On this date: January 25, 1759

Scottish national poet Robert Burns was born in Ayrshire on January 25, 1759. The city of Burns, Oregon, established in 1884, was named (sweet story) in his honor by early settler, store owner, and Harney County Commissioner George McGowan, who was also born in Scotland. The most famous poem by Robert Burns? “Auld lang syne”, sung in Scotland’s Burns Night festivities on January 25. The dialect words translate to “Old long ago”, i.e., the good old days.

In Googling for more points of connection for residents of Portland, I find the U.S. Headquarters office of the Scottish National Party is right here on SW 2nd. I’m surprised, despite the popularity of the Portland Highland Games, coming our way this year on July 20-21.

In the 2000 census, 4,890,581 people in the US claimed Scottish descent. Check out that link – you can look up the mapped numbers for many other ancestries. The three cities in Oregon making the list of the most Scottish people, with more than 6% claiming Scottish descent? Guess. Answer after the break.

Answer: 3rd: Pacific City, 2nd: Bandon, and 1st: Winston (which is close to Bandon, in case you’re wondering).