TwinDad is right about odd names in WV. Left Hand, WV Odd, WV Rig, WV Speed, WV Hundred, WV Volcano, WV Petroleum, WV (one of the first oil wells in the USA was located near there) Natrium, WV (large Bayer chemical plant there) A friend of mine built a layout over his washing machine, of course the water supply pipes were an obstacle. He sceniked around the pipes and named that area "Pipe Falls" Sent from my PantechP8010 using Tapatalk
I saw identical posts this morning by two different people on two different Facebook railroad Texas groups: town originally RAGTOP, Texas on the Quanah, Acme and Pacific RR. renamed ROARING SPRINGS. Incidentally, town of QUANAH, Texas, named for Comanche chief Quanah Parker, mixed-blood son of kidnapped white woman Cynthia Ann Parker and war chief Peta Nocona. But don't stop there. There is a town of NOCONA, Texas named for Peta Nocona at the suggestion of a Texas Ranger who admired the Comanche. Town was birthplace of Nocona Boots. Nocona has become a subsidiary of Justin Boots.
Sometimes model railroaders named towns after family members, and some critics bemoan these names as unrealistic. But as another thread is titled, "There's a prototype for it." The New York, Texas and Mexican Railroad (which built in South Texas but never touched New York or Mexico) wanted to run tracks across the land of rancher Shanghai Pierce. Pierce agreed, provided the railroad built stations and named them for his three daughters. So there are three towns along the line (and present highway US59) named: EDNA LOUISE and INEZ. This gave rise to the following limerick, which I think came from columnist/humorist Leon Hale, printed at least once with a map as an explanation: A young lad, Houston-bound from Laredo, Bedded down for the night in Ganado. He slept, if you please, Between Edna and Louise, And thought he was in "El Dorado." GANADO is a town between Edna and Louise. "Ganado" means "cattle" in Spanish. Big loading point once. EL TORO ("the bull") is just southwest of Edna. One town on the line was named for the rancher himself, PIERCE. Shanghai had a lot of interest in another town toward which a branch line was being built. When the long-awaited line finally arrived, Shanghai proposed the town be named "Thank God!" But Post Office rejected that as blasphemous. So we now have the town of BLESSING. The railroad itself was built by an Italian immigrant, a Count Telferner. Because of the background of the builder and his crews, the railroad was nicknamed "The Macaroni Line." And one town got the name TELFERNER. Sometimes deliberately mispronounced as "tell-a-foreigner." Lines through all the places abandoned about 1990 but much rebuilt recently between Rosenberg and Victoria as part of the Kansas City Southern.
More Indian names but how 'bout Humptulips, and Salmon la sac Washington. And my favorite, Wawawai Wa. Brian
I've always enjoyed Fryeburg, ME. Growing up, I was led to believe a "burg" was a dump. So why would a Mr. Frye want to be remembered this way? BTW, Lower Corners was the highest community in Sandwich Township, Carroll County, NH.
My main town is called Moose Bay. There's a branch line that crosses Squirrel Creek and heads down to the station at Bullwinkle. The carfloat terminal is in Mooseport.
Humptulips has significance for my family. How about tongue twisters for outsiders, such as Sequim, Hoquiam, Puyallup, Issaquah, and, and.....
I remembered a few more: Shock, WV Pinch, WV Womelsdorf (a.k.a. Coalton), WV Beech Bottom, WV Torch, OH Fly, OH Normal, WV Pickle Street, WV Big Chimney, WV Czar, WV I'm sure I'll think of more. Sent from my PantechP8010 using Tapatalk
And Staunton, Virginia. Which is pronounced "Staan-ton". They changed the way you say it during the Civil War to make it easier to detect Union spies, who would call it "Ston-ton".
Wapakoneta, Ohio, birthplace of Neil Armstrong, first man on the Moon. A fair amount of CSX rail traffic passes through and services customers in Wapakoneta. - Jeff
I used to stay next to a village called 'Ugly' when I was in the UK. Particularly unfortunate for the members of the village's Women's Institute.
Here are my place names: Moab Dorado Silvermountain Uintah junction Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free
I had a friend who grew up in Green River, Wyo (his Dad was station master for the U.P.). He always called Green River Boogerwoods and Rock Springs, Wyo was Puckerbrush! So I have a Boogerwoods & Puckerbrush in honor of my friend, Ernie Paoli.