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Funny place names.

C

Chris Jones

Member
All the posts on funny town names and signs etc in a post just a bit ago got me to thinking.
Here's one that exists and isn't so funny. I lived close enough back then that the towns name was heard from time to time giving directions etc.
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Negro_Foot,_Virginia">Wikipedia--Negro Foot, VA</a>
Actually it was the other N word into the 70s I think. At least that's when I remember one guy, an older Highway Patrol officer no less, say he took one of the original signs when they were being removed. I guess it changed to Negro Foot. I finally found references to it's name change online here--it's mentioned in several posts.
<a href="http://boards.ancestry.com/thread.aspx?o=10&m=1016.6&p=localities.northam.usa.states.virginia.counties.hanover">Ancestry.com discussions</a>
I'd say it's time to change it again but it does give pause to history.
Here's another link--scroll down the page a bit for the article.
<a href="http://www.richmond.com/archive/article_017ce54c-8508-5c07-926c-a5d2a6e7ff88.html">News Paper Article</a>
 
"Northwestern Minnesota has two towns, Climax and Fertile; and several years ago, following a fatal car accident the headline in the Grand Forks Herald was "FERTILE WOMAN DIES IN CLIMAX"."
 
then there is Pickle Street, West Virginia, a couple of houses big but there never was a street there.
 
There is a community near me called White Settlement. I never gave it much thought, always assumed it was someones name...

Nope, it means exactly what it says, primarily the reaction to the threat from the Comanche Indians and the exclusion of blacks, dating back to the 1830's.

Recently there was a vote to change the name to West Settlement. It was overwhelmingly defeated.
 
There is a small community near me called "Black Ankle", never have found for sure how that name came about.
Concerning the N word, the word Negro comes from the Spanish or Portuguese meaning "black". Which in itself is from Latin, nigr or niger, meaning black. I would guess that is how the country of Nigeria in W. Africa got its name. (Just thought I would throw that out).
 
In Madison County, Missouri a slave by the name of Washington was freed and given 40 acres of land in a valley, The place became known as N----- Wash Hollow. Now the topo maps show the place name as Wash Hollow.
 
Don't forget about the small towns in central MN that they always make sport of.
"Take Emily on an Outing to Remer. Then you'll get to Aitkin, and so you go for Mora."
 
Chicken Dinner Road west of Boise. When the road was being made a woman near by would bring the crew fried chicken for lunch.
 
Two towns in Maryland named "Street" and "Avenue". Near me there is an area called "Ape's Hole Landing". On the sea-side of the shore is "Assawoman Bay" (lots of Ind..err native american place names around here) Names like Chesconnessex, Annamessex, Nasawaddox, Machipongo, Sinepuxent, Pocomoke, Manokin, Susquehanna, Potomac, Patapsco, Chaptico, Choptank, Kegotank, and on and on.
 
Thar were a cross roads community near Magnolia, Kantucky that until a few years ago was on maps.
Its name had the n word with die on the end. It was named that as a man became drunk on moonshine and froze to death.
With all this PC in the country, its difficult to describe something without people getting bent out of shape.
 
I've never been able to verify it, but I heard once there's a town in Idaho named "Nellie's Nipple".
 
I've been threatening to shoot some pics of Hell, MI. I might go through it this afternoon, I just have to remember to bring my camera. I have a friend in Gregory that owns a business named "Daves Bargains" . He is retired from Meijers and is open on Sat and Sun. He has another one in Climax, Mi, open 2 other days and is in the process of opening another one in Homer, MI soon. A neat place to go in and browse hardware, knives, stuff for the ladies, kitchen items, auto stuff, you never know what you're gonna find!
 
We have a "Dead Man's Hollow" in our county. Is said that a body was found a long time ago and was never identified , buried in the hollow. joe
 
Hop in in Tennessee as well as Nutbush and Bumpus Mills, Ye Haw Junction in Florida (used to be Jacka$$ crossing) are a few I've been to.
 
Peculiar Mo, just south of Kansas City on highway 71. Oops, in Mo they say 71 highway.
Story printed on menu at Fishhook (Flying J) truckstop says that in 1800's they were trying to pick a name. Sent first choice to appropriate state office. Denied, there was already a town in Mo with that name. Tried several more, with same result. Finally sent request that state should just assign a name that would be "peculiar", or unique, not used yet. You guessed it, state assigned Peculiar.

Willie
 
A town in north east Wisconsin is named Spread Eagle, one in west central Wi. named Romance, one in Northern Wisconsin a town is named Moon. by LaCrosse years ago a colored by the name of Nathan lived on a hill and the road was called N----- Nathan Hill, but to be correct it is now called Nathan Hill.

Bob
 
I never knew you lived in Mi , Bob , guess I should look at profiles in modern view more often. And a retired auto tech too, we have a lot in common.
 
