These are the weirdest town names in each state. I dunno, it seems Rabbit Hash, Tyewhoppety, and Monkey’s Eyebrow in Kentucky are all a bit weirder than Pig. (via Boing Boing)
Agreed for Rabbit Hash and Monkeys Eyebrow; the Estately list from about 2016 does not include Tyewhoppety, so the list author may not have noticed it when "scour[ing] dozens of maps".
Instead of Chili in Wisconsin, he should have gone with either Disco, Gotham, or Dickeyville. Then there's Kaukauna ... which, with the proper punctuation Ka`uka`una and pronunciation (ka-oo-ka-OO-ba), becomes the only community in Wisconsin with a Hawaiian name.
And for the record, the name he did select – Chili – is not pronounced like the South American country or the Tex-Mex meat-and-tomato stew, but rather CHEYE-lye, with long 'I's and the accent on the first syllable
I live in Maryland, and once read the story about the town's name. I wanted to post this, but I wanted to refresh/verify my memory, so I found the town's web site (http://www.accidentmd.org/) where the history page begins:
About the year 1751, a grant of land was given to Mr. George Deakins by King George II, of England, in payment of a debt. According to the terms, Mr. Deakins was to receive 600 acres of land anywhere he chose in Western Maryland. Mr. Deakins sent out two corps of engineers, each without knowledge of the other group, to survey the best land in the area.
After the survey, the engineers returned with their maps of the plots they had surveyed. To their surprise, they discovered they had surveyed a tract of land starting at the same tall Oak tree and returning to the start point. Mr. Deakins chose this plot of ground and had it patented “The Accident Tract;” hence, the name of the town.
Volcano, Hawaii isn't especially strange considering that the town sits right outside the entrance to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the slopes of Kilauea volcano.
While I could mention Weed, California (named after the town's founder, Abner Weed), instead I'll bring up everyone's favorite suggestive town name: Intercourse, Pennsylvania.
All the towns mentioned in "Entering Marion" by John Forster (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI7ZtGG8I-Q), are real…
Agreed for Rabbit Hash and Monkeys Eyebrow; the Estately list from about 2016 does not include Tyewhoppety, so the list author may not have noticed it when "scour[ing] dozens of maps".
ReplyDeleteA few other better choices from their list:
Arizona - Why
Colorado - Hygiene
Florida - Two Egg
Oklahoma - Dead Women Crossing
I've been to Chicken, Alaska. IIRC, it was named that because the locals did not know/could not agree how to spell ptarmigan.
I wanna move to Pie Town!
ReplyDeleteI've always been partial to Meddybemps,
ReplyDeletebut whatever.
How come Florida and Idaho have each other's towns?
ReplyDeleteInstead of Chili in Wisconsin, he should have gone with either Disco, Gotham, or Dickeyville. Then there's Kaukauna ... which, with the proper punctuation Ka`uka`una and pronunciation (ka-oo-ka-OO-ba), becomes the only community in Wisconsin with a Hawaiian name.
ReplyDeleteAnd for the record, the name he did select – Chili – is not pronounced like the South American country or the Tex-Mex meat-and-tomato stew, but rather CHEYE-lye, with long 'I's and the accent on the first syllable
-"BB"-
What about My Humps, North Dakota; Truth or Consequences, New Mexico; or Big Ball, Louisiana.
ReplyDeleteI feel like this is one of those list where everyone has a "yeah but, the list fails without X".
My vote goes to Finger, TN
ReplyDeleteI live in Maryland, and once read the story about the town's name. I wanted to post this, but I wanted to refresh/verify my memory, so I found the town's web site (http://www.accidentmd.org/) where the history page begins:
ReplyDeleteAbout the year 1751, a grant of land was given to Mr. George Deakins by King George II, of England, in payment of a debt. According to the terms, Mr. Deakins was to receive 600 acres of land anywhere he chose in Western Maryland. Mr. Deakins sent out two corps of engineers, each without knowledge of the other group, to survey the best land in the area.
After the survey, the engineers returned with their maps of the plots they had surveyed. To their surprise, they discovered they had surveyed a tract of land starting at the same tall Oak tree and returning to the start point. Mr. Deakins chose this plot of ground and had it patented “The Accident Tract;” hence, the name of the town.
Volcano, Hawaii isn't especially strange considering that the town sits right outside the entrance to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on the slopes of Kilauea volcano.
ReplyDeleteWhile I could mention Weed, California (named after the town's founder, Abner Weed), instead I'll bring up everyone's favorite suggestive town name: Intercourse, Pennsylvania.
All the towns mentioned in "Entering Marion" by John Forster (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI7ZtGG8I-Q), are real…