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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Jan 2001
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I have a request for some place names pertaining to the divine, the eccentric, and the curiously juxtaposed. Here are samplings from New York, New England, and Michigan:
Divine
-- mythical: Vulcan, Grace, Walhalla, Clio, Atlas and Romulus, Michigan; Ceres, Bellona, Minerva and Medusa, New York; Aurora and Paris, Maine.
-- biblical: Beulah, Ruth, Jerome and Samaria, Michigan; Eden, Ephratah, Shushan, Zoar, and Gilboa, New York; Mars Hill, Mount Pisgah and Canaan, Maine; Bethlehem, New Hampshire; Jericho and Sodom, Vermont; Salem, Massachusetts.
-- saintly: St Jacques, Sault Ste Marie, St Helen, St Charles, and St Anthony, Michigan; St Bonaventure, St Remy, Saintsville, and St Huberts, New York; St Francis and St George, Maine; St Johnsbury and St Albans, Vermont.
Eccentric
Christmas, Aloha, Free Soil, Bad Axe, Bunny Run and Hell, Michigan; Horeseheads, Number Four, and Paradox, New York; Grindstone and Fish Street, Maine; Smugglers Notch and Downers, Vermont; Cow Yard, Massachusetts; Devil's Backbone, Connecticut.
curiously juxtaposed
Freedom and Liberty, Maine; Washington and Lincoln, Vermont; Guild and Union, New Hampshire; Cambridge and Oxford, Massachusetts; Upperville and Downsville, New York; Barker and Arcade, New York.
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Oct 2000
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NY also boast of Hicksville and Farmingdale (Long Island) and Anthoy's Nose a headland near Bear Mountain NY--
It is not named for Bears-- but because of it bear top-- there is something-- (i don't know what) that cause "tree less tops" on east coast mountains (these are way below "timber lines") and there are several "bear", "bald" and other names-- they exist in NY and NE-- I am not sure if they are found in Penn- or other points south.
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veteran
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veteran
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 1,289 |
In Maryland, we have:
Divine/Biblical
Damascus, Hebron, Mt. Hebron, Solomons
Divine/Saintly
Providence, St. Charles, St. Mary's City, St. Michaels
Classical
Adelphi
Aboriginal
Accokeek, Conowingo, Lonaconing, Mattawoman, Pokomoke City, Potomac, Powhatan Mill, Takoma Park, Tammany Manor, Wicomico
Eccentric
Accident, Cabin John, Chevy Chase, Deale, Drum Pt., Finksburg, Friendly, Friendsville, Funkstown, Granite, Halfway, Havre de Grace, Indian Head, North East, Parole, Rising Sun, Savage, Secretary, Seat Pleasant, Shady Side, South Gate, Suitland, Whiskey Bottom
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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One of my favorite Eccentrics from NY is Fishs Eddy (no apostrophe).
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addict
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addict
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 428 |
I have a bit of an obession with a particular town name: Enfield. It's a soft, gentle sound, and there are two very interesting Enfields in New England. Enfield, Massachusetts was one of the four towns eliminated to make the Quabbin Reservoir (Dana, Prescott and Greenwich were the others). I can only imagine what it must have looked like right before the river was dammed and the town flooded. Buildings, walls, fences were all simply left standing as the water rushed in. Even today you can see stone walls descending into the water. Enfield, New Hampshire was the site of a Shaker community - the Shakers were a strange religious sect, know for their fine furniture and architecture and their complete celibacy (no wonder there are only 8 Shakers left!) Are there any other unique Enfields out there? Just curious.
Flatlander
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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I understand there's a Monkey's Elbow, Kentucky. Jackie, is this town oddly juxtaposed? (Yeah, yeah, I know ICLIU) 
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Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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>Monkey's Elbow, Kentucky... is this town oddly juxtaposed?
sounds more like it could be oddly akimbo.
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enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Jan 2001
Posts: 328 |
Here's a few from PA: Divine/BiblicalParadise, Bethlehem, Ephrata, Temple, Zionsville, Christiana, New Jerusalem InterestingObelisk, Tobyhanna, Birdsboro, Bally, Gap, Pleasantville, Kleinfeltersville Then, of course, there's the infamous Intercourse already mentioned in the Around Towns thread. If you go to gift shops in Lancaster county, you can find caps, shirts, etc. with the logo "I love Intercourse" printed on them in large letters. At the bottom, in tiny type, is printed (PA). There is also a tiny town called Virginville about five miles from where I live.
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2001
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It's understandable why they live in Maine, and not in Intercourse, PA.
(Incidentally, a very good movie, Journey to the Sun, involves and enfield image.)
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Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Mar 2001
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There is a German town called Katzenelgenbogen, or "cat's elbow." Many Jews coming from there shortened their name to "Katz." This has caused some slight difficulty in Israel since "Katz" is also the transliteration of Hebrew "Cohen" -- priest. The problem is that Jewish law permits the Cohenim to pronounce the blessing of the priests ("May the Lord bless you and keep you...") in a more or less ritualistically correct way. Katzenelogenbogen Katzes can be (inadvertent) pretenders to the priesthood, pronounce blessings in vain.
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