It seems like every state has a few towns with truly unusual names. I wonder sometimes what it’s like to write ZZyzx, California as a return address on an envelope (and this is from someone who wrote Winnemucca, Nevada for 30 years.)
Idaho, the state where I grew up, has a lot of interesting names–Slickpoo, for instance, named after a man who gave land for a Jesuit mission. Washington state has many fun names that are impossible to pronounce unless you’re from the area.
Below I’ve listed a few of my favorites from around the country:
Why, Arizona — named after a Y joining State Routes 85 and highway 86. Arizona law requires that a town’s name have three letters, so Y became Why.
Big Sag, Montana — named for a large sag or dip in the landscape
Atomic City, Idaho — named after its proximity to the National Reactor Testing Station
Skookumchuck, Washington – means water in the Chinook language
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico — named after the Ralph Edwards radio show.
Hygiene, Colorado — named in the 19th Century by the National Cleanliness Society for a sanitarium nearby
Rough and Ready, California – named during the Gold Rush
Boring, Oregon – has a sister city in Scotland named Dull
Chicken, Alaska – named because the miners couldn’t spell ptarmigan.
Now it’s your turn. For a chance for a $10 Amazon gift certificate, add a fun city name in the comments. The only caveat is that it has to be or have been populated at some point in time. I’m looking forward to reading the additions!
UPDATE: I’m reading the fun town names in the comments and loving them! I’m amazed at how the names evolve and stick. Thank you for making me smile and adding to the list! WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON SUNDAY MARCH 29 along with a compilation of the names. I think we need a summary. 🙂