of a surprise that Paris got its name from France! Originally known as "Township Number 4," the town changed its name in 1793 to honor the support that France provided to colonists during the Revolutionary War.
The inspiration for this town's start was actually musical. Originally named Bloomville, in 1818 someone found that another state had claimed the name for one of their towns. Typically, during this time, Boston officials would have been responsible for producing the new name. But back then it would have taken a few days just to alert them of the problem. Taking matters into their own hands, the town representative chose the name of his favorite hymn which was "China."
Do you live in any towns that also have a fun and unexpected origin story? Let us know in the Facebook comments. And as an added bonus, share a fun thing we can do there!
