tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-77064918035904745192024-03-13T10:20:52.198-07:00really weird place namesToad Suck, Intercourse, Humptulips, Bird in Hand, Monkey's Eyebrow, Blue Ball & moreCliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-20394632912076127462014-02-03T13:12:00.000-08:002014-11-27T06:58:07.237-08:00Why, AZ? Whynot, NC?<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Maybe you’re like me. First, I’m a big-time geography nerd. Give me a map, and I’m happy for hours. I don’t know if it’s my love of history, my love of names in general, or a mild case of Apserger’s, but it sure works for me.<br /><br />Second, I love a good laugh. I especially like anything that’s unintentionally funny. <a href="http://engrish.com/">Engrish.com</a>, <a href="http://www.cakewrecks.com/">Cake Wrecks</a>, <a href="http://newsoftheweird.com/">News of the Weird</a>, <a href="http://www.passiveaggressivenotes.com/">passiveaggresivenotes.com</a> … sites like these make up the majority of my bookmarks.<br /><br />I think it’s what keeps me sane. I mean, the real world is just so nuckin’ futs. If you can’t point it all out and have a laugh at it, you might as well just bang your head against the wall. And believe me, I’d much rather maniacal laughter came out of my padded cell than that monotonous dull thud.<br /><br />So, admit it. You and I are a lot alike. Really.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Methodology</span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">It feels funny putting that header in a blog. I’m an engineer by trade, and typically have a section like that in all my reports. It doesn’t seem quite right here, but it was important in this quest to have some basic ground rules.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">1. Size Matters</span></span></h2>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">There are a million teeny-tiny little crossroads and wide spots in the road in this huge country of ours. Chances are – if through nothing other than sheer numbers – some of them will have some pretty funny names. That said, I had to 1) put some limits on this thing, for my own sanity, and 2) limit it to places you could actually drive through (if you were so inclined) and actually realize you were there.<br /><br />So, what I did was limit myself to a standard Rand-McNally road atlas. If your little hole-in-the-wall didn’t make it into there, I’m afraid it didn’t make into here either. Sorry, Buzzards Crossroads, NC. I apologize, Hot Coffee, AL. There's always plenty of room in "honorable mention" though.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiD4MMQmGXX8qCy5kFdP4U42WfD1AcskLwN1Q2XQM3Bsdf1_8IjfRj9PZzYWW10oFcLVl9zNRQX3ArgKW-IdLnxlFMkbECd-PUSqZdn4d9Kh8ytGmOSsEmezhgNO8PnVMVDRoYE0fNeM/s1600/hotcoffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuiD4MMQmGXX8qCy5kFdP4U42WfD1AcskLwN1Q2XQM3Bsdf1_8IjfRj9PZzYWW10oFcLVl9zNRQX3ArgKW-IdLnxlFMkbECd-PUSqZdn4d9Kh8ytGmOSsEmezhgNO8PnVMVDRoYE0fNeM/s200/hotcoffee.jpg" height="170" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I also wanted to limit the number of towns I’d cover per state – or this blog would get very big very fast. I figure the old “top 10” trope would work just fine. Once again, anything else goes into the honorable mentions.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">A funny name is usually not enough. Inquiring minds usually want to know<span style="font-size: small;">,</span> how the %#&$@ did <i>that </i>come about?<br /><br />Note, however, that this introduces a couple of problems. First, that info may simply not be out there, especially if your little Hooterville is no more than a post office and/or a gas station. Second, people love to make up stories to fill in the gaps. These are typically of the rather obvious, classically American, incredibly<span style="font-size: small;"> </span>tall-tale variety. Believe me, you can usually spot these things from a mile off.<br /><br />Whynot, NC, in my home state, is a perfect example. The usual story is that there was a meeting of the town folks and they argued back and forth about what to name their new metropolis. Some wag supposedly got tired of it all, and said “Why not this. Why not that. Why not just name it ‘Whynot,’ and we can all go to bed.”<br /><br />Turns out that Whynot is a family name. Variant spellings include Wynard, Winwood, Winnard, and others. It’s probably not even pronounced like “why not.”<br /><br />I’ll probably include the apocryphal story. But as a true history buff, I do find the real story much more interesting, and will definitely give that preference when I can.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbRVOnf3S5njjh4BzDP0RD7W6zqAwajgAHfuAollxY9NX8kU53Lq1I9vi2JC1F7SstIJQIEZchrtUmUiViKRvcTNiWSz7WZBF7weL4P2z25dkBRdg4rkEy2jyHVEx8qWLswdiIFU6ZTg8/s1600/whynot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbRVOnf3S5njjh4BzDP0RD7W6zqAwajgAHfuAollxY9NX8kU53Lq1I9vi2JC1F7SstIJQIEZchrtUmUiViKRvcTNiWSz7WZBF7weL4P2z25dkBRdg4rkEy2jyHVEx8qWLswdiIFU6ZTg8/s320/whynot.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> 3. Information & Pictures</span></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">The name’s the thing, and I’ll include your burg even if I can’t find a darn thing about it other than its location on a map. That said, it sure is a lot more fun if I can find a picture of the Boring Farmer’s Market or can discuss the <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2012/10/alabama.html">Choccolocco Monster</a> or whatever. And that’ll probably be the deciding factor if I’m trying to decide which hamlet gets star billing and which simply gets listed in the credits.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBc-20xUQIfZkJEh8U7ilE7j3ORLwN3JhPZmdSiuE_YyId_teXpmmUEOC00gIjd1_510YvMLWDwGmWwm8rCFw_byuOMvEswqZYJDOAmOSOi3-aRIju0Lw7Wlo1n9E1Tv-6ecvNLABGzI/s1600/boring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFBc-20xUQIfZkJEh8U7ilE7j3ORLwN3JhPZmdSiuE_YyId_teXpmmUEOC00gIjd1_510YvMLWDwGmWwm8rCFw_byuOMvEswqZYJDOAmOSOi3-aRIju0Lw7Wlo1n9E1Tv-6ecvNLABGzI/s320/boring.jpg" height="237" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I do want you to appreciate, though, how much work this typically involves on my part. It seems <span style="font-size: small;">that</span>, no matter how small your little Podunk, there are no shortage of sites that take the name of the town, combine it with some other topic (weather, real estate, gas prices, dentists), and include a web page for it (whether it has dentists, gasoline stations, real estate, and weather or not). Here’s a sample (I am not making this up):</span></span><br /><br/>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Portable toilet rentals in Eastaboga, AL can be tricky and expensive. The specialists at Quick Portable Toilets can help you with your rental for a reasonably low rate. Locating a porta potty rental business in Eastaboga you can rely on can be time consuming. We have the experience you’re looking for. Our company can serve as your “one-stop” source for all your portable toilet needs. To receive a cost-free estimate for your rental in Eastaboga, AL, contact 888-673-1110.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">But that’s what investigative journalism is all about, isn’t it? Anything for the truth, right?<br /><br />Enjoy!</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, I entered these in alphabetically, over the span of about a year and a half. So, these are basically LIFO (last in, first out). If you want to start with Alabama, click right <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2012/10/alabama.html">here</a>.</span>Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-18951396236348099252014-01-27T12:06:00.001-08:002014-11-27T07:16:15.930-08:00Wyoming<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, I’ll be honest. I just don’t know that much about this place. Beautiful country, I understand. Rolling plains, majestic mountains. Wide skies. “Little dogies.” Maybe even a couple of people, who knows?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, I do know that they’ve got their fair share of pretty crazily named places. Here, let me show you what I mean …</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>10. Muddy Gap</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think it’s pretty safe to say that – no matter how descriptive – towns should never have the word “mud” in them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like me, Snowman0812 wanted to know a little bit more about this place. Elk Hunter was kind enough to help us both out:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Well, Muddy Gap is in the middle of nowhere. It has a population of about 10. It's 77 miles from Casper and 43 miles from Rawlins. Casper is a good shopping meca [sic] where as [sic] Rawlins will only have the basics.”</span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WyoMama then added her two cents:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Is out in the middle of nowhere, but I kinda' like it there. There ARE a couple of homes up on the hill to the east between Jeffry City & Muddy Gap - probably counting those. I can't IMAGINE what anybody would do there to make a living - I sure wouldn't live there & work anywhere else - too far - but is the best route to get from Rawlins to Cody in the winter - that trip from the Gap to Riverton even tho not many ppl on it, seems protected from the really bad snows. Have taken it several times.”</span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And baadsheep, of course, didn’t want to be outdone:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Being that I live at Muddy gap. I figure I'm most qualified............ There is a gas station there and its [sic] open. The most active business is the Mormons have the Hand cart center at Devils gate. (you should see the number of busses come here on the average day!!!!!!!!!!). The wind is pretty fierce here especialy [sic] during the winter. There is about 20 people here (especialy [sic] if you count cats and dogs)!!!!!!!!”</span><br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWR_3aW5oh7C6v0HVAA1pyDaR9WQGZjh7VE4aai9FbRgLIxIj4FZX3pMZY9jsNg4C037jOtbg5Y8N8aux4Kwe7UIBn7OqJa_AObd4OLWIFw8q7saUHp4Ncvn8maMs_6SqrP36rJj4o7cI/s1600/mg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWR_3aW5oh7C6v0HVAA1pyDaR9WQGZjh7VE4aai9FbRgLIxIj4FZX3pMZY9jsNg4C037jOtbg5Y8N8aux4Kwe7UIBn7OqJa_AObd4OLWIFw8q7saUHp4Ncvn8maMs_6SqrP36rJj4o7cI/s1600/mg.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">MG is also the place setting for this</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and a couple of other romances by the same author<br />(at least I think this is a romance - and not gay porn)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>9. Saddlestring</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Saddle soap? Silly string? Saddle shoes? Superstring?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, first of all, there <i>is</i> something called “saddle string.” It sounds like it’s just long pieces of leather, used to lace things up (like chaps) or tie something to your saddle. Now, why you’d ever want to name your town after it is another story entirely (and, alas, one I could not uncover).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The “town” of Saddlestring is in the north central part of Wyoming. In fact, it looks like it might be one and the same with a ranch located there, the <a href="http://www.hfbar.com/">HF Bar Ranch</a>. This place is one of the oldest dude ranches around, and has hosted movie stars, Supreme Court justices, and “captains of industry.”</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hS0Fo-zmnoovIGp8-c6vg4-c6nnuYqaBImsYAiPqBOygM1AwV9_XPiO7PuCGez8NbaEeCp6ttIsnCEPVJRT0S0wUIGFK7lKtfDOb9S6DKm2xqee_5q67NQzyMvjjgtChLlc-T8mwbPE/s1600/ss.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hS0Fo-zmnoovIGp8-c6vg4-c6nnuYqaBImsYAiPqBOygM1AwV9_XPiO7PuCGez8NbaEeCp6ttIsnCEPVJRT0S0wUIGFK7lKtfDOb9S6DKm2xqee_5q67NQzyMvjjgtChLlc-T8mwbPE/s1600/ss.jpg" height="134" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Available on <a href="http://www.culturedcowboy.com/saddles/Reinsman/pages/StrapGoods.htm">culturedcowboy.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>8.Medicine Bow</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why, a bow for your meds, of course. Why do you ask?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Actually, it’s from the Medicine Bow River. And <i>that</i> came about as follows:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Along the banks of the river, the Native Americans found excellent material for making their bows. To them, anything they found good for a purpose was called ‘good medicine.’" (from the <a href="http://www.medicinebow.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=95:general-history&catid=56:origin-and-history&Itemid=66">town site</a>)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This enormous metropolis of almost 300 people is in the south central part of the state. It owes its existence to the transcontinental railroad, which came through in 1868. At one point, it loaded the largest number of cattle per day on the whole line. MB is also on the old Lincoln Highway. Finally, the town is the site of <i>The Virginian</i>, a novel that many consider the very first western.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflEHlgB-RtzqLl14wofafUpIU7AW6yny-jigmNwBJiOWYnqC_WbH2jCVJhh5emLjNijKn9MwnikqnyviwYrT5lABM2FMQRPFRT5ic34s_yvlmjx_vTVdjODEDbzQh6ZQsnbUIHgKB4Vw/s1600/mb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgflEHlgB-RtzqLl14wofafUpIU7AW6yny-jigmNwBJiOWYnqC_WbH2jCVJhh5emLjNijKn9MwnikqnyviwYrT5lABM2FMQRPFRT5ic34s_yvlmjx_vTVdjODEDbzQh6ZQsnbUIHgKB4Vw/s1600/mb.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A house made of fossils -<br />believe it or not!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>7. East Thermopolis</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, Thermopolis all by itself probably wouldn’t have made it onto this list. Adding that “East,” though, definitely moves the needle on the silly meter enough to make this a real player.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, yes, this does indeed mean “city of heat.” Now, why did they call themselves the “city of heat”? Well, would the <a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/13144">world’s largest hot springs</a> do it for you?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, yes, there is a just plain old Thermopolis. In fact, that’s where the springs are. East Thermopolis itself doesn’t have a lot to crow about. At 250 citizens, it’s got less than one tenth the people of Thermopolis. It does, however, have the Wyoming Dinosaur Center. By the way, the two places are separated by the Bighorn River, and are in the north central part of the state.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQM-rN6-ZxAOaN8thG_XSggrjcSZpm3h_hGlnCDKB8f5OMd5mx7liDz0M7muYAGwMfYAsT2AbhzGDMpjPnRtBql3PVvrMiB3HjCqT12VuzgTItunC5Xrb9eE12iyHVY2sj4NxlUCXa4HM/s1600/thermo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQM-rN6-ZxAOaN8thG_XSggrjcSZpm3h_hGlnCDKB8f5OMd5mx7liDz0M7muYAGwMfYAsT2AbhzGDMpjPnRtBql3PVvrMiB3HjCqT12VuzgTItunC5Xrb9eE12iyHVY2sj4NxlUCXa4HM/s1600/thermo.jpg" height="130" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Live </i>on the side of this hill; <i>work </i>shooting buffalo;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>prosper </i>in this dry, dusty land</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>6. Spotted Horse</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You know what comes up first as a suggestion when I type “spotted” into Google? Hint: it’s not Spotted Horse. What we get instead is “spotted dick.” And <i>that</i> is an English dessert – i.e., <i>not</i> what you had in mind, you dirty bugger.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Curiously, Spotted Horse is not a dessert, but a small town near the Montana border. And when I say “small,” I mean <i>small</i>. Wikipedia’s got SH down for a population of two. Two!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The name? It’s after some Native American dude.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs5MKGdeoyOx8ifJkwSWEosveg7Mz45TolkD_QLWdvS_ZvkD53ynxjUPwAJnRPfV7ayR9JImv_DYEPZR9nyr3gTFMoCV1rsKz_Rkv_brpgG_su1GpIlAwAml92CJdKVBHaxFjrhmLldIU/s1600/sh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs5MKGdeoyOx8ifJkwSWEosveg7Mz45TolkD_QLWdvS_ZvkD53ynxjUPwAJnRPfV7ayR9JImv_DYEPZR9nyr3gTFMoCV1rsKz_Rkv_brpgG_su1GpIlAwAml92CJdKVBHaxFjrhmLldIU/s1600/sh.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Downtown SH – a <a href="http://www.esquire.com/bestbars/bb-SpottedHorseBar">bar</a> (and nothing else)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5. Crowheart</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another Indian dude? Well, in a way, yes. Here, let Wikipedia explain:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“According to legend, following a five-day battle for rights to the hunting grounds in the Wind River Range, Chief Washakie of the Shoshone and Chief Big Robber of the Crow agreed to a duel, with the winner gaining the rights to the Wind River hunting grounds. Chief Washakie eventually prevailed, but he was so impressed with the courage of his opponent, that rather than scalp him, he instead cut out his heart and placed it on the end of his lance.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wow! That’s quite a story. In fact, that might be the best name origin story in this whole darn blog. In addition, it also sure beats calling your town Big Robber, am I right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crowheart has 140 people, and is on the Wind River Indian Reservation. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3f-yEmuGNNQyjlOQw9i1bSXGC3tIr5L8Ry8Vb0K9Afa0DDiXMO3fb1JCNIPYlrZHakriq2Xfo0tvvvhos6SUyFktOVGMERiKr9w3Uz367CLgpWP8DkIS-Wz3L479UdvLr_lbdE2TFvc/s1600/ch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_3f-yEmuGNNQyjlOQw9i1bSXGC3tIr5L8Ry8Vb0K9Afa0DDiXMO3fb1JCNIPYlrZHakriq2Xfo0tvvvhos6SUyFktOVGMERiKr9w3Uz367CLgpWP8DkIS-Wz3L479UdvLr_lbdE2TFvc/s1600/ch.jpg" height="267" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See, somebody put it on a piece of wood </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">– it must be true</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4. Jay Em</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A white guy. A white guy with the initial J and M. In particular, one white guy named James Moore, who owned a ranch here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">JM is near the Nebraska border, close to – pretty much like everything else in this state – absolutely nothing. We’re talking about a whopping 80 people here. The center of town – which is half abandoned – is actually on the National Register of Historic Places. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84RVoPofZItrZiJAND9oisOmy_O-TWC9tVqR533mnHEm5NN3Mea9qaQFS6Of97Bzq6CmGDXriphPsR-MtbGwhop5IoAehPANXCTNp7qM93eMNYArsqOUshNJMoThfTks0SMRpghge1sQ/s1600/jm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh84RVoPofZItrZiJAND9oisOmy_O-TWC9tVqR533mnHEm5NN3Mea9qaQFS6Of97Bzq6CmGDXriphPsR-MtbGwhop5IoAehPANXCTNp7qM93eMNYArsqOUshNJMoThfTks0SMRpghge1sQ/s1600/jm.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s historic!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. Chugwater</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you can make any sense of the following story of how this place got its name (from Wikipedia), then you’re a better man/woman than I:</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Some historians hold that the name ‘Chugwater’ is derived from a Mandan account of a bison hunt. According to this narrative, a chief was disabled during the hunt and his son took charge of the hunt or ‘buffalo jump.’ Under his direction, hunters drove the bison over nearby cliffs; when the animals reached the ground below, a sound of ‘chugging’ was heard by the hunters. The story concludes with an etymology: since a stream was near the base of the cliffs, the site of the stampede has been called ‘the place’ or ‘water at the place where the buffalo chug.’”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chugwater has about 200 people. It’s not too far from Jay Em.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s main claim to fame is being where Clayton Danks played cowboy. Don’t know Clayton? Well, he and his horse Steamboat were the models for Wyoming’s famous state symbol. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCic_swszkIImsf9opRs9DWbk9y1PSU_80Fnx3qV9ldf6UEaoOgWe4WokKvGEn6y0AhrZmk1iXUyfm1tSm4ZlCd5mTBbMBqzEAWJaOyH-_ufZ5BUvjPv0-iZxHTFIdkcMNLHy0W5DXYXA/s1600/cw.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCic_swszkIImsf9opRs9DWbk9y1PSU_80Fnx3qV9ldf6UEaoOgWe4WokKvGEn6y0AhrZmk1iXUyfm1tSm4ZlCd5mTBbMBqzEAWJaOyH-_ufZ5BUvjPv0-iZxHTFIdkcMNLHy0W5DXYXA/s1600/cw.png" height="320" width="202" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look familiar? I thought so.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. West Thumb</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interestingly, there is no Thumb. Nor is there an East Thumb, a South Thumb, a Fort Thumb, Thumb Junction, or anything to do with the first digit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This one does, though, have a pretty reasonable explanation however. West Thumb is actually perched on a little bay off Yellowstone Lake, a bay that looks a little bit like a thumb (if you’re feeling particularly imaginative, that is), a bay that happens to be on the west side of Yellowstone Lake. <i>Et, voila!</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, WT is indeed part of Yellowstone Park. In fact, it looks like West Thumb might be no more than some geysers and a big parking lot. In other words, no postcards, postmarks, or signage for this one.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1Qt-hr4Xm83JQOEAHqo27tp3pu2G2NM_XeO87frO_HIB_fHVMn5aO4lAfV0Fd53bvH47tM1LtG0UZDRrDI_gCq6BMsm-JbryloxKS2qtXsGCjzYIn-0BjnUcKbbQ6RZzxVvPc48CxAM/s1600/wt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC1Qt-hr4Xm83JQOEAHqo27tp3pu2G2NM_XeO87frO_HIB_fHVMn5aO4lAfV0Fd53bvH47tM1LtG0UZDRrDI_gCq6BMsm-JbryloxKS2qtXsGCjzYIn-0BjnUcKbbQ6RZzxVvPc48CxAM/s1600/wt.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though more strangely colored water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">than you’ve probably ever seen in your life</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Ten Sleep</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think we all can guess where this one comes from (it took 10 days to get here from somewhere else). That said, it’s still a beaut.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for the town itself, it’s got about 250 people. It’s basically a ranching community, but with plenty of tourists as well. The latter are attracted to beautiful Ten Sleep Canyon, as well as a rodeo and the <a href="http://www.nowoodstock.com/">Nowoodstock</a> music festical. Some of the touristically-oriented establishments in town include the Crazy Woman Café and Pub and Dirty Sally ‘s Gift Store. Hmm, am I detecting a theme here?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivcWzFt4ltkD_AL6jpFJn1kwCVUEnzbkAOWcNmWg8irx_xlzLXmW9LrnFcD83so-9cNq9e_wNeULzpqp3NEObkbOEm7zTJB4YSAdb_yR14ZJVvAVNaF3U9JqLf778dqjAHrpl4u1Dh8s/s1600/ts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivcWzFt4ltkD_AL6jpFJn1kwCVUEnzbkAOWcNmWg8irx_xlzLXmW9LrnFcD83so-9cNq9e_wNeULzpqp3NEObkbOEm7zTJB4YSAdb_yR14ZJVvAVNaF3U9JqLf778dqjAHrpl4u1Dh8s/s1600/ts.jpg" height="243" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Quod est demonstratum</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Honorable Mention: </b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">B-o-r-i-n-g – Lake, Valley, Canyon, Halfway</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Short & sweet – Orin, Urie, Orpha, Uva, Otto, Acme, Alta, Alva, Almy, Elmo, Jelm, Ulm, Lusk (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2260">monument to slain madam</a> in the middle of nowhere), Vore </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Native American mouthfuls – Wamsutter, Meeteestse</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little out of place – Midwest, Dayton, Buffalo, Albany, Jamestown, Atlantic City, Bordeaux, Eden</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little off color – Fannie</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Orthographically challenged – Merna, Ranchester (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/28753">T-Rex museum</a> in guy's house), Linch, Baggs, Savery</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Numerically oriented – Four Corners, Centennial</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abnormal nouns – Wolf, Sunrise, Shell, Encampment (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/14511">two-story outhouse</a>), Freedom, Reliance, Recluse, Emblem (formerly Germania Bench), Banner, Basin, Boulder, Battle, Pavilion, Colony, Node, Story, Riddle, Downer</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atypical adjectives – Sage, Superior, Veteran, Federal</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unconventional verbs – Burns</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fun to say – Calpet, Lingle, Yoder, Smoot, Quealy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just plain weird – Lookout, Lonetree (population: 1), Redbird, Greybull (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/14707">Museum of Aerial Firefighting</a>), Little Bear, Sundance, Boxelder, Cokeville, Burntfork, Hat Creek, Powder River, Point of Rocks, Lost Cabin, Big Sandy, Sand Draw, Hamilton Dome, La Barge, Old Faithful, Little America, Tie Siding, Ucross, Mayoworth, Bigtrails, Bar Nunn, Dull Center, Dumbbell, Pitchfork, Devils Tower, Hells Half Acre</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just plain weird, elks – Elk, Elk Mountain, Elk Basin, Moose (ah, what the heck)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d like to introduce you to – Bill, Byron, Buford (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/32954">population: 1</a>), Daniel, Douglas, Egbert, Opal, Cora, Hanna, Ryan Park, Jenny Lake, Shirley Basin, Jeffrey City</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ghost towns – Gebo, Jireh, Hecla, Rudefeha, Carbon, Sunrise, Rambler, Dines, Sublette, Fort Fred Steele, Mormon Row, Miner’s Delight (girlhood home of Calamity Jane), Tubb Town</span></li>
</ul>
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Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-15446649658625067152014-01-21T09:49:00.001-08:002015-07-18T07:31:05.831-07:00Wisconsin<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cows. Cheese. More cows. Cheese curds. Badgers. Cheeseheads. Packers. Brats. Snow. Blatz. Cows. Cheese.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>10. Fence</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s rather hard to believe, but there is an actual <a href="http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=24007">explanation</a> for this one:</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The community name stems from [a] hunting method used by Indians. They would build two fences, one of brush and the other of pickets; when deer jumped the first fence, they landed on the sharp points.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This town of 230 is in the far northeast part of the state, into the UP. It looks very flat and farmy.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiePHJdO5-2kyC9kTpUCMmQKpx3Y7CcxWOduWPQLhhj-VzBuCq7vWjU_y9gl3U5_LfttsN1hvfEO-OWj_jT0j5_B4Dnu7ZNNL3IcRSFKfHY5gUKoNtI7BbBKVYnuF52vfMjb8XpSLFQfiw/s1600/fence.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiePHJdO5-2kyC9kTpUCMmQKpx3Y7CcxWOduWPQLhhj-VzBuCq7vWjU_y9gl3U5_LfttsN1hvfEO-OWj_jT0j5_B4Dnu7ZNNL3IcRSFKfHY5gUKoNtI7BbBKVYnuF52vfMjb8XpSLFQfiw/s1600/fence.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This just scares me</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>9. Praire du Sac</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Literally, this one means “prairie of the sack.” (“Cul-de-sac” means “bottom of the sack,” by the way). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But the French also used "sac" to refer to the Sauk Indians. So, really, this is really no more imaginative than “Sauk Prairie.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PDS is in the south central part of the state, and claims 3,000 citizens. It’s practically twinned with Sauk City, which has 3,400. Just in case things weren't confusing enough already, the two usually go by the name of Sauk Prairie. Both are right along the Wisconsin River.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reminding us that it was the French who originally settled this area, Wisconsin also includes:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eau Claire – “clear water”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lac du Flambeau – “lake of torches”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Prairie du Chien – “prairie of the dog” (i.e., the prairie dog) </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Butte des Mortes – “mound of the dead people” (i.e., an Indian burial mound)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Eau des Chiens Mortes Flambeaux – “flaming water of the dead dogs” (okay, I made that last one up)</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyhnumEmIRy0J64_HRlL6a17YxiohLjtubIvgvC1avPO4Jqr3qgYMpvdjW8Cv6sOwXfrmdwJLzvF6spN6jOOiu7xlJTXOMMUkz1XFt-dX8x7PXcOA_dElTX5-SFFQoGpW0d8_n2tzdSc/s1600/pds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyhnumEmIRy0J64_HRlL6a17YxiohLjtubIvgvC1avPO4Jqr3qgYMpvdjW8Cv6sOwXfrmdwJLzvF6spN6jOOiu7xlJTXOMMUkz1XFt-dX8x7PXcOA_dElTX5-SFFQoGpW0d8_n2tzdSc/s1600/pds.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">PDS is also home to the <br /><a href="http://www.wiscowchip.com/">Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throw</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>8. Baraboo</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More Frenchie. This town is named after the nearby river, which was in turn named after an early settler named Jean Baribault. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think I much prefer the American spelling. I mean, why do the French even bother to put all those letters at the end of every word? It’s not like they actually ever pronounce any of them, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Baraboo’s pretty big time. I’m talking over 12,000 Baraboobians … um, Baraboobers … er … inhabitants. It’s in the south central again, just 20 minutes away from Prairie du Sac.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Baraboo’s main claim to fame is being the former home of Ringling Brothers Circus. Currently, it’s the home of <a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1422">Circus World Museum</a>. Not content to rest there, Baraboo’s Wikipedia entry also mentions the <a href="http://www.savingcranes.org/">International Crane Foundation</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aldo_Leopold_Shack_and_Farm">Aldo Leopold’s Shack</a> (but why didn’t they mention the <a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/18643">International Clown Hall of Fame</a>???). It also lists 25 famous sons and daughters – none of whom I have ever heard of before (including Aldo).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpGSFzQUselDzN_3OUkyFyU0bOvhM1S9EksC9rBe2pk6iCSZZKruvB-fbqSw87L0Z9gYixHuhDHVusmXrpGdUcA0UuVugfqKzSsiUulJQ1kEWEDLKQvVfLkWiCYynH_dO8VPfKN4PPZ0/s1600/baraboosign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXpGSFzQUselDzN_3OUkyFyU0bOvhM1S9EksC9rBe2pk6iCSZZKruvB-fbqSw87L0Z9gYixHuhDHVusmXrpGdUcA0UuVugfqKzSsiUulJQ1kEWEDLKQvVfLkWiCYynH_dO8VPfKN4PPZ0/s1600/baraboosign.jpg" width="189" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WTF?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>7. Poy Sippi</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As I recall, “Mississippi” means something like “many waters.” So, I guess this one means “lots of mashed taro root paste.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m sorry. What we’ve got here is instead something along the lines of “Sioux waters.” It’s from the Potawatomie, and is shortened from <i>poygan sippi</i>. The term was originally applied to the Pine River, which flows through the town.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This petit burg of almost 1,000 is just a little north and east of Prairie du Sac and Baraboo. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, spell check keeps insisting I change this to “Poignant Sips.”</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Qg2cCCGBi-cSY5Uv889zgbQRayLR6QXXle6qhBSjXZlzrEK65cbJ00bb5IRd04tTyuczFiU47YY1hAUzDQq0eyRIYazO2UaBUBzVAyh0gSj2hjC51qJDaQF9V8cPqWnhh1XkPNL9hC8/s1600/poy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_Qg2cCCGBi-cSY5Uv889zgbQRayLR6QXXle6qhBSjXZlzrEK65cbJ00bb5IRd04tTyuczFiU47YY1hAUzDQq0eyRIYazO2UaBUBzVAyh0gSj2hjC51qJDaQF9V8cPqWnhh1XkPNL9hC8/s1600/poy.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wilstar SS Dixierose-Red-ET </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unanimous All-American Fall Yearling in Milk</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wilstar Holsteins, Poy Sippi, WI</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>6. Packwaukee / Peewaukee / Pensaukee</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, we’ve all heard of Milwaukee, but where the heck did these other ones come from?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, Milwaukee may mean several things – “pleasant land,” “gathering place by the waters,” and “some misfortune happens.” Huh, whuh? Can’t tell if that <a href="http://www4.uwsp.edu/museum/menomineeClans/places/chart.aspx">last one</a> is a joke or not.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Packwaukee was named after a “friendly chief of the Ho-Chunk tribe.” That name may, in turn, mean something along the line of “thin land.” It’s got 2,500 people, and is “located in the heart of Wisconsin on the shores of Buffalo Lake.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Peewaukee means either “dusty water” or “lake of shells.” It’s basically a suburb of Milwaukee, and comes in at 13,000 inhabitants. Its Wikipedia entry lists <i>eleven </i>people I’ve never heard of.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pensaukee means “inside the mouth of a river.” That’s fitting as it is indeed located where the Pensaukee River empties into Green Bay. We’re talking about 1,200 people here. Its main claim to fame seems to be getting wiped out in an 1877 tornado.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5. Oconomowoc</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ock-a-nama-wanna-waka … Ock-o-nama-wama-mama-nocka … Ock-o-nama-mama-wanna-waka-jama … Ah, forget it. (But do check out this great <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zGcQCtFlENA">video</a> of Texans trying to pronounce this and other WI gems.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Would it help if I told you it was originally Coo-no-mo-wauk, and that’s Potatwatomi for “waterfall”? I didn’t think so.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, would it make it any easier if I told you it was a thriving city of 16,000? No? Just a little west of Milwaukee? Sister city of Dietzenbach, Germany? Nah? Ah, heck with it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, this (unpronounceable) place’s main claim to fame is premiering The Wizard of Oz. Continuing the cinema theme, it’s also the setting of an eponymous <a href="http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/oconomowoc/">film</a>:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">an absurd comedy about Lonnie Washington, a confused adult who moves back in with his boozing mother and reluctantly teams up with his friend's mishandled t-shirt business in hopes of finding a little direction</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKC7cPyy20_JE44nIDz5y4lLouq_oOTQ1-8CqLZsSmw8m3xPU2gI-WPjws3kca0mbxSjP0ZJI7YaabtGHB1yNReXVleYkpq7Obbdk9AmJ5K78YV4A7CC_2aTLnDbrfkiZwD7YffbFR2Cs/s1600/oc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKC7cPyy20_JE44nIDz5y4lLouq_oOTQ1-8CqLZsSmw8m3xPU2gI-WPjws3kca0mbxSjP0ZJI7YaabtGHB1yNReXVleYkpq7Obbdk9AmJ5K78YV4A7CC_2aTLnDbrfkiZwD7YffbFR2Cs/s1600/oc.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think this goes without saying</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4. Menomonie</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Carl Sandburg thought that the most beautiful word he ever heard was “Monogahela,” which just so happens to be a river in western Pennsylvania. He must have never have run across “Menomonie.” To me, at least, it’s pure poetry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It comes from an Indian tribe of the same name (which explains why there is also a Menomonee in Michigan as well). The name means “the people” … in Menomonee.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s another big one, coming in at 16,000-plus. It’s located at the other end of the state, though – in the northwest, just west of Eau Claire. M-town’s Wikipedia entry features <i>sixteen</i> people I’ve never heard of, some of whom sound very interesting indeed:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wilson Hall – half of the comedy duo God’s Pottery</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Aaron Yonda – comedy video producer, co-founder of Blame Society Productions</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Harry Miler – "the greatest creative figure in the history of the American racing car"</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Luke Helder – local college student who attempted to create a smiley-face on the US map with pipe bombs</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Almost forgot … There is also a Menomonie Falls in the Badger State.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-wZJltj4Erswi9GOYl33l3V0oFrm6jQ960EkAIn6x93zehYuqXm4v38OCmLhQT4_sYI5iUrJLyTf3ORU0nTEexlAbfIgFMj-nt-IGlm97vJG-_t9kIg351eYFUU2LCAwu6IDVaMvBl8/s1600/menom.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip-wZJltj4Erswi9GOYl33l3V0oFrm6jQ960EkAIn6x93zehYuqXm4v38OCmLhQT4_sYI5iUrJLyTf3ORU0nTEexlAbfIgFMj-nt-IGlm97vJG-_t9kIg351eYFUU2LCAwu6IDVaMvBl8/s1600/menom.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Open July 3rd thru July 5th</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. Oshkosh</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More poetry. In that it rhymes. Not in that it’s a beautiful use of language.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another chief. This one’s name means “claw.” Accordingly, this little blurb will now substitute the word “Claw” whenever I would otherwise be tempted to use the word “Oshkosh.” Here goes …</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This metropolis of 66,000 is just a little southwest of Green Bay, on the rather large Lake Winnebago. As befits such a huge place, Claw can claim a couple of big-time corporate citizens:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Claw B’Gosh – cute kids clothes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Claw Corp. – trucks and other heavy equipment</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Claw is also home to AirVenture, the world’s largest airshow. Finally, Claw features 53 famous sons and daughters, two of whom I have actually heard of, but you probably have not (Lewis Hines and Carl Laemmle).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7XIeASDFIHG5b4omiPpySeARli6WgKFFGjZ4_Qki7uH8bPVMOB1i8-8zJTy2xrCLpS95QnQD1RJmQ3V06qrOHaM8VQrxJBCzY_VGL6CKb010DG_zvY0r23SpxDQuQuYdzu6aBfdUqaw/s1600/osh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl7XIeASDFIHG5b4omiPpySeARli6WgKFFGjZ4_Qki7uH8bPVMOB1i8-8zJTy2xrCLpS95QnQD1RJmQ3V06qrOHaM8VQrxJBCzY_VGL6CKb010DG_zvY0r23SpxDQuQuYdzu6aBfdUqaw/s1600/osh.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Old-timey postcard of Claw</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. Spread Eagle</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I won’t say any more about this one save to say that it’s definitely naughty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The place is way up in the northeast. It’s even closer to the border with Michigan than Fence. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The name is after the Spread Eagle Chain of Lakes. They, in turn, get their name from how the lakes look like a spread eagle. Hmm … Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a shred of photographic evidence of this on Google Images, or on Google Maps.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In general, there doesn’t seem to be a whole heckuva lot on SE out there. Fittingly, though, I did find a strip bar, the Gold Nugget. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, there is also an Eagle, WI.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5JqBiL-I_8nK5aWh9ryTdhrjX_aa29bfJgRgoQNcemREL3Nz5z4h9IJ7irkZRnn2s9IC8De4goFCTko4oiM2dt5jKJBajggKwM8S4n7QlvvNiheFw8qkjLA2RH8stJswiQbqXuxv_sg/s1600/spread.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio5JqBiL-I_8nK5aWh9ryTdhrjX_aa29bfJgRgoQNcemREL3Nz5z4h9IJ7irkZRnn2s9IC8De4goFCTko4oiM2dt5jKJBajggKwM8S4n7QlvvNiheFw8qkjLA2RH8stJswiQbqXuxv_sg/s1600/spread.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't know, do <i>you</i> see it?<br />(BTW, I’m sparing you the other images I found)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Sheboygan</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If “Menomonie” is pure poetry, then “Sheboygan” has got to be the exact opposite. I mean, honestly, could there be a less mellifluous combination of syllables? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This one possibly means “passage between the lakes,” in Chippewa.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, we’ve got about 49,000 Sheboyganeers, Sheboyganees, or whatever they’re called. The place is right on Lake Michigan, about halfway between Milwaukee and Green Bay.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sheboygan’s Wikipedia entry actually says that it’s “well-known for its bratwurst.” It’s also “well-known” for the Dairyland Surf Classic, “the largest lake surfing competition in the world.” Finally, I count about 50 famous sons and daughters, including two that I – and maybe even you – are actually familiar with, comedian Jackie Mason and basketball coach Rick Majerus.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8ekHG9ZqR0rLqofqp19hDe8_2KQa1pmrQV8hheXgmfxtcHkUcLB5pPftu1EOvvR9LUyFahINF5-v51t0LPCLUsBG-66-1E_pNYoijZxTcUS9kkQMcz2k10-LNxmFZCElIEwxlWdbJjA/s1600/sheboygan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ8ekHG9ZqR0rLqofqp19hDe8_2KQa1pmrQV8hheXgmfxtcHkUcLB5pPftu1EOvvR9LUyFahINF5-v51t0LPCLUsBG-66-1E_pNYoijZxTcUS9kkQMcz2k10-LNxmFZCElIEwxlWdbJjA/s1600/sheboygan.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.eatwisconsincheese.com/recipes/cheeseandburger-smr.aspx">The Sheboygan</a>: burger, brat, cheese curds,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and probably an extra millimeter of plaque on all your arteries</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Honorable Mention:</b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">B-o-r-i-n-g – Mountain, Valley, North Prairie, Prairie Farm, Bay Settlement, Plainville, Newville, Centerville, Junction City, Midway, Wisconsin Rapids</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Short & sweet – Iola, Ella, Lebo, Lodi, Alto, Atma, Omro, Okee, Hika, Juda, Yuba, Boaz, Cato, Cobb, Plat, Pell, Dane, Lund, Urne, Nye, Rio</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Native American mouthfuls – Onalaska, Kewaskum, Taycheedah, Ashippun, Mazomanie, Wonewoc, Wandawega, Weyauwega (Indian for “old woman”), Manitowoc (“place of the spirits”), Manitowish, Mukwonago, Winnebago (“greenish dirty water”), Ashwaubenon</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What’s with all the wau’s? – Waupun (“first light”), Waukau, Wausau (“far away place”), Waupaca, Waubeka, Waukesha (“little fox”), Wauzeka, Waunakee, Waumandee, Wauwatosa (“place of the small ball”)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little off color – Gays Mills, Beaver, Beaver Dam, Beaver Brook </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Orthographically challenged – Arkansaw, Tichigan, Monico, Pardeeville</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Numerically oriented – Two Creeks, Two Rivers (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11967">birthplace of the ice cream sundae</a>), Twin Bluffs, Twin Lakes, Three Lakes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abnormal nouns – Winter, Avalanche, Arena, Atlas, Almond, Blueberry, Pound, King, Luck, Spirit, Siren, Range, Cable, Gurney, Institute, Bowler, Bloomer, Husher, Hustler, Cataract, Calomine, Chili, Cream, Disco</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atypical adjectives – Loyal, Polar, Rural, Plain</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unconventional verbs – Dodge, Retreat, Strum, Breed, Embarass</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fun to say – Oostburg, Avoca, Algoma (“snowshoe”), Muscoda, Kenosha (“northern pike”), Wabeno, Basco, Borth, Blenker, Ringle, Kempster, Herbster, Stitzer, Crivitz, Clarno, Cleghorn, Cazenovia, Mishicot (“hairy leg”), Neopit (“four sitting”), Peshtigo (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/12004">halfway to the North Pole</a>), Pulicifer, Boscobel, Van Buskirk, Ixonia, Zenda</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hard to say – Trempealeau (Fr. for "plunge into the water"), Lake Nebagamon (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/10970">world’s largest ball of twine</a>), Beloit (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2240">world’s largest collection of angels</a>)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just plain weird – Lead Mine, Redgranite, Beetown, Moose Junction, Elk Mound, Blue Mounds, Coon Valley, Plum City, Wild Rose, Rising Sun, Sun Prairie, Fairplay, Dairyland, Egg Harbor, Tunnel City, Combined Locks, New Diggings, Superior Village, Sugar Camp, Soldiers Grove, Liberty Pole, Iron Belt, Black Earth, Little Black, Big Flats, Rib Lake, Random Lake, Little Chute, Little Suamico, Slinger, Spooner, Starks, Humbird</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just plain weird, -villes – Janesville (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/6357">two-story outhouse used by Lincoln</a>), Franksville, Shortville, Downsville, Footville, Stangelville</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just plain weird, falls – Pigeon Falls, Clam Falls, Jim Falls</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d like to introduce you to – Alvin, Nelson, Milton, Byron, Sheldon, Seymour (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11770">birthplace of the hamburger</a>), Arthur, Edgar, Elroy, Earl, Tony, Waldo, Ruby, Irma, Alma</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ghost towns - Bluff Siding, Pokerville, Crusher</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, I got most of my Indian names from <a href="http://www4.uwsp.edu/museum/menomineeClans/places/chart.aspx">this site</a>.</span>Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-15582444578799455272014-01-10T11:28:00.001-08:002022-06-18T14:11:34.663-07:00West Virginia M-Z<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">West Virginia has got more than its share of crazily named places. It’s too bad that many of these are so small that I can’t – under the <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2012/10/whynot-nc.html">rules</a> of this blog, at least – honestly include them here. Here’s a small sampling of the nuttiness we’re missing out on:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Festus</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Shock</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Cutlips</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Scary</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Black Betsey</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Hoo Hoo</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Lick Fork</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Big Ugly</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Booger Hole</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Ah well. We’ll just have to carry on with the following.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>10. War</b></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Sounds violent.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">And it is. War was named after the nearby War Creek, the site of a battle between local Indians. It was also in the <a href="http://www.wvgazette.com/News/201207200057">news</a> recently for the murder of the mayor by his daughter-in-law, for drug money.</span><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">War’s got about 900 people, and is the state’s southernmost city. They’re definitely counting on you tourists out there, as evidenced by this classic line from the town <a href="http://www.warwestvirginia.com/attractions.htm">website</a>:</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Some call War the "Gateway to Recreation" and say that Berwind Lake is a portal to the gateway.</span></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Got that straight? Gateway, portal. Don’t mix ‘em up, okay?</span><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">By the way, War is where some of the film <i>October Sky</i> was filmed.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZIvnwe20m3047XgdkzXv0ABiKIox9RI2f-iezj0ni5T5BKlOfZiJax_QLAS761R5cgOA1As_Koxq1kMpftGdh7ubm8QzV9PcIqkyhGC1ueOyfYSm4kN-x6md69n5Mf25x98o4i7N7hU/s1600/war.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwZIvnwe20m3047XgdkzXv0ABiKIox9RI2f-iezj0ni5T5BKlOfZiJax_QLAS761R5cgOA1As_Koxq1kMpftGdh7ubm8QzV9PcIqkyhGC1ueOyfYSm4kN-x6md69n5Mf25x98o4i7N7hU/s1600/war.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">See, just like I said</span></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>9. Man</b></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The explanation for this one, from this wonderful <a href="http://jeff560.tripod.com/places.html">site</a>, isn’t really helping out all that much here:</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;"><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">from the last syllable of the name of Ulysses Hinchman, member of the House of Delegates from Logan County</span></div>
<br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I mean, why didn’t they just call it Hinchman? Or even just Hinch, for that matter?</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Well, I guess that’s just the way they do things in West Virginia. Man has 750, um … er … men? </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">There is a Man High School. They’re the Hillbillies. Too bad. I kind of like the Man Men myself. The Hillbillies name is suiting, though, as this is prime Hatfield-McCoy country.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwe33m1lmvZxiSEisVd6EPxy54ZL5_6Qh5LD_xWbhDc2uDdstFrnjMpa9h7B4UrjrocvLUQeMjkiF7hZ1mGbQS7iKVhipYbKjEnanmQ4fd9MGev-lQxq3EfE0ocIhQ8XR43NSsBL1u8mY/s1600/man.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwe33m1lmvZxiSEisVd6EPxy54ZL5_6Qh5LD_xWbhDc2uDdstFrnjMpa9h7B4UrjrocvLUQeMjkiF7hZ1mGbQS7iKVhipYbKjEnanmQ4fd9MGev-lQxq3EfE0ocIhQ8XR43NSsBL1u8mY/s1600/man.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Redneck Santa </span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">(Man, WV)</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>8. Nitro</b></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Yup, this one owes its name to nitroglycerine. A large federal explosives plant was established here during World War I. When the town was incorporated in 1923, Nitro seemed like a perfectly reasonable reasonable thing to name the place, I guess.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The town continued to be a large producer of chemicals up until the current day. And that means, well … I kind of like the way Wikipedia puts it: “Due to manufacturing activities, Nitro was becoming known for a distinctive chemical smell.”</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">This town of 7,000, is close to Huntington, in the western part of the state. It’s along the Kanawha River.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Some famous sons and daughters include baseball star Lew Burdette and C&W singer Kathy Mattea. Clark Gable actually spent half a year here as well, working in the ammunition plant as a teen.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrbEmneTfePF7HLFvVI4iB6ETNk0puqaZjOni8yDwCn73Ea97Opbe4KFeHSoE1UxpTGce9mYoTsRGDL5JK-nUd6YVsahrMH2TMs5IedY710Le2DMs1r-6Ha9-Nrk-GMeeRfV1BSiVe10/s1600/nitro.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrbEmneTfePF7HLFvVI4iB6ETNk0puqaZjOni8yDwCn73Ea97Opbe4KFeHSoE1UxpTGce9mYoTsRGDL5JK-nUd6YVsahrMH2TMs5IedY710Le2DMs1r-6Ha9-Nrk-GMeeRfV1BSiVe10/s1600/nitro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Of course you do</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">(available on <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/nitro+art">Zazzle</a>)</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>7. Replete</b></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Adj. filled to satiation; gorged. “Me and the boys were pretty dang well replete after all them wings and pizza and beer and crap.”</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Actually, there is another definition: “abundantly supplied; abounding.” I’m assuming that’s what they meant here. </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Replete is in the center of the state – next to, um … absolutely nothing. Ironically, there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot to Replete either. I count a couple of farms along some twisty mountain roads.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlNmf9DDJUIbmMbU5zsr3M5IdQVJovWrpGsdqmKI56xQgV2kV0BLnkfpPgriEqQPkRkochO3Ktb1xYqROZko4ZpS9oR5-3MYIZIVjpnuC8V0I5IeqUcGOHDSH5cIv-u7dIMhfZwXLli0/s1600/replete.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlNmf9DDJUIbmMbU5zsr3M5IdQVJovWrpGsdqmKI56xQgV2kV0BLnkfpPgriEqQPkRkochO3Ktb1xYqROZko4ZpS9oR5-3MYIZIVjpnuC8V0I5IeqUcGOHDSH5cIv-u7dIMhfZwXLli0/s1600/replete.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Now available at <a href="http://www.sears.com/search=nestle%20compleat%20pediatric%20reduced%20calorie%20formula%20250%20ml">sears.com</a></span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>6. Smoot</b></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Isn’t this what they call that grey, dingy looking snow that sits in parking lots until March?</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Surprisingly, it is not. In fact, this one comes from some poor schmoe’s last name. Yup, Smoot the surname is from the Dutch Smout, and means someone who sold fat, or lard. Hey, you heard it here first …</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Looks like a dozen buildings or so right off of I-64 (i.e., in the southern half of the state). And that’s about all I could find out on Smoot.</span><br />
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<br /></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>5. Pie</b></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Apple? Cherry? Banana cream? Shoo-fly? Whoopie? Beef and kidney? C’mon! Don’t leave us hanging.</span><br /><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">According to the <a href="http://jeff560.tripod.com/places.html">internets</a>, this one was named “by postmaster Leander Blankenship (b. about 1870) because he liked pie (information from Kathy Deskins, his granddaughter).” Personally, I can totally understand where he was coming from.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">We’re back in southern West Virginia, in the interestingly named Mingo County. As you can imagine, there are lots of competing links for this one – bakeries, pizza parlors, recipes, bake-offs, charts, Don McLean … It does appear that there was some pretty serious flooding here just recently.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMw_pYNWQQgc53WDJDIgfVoWqb4E_-BBslpE3TJLRI96pq8fBnvOTPjAIDbfPORRTmhunIW0vGr5MW8hKcjsee1g_h1orkxXfXe8XHfaBR1jCnkE-kG1-L2thu2iIlu5a2-29g-hpkLU/s1600/pie.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdMw_pYNWQQgc53WDJDIgfVoWqb4E_-BBslpE3TJLRI96pq8fBnvOTPjAIDbfPORRTmhunIW0vGr5MW8hKcjsee1g_h1orkxXfXe8XHfaBR1jCnkE-kG1-L2thu2iIlu5a2-29g-hpkLU/s1600/pie.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Mmm, my favorite flavor</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">– unincorporated!</span></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>4. Paw Paw</b></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Named after your grandfather, this tiny town …</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Actually, this place is named after the fruit. Yup, some stuff called “paw paw” grows on trees in the area (and all over the eastern United States, by the way). It’s actually quite good, but has never been commercially successful as it ripens too quickly and bruises too easily to be reliably transported. By the way, the name is a corruption of the word “papaya,” whose fruit the paw paw resembles.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Paw Paw the town is on the Potomac, in the very upper northeast part of the state. Across the river is the well-known 3100-foot Paw Paw Tunnel, built for the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal back in 1835, and one of the major engineering accomplishments of its day. The author has ridden through it on his bike! If you’re thinking about going yourself, make sure to bring a flashlight. At the middle of the tunnel, it’s pretty darn dark.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">By the way, there are seven other Paw Paws in the U.S., in five different states.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYuJO_caQuLLo36AVM4z__QGpGtLWFrPB2QECgIVtYj8T_cKjoIE_6S13e2ROD8rJ3p3QsmyH8o05HfBIrVOvIEktIKxW2nO2fco7xI0mmH4krei6GimD_9dGSe6ZR9rSWDDR17iAe6_0/s1600/pawpaw.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYuJO_caQuLLo36AVM4z__QGpGtLWFrPB2QECgIVtYj8T_cKjoIE_6S13e2ROD8rJ3p3QsmyH8o05HfBIrVOvIEktIKxW2nO2fco7xI0mmH4krei6GimD_9dGSe6ZR9rSWDDR17iAe6_0/s1600/pawpaw.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">It’s usually not that bright in there</span></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>3. Pee Wee</b></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Formerly called Herman, this town commemorating the famous entertainer was forced to change its name after the town fathers learned that that one was already taken …</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Haven’t a clue where this one (really) came from. In fact, there’s not a whole lot out there on it – mainly just obits, real estate listings, and stuff about youth sports teams. I did find some references to a school and a post office, though both are listed as “historical.”</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">There is a possibility that it’s from a bird, the eastern wood-pewee (<i>Contopus virens</i>). I do know that the town’s in the northwest part of the state … and that some neighbors include the wonderfully named Zachville, Sunflower, Windy, and Rover.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">BTW, there actually isn’t a Herman in WV. There is a Harman though. And yes, I did find a <a href="http://www.topix.com/album/detail/huntington-wv/2G0SE89UNJ0IOENS">link</a> tying the television star and the Mountain State together during my searching.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsdJfnf8wnXTKIkUhxTAqi6CBsWYB0TWOwu8crP7fcJZ0rWk_HAsuoL4NK_rrS6wQ9LM4fhohaC4Z1crPUTDxRgQPESJlORRangcPy4pcXXRpPOejXOd-K1NR7zltLtBiAYp1B83dirM/s1600/pee+wee.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtsdJfnf8wnXTKIkUhxTAqi6CBsWYB0TWOwu8crP7fcJZ0rWk_HAsuoL4NK_rrS6wQ9LM4fhohaC4Z1crPUTDxRgQPESJlORRangcPy4pcXXRpPOejXOd-K1NR7zltLtBiAYp1B83dirM/s1600/pee+wee.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Ray Palmer, teacher, <br />outside Pee Wee School, 1954</span></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>2. Odd</b></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Odd? You bet!</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Here’s one story (from Wikipedia) how this all came about:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">According to one story, a group of people gathered at the post office to name the town. Several names were suggested, and to one suggestion, someone in the group responded "That's odd." And so the name of Odd was adopted for the town.</span></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Another story revolves around some interaction with the Post Office with one of the parties asking that the name be something “odd” (i.e., unusual).</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">My personal theory – with absolutely nothing to back it up – is that this place probably has something to do with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. This is one of those fraternal benevolent associations, like the Elks or Moose or Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes (Fred Flinstone, Grand Poobah). It was pretty popular a number of years ago – probably about right when the town was founded. </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I do know the town is in the southern part of the state – very close to one of my favorite skiing places, Winterplace Resort. I might have to visit it next time I’m up there.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqjsWKvaxg16PmQQFm_B42NJgBA7J7OnzG7z6WiTwIEuAWo4a6uDhlIAIyD3mXuZmVUKCzbeCX3OPWpz2eg3iniwbKfviQKGUq8nvZXfjVhIDpPErIEs8_veBNPhMVZSBBueS4_0l8oU/s1600/odd.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMqjsWKvaxg16PmQQFm_B42NJgBA7J7OnzG7z6WiTwIEuAWo4a6uDhlIAIyD3mXuZmVUKCzbeCX3OPWpz2eg3iniwbKfviQKGUq8nvZXfjVhIDpPErIEs8_veBNPhMVZSBBueS4_0l8oU/s1600/odd.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>1. Nutter Fort</b></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I thought, perhaps, that reversing these two might take care of the problem. Which would give us Fort Nutter. Which means I was totally wrong.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The Nutter part comes from an early settler, one Thomas Nutter. He and some other early settlers erected a fort there, to stave off Indian attack. It was called Nutter’s Fort, which probably explains the unusual word order.</span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">This one is right off I-77, in the northern part of the state. I remember getting a kick out of it as a kid, traveling between Pittsburgh and the Carolinas. </span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">It’s basically a suburb of Clarksburg (wait, Clarksburg has suburbs?!?!) and has about 1,600 inhabitants. It’s the site of the <a href="http://www.wvblackberry.com/">West Virginia Blackberry Festival</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7jSvSOxWlN5N5UWdt-m6vqtBF_KIN_Go7nFwWxp4Y3-RbLdTEkpQ5zgIkVYI1aQX8i61p4bsufl8rMEAeK_rdWFezzlG3ZYGkRm_LCX3eTDCOP78Ln_Obuy5OQRBkv4ucRDb0bnBSdE/s1600/nutter.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz7jSvSOxWlN5N5UWdt-m6vqtBF_KIN_Go7nFwWxp4Y3-RbLdTEkpQ5zgIkVYI1aQX8i61p4bsufl8rMEAeK_rdWFezzlG3ZYGkRm_LCX3eTDCOP78Ln_Obuy5OQRBkv4ucRDb0bnBSdE/s1600/nutter.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://www.grandmashousewv.net/">Grandma's House Furntiture</a><br />Nutter Fort, WV</span></div>
