Went to the DownEast.com trivia question and was not terribly surprised by the answer to the question:
“How did the city of Belfast get its name?”
Answer:
“Many of the community’s founding fathers wanted to name their new settlement Londonderry, but a strong-willed settler, John Miller of Belfast, Ireland, made a protest and a coin was flipped. Belfast won.”
It doesn’t surprise me because Mainers – whether their families originated in Londonderry or Belfast or wherever – tend to be independent-minded. Stubborn even.
Maine’s history is full of cool little stories like this.
My name is Keith Michaud and this is “Letters From Away,” a blog written by a Mainer living outside the comfortable and sane confines of New England. The blog is intended for Mainers, whether they live in the Pine Tree State or beyond, and for anyone who has loved ’em, been baffled by ’em or both. Ayuh, I am “from away.” Worse still, I live on the Left Coast – in California. Enjoy! Or not. Your choice.
Letters From Away 