Boring, Dull and Bland hopefully doesn’t describe Twelve Mile Circle or my social life although maybe observers would disagree. It referenced a unique relationship between three very special communities.
One day a Scottish bicyclist took a scenic ride through Clackamas County, Oregon, just outside of Portland. Then she passed through the unincorporated community of Boring. Naturally she thought it should be twinned with Dull in her native land. So the two communities agreed and formed “A Pair for the Ages” in 2012. Not wanting to be left behind, Bland Shire in Australia petitioned to join the arrangement. The triad created a “League of Extraordinary Communities” in 2014.
This would have been wonderful for 12MC’s Better Sister Cities list. Too bad I wrote it before the trio got together. Nonetheless, they should still get some credit for their creativity and marketing savvy.
Boring, Oregon, USA
More people lived in Boring (map) than the other two, with a population approaching eight thousand. The Boring part came from its namesake, William Boring, a Civil War veteran who moved there in the 1870’s. Residents took a lighthearted approach to their settlement’s name. They proclaimed it to be “the most exiting place to see” and “an exiting place to call home.” One local business called itself The Not So Boring Bar and Grill. The town was already predisposed to use its name creatively when Dull came calling.
According to the Boring Community Planning Organization, a 2013 Oregon law legitimized the relationship with Dull. It said “every August 9th will be Boring & Dull Day.” I couldn’t determine why August 9 seemed particularly suitable although they chose it so it must have had some special meaning. Boring & Dull Day offered a chance to “join your Boring neighbors” at Boring Station Trailhead Park for an evening of music and ice cream. So feel free to stop by if you’re in the area. Mark your calendar. You won’t be bored.
Dull, Perth and Kinross, Scotland
Dull barely existed (map), a few houses scattered along an unnamed single-track lane. Maybe eighty people lived there. Nobody knew for certain how Dull got its name either. It might have derived from Gaelic or Pictish for meadow or field. The Dull and Boring Facebook Page included an old article recounting the aftermath of the death of St. Adamnan in 704:
“… as he lay dying in his cell at Milton Eonan he told his men to place his body upon a stretcher whose poles were to be held in place by loops made of whithies or duls. They were to bury him where the first dul broke. This happened on the hill near his monastery, and there they buried him and called the place Dull”
Regardless of origin, the name went way back into the Middle Ages. Dull covered a much larger territory back then, with a monastery and a parish, becoming just a fragment of its former self in recent centuries. Dull hoped that tourists would visit their hamlet once it paired with Boring. Indeed, sightseers started arriving to photograph a sign noting their special relationship.
Bland Shire, New South Wales, Australia
Bland (map), a shire in New South Wales, learned of Boring and Dull through media reports. The mayor reached-out to the two. Later the Bland Shire Council in West Wyalong endorsed the partnership. However, it wasn’t completely without controversy. Some of the six thousand residents felt it disrespected the Bland name. The namesake, William Bland, came to Australia after a murder conviction. He killed a man in Bombay, India in a pistol feud in 1813. So that hardly seemed bland. Maybe those doubters had a point.
Boring, Dull and Bland. What a great combination. I can hardly wait to see what other places will join the League of Extraordinary Communities. One of the several Polish villages called Lazy, perhaps? Maybe Quiet Dell, West Virginia? How about Sleepy Eye, Minnesota?
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