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><b>Honorable Mention: </b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">B-o-r-i-n-g – Rock, Mountain, Midway</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Short & sweet – Sago, Sias, Yolyn, Wana, Zela, Zona, Poca, Coco, Uler, Orgas (for the Orange Gas Co.), Orma, Omar, Ona, Oka, Metz, Mace, Tams, Webb, Wick, Rand, Ramp, Rock, Runa, Rio (pronounced RYE-oh), Rig (for Elmer Riggleman), Page, Pike, Pax*, Poe, Van, Neal, Sun, Sod</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Native American mouthfuls – Powhatan, Naugatuck, Matowaka (an alternate name for Pocoahontas), Okonoko, Pocatalico</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Miscellaneous mouthfuls – Spanishburg, Spurlockville, New Vrindaban (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2929">Prabhupada’s Palace of Gold</a>), Orleans Cross Roads, Red Sulphur Springs, Salt Sulphur Springs, Sam Black Church, Three Forks of Williams River</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Just a little out of place – Raleigh, Williamsburg, Washington, Newark, New England, New Haven, Orlando, Miami*, Montana Mines, Toronto, Peru, Oxford, Vienna, Volga, Troy, Rangoon, Manila, Shanghai, Pluto, Paradise </span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Orthographically challenged – Munday, Mabie, Prenter, Procious</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Numerically oriented – Secondcreek, Three Churches, Tenmile</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Abnormal nouns – Sundial, Surveyor, Zenith, Queens, Prince, Pear, Pool, Pigeon, Panther, Victor, Ranger, Reader, Romance, Toll Gate, Tariff, Trout, Spice, Sparks, Speed, Power, Carbon, Petroleum, Saltpetre, Pipestem, Whirlwind, Medley, Mud</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Atypical adjectives – Quick, Swiss, Mossy*, Shady, Vulcan, True, Widemouth</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Unconventional verbs – Points, Shanks, Revere, Rumble, Sully, Pinch, Widen</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Fun to say – Tioga, Tribble, Ruddle, Slagle, Sharples, Smithers, Mabscott* (for Mabel Scott), McCorkle, Monclo, Mingo, Nimitz (for WWII Adm. Chester Nimitz), Unger, Uneeda, Uffington, Purgitsville</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Just plain weird – Quiet Dell (home of serial killer Harry Powers), Old Fields, Wolf Pen, Star City, Redstar, Red House, Rosbys Rock, Tunnelton, Triadelphia, Rocklick, Needmore, Slatyfork, Sleepy Creek, Strange Creek, Slab Fork, Mink Shoals, Midkiff, Pickaway, Summerco, Red Jacket, Upper Tract</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Just plain weird, towns – Normantown, Steptown, Stumptown, Pruntytown</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I’d like to introduce you to – Milton, Wilbur, Rupert, Sidney, Sherman, Shirley, Myra, Mona, Nettie, Ruth, Sarah Ann (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1491">Hatfield Cemetery</a>), Mozart</span></li>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Ghost towns - Michigan, Sunnyside, Royal, Nutallburg, Pearlytown, Red Ash</span></li>
</ul>
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<i>* - author has visited</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Looking for more WV towns? Look right <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2014/01/west-virginia-l.html">here</a> for A-L.</span>
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<br />Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-8179761760668005572014-01-03T15:35:00.002-08:002022-06-18T14:27:57.204-07:00West Virginia, A-L<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Poor West Virginia. Around these parts, it seems WV is the butt of all jokes. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Let me explain. I-77 basically funnels any West Virginian looking to relocate down South straight through Charlotte. My hometown is bright and bustling and shiny and often ends up as someone’s brand new home.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Unfortunately, Charlotte is just a little bit too, um … er … sophisticated and cosmopolitan for some of these newcomers. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Okay, enough background. Let’s take a look at some of the places these folks are hailing from.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>10. Burnt House</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Surely, there was more to this place than this. A nice meadow perhaps? Some body of water of some sort? How about two roads that crossed? I mean, anything other than a burned down house, right?</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, there is a pretty good <a href="http://www.hurherald.com/cgi-bin/db_scripts/articles?Action=user_view&db=hurheral_articles&id=16956">story</a> at least. It involves a tavern, a slave mistress, some disappeared lodgers, a terrible fire, and a dancing ghost. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">What’s there now? Well, not a whole lot. Mapquest shows me a string of buildings along a state road a little southeast of Parkersburg. The place has got some great neighbors though – Nobe, Goffs, Slab, Thursday, Racket, and Fonzo.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72fHZDH09UryHtNzJTJTdybIkUdy5YuWSMDhtkRi9xDeyKA4emWirg97J9hnIq1sZsz_HRAtI5FLiZEDBEeDdKARJFGvEmS3A_6QUa6rR9SdRSV-x5ZV5rZKRNm5_3XtgE3RVkj9vMGU/s1600/burnt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh72fHZDH09UryHtNzJTJTdybIkUdy5YuWSMDhtkRi9xDeyKA4emWirg97J9hnIq1sZsz_HRAtI5FLiZEDBEeDdKARJFGvEmS3A_6QUa6rR9SdRSV-x5ZV5rZKRNm5_3XtgE3RVkj9vMGU/s1600/burnt.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I'm sure there's a Burnt Church <br />out there somewhere too</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9. Lost City</b><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I’ve heard this used before. You know, the lost city of the Incas, the lost city of Atlantis ... Now we have the lost city of north-eastern West Virginia.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This place is along the Lost River. Fittingly, both are in the middle of absolute nowhere.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">That’s not, however, where the name comes from. The Lost River actually disappears, at a place called the “The Sinks,” then reappears 10 miles later (but, this time, as the Cacapon). </span><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6lRqs-1mQIwZlK4GeDEGFFMzISdvxgg2KnoUW6d3yw1bcJP4kiFiOIO9reTq6RNcYVeTaRb4YwlGYTYztN2uOz_7JXmDEKaiMTXIOVudWbJYSyCdonI9WilQlTCbiPkraNGxVKG-g0cUAa3ZcXD3Bi8d4KsUbi59m_f8e46Ne9s89tsoQmlO7PQB/s426/lost%20city.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="426" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw6lRqs-1mQIwZlK4GeDEGFFMzISdvxgg2KnoUW6d3yw1bcJP4kiFiOIO9reTq6RNcYVeTaRb4YwlGYTYztN2uOz_7JXmDEKaiMTXIOVudWbJYSyCdonI9WilQlTCbiPkraNGxVKG-g0cUAa3ZcXD3Bi8d4KsUbi59m_f8e46Ne9s89tsoQmlO7PQB/s320/lost%20city.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">This oddity is what appear on Google Maps if you search on the town </div><div style="text-align: center;">- you know, the little panel over on the left with quick facts, hotels, etc.</div><div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>8. Left Hand</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">How sinister.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This has to be the left hand, or fork, of some creek, right? Sure enough, the town is right along Left Hand Creek. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I’m afraid I couldn’t find a Right Hand Creek though. I did, however, find another little “unincorporated community” with the wonderful name of Big Right Hand. Not that it’s anywhere near Left Hand …</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">LH has 350 people, but looks like no more than a handful of houses and an elementary school. Maybe they just counted the kids. It’s just a little up I-79 from Charleston.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Left Hand is also sometimes refered to as Lefthand, Justices, and Knights. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNgAbOthTY-j3aH26axvDs4bf0sNwEkMX_PfOqthfszWAtirxyZ-HnHlPUiqAMfimP8eRSwVQOU1pm9nMn9JLq-h41nJg-kmhzZrWPFLEJTLlY1cgSgvMoPTeRsHNFSevBrZnDXdfWfc/s1600/left.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzNgAbOthTY-j3aH26axvDs4bf0sNwEkMX_PfOqthfszWAtirxyZ-HnHlPUiqAMfimP8eRSwVQOU1pm9nMn9JLq-h41nJg-kmhzZrWPFLEJTLlY1cgSgvMoPTeRsHNFSevBrZnDXdfWfc/s320/left.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">From Mrs. Reynolds’ homepage,</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Left Hand Elementary School</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>7. Blennerhassett</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">That’s fourteen big ones, folks. B-L-E-N-N-E-R-H-A-S-S-E-T-T. Fourteen!</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Would you believe it’s some poor guy’s name? Some poor Irish guy? Yup, Harman Blennerhassett settled here at the very end of the 1700s. He sounds like quite a character.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">B-town (I ain’t typing that in again) is a “census-designated place.” I have no idea what that is, but I assume it’s a step up from an “unincorporated community,” as B-ville has over 3,000 people. It’s just down the Ohio from Parkersburg.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOed7mcv1k0eBsnPpEekjGdwn_lv9za6X3QzPsssEG8kgQzLWXe7OKmMSWy0QtSCJ5QGPqNjJYxwVkBe1dq32vALbNBbcEWiSEGJ0x_FootWRDe4tJ7PsR_d13zoqK2BeRGMsxt8p7WM/s1600/blen.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikOed7mcv1k0eBsnPpEekjGdwn_lv9za6X3QzPsssEG8kgQzLWXe7OKmMSWy0QtSCJ5QGPqNjJYxwVkBe1dq32vALbNBbcEWiSEGJ0x_FootWRDe4tJ7PsR_d13zoqK2BeRGMsxt8p7WM/s320/blen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Harman’s reconstructed manse</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>6. Boomer</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I had no idea there were so many boomers out there, including:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">An adult American of my generation</span></li><li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">An adult male kangaroo</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The mascot of the Indiana Pacers</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">An advocate for the opening of the Unassigned Lands of Oklahoma Territory for settlement</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The redhead tomboy from the Burger King Kids Club</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">An anthropomorphic tug boat from the 1989 TV series <i>Tugs</i></span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">A fictional synthetic life form developed by Katsuhito Stingray in the anime series <i>Bubblegum Crisis</i></span></li>
</ul>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I’m guessing it’s the last one. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Seriously, Boomer is also a last name, and that’s what I’m guessing is the real source. We’ve got two possibilities for this one. It could be Dutch, and signifying someone who worked a boom, or gate, on a canal. The other possibility is German, from the name Baumer, which basically means a customs official.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Boomer is an old coal company town. It’s got about 200 people, and is on the Kanawha River, about 30 miles from Charleston. It has a fair amount of Italian-Americans, including one Dominic Pesca, who mined 52 tons of coal in one day.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOu44QMutpr-5CXCubWJ7Og09OioHwFMBuCBKsx9gtkzmdeg8iV82A1pEeeGdk98iIJepRt7kXgwasDU8W__Emlz5eI-373X0VAATeYS1hP-W53CVKIUk-E6qU7cfawREnKtFkTyIkA0/s1600/boom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAOu44QMutpr-5CXCubWJ7Og09OioHwFMBuCBKsx9gtkzmdeg8iV82A1pEeeGdk98iIJepRt7kXgwasDU8W__Emlz5eI-373X0VAATeYS1hP-W53CVKIUk-E6qU7cfawREnKtFkTyIkA0/s320/boom.jpg" width="255" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">A Boomer is also “a bloated infected that can spit vision-impairing bile on the Survivors, attracting hordes of infected, and explodes on death, spewing more bile in the immediate area. They emit burping and vomiting like sounds when close by.” (from Left 4 Dead, a video game)</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>5. Bozoo</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">It’s after Bozoo the Cloon, of course. Why do you ask?</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, actually, I haven’t a clue what it’s after. There are some poor people with the last name of Bozoo out there, so maybe that’s it.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Bozoo the toown is in the far, far southern part of the state. Actually, it looks like it’s about a mile and a half or so from the border with Virginia. It’s on a ridge above the New River. I count about a dozen buildings of some sort or other. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This place is known for one thing, though, and that’s rock climbing. So, here’s some valuable advice I found on a climbing site for any of you out there who are interested in tackling the heights of Bozoo:</span><br /><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This route is a classic, with awesome bouldery moves. Start below a large obvious hueco about ten feet up. Very powerful moves lead you out of the roof, but into difficult campusy moves before reaching a few good left hand side pulls. A cruxy move out right to a crack gets you a good hold...but it [sic] not over yet ...</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Now, if I could only figure out what language this is in, I could probably translate for you.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3R8WeY3U3HYVVasaNIF1brfA2lJ1Yz-9CtBReSunRIKqgBXeGtA0ZjNO82xIUBLZY3IhbwlLHpePdzLFQE63HmdJYt4a4LuFNASliNIOjbK7w41EjQjHJAr-ABj5rsMxV6RrSrxV2RJQ/s1600/boz.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3R8WeY3U3HYVVasaNIF1brfA2lJ1Yz-9CtBReSunRIKqgBXeGtA0ZjNO82xIUBLZY3IhbwlLHpePdzLFQE63HmdJYt4a4LuFNASliNIOjbK7w41EjQjHJAr-ABj5rsMxV6RrSrxV2RJQ/s320/boz.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I don’t know if this the bouldery,</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">the campusy, or the cruxy part</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>4. Cucumber</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">You know, I think they’re really ought to be more towns out there named after vegetables. I, personally, think cauliflower and eggplant should be so honored – not to mention the brussel sprout.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">We’re back in the southern part of the state again, maybe ten miles from VA this time. There are about 100 Cucumberians … er, Cucumberites .. um, Cucumberers? Big time coal country.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Not totally sure where this one came from. My personal guess, though, would be the cucumber tree (<i>magnolia acuminata</i>). By the way, Cucumber is the only community In US with that name.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbzV8OiQ5yi_3neXcRPuFE0xYxYYaV6sviHNllO9YSHpCDK08NXz4dJmfSO2H9Biapx-63o8HkHNzYFJjN2h7Q8joC-8c2gfwYIulIub9TvJbDYGg6kMfM53t1-avZV-fiL_cXhkoa6U/s1600/cuke.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglbzV8OiQ5yi_3neXcRPuFE0xYxYYaV6sviHNllO9YSHpCDK08NXz4dJmfSO2H9Biapx-63o8HkHNzYFJjN2h7Q8joC-8c2gfwYIulIub9TvJbDYGg6kMfM53t1-avZV-fiL_cXhkoa6U/s320/cuke.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Get your letter stamped right here</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>3. Droop *</b></span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><br /></span>I think the same thing could easily be said of Droop, though nobody there seems to be making it official.<br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This barely-there crossroads is in the southeast part of the state. Much more famous than the town, though, is nearby Droop Mountain, site of the last significant battle of the Civil War in the state (the Yankees won).</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The town derives its name from the mountain. And the mountain was originally called Drooping Mountain. And to droop means to “sink, bend, or hang down.” So, I guess it all makes sense …</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0_B-JsnmHm0WBiPkrBW-HDZ6CkE_mO2KuoICwWwSokM-gxsJOx9GmKcGxGKVo90btUYEekRKK5yhuVzksInqW2aYvhyphenhyphenpM4t02WO7Hdr-ulMPffuqjSPkwLERLnjtZ4bykFYDTn6JD48/s1600/Droop-Mountain-Supt-Mike-Smith.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL0_B-JsnmHm0WBiPkrBW-HDZ6CkE_mO2KuoICwWwSokM-gxsJOx9GmKcGxGKVo90btUYEekRKK5yhuVzksInqW2aYvhyphenhyphenpM4t02WO7Hdr-ulMPffuqjSPkwLERLnjtZ4bykFYDTn6JD48/s320/Droop-Mountain-Supt-Mike-Smith.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Either a park ranger<br />or a member of the Taliban</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>2. Big Otter / Big Chimney / Big Isaac</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">And I thought everything was big in <i>Texas</i>. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Big Otter is along Big Otter Creek. And, yes, there is a Little Otter and a Little Otter Creek as well. There actually seems to be some people in Little Otter (unlike in Big Otter), so Little Otter is actually bigger than Big Otter (which is littler). Both Otters, Big and Small, are in the center of the state.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Big Chimney is just a little west of Big and Little Otter. Unlike those, though, it really is big time. I’m talking 600-plus people, as wells as a “fast-food restaurant, a drug store, hardware store and grocery store” (that’s from the Wikipedia entry). The name comes from the tall chimney of a former salt works.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Big Isaac is a little further north. Like Big Otter, Big Isaac doesn’t look too big. What little there is appears to be on the wonderfully named Meathouse Fork Rd. Not sure where this one comes from, but – yes – there is a Big Isaac Creek as well.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJU9sA7FuPiDR1qY8BBss7MSK7ZLzds0_p4rvGJMjxvRnIHIfGpJ17OvmAkoWpyJGY3cUQhR0QXs-Yfu1R91C9Ro1MvsPomnl7Ps3NkMB-vC66xSXsZUXsIwT_M1Q0yLUr7AMRhEkkb0/s1600/OTTTTTTER.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijJU9sA7FuPiDR1qY8BBss7MSK7ZLzds0_p4rvGJMjxvRnIHIfGpJ17OvmAkoWpyJGY3cUQhR0QXs-Yfu1R91C9Ro1MvsPomnl7Ps3NkMB-vC66xSXsZUXsIwT_M1Q0yLUr7AMRhEkkb0/s320/OTTTTTTER.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Sorry, this big otter is actually</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">in Fergus Falls, MN</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>1. Forks of Cacapon</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">So, we’ve already established that there is a Cacapon River (see #9, above). Further, any time we see “forks” in this blog, we can safely assume we’re talking about the branches of a river – and not silverware. So, I’m assuming we’ve got a town along the Cacapon River where said river forks. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yup, this tiny hamlet is indeed where the Cacapon and North Rivers meet. By the way, it looks like there are more ways to spell this one than there are people in this place:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Capon </span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Cacopon</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Cacapon </span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Cacapehon </span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Cackapohon </span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Capcappin</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Capecapon</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Cape Capon </span></li>
</ul>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">And it looks like Microsoft Word wants me to change all of them to “cacophony."</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Sound like there’s some good paddling and fishing nearby. Oh, almost forgot … However you might spell it, “cacapon” means “medicine waters.”</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrg3dfvSIoSkOMtEcI8i1aJ8jj-omfTfx9iVfnhDMdFN1QzSDP8GeWrPqzg3T5bnrsU0S35Lha-PA6U3yXEZqhtVf2tDxhjH0hvLD8aio4CDyZ_nBlNMfFbvpdlUpQN5GiAqkS2-tgics/s1600/cac.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrg3dfvSIoSkOMtEcI8i1aJ8jj-omfTfx9iVfnhDMdFN1QzSDP8GeWrPqzg3T5bnrsU0S35Lha-PA6U3yXEZqhtVf2tDxhjH0hvLD8aio4CDyZ_nBlNMfFbvpdlUpQN5GiAqkS2-tgics/s320/cac.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ouch, that’s gotta hurt!</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Honorable Mention: </b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">B-o-r-i-n-g – Flat Rock, Hilltop* (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/36534">Hank Williams’ last stop</a>), Borderland, Central Station, Center Point, Centralia, Junction, Hometown</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Short & sweet – Fola, Boaz, Czar, Chloe, Clio, Coco, Coit, Asco, Ajax, Ada, Amma, Alma, Alto, Alvy, Avon, Enon, Eglon, Etam, Jolo, Halo, Hico, Hix, Hines, Bays, Boggs, Dunns, Dink, Dott, Duo, Gem, Gill, Glen, Glace, Cass*, Kirk, Leet, Linn, Bud, Buck, Bim*</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Mouthfuls – Arnoldsbrug, Hubbardstown, Amherstdale, Horse Shoe Run (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/2438">tiny church</a>), Green Sulphur Springs *, Blue Sulphur Springs, Camden on Gauley</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Just a little out of place – Cleveland, Buffalo, Bunker Hill, Arkansas, Dallas, Denver, Hollywood, Greenland, Ireland, London, Liverpool, Glasgow, Berlin, Genoa, Athens, Bethlehem, Israel, Cairo, Congo, Eden</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Just a little off color – Fraziers Bottom, Beaver, Hookersville</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Orthographically challenged – Curtin, Alkol</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Numerically oriented – Big Four, Four States, Century, Hundred</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Abnormal nouns – Justice, Guardian, Hurricane, Cyclone, Core, Cotton, Crystal, Cranberry, Clothier, Canvas, Cabins, Booth, Beard, Bias, Brink (after Brinkley M. Snodgrass), Frame, Flat Top *, Gypsy, Institute, Heaters, Auto, Job, Joker</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Atypical adjectives – Grassy, English, Frank, Friendly, Gay, Junior, Given, Extra, Dingy</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Unconventional verbs – Levels, Exchange, Echo, Duck</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Fun to say – Bemis, Kegley, Eccles, Erbacon (for E.R. Bacon), Gamoca, Alpoca (for the Alpha Pocahontas Coal Co.), Algoma, Ameagle (for American Eagle Colliery), Arbuckle, Smithers, Fenwick, Follansbee, Burgoo, Cumbo, Muddlety*, Gormania, Dorcas, Dingess</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hard to say – Hubball, Cuzzart, Lizemores</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Just plain weird – Lead Mine, Mount Carbon, Cool Ridge, Green Bank, Jumping Branch, Letter Gap, Crab Orchard, Elk Garden, Elkwater, Gassaway, Dellslow, Clemtown, Kansooth, Kanawha Head, Ikes Fork, Knob Fork, Bald Knob, Cheat Neck, Fort Gay, Hacker Valley, Great Cacopon, Crum, Looneyville, Smoke Hole</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Just plain weird, villes – Fellowsville, Jerryville, Jetsville</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Company towns – Craneco, Fireco, Havaco, Clearco (Clear Creek Coal Co.), Charmco (Charleston Milling Co.)</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I’d like to introduce you to – Leon, Lester, Chester (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1482">world’s largest teapot</a>), Kermit, Gilbert, Filbert, Albert, Arthur, Calvin, Carl, Adolph, Leopold, Helen, Ethel, Eleanor, Lynn Camp, Jane Lew *, Clifton Mills, Glen Daniel, Glen Rogers, Glen Jean *, Glen White, Bob White, Cinderella</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ghost towns - Alaska, Export, Elmo, Gaymont</span></li>
</ul>
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<i>* - author has visited</i></div>Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-89780127003155376542013-12-28T16:00:00.001-08:002014-09-18T18:34:53.119-07:00Washington N-Z<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s the state that keeps on giving. If you thought the names <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/12/washington-m.html">last week</a> were pretty crazy – well, you just ain’t seen nuthin yet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>10. Toppenish</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a toppen manner? Like or similar to a toppen? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, silly. It’s from the Sahaptin <i>tẋápniš</i>, meaning “protruded,” or “stuck out.” And that was from a landslide that happened along the river here. So obvious!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This major metropolis of 9,000 is just southeast of Yakima. It’s famous for its murals, a railroad museum, a Yakima Indian casino, fruit, and the <a href="http://www.americanhopmuseum.org/">American Hop Museum</a>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzZruPT7STeb7O2bwP6P5khgVANj36fpkIR7lwrS6Jv4LqRZ8VBbaD-4-X2UUaUdSupAqwamtJRHFcKngaG0n7vX_x2gHwfSAif9qBJC9QZNdXbNjADiv1PVlYJFxWqN4XzUPxiN_tA4/s1600/toppenish.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzZruPT7STeb7O2bwP6P5khgVANj36fpkIR7lwrS6Jv4LqRZ8VBbaD-4-X2UUaUdSupAqwamtJRHFcKngaG0n7vX_x2gHwfSAif9qBJC9QZNdXbNjADiv1PVlYJFxWqN4XzUPxiN_tA4/s320/toppenish.gif" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hmm, not sure what<br />happened to Canada</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>9. Skamania</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What fans of certain Jamaican music suffer from?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nah, it just means “swift waters” in the local Indian language. That’s a pretty apt description, by the way, as the town is located along some former rapids on the Columbia River.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Skamania’s the name of the county too. It looks like a beautiful area. It’s 90% forested and includes Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, parts of the Columbia River Gorge, and Gifford Pinchot National Forest.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, it’s pronounced skuh-MANH-ee-uh.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLGkN5WOJ2UkWMCe9u6y9-y5LwCkA4aggcBOntWECrjYsE8s8aGvoOO42344L0yZ31J7R4WaV3n_x0Vm0EsN1_eXZNW2kxSl2QEl3mUIgMXSTvtiCwJCMfdPnvyoSxci1UMoI5E2BAgA/s1600/skam.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlLGkN5WOJ2UkWMCe9u6y9-y5LwCkA4aggcBOntWECrjYsE8s8aGvoOO42344L0yZ31J7R4WaV3n_x0Vm0EsN1_eXZNW2kxSl2QEl3mUIgMXSTvtiCwJCMfdPnvyoSxci1UMoI5E2BAgA/s320/skam.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bigfootevidence.blogspot.com/2011_06_19_archive.html">Bigfoot Fun Fact: </a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bigfootevidence.blogspot.com/2011_06_19_archive.html">It is a Felony to Kill a Sasquatch </a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bigfootevidence.blogspot.com/2011_06_19_archive.html">in Skamania County Washington</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>8. Washougal</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Early settler Archibald MacDougal wanted to honor both the father of his country and himself …</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, actually, that’s not totally correct. The name’s from the Chinook, and means "rushing water," or perhaps "small rocks and pebbles," or possibly even "land of plenty.” Sheesh! What is it already? Make up your minds! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Washougal, like Skamania, is right on the Columbia River. It’s got a lot more people though, coming in at 14,000. It’s also a lot closer to Portland.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was once known as the “prune capital of the world.” Everything you could ever possibly want to know about its history you can find right <a href="http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9312">here</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTM1aYPcfrS1EZ2jzvPOi_CGZ_-7c_uVOAmce0ge3T_RxvCnedZfRPik_gBcLZOOIqKHpr44DTyjmoa9G7RuVu42aQh9flRP4CjSFffiCey4GVkhF_nJPdcg4Lh3Qud1IJbVqTvIfzKLE/s1600/washougal_310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTM1aYPcfrS1EZ2jzvPOi_CGZ_-7c_uVOAmce0ge3T_RxvCnedZfRPik_gBcLZOOIqKHpr44DTyjmoa9G7RuVu42aQh9flRP4CjSFffiCey4GVkhF_nJPdcg4Lh3Qud1IJbVqTvIfzKLE/s400/washougal_310.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It appears to be mostly known </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">for its motocross track however</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>7. Sedro-Wooley</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alone, they’re a little odd. Probably not Honorable Mention odd … But put ‘em together, and it’s a whole new ballgame!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yup, Sedro-Wooley did indeed start out as two towns. Sedro is actually from <i>cedro</i>, the Spanish word for cedar. (It was originally called Bug, from the many mosquitoes here.) Wooley is from railroad honcho Phillip A. Wooley. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, S-W is a metropolis of 10,000. It’s located in the wonderfully named Skagit County, about an hour north of Seattle, and about halfway to Vancouver.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Historically, it’s known for <a href="http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&File_Id=5270">Tusko</a>, the circus elephant, who escaped here and laid waste to the town before being recaptured. In more modern times, S-W is known for the <a href="http://www.loggerodeo.com/">Loggerodeo</a>, which features a carnival, foot-race, log drive, old-time logging show, championship rodeo, various parades, and an invitation-only chainsaw log carving competition.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6y02nzNtI0oEr7166McOpZd5RltneSDJRtFDnUUZvUJlW2OFMh9t-u9HVLfkZMmaYPG6hyphenhyphenMlVN21pUUz6mHBvnN5LDRq8AAvDfUJtM65JM2M9dMAbXA0vABNqULacs6Tdjvb9DOhGcM/s1600/sedro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6y02nzNtI0oEr7166McOpZd5RltneSDJRtFDnUUZvUJlW2OFMh9t-u9HVLfkZMmaYPG6hyphenhyphenMlVN21pUUz6mHBvnN5LDRq8AAvDfUJtM65JM2M9dMAbXA0vABNqULacs6Tdjvb9DOhGcM/s320/sedro.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, that’s kinda weird</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>6. Nooksack</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A sack for your nook?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Actually, no. This one is from a tribe, but also a river. It means “always bracken fern roots.” Now, that doesn’t exactly make a whole lot of sense, but I did find it on this pretty reliable-looking <a href="http://www.nooksacktribe.org/about/">site</a>, so … </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This town of 1,300 is not too far from Vancouver (Canada, not Oregon), and actually calls itself a “bedroom community.” It’s in the interestingly named Whatcom County. Hmm, couldn’t find much else out there that’s about the town, and not the tribe …</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XE1S0Mvwsc9RghDitpzSuAX3x6mbhnQ2PCCy6o1-0z7BcCK8GUaqA1TgnE9zRGzkMPUji_FfsMMHqZ1IL7PQcFawK_6ObdHBUliYaphMTc9j_a2nE9OP5blbyKSRt6S5fytEIR269Iw/s1600/nook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4XE1S0Mvwsc9RghDitpzSuAX3x6mbhnQ2PCCy6o1-0z7BcCK8GUaqA1TgnE9zRGzkMPUji_FfsMMHqZ1IL7PQcFawK_6ObdHBUliYaphMTc9j_a2nE9OP5blbyKSRt6S5fytEIR269Iw/s320/nook.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nooksack Valley School District,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Transportation Department</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5. Walla Walla</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This one’s here purely on repetition alone. By itself, Walla wouldn’t even make it in this post. Add another Walla though – pure poetry!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What’s it mean? Well, <i>walla </i>is Sanhaptin for “water,” so <i>walla wall</i>a of course means lots of water. Seriously. BTW, it was originally named Steptoeville.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WW is home to 30,000, three colleges, and the Washington State Penitentiary. Despite that last item, it was named USA Today’s 2011 “friendliest small town in the US.” Indeed, WW’s motto is “The City So Nice, They Named It Twice” (whuh???). It’s also got a couple of interesting famous sons, including:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Former NFL quarterback Drew Bledsoe</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Former batman Adam West</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Softball god Eddie Feigner</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Supreme Court justice William O. Douglas</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, Washington also includes a Wallula.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDbL85FvU92ngYk3_zDMGwrR2TQw6-Qpb0GIlgoFsX0X8Gv1W4JLwCacvfUtni7i_ZZth3qECugQptcg8FFqpg05nKG_TsdMsqHyyeUuGE2dwj1I_n616dUWiKLL6_ThHjUm6ezm07aMU/s1600/walla-walla-poster2-t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDbL85FvU92ngYk3_zDMGwrR2TQw6-Qpb0GIlgoFsX0X8Gv1W4JLwCacvfUtni7i_ZZth3qECugQptcg8FFqpg05nKG_TsdMsqHyyeUuGE2dwj1I_n616dUWiKLL6_ThHjUm6ezm07aMU/s400/walla-walla-poster2-t.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You are here(abouts)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4. Puyallup / Tulalip</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do a coupla puyallups. They’s a-good for your musucules.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, the first one actually means “generous people,” and is – of course – from an Indian tribe. P-town has 37,000 people and is just east of Tacoma. They’ve got their share of “famous” sons and daughters as well, including Nathan Chapman, Harriet A. Hall, Kelly Sullivan, Chester Victor Clifton Jr., Natasha Curry, Nick Harmer, Brock Huard, Damon Huard, and Brandon Gibson (Whuh??? Who???).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tulalip? Another tribe. The name is from a Salish word for "small-mouthed bay" or “purse-shaped bay.” We’re talking about 1,500 people, pretty close to Seattle. Big time casino.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDX2J3xFp2WTW2I89zs-UUhWMy9IYoj3llR9-aeQZpcMTx9VRTyzC6Wi1fEYN3k1olB0y3mDKBI1LaBk6jvE-KecTOBqptTSwzuSPVZL4B-X3wJkr9YWfwtfJWHSzNGdQn_argqLv7rZw/s1600/puyal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDX2J3xFp2WTW2I89zs-UUhWMy9IYoj3llR9-aeQZpcMTx9VRTyzC6Wi1fEYN3k1olB0y3mDKBI1LaBk6jvE-KecTOBqptTSwzuSPVZL4B-X3wJkr9YWfwtfJWHSzNGdQn_argqLv7rZw/s400/puyal.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I am <i>so </i>depressed<br />(the "city" is Puyallup)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. Tumtum / Tumwater</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Got an ache in your tum tum? Try some tum water!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tumtum is from a Chinook word meaning “heart/soul.” I’m sure there’s a good story behind this one. I just don’t know what it is. The town is in the far east, near Spokane. It looks like a couple of dozen houses along the Corkscrew Highway and Long Lake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tumwater was originally Tumtum Chuck. And that’s Chinook for “waterfall” (literally, “heartbeat water.”). It’s on other side of the state, not too far from Olympia, the capital. It’s got a whopping 17,000 people, is the oldest permanent settlement on Puget Sound, and was the former home of Olympia beer.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivGLl9m93H2d1tKjz0BiGETR6_zq-hcV2o6FDofsddpWIX6lbx4k8DOVWdTSmVTJrNm9dX7vPSnSMS4W2MKMY90dygV3lWTqPQjI34lUZm5wdgZpbK9ANNPjBgOAcaQp_sgfgRIb7bzY/s1600/tum.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjivGLl9m93H2d1tKjz0BiGETR6_zq-hcV2o6FDofsddpWIX6lbx4k8DOVWdTSmVTJrNm9dX7vPSnSMS4W2MKMY90dygV3lWTqPQjI34lUZm5wdgZpbK9ANNPjBgOAcaQp_sgfgRIb7bzY/s320/tum.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The original tum water </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. Snoqualmie / Snohomish / Skyhomish / Suquamish</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And I’m sure there’s also a Skyqualmie, and a Suqaulmishie, and a Skyhomiequalmish, and a …</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Snoqualmie is from the Lushootseed <i>s•dukwalbixw</i>, which means "ferocious people.” It’s got 11,000 of these ferocious types and is just east of Seattle. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Snohomish is a town of 9,000 in the same general area. It’s from the name of another tribe, the <i>sdoh-doh-hohbsh</i>. The meaning of that is “disputed,” but I figure it’s got to have “people” or “ferocious” in it, right? Baseball Hall of Famer Earl Averill is from here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Skyhomish is not too far away from the first two, but only has a population of about 200. The Skyhomish are yet another tribe, with their name meaning “inland people.” Huh! There goes my theory about Snohomish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suquamish? Another tribe. It’s actually the tribe of Chief Seattle, who is buried here. The name? It means “place of clear water.” The town? 4000 people, on the other side of Puget Sound from Seattle, on the wonderfully named Kitsap Penisula.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxD7UBDba_e2ED4jZIUEPlFRhY5g0X4JyZYPUnElYwu2ZCsW54lrWZazppHn5UxwMR4HECnWPh8ROomBcx8WpqhkUhZJxTCWQ88NKyT5i5pdvoSAixPQ7dDCwQ8GKo7dFSjIoQVip2l-U/s1600/SnoqualmiePassWA02042008-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxD7UBDba_e2ED4jZIUEPlFRhY5g0X4JyZYPUnElYwu2ZCsW54lrWZazppHn5UxwMR4HECnWPh8ROomBcx8WpqhkUhZJxTCWQ88NKyT5i5pdvoSAixPQ7dDCwQ8GKo7dFSjIoQVip2l-U/s320/SnoqualmiePassWA02042008-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t you want to live in Snoqualmie too?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Twisp / Pysht / Queets / Gleed</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just try one of these in your next Scrabble game. Say it’s something like an Anglo-Saxon unit of measurement, or a plant that grows only in Iceland, or an old Scottish pastime played with sheep testicles.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Twisp probably means “wasp,” or “yellowjacket.” It’s got about 900 and is the north central part of the state, in a valley in the middle of the Northern Cascades. There’s also a Twisp River. They’re both in the wonderfully named Okanogan County.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pysht is also the name of a river. This one means “against the wind” or “against the current.” Pysht is on the very northern part of the Olympic Penisula, just a little ways from the Strait. Pysht is a “near-ghost,” with just a handful of houses left.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Queets is another small town named after a river. It’s got almost 200 people, almost all of them Native American. “Queets” supposedly means “dirt,” and refers to a local Native American origin myth. It’s on the coast, about halfway between Cape Flattery (the tip of the Olympic Peninsula) and Grays Harbor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oddly, there is no river Gleed. Couldn’t find much on it, but it’s probably someone’s last name. And that name appears to mean “kite” – “probably applied with reference to the bird’s rapacious qualities.” It’s got 3,000 people, and is in the center of the state, just northwest of Yakima.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Honorable Mention: </b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">B-o-r-i-n-g – Valley</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Short & sweet – Paha, Oso, Omak, Yelm, Yale, Ruff, Sauk, Usk</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little out of place – Vancouver, South Bend (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/40515">world’s largest oyster</a>), Toledo, Rochester, Normandy, Orient</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Orthographically challenged – Sequim, Touchet</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Numerically oriented – Three Lakes, Seven Mile, Nine Mile Falls</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Native American mouthfuls – Tukwila, Tillicum, Tonasket, Skamokawa ("smoke on the water"), Onalaska, Okanogan, Washtucna, Wauconda, Wahkiacus, Wenatchee, Wellpinit</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abnormal nouns – Rice, Republic, Plaza, Sultan (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/2624">tiny church</a>), Tiger, Nighthawk, Whites, Vantage, Outlook, Opportunity, Startup, Possession</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atypical adjectives – Plain, Scenic, Royal, Rainier, Stuck, Quilcene</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unconventional verbs – Robe, Shine, Park</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fun to say – Orting, Steptoe, Spangle, Toutle (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/26511">Mt. St. Helens miracle survivor car</a>), Zillah (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/3227">Church of God - Zillah</a>), Poulsbo, Nisqually, Synarep, Satsop, Panikanik</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hard to say – Semiahmoo, Spokane ("sun people," the name of the tribe), Yakima (“runaway,” another tribe), Nespelem, Skamokawa, Utsalady, Wawawai</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just plain weird – White Swan, White Center, Sunnyside, Sunset, San de Fuca, Soap Lake, Oysterville, Ritzville, Royal Camp, Paradise Inn, Pataha City, Navy Yard City, Tokeland</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d like to introduce you to – Olga, Stella, Roy, Ronald, Raymond, Sappho, Othello, Otis Orchards</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ghost towns – Ruby, Sherman, Tokio, Tono</span></li></ul>Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-20737427045407110862013-12-21T14:53:00.000-08:002014-11-30T15:13:01.458-08:00Washington A-M<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wow! What an awesome place. I have never run into a collection of such wacky stuff. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It seems like we can thank the Native Americans for most of this … though they’re certainly not alone.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course this state merits two posts. A-M this week, <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/12/washington-n-z.html">N-Z</a> next week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>10. Cosmopolis</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yup, this small town of 1,600 in the Grays Harbor area does, in fact, translate as “city of the universe.” No false humility among these folks, no sirree. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Cosi” (what the locals call it) is the oldest city in the area, dating back to 1852. It’s just up the Chehalis River a little bit from Aberdeen and Hoquiam. As with the rest of the cities in this area, thing look pretty industrial here. In fact, there’s a huge sawmill in town that seems to dominate everything.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZML86bh-UibqRifuKzLNvWelct-K9cev7UQbFVwYrinsoVhHnLadOjz-B5kbFt1JqmDK4OsHbhEGCCqfIZ_DmWApGJvqp1H4rO0kw34Xp_HrQZxV55SRBhXn0tf9fIqPpAg7AZ3rs50/s1600/cosmopolis-2012-bangkok-cinema1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdZML86bh-UibqRifuKzLNvWelct-K9cev7UQbFVwYrinsoVhHnLadOjz-B5kbFt1JqmDK4OsHbhEGCCqfIZ_DmWApGJvqp1H4rO0kw34Xp_HrQZxV55SRBhXn0tf9fIqPpAg7AZ3rs50/s320/cosmopolis-2012-bangkok-cinema1.jpg" height="195" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oddly, not referring to the same place</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>9. Medical Lake</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m not going swimming in there, I don’t care what you say.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ironically, the lake was named for the medicinal healing quality of the lake water, first recognized by the local Native Americans. Today, unfortunately, a name like that just brings up images of floating syringes. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">ML is in the far west of the state, on the border with Idaho, not too far from Spokane. There are 5,000 Medical Lakers. The big attraction in town seems to be a state hospital.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, is this the best time to point out that Washington also features a Loon Lake?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexTK1a7p6dZ5vwE7R_RkpEWAaTCvAB6l51LcdPvxkfQz9lwCv6BMNnjQ6owAQUSRAc1uSHlFRw9cTQ-Nqs3HMowVkS2neVlxeBH6w-89RnCRruziDI_mvO9wgJvkUOg9nb58l9aoflNI/s1600/Ward+Poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjexTK1a7p6dZ5vwE7R_RkpEWAaTCvAB6l51LcdPvxkfQz9lwCv6BMNnjQ6owAQUSRAc1uSHlFRw9cTQ-Nqs3HMowVkS2neVlxeBH6w-89RnCRruziDI_mvO9wgJvkUOg9nb58l9aoflNI/s320/Ward+Poster.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This movie was filmed here</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>8. Dollar Corner / B Z Corner</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Corners are not that uncommon. It’s what you put with them that really makes your town stand out. And I thought these two definitely stood out.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dollar Corner (sometimes called Dollars Corner) owes its name to one S.L. Dollar, who built a gas station on an intersection here in 1924. C’mon, who’s named Dollar, right? It is legit though, and is probably from the German name Thaler, which denoted someone who lived in a valley, or <i>thal</i>. DC is actually part of the larger, real town of Battle Ground. Dollar Corner’s got about 1,000 people.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">B Z Corner owes its names to one William Biesanz. That surname was a lot for the locals to get their tongues around, so eventually it just became B Z. Like DC, it’s in the south part of the state, near the Columbia River. A nearby neighbor is the interestingly named Husum. Both are in the wonderfully named county of Klickitat (see below).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>7. George</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Get it? No? Go ahead. Think about it. It’ll come to you.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Got it? Alright! And, yes, the name is, indeed, a “respectably humorous salute” to the Father of Our Country. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">George finds him/itself in the dry, flat middle part of the state. There are about 500 Georgians. Interestingly, the town only dates back to 1957, when it was founded by some guy named Charlie Brown. George serves primarily as a center for the many local farms. It’s also close to the Columbia River George … er, I mean, Gorge. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The streets are all named after cherry varieties. Okay, I can think of Bing, and … um … er … There’s uh … Um … Did I mention Bing? (The others are Montmorency, Richmond, Windsor, Naden, Van, Nanking, and Royal Ann.) The townsfolk celebrate the 4th of July with a big festival and the “world’s largest cherry pie.”</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLPeZvmCsUdty0pmIOF88gJvDbR5h_1FF1S_rRzctOhTnK4DidJoE-ygw_kvO0U1pQQtPN-xprf9aZM_0wfOWSy-Jq7nROYOPA6L-_SL_Zb9WZBm9CWa_yGtuz7KG2PbRJYE_REQarPs/s1600/gorge-amphitheater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNLPeZvmCsUdty0pmIOF88gJvDbR5h_1FF1S_rRzctOhTnK4DidJoE-ygw_kvO0U1pQQtPN-xprf9aZM_0wfOWSy-Jq7nROYOPA6L-_SL_Zb9WZBm9CWa_yGtuz7KG2PbRJYE_REQarPs/s320/gorge-amphitheater.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Gorge is also the site</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of a really cool amphitheatre</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>6. La Center / La Push</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone knows putting a “la” before something makes it three times as classy. So, why be boring old Center, when you can be La Center? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why be Push, when you can be La Push? Push? Wait a minute. Why would anyone want to be Push in the first place, let alone La Push?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, so La Center does indeed make some sense. A very informative <a href="http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=9450">website</a> I found says that “the name was intended to convey, albeit in a mixture of French and English, the town's role as the center of commerce for northern Clark County.” It had been previously been called Timmen’s Landing and Podunk. It’s in the southwest part of the state, has 2,800 inhabitants, and relies on gambling for its economy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">La Push, on the other hand, makes no sense whatsoever. It does turn out, however, that this one actually <i>is</i> from the French. It started out as La Bouche, which means “the mouth,” and refers to the town’s location near where the Quileute River flows into the Pacific. It’s in the very northwest part of the state, not too far from the mouth of the Columbia. The town is part of the Quileute Indian Reservation, and is known for its whale-watching.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, there is also a Dabob, WA.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_coyRzfmF2RExnVs-w2Ld7TDB798BcvfFTE4LB-hrF7u_CSNoWNzhJH9UWL4-wXkFvCeSEop1pVOA-L43oBTKBvvop_YM0nqj5qOuoRsJPg_VIxeGDA4XMNLw2VzZmQDAEg6UBrEJWZ4/s1600/la+push.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_coyRzfmF2RExnVs-w2Ld7TDB798BcvfFTE4LB-hrF7u_CSNoWNzhJH9UWL4-wXkFvCeSEop1pVOA-L43oBTKBvvop_YM0nqj5qOuoRsJPg_VIxeGDA4XMNLw2VzZmQDAEg6UBrEJWZ4/s320/la+push.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wow! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(First Beach, La Push)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5. Cle Elum / Pe Ell</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m assuming these two are meaningful in some ancient tongue like Midian or Phyrigian or Hittite. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was wrong! They’re just Native American.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The first one means “swift river,” from <i>tle-el-lum</i>, and was previously called Clealum. It has 1,900 inhabitants, is in the center of the state, and is known as the “Heart of the Cascades.” It seems to be known, primarily, for its disasters, including a fire that destroyed the town in 1918 and an explosion of blasting powder that killed nine in 1908. To continue the theme, its one famous son is Dick Scobbee, commander of the Challenger that exploded on liftoff.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pe Ell supposedly comes from Indian locals’ inability to pronounce the names of an early French-Canadian settler. You pick which one:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pierre, from Pierre Charles</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pershell, from Charles Pershell</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s along the upper reaches of the Chehalis River. The town has 600-some people, mostly farmers and lumbermen. There’s a nice article on the place right <a href="http://billybuc.hubpages.com/hub/Exploring-The-Back-Roads-of-Washington-State-A-Visit-To-Pe-Ell-Is-A-Visit-To-Our-Past">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, there is also a Sea Tac. But I think you already knew that’s simply from the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwmqipD_1Ja9u7TQDfVZ1s95R50WOGNV-GL4e4V6CgLCjEb1lsS5B_M0282_kTB_p_pI74UP7pJm4-ICiQwuWnMGW3D323-_iKZWHuy3wn_AuQEZXMhTRYEsjVLy9eyBYLwY3J3lLb0c/s1600/pe+ell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwmqipD_1Ja9u7TQDfVZ1s95R50WOGNV-GL4e4V6CgLCjEb1lsS5B_M0282_kTB_p_pI74UP7pJm4-ICiQwuWnMGW3D323-_iKZWHuy3wn_AuQEZXMhTRYEsjVLy9eyBYLwY3J3lLb0c/s320/pe+ell.jpg" height="210" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pe Ell Girls Top MWP for First District Title</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4. Klickitat</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I tawt I saw a Klickitat. I did. I did see a Klickitat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This one comes, not from those geniuses at Warner Brothers, but from the Klickitat tribe. And that name happens to be a Chinookan word meaning “beyond [i.e., the Cascades].” The Klickitat actually call themselves the <i>Qwû'lh-hwai-pûm</i>, or "prairie people." </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Klickiat is also a river and a county. All are in the very south part of the state, with the county’s southern border actually being the Columbia River. The town has 400 people. There are some naturally carbonated mineral springs nearby, which resulted in spas and also Klickitat Pop.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjN46hbVBtnQCbzCWuF6LT-_XnQ14VsKSxsV-EOuck8yBzPG-42gK-Z8f6RcmcsM87HpOgxsJ6w39siZAuA4DwtvwgjcCwyVWs-81XyX_8A9PHrxiNx4jrZyN7CHV1TRgVw9jijhdkcRY/s1600/klickitatcountywa_full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjN46hbVBtnQCbzCWuF6LT-_XnQ14VsKSxsV-EOuck8yBzPG-42gK-Z8f6RcmcsM87HpOgxsJ6w39siZAuA4DwtvwgjcCwyVWs-81XyX_8A9PHrxiNx4jrZyN7CHV1TRgVw9jijhdkcRY/s320/klickitatcountywa_full.jpg" height="205" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You are here (somewhere)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. Lilliwaup</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Waup” is a great syllable. It’s a syllable that – in my estimation, at least – we simply don’t hear often enough. I highly recommend throwing a “waup” or two into your town name. I can guarantee you’ll gather lots of attention for your little burg.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lilliwaup actualy means “little bay,” in some unknown indigenous language. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The town is indeed on a little bay, where Lilliwaup Creek empties into the Hood Canal. It’s on the east side of the Olympic Peninsula, on scenic Route 101. Tourism and seafood (especially oysters) are the big attractions.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbI64OEfbeLVKBToHUbkw0ELGqRl8WgQQk5dNZ-IUjcatdsoHMsuEVI-oDA-j1QgvS2DKZbKY08LD9Dw0xBAIwlNWFsJta6B91IFVsjPMzmqjzEvvk8fKPG8pM4cP-xoGjkrE3UHuus8/s1600/Lilliwaup_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpbI64OEfbeLVKBToHUbkw0ELGqRl8WgQQk5dNZ-IUjcatdsoHMsuEVI-oDA-j1QgvS2DKZbKY08LD9Dw0xBAIwlNWFsJta6B91IFVsjPMzmqjzEvvk8fKPG8pM4cP-xoGjkrE3UHuus8/s320/Lilliwaup_2.jpg" height="184" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Downtown Lilliwaup</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. Kooskooskie</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was a young lass from Kooskooskie …</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kooskooskie started out as the original name of the Clearwater River. Supposedly, it means something along the lines of “strong water.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What’s not so clear, however, is why Kooskooskie the town is about two hours from Kooskooskie the river – which is actually in Idaho!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Anyhoo, K-town is actually a bit southeast of Walla Walla, at the foot of the Blue Mountains. It looks like a couple dozen houses stretched out along a little windy road that runs along a little windy creek.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZXmg94D7ZttqcoZAjCC7oJ6r9w_i09frPkDLbTD3yB4E4JpWkpfNbUjoNTCgqvNvEuaCtNstImPOBw8iC-d10OYNYz_GK8xt-Hun7NrXfyiOW-fki_qwdhKu1Eb3fM9pCfCX1N0qz30/s1600/Kooskooskie+&+Mill+Creek,+ca1930+(14).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZXmg94D7ZttqcoZAjCC7oJ6r9w_i09frPkDLbTD3yB4E4JpWkpfNbUjoNTCgqvNvEuaCtNstImPOBw8iC-d10OYNYz_GK8xt-Hun7NrXfyiOW-fki_qwdhKu1Eb3fM9pCfCX1N0qz30/s320/Kooskooskie+&+Mill+Creek,+ca1930+(14).JPG" height="195" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"Marjorie, Kooskooskie"</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Humptulips</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, why are these people humping their tulips? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Actually, this one has nothing to do with flowers being violated. It is, instead, the name of a local Indian tribe, as well as a local river. Competing explanations include “chilly region” and “hard to pole.” My vote is definitely for that second one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This town of 250 is in the western part of the state, about a half hour from the coast. Its 15 minutes of fame came in Tom Robbins’ <i>Another Roadside Attraction</i>, where it served as a base of operations for an order of assassin monks. I probably didn’t even need to tell you that there was a band out there named Humptulips now, did I?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7aXjmn0Oi_zF-AIrmJOOGgZSAsD7OIwlvYDRgh70nnef7ZEGOpo2UDKLhAWOnpIa1S2MzNHtXiOIM97Za9qwR4N8DFx77whaRTEpVxKFbeRObuzBb7GEpAi0cWUu-tTyM8d7zjpQ8XO0/s1600/band.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7aXjmn0Oi_zF-AIrmJOOGgZSAsD7OIwlvYDRgh70nnef7ZEGOpo2UDKLhAWOnpIa1S2MzNHtXiOIM97Za9qwR4N8DFx77whaRTEpVxKFbeRObuzBb7GEpAi0cWUu-tTyM8d7zjpQ8XO0/s1600/band.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">"Humptulips is a country band with a twist of rock </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">from Washington State.
