Lent and Johnson both wanted the settlement to be named after them, so they settled their disagreement the same way Asa Lovejoy and Francis Pettygrove did in their Portland/Boston debate (Portland could have been named New Boston)-a coin was flipped. Obviously, Lent won the toss and the settlement was named Lent. Johnson became the namesake for the creek running through the community.

The proper name for the town was actually Lent, but when people came to visit the settlement, they often stated they were going to visit the Lent's homestead. The name stuck.

Back to Lents' History.