You may have noticed that I live in Arkansas. Most states have cities or towns with unusual names, and Arkansas certainly has its share. It is interesting to imagine how some of these places got their very descriptive names. Some towns are named for food, such as Strawberry or Tomato. Some are apparently named for crops, such as Cotton Plant and Pea Ridge.
Others may be named for indigenous creatures, including Bee Branch, Deer, Dogpatch, and Ravenden, which features a huge statue of a raven in the center of town. Little Flock, not to be confused with Little Rock, apparently doesn’t have much of an animal population to brag about.
Arkansans seem to want to share their love of reading, with villages named Magazine, Reader, and Story, while the town of Umpire brings another pastime to mind. Other names seem to be inspired by local landmarks including Bald Knob, Marked Tree and Round Pond, while names like Hasty and Prim may be more descriptive of the residents. Speaking of residents, towns with names like Guy, Old Joe, and Rosie may be named after someone special.
While many town names seem to have something in common, there are also opposites such as Quitman and Success. Use your imagination to decide what might have inspired the names Light or Ozone.
One has to wonder if the name Twist has anything to do with Arkansas being part of Tornado Alley. There are a couple of other rough sounding titles, although the names Smackover and Yellville are probably harmless. Even so, Romance or Sweet Home sound a little more cheerful.
Even though many of these names are quite descriptive, there are those that are quite plain, like Fifty Six and the generic title Village.
Arkansas also borrows titles from cities around the world, and includes quite a list of famous names, including Egypt, England, Genoa, Hamburg, Jerusalem, Jordan, Melbourne, Moscow, and Paris.
*Tell me about your state and some of the interesting names of cities and towns there!