To book Humptulips at your next event, </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">contact
ashley@humptulipsband.com" (Twitter)</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Honorable Mention: </b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">B-o-r-i-n-g – Country Homes, Intercity, Centralia, Centerville, Midway, Home</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Short & sweet – Irby, Ione, Doty, Adna, Ayer, Ewan, Elbe, Elma, Omak, Hyak, Keva, Mica, Malo, Mead, Lind, Fife, Bow, Blyn, Elk (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/17549">toy robot museum</a>), Mae, Hay</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little out of place – Burbank, Boise, Leavenworth (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/9373">nutcracker museum</a>), Des Moines, Davenport, Dayton, Littlerock, Central Park, Mt. Vernon, Annapolis, Bangor, Berlin, Milan, Melbourne</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little off color – Beaver</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Orthographically challenged – Impach, Krain</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Numerically oriented – Four Lakes, Four Seasons, Five Points</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Native American mouthfuls – Entiat, Kahlotus, Ilwaco, Emunclaw, Cathlamet, Kalaloch </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abnormal nouns – Dodge, Ford, Cougar, Clipper, Lacrosse, Aloha, Miles, Mineral, Glacier, Grotto, Forks (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/blog/twilight-revives-wa-ftv-town-cred/">Twilight town</a>), Carnation (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2936">statue to world champion milk cow</a>), Cashmere, Creosote, Electron, Dynamite, Mold</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atypical adjectives – Concrete, Dusty, Metaline</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unconventional verbs – Monitor, Cook, Love</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fun to say – Monse, Methow, Gorst, Eltopia, Ephrata, Inchelium, Chimacum, Claquato, Kapowsin</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hard to say – Fragaria, Ardenvoir, Mukilteo, Disautel, Conconully</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just plain weird – Grapeview, Greenacres, Black Diamond, Beaux Arts, Lofall, Cathcart, Moclips, Airway Heights, Grand Mound, Goose Prairie, Kid Valley, Friday Harbor (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/29349">world’s skinniest coffee shop</a>), Federal Way, Bossburg (after C.S. Boss)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just plain weird, cities – Electric City, Elmer City, Moxee City</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d like to introduce you to – Juanita, Beverly, Holly, Amber, Joyce, Ethel, Lyle, Morton, Amanda Park, Heather Downs, Moses Lake, Clyde Hill</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ghost towns - Gettysburg (after Robert N. Getty), Bagdad, Farmer, Hover (after Herbert Hover - I kid you not), Index, Libertybond</span></li>
</ul>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-73733918967651899962013-12-13T16:29:00.004-08:002023-03-23T16:23:29.837-07:00Virginia M-Z<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><i>Carry me back to ol’ Virginny / That’s where the corn and the sweet potatoes grow / No place on earth do I love more sincerely / Than ol’ Virginny, the place where I was born</i></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I can’t believe I can remember that much after all these years (and even if I didn’t get it all right). I’m not a native son, but I did spend most of my youth in the Old Dominion – in particular, in Purcellville, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains, population 2,000 (at least when I lived there). </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This week, we’re featuring Virginia towns from M to Z. Last week, it was <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/12/virginia-l_7.html">A to L</a>.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>10. Max Meadows *</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">So, who was this guy? And why did they name a town after him?</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, we may never know. There’s just not a lot on this town of 500 or so in the southwest corner of the state. That’s surprising, as the place is right off the interstate, where I-77 and I-81 meet (I drive by it at least once a year on my way to go hiking, biking, or skiing).</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I did find MM on the Virginia is for Lovers site though. And they recommended some high-end lodging options (Fort Chiswell RV Campground and Pioneer Village RV Park and Campground), as well as some excellent fine dining choices (Wendy’s, McDonald’s, and Little Caesar). Things to do? How about Porter Furniture Restoration? Not your cup of tea? Well, there is always the Fort Chiswell RV Campground (which offers amenities such as a swimming pool, playground, basketball and volleyball courts, gameroom, and pay fishing pond).</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">It’s kind of odd, though, that they didn’t mention the Graham Mansion (a 19th Century landmark visible from the interstate) and the New River Trail State Park (an old railroad grade that was turned into a bike trail). I’ve probably been on the latter at least 20 times. Absolutely beautiful!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQwce1srW_SOtWBPptL5wyMA4KicLU2wfnGB3QWNM_329GRQUEMMBglN0A7de0tQ5amlwCBWjeOMJdDt1PNCcO633e7qLWDOSjYS5ZBicDJl8uhOf5rPgjiADxKgloElRDB-IPmfcsLs/s1600/mm.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnQwce1srW_SOtWBPptL5wyMA4KicLU2wfnGB3QWNM_329GRQUEMMBglN0A7de0tQ5amlwCBWjeOMJdDt1PNCcO633e7qLWDOSjYS5ZBicDJl8uhOf5rPgjiADxKgloElRDB-IPmfcsLs/s320/mm.jpg" width="259" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Popes, Max Meadows</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">O. Winston Link, photographer</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>9. Stuarts Draft</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">It was just a draft. Stuart would go on to build a <i>real </i>town a few miles to the north.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">So, the Stuart part of this is undisputed. Basically, some dude named Archibald Stuart was one of the original settlers in the area. As for the “Draft,” well, we’ve got two choices, including:</span><br />
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<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">For the document drafting the land sale to Archibald</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">A reference to the nearby South River (“draft” being an old-timey word for a river or creek, and appearing several times in the local area)</span></li>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This major metropolis of 9,000-plus people is in the Shenandoah Valley, just south of Staunton. This is where I-81 & I-64 meet, which may help to explain SD’s nickname of “warehouse capital of the U.S.” There’s also a Hershey’s Chocolate plant here. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>8. Spotsylvania Courthouse</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Would it help if I told you the first part of this was a partial Latin translation of the surname Spotswood? No? Really?</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">So, who exactly was this Spotswood guy? And why did he translate half of his name into Latin?</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, I can actually answer that last one for you. A full translation would have given us Maculasylvania Courthouse, which – you have to admit – is just a bit much. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Anyway, Alexander Spotswood was a noted Colonial governor of Virginia, serving from 1710 to 1722. He had a county, then the county seat, named after him. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Taking the county name and appending “Court House” to the end of it is actually pretty common in the Old Dominion. Other examples include Amelia Court House, Charlotte Court House, and the rather wordy King and Queen Court House. I’m not sure any other state really does that.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The town has about 4,200 inhabitants, and is just a little south of DC. It was the site of a major battle in the Civil War, with other nearby battle sites including Chancellorsville, The Wilderness, and Fredericksburg.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vVq3xevfm1sF6_FK987Adb6-f7GF6ANXEA_lEK1mujt-1pV1PYakjM8NgMP7gLfnMxsD7QhfAJXdjzzc7BPqJ6iFQQPN2ixqVxPrRM6TTb83yB1gf9mgDSeTwVcZz-iw3SS49d2sEgY/s1600/spots.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9vVq3xevfm1sF6_FK987Adb6-f7GF6ANXEA_lEK1mujt-1pV1PYakjM8NgMP7gLfnMxsD7QhfAJXdjzzc7BPqJ6iFQQPN2ixqVxPrRM6TTb83yB1gf9mgDSeTwVcZz-iw3SS49d2sEgY/s1600/spots.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Battlefield tourists</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>7. Rustburg</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Detroit? Cleveland? Buffalo? Pittsburgh?</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Nope – it’s Rustburg, VA, town of 1,400 and seat of Campbell County. It’s real near Lynchburg, at the foot of the Blue Ridge. It’s also the home of Concrete World, the “world’s largest collection of cement collectibles,” and subject of this Roadside America <a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1331?offset=5">page</a>.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">R-burg is actually named after – once again – some guy. In particular, I’m talking about one Jeremiah Rust, who donated land for the village in 1784. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Now, why would someone be named Rust? Well, it’s probably Scottish, and basically denotes someone with red hair. Kind of like nicknaming somebody “Rusty.”</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">By the way, there is also a Brokenburg, VA.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQVQHmY65wKbAaiu5xLXMYWTd3cOuoNo1Uz9hwYWeUmRMOhPYhUvfnypzluXE-0qskCvWZSwr5ZUwGzuwpJWSDwXfFnQECCd8453k-Ltepg76GLhQmS60mOKJ5r3jus0LCGKtZg3D8q0/s1600/rust.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRQVQHmY65wKbAaiu5xLXMYWTd3cOuoNo1Uz9hwYWeUmRMOhPYhUvfnypzluXE-0qskCvWZSwr5ZUwGzuwpJWSDwXfFnQECCd8453k-Ltepg76GLhQmS60mOKJ5r3jus0LCGKtZg3D8q0/s1600/rust.jpg" /></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Some of the “art” from Concrete World</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>6. Mangohick</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Mango: a fleshy yellowish-red tropical fruit that is eaten ripe or used green for pickles or chutneys. Hick: a person who lives in the country, regarded as being unintelligent or provincial. Put ‘em together, and you get … um … er …You get … </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Why, a small crossroads of maybe 20 houses, just northeast of Richmond. It was named after a church that was built way back in 1730. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">What does it mean? Well, apart from that it’s obviously Native American, we’ve got another mystery on our hand, I’m afraid.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yEQMy_2f215podicixec6wdAKmgSvhGpPvsdrStyAj9mAK4qIt7SyQjLIvl0EcSyjsRT5als8-iw1if7kNVFTHJtRjXWLcJEkA8SNjuQZAYkpaAhtYgZXIiAZtefErQ2P4GmxQUuScU/s1600/mango.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yEQMy_2f215podicixec6wdAKmgSvhGpPvsdrStyAj9mAK4qIt7SyQjLIvl0EcSyjsRT5als8-iw1if7kNVFTHJtRjXWLcJEkA8SNjuQZAYkpaAhtYgZXIiAZtefErQ2P4GmxQUuScU/s1600/mango.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">You’d think they would have </span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">at least explained the name</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>5. Pungo</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">So, I think we’re pretty safe to say this one’s Native American as well. Yup, it’s from the Machipugo, a local tribe.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The town is part of Virginia Beach, but don’t let that fool you. Because VB is such a huge city (area-wise, that is), little places like Pungo can be part of the city yet still be surrounded by farm fields. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Pungo does have more than its share of attractions however, including:</span><br />
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<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2013/04/10/america-10-best-spring-food-festivals/">A strawberry festival</a></span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://www.militaryaviationmuseum.org/">An air musem</a></span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grace_Sherwood">The Witch of Pungo</a></span></li>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This last one is particularly interesting. Grace Sherwood was a local woman who was accused of witchcraft around the turn of the 18th Century. She was one of the few accused witches to survive a dunking. There’s a <a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/34645">statue</a> of her in Virginia Beach.</span><br />
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By the way, there is also a Pungoteague.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHd6rUw7XlYwqHR18ZY6OhBHKmWsyZIe8k-095stnDPnjstIICsE6Vh0oWz7qYjx7dNALGoXN8KOEB0MulaaMYibFLHLToREK5-fCIdNqDRZ5tQx31SnrCtvanjtksPUAhxaDya-jbE6M/s1600/pungo.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHd6rUw7XlYwqHR18ZY6OhBHKmWsyZIe8k-095stnDPnjstIICsE6Vh0oWz7qYjx7dNALGoXN8KOEB0MulaaMYibFLHLToREK5-fCIdNqDRZ5tQx31SnrCtvanjtksPUAhxaDya-jbE6M/s1600/pungo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Strawberry Festival’s</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">First Lady, Mayor, and “Honorary Witch”</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">(yup, that’s what those sashes say)</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>4. Nutbush</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I couldn’t find anything along these lines on Google, but wouldn’t this be a great thing to call somebody? “You total nutbush!” “What a nutbush thing to say!” “I’m afraid Leonard’s gone a little nutbush on us here.”</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Interestingly, there is also a Nutbush in Tennessee, as well as North Carolina. The first one is famous as the birthplace of Tina Turner (who wrote a song called <i>Nutbush City Limits</i>). The second is famous for the Nutbush Address, a speech that helped guide the Revolution in that state.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Where’s do they all come from? Again, we have two choices. One, it could mean the hazelnut tree. Two, it could be somebody’s surname (and probably related somehow to said tree). </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Virginia town? Well, it looks like a hour and a half southwest of Richmond. And that’s about all I could find on the place.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Xq8-POcIcSlmzHUkQMrUSHpw2pcz2Nbut11R5CNAaLyWb9pZsvfO60oFawsRsvCQDOPLm9VeK8WrwxYMnYq56qg3QQ_834okPSnSE16Y9jozSoUonykQUwrxFaKfxH5yEHmZDnJhQjc/s1600/nut.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Xq8-POcIcSlmzHUkQMrUSHpw2pcz2Nbut11R5CNAaLyWb9pZsvfO60oFawsRsvCQDOPLm9VeK8WrwxYMnYq56qg3QQ_834okPSnSE16Y9jozSoUonykQUwrxFaKfxH5yEHmZDnJhQjc/s1600/nut.jpg" /></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Oops, wrong state!</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>3. Short Pump</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Is this like a “short fuse”?</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">According to Wikipedia, this town “was named for the short-handled pump beneath the porch of a tavern located there.” Why it was named after something like that is another question entirely.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The town, which is a suburb of Richmond, has a whopping 25,000 Short Pumpers. And that means all kinds of signs of civilization, like Cheesecake Factories, Apple Stores, Whole Foods, IMAX theaters, and Baby Gaps.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMu6fi5tFuGp9ViNr9Ewp3qr_8T_WMKTSRtZ4CkQ7hMAhsp_TSABlyxu6cn7iab0AFmOk2rzxWvguSKfQjpnZGB_6oZMqg1JoHd47uKDrvaVyfhjuqfa0IETULq9oz8j58vhTMhORKeKs/s1600/short.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMu6fi5tFuGp9ViNr9Ewp3qr_8T_WMKTSRtZ4CkQ7hMAhsp_TSABlyxu6cn7iab0AFmOk2rzxWvguSKfQjpnZGB_6oZMqg1JoHd47uKDrvaVyfhjuqfa0IETULq9oz8j58vhTMhORKeKs/s1600/short.png" /></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Shopping center logo,</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Short Pump, VA</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>2. Meadows of Dan</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Dan was known for his meadows. People came from miles around just to stare at them.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Actually, Dan was a river. And this place started out as some inviting meadows along said river. QED.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">M of D is in the southwest part of the state, near the NC border, and almost right on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Mabry’s Mill, probably the most photographed place on the Parkway is just a mile away.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This teeny town has no less than four festivals, including a Folk Fair and Crafts in the Meadow. There are also three wineries nearby. In town, you’ve got a fudge shop, knife store, ice cream parlor, craft stores … </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">… Ah! Run for your life! It’s a tourist trap!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgWqx4bE1HL3GR2zAHqhxzKemlDi9jOU2AzbntXnKA9iKiUbHDPF9mjD__3kkMbN65Yx03VvzucfmrvyYAg6sE5ppUGvlo9PDJKGNiyTYZV3PDV3tMBnFD10tkNeu8R2fFd1NYemyisg/s1600/Mabry+Mill,+Blue+Ridge+Parkway,+Virginia.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsgWqx4bE1HL3GR2zAHqhxzKemlDi9jOU2AzbntXnKA9iKiUbHDPF9mjD__3kkMbN65Yx03VvzucfmrvyYAg6sE5ppUGvlo9PDJKGNiyTYZV3PDV3tMBnFD10tkNeu8R2fFd1NYemyisg/s1600/Mabry+Mill,+Blue+Ridge+Parkway,+Virginia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Look familiar?</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">(I thought so)</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>1. Mouth of Wilson *</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Pure poetry. Surrealist poetry that doesn’t make a lick of sense, mind. But pure poetry nonetheless.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, it’s another riverine feature, I’m afraid. Yup, M of W is where the Wilson River empties into the larger New River. So, you could think of this place as the <i>mouth </i>of the <i>Wilson </i>River. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">We’re in the southwest again – actually, less than an hour from Meadows of Dan on the Jeb Stuart Parkway. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Unlike M of D, though, M of W is <i>not </i>a tourist trap. I’ve been through the place dozens of time on my way to have fun in the mountains, and I can vouch for the town’s isolation, scant number of inhabitants, crumbling building stock, and total lack of any pretension whatsoever. I love this place!</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">One thing I didn’t mention, though, is the nearby boys school, Oak Hill Academy. If you’re anything of a college basketball fan, you’ve probably heard of this place. Basically, they take all these talented kids from the inner city and plop ‘em down in the middle of nowhere. That way, they can stay out of trouble and eat, breathe, and sleep hoops. They’ve won seven national championships in the last 20 years. Alumni include Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Rajon Rondo, Jerry Stackhouse, and Rod Strickland.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmZw_ygYzwpXHLIR3ccDDHqFTZizkpbo9BwHaOr3cEy1CQJKMeQFP2z8O03aaNh8qt4ijMXJXirGROJp45fpIuArlLKxsgn0_QKdTUgpT4Cp_ZATxu2TnWW_JR8muyfbL1dxiHbP1mkc/s1600/mouthofwilson7_19_3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhmZw_ygYzwpXHLIR3ccDDHqFTZizkpbo9BwHaOr3cEy1CQJKMeQFP2z8O03aaNh8qt4ijMXJXirGROJp45fpIuArlLKxsgn0_QKdTUgpT4Cp_ZATxu2TnWW_JR8muyfbL1dxiHbP1mkc/s1600/mouthofwilson7_19_3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Of course it’s also the name of a band</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">(C’mon, what didja think?)</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Honorable Mention: </b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">B-o-r-i-n-g – Oldtown, Newtown, Newville, Northwest, The Plains, The Hollow, Virginia Beach*, Virginia Hills, Virginia City, Middletown, Middleburg*, Midland, Village</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Short & sweet – Vera, Sago, Zuni, Nain, Nace, Pons, Snell, Stott, Wirtz, Zepp</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Just a little out of place – Washington, New Baltimore, West Point, Yale, South Boston, St. Paul, Yuma, Tacoma, Monterey, Scotland, Vienna*, Verona, New Bohemia, Warsaw, Petersburg*, Moscow, Sparta, Troy, Syria, Shanghai, Osaka</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Orthographically challenged – Tabb, Winfall, Shortt Gap, Phenix, Savedge, Purdy, Pardee</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Numerically oriented – Seven Mile Ford, Tenth Legion</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Native American mouthfuls – Meherrin, Mattaponi, Massaponax, Nottoway, Onancock, Wicomico, Wachapreague, Tappahannock, Nassawadox</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Miscellaneous mouthfuls – Rockbridge Baths, Temperanceville, Greenbackville</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Atypical adjectives – Wise, Major, Minor, Orange, Radiant, Tiptop, Studley</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Unconventional verbs – Paces, Passing, Rescue, Narrows</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Abnormal nouns – Wood, Wilderness, Raven, Pound, Painter, Pilot, Peaks, Prospect, Quarry, Mineral, Slate, Saltpetre, Supply, Snowflake, Sun, Moon, Dawn*, Orbit, Orchid, Valentines, Sharps, Soles, Skippers*, Sliders, Triangle, Triplet, Tyro, Topping, Mayo, Mollusk</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Fun to say – Saxis, Nelsonia, Weems, Quinby, Melfa, Mustoe, Mobjack, Varina, Virgilina, Sylvatus</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hard to say – Occoquan, Quinque</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Just plain weird – Sunnyside, Rural Retreat * (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/9262">grave of Dr. Pepper</a>), Mechanicsburg, Mechanicsville, Timberville, Locustville, Old Tavern, Republican Grove, Red House, Red Ash, Paint Bank, Newport News *, Sweet Hall, Sugar Loaf, Viewtown, Nicelytown, Quicksburg, Plasterco, Woolwine, Winterpock, Skipwith, Star Tannery, St. Joy, Ruther Glen, Modest Town, Tight Squeeze *, Stinking Point</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Whites only – White Hall, White Stone, White Marsh, White Gate, White Post</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">100% natural – Natural Well, Natural Bridge (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/2632">big-time tourist trap</a>), Natural Tunnel</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Possessive puzzles – Weavers Cave, Steeles Tavern, Solomons Store*, Toms Creek, Toms Brook, Singers Glen</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I’d like to introduce you to – Susan, Maggie, Myrtle, Marvin, Norman, Stuart, Stanley, Mike, Prince George, Princess Anne, Patrick Springs, Vernon Hill</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ghost towns – Wash Woods</span></li>
</ul>
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<i>* - author has visited</i>Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-40659607592385558342013-12-07T12:47:00.002-08:002023-03-23T16:23:52.928-07:00Virginia A-L<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The Old Dominion. Birthplace of Presidents. Carry me back to old Virginny. Virginia is for lovers. </span><br />
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">It’s a state with a lot of nicknames and a lot of slogans. It’s also a state with a lot of oddly named towns. That’s why we’ve got A to L this week, and <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/12/virginia-m-z.html">M to Z</a> next week. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>10. Amissville</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">There’s something wrong in Virginia, something not quite right. Something out of joint. I don’t know how to put it. There’s something … Something …</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Now, I’m sure this is pronounced with the emphasis on the first syllable, and it’s probably after some guy. But wouldn’t it be fun …</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, as it turns out, there was some guy, and his name was Joseph Amiss, and he was the first settler in the area. And it is indeed pronounced “A-miss,” and not “uh-MISS.”</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">A-ville is in northern Virginia, at the foot of the Blue Ridge. Like most places in that part of the state, there were more than a few Civil War skirmishes in the area. These days, the emphasis seems to be more on wineries, B&Bs, horse farms, and such like.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">At the same time, </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="text-align: center;">Amissville is also the site of the Hazard Homecoming, </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">put together by Ben Jones, a.k.a. Cooter, </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">from the 80s TV series</span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"> </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Dukes of Hazzard.</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfwFn9-pEjNDBS6uSDLSg7m9vArLWhnpsfYkvZB8rtT6p_esPE9iKlSH21Bc0DkS-FTboUJTTdPmy0FD5TdA8RvrsF61q6c8DOgS-Ippfpby9Cu5MZ60jqoAjzHDmYUZM2RosTZLHZjM/s1600/amiss.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkfwFn9-pEjNDBS6uSDLSg7m9vArLWhnpsfYkvZB8rtT6p_esPE9iKlSH21Bc0DkS-FTboUJTTdPmy0FD5TdA8RvrsF61q6c8DOgS-Ippfpby9Cu5MZ60jqoAjzHDmYUZM2RosTZLHZjM/s320/amiss.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Havin' some fun now<br />at the Hazzard Homecoming<br />in Amissville, VA </span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>9. Bowlers Wharf</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Wait, they get their own wharf? </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, I’m not sure they got anything else. Bowler’s Wharf looks like a half dozen fancy houses along the Rappahannock, about halfway between Fredericksburg and the Chesapeake Bay. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Once again, we’ve got some early settler to thank for this one – in particular, one Thomas Bowler, who arrived in the New World in 1658. Interestingly, the surname has nothing to do with splits and gutter balls, but refers to someone who made bowls.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEeyCERrXFv6ymephQfKLE0oRIauzyfGDzVRiAaZu18xuZ0D0N8h2bUV240qzE1gakwChHsjkwLY792bD1vSOf58vktTUdQi189SdbG_EIgsoEc3yDB2_CJaMMnD96-4RwNghsOL3Q5Tw/s1600/bw.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEeyCERrXFv6ymephQfKLE0oRIauzyfGDzVRiAaZu18xuZ0D0N8h2bUV240qzE1gakwChHsjkwLY792bD1vSOf58vktTUdQi189SdbG_EIgsoEc3yDB2_CJaMMnD96-4RwNghsOL3Q5Tw/s320/bw.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This must be the place!</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>8. Carloover</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Virginia is for car loovers.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Carloover is up in the mountains, near the WV border. It’s a couple of dozen houses strung out along the Sam Snead Highway (the golfer was born nearby), just south of Tinkertown. It’s in Bath County. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">About the only thing I could find on this place was the autobiography of one Henry Wise Hoover, titled <i>Henry Wise Hoover of Carloover, Bath County, Virginia, 1859-1948, The Autobiography and History of the Life and Times of a Bath County Farmer, Teacher, Photographer, Merchant and Postmaster</i>. Unfortunately – and despite the wonderful rhyme – this tome didn’t help me uncover anything about how Carloover became Carloover.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>7. Grizzard</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, I’m pretty sure this one <i>wasn’t</i> named after Lewis Grizzard. You know, <i>Kathy Sue Lowdermilk, I Love You; Chili Dogs Always Bark at Night; My Daddy Was a Pistol and I’m a Son of a Gun; Shoot Low Boys – They’re Riding Shetland Ponies</i> … Classic Southern literature.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">But maybe it was some long, lost relative. Indeed, the Grizzard surname is not that common. It’s French, and basically means gray. The English word “grizzled” has the same root.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The town is in the southeast part of the state, near the major metropolis of Emporia. It looks like it might not be much more than a handful of homes (including the historic Fortsville) and a couple of crossroads.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7ckm-Cb6fpdVKdq5yFAPiYJUYwMkTQxo5wM3NkTcz6ojjSm9pUlOsjoZzzuFriO8IUcucTK0Rza7yFC1IDNPAR7a9lijR-LqPT81fNtPYfoFZeNUxAqXPsb75fiuJHcedQrxJ3RJFSc/s1600/grizzard.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM7ckm-Cb6fpdVKdq5yFAPiYJUYwMkTQxo5wM3NkTcz6ojjSm9pUlOsjoZzzuFriO8IUcucTK0Rza7yFC1IDNPAR7a9lijR-LqPT81fNtPYfoFZeNUxAqXPsb75fiuJHcedQrxJ3RJFSc/s320/grizzard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Unfortunately, this is in Georgia, not Virginia</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>6. Keezletown</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">But, of course. It’s where they made the keezles.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">So, what exactly is a keezle? Well, would you believe it’s somebody’s name? Yup, this place was named after one George Keezell, an early settler. There aren’t a lot of Keezells out there, though, so I’m still not sure what the name means.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This one’s at the bottom of the Shenandoah Valley, just south of Harrisonburg. Massanutten Mountain – with a waterpark, ski slopes, a spa, golf, etc., etc. – is nearby.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPcheim3fyKvPuxU-XzI8s9vXYUyiM4pWNo2fKaBVdR06mFP4EPsKKcq5MIerulmJX46sKDrMsUChJkCqFsU_hTNrGL9s06ptSxV5bAW0Mo_0WXkRphNCDZgFMPMZduCruTR8smmns7c/s1600/keezle.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSPcheim3fyKvPuxU-XzI8s9vXYUyiM4pWNo2fKaBVdR06mFP4EPsKKcq5MIerulmJX46sKDrMsUChJkCqFsU_hTNrGL9s06ptSxV5bAW0Mo_0WXkRphNCDZgFMPMZduCruTR8smmns7c/s320/keezle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">A Keezle also appear to be</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">a band of some sort </span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>5. Bumpass</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Once again, a lot depends on what sylLABle you emPHAsize. I’m sure it’s the first syllable for this one. But, you know, wouldn’t it be great …</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I hate to sound like a broken record, but again, Bumpass is some poor schmoe’s name. In particular, we’re talking about one John Thomas Bumpass Sr., a local landowner. The surname’s from the French <i>bon pas</i> – literally “good step,” probably from someone who walked fast. Bumpus is a more common variant. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Bumpass the town is known for odd things like alpaca farming and a former factory that made ice cream spoons and cocktail forks. It’s a little northwest of Richmond.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZ70L3eaEKbVkeKz7GAq_a_FD7pVZcF3tunch_wydYAMwCY8GGvSe29b_MByKA3UKQaqHp4yULULwD5sA9iv7kM_Q5XeQ3mhO1DZQ6QIt_zUMEnvf9JLKD9hiOm8kSQb5uHQeQmwx4bM/s1600/Bump-ASS_Sticker_3x4_DECAL_AV.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyZ70L3eaEKbVkeKz7GAq_a_FD7pVZcF3tunch_wydYAMwCY8GGvSe29b_MByKA3UKQaqHp4yULULwD5sA9iv7kM_Q5XeQ3mhO1DZQ6QIt_zUMEnvf9JLKD9hiOm8kSQb5uHQeQmwx4bM/s1600/Bump-ASS_Sticker_3x4_DECAL_AV.gif" /></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">You can get your own decal <a href="http://www.blhaning.us/weCANspell.htm">here</a></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>4. Cuckoo</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yeah, I know. It’s a bird. It also, however, means crazy … nuts … out to lunch … off the deep end … bonkers … bananas …</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">You might have a hard time believing this, but there was <i>not </i>an early settler by the name of Cuckoo. This town is, instead, named after an early tavern, The Cuckoo. See a video on it right <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rpkoxmah6wQ">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">In more recent times, Cuckoo gained national recognition by being the epicenter of a 5.8 earthquake that rocked the eastern US on August 23, 2011. I actually experienced the thing down here in Charlotte, NC – as did people in places as far away as Atlanta, Cincinnati, and Quebec.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">By the way, there is also a Nuttsville in the Old Dominion.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWgVzwtNrpGmNA5LPjSFRpdxuvRMB6pXk9EQGLeRIlTx4R6uGJlF9x2Y08-_TSy0oEA7puCxGkqhdDA7vMg_kE24AdoxS2-DCe4vGOQ01XbUoLw9Gd4Ww6d_QlwTbyl0Muq8wFazZd1dk/s1600/cuckoo_va_virginia_classic_thong.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWgVzwtNrpGmNA5LPjSFRpdxuvRMB6pXk9EQGLeRIlTx4R6uGJlF9x2Y08-_TSy0oEA7puCxGkqhdDA7vMg_kE24AdoxS2-DCe4vGOQ01XbUoLw9Gd4Ww6d_QlwTbyl0Muq8wFazZd1dk/s320/cuckoo_va_virginia_classic_thong.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">And you can get this right <a href="http://www.cafepress.com/+cuckoo_va_virginia_classic_thong,409240430">here</a></span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>3. Goochland</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">And this is where they grew the gooches. Totally obvious.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">What’s a gooch? Yup, you guessed it – some poor dude’s last name. Sir William Gooch was Virginia’s governor, from 1727 to 1749. He actually named the place for himself.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Goochland is both a town and the county the town is located in (and, to top it all off, the town is the county seat). Once again, we’re a little northwest of Richmond, along the James River. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Not sure why Virginia has so many people with strange surnames …</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHicfKRRmkdknMIg2mF6wnAoYwNKt0Slbwo3mRIYuoraInJEutlNGTj81VNS8YNXdyDiOlCuxQWVfNJCWsp7As3oXkHCCUHdX-vh_ZWSXwvfojWUjKGa8kua6dknUkPLb443Eo1oiIs_A/s1600/goochland.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHicfKRRmkdknMIg2mF6wnAoYwNKt0Slbwo3mRIYuoraInJEutlNGTj81VNS8YNXdyDiOlCuxQWVfNJCWsp7As3oXkHCCUHdX-vh_ZWSXwvfojWUjKGa8kua6dknUkPLb443Eo1oiIs_A/s1600/goochland.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>2. Chuckatuck</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Careful how you say this one … That's a lotta "ucks."</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The town was named after a nearby creek. Couldn’t find out for sure, but it sounds like the name of the creek may be from a Native American word for “crooked.”</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Like many places in southeast part of Virginia, this area was settled a long time ago – in our case, in the early 1600s. Today, we have a library, fire department, post office, a 7-Eleven, and lots more. It has a population of a little over a 1,000. Everything you could ever possibly want to know about the history of this place you can find right <a href="http://www.chuckatuckhistory.com/our-story/villages/chuckatuck/the-village-of-chuckatuck/">here</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZtBy6-CWUGZximzyr8lhXP9nu9L-k99M0c3v4RRPwWBjKUhEvCbU9uqkN2i2wzGl8rcwDgc8U6Vz73hoRtNgCecRdR7PJGrNLZYzMCfSB29g6haocedvNxoCdhRAMIqx39ghhx43Vz8/s1600/chuck.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNZtBy6-CWUGZximzyr8lhXP9nu9L-k99M0c3v4RRPwWBjKUhEvCbU9uqkN2i2wzGl8rcwDgc8U6Vz73hoRtNgCecRdR7PJGrNLZYzMCfSB29g6haocedvNxoCdhRAMIqx39ghhx43Vz8/s1600/chuck.jpg" /></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Did you know that everything in VA </span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">has its own historical marker?</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>1. Forks of Buffalo</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I remember these guys. Heavy punk influence. Pretty good shows. The bassist was a chick …</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Nah, that’s not it. Now, what’s really scary about this place is that the explanation for it actually makes sense. Turns out the town is located where the Buffalo River divides, into a North Fork and a South Fork.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">So, you may be wondering why a river in Virginia was named after buffalo. I mean, don’t those things live out west? Well, would you believe that they once roamed all over the US? Yup, even as far east as ol’ Virginny.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">On Mapquest, F of B looks like a handful of buildings and houses strung out along Rte. 60, on the way over the Blue Ridge to Lexington. Looks like good kayaking, hunting, and fishing country.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMBWOznpD_IoFsQ6BmWsr_W6QNtLFrZOdDGHXAi5JFiFOl1hvqMJB_LuB1njYAew3VJ-fXfotEPzq6ACd3JyW_pnptMZufWwS7kjF1bVJQ0sssyx0TlUURRJ0Xys7_w6Sncap7b6GwO0/s1600/forks.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVMBWOznpD_IoFsQ6BmWsr_W6QNtLFrZOdDGHXAi5JFiFOl1hvqMJB_LuB1njYAew3VJ-fXfotEPzq6ACd3JyW_pnptMZufWwS7kjF1bVJQ0sssyx0TlUURRJ0Xys7_w6Sncap7b6GwO0/s320/forks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Downtown F of B</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Honorable Mention: </b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">B-o-r-i-n-g – Camp, Forest, Grove, Beach, Big Rock, Flat Rock, Central Plains, Centerville*, Centralia, Central Point, Halfway, Homeville, Home</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Short & sweet – Ante, Alma, Cana, Gala, Bula, Leda, Edon, Elon, Elam, Elmo, Ivor, Ida, Karo, Coke, Fox, Fife, Dye, Ark</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Just a little out of place – Broadway, Long Island, Boston, Cleveland, Dayton, Green Bay, Key West, Dublin, Edinburg, Glasgow, London Bridge, Hague, Holland, Hamburg, Damascus*, Lebanon, Alexandria* (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/5809">Natl. Inventors Hall of Fame</a>), Guinea</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Just a little off color – Gaylord, Dyke, Climax, Ballsville</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Orthographically challenged – Diggs, Deel, Lipps, Ladd, Goode, Handsom, Elevan</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Numerically oriented – Four Mile Fork, Five Mile Fork, Five Forks, Centenary</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Native American mouthfuls – Accomac, Kiptopeke, Appomattox, Chincoteague*</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Miscellaneous mouthfuls – Hampden Sydney, Harmon Maxie, Isle of Wight, King and Queen Court House</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Atypical adjectives – Gray, Ebony, Aqua, Hardy, Lively, Ordinary, Bland*, Bleak</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Unconventional verbs – Love, Counts, Culls, Breaks, Bandy, Check, Drill, Hustle, Huddle, Hurt *, Dooms </span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Abnormal nouns – Boulevard, Colony, Crosswind, Cascade, Caret, Glass, Dawn, Comet, Eclipse, Base, Hood, Acorn, Dendron, Dolphin, Cardinal, Crows, Grottoes (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/27151">oldest commercial cavern in US</a>), Lackey, Java, Fries* (actually pronounced "freeze"), Gore, Exit</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Fun to say – Bloxom, Dwale, Darvills, Dumfries, Dinwiddie*, Lucketts*, Fentress, Franconia*, Favonia, Arvonia, Culpeper, Critz, Brodnax</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hard to say – Ca Ira</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Just plain weird – Horse Pasture, Bowling Green*, Brandy Station, Burnt Chimney, Cluster Springs, Indian Neck, Fancy Gap, Fancy Hill, Free Union, Front Royal*, Birdsnest, Jolivue, Lightfoot, Ladysmith*, Goldbond, Figsboro, Adwolf, Clinchco, Dugspur, Disputanta, Double Tollgate, Bremo Bluff, Big Vein, Gross Junction, Standard Garage, Goose Pimple Junction</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Possessive puzzles – Carters Branch, Adkins Store, Kents Store, James Store, Cootes Store, Boswells Tavern, Benns Church, Bacons Castle, Georges Fork, Jennings Ordinary</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I’d like to introduce you to – Gladys, Carrie, Henry, Floyd, Duane, Alfonso (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/16874">museum dedicated to Washington’s mom</a>), Dante, Casanova, King William, Daniel Boone, Ben Hur, Bonny Blue, Holly Brook, Craig Springs, Frederick Hall, Glen Wilton</span></li>
</ul>
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<i>* - author has visited</i>Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-45566777224137965272013-11-30T10:52:00.002-08:002023-03-23T17:15:08.916-07:00Vermont<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Ice cream. Hippies. Cows. Socialists. Cheese. I mean, what else is there to say?</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>10. Chippenhook</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">After the dancers, right?</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Actually, no. We do have several choices for this one though:</span><br />
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<ul>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">“Great steep banks" in Algonquin</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Abenaki for "extended run of water" </span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">From the Dutch "Shippen's Hoek" </span></li>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Other than that, there’s not a whole lot on – or to – this place. Looks like a number of houses strung out across several crossroads just a little southwest of Rutland (i.e., not too far from the center of the state).</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">By the way, Vermont also features a Chittenden, Checkerberry, and Chiselville.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijTYjyEbADPP3uivFoBGKifGsaDIEF1wDEb1HNcl3srwZSyj6rJKQdpkqELg4h_pNd5eQp2OqnObJjpUeIE8VROo047RDobp_4XeqOlfDp0VWXXDx-9ttVGbS_OXKdsaG_vOvhrVLfgw/s1600/chip.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiijTYjyEbADPP3uivFoBGKifGsaDIEF1wDEb1HNcl3srwZSyj6rJKQdpkqELg4h_pNd5eQp2OqnObJjpUeIE8VROo047RDobp_4XeqOlfDp0VWXXDx-9ttVGbS_OXKdsaG_vOvhrVLfgw/s320/chip.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>9. Adamant</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Adj, “refusing to be persuaded or to change one's mind.”</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hmm, do you think this was what they really had in mind? Sounds like a fancy synonym for intransigent, rigid, stiff, stubborn, inflexible …</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, of course, this is a quality that call also be admired, giving us determined, resolute, and unshakable. It all depends on how you look at it, I guess. Indeed, the town’s Wikipedia entry states that the place has no set boundaries or government and is, in fact, “a state of mind.”</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Given all that, it’s also something that you might say of rocks. Hard rocks. Like granite. And this place <i>was </i>once famous for its granite quarries. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, however it came about, it certainly beats what the town was originally called – Sodom. Yup, they petitioned the state legislature for the name change way back in 1905.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Adamant’s just a little northeast of the state capital, Montpelier (i.e., in the north central part of the state). It claims the state’s oldest co-op, a prestigious music school, and an experimental theater.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8jMKkufTv8xLQ_KmnD5kG1FYM8W5IvdJpn7UPGc8rH9Xt2Y-MFZGPM6rvGxFpzjjuBtwcNUSRwdqVaGG86e_ayd4PtOUwtRnncaqCde0wiZTocK5dTNCpuARTHZNgTn1p97iL-Q8vFlA/s1600/adamant.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8jMKkufTv8xLQ_KmnD5kG1FYM8W5IvdJpn7UPGc8rH9Xt2Y-MFZGPM6rvGxFpzjjuBtwcNUSRwdqVaGG86e_ayd4PtOUwtRnncaqCde0wiZTocK5dTNCpuARTHZNgTn1p97iL-Q8vFlA/s400/adamant.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Having some fun practicing</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>8. Winooski</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This suburb of Burlington was named after <i>The Big Winooski</i>, a Cohen brothers film starring Beau Bridges as an unemployed Seattle slacker and avid mahjong player, nicknamed "The Guy." </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Nah, nah. It’s just some Indian name. It’s from the Abenaki, and means “where the wild onions grow.” There’s a river of the same name (and which was originally called the Onion).</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Winooski is an old mill town, busily trying to revitalize itself. It had its fifteen minutes of fame for some hare-brained scheme to erect a dome over the whole place back in the <a href="http://hplusmagazine.com/2009/09/30/doomed-dome-future-never-was/">‘70s</a>. There are 7,000 Winooskians.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCpFkZo97Ag4RZkZQiPeLcd-BeURcdvjt7tYnckaEkasvDhwp6nKZKBVHjvqYlkv14QrJJcaCyWJkLXA4yDdfefAFp_DxT_aKqCuPwVd2t03Uxy7PLcRS4sfBxd-MMLfl_fVCc-drHGHY/s1600/winooski.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCpFkZo97Ag4RZkZQiPeLcd-BeURcdvjt7tYnckaEkasvDhwp6nKZKBVHjvqYlkv14QrJJcaCyWJkLXA4yDdfefAFp_DxT_aKqCuPwVd2t03Uxy7PLcRS4sfBxd-MMLfl_fVCc-drHGHY/s400/winooski.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">An artist’s rendition</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>7. Queechee</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I remember this stuff. It was real popular back in the ‘70s. It wasn’t all that bad actually. They spelled it a little differently back then though.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The town’s actually named after a nearby river, the Ottauquechee. Which is how you say “swift mountain stream” in Natick, by the way.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This place has 650 people, and is just west of White River Junction (where 89 and 91 cross, on the Connecticut River). The local claim to fame is the Queechee Gorge, “Vermont’s Grand Canyon.”</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2lDDpgMfTBe5UvxWRibXfxkh6Nvu-PSDgSN6-cYV1T0JHbAdhHaZhHFBa6ngcPzMuCD_abe-Kl409JI8EmTb8Fcwwi6KKAIsMhLJVM1ZX3c0rkq-3WHHaR5bxLn9bUxGrCMp_B0eEF8/s1600/queech.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ2lDDpgMfTBe5UvxWRibXfxkh6Nvu-PSDgSN6-cYV1T0JHbAdhHaZhHFBa6ngcPzMuCD_abe-Kl409JI8EmTb8Fcwwi6KKAIsMhLJVM1ZX3c0rkq-3WHHaR5bxLn9bUxGrCMp_B0eEF8/s320/queech.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Said <strike>Gorge </strike>Canyon</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>6. Weathersfield Bow</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">It’s all so simple, when you think about it. Weathersfield Bow is a part of the larger town of Weathersfield, along a bow in the Connecticut River. Really, that’s all there is to it.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I count about 20 buildings. There’s a cute, old, very New-England-looking church, as well as a cemetery that seems to be very popular with genealogy types. It used to be big-time sheep country.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNP05HmhgRBIqiV7FvGa9ahyphenhyphen4Jw870d8PmWGu-Hf-h5bHT10LJl9t_rG-ebdW_aDRw2G5MFs7bNYfXEDUfBXQGdwIXB_AxF1TGg56IrxNFMO-3m5enfBqjcg2ZwLGtcOBmUVv5DvYECHc/s1600/bow.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNP05HmhgRBIqiV7FvGa9ahyphenhyphen4Jw870d8PmWGu-Hf-h5bHT10LJl9t_rG-ebdW_aDRw2G5MFs7bNYfXEDUfBXQGdwIXB_AxF1TGg56IrxNFMO-3m5enfBqjcg2ZwLGtcOBmUVv5DvYECHc/s320/bow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">God, it gets cold there</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">(yup, that’s the Connecticut)</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>5. North Hero / South Hero</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This one is equally straightforward as well. Basically, the area was granted to Revolutionary War heroes, Ethan and Ira Allen. It was originally called Two Heroes.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">We’re way up in the northwest for these two, on some islands in the middle of Lake Champlain. South Hero is double the size of North Hero (1,700 to 800), but North Hero is the county seat. SH also claims a Miss Vermont and a Nevada governor. North Hero? Nobody! And guess who has the airport, huh?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HSuwuVdX5Ba9Oo5zMaBsffsh9tmVTck-fNXesRSJ3FZ51TlvO9IQgGcSTY1PFPIBcQyNW2CaKaS1G7xygqEMMgkO2ln1BgX6PsZotAncRxl-wdJ6-46qP6A0TiYsbuu46SNyj1Vww2c/s1600/South_Hero_VT_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HSuwuVdX5Ba9Oo5zMaBsffsh9tmVTck-fNXesRSJ3FZ51TlvO9IQgGcSTY1PFPIBcQyNW2CaKaS1G7xygqEMMgkO2ln1BgX6PsZotAncRxl-wdJ6-46qP6A0TiYsbuu46SNyj1Vww2c/s320/South_Hero_VT_1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">And where is the </span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">4th of July parade held, huh?<br />Huh?</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>4. Joes Pond</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Well, I guess this is an improvement on the original name – Sozap Nebees. “Joe’s Pond,” though, is merely a direct translation from the Abnaki – <i>Sozap</i> is Abnaki for “Joseph,” and <i>nebees</i> means “pond.”</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">It was named after a Micmac Indian named Joe who was friendly with the early settlers. They named a neighboring pond after Joe’s wife, Molly.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The denizens of Joes Pond are famous for something called the Ice Out. Basically, they bet on when the ice on the pond melts. They take it all <i>very</i> seriously.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RC50f8oP4PXfavTLPipVEj5jhdy0Dq5xNZSVczah7PvG5RRqJzUoXl_B5ErAdpPpCJ4MwAoCirIIT_Z9ezW3z6CCt0lQRc9_uN-vlFTczUEkoCDKPIg78HravMZnIHwGMfap9CkAXVQ/s1600/iceout_timeline.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1RC50f8oP4PXfavTLPipVEj5jhdy0Dq5xNZSVczah7PvG5RRqJzUoXl_B5ErAdpPpCJ4MwAoCirIIT_Z9ezW3z6CCt0lQRc9_uN-vlFTczUEkoCDKPIg78HravMZnIHwGMfap9CkAXVQ/s400/iceout_timeline.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">If this isn’t proof of global warming,</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I don’t know what is</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>3. Passumpsic</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This is from a Native American term meaning “backed-up septic tank.”</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Actually, it means “flowing over clear, sandy bottom,” which is really kinda the exact opposite. The name was originally applied to the nearby river. </span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The town is in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom, and is just south of St. Johnsbury. Anne Morrow Lindbergh once lived here.</span><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-kQO5zgYIlv0Bi1pirtmqPaNd5_KTqu6coyQyUgwraZPXbACfUrcIA-3x8DHNl5JHkdrRAfDi7FKKgzv5XKubCw0YDozAeML-RfLHahgtaglb15QT8TSZVeDAIhAx22qnKQqfe2zNWGZOKT2JkhZ8Zcpt4vMe3Kb3TANT8DMlbh5oZxLnho_t3Bpo/s256/passumpsic.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="256" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-kQO5zgYIlv0Bi1pirtmqPaNd5_KTqu6coyQyUgwraZPXbACfUrcIA-3x8DHNl5JHkdrRAfDi7FKKgzv5XKubCw0YDozAeML-RfLHahgtaglb15QT8TSZVeDAIhAx22qnKQqfe2zNWGZOKT2JkhZ8Zcpt4vMe3Kb3TANT8DMlbh5oZxLnho_t3Bpo/s1600/passumpsic.jpg" width="256" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;">Plus, it has its own bank</div><div style="text-align: center;">(though I'm not totally sure I want my banking to be an adventure)</div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>2. Tinmouth</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Isn’t this what they call kids whose parents send half their paycheck to the orthodontist?</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This one’s probably after Tynemouth, England. And that merely refers to a town at the mouth of the river Tyne. By the way, both are pronounced “TIN-muth.”</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This town of 600 or so has somehow managed to produce a couple of governors, a senator, and Tom Peters, author of <i>In Search of Excellence</i>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvichJTAcZtLn24qbjX5URIpjDZgKMXZxoSyqLpuVF2Fq4_a_GZ9rya8rr_euqPaYW-0qO8OzsC8JNEsKpnG_CqwxiGD6PxIhzB6TL51m1VrDu3DuCeOa5zQB3e-7i84sSwhdJ8xqyjgA/s1600/SolarFest+(Tinmouth-VT,+Dylan+Kelley,+2013)011.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvichJTAcZtLn24qbjX5URIpjDZgKMXZxoSyqLpuVF2Fq4_a_GZ9rya8rr_euqPaYW-0qO8OzsC8JNEsKpnG_CqwxiGD6PxIhzB6TL51m1VrDu3DuCeOa5zQB3e-7i84sSwhdJ8xqyjgA/s400/SolarFest+(Tinmouth-VT,+Dylan+Kelley,+2013)011.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hippies!</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">(Solarfest, Tinmouth, VT)</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>1. Pompanoosuc</b></span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Just in case Passumpsic wasn’t enough for ya.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">This baby is from the Abnaki, and means “mushy, quaky land.” It’s from the Ompompanoosuc River (so glad they got rid of that "om").</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">The town is located where said river meets the Connecticut. It’s is just up the river from Hanover, NH, home of Dartmouth College.</span><br />
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">BTW, if you go Googling for this place, most of your hits will be for Pompanoosuc Mills, a big custom furniture company. Their factory is up the river a little ways, in the interestingly named town of East Thetford.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS1P_AvgT_J1WxkZMm59yiXyGNUFAZ3mf1-PmH4LUP70zK2LUDWjkF2NbivcC2K6epApm7IkDIc7gD_YrGaZV6gXVLvjBeWrqnlOAQ7ojE9gaC0Za4lAnF6YwxKqb9TZO0FdcnLoBBay8/s1600/pomp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS1P_AvgT_J1WxkZMm59yiXyGNUFAZ3mf1-PmH4LUP70zK2LUDWjkF2NbivcC2K6epApm7IkDIc7gD_YrGaZV6gXVLvjBeWrqnlOAQ7ojE9gaC0Za4lAnF6YwxKqb9TZO0FdcnLoBBay8/s320/pomp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">… in Pompanoosuc, VT!</span></div>
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<span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif"><b>Honorable Mention: </b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">B-o-r-i-n-g – Middletown</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Short & sweet – Ira (after Ethan Allen’s brother), Ely, Jay</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Just a little out of place – New Haven, Albany, Rochester, Newark, Washington, Baltimore, Richmond (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/6122">round church</a>), Charlotte, Charleston, Georgia, Jacksonville, Kansas, Texas, Bakersfield, Jamaica (from the Natick word for “beaver”), Peru, Holland, Berlin, Moscow, Florence, Athens, Corinth, Troy, Jericho, Jerusalem, Egypt, Eden</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Just a little off color – Gaysville, Smutty Corners</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Orthographically challenged – Bragg, Fairlee (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/33466">drive-in movie motel</a>)</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Atypical adjectives – Orange, Wilder</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Unconventional verbs – Prosper </span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Abnormal nouns – Victory, Downers</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Fun to say – Alfrecha, Hortonia, N. Pownal, S. Pomfret, E. Poultney, Putney, Ascutney, Lympus</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Just plain weird – Warners Grant, Dummerston Center, Underhill Center, Chimney Point, Derby Line (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/9968">library split between US and Canada</a>), Morses Line, St. Rocks, Hartland Four Corners, Hardscrabble, Puckershire, Westminster West, Butternut Bend, Lost Nation, Notown, Podunk, Bread Loaf, Smugglers Notch, Averys Gore, Brimstone Corners, Satans Kingdom, Skunks Misery</span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">Just plain weird, ville division – Hectorville, Cuttingsville, Tarbellville, Beansville, Mosquitoville </span></li>
