Two small towns in West Virginia have had names thrust upon them that indicate more drama than they ever experienced. Hurricane never had a gale-force storm rip through its downtown and Cheat Lake never actually “cheated” anyone. Hurricane In 1774 … Continue reading →
Rhode Island may be the smallest state in land area, but it packs a surprising number of features within its diminutive borders. Rhode Island is home to more than a million residents, making it second in population density only to … Continue reading →
Two municipalities in Washington share nearly identical historical and legendary parallels that touch at several tangents. Medical Lake and Soap Lake are both named for the respective eponymous bodies of water around which they once thrived. The water and mud … Continue reading →
Virginia, they say, is for lovers. Apparently, the state is also for sadists judging from the litany of awkward and sometimes unsavory town names it has bestowed upon its citizens. Welcome to the state where you can visit Chilhowie, Fries, … Continue reading →
When contemplating towns and villages in Vermont, a series of comforting adjectives usually nudge their way front and center. Words like “picturesque,” “charming” and “quaint.” Municipalities in The Green Mountain State invariably capture the attention of travelers seeking a bucolic … Continue reading →
Utahns are generally unassuming, straightforward folks, but when it comes to their naming the state’s towns and villages — often more than once — they can be a profoundly head-scratching lot. Not surprisingly, given Utah’s history, three significant etymological sources … Continue reading →
Two towns in South Dakota, 13 miles apart, are kindred spirits — in their origin, ruggedness and infamous debauchery. Deadwood and Sturgis are both municipal offsprings of the Black Hills Gold Rush in the 1870s, and their initial populations were … Continue reading →
What’s in a name? In the case of two Clackamas County, Oregon, municipalities: not at all what it first appears. The names of Boring and Zigzag really have nothing to do with their common meaning as applied to their culture, … Continue reading →
Many cities plod statistically along with a mild but steady accretion of residents from decade to decade. Some municipalities, however, experience a remarkable surge of population growth at least once in their history. Mustang and Jenks, Okla., are notable examples … Continue reading →
Many municipalities in America are named for weather phenomena: Sun City, Ariz., and Snow, Okla.; Winter, Wis., and Spring, Texas; Cyclone, Penn., and Tornado, W.Va. Two towns in New Mexico — Angel Fire and Cloudcroft — share that distinction, their … Continue reading →
