When we bought our place in southern Maine a few years back, one of our goals was to do a Maine “world tour.” That is, we planned on taking Maine day trips and visiting every town that is named after a foreign country.
Maine Towns Are Named After Foreign Countries
We considered adding towns to our tour that were named after foreign cities and towns, too. However, given Maine’s colonial roots, if you added places named after British and Irish locations, it seems as if you would need to include at least half of the state’s towns.
So, Belfast, Bremen and Calais (pronounced “Callas” by Downeasters) can step aside. Here we discuss the likes of Mexico, China and Norway.
Perhaps in another post we’ll explore “Italy” and visit Maine towns like Sorrento, Naples and Palermo or paddle the Danube to visit Belgrade and Vienna. For now, though, let’s look at how some of Maine’s towns got named after other countries.
China
The Maine town called China was originally supposed to be called Bloomville. However, the residents of the already existing Bloomfield protested because of potential confusion between the two.
To fill the void, town leaders named it after a popular hymn, China, written by a Massachusetts resident Thomas Swann in 1790. It was a favorite of local leaders when the town incorporated in 1818. Maine was part of Massachusetts until 1820.
Denmark
There is no definitive explanation of how Denmark, Maine got its name. One reasonable theory is that just the town was incorporated in 1807, Copenhagen, Denmark’s capital, was bombarded by the British Navy. Therefore, local residents wanted to show solidarity with the Danes since Portland had been similarly bombarded in 1775.
Lebanon
Incorporated in 1767, Lebanon draws its name for the biblical land. As far as its connection to Maine and why it got its name when it did, we’re still searching.
Mexico
The town incorporated in 1818 during the Mexican War for Independence. As such, it was likely named in honor of this struggle.
Norway
There are two theories as to how Norway got its name. The first is that it was named to honor the Norwegian people. Naming locations for European countries was popular at the time.
Another explanation is quirkier, says the New England Historical Society. Some believe that the town submitted its incorporation papers with the word “Norage” which means “falls” in a local native language. According to legend, a clerk in the court believed it was a misspelling and returned the incorporation paperwork to the town as Norway.
Poland
Incorporated in 1795, Poland is said to be named after a song by the same name, so says the Town of Poland Maine website.
Peru
The town changed its name from Partridgetown when it incorporated in 1821, about same time that the nation of Peru gained its independence. Townsfolk, likely renamed the town in honor of this event.
Sweden
In the 1870s there was concerted effort to bring Scandinavian people to Maine. This led to the settlements of New Sweden and Stockholm, but, ironically, not Sweden. It seems that when it was incorporated in 1813, the townsfolk simply jumped on the bandwagon and named their town after a European country.
Final thoughts on maine towns named after foreign countries
Did we miss any Maine towns named after foreign countries? Or, worse, did we get something wrong in our research? If so, please post a comment and let us know.
We hope to write another article soon about Maine towns named after foreign cities, not just countries. So, stay tuned for that.
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