<li><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif">I’d like to introduce you to – Pearl, Sharon, Sheldon, Vernon, Warren, Randolph, Rupert, Ferdinand, Mary Meyer, Warren Gore</span></li>
</ul>
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</div>Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-4756704779026549752013-11-25T05:37:00.000-08:002013-12-30T12:57:34.508-08:00Utah<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m sorry, Utah. You are just a very boring state. What? You already knew that? Well, did you know that your towns have very boring names as well? You did? Well, okay then.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That said, Utahans certainly have a sense of humor about the whole thing. If you don't believe me, check out this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RqR0-FUQyp0">video</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>10. Gusher</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gusher is a town of many names. In addition to Gusher, it was also once known as Sober City (in jest) and Moffatt (after the guy the Moffatt Tunnel, in Colorado, is named after). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whence Gusher? Well, some developer – one Robert Wood, to be exact – thought for sure he would find himself some oil riches nearby. (He did not.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mr. Wood must have been rather ambitious. I count no less than 10 city blocks in Gusher, only four of which are occupied. Gusher is in the northeast part of the state.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQOUijsSkdSQZNlu5x3E6A0uRcXVUlCdtRJRajc3g8A7jPy9uzAyQneH_-rvTtBcE2ZvF-TRG5sx2aRe4McLRM0T2kzaRtvCjfw2LtpjWjhZ7WoTq3YtqSYQIeJkBy6hBR5Lxu17z6ks/s1600/gusher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRQOUijsSkdSQZNlu5x3E6A0uRcXVUlCdtRJRajc3g8A7jPy9uzAyQneH_-rvTtBcE2ZvF-TRG5sx2aRe4McLRM0T2kzaRtvCjfw2LtpjWjhZ7WoTq3YtqSYQIeJkBy6hBR5Lxu17z6ks/s320/gusher.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No more postmarks from Gusher,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m afraid</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>9. East Carbon</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">East Carbon dates back only to 1973, when two struggling mining towns – Dragerton and Columbia – combined.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, why isn’t this place called Columberton, or Dragumbia, or Coldrag? Well, it is in the eastern part of Carbon County. And we are talking about Utah here, right? I mean, this is basically saying the same as “East Part of County,” correct? And that is particularly catchy and imaginative, no?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This town of 1,400 is southeast of Salt Lake City, about halfway to Moab.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysgahFp_XI8J7PXEcbMyWeOyfcUVS_125M7B2xmUTtNM2gYDZcOY475At00O9mFIzCSJY3r9MmTIYXEy9dchEyLQzGlUW-z0d0hNrp0CljW7C5mQ8lbpANRRoZfo_2Wd6TyfyeoE4qts/s1600/carbon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgysgahFp_XI8J7PXEcbMyWeOyfcUVS_125M7B2xmUTtNM2gYDZcOY475At00O9mFIzCSJY3r9MmTIYXEy9dchEyLQzGlUW-z0d0hNrp0CljW7C5mQ8lbpANRRoZfo_2Wd6TyfyeoE4qts/s1600/carbon.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Your dream home awaits</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> – in East Carbon, UT! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>8. Birdseye</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, this place wasn’t named after a sack of frozen peas. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In fact, it was named after the birdseye granite that was quarried nearby. And that stuff got its name because it has lots of little o’s scattered about it (which, I guess – if you’re a really imaginative person, that is – might – on a good day – remind you – somewhat – of the eyes of a bird … maybe).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This place of who-knows-how-many people is south of Salt Lake City. There are a few attractions in the area, including the Five Star Ranch, which is a resort, and the Birdseye Boys Ranch, which is a “treatment center for youth who have been identified as having ‘inappropriate sexual issues’ or ‘highly sexualized behavior.’” Don’t confuse these two, okay?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCr4H7ADBVUc77cd2g5yBLB7cIbSr7jbrsE-ciU1E8FV7kIn5qzNu6gr929HYX3r3bT9GvBDQV4k11B9ylsjuS82z9FSahDRAkQo7HlaQwzwX8_-DIWuYLvMMRsZgghGXYOA2dWbmFPEo/s1600/birdseye-marble.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCr4H7ADBVUc77cd2g5yBLB7cIbSr7jbrsE-ciU1E8FV7kIn5qzNu6gr929HYX3r3bT9GvBDQV4k11B9ylsjuS82z9FSahDRAkQo7HlaQwzwX8_-DIWuYLvMMRsZgghGXYOA2dWbmFPEo/s1600/birdseye-marble.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tell me this doesn’t <br />make you think ornithology</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>7. Gunlock</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Would you believe this is after some guy? No, silly, there isn’t a Mr. Gunlock out there. “Gunlock” was some dude’s nickname. Here, let this local plaque explain: </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">William Haynes (Gunlock) Hamblin, Born Oct. 28, 1830 Salem Ohio. Married Mary A., and Betsy Leavitt. Died May 8, 1872 at Clover Valley, Nevada from efforts of poison given to him before he could testify concerning a silver mine he had discovered and was selling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But Truth crushed to Earth shall rise again, so we anxiously await for that day when men shall stand before the bar of justice and account for every word and deed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He was the father of 17 children, and was given the nickname ‘Gunlock’ by George A. Smith, Apostle for whom he drove wagon across the plains. He also worked for him as a gunsmith. Gunlock, Utah was named in his honor.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">He got his fame for his great marksmanship. At 50 paces, he shot the bottom from a pipe bowl without touching the rim. He won a $50.00 bet.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pipe Springs, Arizona is in honor of that feat. He was an Elder in the LDS Church and served a mission to the Hopi Indians in 1855. He was a great hunter and scout for the church.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Good stuff, huh (especially that "truth crushed to earth" bit)? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gunlock the town is in the far southwest of Utah. It’s on the old Santa Fe Trail. They have an annual rodeo, one that’s been going on since 1945.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnwrcVbFLF7ugVb2BxM8nEpyLXc8cJYuKVdSxADahxzYCIOFJx3LO8RXKBJIiM8AU6_7UEOVfZUglLFKIfKQ6K-GbbockjF2BWlWleIN5nStcMUxI5yCJsOaaDWSPVYrxwsqHUsJJ_8g/s1600/gunlock.Jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZnwrcVbFLF7ugVb2BxM8nEpyLXc8cJYuKVdSxADahxzYCIOFJx3LO8RXKBJIiM8AU6_7UEOVfZUglLFKIfKQ6K-GbbockjF2BWlWleIN5nStcMUxI5yCJsOaaDWSPVYrxwsqHUsJJ_8g/s1600/gunlock.Jpeg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Young Mother and Son<br />Gunlock, UT<br />Dorothea Lange</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>6. Ticaboo</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Any town name that rhymes with “peekaboo” is a winner in my book. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It means “friendly,” in Paiute, by the way. The town is actually named after a creek of the same name. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We’re in the far south part of the state for this one. In fact, we’re not too far from the Colorado River and Lake Powell. And that explains the various lodges, resorts, marinas, and real estate agents scattered widely about the area.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMalaczdLCYiqNn7_2kyKpAQ4GFVa618zVBoLmXLH85wcfk_IKJ8ZrTP8OcOxe1QlRd9DoGkEe8_qlQbRJOM6ny3DsGfc-Ai6v44F9Q97zYDUmPr8XS-_g-GQSpGghHt1i2SaqMlCNgKA/s1600/ticaboo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMalaczdLCYiqNn7_2kyKpAQ4GFVa618zVBoLmXLH85wcfk_IKJ8ZrTP8OcOxe1QlRd9DoGkEe8_qlQbRJOM6ny3DsGfc-Ai6v44F9Q97zYDUmPr8XS-_g-GQSpGghHt1i2SaqMlCNgKA/s320/ticaboo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And mobile home parks too</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5. Centerfield</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Oh, put me in, Coach – I'm ready to move today / Put me in, Coach – I'm ready to move today / Look at me, I can live in Centerfield</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Would you believe this place was originally called The Field? In a fit of whimsy, the locals changed the name to Center Field, to celebrate the fact that the settlement was in the middle of the Gunnison Valley.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note that this valley is not to be confused with the Gunnison River Valley in Colorado. That’s really beautiful. This one, on the other hand, is very, very flat and pretty darn boring as well (and is on the <i>Sevier</i> River).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Centerfield has 1000 Centerfielders and is in – appropriately – the center of Utah.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Actually, this is the way to the cemetery</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4. Panguitch</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here, have another panguitch. You want some syrup on that one?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, considering that “panguitch” means “big fish” in Paiute, you may want to just skip that syrup. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This town of 1,600 is in the southwest part of the state. It’s not too far from Bryce Canyon, as well as other natural attractions, so tourism is a big part of the economy. The Panguitchians like to call their town the “Center of Scenic Utah.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The big tourist event in town is the Annual Quilt Walk Festival, where “local performers re-enact the story of the Quilt Walk” – whatever the heck that could possibly be.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSV0gnvlJMu8fSsVrkehuFcdYfuCNzgIj6vXtYNugBVXoeEoEnVM7p9gDWvK2NGXD13lQkBK8P24MvsxT6k42gRgVNfTJYl_BWaMgpRtJO42w-0eh5Zmvl8dooiyIDK7hkA7xFpcf_CnI/s1600/panguitch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSV0gnvlJMu8fSsVrkehuFcdYfuCNzgIj6vXtYNugBVXoeEoEnVM7p9gDWvK2NGXD13lQkBK8P24MvsxT6k42gRgVNfTJYl_BWaMgpRtJO42w-0eh5Zmvl8dooiyIDK7hkA7xFpcf_CnI/s320/panguitch.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Look, it’s a quilt walker!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. Virgin</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It works for airlines, right? And mobile phone companies too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, I’m not sure what those were named after, but I do this one was named after the Virgin River. And that, in turn, was named after the Virgin Mary, by some Spanish Catholic missionaries.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, I much prefer the old name for this place – the much more evocative Virgin City. Reminds me of Virginville, in <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/09/eastern-pennsylvania_30.html">Eastern Pennsylvania</a>. By the by, Virgin was also formerly known as Pocketville.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This place has 600 Virgins, and is in the southwest corner of the state, not too far from Zion National Park. Interestingly, the town’s legend says nothing about Zion, but instead is “Gateway to the Kolobs.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">People are a little different in these parts. Virgin is one of a handful of towns in the US that have a law dictating mandatory gun ownership. And that’s what was responsible for Virgin’s 15 minutes of fame, in Michael Moore’s movie <i>Bowling for Columbine</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, there is also a La Verkin, right next door. It’s an Anglicization of the Spanish La Virgen. Sheesh! Nice try, gringos.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Unbelievably </i>quaint</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. Shivwits</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Way to go, Shivwits!” “God, Bernie is such a shivwits.” “You shivwits!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Of course it’s Native American! In fact, it’s the name of a branch of the Paiutes. The word itself means “eastern people.” Alternate forms are Shi'-vwits, Sübü'ts, and Sebit – as well as the wonderfully evocative She-bits.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We’re way back down in the southwest corner of the state again. As far as I can tell, Shivwits is a couple of buildings (and some ruins) strung out on Old Hwy. 91 just west of the major metropolis of Ivins (7,000 people). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">More ruins than buildings, unfortunately</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Mexican Hat</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Could someone please tell these folks they’re called “sombreros”?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, no – not the people who live there. They’re Mexican Hatters. I mean the Mexican hats themselves. Sombreros. They’re called “sombreros.” The hats, that is.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, there’s got to be a good story behind this one, right? Well, would you believe we can put this one down to “descriptive.” And if you don’t believe me, just look below. Wow!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We’re in the southeast for this one. This town of 260 is, once again, surrounded by lots of natural beauty. In particular, we’ve got the Valley of the Gods, Gooseneck State Park, and – of course – the Big Sombrero itself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ole!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Honorable Mention:</b> </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">B-o-r-i-n-g – Meadow, Junction, Midway, Centerville, Central, Plain City</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Short & sweet – Mona, Moab (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/38547">cliff from Thelma and Louise</a>), Orem, Lehi, Loa, La Sal</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little out of place – Boulder, Riverside, Santa Clara, Cleveland, Syracuse, West Point, Plymouth, Washington, Monticello, Charleston, Wales, Modena, Naples, Mt. Olympus</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little off color – Beaver (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/27927">birthplace of Philo Farnsworth, inventor of TV</a>)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Orthographically challenged – Sevier</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atypical adjectives – Sandy, Tropic, Vernal, Bountiful, Mutual</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unconventional verbs – Echo, Bluff, Hatch</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abnormal nouns – Enterprise, Granite, Sunset, Promontory (Golden Spike spot), Bonanza, Hurricane (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/17262">100-year-old fruitcake & bacon</a>), Helper, Dinosaur</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fun to say – Altonah, Aneth, Nephi, Neola, Upalco, Ucolo, Kanosh, Koosharem ("edible tuber"), Paragonah</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hard to say – Kanab, Callao, Scipio, Ibapah, Lynndyl, Peoa, Tooele</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just plain weird – Mountain Home, Soldier Summit, New Harmony, Fountain Green, Wanship, American Fork, Dry Fork, Big Water, Rubys Inn </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just plain weird, -ville division – Orangeville, Snowville, Honeyville, Sugarville, Wellsville, Circleville, Orderville</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d like to introduce you to – Roy, Francis, Grover, Dutch John, Faust, Elmo, Hiawatha</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ghost towns – Kiz, Fruita, Telegraph, Boston Terrace, Duncan’s Retreat, Dragon, Dividend, West Dip, Highland Boy, Consumers, Devil’s Slide</span></li>
</ul>
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Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-33540099742952952822013-11-17T11:07:00.003-08:002017-08-05T17:29:22.020-07:00Texas O-Z<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Last week, we covered Texas towns from <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/11/texas-n.html">A to N</a>. This week, we cover those from O to Z. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I did, though, want to make a special call-out to Texas’s counties. There are no less than 254 of them, and some of them are real beauts. Here are my faves:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jack</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wise</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Real</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Coke</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Colorado</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Motley</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Winkler</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Glasscock</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jeff Davis</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tom Green</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jim Hogg</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Deaf Jones</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>10. Tom Bean</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Texas actually has a bunch of these. There’s Seth Ward and Leon Springs, Marshall Ford and George West (as well as the four counties above). And let’s not forget the wonderfully alliterative Ben Bolt. There’s something about the short, laconic, down-to-earth, somewhat peculiar nature of Tom Bean, though, that really strikes my fancy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Who was Tom? Well, it sounds like he was a wealthy landowner who gave away some acreage so the railroad could come through – and make him even more wealthy. What a guy!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, why they didn’t just call it Bean, or Beanville, or Beantown, I just don’t know. Well, except for that last one, that is – I think that one’s already been taken</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">TB is in the northeast part of the state, and has just over 1,000 citizens. According to Wikipedia, the local area, including Sherman and Dennison, is sometimes called Texoma or Texomaland (by the local space aliens, I would assume).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMW6q7QpQPyrLVmdD5113GnmYyJ7Nr3BqMLEBQCOVxS1FiNJ29M5u9uCt6zgMWt8XEkzn6CuNlDyeBnizRdVp6a_lORySNQwPx7xZN9H4iduHxTGOsAukTluPPxndfhgxVhyphenhyphen1PKtoKcig/s1600/tomcats_tom_bean_boys_varsity_basketball_winter_12-13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMW6q7QpQPyrLVmdD5113GnmYyJ7Nr3BqMLEBQCOVxS1FiNJ29M5u9uCt6zgMWt8XEkzn6CuNlDyeBnizRdVp6a_lORySNQwPx7xZN9H4iduHxTGOsAukTluPPxndfhgxVhyphenhyphen1PKtoKcig/s320/tomcats_tom_bean_boys_varsity_basketball_winter_12-13.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It was either that or the Beanie Babies</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>9. Personville</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I understand it’s populated by people!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yup, all 50 of ‘em. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interestingly, the name is from some guy, one D.B. Person, the first to settle the area. He was from North Carolina, which has its own Person County. Person is actually not an uncommon surname, and is probably just an alternate spelling of “parson.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the way, the townsfolk also considered the much more evocative Lost Prairie. Weird in its own way, but no way near as weird as Personville.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We’re just a little east of Waco, by the by.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCnBDXIr1S12bfvyyWuzVEX0HDrHRFnnZ67vL6BpFGwQFK6Dc9ylaTLS6VpSt8w3rSC0d9QwzfBRLz9tN5093VAHL9YLBSla2Fgbk9sW4Rw6jo5NMVZnMnUUNYvtgrqSXFIVLqm4-bz0/s1600/PersonvilleTxHistoricalMarker0610BG1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuCnBDXIr1S12bfvyyWuzVEX0HDrHRFnnZ67vL6BpFGwQFK6Dc9ylaTLS6VpSt8w3rSC0d9QwzfBRLz9tN5093VAHL9YLBSla2Fgbk9sW4Rw6jo5NMVZnMnUUNYvtgrqSXFIVLqm4-bz0/s320/PersonvilleTxHistoricalMarker0610BG1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hey, it’s historic!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>8. Veribest</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Texans aren’t really known for their subtlety. Some other over-the-top Texas town names includes Best, Sublime, Stellar, and Peerless.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As for Veribest, it’s a town of 40 in the center of the state. It’s also a dry cleaners in San Diego, an automotive products company, a doughnut shop in Georgia, a manufacturer of lithium battery chargers, and – in general – just kind of a cheesy way to try and market something. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The town seems to be primarily made up of a high school. Their team mascot happens to be a falcon. And that makes them the Veribest Falcons in the <i>whole world</i>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Touchdown celebration</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">or disco dance move?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>7. Rio Frio</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In English this would be the boring Cold River. In Spanish, though, it becomes the exotic, poetic, and slightly ridiculous Rio Frio.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes, there is an actual Frio River. It – like the town – is a little west of San Antonio. And, yes, it is cold. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s also mentioned in the George Strait song <i>All My Ex’s Live in Texas</i>. According to Wikipedia, the river also figured prominently in the movie <i>Race with the Devil</i>, and is “where the scene of the sacrifice took place.” Interesting. I’ll have to look that one up on Netflix. Nothing makes a movie, in my opinion, like a good sacrifice scene.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It actually looks like real pretty country around there. In fact, there are several tourist sites out there for the area and the town.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the way, there is also a Frio Town. The two seem to be at the opposite ends of the river, </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">though – a good two hours apart. Hey, it’s a big state!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETxjWVKWsLkAo9NzDj2vgr2QOEksWyRQo0k3gYHtk9pquBGryLR6una-FsiT5bj5e2KYzI-I0aCw9Nuy4O4sXXg62xm8Ig_F9TWX1jvifumQDGjbuQHnZSe1U0vYfWk5eMjtaqQXqO_A/s1600/rio+frio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjETxjWVKWsLkAo9NzDj2vgr2QOEksWyRQo0k3gYHtk9pquBGryLR6una-FsiT5bj5e2KYzI-I0aCw9Nuy4O4sXXg62xm8Ig_F9TWX1jvifumQDGjbuQHnZSe1U0vYfWk5eMjtaqQXqO_A/s320/rio+frio.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wow! They weren't kiddin'!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>6. Sour Lake</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s not something I usually associate with lakes. Big maybe. Long, yes. Perhaps even green or sandy or south … But sour?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, would you believe this one truly is “descriptive”? Seems there are some sulfur springs that feed the lake. I guess you could call the smell of sulfur “sour.” I wonder, though, if the locals ever considered naming their little body of water Skunk Lake, or Rotten Egg Lake, or Really Nasty Fart Lake?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The town of Sour Lake began – interestingly – as a health resort. The sulfur, though, also pointed to oil, and the little burg quickly became an oil boom town around the turn of the 20th Century. At its height, the town supported 10,000 people (there are 1,800 today), and was the birthplace of Texaco.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the way, we are in the far southeast part of the state. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuKFA7hq_9r_cSKY5sWFjzBKeirDZXlJTMAcGd_XjxtvypzODrc-i30Zs1LpIixHjPkEIeiJOvM969Kkf78HsSsj_5MnbVM2wGiH4KnRlDXgW1Y4LZJIrwJny3z1_MeOAFGWzsAdmkbY/s1600/sour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQuKFA7hq_9r_cSKY5sWFjzBKeirDZXlJTMAcGd_XjxtvypzODrc-i30Zs1LpIixHjPkEIeiJOvM969Kkf78HsSsj_5MnbVM2wGiH4KnRlDXgW1Y4LZJIrwJny3z1_MeOAFGWzsAdmkbY/s400/sour.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Catchy, no?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>5. Zunkerville</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Put a z and a u together, and you’ve got a sure winner. Think zucchini, zumba, zuppa, and Admiral Zumwalt. Now, combine that with the ending “unker” – like in clunker, lunker, and spelunker – and things are <i>really </i>going to start to happen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Of course it’s named after some guy. In our case, we’re talking about one H.R. Zunker – basically, the first settler. And what exactly is a zunker, you may ask. Well, in German, it’s a crag, so this name basically denotes someone who lived by some crag somewhere at some time a long, long time ago.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Seeing as there are only 15 people in this place today, there really isn’t that much on it. I can, though, safely assure you that it’s southeast of San Antonio.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>4. White Settlement</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wow! Let’s just come right out and say it, shall we? No beating around the bush in this place, is there?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I was sure this was – once again – named after some dude. Interestingly, though, it <i>is </i>descriptive. Turns out there were several Indian settlements in the area and one white one. Not sure what happened to the Indian ones, but the white one’s still there and going strong. Way to go, white people!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In 2005, the townsfolk overwhelmingly voted down a proposal to change the name of the place to West Settlement. Don’t mess with White Settlement, huh? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This place is basically a suburb of Ft. Worth. It’s got 16,000 whities … er, citizens. A naval air station borders it to the east.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the way, Texas also features a Whiteflat and a Whiteface.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">White Settlement is also home to the </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Texas Civil War Museum (coincidence?)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>3. Tool</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Tool” means many things. On the surface, it’s a “device or implement, esp. one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function.” It’s also slang for the male productive organ. And, finally, it can be also be used to describe someone who’s lacking in smarts or sophistication – as in, “You’re such a tool, Warren.” All of which make this a pretty darn funny thing to name a town.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, would you believe Tool was named after some dude? Yup, one George Tool, to be precise. The surname is probably just a shortened version of O’Toole, which means “son of Tuathal” (and with Tuathal meaning “ruler of the people”). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In other words, Tool has brevity on its side, if nothing else. I mean, seriously, who’d want to live in Son of the Ruler of the People, TX?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Tool has 2,275 inhabitants and is southeast of Dallas, on beautiful Cedar Creek Lake. Sounds like it’s a great place to retire or to buy a second home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And Gun Barrel City is</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">right across the lake!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>2. Oatmeal</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I like the occasional bowl too (especially on a cold winter day). I can’t say I’ve ever wanted to live in a town named after it though. I don’t like it all <i>that </i>much.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Another dude. In this case, an early German settler named Othneil. Put that in your Texas translatin’ machine, and out comes Oatmeal. An alternative explanation is that it’s a direct translation of Habermill, the surname of another German settler (<i>haber </i>means “oats”).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oatmeal is just a little northwest of Austin and has only 20 people. And, yes, they do have a festival, a spoof on the typical chili cook-off:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chili cooks eat hot peppers. Oatmeal cooks eat boiled okra. Chili cooks have beauty queens. Oatmeal cooks have Ms. Bag, who is over 55, Groaty Oat, who is beyond description, and Miss Cookie and Miss Muffin, who are 4 to 8 years old. Watermelon raisers spit seeds. Oatmeal cooks kick cow chips.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>1. Old Dime Box</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This is implying that there is a New Dime Box as well. Heck, maybe there’s a North Dime Box and a West Dime Box and a Dime Box Station and a Rancho Dime Box and a ... I mean, Dime Box is such a common name for towns, I’m sure there are probably a dozen variants.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, there does so happen to be a just plain ol’ Dime Box. And that one is newer than Old Dime Box, so I guess it all makes sense after all. Case closed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh, the Dime Box part? Haven’t a clue. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No, seriously, I actually do have a story … Turns out locals used to use an old box at a crossroads here to send and receive their mail. And if you were sending something, you’d leave the piece of mail as well as a dime to cover the cost of postage. I’m afraid to admit it, but this story actually makes some sense.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">ODB has a population of 200, and is a little east of Austin. Dime Box (i.e., the new town) was started when the railroad came through, about three miles away. The March of Dimes once kicked off its annual campaign from here (get it?).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Twofer</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Honorable Mention: </b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">B-o-r-i-n-g – West, Wall, Woods, Orchard, Thicket, Plateau, Plains, Sand, Yard, Round Rock, Texas City, Universal City</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Short and sweet – Orla, Voca, Vega, Tira, Toco, Watt, Whon, Vick, Rusk, Rye, Tye, Pep, Plum, Pluck, Pleak, Poth, Shep, Zuehl, Zorn</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just a little out of place – Oklahoma Lane, Omaha, Paducah, Peoria, South Bend, Pittsburg, Princeton, Rochester, Scranton, Saratoga, West Point, Washington, Richmond, Selma, Santa Fe, Reno, Oakland, San Jose, Pasadena, San Diego, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Scotland, Paris (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/6995">Eiffel tower with cowboy hat</a>), Riviera, Roma, Sudan, Palestine, Saturn, Venus, Paradise, Utopia</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Orthographically challenged – Texon, Rhome, Tokio, Patrich, Sargent, Priddy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Numerically oriented – Three Rivers, Three Leagues, Tri Cities, Trinity, Seven Oaks, Seven Sisters</span></li>
<li><span style="font-familpeppy: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Native American mouthfuls – Pontotoc, Waxahachie (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/15362">replica Munster Mansion</a>)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Atypical adjectives – Orange, Olden, Sharp, Wealthy, Placid, Polar, Petty, Pointblank, Salty, Uncertain</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unconventional verbs – Rule, Run, Post, Point, Park, Tow, Tell, View, Speaks, Slide, Spade, Spur, Staples, Scurry, Sprinkle, Wink (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/18473">Roy Orbison Museum</a>), Ponder, Panhandle</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Abnormal nouns – Security, Star, Sparks, Sundown, Sunray, Raisin, Quail, Peacock, Turkey, Telegraph, Telephone, Tradewinds, Wayside, Valentine, Rugby, Royalty, Regency, Poetry, Pumpkin, Pancake, Thrall, Tuxedo, Shiner, Shafter</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fun to say – Waco (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1307">dog collectibles museum</a>), Waka, Wamba, Spurger, Spofford, Splendora, Purves, Pidcoke, Pantex, Peaster, Patroon, Poteet, Twitty, Yoakum, Van Vleck, Von Ormy, Pflugerville, Winkelman, Throckmorton</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hard to say – Ovalo (what syLABle do I emPHAsize?)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Portmanteaus – Texline, Texhoma, Texarkana, Oklaunion</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just plain weird – Reklaw (Walker backwards), Rising Star, Star Route, The Colony, Old Glory, Old Ocean, Study Butte, Ropesville, Pumpville, Spanish Camp, Streetman, Skidmore, String Prairie, Sugar Land*, Tigertown, Tiki Island, Weedhaven, Possum Kingdom</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’d like to introduce you to – Winnie, Otto, Sheldon, Seymour, Sylvester, Tarzan, Robert Lee, St. Hedwig, Sam Rayburn, William and Penn, Tomball</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ghost towns – Pringle, Tuckertown, Tee Pee City, Sher-Han, Savage, Red Barn, Old Gomez, Samfordyce, Palafox, Sulphuria (formerly Rustler Springs), Zella</span></li>
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<i>* - author has visited</i><br />
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-14506306985981748812013-11-09T17:08:00.000-08:002014-02-22T13:24:33.773-08:00Texas A-N<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, everything’s bigger in Texas, isn’t it? So, we shouldn’t be too surprised that they’ve got two posts of funny names. This week, we’ve got A to N. Next week, it’s <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/11/texas-o-z.html">O to Z</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The funny thing, though, is that there are plenty of other states with two posts worth of stuff as well. In fact, Texas comes in a distant second when it comes to states like <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/07/upstate-new-york-l.html">New York</a> and <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/09/western-pennsylvania.html">Pennsylvania</a>, which have three. Well, what do you think of that, Texas? Huh? Hey, I’m talkin’ to you!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Oh, oh. Does that constitutes messing with Texas? I guess I’m in big trouble now.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>10. Novice</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What an incredibly non-boastful, all-humble-like, non-Texan thing to call your little burg.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Novice got started when the citizens of Atoka (formerly Tyro) and Rough Creek moved and combined their little towns to take advantage of a new rail line built nearby by the Santa Fe. They happened upon Novice because they associated that word with a “new beginning.” Hmm … I guess nobody in town owned a dictionary, huh? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Novice is in the center of the state, and currently features 140-some Novices. Back in the ‘30s, in the midst of an oil boom, it had four times as many. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The great state of Texas also includes a Humble and a Humble Camp. Hmm … Maybe I’ve got these people all wrong.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoTKf9beGGM1kwoyDWdetmTMtyU8BhqvrHwDY51f_eDJTThwanA8llxnJybvpzUfZlsnIQk4wU8CYmQfH-cbz-gMskdSyHAkY00cRdmCH1hcKsdbYT_4QN61DCkcx82aGpeoKlIIsVYw/s1600/novice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhoTKf9beGGM1kwoyDWdetmTMtyU8BhqvrHwDY51f_eDJTThwanA8llxnJybvpzUfZlsnIQk4wU8CYmQfH-cbz-gMskdSyHAkY00cRdmCH1hcKsdbYT_4QN61DCkcx82aGpeoKlIIsVYw/s320/novice.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A true Novice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>9. Bee House</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I could be wrong, but don’t we mean “bee <i>hive</i>” here?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, I was right – as were the local citizens. Turns out it was the Post Office who screwed everything up. Yup, the locals asked for Bee Hive (for the many bees in the area), but the geniuses in DC sent back Bee House instead. Or so the story goes …</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This tiny enclave of 40 is – once again – in the center of the state, a little southeast from Novice. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Other apiologically oriented Texas towns include Bee Cave and Beeville.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kam_u5K7anPlTyOb60UgggrawGkKOL_bRola-xTFuo3fJX7jDjpAx8mOVCgvSuBm7E5_z-D3HYoWzt1DUcciDqIazFnyKF7YcZDulWEU4FxMiJGuivPVabdUXbZRfMsKWfxBaxlmEqI/s1600/bee+house.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4kam_u5K7anPlTyOb60UgggrawGkKOL_bRola-xTFuo3fJX7jDjpAx8mOVCgvSuBm7E5_z-D3HYoWzt1DUcciDqIazFnyKF7YcZDulWEU4FxMiJGuivPVabdUXbZRfMsKWfxBaxlmEqI/s320/bee+house.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone loves a mouse pad, right?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I mean, they make the perfect gift.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>8. Circle Back</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, this pretty darn useful and official-looking <a href="http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hnc59">site</a> says that this place “was named for a ranch to the south whose brand was a circle on the backs of cattle.” Hmm ... I don’t know if I’m totally buyin’ it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They also have a pretty good history of the town and its ups and downs:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From 1918 to 1954 the settlement had a six-grade school and at one time about a dozen houses, a filling station, and a store-post office. Zue Smart ran the store, which burned in 1954. In 1949 the community, which served surrounding cattle and sheep ranches, had 100 people. By 1980 the population had dwindled to forty-nine, and by the mid-1980s only the Baptist minister and his wife and two children remained. In 1990 and again in 2000 the population was reported as ten.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Zue, huh? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Circle Back is near the New Mexico border, about midway between Amarillo and Lubbock. It’s just east of the wonderfully evocative Needmore.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouMb52I14SdS-c72qncGY7zduJhqo0_oypUVio7zDvJ_PyUyCvrtMabJg_G9FX6Et1d-NnNEW4bJ2RBPaBf-FFOw9xToNxEiZO8Gm1cyYnYYVpnnkvgFukNfMXfLvfWG2TKH0q6MjDnA/s1600/circle+back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhouMb52I14SdS-c72qncGY7zduJhqo0_oypUVio7zDvJ_PyUyCvrtMabJg_G9FX6Et1d-NnNEW4bJ2RBPaBf-FFOw9xToNxEiZO8Gm1cyYnYYVpnnkvgFukNfMXfLvfWG2TKH0q6MjDnA/s320/circle+back.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why? Did I miss something?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>7. Cuthand</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, so it’s probably not enough to tell you this place was named after Cuthand Creek, is it? So, how about if I let you know that the creek was named after a Delaware Indian named Cuthand? Would that be enough? No? You want to know how he got his name? Dang! I was afraid of that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not a whole lot to this place that I haven’t already mentioned, I’m afraid. It does have about 115 people. And it is in the northeast corner of the state, about halfway between Paris and Texarkana.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ohmigod! You’re not going to believe it. Cuthand has its own sasquatch, the “Cuthand Critter.” Don’t believe me? Well, look right <a href="http://www.network54.com/Forum/61862/thread/1005062646/last-1045786408/THE+%26quot%3BCUTHAND+CRITTER%26quot%3B">here</a>!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwWV0l-zEPOytZo1LhqSbx6zUGU_qH8ciEhXMGKKUac5bLLb65Mbysa1KK7kSpVv7thndhblMErTUCEyDhqOLizLQeFI7-tIAogaPGmsFXOEB8yrVDzWso-jMrQPGTcSm79GVdtRFilU/s1600/cuthand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwWV0l-zEPOytZo1LhqSbx6zUGU_qH8ciEhXMGKKUac5bLLb65Mbysa1KK7kSpVv7thndhblMErTUCEyDhqOLizLQeFI7-tIAogaPGmsFXOEB8yrVDzWso-jMrQPGTcSm79GVdtRFilU/s320/cuthand.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Not </i>the Cuthand Critter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(but a wild boar instead)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>6. Muleshoe</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was named after Muleshoe Ranch. The ranch’s owner named it that after finding a mule shoe on his land. Kinda boring and obvious, huh?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Muleshoe represents our first – and only – foray in this post into the realm of real cities. Yes, it’s true. Muleshoe has over 5,000 people and is also the county seat. Some of the attractions of this major metropolis include the:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">National Mule Memorial</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Muleshoe Heritage Center</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tour de Muleshoe bicycle race</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">World Championship Muleshoe Pitching Contest</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Muleshoe is in the northwest corner of the state, less than 20 miles from Circle Back.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimouyqTiLcfXd7tkwBOHKtkx5z-io9NoWAh_McxLvwaC3m93MdmTVykyakFIkpRVcmMw1UggMIcoQESUAmZYMSKhkMB_nUffOdbVESKIymenhwY6GhqUdyBvxFGGUtWchREFplnpRyZtw/s1600/muleshoe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimouyqTiLcfXd7tkwBOHKtkx5z-io9NoWAh_McxLvwaC3m93MdmTVykyakFIkpRVcmMw1UggMIcoQESUAmZYMSKhkMB_nUffOdbVESKIymenhwY6GhqUdyBvxFGGUtWchREFplnpRyZtw/s1600/muleshoe.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t know about you,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">but <i>I’m</i> feeling inspired</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5. Belcherville</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The town fathers were divided between this, Burptown, Ructus Junction, and Eructation Station. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seriously, this place was named by the founders, John and Alex Belcher, who owned a huge ranch in the area. The surname is originally French, from the two words <i>beau</i> and <i>chere</i>, and basically means a person with a cheerful disposition.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Belcherville is just east of Wichita Falls. There are 30-some Belchervillians. At one time, B-ville was the smallest incorporated town in the US.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0b4RyN_0gKC67vG6e9nPUbCfDo0tcTTL1IXMJX96K301pjJtZVuO3X7COwo443HWxhqu6Im2ZjQp-aiG3xMD5-rXLypjgxNhQsrCyEwDYRG-1gcYAN_bqse9NmgZQ9PbsFCu8u6yN_kc/s1600/belc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0b4RyN_0gKC67vG6e9nPUbCfDo0tcTTL1IXMJX96K301pjJtZVuO3X7COwo443HWxhqu6Im2ZjQp-aiG3xMD5-rXLypjgxNhQsrCyEwDYRG-1gcYAN_bqse9NmgZQ9PbsFCu8u6yN_kc/s320/belc.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Tomb of the Unknown Cowboy<br />Belcherville Cemetery</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4. Chocolate Bayou</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linda Ronstadt song, right?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Would you believe the explanation for this one is “descriptive”? Yup, the bayou’s particularly “heavy silt load” really does make it look like something straight out of Willy Wonka.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Actually, there seems to be a lot more to the bayou than to the town. The latter’s got only 60 people, but the former is a pretty major topographical feature in the area. In fact, it flows over 20 miles, from just south of Houston and down into the Gulf at Chocolate Bay. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe that’s what explains the existence of the <a href="https://www.cbcfcu.coop/">Chocolate Bayou Credit Union</a>. Yup, you can get a Chocolate Bayou checking account or a Chocolate Bayou credit card … and at any of five conveniently located branches throughout the greater Alvin / Pearland / Manvel area.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There’s a little bit of history here as well. The area was originally owned by Stephen Austin, and a sister of his owned a plantation, Peach Point, nearby.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZaULSTS-t8mv__CmsjInWubB-elvDnBoM8RbculfGuu93EGED2zayq9Ij8qUYkZ0bhKTfrtQ8gbrG8yF_9E9npSAauK7VmdCfuCXxeLFMO3mJUobMXcXo02ueDqNkKE9AQzna2VhVeI/s1600/choc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5ZaULSTS-t8mv__CmsjInWubB-elvDnBoM8RbculfGuu93EGED2zayq9Ij8qUYkZ0bhKTfrtQ8gbrG8yF_9E9npSAauK7VmdCfuCXxeLFMO3mJUobMXcXo02ueDqNkKE9AQzna2VhVeI/s320/choc.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You thought I was making that up,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">didn’t you?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. Noodle</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is it about words that end with “oodle”? I mean, you’ve got poodle and doodle, and oodles, and strudel. And that’s totally apart from why anyone would want to name a town after a basic foodstuff anyway.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, where’s it from? According to the <a href="http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hnn30">TSHA</a> (that’s the Texas State Historical Association, not the guys at the airport), it’s from Noodle Creek. And that creek got its name because it was dry, “noodle” being an old-timey way to say nothing, nada, zilch …</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Noodle is just northwest of Abilene. There are about 40 Noodlers. The wonderfully named Noodle-Horn school there closed in the 1970s.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Couldn’t find much else on Noodle, though I did find this priceless – and completely nonsensical – search result:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Noodle Tutoring in Noodle, TX - WyzAnt Tutoring</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">www.wyzant.com › TX › Taylor County</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's easy to find a Noodle tutor. WyzAnt has thousands of tutors nearby and ready to help you.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0iOJgspKlvh2U9CNyKUG4HSOKMyHFcBJPaNbSpj4STdrbmABspG7Az9OcoIP6n0mBzq69JB0dbF8PzU2T-so6oG_SscodAFpEGaQNFuOoKvERe_ujJM7mobqVRuNMUZyyFp2HgWVZL4o/s1600/noode.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0iOJgspKlvh2U9CNyKUG4HSOKMyHFcBJPaNbSpj4STdrbmABspG7Az9OcoIP6n0mBzq69JB0dbF8PzU2T-so6oG_SscodAFpEGaQNFuOoKvERe_ujJM7mobqVRuNMUZyyFp2HgWVZL4o/s1600/noode.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. Earth</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“So, where ya from?” “Earth.” “C’mon, smart ass, what town are ya from!?!” “I already told you, Earth.” [kerpow!]</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, here’s the story. Earth began as Fairlawn, which is what developer William E. Halsell called it when he first laid out the town. Unfortunately, there was already a Fairlawn in the state, so Halsell and the townsfolks had to come up with something else. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And here’s where things start to fall apart ... According to Wikipedia, “the townspeople sent in suggestions, and the agreed-upon best name was chosen.” Kinda makes you wonder what the townsfolk might have been drinking when they all agreed upon this as the “best” name, don’t it?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A second theory (from the <a href="http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hje02">Texas State Historical Association</a> again) is that the town was </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“supposedly named for a sandstorm blowing when storekeeper and first postmaster C. H. Reeves had to come up with a name.” Once again, I’m not sure I totally get it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My favorite explanation (once again from the TSHA site) is that the post master submitted “Good Earth,” but the post office shortened that and came back with just plain “Earth.” I don’t know though. I’m still not totally convinced.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, wherever it came from, Earth is in the northwest corner of Texas (near Circle Back and Muleshoe, in fact). There are a little over 1,000 Earthlings. Nearby attractions include Blackwater Draw (fossils) and Plant X (an oddly named power plant).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEA4HE_VLVa9PEMSNOk6rl42uTAaiff7-wdCzFhxt4HR-KqLtD8v925LqQG6l0Yzs0PJzyNDdT99hg6IQOjxlXgfjUSP_L9M2JmHqRmp8P8l8js4zUTUknP0WelQEqm4Fc-UmM2e_Tn1o/s1600/cropped-EarthTX+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEA4HE_VLVa9PEMSNOk6rl42uTAaiff7-wdCzFhxt4HR-KqLtD8v925LqQG6l0Yzs0PJzyNDdT99hg6IQOjxlXgfjUSP_L9M2JmHqRmp8P8l8js4zUTUknP0WelQEqm4Fc-UmM2e_Tn1o/s320/cropped-EarthTX+%25281%2529.jpg" height="175" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Cut and Shoot</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seems to be a lot of cutting going on in the Lone Star State. In addition to Cuthand, above, Texas also includes a Cross Cut.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for Cut and Shoot, the Internets are full of stories about some fracas in the town, with some little boy talking about “cutting around the corner” and “shooting through the bushes” when things got too hot. I don’t know. I’m afraid that’s just a little too colorful for me (and also for this<a href="http://thirdgrademind.blogspot.com/2010/09/one-of-my-comments-asked-how-small.html"> totally random guy</a> too).</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was thinking that I’ve heard the phrase “let’s cut and shoot” before as a way to say “let’s skedaddle.” I do know that, separately, that’s what both do mean. Searches on Google, though, only brought up things relating to:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A basketball drill</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A knife</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A fashion photography studio</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A race horse</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some rap lyrics (“Get on the cut and shoot your shot!”)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trimming your willow tree (“Initial Effects of Brush Cutting and Shoot Removal on Willow Browse Quality”)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chinese gangs in San Francisco fighting each other back in 1898 (“Chinese Cut and Shoot Each Other”)</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ah well, there goes that theory.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The town? It looks like a bedroom community of about 1,100 people, just north of Houston. They have one famous son, Roy Harris, a boxer who lost a world heavyweight championship to Floyd Patterson in 1958.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Formerly BJ’s BBQ Shack and Bait Shop</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Honorable Mention: </b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">B-o-r-i-n-g – Forest, Dale, Meadow (and Meadows), Lawn, Hills, Canyon (and Canyon City), Cove, Center, Central, Center Point, Centerville, Center City, Junction, Midland, Midcity, Midway, Halfway, New Home</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Short and sweet – Okra, Iola, Eola, Era, Ida, Ira, Mico, Hico, Dido, Bebe, Bula, Buda, Buna (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1247">polka dot house</a>), Burr, Hub, Hogg, Hye, Hart, Mart, Lott, Guy, Joy, Flo, Nell, Dean, Dew, Doss, Fife, Elk, Blum, Krum, Arp, Art, Ace, Boz</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little off color – Gay Hill, Climax</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Orthographically challenged – Harrold, Kenedy, Kalgary, Iraan, Chappell Hill, Leakey, Drane, Kurten, Leming, Kyote</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Numerically oriented – Duplex, Double Oak, Double Bayou, Camelot Two, Four Way</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Native American mouthfuls – Nacogdoches </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atypical adjectives – Freer, Direct, Concrete, Canadian (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/28898">ranch from <i>Castaway</i></a>), English, Cool, Crisp, Happy, Jolly (and Jollyville), Moody</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unconventional verbs – Hooks, Echo, Call, Dial, Draw, Groom, Grow, Bend, Battle, Crews, Converse, Cost, Cash, Hoard, Loving, Loop, Lull, Deport, Dies</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abnormal nouns – Friday, Frost, Hail, Dawn, Sparks, Antelope, Cactus, Oaks, Nursery, Nickel, Mineral, Magnet, Maverick, Matador, Majors, Marathon, Miles, Mercedes, Flat (and Flats), Edge, Circle, Cistern, Cyclone, Cone, Carbon, Clay, Chalk, Cheek, Cologne, Comfort, Blanket, Blessing, Bells, Birthright, Nobility, Knickerbocker, Locker, Impact, Energy, Grit, Gunsight, Duster, Domino, Dinero, Divot, Dimple, Fairy, Faker, Nada, Lollipop </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fun to say – Fink, Fritch, Clegg, Clute (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/4043">mosquito festival</a>), Gruver, Mingus, Millsap, Nelta, Knippa, Hutto, Lubbock (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/6824">Buddy Holly Museum</a>), Lufkin, Friona, Flatonia, Fredonia, Fluvanna, Floydada, Mobeetie, Bovina, Brazoria, Bastrop, Ledbetter, Elmendorf, Higginbotham, Heidenheimer, Falfurrias</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hard to say – Broaddus, Flomot, Katemcy, Goldthwaite</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just plain weird – Goodnight, New Deal, New Willard, Notwal (Lawton backswards), Country Campus, Cool Crest, Levelland, Lovelady, Bluegrove, Barwise, Beaukiss, Bracketville, Black Jack, Box Elder, Boys Ranch, Big Sandy, Grand Saline (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1265">house built of salt</a>), Flat Fork, Honey Island, Happy Union, Jim Town, Cheapside, Needville, Gouldbust, Addicks Katy, Bruceville-Eddy, Medicine Mound, College Mound, Looneyville, Mudville, Cee Vee, Ding Dong, Devils Pocket, Bug Tussle, Frognot (and Frog), Jot Em Down</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just plain weird, cities division – Beach City, Horizon City, Electric City, League City, Crystal City (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2658">statue to Popeye</a>), Close City, Coy City, Gun Barrel City</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d like to introduce you to – Kermit, Elmo, Mickey, Nemo, Bigfoot (as well as just plain Foot), Edcouch, Alanreed, Allenfarm, Howardwick, Maryneal, Maypearl, Burkburnett, Ben Hur, Ben Arnold, Ben Franklin</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ghost towns – Acme, Cuthbert, Bankersmith, Ben Ficklin, Fry, Burning Bush, Nix</span></li>
</ul>
