In the United States, I'd probably name Oregon City, the famous end of the Oregon Trail and the first city founded west of the Rocky Mountains during the pioneer era. Its population is only 37,000.

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[–] 141 points 2 years ago (4 children)

I’m in the US and I can’t say I’d heard of Oregon City before this post…

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  • [–] 19 points 2 years ago* (1 child)

    Oregon City would be my answer to 'what's the capital of Oregon?'

    Just a standard, since I never heard of the capital I'll try the state name plus city guess.

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  • [–] 9 points 2 years ago (1 child)

    I am not in the US. Never heard of Oregon City. But Atlantic City sounds really familiar.

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  • [–] [S] 6 points 2 years ago (8 children)

    I thought the Oregon Trail was a pretty standard part of US history curriculum.

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  • [–] 74 points 2 years ago (2 children)

    From US, played Oregon trail for hundreds of hours, didn't remember Oregon City.

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  • [–] 71 points 2 years ago* (2 children)

    Nantucket Massachusetts 10k

    Aspen Colorado 7k

    Jackson Hole Wyoming 10k

    Key West Florida 25k

    Probably all more famous and smaller population.

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  • We were taught about it, but most Americans don't view westward expansion with the same... Reverence? Notoriety?

    Like, I remember learning about it across multiple grades, but... Oregon City being the final destination, that's not something I would probably remember a year or two later, nevermind a decade or more.

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  • [–] 5 points 2 years ago

    Not really, not in our school district anyways. They did allow us to play the game based on that on their ancient computers, but never really gave us historical context, nor were we required to play the game.

    I didn't learn shit about it back then, and barely get it today. I'm 42 years old for reference.

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  • [–] 1 point 2 years ago

    It is. But that's not saying much.

    I may have had to keep a few of the waypoints of the trail in my head for, oh, a week or so, just long enough to scribble it on a history test. Then that information was immediately cleared out to make way for whatever other junk we had to temporarily memorize next chapter.

    Only a vague, blurry notion that the Oregon Trail A) existed and B) was a trail to (presumably) somewhere in Oregon remains with me today. Oregon City is certainly not a part of that notion.

    Not to shit on the Oregon Trail or Oregon City in particular, of course. I would be truly baffled to meet anyone that retained, in significant detail, even a tenth of what any grade school history class purportedly taught them.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 years ago

    For real. I'd think many more people could name Panama city in Florida. Famous spring break and vacation city every kid who's gone through college or listened to Van Halen knows of. Also has a population of less than 36,000 people.

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