Curiously Named Locales: Boring, Oregon

Photo credit: Boring Beer Fest Facebook page

 Somewhere between the gritty metro of Portland, Oregon, and the lonely peak of Mt Hood, lies the sleepy little town of Boring (Population: ~8000, Motto: "The most exciting place to live!"). Historically a hub of the timber industry, Boring is also home to plant nurseries and agricultural businesses. It was named for William Harrison Boring, a Union soldier and pioneer who moved to the area in 1874 and established a farm there while Oregon was still a territory. William Boring had come west to join his brother Joseph who had settled in the area in 1956. William later donated land for the first schoolhouse in the area. A rail line was built from Portland to the Boring Junction and a post office was established. The rail line was later dismantled as car traffic made the electric trolley that used it redundant. The line was then incorporated into the Springwater Corridor, a multi-use bike path that runs from the Willamette River in Portland with its terminus in the most Boring place imaginable. The family also lent its name to the Boring Lava Field which stretches from the village to downtown Portland and includes a few extinct volcanos like Mt Tabor, Rocky Butte, Kelly Butte, Devil's Rest, Larch Mountain, Powell Butte, Mt Scott, Mt Talbert, Beacon Rock and many, many more.

Sources:
Wikipedia: Boring, Oregon
Wikipedia: William H. Boring
Wikipedia: Boring Lava Field
KGW: Boring, Oregon, What's In a Name?