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<br />Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-44477769387210973612013-11-01T15:13:00.002-07:002015-09-25T12:54:13.807-07:00Tennessee<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think Tennessee would be number one in crazy names, if only some of these places were just a little bit bigger. But we do have to abide by the <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2012/10/whynot-nc.html">rules</a>, and one of those rules is to make sure that any candidates appear in a standard road atlas. That ensures that 1) this blog is manageable, and 2) there’s enough to these places so you know you’re actually there when you drive through them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, really, that’s too bad – especially for the Volunteer State. Here are some of the Tennessee beauties that didn’t meet my admittedly very stringent requirements:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boom</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lonely</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nameless</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moodyville</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dismal</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Defeated</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bitter End</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Suck-egg Hollow</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yum Yum</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">French Broad</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sweetlips</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>10. Owl City </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Man, there sure are a lot of owls around here.” “All that blasted hootin’.” “It’s enough to drive a feller crazy, ain’t it?” “Yup, it’s a regular owl city out here.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, this is what I imagine the conversation around the fire sounded like when the first explorers came through here. I mean, how else could this place have gotten its name?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, that may forever remain a mystery. I just couldn’t seem to find anything on this place. I do know that it’s basically a dozen houses where two roads meet in the western part of the state, a little north of Memphis. It’s part of the larger – and rather oddly named – Bells.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Owl City also happens to be “an American electronica project created in 2007 in Owatonna, Minnesota, one of several such projects by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Adam Young.” No relation, I take it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecYHqQGv41K-Qrexm0BNdqPBYJZHuT_Lg3jvGwIbiXUWEUuXP0ujCSToSpaR0n-pqYnCQC_3BJVvjCUE_Nz_OHdGfTOZtAlGjdnNhXwHTUuacgl2WuA0Ku30Utaixz6qLJMGu-czlgoo/s1600/Owl-City.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjecYHqQGv41K-Qrexm0BNdqPBYJZHuT_Lg3jvGwIbiXUWEUuXP0ujCSToSpaR0n-pqYnCQC_3BJVvjCUE_Nz_OHdGfTOZtAlGjdnNhXwHTUuacgl2WuA0Ku30Utaixz6qLJMGu-czlgoo/s400/Owl-City.gif" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Adam hearts Taylor</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>9. Bell Buckle</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First, it’s “belt buckle.” Second, it’s not anything you’d ever want to name a place after.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, you’ve got a couple of competing stories for this one. Seems like a bell & buckle were hung (or drawn) on a tree here by some early explorers (or Indians) to indicate a promising meadow (or to let whites know their cattle were not welcome). Or, then again, perhaps it’s something totally different (or not).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This town of 500 is almost in the dead center of Tennessee. The folks there seem to want tourists pretty bad, and claim the following attractions:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Victorian era buildings</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Crafts, quilts, and antiques</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A musical "venue," the Bell Buckle Café and Music Parlor</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Several festivals, including one celebrating RC Cola and Moon Pies </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A fancy-pants prep school</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjHb77HavZ3J-GV1HKwNZQ9rr4D017eWx0glA-Q_K27x4jZN7Yabtb5qxhe4-4v9s8-JwLk69YxYWT8nkLLF1SOkU_8mnnQAnUWNLkmqDZpGNBrFyrEsMgw_7PrJSm5eFNFehJvMUbns/s1600/bell+buckle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtjHb77HavZ3J-GV1HKwNZQ9rr4D017eWx0glA-Q_K27x4jZN7Yabtb5qxhe4-4v9s8-JwLk69YxYWT8nkLLF1SOkU_8mnnQAnUWNLkmqDZpGNBrFyrEsMgw_7PrJSm5eFNFehJvMUbns/s1600/bell+buckle.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s a Goo Goo Cluster in the back, by the way</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(have no idea what the babe in pink is supposed to be)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>8. Gruetli-Laager</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This isn’t a town in Tennessee. A beer from the Czech Republic maybe. But definitely not a town in Tennessee.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Would it help any if I told you this started out as two towns? And that the settlers who founded both of them were Swiss? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gruetli was named after a village in the homeland. Laager was probably named after one of the settler families or, possibly, after the German <i>lager</i>, which means “deposit” (as in coal). Laager was known previously as Henley’s Switch.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">G-L is in the south central part of the state, and has about 1,800 people.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6JU00vTk_ssvOkXx7LfIKe8zj8n7m1ysuEMscfG5nMtaA8bapuSLq5at2KhRAX5whp-AlUP7nQwyjBbCbXE2g6oZ78vMqyScmupaIu_aRA3ZI_byTKvr5-I_42vmXXJe4FO8Odwn3cY/s1600/Gruetli-Laager.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg6JU00vTk_ssvOkXx7LfIKe8zj8n7m1ysuEMscfG5nMtaA8bapuSLq5at2KhRAX5whp-AlUP7nQwyjBbCbXE2g6oZ78vMqyScmupaIu_aRA3ZI_byTKvr5-I_42vmXXJe4FO8Odwn3cY/s320/Gruetli-Laager.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some good ol’ boys, Swiss style</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>7. Glimp</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This place sounded so promising. Here’s what one of my search results tantalized me with:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Headed to Glimp Tennessee? AOL Travel's Glimp Travel Guide gives you a snapshot of the city including hotels, things to do, restaurants, nighlife [sic], and more … “</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, clicking on the link gave me:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sorry, we don't have any Hotels located in Glimp but please check out nearby cities for Hotels.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sorry, we don't have any Restaurants located in Glimp but please check out nearby cities for Restaurants.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sorry, we don't have any Nightlife located in Glimp but please check out nearby cities for Nightlife.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sorry, we don't have any Things To Do located in Glimp but please check out nearby cities for Things To Do.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Those nearby cities? Well, on Google Maps, I can see Opossum, Arp, Lightfoot, and Fort Pillow. The AOL site, though, seems to want me to head to Memphis instead. Indeed, Glimp is north of Memphis, near the Mississippi River, but really just a bend in the road in the middle of nowhere.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where did it get its name? Well, I actually was able to find something, on a genealogy site. As it turns out, some of the early settlers were named Glymph. It looks like they probably came from South Carolina, where most of today’s 100 or so Glymphs or Glimps reside today. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In fact, all the Glymphs / Glimps in the US today may descend from one Johann Abraham Glymph, who lived in Charleston. They may be surprised to know, though, that their ancestor was originally from Poland, was Jewish, and was born Joseph Ben David. Still not sure what the surname actually means.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, there is also a Crump*, TN.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>6. Only</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shortened from The One and Only, this little town was never lacking for civic pride.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seriously, I really couldn’t find anything definitive on where this one came from. I did find a good story though ... Turns out there were two competing roads running through the area here. One of them then got paved. So, from that time forward, there was really <i>only </i>one way to go, the way this little town just happened to be on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We’re in the west center part of the state (in fact, Only’s closest neighbor is Centerville). Only’s just south of I-40 and a little east of the Tennessee River. I see a prominent road (perhaps the one from the story) and about a dozen buildings.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here’s some priceless back and forth from Only’s chat room on topix.net:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Guy 1: Does anybody know if the petite, short, brown-haired girl at the Verizon store is single and if she is a manager?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gal 1: Just go in and fake check something ... then ask her. I'm a girl. I'd be flattered if you asked me. Worst she can say is “I'm taken.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Guy 2: Chica, are *you* taken?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Gal 1: [silence]</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XwSRGcBpoOcNoUXutrgz4UaeuYisvZLCxXUKMgA_TvYJB8QlRbyoMyBseTzGmF7saDXv4ovbNmLEuRqN_ga3NB24KdFVKGbmgEEO0qYDOzCJ9LK7_7DXbFxoX4m-8PxfBXyidpRM0A4/s1600/Only+TN.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_XwSRGcBpoOcNoUXutrgz4UaeuYisvZLCxXUKMgA_TvYJB8QlRbyoMyBseTzGmF7saDXv4ovbNmLEuRqN_ga3NB24KdFVKGbmgEEO0qYDOzCJ9LK7_7DXbFxoX4m-8PxfBXyidpRM0A4/s320/Only+TN.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Shopping district, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Only TN</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5. Pigeon Forge *</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s where they make the pigeons, of course. Why do you ask?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, actually, it’s from a blacksmith’s shop that set up shop here along the Pigeon River, at the foot of the Smoky Mountains. Now, why did they name a river after those poop-filled pests? Well, it’s actually after passenger pigeons. You remember them, don’t you? They’re all dead now.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pigeon Forge is right down the road from Gatlinburg. <a href="http://roadsideamerica.com/">Roadsideamerica.com</a> says that the two are, collectively, “the standard by which all tourist traps must be benchmarked.” And that means PF’s got:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dollywood</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An Elvis museum</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Hollywood Wax Museum </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hannah's Maze of Mirrors </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Three Bears Bear Pit </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An upside-down building </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A mural of Lara Croft, Tomb Raider</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A Titanic replica, world's largest museum attraction </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Lumberjack Feud dinner show</span></li>
</ul>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcmlSZWcGjXO_eZjZmC28jaS7xwE0C-zAGDCEmB4xWopfQQcwMyT1sPcWqCkWlxiyVS1qdtPpmqkaCbKkOnML8WH0B_vS8EkbJLrPJ92YHU3-oqGAo5ORSkYglT5g6ePGdjkWTNKKyec/s1600/p+forge.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQcmlSZWcGjXO_eZjZmC28jaS7xwE0C-zAGDCEmB4xWopfQQcwMyT1sPcWqCkWlxiyVS1qdtPpmqkaCbKkOnML8WH0B_vS8EkbJLrPJ92YHU3-oqGAo5ORSkYglT5g6ePGdjkWTNKKyec/s320/p+forge.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, I guess they forge <i>progress</i> now</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4. Laurel Bloomery *</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What? It’s not a garden center?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, would you believe it’s where they made things? Yup. And would you believe what they made there was iron? Unh-huh. “Bloomery” is just an old-fashioned way to say “iron furnace.” And this particular one just so happened to be along Laurel Creek. Just call me Holmes, Sherlock Holmes.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The author has actually been through this place – numerous times. It’s on the way from my home in Charlotte, NC to the mountain splendors of Damascus, VA and thereabouts – hiking, biking, camping, canoeing, and lots more. I love it up there!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, I can personally vouch that there isn’t a whole lot to this place. There is a fiddler’s convention there – not that I’ve ever been. It’s in Tennessee’s very most northeastern tip. In fact, it’s the furthest east of any Tennessee town. Everything else is just woods and North Carolina.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQRrooQ_XjfL4OZCpSlpMiMVNOR3sKbjN_9FGJo7Uc0LrgUl3JJIMK6kq6YN046ICxYdUm098Nx8AGFzZMmgFLOgnVuW1TyyWbvMyz5NKKDpI0ajjuGDtI0iUPSdhqMOAB_qSRr6TZgk/s1600/l+bloom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQRrooQ_XjfL4OZCpSlpMiMVNOR3sKbjN_9FGJo7Uc0LrgUl3JJIMK6kq6YN046ICxYdUm098Nx8AGFzZMmgFLOgnVuW1TyyWbvMyz5NKKDpI0ajjuGDtI0iUPSdhqMOAB_qSRr6TZgk/s320/l+bloom.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hey, down in front!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. Bug Scuffle</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wasn’t this where Jed and Granny and Jethro and Elly May were from? No, no, that was Bug Tussle. I always get those two confused.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, this <i>is </i>a real place. Other than its name and vague location, however, there just ain’t a lot out there. It’s in the center of the state, with Wartrace, Bell Buckle, and Normandy as near neighbors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The typical explanation for towns with names like these (and there are several scattered around the country) is that they were too small for two bugs to fight in. An alternative along those lines is that the town was so small and remote and boring that the only excitement to be had was watching some ants or beetles go at it. A final explanation is that the bugs – fleas, skeeters, whatever – were just too much, and the inhabitants were left tussling or scuffling with them constantly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Because these name appears again and again (AL, KY, MO, OK, TN, TX), I’m thinking it might have an origin in some national humor source. That is, after all, what’s behind the Dogpatches (from Lil Abner) and <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/09/oklahoma-l-z.html">Pumpkin Centers</a> out there. As to what that might be, though, I’m at a loss.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglHvzYXe-zd0Kaq4gu80J1OruYePfXT-7Ych7trIHoH_qcZXO4vg8d1l1AN7IqiNLT-dMW6YWNhl3t4AF3mSFjC4es-SM_2hodwWtGU5yNZUcJd1xP41zOLY7LKRbZAy3nw7ZuJfxT7k/s1600/bugscuff.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjglHvzYXe-zd0Kaq4gu80J1OruYePfXT-7Ych7trIHoH_qcZXO4vg8d1l1AN7IqiNLT-dMW6YWNhl3t4AF3mSFjC4es-SM_2hodwWtGU5yNZUcJd1xP41zOLY7LKRbZAy3nw7ZuJfxT7k/s1600/bugscuff.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Get it on a T-shirt right <a href="http://www.funnytowns.com/USA/Tennessee(TN)/index.htm">here</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. Difficult</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wasn’t expecting it to be easy to find out anything about this place … And I was right.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s a little northeast from Nashville. Defeated is just down the road. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeEMz86DuTZO5io2lBfJkLo1VcsDw_MY1FhtKsfxqHYlxuKgDyA3s6rtmnb6xwXnPS6zKAO3XSEGikcEns-R2lwl0hihdHxQF7UZ4SqIHLZxz80PsnnfUeOQVY-Q2dhV-C3OUuTb066Y/s1600/defeated-difficult-tn-sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJeEMz86DuTZO5io2lBfJkLo1VcsDw_MY1FhtKsfxqHYlxuKgDyA3s6rtmnb6xwXnPS6zKAO3XSEGikcEns-R2lwl0hihdHxQF7UZ4SqIHLZxz80PsnnfUeOQVY-Q2dhV-C3OUuTb066Y/s320/defeated-difficult-tn-sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Could this <i>possibly</i> be for real?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Soddy-Daisy</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If only the first part of this had been “Soggy” … Though “Soddy” has its own unique appeal as well.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, there’s a little controversy about the “Soddy” part. Some say it’s from the Indian <i>tsati </i>which means “sipping place” (spring? bar? tea shop?). Others say it was after William Sodder, who owned an early trading place here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The “Daisy” part, on the other hand, is a lot less contentious. Seems it was named after one Daisy Parks, the daughter of the president of the local coal mine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Put the two together, and what do you get? Why, a city of 11,000 people, a bedroom community for Chattanooga, the site of a nuclear power plant, and the subject of this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Soddy-Daisy-Images-America-Sonya-Haskins/dp/0738542369/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1382992633&sr=8-3&keywords=sonya+haskins">book</a>. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoqkLh9KuxjUv9jSlnB2FEOlwE2Z8fgjJUsdtG-DZGhREyTO9EreWNYhWATnfHLWWA-AQGZtXy7X9yOFGWzGt6cN6ALG1Wa54bX_ro5z32SI_8XrJ8EO2rsv7KMfhYz0e_RJBNZpVsGg4/s1600/soddy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoqkLh9KuxjUv9jSlnB2FEOlwE2Z8fgjJUsdtG-DZGhREyTO9EreWNYhWATnfHLWWA-AQGZtXy7X9yOFGWzGt6cN6ALG1Wa54bX_ro5z32SI_8XrJ8EO2rsv7KMfhYz0e_RJBNZpVsGg4/s400/soddy.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Stefanie Wittler,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Miss Hamilton County,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Soddy-Daisy resident,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and space alien</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(just look at her eyes!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Honorable Mention: </b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">B-o-r-i-n-g – Lane, Vale, Pond, Lake Site, Hilltop, Big Rock, College, Tennessee Ridge, Tennessee City *, West Junction, South Tunnel, Crossroads, Midway, Centerville, Center Point, Central, Center, Spot, McBurg</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Short & sweet – Moss, Mink, Mint, Vine, Hoop, Boma*, Jena, Eva, Hale, Lee, Dill, Duff, Arp</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little out of place – Cleveland, S. Pittsburg, Valley Forge *, Trenton (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1240">world’s largest teapot collection</a>), Westpoint, Hartford*, White House, Mt. Vernon, Richmond, Savannah*, Houston, Waco, Alamo, Denver*, Santa Fe, Yuma, Monterrey, Portland, Cuba, Bogota, Quito, Brazil, Belfast, Wales, Bordeaux, Paris (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/2689">Eiffel Tower replica</a>), Denmark, Dresden, Milan, Rome, Carthage, Moscow, Petersburg, Athens, Troy, Lebanon*, Damascus, Palestine, Cairo, Alexandria, Memphis* (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/3838">largest pyramid in US</a>), Persia, India, Asia, Siam, Milky Way </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little off color – Flippin, Krapp Springs</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Orthographically challenged – Tri-Angle, Chuckey, Quebeck, Smartt</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Numerically oriented – Five Points, Ten Mile</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Native American mouthfuls – Sequatchie, Chattanooga* (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/14405">Intl. Towing and Recovery Museum</a>)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atypical adjectives – Major, Overall, Oral, Royal Blue, Big Sandy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unconventional verbs – Trade*, Plant, Curve, Campaign, Veto, Tumbling, Yell, Harms, Moons, Skinem</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abnormal nouns – Sunshine, Falcon, Fishery, Rugby, Ozone*, Opossum, Mascot, Viola, Clouds, Tradewinds, Dukedom, Bride, Gift, Wheel, Winner*, Finger, Grinders, Disco</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fun to say – Lusk, Lutts, Trimble, Vasper, Turtletown, Hoodoo, Nankipoo</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hard to say – Armathwaite</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just plain weird – Ducktown*, Needmore, Miser Station, Irving College, Puncheon Camp, Summer City, New Deal, Bean Station, Bible Hill, Burnt Church, Barren Plain, Black Center, Ball Camp, Bumpus Mills, Sunbright, Silver Point, Cash Point, Greenback, Golddust, Gilt Edge, Lightfoot, Hornbeak, Goose Horn, Love Joy, Love Lady, Sugar Tree, Chestnut Mound, Walnut Log, Nutbush (birthplace of Tina Turner), Crab Orchard *, Frankewing, Littlelot, Carlock, Wartrace (all depends on how you pronounce it), Wartburg (only one way to pronounce it)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just plain weird, -ville division – Friendsville (Friends Station too), Flourville, Monoville, Cornersville, Stainville, Striggersville</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d like to introduce you to – Edith, Sadie, Louise, Heloise, Henrietta, Stella, Martha*, Warren, Vernon, Erwin, Seymour, Montezuma, Pocahontas*, Topsy, Dante, Nixon, Martha Washington, Madison Hall, Austin Springs, Walter Hill *</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Season’s greetings – Christmasville, Bethlehem, St. Bethlehem</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Halloween – Limbs, Hanging Limb, Bone Cave, Skullbone, Screamer</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ghost towns – Wheat, Chuckalisa, Mousetail Landing</span></li>
</ul>
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<i>* - author has visited</i>Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-71702819805641555512013-10-26T18:13:00.000-07:002014-02-22T13:20:22.786-08:00South Dakota<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m kind of surprised SD has enough people to even get in this blog. They do have more than their neighbors to the north though. Yup, SD’s got over 800,000, while ND has less than 700K. So there! Take that, North Dakota! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>10. Carlock</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How old is this place? And why did they name it after a remote you’d use to open your car in the first place?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Actually, would you believe it’s from somebody’s name? I’m not sure exactly whose, but Carlock <i>is</i> a surname. Ancestry.com tells me it’s probably an Anglicization of Gerlach, which is German for “spear play.” Now, why anyone would want to be called Mr. Spearplay ...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The township of Carlock is 35 sq. miles in area, and includes 65 Carlockians. It looks very flat and very spread out. You can find every possible bit of data that you’d ever want on it right <a href="http://www.city-data.com/township/Carlock-Gregory-SD.html">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I do, though, have to question the average value of a home in Carlock in 2009. The site has that at $4,006,890,000. How can that be? I mean, the 2000 average was only $63,300. That’s a 63,299% increase. Who moved there? Is J.K. Rowling shacking up with Queen Elizabeth?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaV9YxbllEjpz0RLwLyVtd67gmkqiU5-CWyhMfm_eJUcTdWgsectD2XevkebPunZ0zRq0zA4GDTVFmfRQmvQ2-ihSFX4vitiU52rmv1Mzehup6i2FWtYRHylhniJ3mR0mGQDBVzBwCX0c/s1600/carlock.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaV9YxbllEjpz0RLwLyVtd67gmkqiU5-CWyhMfm_eJUcTdWgsectD2XevkebPunZ0zRq0zA4GDTVFmfRQmvQ2-ihSFX4vitiU52rmv1Mzehup6i2FWtYRHylhniJ3mR0mGQDBVzBwCX0c/s1600/carlock.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google Image Search = “carlock sd”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>9. Wall</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The townsfolk were so proud of their new wall. Sometime in the future, they hoped to build others. Heck, if things kept going well for their little settlement, they might even put in some doors and windows – maybe even a roof or two.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wall, of course, means Wall Drug. You may be familiar with their billboards, or perhaps their bumper stickers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just in case you’re not, though, Wall Drug is a shopping center in the middle of nowhere that somehow manages to generate $10 million from two million visitors every year. It includes a western art museum, a chapel, an 80-foot Apatosaurus, free ice water, and 5¢ coffee. It employs a third of the town’s 700-some population. Oh, and its billboards and bumper stickers are ubiquitous. Roadsideamerica.com has a full article on it right <a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2216">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The town’s isolation is actually pretty relative though. It’s on I-90, on its way west into Rapid City, and is only about an hour away from Mt. Rushmore. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, the name? It comes from the geological formation known as the High Wall, in Badlands National Park.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVtwH9AaKlJDpR3VM1APe1jSCBgYW7JW3zVrgRr1NoeDEjCUlfE9zi8rRDaS7hVxJZqOEaJhUxDukZ7KFHDykW72Nb6MJw0Y0l_-uSBoRMY9U7hN542Fp0d7Ngf1osVTDtC4c8nNWixg/s1600/wall.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVtwH9AaKlJDpR3VM1APe1jSCBgYW7JW3zVrgRr1NoeDEjCUlfE9zi8rRDaS7hVxJZqOEaJhUxDukZ7KFHDykW72Nb6MJw0Y0l_-uSBoRMY9U7hN542Fp0d7Ngf1osVTDtC4c8nNWixg/s320/wall.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">C’mon, dude, crack a smile!</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>8. Red Shirt</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have a couple of these in my closet. I’m not sure I’m ready to name a town after them though.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This petite burg of two dozen homes or so is on the Pine Ridge Reservation. Its inhabitants are Oglala Sioux. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">RS in the southwest part of the state, in the Badlands, and – once again – not too far from Rapid City and Mt. Rushmore. There’s a geological formation nearby with the wonderful name of Red Shirt Table. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ah, yes, the name … It’s just some chief. His main claim to fame seems to be being part of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx2mE063S10Oq7jLnHILKni5kTst1UoCBqa6SctJfpfCbGCXDDlMLSfQIR5IPSOMPZPT52ZG9xMqDn-TgdKcN3LOBIXFExawfqQShqUK4HxEDN4mXu2_g9i1UFiWb77XS9QgfHIgxomqY/s1600/red+shirt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx2mE063S10Oq7jLnHILKni5kTst1UoCBqa6SctJfpfCbGCXDDlMLSfQIR5IPSOMPZPT52ZG9xMqDn-TgdKcN3LOBIXFExawfqQShqUK4HxEDN4mXu2_g9i1UFiWb77XS9QgfHIgxomqY/s1600/red+shirt.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, it’s red. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, it’s a shirt …</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(thanks for nothing, Google Images)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>7. Oral</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lawyer: "And lastly, Gary, all your responses must be oral. Okay? Now, what school do you go to?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Young Witness: "Oral."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lawyer: "How old are you?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Young Witness: "Oral."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thank you, Richard Lederer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, back to our town … Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a whole heck of a lot on this one. It’s in the southwest part of the state – again – and looks like it has maybe a couple of dozen houses and businesses. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As often happens with towns named (seemingly) after odd adjectives, search results often produce some rather interesting combinations. In our case, we’ve got:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oral weather</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oral news</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oral pianists</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oral roofers</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oral singles</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where does the actual name come from? Haven’t a clue. My guess, though, is it’s a surname. This <a href="http://www.houseofnames.com/oral-family-crest">site</a> tells me that the surname’s probably from a town named Orell, in England. Who knows, Oral Roberts and Orel Hershiser may be distant relations.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFkf5haDb3Zc2mduSv5d57QyIG7OQltM9vJUHg_e01PQ5XWV3CHx0fOltBpzYMHqn_-Slf14uPKa5Nya5-m35lWJyriqTyOVDT5IhGqsWLsWYsIXT95ugDko6dsIizO7GelKw7Mtkn3I/s1600/oral_sd_t_shirt-ree8f9f2cf3e946f5a187704d5c6b22c2_804gs_324.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiFkf5haDb3Zc2mduSv5d57QyIG7OQltM9vJUHg_e01PQ5XWV3CHx0fOltBpzYMHqn_-Slf14uPKa5Nya5-m35lWJyriqTyOVDT5IhGqsWLsWYsIXT95ugDko6dsIizO7GelKw7Mtkn3I/s320/oral_sd_t_shirt-ree8f9f2cf3e946f5a187704d5c6b22c2_804gs_324.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Get it?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>6. Pringle</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m not sure which is worse – naming your town after an article of clothing or naming it after a brand of potato chips.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, we’re still in the southwest part of the state for this one. Though it’s only got 112 people, Pringle has actually been in the news quite a bit.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Turns out there’s a compound of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints nearby. You know, Warren Jeffs? Ten most wanted list? Bunch of older guys creating harems of underage girls? The place even made <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/12/04/the-new-polygamists-on-the-block-warren-jeffs-s-flds-on-the-move.html">The Daily Beast</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The town was named after one Anna Carr Pringle, a local farmer gal and host for railroad crews. They were so grateful for her hospitality they named the budding town after her. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pringle is an English name – once again, after some town. The author once knew a Winny Pringle. Poor thing.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmimcPXDZwqy18uw2mtM0ULcAqeV7LJ8ST9fKJ2WzwBlgyMHzi4_f-Y7AnqBCzyIij5s-_eNHBxGc9ImF5-QVV-pS9nc3FP66Yly1jgs-qA_bNsFnMbRYrVuTT9rhaYPDBJQl1G2tYCE/s1600/pringle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmimcPXDZwqy18uw2mtM0ULcAqeV7LJ8ST9fKJ2WzwBlgyMHzi4_f-Y7AnqBCzyIij5s-_eNHBxGc9ImF5-QVV-pS9nc3FP66Yly1jgs-qA_bNsFnMbRYrVuTT9rhaYPDBJQl1G2tYCE/s320/pringle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chis? Cii is? CII 15?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5. Box Elder</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before you waste any more brain cells trying to figure this one out, let me just point out that it’s a tree, <i>acer negundo</i>, a kind of maple. The English name comes from the wood’s resemblance to boxwood’s, and the leaves’ resemblance to those of elder, or elderberry, bushes. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Box Elder the town is actually pretty big-time – at least for South Dakota. It has almost 8,000 people, is just east of Rapid City, and envelops part of Ellsworth Air Force Base. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BE has its own website. Here’s the <a href="http://www.boxelder.us/">lead story</a> for the day I checked it out:</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is a yard waste dumpster located in the gravel parking lot at 205 S. Ellsworth Rd to place your tree debris. When the dumpster is full please place branches in a neat pile near the dumpster so we can collect them easily.“</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BTW, there are Box Elders in Montana and Texas as well.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qKj3zrn-AhxrytCr9hLTzfu3wiksN2EpguRjqUnmYOjnIcGzcWTrX_1tpB_MoU_y1vmoybnzWUZWftJlBz0EHn9Oi6x66cBfJya9UCJZXLMA1Ws4IgE3rOOfskkonU6p-ao294nmxOY/s1600/UT-BoxElderCountySD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3qKj3zrn-AhxrytCr9hLTzfu3wiksN2EpguRjqUnmYOjnIcGzcWTrX_1tpB_MoU_y1vmoybnzWUZWftJlBz0EHn9Oi6x66cBfJya9UCJZXLMA1Ws4IgE3rOOfskkonU6p-ao294nmxOY/s320/UT-BoxElderCountySD.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think it’s a <i>bullet</i><br />(could be a nail, could be a condom)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4. Running Water</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s what I always look for in a town – or a house, or a hotel, or a bathroom …</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This little hamlet of two dozen houses is in the southeast part of the state, near the confluence of the Niobrara & Missouri rivers. In fact, that’s where it got its name. The meeting of those two rivers created a current that the French called <i>L’eau Qui Court</i> (“the water that runs,” for those of you who who do not <i>parlez</i>, like <i>moi</i>).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The town was also called Mineral Springs and Shannon, and appeared and disappeared, as settlers won (or lost) in their battle against drought, Indians, and grasshoppers. The railroad then came through, and things were put on a pretty permanent basis, with an important ferry operating at this site. The railroad (and the steamboats) later disappeared, however, leaving Running Water rather high and dry (at least figuratively speaking).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everything you’d ever want to know about this tiny Podunk you can read right <a href="http://sunburst.usd.edu/~hhoover/06Running.pdf">here</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iWYt-sOdMHFZh5EljEvrP4UjMd1At2Be3ALl22WTY8Bcb_bFG4KdaZhM3Pe5K3WKa5FIBLrxb195F4s-gtBTKRkfTJZ_eLic15nR4GlI7cvEYkQTidzvrBz26R857o-LyjTSdpJyXqM/s1600/running+water.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2iWYt-sOdMHFZh5EljEvrP4UjMd1At2Be3ALl22WTY8Bcb_bFG4KdaZhM3Pe5K3WKa5FIBLrxb195F4s-gtBTKRkfTJZ_eLic15nR4GlI7cvEYkQTidzvrBz26R857o-LyjTSdpJyXqM/s320/running+water.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh yuck!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. Camp Crook</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A teen dude ranch located in the beautiful northwest corner of South Dakota and emphasizing basic life skills for the future felon …</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s gotta be after some dude, right? Well, we may never know. I couldn’t find anything on how this place got its name. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My guess, though, is it’s named after one George Crook, a Civil War general and later Indian fighter. He operated in this area, and there are counties named after him in Oregon and Wyoming.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The surname isn’t what you think, though. According to ancestry.com, it’s either an “occupational name for a maker, seller, or user of hooks,” or a “topographic name for someone who lived by a bend in a river or road.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This diminutive village of 63 is in the northwest part of the state. Wikipedia shares these fascinating tidbits about it:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Camp Crook is the birthplace of the famous bucking horse Tipperary. A depiction of the first ride of Tipperary can be seen in the Corner Bar and Cafe in Camp Crook.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Camp Crook is the hometown of music educator, composer and actor Benjamin E. Latham.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The town … is the only town west of the Little Missouri River in South Dakota. </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, there is a Crooks in SD as well. Additionally, Crook City is a South Dakota ghost town. Now, that’s a lotta criminality for such a small state, isn’t it?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOiteQMF8lz8dJdxuW5DIkkf_rMhmbEpbQ9QS6FUCDLb4ssWm1WqtGLtUIimLcazLrc_bAEEhPfm17G6kRsYdac0x0aESq9s0DO7c_CZNoLiAyA3F1ISJPYV3REW0Ov-xsoRL58q6SeU/s1600/crook.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNOiteQMF8lz8dJdxuW5DIkkf_rMhmbEpbQ9QS6FUCDLb4ssWm1WqtGLtUIimLcazLrc_bAEEhPfm17G6kRsYdac0x0aESq9s0DO7c_CZNoLiAyA3F1ISJPYV3REW0Ov-xsoRL58q6SeU/s1600/crook.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’m <i>so</i> confused</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. Spink</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Which of the following represents a correct use of the word “spink”?</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ursula expressed considerable surprise when she found a small spink in her sleeping bag. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reg sure showed a lot of spink in taking on the Hell’s Angels, didn’t he?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You’re going to need a new spink, ma’am, if you’re going to get that toilet to work properly.</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Spink, interestingly, is both a town and a county. The county is in the northeast part of SD, has 6,400 Spinkers, and comes in at over 1,500 sq. miles. It’s the home of the rather off-color Athol.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The town, oddly, is not in Spink County, but in Union, which is in the very southeast toe of the state (that little part that kind of just dribbles down there all by itself). It’s got 245 Spinkites. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The entry in Wikipedia gives us some highlights of the town (heck, it sounds kinda like a short novel):</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Toward the end of the 20th century only a few business remained in the community of Spink. The Spink Cafe was the center of life in the township and was still a place where farmers would gather to talk about the bean or corn crop and share a pot of coffee. Gary's Repair acted as a place where people could get the truck or tractor a little work and the old Co-Op that went by the name of Spink Oil was the town's gas station. Spink Oil closed in 1997 and today only the Cafe and Gary's Repair remain.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a crossroads with maybe 20 buildings. It’s not too far from Junction City, Akron, Vermillion (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/8044">National Music Museum</a>), and Le Mars.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The name? Well, S.L. Spink just so happened to be Secretary of Dakota Territory when the county and the town were founded. What could that surname possibly mean? Why, “chaffinch,” of course. And what the heck is a “chaffinch”? Why, a little bird. Everyone knows that. Now, why would somebody be named after a little bird? I don't know - you got me.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGNR7BtWyJ-4_2RFjjfMdux2gCcRyu0lDjGUsOGvbNkYpDNEOS3EXfXQLzLdIaTTr6x3OCMjB2jYcoxHGCuTCAcGRl4pvaRAr2RYsWWFp3wjZ-lBF39FTXGBVZ_Z9oAwPv3eSye04h7E/s1600/spink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOGNR7BtWyJ-4_2RFjjfMdux2gCcRyu0lDjGUsOGvbNkYpDNEOS3EXfXQLzLdIaTTr6x3OCMjB2jYcoxHGCuTCAcGRl4pvaRAr2RYsWWFp3wjZ-lBF39FTXGBVZ_Z9oAwPv3eSye04h7E/s320/spink.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A SD hunter with a brace of spinks</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Bonesteel / Firesteel / Thunder Butte / Iron Lightning</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wow! Were these all named by DC Comics? It’s the South Dakota Four! Out to save farm subsidies, Wall Drug, and the High Plains way of life!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bonesteel is in the south central part of the state and has about 275 inhabitants. It was named after H. E. Bonesteel, an early area freighter (i.e., he hauled stuff in his wagons). The surname comes from the German for “beanstalk” (really!), and denotes someone who grew beans or was as skinny as one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Firesteel is in the north central part of the state and is a “near ghost.” It was a coal mining community at one time (and the only one in the state). The name comes from Firesteel Creek, which is a translation of an Indian name denoting their ability to find flint there.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thunder Butte is in the northwest, on the Cheyenne River Sioux Reservation, and probably has 100-some people. Its named after a landmark that sticks out in the flat land roundabouts. The name? Well, it’s a butte alright! And seeing how isolated it is, I’m </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">guessing it attracted more than its share of lightning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Iron Lightning sounds kinda like a random combination of other themes in this entry, but it’s really named after a Lakota chief. It’s pretty close to Thunder Butte.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Honorable Mention: </b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Short and sweet – Lane, Vale, Zell, Agar, Mina, Nora, Iona, Tea</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">B-o-r-i-n-g – Wood, Meadow, Midway, Hub City, Hill City (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/33891">tiny church</a>!), Central City, Centerville, Center Point</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little out of place – Dallas, Gary, Gettysburg, Mt. Vernon, Buffalo (Bison too), Utica, Woonsocket (see the real Woonsocket right <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/10/rhode-island.html">here</a>), Roswell, Provo, Burbank, Toronto, Scotland, New Holland, Baltic, Stockholm, Vienna, Florence, Naples, Corsica, Volga, Carthage, Troy, Lebanon, Bethlehem, Alexandria, Sinai, Eden</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little out of place, swank schools division – Groton, Andover, Amherst, Yale</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little off color – Letcher, Gayville</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Orthographically challenged – Maurine, Harrold, Kenel, Lemmon (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1887">statue of cowboy riding dinosaur</a>), Tripp, Betts, Sanator</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Numerically oriented – Twin Brooks</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Native American mouthfuls – Minnekahta, Owanka, Wakpala, Pukwana, Okobojo, Keyapaha</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atypical adjectives – Ideal, Scenic, Interior, White, Blunt, Mystic (formerly Sitting Bull)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unconventional verbs – Lead, Orient</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abnormal nouns – Faith, Reliance, Chance, Bath, Farmer, Badger, Antelope, Java, Hammer, Victor, Winner, Kidder, Parade, Porcupine, Epiphany, Polo, Igloo, Fedora (a guy's name)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fun to say – Nunda, Wasta, Bowdle, Vetal, Tuthill, Mosher, Peever, Zeona, Cuthbert</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hard to say – De Smet (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1184">Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead</a>), Athboy, Wanblee</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just plain weird – Silver City, Green Grass, Mud Butte, Potato Creek, Pumpkin Center, Big Stone City, Hidden Timber, Cactus Flats, Lower Brule, Lodgepole, Rockerville, Redowl, Swiftbird, Spearfish, Deadwood (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/18979">world’s largest chair</a>), Highmore, Cresbard, Holabird, Bullhead, La Bolt, Crazy Horse (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/17162">big unfinished memorial</a>), Wounded Knee, Red Scaffold </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d like to introduce you to – Opal, Hazel, Irene, Ramona, Rowena, Marty, Henry, Howard, Sherman, Marvin, Chester, Frederick, Virgil, Roscoe, Pierre, Pedro, Nemo, Dante, Tolstoy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ghost towns – Texas Town, Spokane, Moon, Weta, Etta, Elmore, Dewey, Hillhead, Flatiron, Gopher, Hooker, Teddy Bear</span></li>
</ul>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-8896705800066949662013-10-21T18:31:00.000-07:002019-12-29T16:03:06.192-08:00South Carolina<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As a North Carolinian – and one who lives right on the border with South Carolina to boot – I think I am more than qualified to offer this frank assessment of my neighbor to the south:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Minuses</b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Starting the Civil War</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Flying the Confederate battle flag on the state house lawn</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Strom Thurmond</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nikki Haley; Jim DeMint; the guy who said, “You lie!”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Clemson alumni</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cocky the Gamecock</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hootie and the Blowfish</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Charlestonians</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Myrtle Beach</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mustard-based BBQ (gasp!)</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Plusses</b></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">South of the Border</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Band of Horses</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stephen Colbert</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>10. Coosawhatchie *</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to what I was able to uncover, this one means “mustard-based BBQ” in one of the local Native American languages.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m kidding, of course. This actually comes from the Coosa tribe, plus <i>hatchie</i>, their word for “river.” It has nothing to do with BBQ at all!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, let’s start this post with a major metropolis, shall we? I’m talking about 11,000 Coosawhatcha … Cooseywhatcher … er, Coosawatchit … Coseywatchma … um … people! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wait a minute .. You’re not going to believe this, but I think Wikipedia might be a little off on this one. Looking this baby up on Google Maps, I count about a dozen buildings. Hmm, does this mean I can’t trust the Internets?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">C-town is right off I-95, just before you hit Savannah. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJn9us-94ZwWzq9h9X6Nj5ZViUtCWUCn1Eo_0YuFdyW36kA9JjUrEA33mnqHnPZ-WAt1CffuMPREg8RtSe48Eb0wazfjWUIvgfJ-0-mqqEIFIYCew2wDWZwRPduMuaHDhNj95P2c1qxmY/s1600/coosa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJn9us-94ZwWzq9h9X6Nj5ZViUtCWUCn1Eo_0YuFdyW36kA9JjUrEA33mnqHnPZ-WAt1CffuMPREg8RtSe48Eb0wazfjWUIvgfJ-0-mqqEIFIYCew2wDWZwRPduMuaHDhNj95P2c1qxmY/s320/coosa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It does rate its own</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">historical marker though</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>9. Pumpkintown</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, if there is a better way of announcing “we’re just a bunch of hicks,” I can’t possibly imagine what it could be.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This one’s way up in the mountains. (Yes, SC does have mountains. They’re nothing – nothing, I tell you – compared to NC’s though.) The name comes from pumpkins that grew naturally in the valley here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yes, of course, they have a festival. Actually, they have two. In addition to the you-guessed-it Pumpkin Festival, they also have a Get Down in Pumpkintown music event thingee. Unfortunately, that second one is actually held in Marietta, SC – though that’s actually not that far away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the way, they have one “famous” son – Benjy Bronk, a writer on The Howard Stern Show.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1H3DWfhR7szh135e_O-KQo1yIy0ZhyphenhyphenPR7qtMH0sMDw_3nhCLU8dsHlwpFdyWkGU1tSci9g8XsLpfD6PRODKULkrkTRNAk4wxLQf283NTqHKYCw-4SXxMwkxoebDPdZ1aMzTZtDsXRIOc/s1600/pumpkin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1H3DWfhR7szh135e_O-KQo1yIy0ZhyphenhyphenPR7qtMH0sMDw_3nhCLU8dsHlwpFdyWkGU1tSci9g8XsLpfD6PRODKULkrkTRNAk4wxLQf283NTqHKYCw-4SXxMwkxoebDPdZ1aMzTZtDsXRIOc/s320/pumpkin.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oops! Forgot to mention</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">the famous Pumpkintown Opry</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>8. Ashepoo</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Any town that ends with the syllable “poo” is a sure winner with me. Me and that highly prized but hard-to-capture 8- to 12-year-old boy demographic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This may be hard to believe, but it’s actually not what you think. Turns out it’s from a sub-tribe of the Cusabo Indians. (Though I still have no idea what it actually means.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ashepoo’s also the name of a river and a <a href="http://south-carolina-plantations.com/colleton/ashepoo.html">plantation</a>. There’s actually very little info at that link, by the way, but it does give me a good excuse to introduce a terrific, incredibly comprehensive site on SC plantations that I have wasted lots of time on.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The town looks to be a couple of houses and a couple of businesses just off of Highway 17. It’s in the Low Country, not that far from Charleston.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>7. Due West</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Go due west, young man! And when you get there, hang a left at the second traffic light – you know, the one with the Dollar Store on the corner, across from the abandoned gas station? …</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Due West is big time, folks. I’m talking about 1,200 Due Westerners (real people, this time) … plus its own college!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Yup, DW just so happens to be home to Erskine College. What? Never heard of Erskine? Home to the only Associate Reformed Presbyterian Seminary in the United States? You know, the Flying Fleet? (I am not making that last bit up, by the way.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fittingly, Due West is indeed in the western part of the state, close to … um … er … let’s see … uh, the Georgia border? Yup, that’s about all I can spot around these parts.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFpfyptVZDqgLy0LzHEb7Xofr-se95EyIbyqkP7eDGqBr3UzmqEJYLLVkVzoGVW-rJbo4a6jrkgbEX5J8gM-i40ZCzhtlnEwp0ZhsGnVg4sFWj9zf7Jq6clD1FWe6T0pJIPGZ7JhtTE4/s1600/due+west.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrFpfyptVZDqgLy0LzHEb7Xofr-se95EyIbyqkP7eDGqBr3UzmqEJYLLVkVzoGVW-rJbo4a6jrkgbEX5J8gM-i40ZCzhtlnEwp0ZhsGnVg4sFWj9zf7Jq6clD1FWe6T0pJIPGZ7JhtTE4/s320/due+west.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">See! You think I make </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">this stuff up, don’t you?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>6. Ninety Six</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are no shortage of towns with numerically-oriented names like this, but this particular one seems so damned arbitrary and random, I just had to immortalize it here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There are several competing stories about how this all came about. In particular, the name is attributed to:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The mistaken belief that it was 96 miles to the nearest Cherokee settlement of Keowee</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A counting of creeks crossing the main road leading from Lexington, S.C, to said place</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A misinterpretation of the Welsh expression, <i>nant-sych</i>, meaning "dry gulch”</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It probably has something to do with early surveying, but we may never know exactly what we’re talking about here for sure.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ninety-Six is another big-time playuh. It has all of 2,000 people. The place started out as a fort, and was the site of considerable action during the Revolutionary War. It’s just southeast of Due West, by the by.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There really aren’t any famous sons or daughters for this place, but I do like the story of Bill Voiselle, a baseball player from the ‘40s, who recognized his hometown by choosing 96 as his jersey number. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Other numerically-oriented Palmetto State villes include Three Trees, Six Mile, the priceless Nine Times, and Centenary (that’s a fancy way of saying one hundredth anniversary, by the way).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhj05Kb6t7I7p6f1RKlaHoFFeVndk4-bAfNV_WrRuchFyAqZCnH_Za5u6-gIuimUti8DqPbrF59c4UxSTeNpMjwHTGo2eFN2Sm7LmuA-Xz34QeBcrcRlOH05WO9QYdJY8koSBGdzPFsQ/s1600/96.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdhj05Kb6t7I7p6f1RKlaHoFFeVndk4-bAfNV_WrRuchFyAqZCnH_Za5u6-gIuimUti8DqPbrF59c4UxSTeNpMjwHTGo2eFN2Sm7LmuA-Xz34QeBcrcRlOH05WO9QYdJY8koSBGdzPFsQ/s320/96.jpg" width="236" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">According to Wikipedia,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">these people are <i>lying</i>!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>5. Green Sea *</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Seeing as I probably passed through this one about a 100 times between my place and my parents’, I just had to know what the heck the story is behind it.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All I remember from driving through on Route 9 is a school (Green Sea Floyds High), but the fine folks at Wikipedia tell me there is also:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">An airport</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.countryfarmmuseum.com/">The Country Farm Museum</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_P._Derham_House">The John P. Denham house</a></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A Dollar General store</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Sugar Bears (a c-store)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A branch of the Horry County State Bank</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Mt. Olive Health Center</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We’re in the southeast here, by the way, not too far from Myrtle. No clue where the name came from … though there are an awful lot of pine trees around here … and it is incredibly flat … and that’s what it often felt like driving through here. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOvLoJSOYe-87yuc3mr1YnodofWEDNs1Jh162fhrPMEdbXU2cYOKmNoNp4qzpXymeBa8PFeILzgUDkaGvepue82iSWWcC7DOVXBwIKSpfQxDngagsWtD7oRqNbz8L7lf9vi7sVJwA-ac/s1600/green+sea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnOvLoJSOYe-87yuc3mr1YnodofWEDNs1Jh162fhrPMEdbXU2cYOKmNoNp4qzpXymeBa8PFeILzgUDkaGvepue82iSWWcC7DOVXBwIKSpfQxDngagsWtD7oRqNbz8L7lf9vi7sVJwA-ac/s320/green+sea.jpg" width="307" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hmm, seems like they like to dress in drag here</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(2011-2012 Mr. Green Sea Floyds Pageant)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>4. Round O</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Formerly called The Big O, the Postmaster General asked the town fathers to come up with something a little less suggestive.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay, would you believe this place was actually named after a person? Yup, there was some Native American dude with an O tattooed on his shoulder who got along particularly well with the settlers around here. His real name was Attakullakulla, but the white folks had a hard time pronouncing that so … Round O it is!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This crossroads is in the greater Ashepoo area, between Cottageville and Drigger Crossroads. It’s got about 750 people. They’ve got a bike race here called the Tour de Round O.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5uqhvAarH9B87sSJ1MvIvFu9vvLWVDFj_Z44piSjCaiLLhbv2OFR8sNBhSGuqN817EJdJbctVj4FWG-Xwk2AG3IS5IprJwVjodmB3C5oEMUR9_GfZ5PyBHjDhgWi0_hFmd564Ef9mGeg/s1600/roundo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5uqhvAarH9B87sSJ1MvIvFu9vvLWVDFj_Z44piSjCaiLLhbv2OFR8sNBhSGuqN817EJdJbctVj4FWG-Xwk2AG3IS5IprJwVjodmB3C5oEMUR9_GfZ5PyBHjDhgWi0_hFmd564Ef9mGeg/s320/roundo.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I-I-I love a parade …</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>3. Fingerville *</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Early settlers named this one in celebration of the remarkable human digit – and all the wonderful things those fingers allow us humans to do.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, actually, no. It’s another dude – this time, mill owner Joseph Finger. Ancestry.com tells me that that surname can be English or German and was: </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“probably applied as a nickname for a man who had some peculiarity of the fingers, such as possessing a supernumerary one or having lost one or more of them through injury, or for someone who was small in stature or considered insignificant.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This one’s way up north, right on the border with NC. It’s got 130 people … and not much else.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5uKn4_OhiRd1e_FxiOJLsH0nYPsnprgkYz64slcicGmvXctNVhrnmMQ52LaqYYwA9lz_TXckOrr77Xy4UsURAO76e0GR3HnEGrmySKV_twp-pDFLdgrQFdE-qc8EZDGsnXJ8aN-YptY/s1600/finger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="75" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO5uKn4_OhiRd1e_FxiOJLsH0nYPsnprgkYz64slcicGmvXctNVhrnmMQ52LaqYYwA9lz_TXckOrr77Xy4UsURAO76e0GR3HnEGrmySKV_twp-pDFLdgrQFdE-qc8EZDGsnXJ8aN-YptY/s400/finger.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Rarely is the question asked: Is our children learning?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">George Bush; Florence, South Carolina; January 11, 2000</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>2. Dongola</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hey, isn’t that the thing that lets you plug your Mac into a VGA port?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hard to believe, but there are actually Dongolas in eight different states. In addition to SC, NC, MD, VA, MO, IL, and WI can claim one as well. There are a couple of possibilities for this one:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A kind of horse</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dongola Kid, a kind of leather</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A region in Africa, in today’s Sudan (which is also referenced in the Bible)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A city in Sudan, the site of a British victory by Lord Kitchener in 1886</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My money is on the battle. That’s what’s behind the rather mysterious Plevna, a town in VA, AL, MO, IN, KS, and MT (as well as the site of a late 19th Century battle between the Turks and Russians). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’m kind of surprised I couldn’t find a definitive answer for at least one of these places. My guess is none of these Donogolas are big enough to really merit the attention. (The closest I could come, by the way, was a plantation in NC named after a “place in the bible.”)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Okay, so the city in SC … It looks like a bend in the road along one of the routes to the beach, just a little northwest of Myrtle. Couple of houses tops. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Couldn’t find anything on the SC town,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">so this will just have to do</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>1. Pee Dee *</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Classic! As is the story behind it …</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Turns out an early settler, by the name of Patrick Daly, carved his initials on trees in the area to mark his land grant. That abbreviation was later applied to a river as well as the large area of the state the river passes through.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unfortunately, though, that’s all just a great big lie. The town was actually named after the river, which was in turn named after the Peedee tribe. And that may simply mean “people” in the Peedee language.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pee Dee the town seems to have even less on it than Dongola. On Google Maps, it looks like a couple of buildings right off I-95, with one huge auto graveyard that you can probably see from space. It looks like PD is about equidistant from Florence, Marion, and Dillon – i.e., in the middle of absolute nowhere.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtVwgJsjGkngAHuaUrFNByOhZfhIkl7tGtVXdg7HgLbvUkfeDqtIFYYfSHqjL_dsXUPQJzKvfPtJRuIENIIPtKytCTUuksdq1X_98eC1sX-xiwvR5GjEgW-9Hd9mTQEW0bgW1XXsTZKs/s1600/pee-dee-sc-south-carolina-roadside-motel-route-301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxtVwgJsjGkngAHuaUrFNByOhZfhIkl7tGtVXdg7HgLbvUkfeDqtIFYYfSHqjL_dsXUPQJzKvfPtJRuIENIIPtKytCTUuksdq1X_98eC1sX-xiwvR5GjEgW-9Hd9mTQEW0bgW1XXsTZKs/s320/pee-dee-sc-south-carolina-roadside-motel-route-301.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">God, I love old postcards</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Honorable Mention:</b></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">B-o-r-i-n-g – New Town, Townville, Midway, Central, Level Land, City View, Naval Base</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Short & sweet – Dale, Peak, Lane, Rion, Elko, Clio*, Trio, Ora, Olar* (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/37590">tiny police station</a>), Una, Iva, Irmo</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just a little out of place – Jamestown, Baton Rouge, Texas, Trenton, Princeton, Scranton, Buffalo, Cleveland, St. Paul, Little Rock, Lone Star, Hollywood, Waterloo, Paris, Florence*, Sardinia, Denmark*, Norway*, Warsaw, Troy, Smyrna, Jordan, Walhalla* (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1178">tunnel to nowhere</a>)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Orthographically challenged – Starr, Parr, Orr, Hamer, Smoaks, Shepard, Moncks Corner*, Wateree, Gurley, Renno, Olanta, Eutawville, Lesslie*, Earles</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Native American mouthfuls – Daufuskie Island, Wadmallaw Island, Awendaw*, Yauhannah, Taxahaw, Cateechee, Wisacky, Pocotaligo*</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Atypical adjectives – North*, Silver, Cross, Barefoot</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whites only – White Pond, White Oak, White Hall, White House</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unconventional verbs – Rains*, Converse, Cope, Guess</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Abnormal nouns – Bath, Triangle, Prosperity, Pontiac, Sellers, Workman, Gable, Graves, Filbert, Strawberry, Mayo, Oats, Fork, Coward</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fun to say – Lugoff, Gluck, Wando, Wampee, Sampit, Ponpon, Pinopolis, Tuckertown, Totmolley, Ardincaple</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hard to say – Alcolu</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just plain weird – Society Hill *, Orangeburg*, Outland, West View, Blythewood*, Richtex, Startex, Cottageville (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/7691">city made of bee hives</a>), Powdersville, Tigerville, Travelers Rest, Early Branch, Pringles Bend, Mars Bluff (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/24951">atom bomb crater</a>), Smiths Turnout, Catholic Hill, Goretown, Dentsville, Burnt Church Crossroads, Fort Lawn *, Folly Beach *, Fair Play, Frogmore, Caesars Head *, Spiderweb, Possum Corner, Blue Brick, Sugar Tit (<a href="http://www.wltx.com/news/story.aspx?storyid=92174">video</a>)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’d like to introduce you to – Sharon, Ruby*, Hilda, Pauline, Grace, Grover, Alvin, Leo, Sheldon, Dudley, Woodrow, Ebeneezer, Horatio, McBeth, Sandy Springs, Holly Hill, Ben Avon, Reid Park, Victor Mills</span></li>
