[PW] Politically Incorrect Town Names?

[Kathleen Stipek]

I remember reading somewhere that a prude in the names office at the
postal service demanded that a wide spot in the road out West called
something like Two Whore Springs commemorating tiny brothel in an
equally tiny gold rush settlement be renamed Bad Woman Springs, but not
until the 1930s.  Evidently Victorian letter carriers weren't distressed
by the name, but it was felt that 20th century carriers might be
shocked.  I wish I could verify this because if it's true, it's
wonderful.  Any ideas or suggestions?

Kathleen Stipek
Alachua County Library District
401 East University Avenue
Gainesville, Florida 32601
352-334-3931  (fax) 352-334-3948
 
     --Non, merci.
       Cyrano de Bergerac
 

-----Original Message-----
From: project-wombat-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org
[mailto:project-wombat-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org] On Behalf Of
Adrian Smith
Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 4:40 AM
To: list at project-wombat.org
Subject: Re: [PW] Politically Incorrect Town Names?



I fear there should be a wordgame: pairing unsuitable cities:

Piddle (Dorset) "twinned with" Pee Pee (Ohio)

A.S.



-----Original Message-----
From: project-wombat-fm-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org
[mailto:project-wombat-fm-bounces at lists.project-wombat.org] On Behalf Of
Will White
Sent: 01 April 2007 07:50
To: list at project-wombat.org; John Ptak
Subject: Re: [PW] Politically Incorrect Town Names?


On 3/31/07, John Ptak <jfptak at thesciencebookstore.com> wrote:
>
> Hello.  I was wondering if there anyone knew of some one-stop shopping

> for information like this?  This came to mind while I was looking 
> through "The Lure of Roads in New Mexico" (1921) which was decorated 
> with a swastika (not horribly uncommon) and which described a town 
> named "Swastika".  The town changed its name "at the outbreak of the 
> war", and then drifted I guess, its way to ghost-towndom.  Apart from 
> having a run through some old gazetteers, does anyone know if this 
> data has been collected?  Thanks, John Ptak


These websites have lists of politically incorrect and humorous place
names: http://philbrodieband.com/jokes-jokes_town_names.htm
http://www.funnynames.com/?op=listnames&cat=2

The book "From Squaw Tit to Whorehouse Meadow: How Maps Name, Claim, and
Inflame" by Mark Monmonier (University of Chicago Press, 2006) goes into
more detail on the subject of controversial place names.

--
Will White
Atherton Branch, San Mateo County Library
2 Dinkelspiel Station Lane, Atherton CA 94027 william.p.white at gmail.com
_______________________________________________
Project Wombat
list at project-wombat.org
http://www.project-wombat.org
_______________________________________________
Project Wombat
list at project-wombat.org
http://www.project-wombat.org/