Embarrass, WI & MN. Embarrass, WI was called that by early French explorers because they were always getting lost on the river. "Embarrass" in French means "to block or obstruct". (I studied under a French girl for a number of years) And then, there's Why, AZ and Why Not, MA. Loveladies and Husband (both in PA). Oatmeal, TX and Sandwich, MA and Pie Town NM. Also, Greasy, OK. I suppose there at least a hundred or so more?
 
How's about Lizard Lick NC and the crossroads near Selma NC called Catch-Me-Eye. Also the town in Eastern NC called Rocky Mount (which as far as I've ever seen does not have rocks or anything that remotely looks like a mountain.)
 
Pennsylvania has towns named Paradise, Blue Ball, Intercourse, Bird-in-Hand, and Landis Store. I grew up in a small town in upstate New York called Hart Lot. Up until the 1970s, Rand-McNally didn't even know about that one.
 
(quoted from post at 05:47:01 04/06/15) There's "Cut 'n Shoot" and "Gun Barrel City" in Texas, and "Toad Suck" Arkansas.
Click to expand...

Well, not exactly, Toad Suck isn't a town or community. It was a ferry crossing over the Arkansas river southwest of Conway. When the dam and bridge were finished in the mid '70's, the ferry boat and barge were shipped to Bull Shoals lake. There is a "Toad Suck Daze" festival in Conway that's a lot of fun. www.toadsuck.org

Possum Grape, Hogeye, Stumptoe, Blue Ball, Oil Trough, Ink, and Fifty Six are little communities in my state.
Levon Helm, the drummer in The Band, was born in Turkey Scratch and Glenn Campbell was from Delight.
My cousin married a boy who grew up in Snowball, there were six in his high school graduating class.

More stuff here- http://www.arkansas.com/things-to-do/history-heritage/colorful-names/
BillL
 

Use to be a good bank in Tightwad. Lots of people banked there just to have that name on their checks. Bank was gone last I checked. I go through there quite often.

Gene ( I live near Speed Missouri) :D

Gene
 
An interesting town that asks a question; What Cheer, Iowa. Have been thru there , nice little town. clnt
 
What Cheer, Iowa was a Dutchmans question.
It means Whats Here!
I was reared amoung the dutch and they had a unique vay of spoken
 
Harvey2
do you know what a prod sponder is or a gocky?
Just a few words from My father who is "Dutchy" sometimes. He turned 96 today. The pry bar used tor coax rocks out od a post hole is the prod sponder and a gocky is the same as a "dingle", a low area between two higher areas.
 
I used to live in Climax. (20yrs) (thought it was Paradise) !!! Now I live near Fulton which is between Climax & Colon. Colon is near the 'bottom' of Michigan ! ;-) It's know as 'The magic Capital' of the world. Two famous magicians lived there and it has a 'Magic Factory'.
 
(quoted from post at 15:29:00 04/06/15) Harvey2
do you know what a prod sponder is or a gocky?
Just a few words from My father who is "Dutchy" sometimes. He turned 96 today. The pry bar used tor coax rocks out od a post hole is the prod sponder and a gocky is the same as a "dingle", a low area between two higher areas.
Click to expand...
am Dutch and i have never heard these words
 
For all of us Michigan guys, Climax, Hell, and all that. Don't forget Gay, Michigan--and yes there is a Gay Bar there.
 
There is Painted Post Ny, Needmore Mo it needs more people Okra Tx its down the road from Carbon Tx. Speed Mo looks like all the people sped outa there.
 
Hold on, I go out that way every few to go to the Strausburg RR. I used to be a sale rep out in that area too. Some of the ones you guys listed but there are MORE. Unicorn, flyinghills, mascot, buyerstown, gap, paradise ,Kinzer, connestoga, honey Brook, AND New Holland. Now GUESS what is made in NEW HOLLAND?????? Was red and yellow in color. These are just some of them out there. Jeffcat
 
(quoted from post at 13:31:51 04/06/15)
I use to go through N***** Head Corner in Arkansas. I think someone stole the sign last I was by there. Or they took it down.

Gene
Click to expand...

Gene, where in the state was that? I've lived here all my life and was a traveling salesman for many years. I've been all over Arkansas and never heard of it.
BillL
 
Bob, your Nathan Hill story is correct. I first heard the term in 1973 by a local farmer and the first time I could not believe my ears!.

See you on the 18th for plow day?

LA in WI
 
Plenty of town sites were named by the rough gold rush miners around here that they wont print ln maps and even though they are place names might get me in trouble with the management. "S" hill and creek, "N" (word) run, creek, and gulch, Chili Bar (someof the earliest sucessful hard rock miners were from Chile). Greaserville, Squabbletown, Bummerville, Rough and Ready, Poker Flat, Jackaźz Hill, Hornitos (spanish word for the little adobe ovens). Hangtown,
 
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