</ul>
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<i>* - author has visited</i>Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-30178815355655729132013-10-11T17:41:00.002-07:002014-09-19T18:33:54.382-07:00Rhode Island<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wait a minute. Are you saying these people get <i>two</i> senators? I mean, there are <i>counties</i> in Texas bigger than this place. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What a lot of people don’t realize, though, is that Rhode Island manages to pack quite a few people into its very small space. In fact, Little Rhody manages to beat out seven other states when it comes to population – and that includes Alaska, the largest state by area in the whole U.S.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, of course, RI does come in last when you look at area. That fact has quite an interesting corollary though – the Ocean State comes in second to only one other state when it comes to population density. Special quiz: Can you name that state? Answer below.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>10. Pawtucket</b></span><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alright! Let’s get things started with some of that crazy Native American stuff Rhode Island is famous for.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pawtucket is pretty big time. In fact, it’s the state’s fourth largest city, topping out at over 71,000. Once known for textiles, it still has some of its industrial base left. It’s the headquarters of Hasbro, the toy manufacture. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">P-town is just north of Providence. Interestingly, Pawtucket’s sister city is Belper, England – the town where the author just so happened to have been born.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Most importantly, however, Pawtucket is home to the Boston Red Sox’s Triple-A team, the Pawsox! Go Red Sox!! Yeah!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BTW, there is also a Pawcatuk RI (and a Pawcatuk CT and a Pawtuxet RI as well). They all have to do with water falls in the local Indian languages.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Antiques Mall Christens New Sign</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(lead story on www.experiencepawtucket.org)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>9. Tiverton Four Corners</b></span><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, I’m assuming this is to distinguish this place from Tiverton Three Corners and Tiverton Five Corners, no?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">WTF? Couldn’t we have just said Tiverton Corners? Do we really have to count them all? Sheesh!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, I do indeed count four of them (on a map on the town’s very commercial looking <a href="http://tivertonfourcorners.com/">website</a>). That’s what happens when you intersect one road (Rte. 77) with another (Rte. 179), I guess. And there is a town nearby named Tiverton too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In fact, TFC (also known as T4C - well, at least it is now) is marketed as an historic district of Tiverton proper. Looks like lots of craft shoppes, tastings, artisanal this and that, and other twee and expensive stuff. It does have a couple of wonderfully named geographical features nearby though – Nonquit Pond, Puncatest Neck, and Weetamoo Woods.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, there is also a Waterman Four Corners.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcBOYNKVjGbGAFsGHgaFoVlQ7soGLMbcSYl_x2N8bzk1R56nvVwNW9kuMmOGM4DimZtzwoX2pYkY4XyLH0BvBIdhYV9eAh7k95ykfITMfEPFP7ZWgpGYy3eZxg29A_GcYkU93ku_IzGs/s1600/t4c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGcBOYNKVjGbGAFsGHgaFoVlQ7soGLMbcSYl_x2N8bzk1R56nvVwNW9kuMmOGM4DimZtzwoX2pYkY4XyLH0BvBIdhYV9eAh7k95ykfITMfEPFP7ZWgpGYy3eZxg29A_GcYkU93ku_IzGs/s320/t4c.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So damn quaint</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think I’m gonna puke</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>8. Moosup Valley</b></span><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, I’m imagining a tall tale about Pilgrims chasing after some havoc-wreaking moose and asking the local Native Americans the equivalent of, “Where did he go, where did he go?” And the Native Americans then respond …</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not buyin’ it? Well, we’ve actually touched on Moosup before, in the post on Connecticut. There, we learned that Moosup was some Indian dude. The two towns are actually only about five miles apart.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for MV? It’s another damn historic district. This one’s for the town of Foster. The MVHD, however, looks a lot more strung out – maybe a couple of dozens farms along a five-mile-or-so road. I <i>guess </i>that constitutes an historic district.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Knights, of Moosup Valley</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>7. The Hummocks</b></span><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This one was named for some early settlers – Vern and Earlene Hummock.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Actually, there is a thing called a “hummock.” Who knows, you may actually have heard of it before. It means “little hill,” or “mound.” Now, there’s nothing super-unusual about that definition. I think I just like the way the word sounds.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The town of The Hummocks is on a little spit of land on Rhode Island itself, the island the state was named after. A topographic map I could find shows the actual hummocks the town was named after to top out at under 20 ft.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rhode Island the island is typically called Aquidneck – the Indian name – these days. That’s probably meant to 1) reduce confusion, and/or 2) be politically correct. There’s a number of possibilities for that one: </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Floating mass</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the island</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Isle of peace</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the island of the floating piece of mass (okay, okay - made up)</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rhode Island, by the way, is named after the Island of Rhodes, in the Aegean, a big-time classical hangout.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07-aC7W0-29ZvOO3DC0LPnZnnBGbWBe9Qu5HaqPPk1BEDqNMNR2Tii6uqRqKRHEPv_LWJ-BS7yDzkW5Ks-lNqOx10J-nVc2-UC6DE_FMIxk8GJYUXNOFNPusHZm1VQMFP8Esvzz0d-A8/s1600/hummocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi07-aC7W0-29ZvOO3DC0LPnZnnBGbWBe9Qu5HaqPPk1BEDqNMNR2Tii6uqRqKRHEPv_LWJ-BS7yDzkW5Ks-lNqOx10J-nVc2-UC6DE_FMIxk8GJYUXNOFNPusHZm1VQMFP8Esvzz0d-A8/s320/hummocks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bathing beauty,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Hummocks</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>6. Annawamscutt</b></span><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">OK, back to the wild Native American stuff. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like the previous towns couple of towns, unfortunately, A-town (you don’t think I’m typing that in again, do you?) just doesn’t have a lot on it. I could find a road, beach, creek, and early textile mill of the same name in the vicinity of Barrington, just a little southeast of Providence. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This incredibly cool <a href="http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~rigenweb/IndianPlaceNames1.html">site</a> tells me that A-town has a number of possible meanings as well:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rock summit</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">End of the rocks</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ruler’s hill</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Commander’s rock</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5. Quonochontaug</b></span><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another great Native American mess. One thing I didn’t mention above for the others is that the spellings for these beauties are typically all over the place. For this one, for example, I’ve got Quonochontaug, Quanacontaug, and Quanaquataug (thank God for cut and paste!). I guess that’s what you get when transcribe a language that had no previous written form.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Once again, you’ve got your choices of possible meanings for this one:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Extended deserted place</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the long beach</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Two long ponds in succession</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though I do think that first one is particularly catchy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quonnie (what the natives call it) is a beach town, part of Charlestown, and close to the CT border. The <i>X Files</i> mentioned Quonie a couple of times, putting Mulder there for some childhood vacations.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhipLSg5qC_JlFnXllsKK52QRl78jYPZdORgzcC7tWlTbny1rq9PQjh7yh2Iv4QuFbl65Iw-X9f6WXHjpGX0dmup3jfhKBIYb64dgVIhGd0qNJi2Yd9QztTFwq230fKE4F46vLH365meSg/s1600/qtown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhipLSg5qC_JlFnXllsKK52QRl78jYPZdORgzcC7tWlTbny1rq9PQjh7yh2Iv4QuFbl65Iw-X9f6WXHjpGX0dmup3jfhKBIYb64dgVIhGd0qNJi2Yd9QztTFwq230fKE4F46vLH365meSg/s320/qtown.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s 13 letters, folks!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A new world record</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4. Weekapaug</b></span><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another Native American winner – though I really like the short, punchy, to-the-point quality of this one in particular.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Weekapaug means “at the head of the pond.” </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s another beach town. In fact, it’s down the beach from Quonnie. Weekie (I just made that one up) does, though, have one up on Quonnie when it comes to cultural references:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A song by Phish</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A mention on Family Guy (Pawtucket, see above, also gets the same treatment)</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizylhUIAU4Xd_GDs0C1BKilriGWiwvRzqMq1J3GcP4c5mjKeBpynd3IkXMEJFqS33_2CP0qhLxZd_QVTa-RFevFBHPlm8UHoaSxFM2g00Z5_zzSIO3I_XHlq_zsqx08E9tT60okx7Gn0/s1600/week.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhizylhUIAU4Xd_GDs0C1BKilriGWiwvRzqMq1J3GcP4c5mjKeBpynd3IkXMEJFqS33_2CP0qhLxZd_QVTa-RFevFBHPlm8UHoaSxFM2g00Z5_zzSIO3I_XHlq_zsqx08E9tT60okx7Gn0/s320/week.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dusty's get just a 2.5 out of 5 on Yelp, I'm afraid</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. Woonsocket</b></span><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They just keep on coming!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, how many possible meanings (and spellings) would you care for this time? Would three be enough for ya?</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Place of steep descent</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fox country (woonksechocksett)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At the fork of the river (wannashowatuckqut – I did not make that up, by the way)</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think it’s important to point out that Woonie is no mere Quonnie or Weekie. In fact, there are no less than 41,000 Woonsocketers. It’s also headquarters of CVS Caremark. And you can tell it’s big time as its motto is “a city on the move.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s up in the northeast part of the state, just south of the Mass border. A ton of French Canadians came here to work in the textile mills beginning in the 1800s, and the place still has a French flavor,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There’s a Woonsockett SD, by the way. I’m guessing it came second.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEttF6O5p6XVM5ZRsqwGJhRr3F9tyZdjM2Szn-316UTfhiHGTh1eBfIORMeJYAXXsAZj608T8exOlpB5b-FwWU7CBs_dnjFGbispnNN2tALorExy3mpkT-79LFh6TzEGQDl0q-WeXU3c/s1600/woonie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIEttF6O5p6XVM5ZRsqwGJhRr3F9tyZdjM2Szn-316UTfhiHGTh1eBfIORMeJYAXXsAZj608T8exOlpB5b-FwWU7CBs_dnjFGbispnNN2tALorExy3mpkT-79LFh6TzEGQDl0q-WeXU3c/s320/woonie.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cobble Rock,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Woonsockett, RI</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. Pettaquamscutt Lake Shores</b></span><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wouldn’t it have been a lot easier if this had just been Lake Shores?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, the “Lake Shores” part makes sense. It is, after all, on the shores of Lake Pettaquamscutt. As for Pettaquamscutt … </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Though there looks like a lot of houses here, it also looks very residential, so there’s not a lot on it other than real estate listings (and weather reports, and services that may or may not actually exist – like yoga classes, legal jobs, lobster restaurants, and gluten-free pizza.)</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjResuRlu9DHrLQBlJWYnOd18nSWGHp_WN0CZ7wDyjorhVN8rpYg6sjwl1Qn7xd4P20exzWAPFqHWgAWecQaxPaKWC7akbu07-jF09m6cvzg4M9TpxWZDMZAZ4LCEGZd3gKrCMvp68a69M/s1600/petta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjResuRlu9DHrLQBlJWYnOd18nSWGHp_WN0CZ7wDyjorhVN8rpYg6sjwl1Qn7xd4P20exzWAPFqHWgAWecQaxPaKWC7akbu07-jF09m6cvzg4M9TpxWZDMZAZ4LCEGZd3gKrCMvp68a69M/s320/petta.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quassaquanch, meet Kachanaquant. Kachanaquant, meet </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quequaquenuet. Quequaquenuet, meet Quassaquanch. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quassaquanch, Kachanaquant. Kachanaquant, </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Quequaquenuet. Quequaquenuet, Quassaquanch</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Common Fence Point</b></span><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, that’s sound exciting. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This place seems to be another Pettaquamscutt Lake Shores. In other words, lots of houses, but very little information (though plenty of links to real estate, weather, car repair shops, Zumba classes, and all-you-can-eat crab leg restaurants).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is an explanation for this one though. According to that page-turner best-seller <i>Historic and Architectural Resources of Portsmouth, Rhode Island: A Preliminary Report</i>, by the Rhode Island Historic Preservation Commission: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"A fence was built across a narrow neck of land, which served as a common pasture for cattle in the area which became known as Common Fence Point."</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">CFP is actually just north of The Hummocks, at the tip of Aquidneck. It seems to exist mainly as a place for summer homes and as a landing point for a couple of area bridges.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00MvSx6y84qGFR5nRTSFGzL7_V5JsAyQFXo8vjBtVKjG3cBvOegTcWMgp08L-i-qh92-IVgguGSuMZ5hu3F591Zrz7FKjcpPxYijcJ8yRIFAhRGQ50HF9lEA1919P4GQN6yPlYT0z1ck/s1600/cfp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh00MvSx6y84qGFR5nRTSFGzL7_V5JsAyQFXo8vjBtVKjG3cBvOegTcWMgp08L-i-qh92-IVgguGSuMZ5hu3F591Zrz7FKjcpPxYijcJ8yRIFAhRGQ50HF9lEA1919P4GQN6yPlYT0z1ck/s320/cfp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s also the site of a big road race</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(Go, skinny white guy!)</span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Honorable Mention:</b></span><br/><br/>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">B-o-r-i-n-g – Middletown, Centerville, Centerdale, Central Falls</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little out of place – Jamestown, Georgiaville, Austin, Wyoming, Oakland, Little Compton (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/15262">cow vomit rope</a>), Kingston, Moscow, Jerusalem, Galilee, Arctic</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Orthographically challenged – Phenix</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Native American mouthfuls (that I haven't already covered) – East Matunuck, Chepachet (“devil’s bag”), Conimicut, Quidnesset, Narragansett, Misquamicut (“salmon place”)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atypical adjectives – Westerly (birthplace of Ruth Buzzi)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abnormal nouns – Hope, Harmony, Providence, Prudence, Commons</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fun to say – Hoxsie, Quidnick</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hard to say – Pascoag (“dividing place”), Escoheag (“three rivers”)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just plain weird – Clayville, Tarkiln, Ashaway, Peace Dale, Plum Point, Prudence Island, Chopmist</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d like to introduce you to – Anthony, Warren, Arnold Mills</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Answer: <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/06/new-jersey-l.html">New Jersey</a></span>Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-48657173797718207672013-10-04T17:54:00.001-07:002015-07-18T07:35:45.203-07:00Lancaster County, PA<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Finally, we have arrived. It’s hard to believe that a single county
could be responsible for such (largely inappropriate) gems as these. What makes it even better, though, is that
the county was settled by non-native-English-speaking religious fundamentalists
who still basically live in the 17<sup>th</sup> Century. Top that up with some scrapple, cup cheese, and
hog maw, and we’re talking some serious good times. No wonder this area attracts so many tourists.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>10. Hinkletown</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What is it about the German language? I mean, I studied it for six years, and was
pretty fluent at one time. Still, all
those z’s, and k’s, and syllables beginning with “shn,” and ending with “imple”
or “untz” … </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There’s more to this place
than just a funny-sounding German name though.
“Hinkel” actually means “chicken” <i>auf
Deutsch</i>. So, basically, this place
means “Chickentown.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What’s even better, though, is
that the town is named after some guy.
Yup, a real live Mr. Chicken. Herr Harmon Henkle, to be exact. </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7555qwodLk58y1XX1w4W6gCXuAKwuPMgXnhwF03Zi5YcIV5wNfe8yerkfRRIV7TG_CThUi5JdbsWItS0kEzisSEh65OiVDL9jUQ78kzp3qFzHAWLf9qNoHq3irhww13gOLBU_9vdm_c/s1600/hinkle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb7555qwodLk58y1XX1w4W6gCXuAKwuPMgXnhwF03Zi5YcIV5wNfe8yerkfRRIV7TG_CThUi5JdbsWItS0kEzisSEh65OiVDL9jUQ78kzp3qFzHAWLf9qNoHq3irhww13gOLBU_9vdm_c/s320/hinkle.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Hinkletown Nine</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>9. Smoketown</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, this one’s in English, but it’s still just as
weird.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unfortunately, I couldn’t find a source for this one. I did, though, find something for a similarly
named town in Kentucky. Turns out there
were a number of brick kilns in that place.
So, I assume there was some sort of industry going on in PA as well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are also towns of the same name in MD, TX, VA, WV, and
KS. So, my guess is they also had a
similar origin. Wait, hold on a sec
… Some of these search results are for head
shops. Never mind.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our Smoketown has its own elementary school and airport, and
is also home to the Smucker Co.! Oh,
wait a minute. They’re a “wall and
ceiling contractor,” and have nothing to do with jams, jellies, <i>or</i> preserves. By the way, S-town is the first place east of
Bird in Hand (see below).</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzZWQyjaOp_SdHjPQEqTuLNo5qfaRm8SsUL0tYNJUBZC4_BLQWDh_wcL_pv-ktP4k6Jbiwd4Nw2yLqYaOPct8oe8zdEWS1hqpxqh9or1dN2d7CgwSIVuQzH7XBpYZO981sWyF6h0OeBY/s1600/SmoketownAirportCrit-Logo-2_465x249.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="171" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLzZWQyjaOp_SdHjPQEqTuLNo5qfaRm8SsUL0tYNJUBZC4_BLQWDh_wcL_pv-ktP4k6Jbiwd4Nw2yLqYaOPct8oe8zdEWS1hqpxqh9or1dN2d7CgwSIVuQzH7XBpYZO981sWyF6h0OeBY/s320/SmoketownAirportCrit-Logo-2_465x249.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I understand it’s a
jazz band</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>8. Cocalico</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not sure how this one got in
here.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sounds vaguely Caribbean.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, we’ve got two
possibilities for this one:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">koch-hale-kung</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">,
a Native American term meaning “den of snakes”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An Anglicization of the French word for “poppy,” </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">coquelicot</i></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Poppy, or den of snakes?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Poppy, den of snakes?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What should we name the new town?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Man, that’s a tough one!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is also a Cocalico
School District, with a Cocalico High School and Cocalico Middle School. The first one’s mascot is the Rattlers, and
the second one is the Vipers. Just
kidding. They’re both the [yawn …] Eagles.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.5in; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiB3nSYFEzsJXH16BG_PwoQGPhqWdK4tI1zZX7talvvy7yPY9vrErII5DHy0_cgDPtf4_9l-I2NJE4Lq0BsUdXYgoR4E8K8Dh_U3vfX1Hf1qNbslTVw8JOAM2bNls24b-LoiUstSvvHo/s1600/Cocalico+Mac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDiB3nSYFEzsJXH16BG_PwoQGPhqWdK4tI1zZX7talvvy7yPY9vrErII5DHy0_cgDPtf4_9l-I2NJE4Lq0BsUdXYgoR4E8K8Dh_U3vfX1Hf1qNbslTVw8JOAM2bNls24b-LoiUstSvvHo/s320/Cocalico+Mac.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: right 6.5in; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>These</i> guys are the Snakes</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>7. Bareville</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Alright – this is more like
it.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the kind of
wink-wink-nudge-nudge stuff we associate with the Amish.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, wouldn’t you know. The explanation behind this one is pretty
darn boring. It was founded by one
Andrew Bare in 1780. The surname is
probably from the German <i>baer</i>, which
means “bear.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">These days, you don’t talk about
Bareville without also mentioning neighbors Leacock and Leola. In fact, the three have pretty much
combined. Wilkes-Barre, Winston-Salem, Alsace-Lorraine,
<u><a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/09/oregon.html">Milton-Freewater</a></u> … meet Leacock-Leola-Bareville.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5ZDeK989xdgSDTISmVJnAxccP924f4q4vyaTkBkJASDypbPnYTEvCxGt5RmLdIZ-Y5Wt-6xEvqsfPxyBeokeHACx-QfxIwKEC3ZhNc_r9Iz_uzG6kwBA2bYAQ6spalUl4C_9qScWLkk/s1600/bareville.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv5ZDeK989xdgSDTISmVJnAxccP924f4q4vyaTkBkJASDypbPnYTEvCxGt5RmLdIZ-Y5Wt-6xEvqsfPxyBeokeHACx-QfxIwKEC3ZhNc_r9Iz_uzG6kwBA2bYAQ6spalUl4C_9qScWLkk/s1600/bareville.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ha ha ha!<br />- funny beer guys </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>6. Mt. Joy</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Exactly who Joy was has, I’m
afraid, faded into the mists of time.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Okay, okay, that’s not it at
all. Wikipedia sets us straight on this
one: </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The name is often shortened to Mt. Joy,
but this is incorrect, since the "mount" in Mount Joy does not refer
to a mountain. The town's name is actually derived from an English surname,
Mountjoy.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Turns out Lord Mountjoy was some bloodthirsty
Englishman who cleared out a portion of Ireland for the Scots-Irish. When some of those Scots-Irish later
emigrated to America, they remembered Mountjoy’s butchery by naming a town for
him.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This town of almost 6,800 is
home to Bube’s Brewery [snicker, snicker] and is also the inspiration behind an
eponymous movie, whose creators describe it as “an indie rock romance, set in
the bars, farmhouses and cornfields of Lancaster PA.” </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, there is also a
Mountville in Lancaster County.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrfx1WAzlMGotFbpOFfvWehw4Gmy5Iaau46AbAT1AHMsbaIQiw8djlGwJPNgyLbEZfhmKuQyIEcUrTK7OVE0p1fc0Nqp0ifvubWfozIMvcq-X0TUNTO73gV9IzGFm_ppvKmsCvW5jN-k/s1600/night-cobra-woman-000.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZrfx1WAzlMGotFbpOFfvWehw4Gmy5Iaau46AbAT1AHMsbaIQiw8djlGwJPNgyLbEZfhmKuQyIEcUrTK7OVE0p1fc0Nqp0ifvubWfozIMvcq-X0TUNTO73gV9IzGFm_ppvKmsCvW5jN-k/s1600/night-cobra-woman-000.png" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Joy Bang, obscure
actress<br />and Mt. Joy native<br />(just kidding about that last one)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5. Ephrata</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t know what it is about this one. My guess is it’s something about its sounding
vaguely flatulent.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That said, we’re actually looking to the Bible here. “Ephrata” is Hebrew for “fruitful,” and was
used to describe Bethlehem. It’s also
used as a girl’s name (though that honestly sounds more like child abuse than
anything else).</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With 13,400 Ephratans, this place is the most populous city in
the county. Its famous for its cloister
(fun word that – sounds like a glandular problem). The Big E also produced a Miss America - the one with the shortest last name - Evelyn
Margaret Ay, in 1954.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the by, there are Ephratas in WA and NY as well.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MIZd91s8KlJ-WZTiqDDNUFLsljAG6aQaCy9VeicRtoaJilxdKghZeTsWyQfNSbRb2fcEzvWoQ6Lwzy6lW6ljX61KwV8kFSOl6-agFdaOHXczVm0qU48T22GgNN2fMdeXKvzPfiYdR7M/s1600/Ephrata-Spelled-Epharta-in-Road-Sign-Mistake.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4MIZd91s8KlJ-WZTiqDDNUFLsljAG6aQaCy9VeicRtoaJilxdKghZeTsWyQfNSbRb2fcEzvWoQ6Lwzy6lW6ljX61KwV8kFSOl6-agFdaOHXczVm0qU48T22GgNN2fMdeXKvzPfiYdR7M/s320/Ephrata-Spelled-Epharta-in-Road-Sign-Mistake.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oops!</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>4. Lititz</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, there’s no mystery about this one. The mystery is in how the founding fathers could
have been so tone-deaf to let it pass through. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, wouldn’t you know …
The town fathers weren’t tone-deaf – they just spoke only German. They named it after some totally innocuous castle
in their home country. It never occurred
to them that … [giggle, giggle] … you know …
[snicker, snicker] … I mean …
[hee hee hee]</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Some of Lititz’s many large and impressive features include:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Linden Hall
School, the oldest all-girls boarding school in the US</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The birthplace
and grave site of John Sutter (the Gold Rush dude)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Lititz Mutual Insurance Company </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being voted America’s Coolest Small Town</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3ueq6Hy5U73Xb5jvAAh_zrD2DUYNyN5xBYMrwSJFQKWVWMiCJ2p9MLPbsAyMN0qcqlWJKjoUEMJOKRxXH1PSuMzGrory_XAa9gJyU3Wg6aCEYjBIZRZ0lUN6HcOIW4LKQgfqgE2phao/s1600/lititz.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3ueq6Hy5U73Xb5jvAAh_zrD2DUYNyN5xBYMrwSJFQKWVWMiCJ2p9MLPbsAyMN0qcqlWJKjoUEMJOKRxXH1PSuMzGrory_XAa9gJyU3Wg6aCEYjBIZRZ0lUN6HcOIW4LKQgfqgE2phao/s1600/lititz.png" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Not</i> a typo!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>3. Blue Ball</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Or this one. Ouch!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Like a number of towns in the same broad area, this odd one was
named after a local tavern. I think this
overall phenomenon can be traced back to two things:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Taverns served as important community centers in olden times</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">They often had a very visual way of identifying themselves,
as many people back then were illiterate or (at least in this part of the US) non-English-speaking</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, that’s what’s behind our Blue Balls, and our </span><u style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/09/eastern-pennsylvania_30.html">Kings of Prussia</a></u><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and our </span><a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2012/12/delaware.html" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Rising Suns</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, and many more.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMph9x6iRN7zIf3J2tVE1AN-CbzO2BKaR-m4XHnNnd8GwFIS83IhBnMjmaVmxN704LqEKcRfLeNGM5vdgdCRqq8_ULSKoyXf0z1FFgx2oM0KsG0_zsyPpZQZE8YIbQAqSW8Dn-eHM3V0Y/s1600/20110906blueballPA+(Copy).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMph9x6iRN7zIf3J2tVE1AN-CbzO2BKaR-m4XHnNnd8GwFIS83IhBnMjmaVmxN704LqEKcRfLeNGM5vdgdCRqq8_ULSKoyXf0z1FFgx2oM0KsG0_zsyPpZQZE8YIbQAqSW8Dn-eHM3V0Y/s320/20110906blueballPA+(Copy).JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There you go!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>2. Bird in Hand</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a bunch of teetotalers, these Amish sure did have a lot
of taverns. Yup, this one was named after
the local bar and grill as well. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interestingly, an argument can be made that the whole
Pennsylvania Dutch thing started right here in this village of 400. Turns out Bird in Hand was the fictional
location for <i>Plain and Fancy</i>, a Broadway
play about Amish life that was a big hit in the 1950s. The highly recommended Plain and Fancy
restaurant, which opened in 1960, is also in town.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCzneneGvjXuFGgpG5-nPKsHsUH6n72cUt_Ca6UpPitsnjNwDmQVBnOnEcfQ66V9kXpDxIRBc7A5BLXF8A6D60KQ9jlqwE8SFZbLE-H4Le0aQQ3qgSmWHZZ2HLVsAenk8fsHTD0Ac2eg/s1600/bird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQCzneneGvjXuFGgpG5-nPKsHsUH6n72cUt_Ca6UpPitsnjNwDmQVBnOnEcfQ66V9kXpDxIRBc7A5BLXF8A6D60KQ9jlqwE8SFZbLE-H4Le0aQQ3qgSmWHZZ2HLVsAenk8fsHTD0Ac2eg/s1600/bird.jpg" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t know for
sure,<br />but I think this might have <br />been Photoshopped!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>1. Intercourse</b></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone’s all-time favorite …</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The star of the show …</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The be-all and end-all of funny town names … Ladies
and gentlemen, let me introduce you to Intercourse …</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Intercourse, PA.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The word “intercourse” is a prime example of language change
– in particular of something called “linguistic narrowing.” This is what happens when a term that
previously had a very broad meaning acquires a much more limited one. In our case, this means moving from any kind
of interaction between people (hence, the old “social intercourse”) to, well,
you know. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This place used to be called Cross Keys, which sounds quite
acceptable to me – but also a lot like another tavern. Who knows, maybe the locals thought the
tavern thing was a little overdone.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, what does Intercourse have other than some funny town
signs? Well, would you believe:</span></div>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The American Military Edged Weaponry Museum</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The People's Place (an Amish interpretative center)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The People's Place Quilt Museum</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’ve booked </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">my</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
reservations.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">See you there!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZQSlHM_3KYvz_zBc_o5UNv0mj6QziIpE4tEffAiLo5ZIHG_NnD2Fd8V0-bh9N0vbO8ZS9xS2nVvJ0Rp1zkCh1pevmHTDe2-W0494zlIvWUBMSiPI6Np4p8RdmhJYVqHfy_StLWviOmE/s1600/intercourse.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibZQSlHM_3KYvz_zBc_o5UNv0mj6QziIpE4tEffAiLo5ZIHG_NnD2Fd8V0-bh9N0vbO8ZS9xS2nVvJ0Rp1zkCh1pevmHTDe2-W0494zlIvWUBMSiPI6Np4p8RdmhJYVqHfy_StLWviOmE/s320/intercourse.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The double entendres
just never stop</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Honorable Mention:</b></span><br />
<br />
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">B-o-r-i-n-g – Centerville</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Short and sweet – Clay,
Elm, Buck, Gap</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little out of
place – Silver Springs, Akron, Marietta, Denver, Oregon (formerly Catfish), Cambridge, Little
Britain, E. Petersburg, Eden, Paradise</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Numerically oriented –
Ninepoints</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atypical adjectives –
Vintage</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unconventional verbs –
Overlook</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fun to say – Mt. Nebo,
Martic Forge, Salunga, Ronks</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just plain weird –
White Horse, Sporting Hill, Chestnut Level, Mechanics Grove, School Lane
Hills, Willow Street, West Willow, East Earl, Turniptown, Grasshopper Level, Noodledoosie</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Too many towns – Churchtown,
Beartown</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Too may villes –
Farmersville, Goodville, Neffsville, Mastersonville, Fivepointville</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d like to introduce
you to – Christiana, Milton Grove</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What? There’s more to
Pennsylvania than Lancaster County? Yes
way! In fact, I’ve got two additional
posts for this great state, <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/09/eastern-pennsylvania_30.html">eastern PA</a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7706491803590474519" name="_GoBack"></a> and <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/09/western-pennsylvania.html">western PA</a>.</span></div>
</div>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-16844530530130145342013-09-30T18:54:00.003-07:002023-03-24T14:55:24.407-07:00Eastern Pennsylvania<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Heck with those <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/09/western-pennsylvania.html">western Pennsylvanians</a>! Everybody knows that all the action is happening in the eastern part of the state. </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Now, unfortunately, most of that action occurs in <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/10/lancaster-county-pa.html">Lancaster County</a>, primo Pennsylvania Dutch country. I’m actually going to cover those places next week. </span></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">
</span>
<br />
<div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Luckily, though, there seem to be plenty of candidates in the rest of eastern PA as well. So, here we go …</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>
10. King of Prussia *</b><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">We don’t typically name our towns after taverns anymore, do we? I guess that explains the dearth of Chiles, Ruby Tuesdays, and Applebees out there on the typical road map. </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Back in the 18th Century, though, taverns were more like pubs – happening places where the whole town congregated. And naming your town after the local tavern was actually pretty common in the broad area around Philly – and that includes <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2012/12/delaware.html">Delaware</a>, <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/03/maryland.html">Maryland</a>, and <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/06/new-jersey-l.html">New Jersey</a>, as well as eastern Pennsylvania.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">In addition to the locals, the King of Prussia Inn also catered to a number of travelers as well. In fact, it was exactly a day’s ride from Philadelphia on the main road heading west. </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The tavern, which dates back to 1719, is still standing today (though moved from its original location). </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">These days, the town is mostly suburban sprawl. It’s known for its shopping, which includes the K of P Mall, the largest in the US. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSb0Xdde6f8PoNf7iQqOZp8UshA15VP0e3N8PHhkOuu-YiDWoo_DyeDFqSBAfIHlBz3HEgp3xF_RmplPgyhsX6u_w3dztJ1Js2FhmBrstG52xbAw1SHJz4beFiUDHntCWEWxBvpIVSZqc/s1600/kofp.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSb0Xdde6f8PoNf7iQqOZp8UshA15VP0e3N8PHhkOuu-YiDWoo_DyeDFqSBAfIHlBz3HEgp3xF_RmplPgyhsX6u_w3dztJ1Js2FhmBrstG52xbAw1SHJz4beFiUDHntCWEWxBvpIVSZqc/s320/kofp.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Like I say, large</span></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<b>9. Forty Fort</b><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">You mean Forty Four, right? </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Well, actually, the town’s founders actually did mean Forty Fort. Turns out forty people from Connecticut settled the region and then built a fort there. The fort played a prominent role in the Pennamite-Yankee War. Surely you remember the the Pennamite-Yankee War?</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Where are we? Across the river from Wilkes-Barre, basically. In fact, Forty Fort is the location of the Wilkes-Barre Wyoming Valley Airport. Some of FF’s other neighbors include Plains, Pringle, Swoyersville, Trucksville, and West Wyoming (all of which, see below).</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWiguE3opgRRZHjD9G0OhFe4LEzBm-AxwU21ZJSFcSxHbxX5YrTWm1XxCbc_9riwW1OZuzVohPK6u5g7MxfmCzror4ZaQKizAce7zSVfmFsBOG24yO-DuE06t9EhGx9uR2KXB4GiT0akE/s1600/fortyfort+(1).jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWiguE3opgRRZHjD9G0OhFe4LEzBm-AxwU21ZJSFcSxHbxX5YrTWm1XxCbc_9riwW1OZuzVohPK6u5g7MxfmCzror4ZaQKizAce7zSVfmFsBOG24yO-DuE06t9EhGx9uR2KXB4GiT0akE/s320/fortyfort+(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Forty Fort, ca. 1949</span></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<b>
8. Korn Krest</b><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Well, this place really does exist. I was able to find it on both Wikipedia & MapQuest. I was also able to learn that it’s 1) between Wilkes-Barre and Nanticoke, and 2) is the former site of the San Souci amusement park. </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Other than that, though, it appears to be one of those places that have a reality only on the many service directory websites that include a separate page for every friggin’ place in the U.S., no matter how small or whether that place has the service in question or not. Here are some of the things that came up for Korn Krest:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Limousine service</span></li>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">
<li>Psychologists</li>
<li>Italian tutors</li>
<li>Bagpipers</li>
</span></ul>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">My favorite, though, was this one for auto shows, which begins:</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
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<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">If you are looking for a great time then you might want to think about looking up a Korn Krest PA car show to see if there are any local shows in your area. A Korn Krest Pennsylvania car show can be a great way to pass some time and if you are a car enthusiast then you will likely love spending time at a Korn Krest PA car show. Therefore, you might want to think about heading online to read up on Korn Krest Pennsylvania car show options in your area. It is not that hard to find shows if you actually put some time into searching for the right type of Korn Krest PA car show to attend.</span></div>
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<b>
7. Shunk</b><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">This seems like some obscure swear word. “Oh shunk!,” one might say. Or, “You’re full of shunk!” Perhaps even, “Go shunk yourself, mothershunker!”</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Actually, the name comes from Pennsylvania’s tenth governor, Francis Rawn Shunk. The good folks of Fox Center renamed their tiny burg after him when he died of TB 10 days after leaving office. The surname means either “long legs” or “piglet” – neither of which seem satisfactorily august and gubernatorial in tone, to me at least.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">This place looks like a couple of dozen buildings in the middle of nowhere, halfway between Williamsport and Elmira, NY. Everything you’d ever want to know about it you can find right <a href="http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~pasulliv/sullivancountyfolk/shunk/ShunkHistory.htm">here</a>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdlTCup4-ZBrnTZ2XDUB3YS-wt8OtDKDVtMLCL1NjB_VSpNOgBPpeV2N2d0aDBS_jb469MJKk62vLfTu0eTwaSJkQ_CBnIWVAQLaOACN6I9T29AGiWmrn_AJSpne3GFDwB7gjk29Xbp8/s1600/shunk.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAdlTCup4-ZBrnTZ2XDUB3YS-wt8OtDKDVtMLCL1NjB_VSpNOgBPpeV2N2d0aDBS_jb469MJKk62vLfTu0eTwaSJkQ_CBnIWVAQLaOACN6I9T29AGiWmrn_AJSpne3GFDwB7gjk29Xbp8/s320/shunk.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Old Kaiser-Frazer dealer in Shunk</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">(the company name was obsolete after 1952!)</span></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<b>
6. Shickshinny</b><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">“I’m sorry, sir, could you repeat that?” “Shickshinny.” “Sickskinny?” “No, Shickshinny.” “Er, Shinksicky?” “Shickshinny!” “Did you say ‘Stinkcity?’” [silence …] “Could you spell that please, sir?”</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">You’re not going to believe it, but this one is Native American! It means “five mountains,” or perhaps “five streams.” Who knows, maybe it means “five guys,” or “five easy pieces,” or “five finger death punch.” Suffice it to say, it’s five of something or other.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">The town of Shickshinny has 800 people. It’s right on the Susquehanna, just south of Wilkes-Barre.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">By the way, eastern Pennsylvania has enough Native American names to rival <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/07/upstate-new-york-l.html">New York</a>, <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/06/new-jersey-l.html">New Jersey</a>, or <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/search?q=indian">Connecticut</a>. My faves include: Towanda (“burial ground”), Meshoppen (“glass beads”), Shamokin, Shehawken, Nescopeck, Tunkhannock, Wyomissing, Nesquehonig, Hokendauqua, Nanticoke, Chillisquaque, Conshokocken (“pleasant valley”), Mehoopany (“place of wild potatoes”), Lackawaxen (“where the road forks”), Wilawana (“big horn”).</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Interestingly, one town name that I thought for sure was Native American, Hosensack, is not. It’s actually German, and means “pants pocket”!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxyaymCaoR7kfykMzDwFir5BWoCSeOngBpNszGFtmjs4Dh3F9tfH8BRt6nTwDJniCC-fqUeJoEkObSrLmq10ypu7HnWwWVcv2l8dQal7Lwc7FV6EprXQhBjZ3HqAhomtTU3uutfwPkuo/s1600/shick.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrxyaymCaoR7kfykMzDwFir5BWoCSeOngBpNszGFtmjs4Dh3F9tfH8BRt6nTwDJniCC-fqUeJoEkObSrLmq10ypu7HnWwWVcv2l8dQal7Lwc7FV6EprXQhBjZ3HqAhomtTU3uutfwPkuo/s320/shick.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Senior portrait,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Jeff Diets Photography,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Shickshinny, PA</span></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">
</span>
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<div>
</div>
<b>
5. Virginville</b><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Why is this one not in Lancaster County?</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Well, it is right next door. And that means that V-ville’s neighbors include such worthies as Kutztown, Shoemakersville, Windsor Castle, Basket, and Moselem.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">There are several theories behind this one:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">It was virgin territory</span></li>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">
<li>It was named after the Comte de Vergennes, a foreign minister to France’s Louis XVI</li>
<li>It’s a translation of an Indian name meaning "virgin" or "pure"</li>
</span></ul>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Personally, I wonder if there isn’t some connection to Maiden Creek, which runs through town.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">However it got started, today it’s now a town of 300, home of the quaint <a href="http://www.virginvillehotel.com/">Virginville Hotel</a>, and “a place where it is tough to hang on to road signs.”</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2uioscS3H578NX34Ru6JmrlTvrF4Nc7Zq768xw-YN_Sh6FD3xTt03h_QRHIbWz1tR9DdQIrTRUFMsbOKOZKWWk6TtsUDvGi-taNQ1drQ1QhxZuYYUPOWDFESb8qmC27hzqddZZlzjvQ/s1600/virgin.gif" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg2uioscS3H578NX34Ru6JmrlTvrF4Nc7Zq768xw-YN_Sh6FD3xTt03h_QRHIbWz1tR9DdQIrTRUFMsbOKOZKWWk6TtsUDvGi-taNQ1drQ1QhxZuYYUPOWDFESb8qmC27hzqddZZlzjvQ/s1600/virgin.gif" /></a></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Get this on a T-shirt right <a href="http://www.sixthandninth.com/virginville.html">here</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
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<b>
4. Loyalsockville</b><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Just plain weird. But I have to wonder … Why did anyone feel that they had to append “ville” to the end of this bizarre combination? Is there a Loyalsockburg out there as well? An East Loyalsocktown? The Villages at Lake Loyalsock?</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Well, as it turns out, there is a Loyalsock! So, I guess Loyalsockville at least makes some sense (though I’m not sure why they didn’t just call it Pleasant Grove or Oakdale or something totally innocuous like that). </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">“Loyalsock” comes from the Native American <i>lawi-sahquick</i>, which means “middle creek.” And Loyalsockville is indeed on Loyalsock Creek.
