Which Portland: Maine or Oregon? Quiz

Answer: Both

From the late 18th Century, the village of Portland, Maine, depended upon its harbour for both fishing and trade. Portland is the largest port in Maine. At one time, it was a principal ice-free harbour in winter for Canadian exports. Portland, Oregon, benefits from the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers which give it access to the Pacific Ocean. Portland was the principal port in the Pacific Northwest until 1890 when the railroad connected Seattle's deep-water port with the rest of the United States.

Answer: True

Many of Stephen King's scary stories are set in Maine, the state of his birth. John Ford (1894-1973) won four Academy Awards for Best Director and is well remembered for his films such as "Stagecoach" (1939), "The Grapes of Wrath" (1940) and "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" (1962). Linda Lavin (b. 1937) is perhaps best remembered for her leading role in the TV sitcom "Alice" (1976-1985) but also had a significant career on Broadway both acting and singing.

Answer: Neither

Portland Cement was named by Joseph Aspdin who patented it in 1824 for the Isle of Portland in Dorset, England. He noted its similarity in appearance to the "Portland stone" which was quarried on the island. It is the most common sort of cement used in industry today.

Answer: Portland, Oregon

Portland State University was founded in 1946 to educate returning WW II veterans utilizing the G.I. Bill. It expanded into a four-year university in 1955 and now grants graduate degrees, as well. It is located in "the University District" of Portland, Oregon. The team from PSU won the 1965 General Electric College Bowl by winning five televised games in a row.

Answer: True

Televangelist Garner Ted Armstrong (1930-2003) as well as actress and singer Jane Powell (b. 1929) were also born in Portland, Oregon. While not born there, actor Clark Gable lived in Portland, Oregon, where he sold ties in the local Meier and Frank department store.

Answer: Portland, Oregon

In 1910, John A. Zehntbauer and Carl Jantzen founded a knitting company in Portland, Oregon. Swimsuits, first produced in 1915, took over their other business. Their logo of a shapely diving girl wearing a red one-piece swimsuit (and red bathing cap) became recognized worldwide.

Answer: Both

Portland, Oregon, is the largest city in the state of Oregon by population, with nearly four times as many people as its two nearest rivals: Salem and Eugene. Portland, Maine, is the largest city in the state of Maine by population, with roughly twice as many residents as its nearest rival Lewiston.

Answer: Portland, Maine

In 1851, long before national Prohibition in 1920, the State of Maine adopted a law which banned the manufacture, import, transportation or sale of beverage alcohol. Not all Down Easters were enthused by the legislation and the Irish, in particular, took it personally. A small riot occurred on 2 June 1855 in which the Mayor of Portland ordered the militia to fire on demonstrators, killing one and wounding seven others.

Answer: Portland, Oregon

The Trailblazers play NBA basketball in Portland, Oregon. There are no top-tier major league sports teams in Portland, Maine. However, Portland does host Maine Roller Derby, a member of the Women's Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA), which has two teams: the R.I.P. Tides and the Calamity Janes.

Answer: Portland, Maine

When Maine was admitted into the Union in 1820, Portland was its capital. The capital was moved to Augusta in 1832. Oregon City (now subsumed in the fringe of the Greater Portland Area) was the capital of the Oregon Territory (1848-1851). When Oregon became a state in 1859, Salem (which was the territorial capital after Oregon City) was named the state capital.