<br />
<br />We’re talking the northern part of the state here, near Williamsport. I spot a goodly amount of houses and trailers. Google says the town is known for its tractor show and also for flooding.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">By the way, Loyalsockville comes in at 14 letters. I have no idea why, but Pennsylvania (12) sure does have its share of monsters:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Salladasburg (12)</span></li>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">
<li>Birchrunville (13)</li>
<li>Klecknersville (14)</li>
<li>Sunderlinsville (14)</li>
<li>Sassamansville (14)</li>
<li>Fivepointville (14)</li>
<li>Montgomeryville (15)</li>
<li>Shoemakersville (15)</li>
<li>Plumbsteadville (15)</li>
<li>Applebachsville (15)</li>
<li>Kleinfelterville (16)</li>
</span></ul>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8U5TEtOxa_2HdkE4spYIP8O0vOHsr8jNNFRuvHFT00RmMOv3FeJ89RHw7nL9HFnwTkn9XV3VozAfhrqaF6BZNkcJhzsrY4zwKBgf3HF0uEZnaEQmVAGnviKX9O7WgklU9_8rNnlxeXCQ/s1600/loyalsockville.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8U5TEtOxa_2HdkE4spYIP8O0vOHsr8jNNFRuvHFT00RmMOv3FeJ89RHw7nL9HFnwTkn9XV3VozAfhrqaF6BZNkcJhzsrY4zwKBgf3HF0uEZnaEQmVAGnviKX9O7WgklU9_8rNnlxeXCQ/s1600/loyalsockville.jpg" /></a></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Wait, it has <i>three</i> exits???</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<b>
3. Upper Black Eddy</b><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">So, I’m assuming there’s a Lower Black Eddy and maybe just a Black Eddy, as well as a White Eddy and perhaps even an Upper Asian Jose as well.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Interestingly, there actually is some logic behind this one. First, let’s take a pool in the Delaware River. That’s your “eddy.” Next, let’s put a family named Black on it. There’s your “black.” Finally, let’s find another one of these pools, a little up the river from that first one. And that’s your “upper.” Put ‘em all together … Voila: Upper Black Eddy!</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Oh, almost forgot … What you’ll finally want to do is build a canal. That’ll turn your pool and farm into a growing village. Final result: one quaint, scenic, and historical place.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">By the way, there is a Skinners Eddy in eastern Pennsylvania as well.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixjBYqDaf8CmEN1raShOAoikbkIomp24QHijwTlx3Er8ye04ePGkmrm8SK6PJFFY9YOUHnWQn0R_rtYFHNUbEAdLMzc_-4vW39n3mj0Jcrpm4p2Gmwsx6cSW9IV1FWASo_EYhXKvXT71o/s1600/eddy.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixjBYqDaf8CmEN1raShOAoikbkIomp24QHijwTlx3Er8ye04ePGkmrm8SK6PJFFY9YOUHnWQn0R_rtYFHNUbEAdLMzc_-4vW39n3mj0Jcrpm4p2Gmwsx6cSW9IV1FWASo_EYhXKvXT71o/s320/eddy.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Quaint!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<b>
2. Jersey Shore *</b><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Whoa, I told you we shoulda taken that exit back in Loyalsockville!</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">It’s hard to believe, but this one actually makes some sense too. (And, no, it has nothing to do with the TV show.) Turns out a bunch of folks from Jersey settled here, along the shore of the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. </span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">JS is known for:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="http://thepennsylvaniarambler.blogspot.com/2010/02/tiadaghton-declaration-part-one.html">Declaring independence before those guys in Philly</a></span></li>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">
<li>Giving Hunter S. Thompson a job as the sports editor for the local paper</li>
<li><a href="http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2012/02/07/see-the-purple-squirrel-discovered-in-pennsylvania/">Purple squirrels</a></li>
</span></ul>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">By the way, there is also a West Wyoming in eastern Pennsylvania as well.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2T9A0fEc5RfUFiZkg9L72CEN2ZwKulqLra-0A2f-R8lgz6g5SDbKd7DR-LkFHTO5b_wrYFfe-7Q_x3j9PxEz134AlTODmHnlQbF3Tu87d-7B3A_BYSuptlpcmnCqqpFSn2UyKNYwYq2M/s1600/jersey.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2T9A0fEc5RfUFiZkg9L72CEN2ZwKulqLra-0A2f-R8lgz6g5SDbKd7DR-LkFHTO5b_wrYFfe-7Q_x3j9PxEz134AlTODmHnlQbF3Tu87d-7B3A_BYSuptlpcmnCqqpFSn2UyKNYwYq2M/s320/jersey.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Local citizens on vacation</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<b>
1. Wawa</b><br />
<br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Named for the Philadelphia area’s popular Wawa Marts, this town is famous for its cuisine of day-old hot dogs and coffee that tastes like paint thinner, inhabitants who barely speak English, and extremely high rate of armed robbery. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial";"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">I’m joking, of course. It’s hard to believe, I know, but the c-store was actually named for the town. Well, to be honest, it was named after Wawa Dairy, which was itself named after the town. The town, in turn, was named after the estate of some 19th Century dude. He claimed “wawa” was Ojibwe for goose, and that he named his estate after all the geese that congregated there. I don’t know – I think they may just be having us on here.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Wawa is an “unincorporated community,” with rather porous boundaries. A <i>Philadelphia Inquirer</i> article puts the population at between 5 and 265 families. The article goes on to state that “the most remarkable thing about Wawa is that no one can agree on where it is, really.” A c-store executive who claims he lives there concludes that “Wawa is a state of mind. If you want to be in Wawa, you can be in Wawa.” Once again, I think these people may just be having a little fun with us.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg78zzo-VJbC_7FayyaYojF4aPqTxH-wuMQFSoSng0LThqL9KAUdZzG6ZmJNYAb3ZWsCtmafaAjdBzSuIUtTialf0FG4seIJBwRNH7PVtqKKE1Gk4UeTloeFWAHkaPJhr302Sw2obBqZY/s1600/wawa.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg78zzo-VJbC_7FayyaYojF4aPqTxH-wuMQFSoSng0LThqL9KAUdZzG6ZmJNYAb3ZWsCtmafaAjdBzSuIUtTialf0FG4seIJBwRNH7PVtqKKE1Gk4UeTloeFWAHkaPJhr302Sw2obBqZY/s320/wawa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">“You mean, I hand you this piece of plastic,</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">and then you hand me that sausage cookie,</span>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">
</span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">or whatever’s it called?”</span></div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">
</span>
<br />
<br />
<b>
Honorable Mention:</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">B-o-r-i-n-g – Rock, Marsh, Plains, Centralia (almost a <a href="https://uncoveringpa.com/visiting-centralia">ghost town</a>), Central, Middletown Center, Centerport, Homesville, Hometown</span></li>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">
<li>Short and sweet – Pen Mar *, Mar Lin, Nay Aug, Ono, Oley, Vira, Wila, Zora, Avis, Hebe, Elam, Rye, Rote, Neffs, Yoe</li>
<li>Just a little off-color – Butztown, Honey Hole, Balls Mills, Dickville</li>
<li>Beaver patrol – Beavertown, Beaver Springs, Beaver Brook, Beaver Lake, Beaver Meadows, Tamaqua (Indian for “beaver”)</li>
<li>Numerically oriented – Two Taverns, Five Points, Five Forks, Seven Stars, Mile Run</li>
<li>Orthographically challenged – Kreamer, Watrous, Moselem, Hawleywood</li>
<li>Atypical adjectives – Urban, Orange, Good, Lucky, Lofty, Bermudian</li>
<li>Abnormal nouns – Ravine, Railroad, Panther, Trooper, Windfall, Lawn, Lemon, Media, Chrome, Forks, Furlong, Effort, Obelisk, Overshot, Gravity, Asylum, Brogue, Basket, Pillow (after Mexican-American War general Gideon Pollow), Maze, Drums, Angels, Unicorn, Chinchilla, Seltzer, Stalker</li>
<li>Unconventional verbs – Exchange, Rush, Falls, Host, Ransom, Grill, Shaft</li>
<li>Give me some sugar – Sugar Run, Sugartown, Sugarloaf, Sugar Notch</li>
<li>Fun to say – Shindler, Kunkle, Cresco (Latin for “I grow”), Mongul, Moosic, Paupack, Paxtang, Pringle, Pecks Pond, Paoli, Tioga, Cleona, Zerbe, Nauvoo, Norberth, Dornsife, Wysox (Indian for “place of grapes”), Wassergass, Womelsdorf, Cocolamus, Equinunk, Throop, Fricks</li>
<li>Hard to say – Caln, Macungie (Indian for “feeding place for bears”), Pen Argyl (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/3582">Jayne Mansfield’s grave</a>), Bryn Athyn, Bryn Mawr (Welsh for “big hill”), Quakake, Uwchland, Toughkenamon, Urcildour, Bala Cynwyd</li>
<li>Just plain weird – Fairplay, New Freedom, New Era, Old Forge (formerly Mudtown), Mechanicsburg, Mechanicsville, English Center, Nantmeal Village, Longswamp, Standing Stone, Picture Rocks, Ancient Oaks, Trooper Oaks, Cherry Flats, Black Walnut, Walnut Bottom, Hop Bottom, Port Carbon, Porters Sideling, Jobs Corners, Chadds Ford, Lightstreet, Green Lane, Yellow House, Eagles Mere, Birdsboro, Bedminster, Minisink Hills, Sunnyburn, Myobeach, Crackersport, Fearnot, Leck Kill, Rough and Ready, Choconut</li>
<li>Too many towns – Flourtown, Fritztown, Kutztown, Quicktown, Hummelstown, Linglestown, Yocumtown, Coffeetown, Cashtown, Bunkertown </li>
<li>Too may villes – Lumberville, Factoryville (birthplace of baseball HOFer Christy Mathewson), Friendsville, Shortsville, Stormville, Starkville, Spinnersville, Swoyersville, Koonsville, Krumsville, Trucksville, Turbotville, Airville, Grimville, Bittersville, Biglerville (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/2561">national apple museum</a>), Flicksville, Frackville *, Schnecksville, Schwenksville, Stonersville </li>
<li>Too many burgs – Hublersburg, Cleversburg, Wormsleyburg, Mummasburg</li>
<li>Pottheads – Pottstown, Pottsville (<a href="ttp://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/4271">oldest brewery in US</a>), Potts Grove</li>
<li>I’d like to introduce you to – Glen Roy, Rich Hill, Russell Hill, Jim Thorpe, St. Nicholas</li>
<li>Ghost towns – Gold Mine, Celestia, Rattling Run, Ricketts, Pandamonia, Free Love Valley</li>
</span></ul>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<div>
</div>
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">Great article with lots of name origins for this part of the state right <a href="http://www.nepanewsletter.com/towns.html">here</a>.</span><br />
<span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span><br />
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</div>
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</span>
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</div>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-46117628157346088022013-09-23T06:11:00.000-07:002014-09-19T18:46:52.998-07:00Western Pennsylvania<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 243.1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Everyone associates this state
with all those crazy <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/10/lancaster-county-pa.html">Pennsylvania Dutch</a> classics, like Intercourse and Blue
Ball and Lititz.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But who says the
<a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/09/eastern-pennsylvania_30.html">easterners</a> get all the fun?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Heck, the
Keystone State’s got enough crazy stuff to spread over multiple posts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And those westerners are certainly no
slouches, let me tell you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here, let me demonstrate
…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br /><b>
10. Pleasant Union / Pleasant Unity</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is this one of those slightly
off-color Amish deals?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, it may be for the first
one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pleasant Union is just over the MD
state line, in the center of the state (i.e., prime PA Dutch country).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looks like its got about half a dozen
houses.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pleasant Unity is a little southeast
of Pittsburgh – so, probably not prime Amish territory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It looks surprisingly developed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Be sure to check out this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcoYb5l3Ixc">YouTube video</a>
of the town, basically stills set to Bach’s <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Air
on the G String</i> (without a doubt the funniest title for a piece of music
ever).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BTW, there is also a Pleasant Mount out there as well.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
</div>
<b>
9. Slippery Rock</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What’s funny about this one is
that there is a major state university associated with the town, Slippery Rock
University of Pennsylvania.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, the
author knows several alumni (I went to high school and grad school in
Pittsburgh).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pretty much everyone in western
Pennsylvanian refers to the school as Slimy Pebble though.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The town of Slippery Rock is
named after nearby Slippery Rock Creek.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Google says that “<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">the rocks
are indeed deceptively slippery, and throughout the year, there are numerous
reports of drowning incidents</span>.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The creek feeds into the wonderfully named Conoquenessing (see below),
which itself feeds into the Beaver [snicker, snicker].<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Apart from the university,
this town of 3,000 between Erie and Pittsburgh doesn’t feature much else.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nonetheless, they do like to call their
little burg “the town known ‘round the world” (and without giving any
explanation whatsoever).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">BTW, western Pennsylvania also
includes a California Univ. of Pennsylvania and an Indiana Univ. of
Pennsylvania.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sounds like some seriously
confused people.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfJRwKwGTwPszI3NQbjmXfZN9a4eyTuhW966twx3VTdFBrPo_-c4N8aq5lVepJLJA9WLJQY0a7Tktqv2Vh3N1TklaH3I1_wrgLhsEq_eep5i8mPqs55e10LztXzmJcYedtVV1IsQBTjA/s1600/slimy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjfJRwKwGTwPszI3NQbjmXfZN9a4eyTuhW966twx3VTdFBrPo_-c4N8aq5lVepJLJA9WLJQY0a7Tktqv2Vh3N1TklaH3I1_wrgLhsEq_eep5i8mPqs55e10LztXzmJcYedtVV1IsQBTjA/s1600/slimy.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Former minor league
baseball team<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<b>
8. Scalp Level</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scalp:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>n. the skin
covering the head, excluding the face. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>v.
to take the scalp of (an enemy).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Level:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>n. a height or
distance from the ground or another stated or understood base.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>adj. having a flat and even surface without
slopes or bumps.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>v. give a flat and even
surface to.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scalp level: ???<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Actually, this one may simply refer to a piece of level
ground (prime real estate in these parts) that was denuded by the local lumber
industry.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">SL is a classic “patch town,” built purposely by a coal
company for its miners.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s close to
Johnstown, and is in the wonderfully named Paint Township.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We’re talking about 850 people or so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interestingly, the town is also behind the name of a school
of American landscape painters from the 19<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> Century.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the Hudson River school painters left New
York City to discover and capture the wonders of nature in the Hudson River
Valley, the painters of the Scalp Level school left Pittsburgh to record the
wilds of Western Pennsylvania.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Honest to
God, I am not making this up:</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/ae/uncategorized/profile-rises-for-landscapes-from-scalp-level-school-619373/">Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</a></span></div>
</li>
<li><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.antiquetrader.com/articles/feature-stories/western_pennsylvania_scalp_level_school_paintings">Antique Trader<o:p></o:p></a></span></div>
</li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.wmuseumaa.org/museum/getexhib.cfm?ID=38">Westmoreland Museum of Art<o:p></o:p></a></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There is also a Level Green, by the way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I don’t know –<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">looks like something you might find<br />at the local Salvation Army store<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<b>
7. Panic</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, what’s great about <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this</i> one is that Panic is right next to
Desire and also Paradise.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Talk about mixed
messages, huh?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just blame it on those
crazy Amish.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where did the name come
from?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, as you can imagine, there
are no shortage of theories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The best
one I heard was from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Passing-Gas-Other-American-Highway/dp/1580084567/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379941654&sr=8-1&keywords=passing+gas">Passing Gas</a></i>,
which posits that it was named after a 19-Century recession, or “panic,” that
was taking place during the time the town was founded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This crossroads of maybe a
dozen houses is just north of Punxsatawney (see below).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQh4GxpPx2gke30TDZcnW0keisZZ1He7uXuOGqf1FHT33J8hHjGNG5GsNanQjsh4vM-FJ-xOQEuOGQsgyR1RirJFibAanfu1IM8YNCOUHj7elXaY_lSRHW6Gr8AmCV4FauFmK0sC9FdQ4/s1600/panis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQh4GxpPx2gke30TDZcnW0keisZZ1He7uXuOGqf1FHT33J8hHjGNG5GsNanQjsh4vM-FJ-xOQEuOGQsgyR1RirJFibAanfu1IM8YNCOUHj7elXaY_lSRHW6Gr8AmCV4FauFmK0sC9FdQ4/s320/panis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
guess I could just go to Dubois instead<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<b>
6. Wilmerding *</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you’ve ever heard of the phrase, “There’s no Winky’s in
Wilmerding,” you can consider yourself a true Pittsburgher (and kind of old, to
boot).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Winky’s was a Pittsburgh-area
burger chain in the 60s and 70s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>One of
their commercials featured a Cookie-Monster-like puppet who <span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">read a list of signs with the names of towns where
Winky’s were located.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When the monster came
to the sign for Wilmerding, he ate it, exclaiming, ‘There's no Winky's in
Wilmerding!’"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Great stuff when
you’re 12.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wilmerding is
basically a suburb of Pittsburgh (and just a couple of miles from where I once
lived).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was the site of a huge plant
and the castle-like <a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323681904578641851153791048.html">headquarters</a> of the Westinghouse Air Brake
Company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">The town was
named after Joanna Wilmerding Negley, the wife of William B. Negley, a local
squire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Wilmerding surname is
probably German.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have no idea what it
could possibly mean.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Castle<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<b>
5. Zelienople</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Putting my extensive knowledge of classical Greek to use, I
can safely inform you that Zelienople means “city of the Zeliens.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, that’s actually not too far off the mark.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Turns out Z-town was name by one Baron
Dettmar Basse for his daughter Zelie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Baron bought 10,000 acres just north of Pittsburgh and settled there
in the early 19<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> Century.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Now, what I want to know is, who calls their daughter “Zelie”?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This city of 4,100 is right next to the wonderfully named Harmony
(see below) and lies along tongue-twisting Conoquennessing Creek (see below
again).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, there is also a Coraopolis in western
Pennsylvania.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That, of course, means “city
of the Coras” (actually, it’s Greek for “city of maidens”).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIEB9D9TJsfP86f9mW8EgXn4pSpYjQTtWHhFu_Kf7boITsBXoZw78J6GWurv6IZt_wtU4a9_EZqXnZutrQc5XGIbfwVg1iBvAAfvQf-LBFjJvSXG7lYLVV_nMn70PJsY4zzNHu-kOhKc/s1600/buffo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivIEB9D9TJsfP86f9mW8EgXn4pSpYjQTtWHhFu_Kf7boITsBXoZw78J6GWurv6IZt_wtU4a9_EZqXnZutrQc5XGIbfwVg1iBvAAfvQf-LBFjJvSXG7lYLVV_nMn70PJsY4zzNHu-kOhKc/s320/buffo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yup,
this scary guy is based outta Z-town<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b>
4. Turnip Hole</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fittingly, this is a minor crossroads in the middle of
nowhere with – oh, I don’t know – two houses within a mile or so of it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I guess it’s seen better times.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
does have its own <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Turnip-Hole-Pennsylvania/106896189341877">Facebook page</a> though.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">TH is just down the road from Turkey City.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, if there were only a Dressingtown, Gravyville,
and Cranberry Junction ,,,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ohmigawd!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<b>
3. Punxsatawney</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sure, everybody knows Punxsatawney Phil.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But have you ever heard of his brother Pete,
or his cousin Pat, or niece Pauline?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Yup, there’s a whole family of these meteorological marmots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Pete’s in charge of whether it rains on July
4<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup>, Pat takes care of how many snow days school kids get, and so on
and so on.<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">FAQs:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where is Punxsatawney located?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>Northeast
of Pittsburgh, in the middle of pretty much nowhere<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How many people live there?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">6000 Punxsatawneans<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where did it get that crazy-ass name?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s a Native American term meaning
“town of the sand-flies”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why would anyone want to name their place that?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I haven’t a clue<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">How did all that groundhog stuff get started?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It all dates back to the pagan
Imbolc festival<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don’t worry about it<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Does anything else happen in this place?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">P-Phil’s Revenge<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b>
2. Nanty Glo</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Would you believe it’s Welsh?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yup, it’s from <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">nant y glo</i>, which translates as the very poetic “ravine of coal.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a Nantyglo, Wales as well.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our town was originally known as Glenglade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That’s a bit of a tongue-twister, but it did
have the added advantage of keeping you off the funny town name lists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Hey, if it ain’t broke …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Population: 2,700.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Location: east of Pittsburgh, about a third of the way to Harrisburg.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Welsh for “My hovercraft is full of eels”: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mae fy hofrenfad yn llawn llyswennod</i>.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIn3ySYKauciIi2BGyffYfOnOu1HSIkIHWborN94R82fHKUl7V3Kaky3HH4IBoB0og-kRwDyDrtpVHPtgp0Zon2xyvVftFgRHKai9fnMCDTQkN1AHwiklAAZt6Ogcr3pVOAzTpkadcyY/s1600/nanty.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAIn3ySYKauciIi2BGyffYfOnOu1HSIkIHWborN94R82fHKUl7V3Kaky3HH4IBoB0og-kRwDyDrtpVHPtgp0Zon2xyvVftFgRHKai9fnMCDTQkN1AHwiklAAZt6Ogcr3pVOAzTpkadcyY/s320/nanty.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nanty Glo Bikini
Contest<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(video right <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOBMsfsXhH8">here</a>)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<b>
1. Foot of Ten</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Painting by Salvador Dali?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Obscure indie rock band?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kind of
measurement used by poorly educated early settlers?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s kind of hard to believe, but there actually is a
legitimate explanation for this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At one
time, this part of Pennsylvania was home to a fascinating experiment to get
canal barges over the local mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
involved inclined planes where the barges were put on railroad tracks and then
pulled up the planes by horsepower.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There were ten of these planes, and F of T just so happened to take root
at the foot of plane #10.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This tiny town of 670 is just south of Altoona …<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You know, northwest of Johnstown?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Er, straight up 99 from Bedford?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wait a minute – I know, I know.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s just to the east of Nanty Glo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There you go!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLz8lDPmQmsANBiXIl9VdmnDYV6ITbH46TGMGkZASZSd185nKZuTjI9zbqPFivKwZIwAqGNwIf12eQcMPT5BIJ1DpTcN-EDvVWJZ1W5aqToDMSKIOxIX2BQ2ZgbGLgcqEGXcTZb8cBBx4/s1600/footten.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLz8lDPmQmsANBiXIl9VdmnDYV6ITbH46TGMGkZASZSd185nKZuTjI9zbqPFivKwZIwAqGNwIf12eQcMPT5BIJ1DpTcN-EDvVWJZ1W5aqToDMSKIOxIX2BQ2ZgbGLgcqEGXcTZb8cBBx4/s320/footten.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: black; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Foot of Ten, shown </span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">in inches of feet<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<b>
Honorable Mention:</b>
<br/><br/>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">B-o-r-i-n-g – Wood,
Wall*, North East, State Line, State College, Center Road, Centerville, Central
City, Midway, Townville, Home Camp, Home<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Short and sweet – Odin,
Enid, Mina, Dora, Cito, Cloe, Nolo, Van, Day, Dott, Todd, Rew, Rea, Ohl,
Boltz <o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little out of
place – Moon*, Halfmoon, Mars, Venus<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little off
color – Keisters, Climax, Hooker, Blue Knob<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Beaver patrol –
Beaver, Big Beaver, Shy Beaver, Beaver Center, Beavertown (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/news/5596">Monkee Davy Jones museum</a>), Beaver Falls, Beaver Dam, Beaverdale.<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Orthographically challenged
– Boquet, Chrystal, Starr, Tyre, Erly, Erie<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Numerically oriented –
Twin Rocks, Three Springs, Five Points, Seven Springs*, Ten Mile, Eleven
Mile, Eighty Four<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Native American
mouthfuls – Loyalhanna, Tidioute, Nemacolin*, Aliquippa*, Shelocta, Wapwallopen ("where wild hemp grows"), Monongahela,
Sinnemahoning, Daguncahonda, Conoquenessing<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atypical adjectives –
Windward, Sandy, Metal, Mammoth, Universal, United, Brave, Lovely, Tidal, Distant, Gayly<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abnormal nouns – Candor, Amity,
Harmony, Prosperity, Industry, Energy, Economy, Emporium, Wampum, Bullion, Dime, Time, Sergeant,
Surveyor, Sturgeon, Pigeon, Pansy, Plum*, Nectarine, Newcomer, Bitumen, Tuna, Torpedo, Roulette,
Cyclone, Confluence*, Congruity, Crucible, Coupon, Crates, Custards, Mustard, Smock, Snow Shoe,
Laboratory, Library, Lover, Cypher<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unconventional verbs –
Transfer, Force, Drifting, Muse, Paint, Point, Echo, Desire, Hunker, Ogle, Ache<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fun to say – Frink, Skelp, Sewickley*,
Sabula, Saluvia, Lycippus, Petrolia, Revloc, Fertigs, Fombell, Munderf, Dunkard,
Blawnox*, Arbuckle, Acmetonia, Hepburnia, Sterrettania, Orbisonia, Ohiopyle* (Indian for "white, frothy water"),
Langeloth, Bunola, Vowinckel* (the author camped here), Holsopple<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just plain weird – Stone
House, Fallen Timber, Burnt Cabins, Warriors Mark, Water Street, Black
Lick, Dry Tavern, Trade City, Turkey City, Sportsburg, Star Line, Starbrick, Breezewood*, Shinglehouse,
Karthaus, Grassflat, Gibbon Glade, Carter
Camp, Centre Hall, Whig Hill, Tire Hill, Bully Hill, Spankle Mills, Guys
Mills, Manns Choice, Andrews Settlement, Martha Furnace, Burning Well (oil well, that is), Chest Springs, Smoke
Run, Dry Run, Nu Mine, Purchase Line, Spaces Corners, Little Corners,
Little Hope, Fair Chance, Good Intent, Cornplanter (an Indian chief), Coon Hunter, Panic Plug<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Too many towns – Daisytown,
Barneytown, Gastown, Gabtown, Shimpstown, Stifflertown, Frogtown,
Jollytown, Puzzletown, Stonerstown<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Too many villes – Burtville,
Coneville, Lowville, Lickingville, Mingoville, Tusseyville, Teepleville, Normalville,
Slickville, Whiskerville, Weedville<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Too many burgs – Shirleysburg,
Marklesburg, Fryburg, Steamburg, Blandburg, Riddleburg<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d like to introduce
you to – Pocahontas, Casanova, Raymilton, Sandy Lake, Lawrence Park, Glen
Savage, Glen Campbell<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ghost towns – Dravo*,
Zanmore, Stringtown, Pithole City (check out the <a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/16920">visitors center</a>), Windy
City, Crumb<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<i>* - author has visited</i>
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></div>Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-67508817181174894142013-09-17T06:58:00.002-07:002018-01-05T15:08:53.772-08:00Oregon<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
Any state whose major universities
have mascots of Beavers and Ducks is okay by me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looks like they’ve got some pretty weird town
names too.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<b>10. Milton-Freewater</b>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
Wasn’t he that economist?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or am I thinking of Maynard Keynes?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>John Kenneth Galbreath?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Trygve Haavelmo (real guy)?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, as you’re probably
guessing, there were originally two towns, one called Milton and one called
Freewater.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As for the name origins of
the individual towns, well, they’re equally as boring.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
Milton, originally Freeport,
changed its name to Milltown when a mill was started there (and somehow lost an
“l” and a “w” over the years).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Freewater, once the priceless New Walla Walla, changed its name when the
town offered free access to water to new homesteaders.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Put the two together, and you
get … the one-time Pea Capital of the World.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>M-F is in the wonderfully named Umatilla County, just south of Walla
Walla, WA.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s got a little over 7,000
MFers.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-6ojY9VSjzX4GBaSfckKAj98JZZZBpl1sLIFGGkfIBexcCyHGCdElL8FEfcULYIg9KboPFswiVgoLCHJFiTT2LbRoNu06ycx_REFQMH3VjVGGdzckLsocReYDMZBH_5kDjSugvClV5o/s1600/Milton-Freewater_Frog_Statues_(Umatilla_County,_Oregon_scenic_images)_(umaDA0069).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP-6ojY9VSjzX4GBaSfckKAj98JZZZBpl1sLIFGGkfIBexcCyHGCdElL8FEfcULYIg9KboPFswiVgoLCHJFiTT2LbRoNu06ycx_REFQMH3VjVGGdzckLsocReYDMZBH_5kDjSugvClV5o/s320/Milton-Freewater_Frog_Statues_(Umatilla_County,_Oregon_scenic_images)_(umaDA0069).jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s also famous for
its frog statues</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(locals jokingly call the place Muddy-<i>Frog</i>water)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<b>9. Drain</b>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In Massachusetts, they talk about going “down the
Cape.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I wonder if they ever use similar
phraseology for this place?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nah, that would be too perfect.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why,<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> of</i> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">course</i> it’s named after a Mr.
Drain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did you expect?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In particular, we’re talking about one
Charles Drain, an early settler and politician. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Possibilities for the surname are endless:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A Danish word for a yeoman farmer<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Someone who lived along a ditch<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Someone who dug ditches</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A lazy person</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">An Anglicization of the Irish O’ Dreian</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">An Anglicization of the Scottish O’ Druachain</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From the French <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">derain</i>, or “last,” for the last child<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This town of 1,100 in the southwest part of the state
includes such local landmarks as the Drain Public Swimming Pool and the Mildred
Whipple Library.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2nH77lIJ2RakC7TMvxQ81flmdBagydU23FfmEdsb7jPK7SdOHzoNL0pMsEKY7nFocJlF0udCZT1N989Znz4m7cRDp1tRw1X2WJw2wkO92Io3sj2GXGiUhPfJcPkHiPL99CH-eCEmOfM/s1600/drain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji2nH77lIJ2RakC7TMvxQ81flmdBagydU23FfmEdsb7jPK7SdOHzoNL0pMsEKY7nFocJlF0udCZT1N989Znz4m7cRDp1tRw1X2WJw2wkO92Io3sj2GXGiUhPfJcPkHiPL99CH-eCEmOfM/s320/drain.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Decisions, decisions<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<b>8. Remote</b>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Truth in advertising?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Or commemorating that very important milestone
in the history of the couch potato?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, it’s the former.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Remotes weren’t even <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">around</i> in 1887 when the town was founded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everybody knows <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">that</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Looks like the town’s still
pretty isolated even today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s smack
dab in the middle of the Cascades, on the upper reaches of the Coquille
River.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I count a couple of farms.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not totally sure why they even bothered,
though there is a pretty cool <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBq1KVVVfGA">covered bridge</a>.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
</div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0AD_70aSGWz3l2AkTxpV5sAXy-Ursx3E_9_D8v1gNqJ4bDEYaAjHLkAppeWcCXX8V2Bj6ELKJBfcDKO7Vs4lFOlANcbVxnYEAkjzOUUkZw8aidUc_TCtp0YpyWebW8_gA_34LxppQKzE/s1600/remote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0AD_70aSGWz3l2AkTxpV5sAXy-Ursx3E_9_D8v1gNqJ4bDEYaAjHLkAppeWcCXX8V2Bj6ELKJBfcDKO7Vs4lFOlANcbVxnYEAkjzOUUkZw8aidUc_TCtp0YpyWebW8_gA_34LxppQKzE/s320/remote.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And
a cool old store too<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<b>7. Riddle</b>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I give up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is
it?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Why, it’s a town of 1,200 people, right along 1-5, halfway
between Eugene and Medford.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It owes its
name to early settler William H. Riddle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And that surname denotes someone from the village of Ryedale, a spot along
the river Rye, in Yorkshire.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Riddle is known for its:<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Timber industry</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Having the last nickel mine in the US</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Being a “bedroom community” of Roseburg (?)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Being part of the “banana belt” of the Northwest (??)<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Riddle, OR</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">an artist’s rendition (???)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<b>6. Umpqua</b>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The first time I ran into this
name, I was doing some research for my employer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I work for a bank, and was researching how our
competitors did something or other.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Imagine my surprise when, among the Citibanks, </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chases,</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wells Fargos,</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> and </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Banks of Americas </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">of the world, I found Umpqua Bank (“the world’s greatest bank” –
just Google “Umpqua bank,” if you don’t believe me).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The “Umpqua” name actually
applies to quite a bit – a bank, a river, a national forest, an Indian tribe,
and our little town of 100 people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not
too sure what it means, however, though I did find some netizens out there who
were more than willing to give it the old college try:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“This is the place”<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“This stream”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Thunder water”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Loud noise”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Canoe”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Full tummy”</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">“Satisfied”<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<b>5. Clackamas</b>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The sound you make when you drop all the billiard balls?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No, it’s actually a suburb of Portland, and boasts a
population of 7,000.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Based on what I
could find on Google, it looks like the town may be most famous for a shooting
at a local mall.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the way, there <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i>
an Umpqua branch in Clackamas.<o:p></o:p></span>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpDgHx1tK7-sXuAL0bVErLUTP3bYFSlPvgvQX2m46FMbSwrOI3I4-s7yS6WYUbovSt-HigpI5p2QQhbzXPFl7pKMPjPnK99IYc0jpFrbFvijx9mRWWzo7w4akLkdjH6_urJKGa6nrL9w/s1600/clackamas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIpDgHx1tK7-sXuAL0bVErLUTP3bYFSlPvgvQX2m46FMbSwrOI3I4-s7yS6WYUbovSt-HigpI5p2QQhbzXPFl7pKMPjPnK99IYc0jpFrbFvijx9mRWWzo7w4akLkdjH6_urJKGa6nrL9w/s320/clackamas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Go Clavaliers!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<b>4. North Powder</b>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Try as I might, I could not find a South Powder, nor an East
Powder, West Powder, or just plain Powder either.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This unlikely moniker comes from the Powder River, whose
name comes in turn from the powdery, sandy soil along its bank.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">NP has 400 people, and is in the northeast part of the
state, right along the Oregon Trail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No
Umpqua branch, I’m afraid.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One happenin’ place<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<b>3. Brothers / Sisters</b>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If this were merely one or the other, I’d probably include it
in Honorable Mention, below, but I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t give it its own
spot, let alone make it #3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Put ‘em in
the same state, though …<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My only question is whether they are related.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Alright, let’s start with Sisters …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This town of 2,000 is the central part of Oregon, not too
far north from Bend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was supposedly named
after the nearby Three Sisters Mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
<br />
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The local high school has over-compensated for this
incredibly girly name by calling their mascots the Stallions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yup, the Sisters Stallions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t laugh though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is where Hall of Fame quarterback Dan
Fouts got his start.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As for Brothers, there’s a story out there that the town was
named for the Three Brothers Hills, which appear in front of the Three Sisters
Mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, the Three Sisters are
huge, but Brothers and Sisters are an hour apart, with Brothers out in the
flat, flat desert southeast of Bend.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
also couldn’t find anything on the Three Brothers apart from stories about the
town name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, the name origin of this
100-person podunk might just have to remain TBD.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPYLxRTwtKZCve6QYkxAywbigOl06waavEuoKk6dl9kkhE2ORcypWjSKXU6PbjhWucZfIKzW6G15Mz-f6fhuHNYru6vYPoIe74TDW0iwIjvB3In3xBVSoEQuku5O3wbRsg52rBUy5_U8/s1600/brothers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSPYLxRTwtKZCve6QYkxAywbigOl06waavEuoKk6dl9kkhE2ORcypWjSKXU6PbjhWucZfIKzW6G15Mz-f6fhuHNYru6vYPoIe74TDW0iwIjvB3In3xBVSoEQuku5O3wbRsg52rBUy5_U8/s320/brothers.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Interestingly,
Brothers’ main claim to fame </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br />is as a place to launch model rockets<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
</span></span><br />
<div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
<b>2. Zigzag</b>
<br /><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Here’s one that’s pretty standard for most funny town name
books and blogs out there.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This one comes from an early explorer, who had to make many
switchbacks to cross a canyon and river here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The name has been applied to the town, the canyon, the river, a
mountain, a glacier, and a brand of rolling papers (just kidding on that last
one).<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Zigzag the town is in Clackamas County, down the Mt. Hood
Highway (the old Barlow Road), heading into Portland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Click <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ao59YzoVIlo">here</a> for a nighttime sighting of a sasquatch in
the nearby woods!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrPqOweq8MhRNazIWI5aWOmDMhnuV6u1H-QRbMa6BHigRsBkHaX_kR9ow4ZAZOPNFLJpd-ZPREJ5wO423cnsz_zUNN4IJRYTIwH1DgN1YcRpGkCDVRoNr-1d_w_t-lkhlOJaEftl2RNc/s1600/zigzag.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqrPqOweq8MhRNazIWI5aWOmDMhnuV6u1H-QRbMa6BHigRsBkHaX_kR9ow4ZAZOPNFLJpd-ZPREJ5wO423cnsz_zUNN4IJRYTIwH1DgN1YcRpGkCDVRoNr-1d_w_t-lkhlOJaEftl2RNc/s320/zigzag.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Two for one!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">(see below for Govt. Camp)</span></div>
<br />
<b>1. Boring</b>
<br /><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Truth in advertising
again?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Or just some guy’s name?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, this one’s the
latter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Willam H. Boring was an early
settler who came out West after the Civil War.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>According to ancestry.com, the surname probably comes from the personal
name Bor, which may have something to do with pine trees (and which would be
very appropriate for Oregon).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like Zigzag & Clackamas, Boring’s
close to Portland.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have a Boring
Post Office, Boring Fire Department, and Boring Middle School, as well some <a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1041">boring topless dancers</a> (wait a minute – have I been there?) and the Not So Boring
Bar & Grill.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The folks here seem to take it all pretty well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, they made Dull, Scotland their sister
city.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And the Oregon legislature got in
on the fun by officially declaring August 9 Boring and Dull Day in the state of
Oregon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlMvMt_PJmB9eXP2LEhQwe0vhbrze2QsOsea4XEJDWxYC3lW-87oQ5Vgi1OM8tHTB9ArTz159E7LYum7tiR8H6WbON27XOgE5JVOuK8NEGQqbqh0xE8GxO9JGncS7zIL5VEBICfwYVmo/s1600/Boringorcity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmlMvMt_PJmB9eXP2LEhQwe0vhbrze2QsOsea4XEJDWxYC3lW-87oQ5Vgi1OM8tHTB9ArTz159E7LYum7tiR8H6WbON27XOgE5JVOuK8NEGQqbqh0xE8GxO9JGncS7zIL5VEBICfwYVmo/s320/Boringorcity.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Boring <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Washington</i> city to the left<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<b>Honorable Mention:</b>
<br /><br />
<li>B-o-r-i-n-g – Woods, Fields,
Bridge, Midland, Halfway (formerly Half.com), Junction City, Central
Point, Oregon City (end of the Oregon Trail)</li>
<li>Short and sweet – Dee,
Bly (bombed by the Japanese in WWII), Van, Vale (be sure to stay at the <a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/12033">Bates Motel</a>), Ada, Bena, Zena, Noti, Hebo, Keno, Ruch</li>
</span></span>
<li>Just a little out of
place – Santa Clara, Phoenix, Dallas, Austin, St. Paul, Peoria, Detroit, Saginaw,
Toledo, Dayton, Pittsburg, Elmira, Albany, Nashville, Charleston, Selma,
Jacksonville, Ontario, Glasgow, London, Waterloo, Denmark, Norway,
Florence, Rome, Troy, Sparta, Damascus, Lebanon, Madras, Paradise</li>
<li>Just a little
off-color – Beaver, Beaver Marsh</li>
<li>Numerically oriented –
Tri-City, Three Lynx, Four Corners, Sixes, Tenmile</li>
<li>Orthographically challenged
– Shedd, Agness, Milwaukie, Owyhee (an old spelling of Hawaii) Corner</li>
<li>Native American
mouthfuls – Yachats, Molalla, Yoncalla, Umatilla, Tillamook
(<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/4006">world’s largest wooden structure</a>), Siltcoos, Scapoose, Clatskanie</li>
<li>Atypical adjectives – Green,
Golden, Sandy (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/36234">world’s tallest topiary bear</a>), Nonpareil, Dairy,
Plush, Paisley</li>
<li>Abnormal nouns – Enterprise,
Monument, Outlook, Friend, Flora, Alfalfa, Fox, Wren, Crow, Lime, Timber,
Trail, Mist, Rainbow, Bonanza, Cornucopia, Talent, Tangent, Helix, Sublimity,
Steamboat, Fossil, Greenhorn, Nimrod</li>
<li>Unconventional verbs – Bend,
Echo, Post, Spray, Wonder, Promise, Glide</li>
<li>Fun to say – Hebo, Wasco,
Dufur, Philomath, Imbler, Zumwalt</li>
<li>Just plain weird – Lee’s
Camp, New Era, Green Acres, Christmas Valley, Mt. Angel (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/13522">tallest glockenspiel in US</a>), Bridal Veil, Aloha, Sweet Home, Alkali Lake, Medical
Springs, Pistol River, The Dalles, Swisshome, Wagontire, Yamhill, Gearhart,
Barview, Government Camp</li>
<li>Just plain weird,
-ville division – Butteville, Sodaville, Susanville, Wilderville</li>
<li>I’d like to introduce
you to – Joseph, Donald, Otis, Eugene (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/14545">world’s largest rubber band ball</a>),
Cecil, Merlin, Rose Lodge, May Park, John Day</li>
<li>Ghost towns – Mabel,
Waldo, Richmond, Bohemia City, Narrows, Antelope, Apiary, Izee, Champoeg (pronounced "shampoo-ee"), Bayocean,
Blitzen, Horse Heaven, Jawbone Flats, Idiotville</li>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-52069120350438022502013-09-08T09:13:00.001-07:002018-05-03T16:14:26.125-07:00Oklahoma L-Z<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oklahoma is OK, huh? Just like Arizona is AZ, and Minnesota is MN, and Virginia is VA, right? Well now, that <i>is </i>imaginative.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wait. Hold on a sec … Is this a double-entendre (and did I spell that right?)? Ohmigod, that’s so clever! This is exactly the kind of stuff I read the <i>New Yorker</i> for. I take back all the bad things I’ve said about you, Oklahoma. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>10. Medicine Park</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In the west, “medicine” often means “magic,” or “healing.” And that gives us such great stuff as Medicine Lodge, Medicine Lake, Medicine Springs, and Medicine Park. I think it has something to do with Native Americans. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">MP is an old resort town. It’s in the Wichita Mountains, in the southwest part of the state. Former well-known visitors include Will Rogers, Wiley Post, Al Capone, Bonnie and Clyde, Pretty Boy Floyd, Les Brown, and Roy Rogers. The town is famous for its cobblestone architecture.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr90nKZ0jcbfGRrZAW3sHGzZIq5KXgblUFaDIwVLFtaLSNnwy6pyXuh2ZCSgGuF6U0iOMNEpbUKV93rwJOt2CPd4wzZIlUdn6SmQUWf5Y8DzzGXGG2HTj0baHefziywuSzuK_9_NsPDPk/s1600/med+park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr90nKZ0jcbfGRrZAW3sHGzZIq5KXgblUFaDIwVLFtaLSNnwy6pyXuh2ZCSgGuF6U0iOMNEpbUKV93rwJOt2CPd4wzZIlUdn6SmQUWf5Y8DzzGXGG2HTj0baHefziywuSzuK_9_NsPDPk/s1600/med+park.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Some of that there architecture</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>9. The Village</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I had a friend in grade school who had a dog name “Dog” and a cat named “Cat.” He’d probably fit right in here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Officially known as City of the Village, this village / city / whatever is almost entirely surrounded by Oklahoma City. There are 10,000 people in The Village. Yup, that’s 10,000 Village people. Sorry.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Village is the corporate headquarters of Love’s Travel Stops, which you may be familiar with if you’ve ever traveled on an interstate in the United States of America. The town was incorporated only in 1970.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>8. Slaughterville </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wow! What kind of terrible massacre must have happened here? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, actually, I’m afraid Slaughterville owes its name to nothing more gruesome than a local grocer named James Slaughter. And he had a store at some crossroads here.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Like <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/07/upstate-new-york-l.html">Fishkill, NY</a>, Slaughterville was once asked by PETA to change its name. PETA offered to give $20,000 worth of veggie burgers to the local school if the town changed its name to Veggieville. Honestly, I could not make this stuff up if I tried (see <a href="http://www.foxnews.com/story/2004/02/16/peta-has-beef-with-slaughterville/">here</a> for proof).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We’re in the Oklahoma City area again, just a little to the southeast. There are 4,000 Slaughtervillians, though they all appear to be rather spread out.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxJF7QhaVG20dAHNKIQ9AV6-ZPzhQXMBKxcj38ZVaWMjGEERWusEWP9nKSiFis9oQYQo9lHnZM04DYKehTCqaywowYm0qTYFIB00FPEO8IYwrDyOExrSGwpnM-0LHiManAn4t24MNVYg/s1600/svill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxJF7QhaVG20dAHNKIQ9AV6-ZPzhQXMBKxcj38ZVaWMjGEERWusEWP9nKSiFis9oQYQo9lHnZM04DYKehTCqaywowYm0qTYFIB00FPEO8IYwrDyOExrSGwpnM-0LHiManAn4t24MNVYg/s1600/svill.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Thanks Internet Photoshop user!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>7. Scraper</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You know, to get the ice off your windshield. Where did you <i>think </i>it came from?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Actually, it’s from some dude – namely, one Captain Archibald Scraper, of the 2nd Regiment, Indian Home Guard. He was a Cherokee.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This one’s got 475 people, and is in the northeast part of the state. It has one famous son, Wilson Rawls, author of <i>Where the Red Fern Grows</i>.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0lWKmX_akUD9YodYPsLtOgrFlOsZJHutAA8zkhhxt1ij6YOEGm-fIsVf9zh-LLKwgzzbjrFhdbQ_U6ogN23l85-EJ2pLSMEYEn7ifuikiPZAU0zXBhqaim7vRGw-v5C3ckamEWyrCz4/s1600/scraper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM0lWKmX_akUD9YodYPsLtOgrFlOsZJHutAA8zkhhxt1ij6YOEGm-fIsVf9zh-LLKwgzzbjrFhdbQ_U6ogN23l85-EJ2pLSMEYEn7ifuikiPZAU0zXBhqaim7vRGw-v5C3ckamEWyrCz4/s1600/scraper.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oops, wrong scraper</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>6. Slick</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Noun: an oil slick. Hmm, I don’t think so. Adj: smooth and glossy. Probably not. Adj: operating in an impressively smooth, efficient, and apparently effortless way. I like it!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, wouldn’t you know. It’s actually named after another dude. Thomas B. Slick was a legendary Oklahoma oil man, and drilled the first oil well in the area here in 1920.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Slick the town actually once had a population of 5,000. These days, not so much. It’s down to about 130. Ah well. The oil giveth and the oil taketh away. Great YouTube video on this almost ghost town right <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ijqRJ85TGw">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As for the surname, it means “smooth and glossy.” Not. It’s actually an Anglicization of Schlick, a German name that means “glutton.” Take your pick: Slick, Schlick, or Glutton – they all would have made it into this post.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Uk2hj_oOApKR2jseyJGwHBoTt4mVPKP4Jj4q1BiKeW4t5fJlN7taCEyNKjwa98jNISplba67wcnhmuyvvl9j_zQynHGVLc7IbQA6QcGiVx2OYbpyBuV_aQfRJIbROWzgmmoc2IPq-1I/s1600/slick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5Uk2hj_oOApKR2jseyJGwHBoTt4mVPKP4Jj4q1BiKeW4t5fJlN7taCEyNKjwa98jNISplba67wcnhmuyvvl9j_zQynHGVLc7IbQA6QcGiVx2OYbpyBuV_aQfRJIbROWzgmmoc2IPq-1I/s1600/slick.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Haunted high school, Slick, OK</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>5. Loco</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Crazy / I’m crazy for feeling so lonely / I’m crazy / Crazy for feeling so blue …</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, actually, I’m crazy because I ate some locoweed. Yup, that’s where this town’s name came from. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There is another theory though. This one leads back to the Latin word for “place” – you know, like in the word “locus.” I don't know ... I ain't buyin' it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Loco the town has 150 people and is in the south central part of the state. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And, as with all towns whose names are adjectives, Google returns some great results. In our case, these include loco divorce lawyers, loco singles, and loco cardiologists.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDHEfurp8iFsEudBqZmRDVlP0WmUs6dEl72Loq-qIZyztePxyvpv8N6I5dLJBRv5gkLW44wayhxVkYwFMuEELoh3nooq0TsMvlPilqvDy3bmyc2FPH5j5qoYwtq_JdU3O3v3ZIluOu4g/s1600/loco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzDHEfurp8iFsEudBqZmRDVlP0WmUs6dEl72Loq-qIZyztePxyvpv8N6I5dLJBRv5gkLW44wayhxVkYwFMuEELoh3nooq0TsMvlPilqvDy3bmyc2FPH5j5qoYwtq_JdU3O3v3ZIluOu4g/s1600/loco.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And loco tankers as well</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>4. Pumpkin Center</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Don’t laugh. This is actually a fairly common name. In fact, would you believe there are more states with a Pumpkin Center than there are without? Yup, I count 29 with and 21 without. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Now, why is this name so popular? That is the question. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, interestingly enough, I may have just found an answer. Turns out there was a comedy team by the name of Uncle Josh and Aunt Nancy who cut some early records at the turn of the 20th Century. And can you guess what fictional podunk they hailed from? Yup, good ol’ Pumpkin Center.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">To confuse things even further, though, would you believe there are four possible places with this name just in Oklahoma alone? For the sake of time, however, let’s go with just one. My particular favorite is near Lawton, in Comanche County, in the far southwest part of OK. They’ve got a restaurant called the Dry Beaver Supper Club, which certainly deserves a plug with a name like that.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHCoACpp_kFj9E-y-do9ziD-9Ne7F0_0IRJjABPUS3S5-4iC52gw5GsKehM7M3jtoAmlYqU0AeaMiF2zsyRgwD9eYoefRgQvzS0K46-dEo_4zCxBsVzVcaoxFfB05n1ShMiYJFdNobX8/s1600/dry+beaver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHCoACpp_kFj9E-y-do9ziD-9Ne7F0_0IRJjABPUS3S5-4iC52gw5GsKehM7M3jtoAmlYqU0AeaMiF2zsyRgwD9eYoefRgQvzS0K46-dEo_4zCxBsVzVcaoxFfB05n1ShMiYJFdNobX8/s1600/dry+beaver.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>3. Non</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Non: the town that wasn’t there!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Actually, I was able to find it, on MapQuest. It looks, though, more like it’s <i>barely </i>there. I count about a dozen houses or buildings of some sort or other.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, where did the name come from? Well, all I could find was a story that it was from the last syllable of the surname of the first postmaster, one J.W. Cannon. That makes me assume that 1) there was already a Cannon, OK, and that 2) J.W. was not a particularly imaginative person. As it turns out, there is not a Cannon, OK, so I guess it’s #2 then. Alternatively, though, perhaps A.J. was just a little bit unusual.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I could find next to nothing else on the place, but I did get some interesting hits on Google nonetheless, including:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What you need to know about Oklahoma non-compete agreements</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The non-conference schedule for the Oklahoma State basketball team</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">How to start a non-profit in Oklahoma</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That it’s OK for Christians to apologize to non-Christians</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That nonok is Malay for “vagina”</span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>2. Slapout</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Believe it or not, there are a few Slapouts out there too. In addition to Oklahoma, Alabama and Texas claim one as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The typical story is that there was a general store at some crossroads that was somewhat lacking in inventory. So, whenever someone would ask for something, the store owner would have to admit that he was “slap out of it.” Perhaps there’s some comedic basis to this as well. Maybe Uncle Josh and Aunt Nancy owned a store. Who knows?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">At 8 people, the Oklahoma Slapout may be the smallest town in the state. Not much there other than a store and a couple of houses. It’s located right at the beginning of the Panhandle.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkQvNUunZgH3LvY40HSoePD-ymgatKDeQ8hPbErlfYolHlSylTsL7bwJ6-q7wWyb6MukUNH-RAFOP9R5xpmpgHP3ScIs_6tq-gkq2TlFWpgkfiH5CR3w5etmJjqP-gGdQP-2NyH8KWgA/s1600/slapout.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="227" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqkQvNUunZgH3LvY40HSoePD-ymgatKDeQ8hPbErlfYolHlSylTsL7bwJ6-q7wWyb6MukUNH-RAFOP9R5xpmpgHP3ScIs_6tq-gkq2TlFWpgkfiH5CR3w5etmJjqP-gGdQP-2NyH8KWgA/s1600/slapout.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Photo tip: always be sure to make things sprout</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">directly from your subjects’ heads</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>1. Nuyaka</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, dis guy comes out west. I dunno, he’s from Flatbush, or someplace like dat. Anyhoo, he buys some cows or steers or whatever, and he starts dis farm …</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You’re not going to believe this, but this place is actually named after The Big Apple. Seems a bunch of Creek Indians met George Washington there, and were suitably impressed to name a town after it when they came out west.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">You won’t have any trouble distinguishing between the two however. Ours has about 15 buildings scattered over three blocks, a bit south of Tulsa. The name itself has a little more traction, with a creek, winery, mission, high school, mall, and various other Nuyaka kind of things scattered about the greater Okmulgee area.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not to be confused with …</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Honorable Mention:</b></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">B-o-r-i-n-g – Woods, Oklahoma City (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/25949">American Banjo Museum</a>), Midwest City</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Short and sweet – Taft, Tom, May, Meno, Nebo, Ord, Orr, Vici, Vian, Wye, Zoe, Zena, Stapp, Prue, Roff</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just a little out of place – Peoria, Pittsburg, Yale, Utica, Tupelo, Washington, Pensacola, Orlando, Miami, Santa Fe, Yukon, Panama, Lima, Prague, Troy, Lebanon</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Orthographically challenged – Wheeless, Picher (former site of world’s largest zinc mine), Rufe, Purdy</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Numerically oriented – Twin Oaks, Three Sands</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Native American mouthfuls – Pawhuska (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/3135">nation’s first Boy Scout troop</a>), Pontotoc, Weleetka, Tahlequah (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1828">Mr. Ed the Talking Horse burial site</a>), Tullahassee, Oologah, Oktaha, Okmulgee, Okfuskee, Muskogee (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/18578">site of first Girl Scout cookie sale</a>), Sallisaw, Sapulpa, Wappanucka</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Atypical adjectives – Loyal, Noble, Valiant, Mutual, Little (and Little City), Long, Pink, Okay</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Abnormal nouns – Victory, Model, Mounds, Lookout, Sentinel, Snow, Shamrock, Pharoah, Wildcat, Sparks, Verdigris, Rattan, Platter</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Unconventional verbs – Page, Muse, Roll</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Fun to say – Milfay, Lookeba, Ponca City, Panola, Inola, Yahola, Yuba, Yanush, Skedee (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/1032">Chief Baconrind monument</a>), Swink, Spavinaw (Mickey Mantle’s birthplace), Tuttle, Tussy, Tushka, Tamaha, Talala, Quapaw (“downstream people” – a tribe), Uncas</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Impossible portmanteaus – Texola, Texhoma, Texanna, Tunkahoma</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just plain weird – Loveland, Oil Center, Sulphur, Sunkist, Sunray, Stillwater (home of OSU), Stringtown, Strong City, Sacred Heart, Pyramid Corners, Pauls Valley, Richards Spur, Rubottom, Retrop (Porter backwards), Red Bird, Lone Wolf (as well as just plain Wolf), Radium Town</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’d like to introduce you to – Martha, Maud, Mazie, Velma, Vera, Olive, Stella, Ramona (formerly Bon Ton), Spiro, Milo, Oscar, Homer, Norman (home of the Univ. of Oklahoma), Wayne, Leonard, Luther, Milton, Vernon, Virgil, Remus</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ghost towns – Santa Fe, Yonkers, Oak Wall, Little Chief, Wildman, Whizbang</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wondering what happened to all the OK towns from A to K? Well, check right <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/08/oklahoma-k.html">here</a>.</span></div>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-4945102452539282822013-08-24T12:12:00.001-07:002014-09-19T19:06:13.319-07:00Oklahoma, A-K<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oklahoma is OK, huh?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well, were you aware that Arkansas is the
Land of Opportunity, and New Mexico the Land of Enchantment?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You’ve also got your Gem State (Idaho) and
Golden State (California) and Empire State (New York) as well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, what do you think, Oklahoma?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do you think you could you raise your game
just a little bit here?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 243.1pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, at least they’ve got their
fair share of crazily named towns. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had
to break this post in two.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This week, A
to K.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Next week, <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/09/oklahoma-l-z.html">L to Z</a>.</span></div>
<b>
10. Gene Autry</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This town of 100 in the south
central part of the state was named for famous singer and Western movie star
Tom Mix.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tom bought a ranch nearby in
1939.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The locals changed the name of
their town, Berwyn, to honor him a couple of years later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Interestingly, the town had previously been
called Lou and also Dresden.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Here's hoping these
folks have <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">finally</i> settled down. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And, yes, there <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i> a <a href="http://www.geneautryokmuseum.com/">museum</a>! <o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<br />
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMOlemzqF9aGzMhsBwU28xDf3Rukv9ew-NNHIixZNI7EcSGbPwXVxFvjkKGMfG2cI1x4xtmwNMj6otVpJmLBLtOLOCEJnvURZPk7HUJKERaHdV3JGrnZYPnrNMcT128atOvBUqZLbClQ/s1600/gene+autry.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMOlemzqF9aGzMhsBwU28xDf3Rukv9ew-NNHIixZNI7EcSGbPwXVxFvjkKGMfG2cI1x4xtmwNMj6otVpJmLBLtOLOCEJnvURZPk7HUJKERaHdV3JGrnZYPnrNMcT128atOvBUqZLbClQ/s320/gene+autry.png" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Tom, wife Dale, and
horse Silver<br />(not necessarily in that order)</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b>
9. Chilocco</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think I just like saying this one (though chances are pretty
good I’m pronouncing it incorrectly).<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s from the Muskogee (Creek) and means “big deer.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And that’s – interestingly – the phrase they
used for “horse.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chilocco the town is north of Oklahoma City, right on the border
with Kansas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s the site of a famous Indian
boarding school, which closed in 1980.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Today, we have the Seven Clans Travel Plaza and Lil' Bit of Paradise
Casino instead – and not much else, to tell you the truth.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHeyOFzYogULWe4dpQ-bwK_2SfhdlwcnShFRyPVIpgCZdRyoMqWrNavTngQDcwjc0vr97Yd4FNAdVtINnZvrG7nxHt-zWHn53bVuJChyxdEUvRuvbR7O27AJ3cCMAWGgZw0foBIHklBI/s1600/chilocco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWHeyOFzYogULWe4dpQ-bwK_2SfhdlwcnShFRyPVIpgCZdRyoMqWrNavTngQDcwjc0vr97Yd4FNAdVtINnZvrG7nxHt-zWHn53bVuJChyxdEUvRuvbR7O27AJ3cCMAWGgZw0foBIHklBI/s320/chilocco.jpg" height="320" width="284" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chilocco Agricultural
Indian School </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">basketball team, 1909</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(and, yes, those are swastikas)</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<b>
8. Bluejacket</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Personally, I would much
prefer Blueblazer … But, hey, who asked me?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The name comes from one Charles
Bluejacket, Shawnee chief and first postmaster.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The town is in the far
northeast of the state, and has 340 people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Owen Cash, founder of the Society for the Preservation and Encouragement
of Barber Shop Quartet Singing in America (SPEBSQSA for short) is a native son.<o:p></o:p></span>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: right 6.5in; text-align: center;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Psd0zOM5ZndnLK4Ppj0Zisc_xhZCwLvV75g-yoo8SlSdDfQnDXW1Cc6-RvSibK4oNg5WXN02CxRvLJOERMXnwNByWhxKe15nmU8g-BSzW2ySo4ZzU3Hsn_386EBRq4unCOeL15xY2NY/s1600/bluejacket.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Psd0zOM5ZndnLK4Ppj0Zisc_xhZCwLvV75g-yoo8SlSdDfQnDXW1Cc6-RvSibK4oNg5WXN02CxRvLJOERMXnwNByWhxKe15nmU8g-BSzW2ySo4ZzU3Hsn_386EBRq4unCOeL15xY2NY/s320/bluejacket.jpg" height="257" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Hustler
Bible Class?!?!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
Am I missing something?<o:p></o:p></span></div><br/>
<b>
7. Broken Bow / Broken Arrow</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Would you kids stop touching everything!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Put that down!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Right now!<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Broken Bow is named after <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/02/kansas.html">Broken Bow, KS</a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">, </b>where the town’s founders were from.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The OK version is in the far southeast corner
of its state, and has 4,100 people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
the nearest town to the wonderfully named Beaver Bend State Park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The local high school team goes by the
extremely politically incorrect nickname of the Savages.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Broken Arrow is named after a Creek community in Alabama.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>BA is big time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With about 100,000 people, it’s the fourth
largest city in OK and the 27<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> largest city in the US.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s still basically a suburb of Tulsa though.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It dates back only to 1902, and had a mere 11,000
just back in 1970.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kristen Chenoweth was
born here.<o:p></o:p></span></span>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_anC5strv9dX6ThzTiZPrx_BCQkTaOocEoZqntpLwotO0TqVJ66krMdfcbQR0jYngWcAD44Gw2o974Ta7bspFFu3TTAv9eZlAnZ_AgXy9swertTKYxhr738W0X26HzaV7t7trFppmgg/s1600/beaver.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-_anC5strv9dX6ThzTiZPrx_BCQkTaOocEoZqntpLwotO0TqVJ66krMdfcbQR0jYngWcAD44Gw2o974Ta7bspFFu3TTAv9eZlAnZ_AgXy9swertTKYxhr738W0X26HzaV7t7trFppmgg/s320/beaver.gif" height="320" width="167" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Someone carved that</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b>
6. Cement</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Cement factory?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nearby
clay mines?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We may never know. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">do</i> know, though,
that it’s a lot better than what the Comanche called it, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Toyanarimii.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>In case your
Comanche’s a little rusty, that means "rock town."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This diminutive burg of 530 is
in the southwest part of Oklahoma, in the wonderfully named Keechi Hills.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In Wild West days, it was known as an outlaw
hangout.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: right 6.5in;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Google results include some
wonderful combinations, such as the Cement Bulldogs (the local high school
team), Cement News, Cement Weather, Cement Car Insurance, Cement Counselors,
Cement Jobs, Cement Municipal Court, and Cement Houses for Sale.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinrWCTe3muHYLZUePaFSkLNfWkupjpLPWOZnXu4JcY7m3gComdV7qWPA5aauOrXdBBwmTbs4P6rbMKwxjMQhgvwdAldls_l6IGmH2QUMCy3c2TxCHKDsrJqrrVSwrSa32qmY-43NZxP80/s1600/cement.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinrWCTe3muHYLZUePaFSkLNfWkupjpLPWOZnXu4JcY7m3gComdV7qWPA5aauOrXdBBwmTbs4P6rbMKwxjMQhgvwdAldls_l6IGmH2QUMCy3c2TxCHKDsrJqrrVSwrSa32qmY-43NZxP80/s320/cement.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Good
name for a band</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<b>
5. Corn</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, you think they grow corn around here?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Actually, this place was originally called Korn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I’m guessing it was really named after the
band.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seriously, Korn is a German surname, literally means
“grain,” and was typically given to someone who worked as a grain
merchant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, this oddly named place may
actually really have been named after some guy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Alternatively, maybe some Germans just grew <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">grain</i>
around here.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Corn and Cement are actually rather alike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The towns, I mean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They’re both in the same part of OK, and
Corn’s got about 500 people to Cement’s 530.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>There are also plenty of odd Google links for “Corn OK” as well – though
my favorite is probably the “related search,” “Is corn OK for dogs?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There’s actually a fair amount of history in Corn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was settled by German Mennonites who
brought over the wheat variety called Turkey Red (the primary winter wheat
strain in the US).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was also the site
of the first tornado recorded on film.</span><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3IZBCFS_ojxSS4l0XFfKNmTUHaAKhglWGY4tbWsGyZQmzMGU7hyphenhyphenWLiqPudeqRJzvdarYLSWBXtazH1oqL4oZ1kMn1Xq4PhyphenhyphendK_Wx6K8n1zexj7-0kTNol10JwEwPzo1mkO5H-EQohaw/s1600/corn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib3IZBCFS_ojxSS4l0XFfKNmTUHaAKhglWGY4tbWsGyZQmzMGU7hyphenhyphenWLiqPudeqRJzvdarYLSWBXtazH1oqL4oZ1kMn1Xq4PhyphenhyphendK_Wx6K8n1zexj7-0kTNol10JwEwPzo1mkO5H-EQohaw/s320/corn.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not every city can
fit their educational and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />government districts in the same building, you know</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span>
<br/>
<b>
4. Frogville</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So, you think they got a lotta frogs around here?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a matter of fact, they do!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wikiepedia says that the place “<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;">was named for the abundance of frogs in
the area said to be so large they ate young ducks.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s in the southeast part of the state.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I spot a crossroads, some farms, and a
cemetery – all a little north of the Red River.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wasn’t able to find much on the town, though I did find a <a href="http://www.okgazette.com/oklahoma/article-9446-youll-have-a-gay-ol-time-at-frogville-oklahoma-a-new-play-about-how-a-small-town-reacts-to-some-big-news.html">review</a>
for a play called <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">So My Son Married His
Boyfriend in Frogville Oklahoma</i>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4c9_kU4UbdUKbm9pz_6ym7tB3s_w-bh2HEB72HMkfASmxW5_J2itvo6voGf8htnHSfsQcJByph4eHvg7YK5k8stUpeapDFNLCFeF3dNPOpMhxz8C9aaIt_DYBC5NV7wbBPEpbLXSMZ0/s1600/frogville.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4c9_kU4UbdUKbm9pz_6ym7tB3s_w-bh2HEB72HMkfASmxW5_J2itvo6voGf8htnHSfsQcJByph4eHvg7YK5k8stUpeapDFNLCFeF3dNPOpMhxz8C9aaIt_DYBC5NV7wbBPEpbLXSMZ0/s320/frogville.jpg" height="286" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Scarily, this is the
town’s main attraction</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
</div>
<b>
3. Battiest</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">adj. bat·ti·er, bat·ti·est. Slang. Crazy; insane. [From “bats
in the belfry”]. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s actually from the honorable Byington Battiest, a Choctaw
judge.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Further, my guess is it’s
pronounced with just two syllables – like “ba-teest.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">That’s actually too bad, because pronouncing it like the
adjective gives us such beauties as Battiest Rd., Battiest High School (home of
the Battiest Panthers), the Battiest Cemetery, and the Battiest Burger Barn.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However it may be pronounced, it’s got 250 people and is in
the southeast part of the state (not that far from Beaver Bend State Park, by
the way).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibstSJspOg21S_fkh7BUf5y4IYS_YinHjtb0KkXZc65Oib4o-NTzqcja5o1CpP1CJJ4eiKJqOLO7cPT7wOEVfaidmWWdPH9IQDJon9LQfuUzU1-ZB8hvldaC38lc1SmRfQRQkRK6m3tjc/s1600/battiest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibstSJspOg21S_fkh7BUf5y4IYS_YinHjtb0KkXZc65Oib4o-NTzqcja5o1CpP1CJJ4eiKJqOLO7cPT7wOEVfaidmWWdPH9IQDJon9LQfuUzU1-ZB8hvldaC38lc1SmRfQRQkRK6m3tjc/s1600/battiest.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It’s the battiest!</span></div>
<b>
2. Bowlegs</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, this town’s name is not a celebration of the medical
condition known as genu varum.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It’s
named after somebody with the last name of Bowlegs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There’s a little controversy about who that might
actually be:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Billy Bowlegs, a famous Seminole chief<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Lulu Bowlegs, his descendent, on whose land oil was discovered here<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">David Bowlegs, who got murdered here<o:p></o:p></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bowlegs the town has about 370 people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wikipedia says it’s a bedroom community, but it
appears to be in the middle of nowhere, with the nearest city (Oklahoma City)
more than an hour away.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoC1gnNPghA8XFIM4X-oeKpl8nLLP-VMmw9aLmOCLGp7rm1Mqb8wtRJRgaQmGX_Y-GkXtTH5sjH-O26FKcTr6HaHjKEmF0WgLQBqUO_H7YzG1MM0Zc1jza1T28d0bkIlOmHN-HLhKzhI/s1600/bowlegs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnoC1gnNPghA8XFIM4X-oeKpl8nLLP-VMmw9aLmOCLGp7rm1Mqb8wtRJRgaQmGX_Y-GkXtTH5sjH-O26FKcTr6HaHjKEmF0WgLQBqUO_H7YzG1MM0Zc1jza1T28d0bkIlOmHN-HLhKzhI/s1600/bowlegs.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Must make it
hard to kick the ball<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<b>
1. Gay / Straight</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Take your pick.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, it looks like I could definitely find some Straight Oklahomans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m not so sure about the Gay ones though. Here, let me explain ...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A search on “Straight OK” does point to a place on
Mapquest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unfortunately, there’s nothing
there other than some big crop circles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is just to the west of the equally iffy town of Mouser.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A little further east, though, is the
wonderfully named – and very alive and well – Hooker.<o:p></o:p></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for “Gay OK” …<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Well, I did get plenty of hits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>They just weren’t what I was expecting.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8SJesC0_rQMhiugJX0F6T_Uy9rCqv1hWMoMpq3Y9WyvPGNlWZoicr__VqZAmefU2V38DwewGx7R-uGY3BOCWUVfKaWuBJWH7gCKR_5E81nPyoST_CU35ml0ofIN2iU-J8z7u7j7OxppU/s1600/gay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8SJesC0_rQMhiugJX0F6T_Uy9rCqv1hWMoMpq3Y9WyvPGNlWZoicr__VqZAmefU2V38DwewGx7R-uGY3BOCWUVfKaWuBJWH7gCKR_5E81nPyoST_CU35ml0ofIN2iU-J8z7u7j7OxppU/s320/gay.jpg" height="320" width="204" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Miss Gay Oklahoma,
<br />Claire Voyance<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<br />
<b>
Honorable Mention:</b><br/><br/>
<ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">B-o-r-i-n-g – Green
Pasture, Grove (<span id="goog_1262559838"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/">world’s largest fishing pole<span id="goog_1262559839"></span></a>), Countyline,
Centralia, Center<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Short and sweet – Dow,
Fay, Jay, Joy, Ada, Eva, Eucha, Enid, Eram, Gans, Foss, Babbs, Box, Bee,
Kaw<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little out of
place – Kansas, Camp Houston, Fargo, Canton, Cleveland, Albany, Dover, Chattanooga,
Helena, Cheyenne, Billings, Boise City, El Reno, Burbank, Berlin, Kremlin,
Cairo, Delhi, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>Bengal<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just a little
off-color – Hooker, Beaver (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2188">Cow Chip Throwing Capital of the World</a>),
Cox City<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Numerically oriented –
Four Corners, Carter Nine<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Orthographically challenged
– Cogar, Chewey, Grainola, Bacone, Brooken<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Atypical adjectives – Hardy,
Blue, Brown, Golden, Gray, Cloudy, Canadian, Jumbo, Hollow, Greasy, Kenefic<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Abnormal nouns – Friendship,
Fame, Enterprise, Colony, Cache, Driftwood, Daisy, Apple, Antlers, Buffalo,
Bison, Elk City (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/2188">National Route 66 Museum</a>), Gray Horse, Herd, Kingfisher,
Carrier, Blocker, Bunch, Bromide, Bushyhead, Hominy, Hydro, Happyland, Jet,
Jester<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Unconventional verbs –
Felt, Bond, Bray<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fun to say – Harjo, Depew,
Felker, Krebs, Eakly, Andarko, Eufaula, Inola, Binger, Belzoni<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Homa, homa, homa – Indiahoma,
Centrahoma<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Just plain weird – Ft.
Supply, Empire City, Dill City, Big Cabin, Burns Flat, Cloud Chief, Jollyville,
Hockerville, Cookietown, Hicks Addition<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I’d like to introduce
you to – Katie, Gerty, Bessie, Bernice (formerly Needmore), Idabell, Amber,
Krystal, Hugo (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/10872">Circus Town USA</a>), Homer, Calvin, Canute, Geronimo,
Cleo Springs, Devo<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ghost towns – Acme,
Grand, Gate, Eddy, Bathsheba, Indianapolis, Hext, Hochatown, America,
Creek Agency, Cheek, Karma, Beer City<o:p></o:p></span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</span>Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-18234448249156900802013-08-19T08:18:00.002-07:002018-10-13T16:49:06.770-07:00Southern Ohio<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, if this informal little survey means anything, I think people in southern Ohio are definitely weirder than those in the <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/08/northern-ohio_12.html">northern part of the state</a>. It’s not real scientific, mind you, but I think it’s pretty safe to say that based on the top three Southern Ohio names alone – Twightwee, Fleatown, and Knockemstiff. Read on!</span><br />
<br />
<b>
10. Kitchen</b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, the only room in the house more important than the kitchen is probably the bathroom. Funny, though, there don’t seem to be any towns called Bathroom, OH out there.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This has to be from a surname. And that surname basically denotes some long ago ancestor who worked in or managed a kitchen.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not a whole lot on this one. Apart from all the links to people who want to remodel my kitchen, serve me dinner, or provide me with a free bowl of soup before I head over to the homeless shelter, that is.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I do know, though, that it’s in the far south of Ohio, not too far from the junction with West Virginia and Kentucky.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By the way, there is also a Range OH as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnCbgXmrGDaLa5db6QV3jtv23d9q2Ka9uJn1yFfL2OVmfACigePmpbJSVQJxxTRIi_KV3W5-YxAeQA6yaAnrCCEQb286cs3dTJZ2yoQCGmpsKgPYniijJ2xm_U_IaIAFexOmNKuff11g/s1600/kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnCbgXmrGDaLa5db6QV3jtv23d9q2Ka9uJn1yFfL2OVmfACigePmpbJSVQJxxTRIi_KV3W5-YxAeQA6yaAnrCCEQb286cs3dTJZ2yoQCGmpsKgPYniijJ2xm_U_IaIAFexOmNKuff11g/s320/kitchen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">VP candidate Paul Ryan washes some <br />already clean dishes in a soup kitchen <br />somewhere in Ohio</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<b>
9. Socialville</b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What a friendly place! Look at all these interesting links I could find on it:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meet Socialville Ohio Single men - Free Online Dating Site</span></li>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<li>Meet Socialville Ohio Senior dating - Free Online Dating Site</li>
<li>free adult dating socialville ohio</li>
<li>Sex Dating Sites In Socialville Ohio </li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These super-friendly folks live in the northwest Cincinnati suburbs. Couldn’t find much else on this place though. I figure it’s one of those once-rural crossroads that’s been totally taken over by cul-de-sac land.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It is famous for its dual water towers however</span></div>
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<b>
8. Revenge</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Would you believe this one came about from some competition between a couple of shopkeepers? How lame. I was hoping this would be a lot more bloodthirsty. Kinda boring, if you ask me.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">There doesn’t seem to be a lot left of this crossroads southwest of Columbus. I did find two pages devoted to it though (probably because of the great name):</span><br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.forgottenoh.com/Revenge/revenge.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://www.forgottenoh.com/Revenge/revenge.html</span></a></li>
<li><a href="http://bookponderings.blogspot.com/2011/03/ponderin-pastin-revenge-ohio.html"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">http://bookponderings.blogspot.com/2011/03/ponderin-pastin-revenge-ohio.html</span></a><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">That second link is actually a book review. Yup, there is a book out there that just so happens to be set in Revenge: <em>Love Finds You in Revenge, Ohio</em>, by Lisa Harris. Here’s a description:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The only thing worse than being a spinster is being a twice-jilted spinster. At twenty-five, Catherine Morgan is hardly an old maid, but she’s given up on marriage and instead manages the family’s general store in the small town of Revenge, Ohio. Bound by a promise to care for her three sisters until they marry, she’ll do anything it takes to keep them safe. However, the town’s heriff has evidence that may stand in the way of her sister’s happiness and her own. Revenge can be stronger than love. Will a vow for vengeance arrest </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Catherine’s third chance for love?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">No, this is not Catherine Morgan in old age.<br />This babe owned one of those stores.</span></div>
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<b>
7. Dry Run</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And when they finished with this one, they went to the west a couple of miles and started a <i>real </i>town.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, the meaning of this one is actually pretty obvious. Why anyone would want to start a town at a site without any running water is the real question.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, we’ve got another Cincinnati suburb here. This one’s east of the Queen City. It boasts 7,300 Dry Runners.</span><br />
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<b>
6. Pyro</b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">It’s short for pyromaniac, right? You know, the people who like to set fires? Just checking. ‘Cause it doesn’t seem like an obvious name for a town. I mean, to me at least.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This one’s not too far from Kitchen. In fact, they’re only four miles apart. It looks like Pyro might be the more populous of the two. I see a couple of dozen houses. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What’s really interesting about this place, though, is that some band from Virginia borrowed the name. Yup, most of the links you get on Google will be to the band. Here’s a description of them from their website: </span><a href="http://www.pyroohio.com/"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">www.pyroohio.com</span></a><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">By combining a variety of musical influences Pyro, Ohio has created a sound that is both refreshing and modern while challenging themselves and their audience with every song they write. Branching out from the post-hardcore genre and experimenting with non-standard song structures, the band seeks to write profound songs that hinge on the edge of progressive styling while also remaining accessible to listeners. The band is most commonly compared to A Day to Remember, Chiodos, Circa Survive, A Skylit Drive, and Glassjaw.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The guys in the band</span></div>
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<b>
5. Mudsock</b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, there are three possibilities for this one, none of which I’m buying into:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Horses with mud up to their fetlocks (or some other horsey anatomy part)</span></li>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<li>Travelers losing their boots in the mud</li>
<li>“Mud” plus a word for “sink” from some other language (Old Norse in one story, Finnish in another …)</li>
</span></ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Though there’s not much left today, Mudsock does have its share of history. It was one of the first towns settled by the Ohio Company in what was then the Northwest Territory. No, not the Ohio <em>Players</em>. The Ohio <em>Company</em>. This was a land speculation company that a bunch of Virginians – including Lees and Washingtons – organized to settle the Ohio Country, the land past the Ohio River, in the 18th Century. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This barely-there kind of place is just west of Columbus. I see a farm at a crossroads. Chances are, though, that that’s probably been knocked down and a subdivision’s been put up in its place by the time you read this.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hard to believe, but Mudsock was a fairly common name for towns. There may, in fact, have been four others in Ohio alone. Read more about it right <a href="http://www.ohio.edu/people/deanr/Mudsock-WeHardlyKnewYou.pdf">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">NOT a real university!</span></div>
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<b>
4. Kinnikinnick</b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">What, wasn’t just one Kinnick enough?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, as you can probably guess, this one is Native American. From Merriam-Webster online:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">a mixture of dried leaves and bark and sometimes tobacco smoked by the Indians and pioneers especially in the Ohio valley</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hmm, I wonder what was in those “dried leaves.” Was it a little of the ol’ wacky weed? Maybe a pinch of some good, old-fashioned mary jane? A tad of the famous wacky tobacky? (BTW, the term means “mixture,” and is from the Delaware language.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">K-town (I’m not going to type that monster in again) is south of Columbus, a little bit north of Chillicothe (see below). Looks like it’s a crossroads with a couple of dozen houses. And that’s about it for this place.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I understand they have a <em>special ingredient</em></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<b>
3. Twightwee</b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My spell checker wants to change this to “tightwad,” but also to “tight wee” and “twig twee.” </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">All of which actually make a lot more sense than “twightwee.”</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Twightwee was actually what the Delaware Indians called the Miami Indians. How it came to be applied to these four blocks along the Little Miami River (just up from the local wastewater treatment plant) is, however, beyond me. Twightwee is actually part of the wonderfully named Loveland, which is really just a suburb of Cincinnati. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
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<b>
2. Fleatown</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Truth in advertising?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, according to the Internets, this place was named by a local traveler after spending a sleepless night at a stagecoach stop here. It was previously called Hog Run. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Umm … I hate to tell you this, guys, but I’m not sure Fleatown’s really that much of an improvement. I mean, yeah, Hog Run isn’t that great, but have you considered something like Pleasant Grove, or maybe Springfield, or even Twightwee?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">This place also gets called Van Burentown. It’s basically a handful of houses at a crossroads east of Columbus. It’s in [snicker, snicker] Licking County. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The main attraction</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<b>
1. Knockemstiff</b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One of the all-time greats, Knockemstiff has probably made it into every book on funny place names.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Where does it come from? Chances are it’s a reference to moonshine, something that was quite popular in rural southern Ohio when the town was founded. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Wikipedia calls it a ghost town, but there’s a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/05/us/05ohio.html"><em>New York Times</em> article</a> out there that points to some homes and a church. Sounds like the local residents are more apt to call it Shady Grove than Knockemstiff. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Oh, almost forgot … The NY Times article is actually about a book that a local author wrote about growing up here. Here’s the description from Amazon:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In this unforgettable work of fiction, Donald Ray Pollock peers into the soul of a tough Midwestern American town to reveal the sad, stunted but resilient lives of its residents. Knockemstiff is a genuine entry into the literature of place. Spanning a period from the mid-sixties to the late nineties, the linked stories that comprise Knockemstiff feature a cast of recurring characters who are irresistibly, undeniably real. A father pumps his son full of steroids so he can vicariously relive his days as a perpetual runner-up body builder. A psychotic rural recluse comes upon two siblings committing incest and feels compelled to take action. Donald Ray Pollock presents his characters and the sordid goings-on with a stern intelligence, a bracing absence of value judgments, and a refreshingly dark sense of bottom-dog humor.</span></div>
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<b>
Honorable Mention:</b><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">B-o-r-i-n-g – Stone, Roads, Newtown, Centerville, Center Station, Junction City, Midway, Midland, Middletown, Middlesburg, Plain City, The Plains</span></li>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">
<li>Short & sweet – Aid, Way, Mack, Era, Eber, Enon, Octa, Leo, Gano, Gath, Neffs, Fly</li>
<li>Just a little out of place – far too many</li>
<li>Native American mouthfuls – Moxahala, Chillicothe (first capital of Ohio)</li>
<li>Alliterative apotheosis – College Corners, Huber Heights, Powhatan Point, Point Pleasant, Pleasant Plain, Viking Village, Grape Grove</li>
<li>Orthographically challenged – Whisler, Starr, Eifort, Peebles, McLuney</li>
<li>Just a little off color – Gaysport, Hooker*, Beaver, Mt. Joy, Round Bottom, Long Bottom, Blue Ball, Pee Pee</li>
<li>Numerically oriented – Seven Mile, Five Points, Twenty Mile Stand</li>
<li>Atypical adjectives – Superior, Modest, Mutual, Gratis, Senior*, Stout</li>
<li>Lots of littles – Little Hocking, Little Farms, Little Walnut</li>
<li>Unconventional verbs – Cook, Dent, Dart, Wade, Goes, Plants, Veto</li>
<li>Abnormal nouns – Torch, Marathon, Arcanum, Antiquity, Felicity, Tranquility, Joy, Sunshine, Shade*, Frost, Mineral, Emerald, Hue, Farmers, Patriot, Pansy, Centerfield, Getaway</li>
<li>Fun to say – Frazeyburg (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/2586">world’s largest apple basket</a>), Philo, Excello, Roxabell, Zaleski, Tuppers, Dorcas, Vandalia, Wamsley, Wilberforce*, Whipple, Winkle, Wegee, Nipgen </li>
<li>Just plain weird – Commercial Point, Tradersville, Businessburg, Residence Park, Morning Sun, Sunnyland, Singing Hills, Yellowbird, Red Lion, White Cottage, Raccoon Island, Possum Woods, Young Hickory, South Olive, Franklin Furnace (Ohio & Union too), Bookwalter, Blue Ash* (& Blue Rock), San Toy</li>
<li>Too many towns – Yankeetown, Frytown, Stringtown </li>
<li>Too many villes – Circleville, Coolville (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/18327">Ohio’s smallest church</a>), Outville, Guysville, Salesville, Crooksville </li>
<li>I’d like to introduce you to – Ray, Vernon, Byron, Melvin, Alfred, Pedro, Hamlet, Glen Karn, Wayne Lakes, May Hill, Tom Corwin</li>
<li>Ghost towns – Moonville</li>
</span></ul>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>* - author has visited</i></span></div>
Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7706491803590474519.post-42495352412976121662013-08-12T15:41:00.002-07:002014-02-03T15:01:31.431-08:00Northern Ohio<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My road atlas happens to break this great state in two right across the middle. What an excellent organizing scheme! Ladies and gentlemen, I introduce to you the wild and weird town names of northern Ohio. </span><br />
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10. Reminderville</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There was something I wanted to say about this place, but I just can’t remember what it was.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh yeah! You’re not going to believe me, but this place was named after one of the prominent families in the area, the Reminders. According to the town website, the other competitor was the Grimm family. Damned if you do and damned if you don’t, I guess.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This town of 3,400 is part of the Akron Metropolitan Statistical Area. I</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">f you’re a little short on your Buckeye geography, t</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">hat puts it in the northeast part of Ohio. It’s right on beautiful Aurora Lake, and is bordered to the south by Liberty Park. It looks like lots and lots of cul de sacs. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Oh, and I’m not making that surname thing up, by the way. Click <a href="http://www.reminderville.com/village-hall/village-history/">here</a> if you don’t believe me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Is it just me, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">or does he have a little bit of a pot?</span></div>
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9. Funk</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For some reason, the poor folks in this town always seem to be under the weather, a little down in the dumps, feeling crummy, down in the mouth, bummed out, blue …</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Wikipedia says the source of this town’s name is “not well documented.” My guess is it’s just a surname – a surprisingly common one, as a matter of fact. It’s from the German for “spark” – basically a nickname for a blacksmith.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was kind of hard to find anything on this place, as most search results were for things like “Hire a funk band in Ohio,” “Dayton, Ohio: the Land of Funk,” and “Funk Lab Dance Studio: Kettering, Ohio.” Looking it up on Google maps, I found a couple of dozen houses out in some farmland about halfway between Columbus and Cleveland. The town is right next to the wonderfully named Funk Bottoms Wildlife Area.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I was afraid of that<br />(Google Images search = “Funk OH”)</span></div>
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8. Kunkle</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sounds like something your doctor might offer to zap off with a laser.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, wouldn’t you know. It’s another German surname. Turns out the local grocer was named Kunkle, and they named the town after him. There’s a ton of possible meanings for this one: a maker of spindles, a spindly person, from the personal name Kuno, from a place name …</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was actually originally called Kunkle’s Corners. Too bad it didn’t keep that name. Celeryville (see below) would have definitely had some competition. Other former names include Barrett’s Corners and Deer Lick.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This town of 250 is in the far northwest part of the state. Things look pretty darn flat.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Founding father Henry Stone Kunkle</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">(and wife)</span></div>
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7. Academia</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes, there was a college here. Alas, Mt. Vernon College is no more. All that’s left is the barely half-mile-long College St.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Today, Academia is basically a neighborhood on the far northwestern outreaches of the town of Mt. Vernon. (Mt. Vernon is a decent-sized city – of 17,000 – smack dab in the middle of Ohio.) As for Academia, the Knox County Fairgounds seem to be the main attraction. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The hallowed groves</span></div>
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6. Pepper Pike</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Positively perfect. Plainly without peer. Pure perfection. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, we’ve probably got another surname here. Chances are there was a family by the name of Pepper who lived along a local turnpike. Once again, we’ve got a positive plethora of possibilities for that surname’s meaning: a spice merchant, a fiery person, a piper …</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This “affluent” (according to Wikipedia) suburb of Cleveland has about 6,000 people. From Google Maps, I can see lots and lots of cul-de-sacs and also more-than-your-average number of golf courses. It’s the home of Ursuline College, a Catholic women’s school. You can find a history of the place right <a href="http://files.pepperpike.gethifi.com/government/mayor-richard-bain/A_History_of_Pepper_Pike.pdf">here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wonder if they patrol Pepper Pike Park</span></div>
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5. Jelloway</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Originally called The Way of the Jello, the town was renamed in the 1830s to make it sound more modern.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Seriously, this one’s American Indian. The town was named after a creek, which in turn was named after an Indian chief, Tom Jelloway, whose tribe liked to camp on its banks. It was originally called Brownsville.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This burg of maybe two dozen homes is between Funk and Academia (i.e., between Columbus and Cleveland).</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This way to the jello!</span></div>
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4. Cranberry Prairie</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No, this one isn’t that unusual. It is, however, a genuine tongue twister. Go ahead, try it yourself. It’s either going to come out “cranbrairie prairie” or “cranberry pairie.” You can’t win.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This place actually has its own historical marker. Here’s the complete text:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Cranberry Prairie, southwest of this marker, is a part of Ohio's natural history. The place was named for the cranberries that grew in a swamp here prior to drainage of the area. The Cranberry Prairie was created by centuries of peat accumulation in a late Ice Age lake that formed at the base of St. John's Moraine. Paleo-Indian or Early Archaic peoples probably killed the elk whose skeleton was dug up here in 1981. This elk was dated at approximately 7400 B.C. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the 1860s, immigrant German farmers had begun transforming the swamp into fertile farmland. "Wild Bill" Simison, a legendary inhabitant, lived in the swamp and settlers respected him for his knowledge of the area. By the turn of the nineteenth century, Granville Township School #7, St. Francis Catholic Church, and Bertke's Store stood at the edge of the Cranberry Prairie.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Kale! My favorite!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> (Google search = cranberry prairie oh")</span></div>
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3. Tawawa</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Birthplace of Babwa Wawaa …</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Well, actually, no. She was born in Boston. I think I can be pretty confident saying <i>nobody</i> famous was born in Tawawa.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This tiny town of maybe 30 houses is in the western part of the state. The name comes from the Shawnee for “clear water.” By the way, Ohio also features a Toboso.</span><br />
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2. Mentor-on-the-Lake</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Why on the lake? What was he doing there? Did you have to go there every time you needed to be mentored? Did he occasionally make house calls?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This town of 7,400 is basically a Cleveland suburb, which explains the lake part. As for the Mentor … Well, there is a larger city called Mentor nearby. And that place was named after the character in The Odyssey. And that character is where we get the term “mentor” from. So, it really does mean what it says. Weird, huh?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">By the way, there is also a Painesville on the Lake, Geneva-on-the-Lake, and Vermillion-on-the-Lake.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">$13.99 at sears.com <br />(yup, Sears)</span></div>
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1. Celeryville</b><br/><br/>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Surely there are more worthy vegetables to name your town after. I mean, all it really is is crunchy, right? Honestly, who eats it by itself? You gotta put peanut butter or ranch dressing on it before you can get it down. It has no taste!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Interestingly, Celeryville actually is named after celery. Some Dutch guy came here and planted away in the “muck lands” of north central Ohio. The rest is <a href="http://www.wiersfarm.com/our-story.html">history</a>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Another website shares these fascinating celery / general vegetable facts:</span><br />
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There are 1,000,000 celery seeds in one pound</span></li>
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<li>If combined, the vegetable farms in Celeryville would be the third largest employer in Huron County</li>
<li>The Celeryville Conservancy District maintains over seven miles of ditches</li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>O beautiful for spacious skies, <br />For amber waves of grain, <br />For purple mountain majesties <br />Above the rolling hills of celery!</i></span></div>
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Honorable Mention:</b><br/>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">B-o-r-i-n-g – Valley City, Flat Rock, Forest, Centerburg, Center Village, New Middletown, Middle Point, Ohio City, Junction, Settlement, Plain City</span></li>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
<li>Short and sweet – Lena, Eris, Scio, Iler, Zoar, Dola, Ada, Ney, Neffs, Ink</li>
<li>Just a little out of place – just way, way too many </li>
<li>Just a little off-color – Beaverdam, Climax </li>
<li>Numerically oriented – Twinsburg, Seventeen</li>
<li>Orthographically challenged – Morral, Jewell, Justus, Luckey</li>
<li>Alliterative apotheosis – Rush Run, Sahara Sands </li>
<li>Native American mouthfuls – Chuckery, Pataskala, Tontogany, Wapakoneta (Neil Armstrong’s birthplace), Wakatomika, Tippecanoe</li>
<li>Atypical adjectives – Green, Orange, Continental, Mutual, Brilliant, Delightful, Dull</li>
<li>Abnormal nouns – Phalanx, Peninsula, Prospect, Farmer, Yankee, Diamond, Silica, Signal, Cable, Carriage, Lock, Seal, Champion, Chili, Charm, Novelty, Defiance, Assumption, Zone</li>
<li>Unconventional verbs – Convoy, Converse, Bangs, Jump</li>
<li>Fun to say – Swander, Lake Slagle, Mingo, Mogadore, Monclova, Maumee, Maximo, Philothea, Piqua, Byhalia, Bucyrus, Botkins, Burgoon, Ruggles, Erastus, Glandorf, Ashtabula</li>
<li>Hard to say – Gnadehutten, Deunquat </li>
<li>Unconventional villes – Salineville, Conesville, Lightsville, Ballville, Footville, Widowville, Worstville, Hicksville</li>
<li>Just plain weird – Honeytown, North Industry, Magnetic Springs, Mount Air, Pigeon City, Chagrin Falls, Neopolis, Uniopolis, Ft. Recovery, The Bend, Hills and Dales, Reedurban, Risingsun, Roundhead, Brokensword, Rushsylvania, Newcomerstown, Stelvideo, Fryburg, Killbuck, Cornersburg, Canal Fulton (and Canal Lewisville), New Stark, Steam Corners, Put-in-Bay (<a href="http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/29952">world’s largest geode</a>), Devil Town, River Styx</li>
<li>I’d like to introduce you to – Nellie, Clyde, Wayne, Willard, Gerald, Jerome, Arthur, Arnold, Elmore, Elroy, Gomer, Rudolph, Waldo, Bono, Montezuma, Napoleon, Brady Lake, Craig Beach, Rich Hill, Grover Hill, Dolly Varden, Maria Stein</li>
<li>Ghost towns – Beagle, Wonderland</li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Next week: the wild and weird town names of <a href="http://reallyweirdplacenames.blogspot.com/2013/08/southern-ohio_19.html">southern Ohio</a>.</span>Cliffhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12109085007044124766noreply@blogger.com7